Keith and I are pleased to announce we are again adopting from china. We are pleased to introduce to you: Kylie Gail Xiewen Holsworth AND Robert (Bobby) Tianyang Holsworth. Big surprise, not 1 but 2 special blessings.
I know you are want to hear the story. So here it is:
We really wanted to use the agency that we used in 2007, with Lilly. But, they were uncertain that we could get the waivers that were needed. We looked at many other agency lists. In November of 2010, we took a second look at a file of a boy that we had seen more than a year before. We were shocked that he was still available. This boy is bright and active with seemingly little effect of the spina bifida. (BTW, this was the only boy that Keith and I could agreed upon). Certain that he was the child that God had chosen for us, we actually turned in the first set of paperwork with a letter of intent completed. But, that agency (known for obtaining waivers) was not encouraged that we could get the waiver. Confused and disappointed, but convinced that the Lord was in control, we turned it over to God and waited.
Then, I fell and dislocated my shoulder, weeks of recovery, then a surgery, more weeks of recovery. I felt further away, than ever, from the plan to adopt. But, God has a way of placing us in a position to seek Him :) I finally prayed that the lord would give us a clear answer. I prayed that I would instantly "know" which child he had for us. And in March 1011, when I placed the 3 files in front of Keith, I knew which one was our child. As was his way, Keith reviewed them in private, came back and laid them down on the table. He said, "This is our girl." I walked over to the table, and took a deep breath as I looked down. With A smile I said, "I know, isn't she cute" God is so good.
We applied (filled out a mountain of paperwork) and received PA (preliminary approval) for Kylie in just 4 days. We sat the 2 younger kids down and told them about receiving approval for Kylie. They were excited, but immediately looked at each other then back at us. "But what about the boy?" said Nicolas. "Yeah, what about the boy?" said Lilly. I looked at Keith, knowing we had talked about this issue. He said, "lets see if he is still available."
I called our agency and told them the story about the boy that caught our hearts months ago. I knew that his file had gone back to the shared list, so they agreed to look for him. I received an email with his file and pictures the same day. Cute cute cute. The next morning I prayed about the situation. I knew that I could not go back to China and leave this boy behind, if it was in my power to bring him home. I approached Keith," We need to make a decision soon" I said. Keith was immediate in his reply. "well, I feel like I can not go back to China and leave him behind." This is the best example of "mutual confirmation" ever, so we locked his file.
We wrote the letter of intent and submitted it on a Friday and receive preliminary approval on the next Thursday. It was surreal. We went from being rejected for one child to being approved for two. The reality is that God knew all along. If we had been approved for Bobby from the start, we would not have been able to get Kylie because her file came up on Lifeline's agency specific list. We are grateful to God for his plan for our family and His careful watch over these children. Please pray with us as we travel the long and sometimes rocky path to our children.
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