Travel Approval!

I went to sleep last night praying for TA to arrive today.  I woke up fully expecting the phone to ring this morning..but it didn't.  I told Justin I was bummed (knowing that Chinese New Year would delay it for an entire week), I read and re-read Jeremiah 29:11 and prayed for my heart to be calmed.  Then I left for Bible study...missing the phone call I had hoped for by a mere 5 minutes!  So I know for sure...with or without our Travel Approval from China...that "I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you."  I wondered why...but trusted anyway in His plan for Emma, knowing His timing is perfect and His plan for Emma is perfect.  A plan that involves hope and a future...not calamity and also not an extra week of waiting without a family to love her!!  I am so excited but just think how excited Jesus must be that one of His little lambs is coming home to a family that only wants to love her and teach her of Him!  I constantly think how excited I am...but really, how excited must HE be!  He set this plan in motion, leading our way and if we would just obey...one little girl might have a family!   So I am over-the-moon excited and thankful and humbled today, that not only would He give her to us, but He would be involved in every detail right down to a phone call timed before Chinese New Year, so we wouldn't have to wait another week!

Travel Approval is an official document that we will take back to China with us, allowing us into the country to complete our adoption of Emma.  We now wait for a confirmed appointment at the US Consulate before we can book our flights.  Our agency will place our flights on hold for us, until we are guaranteed that Consulate date.  We are looking at leaving in 20 days!  I am not sure if I should dread those 20 days before take-off...or get busy knowing all 20 of them will fly by with plan making and preparations!  The trip itself will be 12-14 days long, involving two in-country flights between three cities.  We will meet Emma and gain legal custody of her on the 3rd day there, in her Province capital, which is Xian, Shaanxi.  Known for being the location of the Terra Cotta Warriors.  Prior to that we will have a whirl wind adventure seeing the sights of Beijing.  After 5 days in Xian, we will head to Guangzhou, which is where the US Consulate appointment takes place and where we will receive her US Visa, then on to home.  Oh the joy!  I am tired just thinking about it...looking for the perfect water-proof (aka-tear proof) everything because boy will I be having a big cry when they give me my girl!  I cried when each of my kids were placed in my arms...and I can only imagine that even though there is no labor involved (or epidural) that I will have jet lag working on me! 

Thanks for your prayers and support...can't wait to post pictures of us enjoying China and meeting Morgan #5!!!