Fuzzy Wuzzy!

Last summer when we started the adoption process, we became smitten with a little 1 ½ year old boy in China.  He was soooo cute.  His black fuzzy hair stood straight up!  He was such a little “Fuzzy Wuzzy.”  As it turns out, that little boy was not meant for us and he has now been adopted by another family.  After a few days of a fire drill, we took a deep breath and started the process the “traditional” way by doing the paperwork first.  

A few things stuck from that initial kickoff.  We were completely drawn to adopting a little boy from China – yes there are boys in orphanages in China.  (Americans tend to think of the Chinese girls because of the stories we hear…and the boys wait…)  The second thing that stuck was the nickname, “Fuzzy Wuzzy.”  When we are out in public, if we see a Chinese boy, we alert each other by (usually quietly) calling out, “Fuzzy Wuzzy!”  If we see a Chinese girl we say, “Fuzzy Wuzzette!”  This is in no way derogatory; we just can not wait to get our hands on our Fuzzy Wuzzy.  I think this insider information was pretty well under wraps until we went to our new favorite Chinese restaurant, Chef Ping’s in Rolling Meadows.  We were following the hostess single filed, weaving in and out of tables on the way to our seats when Anna was so excited she kept calling and pointing out all of the Fuzzy Wuzzy’s in the restaurant.  “Fuzzy Wuzzy! Fuzzy Wuzzy! Fuzzy Wuzzy!” 

The current wait to adopt a child from China is about 5 to 6 years.  Because of that, we are going through China’s Waiting Child Program.  This process is about 12-18 months.  These children are considered harder to place because they are either: older, part of a sibling group, or have special needs.  There is a good chance that our Fuzzy Wuzzy may have some sort of special need.  We are feeling called to adopt a child with either a mild, corrected, or correctable special need.  i.e. heart murmur, birth mark, cleft lip/palette.

So, our home study has been completed with the parameters of adopting a boy from China, up to age 4 ½ with a mild or already corrected special need.  China has approved our paper work, so we are now waiting for our referral.  Our adoption agency, All God’s Children (AGC) will search and notify us when they put a hold on a boy(s)  that match our parameters.  In general, there is a monthly database update to the available children in China.  However, there are also children that trickle onto the database on any given day.  So, for now, we are waiting for “the phone call.”  When our agency puts a hold on a child/children, we have 72 hours to make a final decision.  We will either move forward with the one we believe to be our son, or release him back into the database.

We can’t wait to rub our fingers over our Fuzzy Wuzzy’s little head!

Pray For Us:

• God will grant our entire family wisdom on who are son is meant to be when the referrals start coming.
• For a healthy son in all ways: emotionally, developmentally, spiritually, and physically.
• For our son to be well taken care of while he waits for us.
• For our son to have healthy bonding right now with his primary caregiver.

Interior of Chef Ping's - the scene of the "scene."
(Actually I don't think anyone noticed but us...it does make a good story though.)

He Said “Abundance”

 ³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
   dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the LORD,
   and he will give you the desires of your heart.

                                    Psalm 37: 3-4

                                   

“We should start a blog,” has been our mantra for the past couple of months.

We wanted to start a family blog as a way to record key events in our family and to share with whoever may be interested.  Right now, the big news in our family is adoption.  I have no idea where to start, so here it is in no particular order.  Adoption has been on our family’s heart for quite some time.  However, May of 2011 is when we officially decided as a family to start the process.  I feel at a loss when people say, “You’re adopting!”

At times, I’m sure the look on my face is “puzzled” to say the least when others are looking at me to provide the clarity.  I always answer, “Lord willing.”  For those of you who followed our little moving-to-California project, you know what I mean.  We have had plans to do other things, but they were not the Lord’s plans.

I am part excited and part scared to death.  Many times, the Lord has revealed His plan for our family, and that has included adoption.  I know one day we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.  No way are we going to stand in front of Jesus and say, “We know you wanted us to adopt a child into our family, but we were too scared.” 

Last summer, a few months into the process, I was sitting on our deck early in the morning praying.  I asked, “Why do I even have this desire to adopt Lord?”  As I looked up and saw the smear of our three story house down to the walk-out basement, the word that immediately and clearly came back to me was “abundance.”  I though, “you’re right Lord, we have so much.”  I just imagined the back walls of our entire house disappearing for a moment with all of our stuff just sliding out.  I though about just how much we have, more than enough to share with one more person.

A few days went by and I continued to reflect on the word “abundance.”   True to God’s deep and thoughtful character He displays in his Word, I came to realize the double meaning intended in that word.  I am fully expecting and convinced that another child is going to mean an abundant blessing for our family as well.

May 2011 - Family vacation in "China" (Epcot).  At the time, we had no idea that in just a few days we would decide to adopt from China.