Next!

Yesterday, we received our homestudy report to review and make any corrections before Judy presents it to "the panel", which I believe she said she is going on June 2. Panel is just another stage of approval before everything goes to Fredericton for Provincial Approval. 

Anyway, it was really strange to have our whole lives summarized into 21 pages, but the most amazing and wonderful thing I read was:  
After carefully considering all information available during the preparation of this report, Chris and Kim Rayner are recommended to adopt from China a female child as young as possible and under age two at the time of referral. 
EEEKK!!!!  This absolutely brought tears to my eyes.  Sometimes I can't believe that this is actually happening and that some day in the not so far away future we will have a Daughter, Noah and Isaiah will have a mei mei (little sister) and our parents will be grandparents to a special little girl. (Other than Cass)lol

Did you know: In China there are more than 40,000 orphanages with an estimated 3 million orphans.

 2 out of 5 babies entering the system die.

Matthew 18:5 "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."

~APPROVED!!!!!!!!!~

 

There has always been a special branch on our family tree just for you!

I know this is a few days late, but things have been very busy lately with me starting a new job at Sailer's Landing and a number of other things.

So last Wednesday, May 12th; the day after our 14th wedding anniversary; I picked Judy up at the ferry at 11am.  Well it was supposed to be 11 but the wonderful crap ferry was a half and hour late.  No worries though we had lots of time, she wasn't leaving us until 3.

Our last meeting was very casual, I showed her around our house and she loved our view.  She finished up with Chris's last interview and then just basically asked some more questions.  I can't even really remember what questions actually, so it was nothing too serious.  I had made us a little lunch, and then Chris went to pick up the boys from school.  They were quite upset as you can imagine.(NOT)  If I have talked with any of you before this you knew I was a bit nervous about her talking with the boys, because after all kids will be kids and you never know what they may come out with.  With our boys being almost 12 and 9 they know how to freak you out.  A few different nights while trying to get them to have showers or go to bed at a decent hour, they would threaten us, yes threaten us!  "You wait till Judy comes, I am going to tell her you beat us".  Well you know what it didn't work, I know better and I assumed so would Judy.  Worries aside though the meeting with the boys went really well, as usual they were kind of shy, so they really didn't say much until she started talking hockey with Noah. 

Around 2:30 she started to pack up to head to the ferry.  It was killing me to know whether she had approved us or not, so I said "when will we know if we are approved".  She said, " I would have never went this far with you if I wasn't going to give you my approval."  PHEWWW!  So in a week or so we should be receiving our dossier to proof read and then she will send it off to the NB government.  It should take about a month or so to "officially" get government approval.

I contacted the agency we will be using in Ottawa, Family Outreach International, and had a really encouraging chat with a guy about the waiting child program.  He really can't give us a time frame, but it really might not be that long of a wait. I really hope this will be the case!

So all of my doubts and stress thinking we may not be approved for some reason, was well rediculous.  I feel so priveledged and blessed to be given this opportunity.  Thank you to everyone who prays for our adoption and please continue to pray for a speedy adoption and for our daughter and her caregivers.  I pray that if she is born that she is being well taken care of and if she is not born that her birth mom is healthy and is taking care of herself.  Amen

Now more fundraising!! Prayer for that would be excellent too!

~ BLesSed ~

So I had my GIANT yard/bake/quilt sale on Saturday, and was completely blown away by it.  I went into it thinking I possibly might make around $600ish, but didn't want to over estimate and be disappointed.  I had so many people donate a lot of great stuff, that it looked like it was a 3 family yard sale.

So that morning as I was getting ready, I had a little conversation with myself and God.  I thought: wouldn't it be amazing if I actually made enough to pay for the rest of the homestudy!!  Oh really Kim, it is a yard sale!?  As then I continued to say to God, "I know it is possible with you", but I still didn't want to get my hopes up.(Oh ye of little faith!)  God had a plan!!

So at 10am we opened the doors of the hall and the people came.....A Lot of people came!  I was quite overwhelmed and basically in a panic as people piled up to pay for things, but thanks to Joy and Kim Cruikshank they were great at handling the madness.  So I took care of the food aspect and was perfectly content to do so.  Thanks to Jenni and Terri Parker who also were amazing help!

So as it slowed down, Joy counted the total, she looked at me and smiled and said, "you did really well!! You have over $800 so far."  And this was maybe an hour into to the sale.  I was completely shocked and very happy!  One o'clock came and she totaled the rest and it was over $1200!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20

Got it God!! I knew or I wanted to believe that I knew that God could do this, but He wanted me to KNOW that He could do this!!  So I officially have enough to pay the rest of the homestudy fee!  Praise God, that is such a huge relief.

Oh really Kim, it is a yard sale!?  I am sure God laughs at our lack of faith sometimes and gets really excited at the chance to show Himself to us.

Thanks again to anyone that helped in anyway, and to those that purchased, prayed and donated.  Especially God!XO