Now we have TWO!

We have Amanda! Or perhaps I should still call her Min Zhi, as it isn't official until tomorrow. Doesn't matter--we HAVE HER!!!

It has been quite a day! Min Zhi was very scared when we got her. She would hardly even look at us. Poor thing, she speaks Cantonese and we don't...she is supposed to know some Mandarin, but we have yet to discover which words she might know...

After we came back to the hotel, Dave and I took the girls to Wal-Mart (can you believe that there is one just around the corner?) to get some clothes. Both of the girls are taller than expected, so we needed to get a few things. Hope was wonderful and held onto Min Zhi's hand right away, so Min Zhi clung to her for dear life. While in Wal-Mart, Dave decided to take Min Zhi to find some DVDs to watch. Of course walking is overrated, so Dave decided to spin Min Zhi down the aisles, which brought a smile to her face. Tickling was discovered to bring out the giggles, and once it started, it hasn't really ended. Now Dave just needs to look at her and she starts laughing!

Hope had a hard time at the store. She was determined that I wasn't going to buy her anything! We NEEDED to get her some fresh clothes, so I didn't take no for an answer. The more she refused, the goofier I got--I did actually get her to say she wanted ONE thing, but that was after I threatened that if she didn't choose anything, we wouldn't be able to go to KFC. Bribery works in many languages!

Min Zhi had no problem showering once we returned home for the evening. It was so much fun wrapping her in a big fluffy towel to dry her off! Hope thought she wasn't going to bathe again, but I didn't allow that to be a choice. I offered her the tub or shower, which she promptly chose shower. After I left, however, she remained in the bathroom for almost an hour with water either running or being splashed, so I suppose she decided to try the tub after all. Poor dad had to use the bathroom, but didn't want to disturb Hope's first real bath. :)

Now both girls are cleaned, brushed, in PJs (yea!) and in bed. Hope keeps looking over at me and smiling. I don't know what made the connection today, but I am SO THANKFUL that it has been made!!!

It's funny--when we first started this process, my focus was on what would be good for the family. During the months of getting paperwork done, contacting governmental officials, and finishing details, I was thinking of what was good for the girls. Now I realize that I am the one that has been blessed the most. I don't know why God has trusted me with so much, but I pray that he finds me faithful.

All my best,

Amy

HERE'S HOPE!

We have been taking a bunch of photos but will have to
upload them once we get home!

Hope has been VERY quiet. Babelfish has proved itself
wonderfully useful (we didn't purchase a translator) and we can communicate
that way. Hope had her first experience of "surfing the web"
yesterday and her first airplane ride today. I have been very "hands
on" with the hugs, stroking of her hair, holding her arm, etc. I can feel
that it isn't normal for her, but she hasn't pulled away either. 

Due to our very quick stay in Kunming we didn't get a chance to sightsee or
to try and visit her foster family, but we did call her foster family so she
could talk to them (and so we could get their phone number.) Hope is never very
talkative, even with people that are speaking Mandarin to her, so I think she
is just painfully shy. 

Hope came to us with the stuffed animal we sent (but not the
photo album), some school books and a blanket-like coat in a backpack. She wore
new jeans, shoes, sweater and coat. She also wore two layers of long-underwear,
which I highly suspect are new but have been worn for a few too many days. I
offered some new clothes that we brought from home, but she does NOT want them.
I am going to take her out to have her involved in the process of buying at
least a change of clothing, and then insist that she showers or bathes before
changing. She wears her coat even indoors, and although she denies being hot,
her "ripeness" indicates otherwise. David may be flying to Shanghai to do some
business, so it may be easier for "just the girls" to take a dip in
the bathtub together. :)

Hope has been wonderful in trying to "be a good
girl", as our guide told us she was instructed to do. She was told that if
she didn't listen to her new mama and baba we might not want her. I think that
is playing into her quietness, and although it is nice to have a perfectly
behaved child, I am eager to get to know the real girl underneath.

I must share one more thing! I don't know if any other
adoptive moms, especially of older children, have questioned if they were doing
the right thing taking their child out of a foster family and out of their
culture. I was hitting incredible highs and lows the day before we got Hope!
However, after seeing her swollen, red, ulcerated hands (probably due to
washing clothes outside) and noticing how she responds when I brush her hair or
tuck her into bed or tickle her feet, I really think that there will be many
more "foreign" things for her to experience in America than just the
culture. I consider it my true privilege to introduce her to our forever family
and all the "perks" that it entails!

Next will be Min Zhi! Only 2 hours to go!!!

All my best,
Amy, currently in Nanning,
 China

4 To Go!!

Dave and I are in Kunming to get Hope. We are scheduled to see her for the first time in FOUR HOURS!!! I have been up all night, even with an antihistamine in me. I think it is a combination of jet lag and anxiety...
The next day (Tuesday) we will fly to Nanning to get Amanda. After that I really don't know what our plans are. We don't officially have TA for Amanda yet, so hopefully that will come today.
I will write again when I have a moment. We may be going to the local Wal-Mart to get Hope some clothes later. Now, before you think we will be able to do this task with any kind of relative ease, let me assure you that China's Wal-Marts and American Wal-Marts are NOTHING alike!!! They have the same yellow smiley-faced character, but the similarities end there. I mean, where in America can you get chicken feet and jellied squid in Wal-mart??? Not that the 5 second rule for dropped food would be in effect in America's Wal-Mart, but here I have seen women whistling to their very-young children mid-aisle, even though the diapers were only 20 feet from them...
I will try to share more later! Please pray for us and especially Hope! 
All my best,
Amy 

Good morning

Good morning one and all!

Mom and Dad are really boring.  We sat in the hotel room all evening.  We are getting ready to go to bed.  We get up in the morning and get XiFan at 9:00 am our time.  I still cannot grasp this all.

Pray for us, our kids, her, all of us!

David

We're in the Air!!!

I have felt like I've been walking on air for days, and now Dave and I really are!

Thursday afternoon we leave the US and arrive in China Friday night! Whoo Hoo!

Hold on, girls! We are coming!!!

All my best,

Amy

Article 5

Xi Fan has her Article 5 from the US consulate in Guangzhou! Min Zhi's didn't pass yet, but hopefully tomorrow!!!

Look out, Beijing, here they come!!!

Could we actually get our travel approval BEFORE we travel???

All my best,

Amy

Four Days Until Flight!

We are in the home stretch! Only 4 days until we leave! It seems surreal.

This past weekend we had the pleasure of being able to visit extended family members—many of whom we haven’t seen for 4 years! It was great to see everyone again, catch up on each other’s lives, and laugh at the kids acting like kids. I was VERY surprised to find out that some were reading this blog—thanks, Diane! Dave is also trying to find a way to get Joel and Juliann over to Thailand after hearing their hearts for missions…which goes to show that you should be careful what you say to a “quick-start” personality! J

We haven’t heard yet whether or not our paperwork was approved for our article 5 in Guangzhou. We literally need things to be approved in a day and the mail to move quickly in both Guangzhou and Beijing. On paper it doesn’t work to get everything done in time, but God is bigger than that.

Thanks for standing by and behind us in this time!!!

All my best,

Amy

Make a Choice Already!

I LOVE GOD! My heart is overflowing with His praise! HE ALONE IS WORTHY!

It was quite an afternoon—

After being talked down to and brought to tears by our senator’s office, I was rather down to say the least. During a very “therapeutic” session of shoveling snow off our roof, God reminded me that HE hasn’t changed, even if our circumstances have. So I lifted praises to the heavens while standing on my rooftop.

Later, while shopping at a local food center I saw a girl we used to drive to Wednesday night church. In an inaudible whisper God spoke to my heart: Talk to her. Simple enough, I thought, so I stopped and chatted with this teenage girl. It was only small talk, but I was able to ask her about school and sports and other various things.  A few moments later while I was checking out, this girl got into line right behind me. She was only carrying a small sandwich from the deli, so I saw it as an opportunity to chat again. Once again, the whisper came: Buy it for her. It wasn’t a request, mind you, so I obeyed and told the person checking me out to add her sandwich. This girl quickly refused to let it be scanned, but I had the amount added to my bill to cover it. Feeling pretty good that I had obeyed, I told the girl goodbye and turned to leave. She ran after me, saying that she had to talk to me—and was rather distraught. Back in August we were TP-ed  and she admitted to me that she told the culprits where we lived and to being there while we were “decorated”. Bless her heart, her face was all blotchy, her eyes were watering, and she looked miserable! It was at that moment that I realized why God had been whispering to my heart…I had the profound joy of forgiving her and bringing her into a bear hug. I even forgave her if she had TP-ed us, just in case there was anything that she was not ready to admit. J When I said goodbye for the final time and saw her slip around the corner I knew that the small talk, emotional connection, and a $3.19 sandwich was just the appetizer for the main course. On special for today was a healing of the heart.

I am SO THANKFUL that He started the process on the roof—had I been inward focused, I might not have seen her, or felt like I had time to talk, or refused to buy the sandwich. Praise God that he got my heart in the right place so His blessings could flow!  And then, once I returned home… (see next post!!!)

All my best,

Amy

It Still Sits

NVC still has our paperwork and has not uploaded the information yet.

When I called last night, they knew me by name and said “we have your information right here.”

“Has it been uploaded yet?”
”No.”

“May I ask why?”

“Policy.”

Call me crazy, but it doesn’t seem like it is about policy at all. It is about a girl named Xi Fan, who may be stuck in China after all.

But I will not lose my hope! I will NOT lose my Hope!!!

Clinging to His promises,

Amy

Attention All Prayer Warriors!

We are in need for you to intercede for us!

Unlike the last post, our second call to NVC did not go as well.

Our case was not even listed as an adoption case, so I praise GOD that He prompted me to call.

The woman I talked to tonight told me that it would take to 5 business days to “scan and send” our information to Guangzhou. Never mind that it is already supposed to have been scanned yesterday. Never mind that this is an expedited age-out case. Never mind that we need this information to be approved in Guangzhou, have a courier deliver it to the CCAA, and have them approve it again for the proper paperwork to be available to complete for Xi Fan by Jan. 19th. I was told that they will send it NEXT WEEK.

We have contacted our state senator and our congressman via e-mail and phone (left a voice mail).

Our case worker at WACAP is contacting NVC to see if there is anything she can do.

And now we wait. And pray. And pray. And pray.

“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.  Isaiah 40:25-26

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families. Psalm 68: 5-6a

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks,he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. James 1:5-7

All my best,

Amy

Paperwork Update

Our paperwork was put into the computer yesterday at NVC but has not been cabled yet. I let the poor, unsuspecting woman who took my call the urgency of our case and how we need EVERY DAY to get everything done before Xi Fan ages out when she said to call back tomorrow. She now encouraged me to call back tonight. J Time for this wheel to SQUEAK!

Until then…

Amy

Angels All Around Us

I am still struggling with unbelief—we are up to 1/3 of our matching grant! There have been SO MANY people who tangibly have supported us, not to mention all of the prayer support we have. I mean, I have supported people I don’t know in the past, but nothing near how we have been blessed—there have been several $100 donations PLUS a $1000 donation…by someone whom I have never met! That on top of the $5000 we hope to receive from our Christmas angel—I have never know such generosity. This is something storybooks are made of!

It seems so meager to say THANK YOU, but I don’t want to miss the opportunity to do so. THANK YOU to ALL of our angels! We appreciate each and every one of you!!!

Eight days until take-off!

Less Than Two To Go!

I can’t believe it…we will be in Kunming two weeks from now! Hopefully we will have Xi Fan and paperwork completed so we can stop the countdown clock. We have our tickets to Shanghai purchased as well as our tickets to Kunming. After that we will have to be flexible. Since we will probably have to travel before Travel Approval (TA) and certainly before Consulate Appointment (CA), anything can happen. BUT>>Xi Fan will be safe with us! And we plan on getting Min Zhi by Wednesday, so our new additions will be complete!
I had a few people ask how they could stand by us in this time. I know I mentioned our Christmas Angel who promised us a matching grant of $5000, but I failed to include how to donate. Checks can be made out to:
Lifesong for Orphans
PO Box 40
Gridley, IL 61744
**In the memo section please write "Fathman 939"

If you would like to donate online, please visit the website at http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/ and on the left hand side click, 'make a donation'. Then click the yellow box that says, 'make a donation'. This will take you to PayPal. Again, please put in the item description: "Fathman 939". Paypal does take a small fee, but know that all the funds received by Lifesong after that go 100% to our family.

You will receive a tax receipt for this gift of love.

Additionally, a beautiful woman (yes, another adoptive mom!) has offered to stand by us during our last few weeks here. She sells multicultural books, gifts, etc from her website. Please check out her items at http://thebarefootbookstore.com/. There is a button at the bottom of the page for Fathman Family Adoption Fund. She has some beautiful books there—perfect for a cold Michigan winter’s night!
We are so thankful for all of our blessings—God has given us so many beautiful people to walk this path with us.

All my best,
Amy

YEAH!

We got our I-800 provisionary approvals today!!! YA-HOO!!! Thank you Kirk Giffen! Thank you EVERYONE for your prayers and last-minute ideas on how to get through the system!

I love the fact that God waited for me to get my heart back on track. I am THANKFUL that he didn’t bless me while I was busy fretting. Kind of coincidental that the same day that I gave it to HIM and took my hands off that the PA came…or NOT!!!

THANK YOU, GOD, that nothing happens by chance!

What happens next??? Now we are on to the National Visa Center (NVC), which they will scan into their system and cable the information to Guangzhou. There we will get the Article 5 and it will be carried to the CCAA—who will issue our travel approval (TA). Hopefully we will get our consulate appointment (CA) within the time frame of our tickets to China…otherwise we will have to extend our stay. But that is for another day!

All my best,

Amy

Three weeks

We are a sandwich…three weeks behind us waiting for our I-800s to clear, three weeks in front of us until Xi Fan’s 14th birthday. The pressure of the wait is growing more intense every day. My mind tends to want to worry and fret—neither of which reflects God and his power. I came across a quote today by G. Campbell Morgan, who was a great Bible teacher in the last generation. He said,

The supreme need in every hour of difficulty and distress is for a fresh vision of God. Seeing Him, all else takes on proper perspective and proportion.

So aptly said. Why do I take my eyes off Jesus? He hasn’t changed…just my circumstances (and available time) has. Why do I waste my time telling God to get a move-on? He has it under HIS control. I love Isaiah 40:13-14:

Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor?

Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way?

Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?

I certainly don’t want to limit his power to my understanding.  Once again, I lift this situation to you, O LORD. I lay it at your feet, and will step back and watch you work it all out. In your timing. In your way. Not my will, but yours.

All my best,

Amy