A Few Updates

We've had a few updates since our last post!

1. We received notification that Maya's package made it to her orphanage! Yay! We hope that they have already given it to her, and that she now knows she is part of a family!
2. We received notification that they are processing Maya's visa. Once that is done, things will move super fast!
3. We have been in contact with the travel agency and they are working on our travel arrangements! Although we don't have a date yet, there are lots of things they have to get together in the meantime. (Arranging our hotel stay in multiple cities, preparing to book us on the 7 or 8 flights that we will be taking, etc. ) In the mean time we will be getting ready as well. (Getting multiple shots, finishing up final documents, etc)

Hopefully we will have a date to report soon! :)

Mark Schultz's Heart for Adopting Kids with Special Needs

This 1 minute video clip reminded us of why we are advocating for kids with special needs to be adopted. Every kid deserves to be loved, even if it is for just a short time. We hope this video will encourage each of you who have supported us. We also hope it reminds you of how important you have been in helping us bring the love of family to a child who probably would have never experienced it otherwise.

China's Language, Travel, and an Ultrasound!

You don't exactly get an ultra sound when you are adopting, so the photo above is as close as we are gonna get! :) We thought it was appropriate as we are discussing all things China today.

We've gotten lots of questions about our adoption, and we always enjoy talking to people about our journey. We've been so blessed to have gotten to know people from all over the world throughout our adoption process. As cultures are different, we've gotten a lot of culture and China related questions. We thought we would answer some of them here.

1. Does Maya speak English? Although she is learning a few words in English, Maya mainly speaks Mandarin.
2. Do you speak Mandarin? We have been trying to learn Mandarin. We emphasize the word trying, as it is an incredibly challenging language, and it has definitely been an uphill battle to learn.
3. Can you say something in Mandarin? Below are a few common words with their Mandarin translation.
Hello- Ni hao (pronounced- Knee how)
Thank you- Xie Xie Ni (pronounced She-ay She-ay Knee)
Goodbye- Zai jian (pronounced Dzai gee- en)
4. Do you have to travel to China to get Maya? Yes, we are required to travel to China to get Maya and finalize our adoption.
5. How long will you be in China for? We will be in China approximately 14 days.
6. How long is the flight to China? Longer than we want to think about! :)

AIDS and the Orphan Crisis

"Where you live shouldn't determine whether you live."- Bono

For those of you who know us, you know that one of our deepest desires is to find homes for orphans with special needs.  Right now, the AIDS pandemic is creating a large number of orphans around the world, and has become one of the largest crisis's of our time. "According to UNICEF (2011), there are 153 million orphans worldwide. It is accurate to say that millions of these children are living with HIV. Without a family to care for them, their risk of death is inevitable. Their deaths could have been prevented."- hivaidsinitiative   Due to medical advancements, children who receive treatment are expected to live a normal lifespan. The term Lazarus Effect is given to people with HIV who receive the medicine they need. It is called the Lazarus Effect because people who were once on the brink of death are restored to health. Unfortunately, orphans in third world countries do not have access to these life saving medicines. "In 2011, in the United States, only about 9,000 people adopted from other countries, and tragically, of that small number who adopted, only a handful of children living with HIV were adopted. Families report that stigma, fear, myths and ignorance keep them from adopting children who are living with HIV." -hivaidsinitiative One of our goals is to help change that stigma. Below are a few quick facts from Project Hopeful's website that might change your views on adopting a child with HIV/AIDS. 

- HIV has never been transmitted in a normal family living environment.
- You NEVER have to fear contracting HIV through casual contact with an HIV+ person.
- With medication, HIV can be effectively managed to the point that the virus is undetectable in laboratory tests.
- All around the world, orphans are overlooked for adoption because of their HIV+ status.
- Medications called ARVs can mean the difference between life and death.


The following links are great resources to learn more about adopting a child with HIV/AIDS.
- http://www.hivaidsinitiative.com/ (Saddle Back Church)
- http://projecthopeful.org/ (Check out the Founder's Story to hear about an incredible family who has adopted multiple kids with HIV/AIDS)
- We've also included a list of additional resources on Connected Hearts Ministry at the following link: http://www.connectedheartsministry.org/#!educationresources/cuia

Watch the following comical and informative clip to get more information about adopting children with HIV/AIDS.

A Sweet Treat for Father's Day

We saw these cupcakes on Focus on the Family. They are a great treat to make together for Father's Day. You can check out the recipe here: http://www.clubhousejr.com/recipes/go-fish-cupcakes
Their site also has tons of recipes and crafts that your family can make for Father's Day. We hope you enjoy these sweet treats, and that each of you have a blessed Father's Day!

Singer Toby Mac's Adoption Journey

Toby Mac is about more than just music. He has a heart for God, family and adoption. In 2002, Toby and his wife adopted twin boys Moses and Marlee. "The couple views the adoption as a God-ordained process rather than a calculated decision. They were praying for another pregnancy and even asking God for twins. A woman they didn't know approached them at church and asked if they'd ever considered adopting. She knew of some twins soon to be born who needed adoptive parents. The McKeehans took it as an answer to prayer and began the adoption process for the African-American twins. "It was so beautiful, there's no denying it," Toby says."

A few years ago Moses was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. "It's opened my eyes to things I never saw before, to have a son in a wheelchair full time," Toby says."We're trying to love that guy with everything we've got and trying to let him experience everything he's supposed to experience..."

Toby and his family are striving to help Moses live life to the fullest. They are an encouragement to families around the world who have children with special needs.You can read more about their incredible adoption journey at:  http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Features/Magazine/2012/at-home-with-tobymac.aspx

Care Package In Route To China!

Today we were informed that we can finally send Maya a care package! This was joyous news to us as this also means that she will soon find out she has a family! Although we have known about her for over a year, she will be finding out about us for the first time! We are delighted that she will soon know that she is no longer an orphan. She will soon know that is she loved, valued, and part of a family!!!! It warms our hearts just thinking about it!

We had such a fun time getting her care package together. Just the thought of being able to finally give her a gift was incredible! We sent her a recordable photo album with lots of pictures of us, our family, etc. to get her acclimated to us. We also sent her a Build a Bear, a book, a Barbie doll (we are told that is her favorite toy), and a pink blanket. We recorded the Build a Bear and photo album in English and Mandarin. As we are just learning Mandarin, we hope and pray that she can decipher what we are saying! Our agency also suggested that we send a disposable camera for her to take pictures. As she has probably never held a camera before, we can't imagine how those pictures are going to turn out! Even if she takes pictures of feet, walls, or other random things, we will love them simply because she took them. :)