All I Want for Christmas is ....

We’re still here and waiting. I had believed that as soon as we were paper ready, we would be getting a match from the next released shared list. Once again, I was wrong. There have now been two shared lists released since we were paper ready, and we still have not been matched with a child.  Our adoption agency said that the list released on Oct. 31 was small with only about 20 children and only 5 or 6 of them were girls, and that they were not able to match us. There was another shared list Nov. 28, and once again we did not receive a match. The next list is expected to be released sometime around Christmas. I’m hoping and praying that our little one is on it. 

I have to remind myself everyday that God’s timing and His plan are perfect.

If you’re wondering what the shared list is, it’s a list of newly available children with minor to severe needs that is released to the adoption agencies. The agency has to lock a child’s file in order to match him/her with a family. Children that are not matched from the list are added to the large database of available children, most of which have more severe needs or medical issues. They remain in the database until adopted or they age out. When I say newly available children, I do not mean new orphans. Some children live in orphanages for years before they make it on the list. I don't understand the process, but I pray that God will open the flood gates, and all those children waiting will be released to be adopted. There are families waiting for many of them.

I know of one girl that is almost 7 years old. Her name is Tingting (Joy), and she lives at Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village. I encourage you to go to their website,   www.chinaorphans.org. Tinting's paper work appears to be in limbo, and there is a family that met her in 2008 that desperately wants to adopt her. This family has been paper ready for over a year, but they have to wait for her to appear on the list. Join me in praying for Tingting every day until she is with her forever family.

Please keep praying for our little one and all the other orphans as well.

                                                                Lori