A Slow Boat to China

Wait, wait, wait. We have a lot of waiting to do. We just got an email from our adoption agency saying that China has changed it's policy on concurrent family building. Before, if you got pregnant or started another adoption besides China, you were dismissed from the adoption process. Now China is allowing people waiting on a child from China to do either of those. To me, this was sad because I know for them to change their policy means they aren't even seeing things getting better. They say they are doing everything possible, but I really don't believe so. It is part of the process. We knew this going into it. But this was still a blow to me.

One website predicts that the wait we are facing could reach 5-7 years. At the current trend and slow-down, this would be possible. They are currently STILL processing people who were logged into China in November 2005. They are processing only about 7 days per month. So next month at this time, they could still be in November 2005.

We had to really think and ask God about what decision to make? Were we supposed to switch countries and adopt a child from somewhere else? We could have a baby within a year if we switched to several other countries. Why should we wait so long for China when there are millions of orphans all over the world ready now? Or were we supposed to stay with China? We have prayed and we feel a peace. We are called to China. To bring this little girl Hope home to the Hook family one day, no matter how long that is.

I think about the dynamics, how everything would change if the wait were that long. The gap in between Johnny and Hope would be much bigger. I would be OLDER and starting over with a baby!!! But none of that scares us. I talked with someone who pulled out of China 6 months ago and switched countries. She said that they KNEW they were to switch and a peace was no longer there for China. I believe God speaks to us. I have no doubt that we hear His voice. In the last month Daniel and I have been broken before God, ready to listen to Him. Changing things about us, broken with a heart of repentance. We feel closer to God's heart. We are to do this no matter how long it takes.

I don't want China to win, and everyone else pull out. I believe Hope will be there. Born at the right time, ready for God to bring us together. She already is a testimony of God's faithfulness. We can tell her that before she was even born, God had a plan for her life to be chosen for His purpose....and we are a part of it.

So if the boat ride is long, we will enjoy the scenery along the way. Prepared to wait. But expecting our time to come sooner. We would like to ask you to continue to pray that God will move on the hearts of the CCAA and they will speed up. Their slow-down has caused MANY more babies to miss an opportunity to be adopted.