Skype, Letters, and More Pictures!

Last night we were able to Skype Brayden! What an experience that was! Unfortunately the video wasn't working and so we could see him (which was awesome) but he could not see us (which he was bummed about, he really wanted to see us). He was happy to hear that Bradley is the same age as him, that we have 2 dogs, a cat, and a turtle, and that we have a bastketball hoop outside (he loves basketball). We had a translator on the phone with us to help talk with him. We put her on speaker phone but most of the time it was difficult for her to hear what he was saying. Regardless, it was a wonderful time seeing him through the computer! He told us he loved us and promised to write us a letter. I just received that letter, along with some pictures, tonight and had the same person who translated for us during the Skype call translate the letter for us.

The letter says:

Dear mom, dad, brother and sisters,

How are you? I'm happy to be a part of a loved family. I'm very thankful that you can adopt me so I will experience life being a part of a family. Thank you for the love you have given me. I'm looking forward to the day we meet. Mom and dad, I want to tell you I love my family. I like yellow, blue, and green. The sports that I like are basketball, track, and jumprope. Also helping out with chores. I like watching TV and computer. Dad, mom, I love you guys. I wish you health and happiness.

Your loving son,

Zhong Yong

Oh my goodness! I cannot wait for the summer so we can bring this boy home! We should have our paperwork to China this week and then it's all up to the Chinese government and how quickly things are processed. Praying for sooner than later!

Both Hands Fundraiser Project

The replaced fence
Painted house and new landscaping

With the widow, Maria

Lookin' Good

Our team!

Before the work began...

Today we had our big Both Hands Project! You can learn more about Both Hands by clicking here. Our project ended up being quite the journey but something God orchestrated so perfectly. We first had a widow in Madera who didn't need much done but she was trying to sell her home so she wanted things "spruced up". We met with her and went over what she wanted done. A week before the project she called and said she had sold her home...so we had to find a new widow and quick if we still wanted to do the project on the same day. We had no idea who we would get (it's not as easy as it sounds) but my mom told me there was a widow who lived next door to her. This widow does not speak much English so it was kind of hard talking with her about the project but she was willing to let us do whatever we felt we could do to help her. He son died in a car accident a couple years ago. Then shortly after her "husband" died of a heart attack, leaving her to raise her other two sons. She was never married to this man so she does not receive any type of Social Security from his death. All she has is his retirement which will run out in a couple years and at that point she said she does not know what will happen. Her back fence was totally rotting and falling down, the outside of her house needed painting, and her yard needed some TLC. With the help of some caring donors, we had all the supplies donated. Today we had about 20 volunteers show up to do the work for this widow. It was a sight to see! Everyone worked so hard, the weather was perfect, and the house looks amazing! I feel totally blessed to do this project where we could raise money to bring Brayden home and at the same time help this widow who truly needed it! Thank you to all those who were involved! James 1:27

EMAIL AND PICTURES!!!!

Love this one below!
We got an email from the orphanage nanny just now! She is known to absolutely love all the children there at "Z" and wants the very best for them. In her email this is what it said (remember that is was typed in Chinese and translated so the translation isn't the greatest but you can get the idea):

Thank you very much love to zhong yong, Thank you, you can adopt him, he has your parents, we feel very honored, and we do not know the how to thank you for.He is a very sunny, and intelligent little boy, he is now getting along very well, rest assured.
Mom and Dad, he is often ahead of schedule in front of me and I'll tell him you are trying to apply to adopt the relevant procedures, thank you.
Miss zhong

More Pictures!

These are from a friend on the Yahoo Chat Group, Vicki. She is adopting the girl who is in the yellow Hello Kitty shirt (Allie). It's her birthday so Vicki had a birthday cake sent to her. Brayden is right next to her on her left. Can't wait to get to bring him home!!

More Surprise Pictures!

I-800A Approval!!!

God continues to orchestrate this whole adoption for us, time and time again and today was no exception! I just posted how we are waiting for Homeland Security/Immigration to issue an approval for us to adopt and how it usually takes 60 to 75 days for approval...well, today at day 30 we received our approval! Day 30!!! What?!?! Definitely was NOT expecting that in the mail! That cuts a month off our wait already! I can't believe it. Next step, sending this to be authenticated by the Chinese Consulate and then our paperwork can go to CHINA! Wooo Hooo!

New pictures, finger prints, and the wait...

We received a new picture of Brayden on Friday, thanks to another family who were there visiting "Z" (Brayden's orphanage) last week. This is what she wrote in her note to me:

"Zhong Yong is so handsome :) and seems very eager to have a family. I say that because he seemed happy to have his picture taken..very bright eyed! Other boys around his age were huddling around Ms. Zhong when we were taking Zhong Yong's picture asking, "Have you found a family for us yet?" So heart breaking. But I am so happy that Zhong Yong has found his family!!!!! :)" So nice to hear that he seems happy and is doing well but I can't help but picture that image of the other boys hoping to hear they have a family too. Oh how I wish things were different. I wish families were on a waiting list waiting for a child to become "available" instead of children on waiting lists wishing, hoping, praying that they get word that they too have a family finally! I wish more families would step out on that sometimes scary branch and adopt a child. This is the ultimate "not being picked for the team" and no child should have to get passed over again and again hoping for someone to take him/her home. Please pray for these children.

These pictures do however make the wait for travel a little bit easier (even though we haven't waited even near what some families wait, by any means, it is still hard knowing you have a child a half a world away). We are currently just waiting for USCIS (Homeland Security/Immigration) to give us our approval so we can send our paperwork to China. We are only at day 28 of what is usually a 60 day (or longer) wait, so we still have a ways to go. We did however, go today to the always exciting Immigration Office to take our finger prints. That experience is just as exciting as the Social Security Office...maybe more exciting. Glad that part is done and behind us.

As we wait we still continue to fundraise. Honestly, I am so tired of fundraising (and I'm sure our friends are tired of hearing about our fundraising efforts) but we still need thousands of dollars to be able to travel to China and bring Brayden home. We received a large grant from JSC Foundation which is a HUGE blessing but after doing our taxes we found out we will not be receiving the large refund we received last year, so thank God we received that grant. We are still waiting to hear on another grant from Show Hope so hopefully that comes through. My dear, sweet friends are holding a boutique for us on February 25th and the proceeds will go towards our adoption. Then hopefully the last thing we will have is our Both Hands Fundraiser which is coming up on March 10th. This is one that I am super excited about because it is not only raising money for our adoption but also helping a widow at the same time! You can find out more about this fundraiser by clicking here. Feel free to share this site with others as well!

I have no doubt that God will continue to provide for this adoption, He has a way of doing things like that!

Please continue to keep us and this adoption in your prayers.