I'm posting the photo of this sweet waiting girl (Brighton on CHI's waiting list). Her file is being returned in January. She has had surgery for spina meningocele. She is living in foster care. They have a $5000 grant to help with her adoption. I hope her family finds her quickly! Her file reads,
"Active, moves, like to imitate, sing and dance. Outgoing. She can understand the meaning of foster grandma. She can put one her clothes with help of grandma. She can read others minds and win the favor of the adult". It is not clear if she is walking well, or if she has any of the other problems that could affect a child with this SN. They are trying to get more information. This is her second time on the waiting list. Contact CHI for more information.

Waiting Chinese kids seem to be waiting even longer these days. I realize it's partly due to new rules China has set up like "you must be married at least 5 years", and "no singles can adopt". Juergen and I adopted our sons Philip and Thomas from Thailand. We went through the agency Adoption Advocates International in Washington State. AAI is a really wonderful, very personal agency. They have 6 kids on their China list that need families now(the files need to be returned to China very soon). A boy born in 2005 who has had surgery for both cleft lip and palate. He is now healthy. They have two older healthy girls (one who is 12, the other 10). China only allows a child to be adopted until age 13. The one 12 year old may never find a family if it's not now! They have a little girl born in June 2006 who has malformed hands and feet. She is really lovely. They have another little girl born in 2005 who has poor eye sight. They also have a very adorable little boy who is 3 years old and has clubbed feet (a correctable disorder). AAI does not photo list their kids, but they are a wonderful agency to work with. You can contact Ky for more information. Please especially advocate for the two older girls. Imagine never having a family...everyone deserves a family!

Juergen will be so relieved, I mean happy to know this sweet heart just got her family! I have been begging him to consider adopting her ourselves. I guess that just proves God listens to Juergens prayers too! Isn't she beautiful...oh I wish it were us!

I want to send a big congratulations to my blogger friend Mary on the birth of her daughter Phoebe Joy and the LOA of her new son Chang Yi Shan. They will be getting a TA in January and will go from a family of 4 to a family of 6 in 2 months! God's grace, strength and joy to all of you! Merry Christmas! I know your joy is full!!!

Now that's a change! This morning Sarah was having such a good time cuddling with mama (me) that I had to beg her to get ready for school. We have to be in kindergarten by 9:30 or they close the door and you can not get in anymore. I promised her we could cuddle this afternoon. Now isn't that sweet! She loves me more then school!Just imagine...me!!!!

Here is another before and after I had to show you. This is Ethan. We met him in Guangzhou in April. Then he could not hold his head up. He had trouble walking. Now look at him (Mom, look at Ethan). He is shoveling snow! Wow! Look HERE to read my post from last April.

HERE is another waiting child. She is a beautiful girl with Hep B. She is with an agency that requires the child being adopted to be the youngest child in the home by 9 months (not such a great rule if the waiting child is older). This beautiful girl was born in April 1998. She is 9 years old. She is going to need "older" parents with grown kids I guess. I hope this post speaks to someones heart. This isn't China's policy, but it does make it harder to find a family for this girl.

There is a 9 year old boy on a waiting list. His file needs to be returned soon. I think his file has made the rounds to 3 agency's and will probably not be sent to another agency. This sweet child will be considered unadoptable. He is healthy. His speech is delayed, and he is a little behind in his development. He turns 10 years old in January. I realize what goes into adopting an older child. He needs a special family...one that can accept his challenges. I'm sure he would thrive in a good family! There is a $10,000 grant to help cover his adoption expenses. If you live in the USA all his other adoption expenses would be covered by the tax credit the USA offers. If you wanted to change the world...here is your chance to really make a difference! He looks like a really sweet kid! I'm sure he would add a great deal of joy to a family. If it's not your family, then please pray a family comes forwards soon. As my good husband says, "every child deserves a family"!

I had to show you this update photo. What a difference a month can make! Here is the blog. BTW, I'm posting this photo with out permission but I just was so trilled to see the growth. It warms my heart to see the blessings a good family can bring to a child!

Here is another video called 4 Generations - The Water Buffalo Movie. I saw this on another blog. Again it shows the poverty in China. But China is not the only country in the world with needy people. Here is where for $50 or more you can buy livestock for a poor family (World vision). It could change a families whole life.

HERE is a very interesting video about Chinese orphans. You may not think you have much to offer an orphan child. Maybe you just don't realize what real poverty looks like, and how much you could offer a child that has nothing!

We decided to put the tree up early because Juergen most likely will be spending Christmas week with his mom and dad (his mom is very sick). Sarah was really excited. I took this photo of her joy. Juergen says it looks like a dentist commercial, I say it looks like a very happy kid!

Update on Sawyer...His mom wrote...
"As most of you know he was diagnosed with Neurocutaneous Melanosis, now
symptomatic. Some children are living normal, well as normal as they can
with seizure activity, lives. However he has significant leptomenigial
involvement which doesn't produce the same positive statistics. We are
praying and hopeful that he will beat those stats and live a long and
fruitful life."

You can send a card to this family. I will e-mail the address to you if you e-mail me at amy_heymann @ yahoo. de (remove the spaces)
Remeber, this is a single mom...so please slip some money into that card too! Put your self in her shoes. She is a brave and wonderful women. I pray she is overwhelmed by a flood of compassion and support (both prayer support and real practical support). She isn't asking for anything but we should all send it anyway!

Looking ahead to 2008. In August 2008 I hope to be taking Nicole (who will be turning 15 years old) to Mexico to build a house for a poor family. She has been raising the money to pay for her own flight and expenses. We also want to help pay for the building materials for this house. It's a very basic house and the materials cost $5000. So far only one wonderful soul has given money towards the building of this house. Nicole is a little discouraged, but I told her to pray. I'm writing you to ask if you could contribute a small amount towards this house. Even $5 or $10
would really make a difference. All the money will go towards building material...100%. Mother Teresa visited Tijuana once. She said she saw poverty there that was as bad as what she had seen in India. I use to live in San Diego, and take trips down there to help. People live in shacks made of whatever they can find. They have dirt floors that turn to mud when it rains. I want to teach my daughter how she can use the gifts God has given her to change the world. Nicole is a very gifted and compassionate person. It is a huge honor to be her mom. I thank you for any gift you give towards this project. You can donate money for the house through pay pal. The donation link is on the side bar of this page. Just click on ChipIn.

Sarah's Christmas shopping tip: bring a sword to help cut through the crowd!

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I remember waiting for our TA(travel approval) last Christmas. This song made me cry.
For all you waiting families, this song is for you! The song is by 3rd Day.