Smile, You are Approved! :)

Last time we updated, we were in the process of applying for a new adoption agency.  We had to switch from Taiwan because of issues with New Beginnings and their orphanage partner.  We are still doing our home study through New Beginnings, but our adoption will be through CCAI.  CCAI is a China adoption agency located in Colorado.

We just got confirmation today, that we are approved to proceed with our adoption through CCAI.  There were some things that meant that we only qualify for the Special Needs/Waiting Child program, but that was all we had signed up for anyway.  To me, it was just confirmation that we are following God's will.  Below, is the email we got from CCAI.  I edited it to just show the parts that let us and our friends know what to expect next.

Hi Brandy!

This is terrific! J I am thrilled to say that your CCAI Application is approved! Congratulations! J  Full-steam ahead (with your home study agency as well!) Please open and print the attached Orientation Packet, you will find a cover letter with detailed instructions concerning the documents. Also attached is a Risk Statement that CCAI requires for families who do not meet China’s qualifications in some way (a formality really). 

         

Upon receipt of your signed Risk Statement, Fee Agreement, first fee payment and Service Agreements, we will send you an e-mail with your family’s password that will allow you to access the secured portion of our website and the instructions to download your Adoption Dossier Guide, Home Study Packet and access to CCAI’s online, Hague accredited, Parent Training Program. Please let me know if you are unable to receive this attachment. We look forward to serving you!

Also, we had a really great week in fundraising.  We sold some donated items on eBay, and got a check that really boosted our adoption fund!  Thank you all for your support, whether it be money, items, prayers, "Likes", questions, or encouraging words.

The Great Wall of Taiwan

As you know from previous posts, the adoption was slow moving due to changing in the orphanage in Taiwan. We have since found out that it will take even longer and with no sight to when everything will get back in order. We have stepped back from New Beginnings Agency (they have been wonderful so nothing against them) and we are now starting with the agency called CCAI. This will be a Special Needs Program from China. We are filling out the paper work this week and studying up/praying about each special needs so we can know, for us, the best match. This is a small hiccup in our journey however we have FULL trust in God! We feel as if we are back on track with His will! Please continue to pray for us and our child. Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement! It is much appreciation! Love you all!

Brandy and T.J

Re-A-Rangered

Well, we have been in the process of adoption since the beginning of this year.  Up to this point, our lives haven't really changed.  We've been filling out paperwork, writing checks, raising money, and we took a physical.  Everything else has pretty much stayed the same......Until today.  Today I parted with my Ranger that I have had since it was new in 1998.  My Ranger and I have been through a lot together.  Today was bittersweet, but as comical as this may sound, selling my Ranger marks the beginning of a new era in our lives.

As funny as all of this must sound, there is a bit of a God story that goes along with this momentous occasion that I would like to share.  As Brandy and I looked ahead to bringing home a baby, we knew that my truck would not be "baby friendly" since it does not have a back seat.  We kind of went back and forth over whether now was the time to sell, or if we could afford a bigger truck.

Now, here's where the God story comes in to play.  Let's back up to one week ago.  I have been feeling a calling to read my Bible more.  I've also been thinking a lot about fasting.  Chip Henderson preached last week about us being children of God, but during the message he also talked about knowing God more by reading the Bible.  After the service, I decided that I would fast my radio in my truck for one week, and listen to a Bible reading plan provided by our church called the L3.  So, for the whole week, I did not listen to music on my drive to and from work, or anytime I drove my truck.  Instead, I listened to my Pinelake app and followed along with the L3 reading plan.  Many times when we fast, it is because we are praying over something, but for me I was just answering a calling.  I'm glad I answered, because I really enjoy my time listening to the Bible in the mornings, but I did not expect any kind of response from God.  I certainly didn't expect to sell my truck.

So, I've given some back story on what was going on this past week.  Brandy and I weren't sure what was the right move, but what we were sure of was that God would provide for us whatever we needed.  So, fast forward to the end of the week.  I had stuck a "For Sale" sign on my dash around Thursday or Friday.  Saturday, I went down to the shop to work on my race truck and get caught up on some stuff in the office and decal shop.  While I was working on some decals, I made a sticker with my phone number to put on the For Sale sign.  I decided on a whim, to get my Mustang out and park the truck next to Highway 49 with the sign in the window with no great expectations on getting any calls any time soon.

Now, get ready for some dynamite stuffed with God powder.  The very next day after I parked my truck, the end of my week long fast, I get my first phone call not long after church.  A guy sees my truck on his way to Hattiesburg to look at another truck.  Later, his wife told me she didn't even know how he saw the small sign on my dash.  He asks me a couple of questions and says that he has a couple of other trucks to look at.  Later that day, he calls to see if I can meet him at the shop.  He takes the Ranger for a test drive while his wife waits at the shop with me.  I explain to her that we are selling the truck to help pay for a bigger truck for our adopted baby.  More dynamite, she tells me that she is adopted and encourages me for what we are doing and shares a little bit about her experience.  After the test drive, I do some negotiating with George, using some skills I have picked up from watching American Pickers.  We shake on it, and they leave a deposit with a promise to return on Monday.  Did that just happen?

Really, I'm exaggerating about the American Picker skills.  I was nervous, and I think I was shaking.  This truck has become a part of me.  Letting go of it was much harder than I thought.  I just felt surreal afterwards.  I was going to say goodbye to something that was with me for a big part of my life.  Still, I felt like I handled it pretty well.  I go to bed last night just thankful to God that he had answered a prayer that I had never really asked him directly.  I just trusted in whatever his plan was.  I went to sleep quite peacefully.  Then, 3:15 A.M. came and I awoke with my mind going in all sorts of directions.  I kept thinking about my Ranger, what I was going to do without it, and whether or not I could find or afford something else.  I kept reminding myself about the confident T.J. who put everything in God's hands and eventually fell back to sleep.

So, this morning I told my dad that I was going to take the truck for a ride to the store one last time.  The buyer couldn't come pick up the truck until after work, so I had to look at my old Ranger all day knowing it would be the last time.  He came this afternoon, we signed the bill of sale, and I watched him drive away.  I feel like my Danger Ranger is going to a good home, but it was weird seeing someone else drive away in "my" Ranger.

I know I am dramatizing a little, but I can only think what other kinds of life changes are we going to make?  How else will we rearrange our lives?  What else are we going to give up?  As funny as all of this is, it was the first change in what I know is going to be a whole lot of changes in our lives.  It's a weird thing to blog about, but it's come at a time that has been sort of a lull for us in the adoption process.  We last heard from the agency that they were in the process of finding a new orphanage to partner with in Taiwan.  They said it would take about a month, so we hope to hear something soon.  Keep praying for us.  We truly feel the support from all of the prayers and donations we have received.



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If you want to support our adoption, we have an account with BancorpSouth under TJ Paul or Brandy Paul called Paul's Adoption Fund.

We also have a Paypal account

Moving to Face Space but not completely

We are dropping the blog and moving the chronicles of our journey to facebook.com/pauladoption

Edit:  Changed my mind.  I like the blog, but we will keep the facebook.com/pauladoption as well.

Spring Forward

Okay, so Spring is here and so is the pollen.  Our thoughts and prayers are with those who suffered damage from the hail storm this week.  For many people, this is the time of year for Spring cleaning, but wait, before you get rid of anything, you may be able to help us raise money for our adoption.  Here's a post from Brandy's Facebook:

 TJ and I are having a yard sale on April 6 in Brandon to help raise money for our adoption! If anybody needs to clean out their closets with clothes they don't wear anymore or make more room we would really appreciate any donations! Just let us know and we can meet you anywhere!

We'll take anything that we can sell to raise money for the adoption.  You can bring the stuff to us, or we can come get it.  Please spread the word.  We want all the junk in your trunks.

No big news on the adoption right now.  Our application has been submitted, but the review committee was all gone on Spring Break last week.  We are just in full fund-raising mode right now.  If you know of any adoption grants or great ways to raise money, we would love to hear your suggestions.

We also want to say a BIG thank you to those who have made donations so far, including this beautiful gift.

One more thing.  I'd like to tell people how they can follow this blog and get notifications when we make new posts without checking the blog constantly.  Does anyone know how to do this?

Let's Get Physicals

Big week this week.  On Tuesday, we mailed our adoption application to our agency, New Beginnings (http://www.newbeginningsadoptions.org/).  Before that, though, we had to fill out the sixteen page application, and answer all types of questions ranging from our net worth to who would take the child if anything ever happened to us.  We also each had to get physicals.  The good news is, according to the doctors, we are physically qualified to handle being parents.  Yes, we are able to walk fifty feet without shortness of breath, and neither of us has Tuberculosis, yay.  I kept thinking, ANYBODY can get pregnant, but you have to pass all kinds of tests just to adopt. What if everyone had to be approved before they could have their own children too?

We got our physicals at Richland Primary Care.  The nurses there were very excited and very encouraging of our adoption.  I think they see plenty of sick people, and found us to be a nice change of pace.  They were all very friendly.  Brandy got her physical a few days before me.  So, when I got there they already knew all about our adoption.  One girl told me how Brandy was so pretty and so sweet.  I already knew that, but its nice when other people think so too.

Since we went public, the amount of support we have received has been, well, amazing!  God has already been assuring us that we are doing the right thing, but to know that we have so many people who are happy for us is really awesome.  Within twenty minutes of posting our blog, we got our first donation!  We are even establishing connections with people who can help guide us through the process.  We hope you continue to follow along with us on the journey, and we hope that our story might encourage someone else to either adopt a child or support adoption in some way.

Now, we wait for the agency to review our application.  Then, they will assign a social worker to us.  I'm told that this is an interesting and intrusive process, but we have resolved to be open books.  Let's pray for a supportive social worker, and pray that Brandy and I just keep focused on the goal throughout the whole process.

Adoption Chronicles: Our Journey

Brandy and I have come to the decision to adopt a child from Asia.  This is a bombshell, I know, and that is part of the reason for this blog.  Through our research and talking with other adoptive families, it was suggested that we start a blog about our adoption journey.  We were told that it is a great way to keep everyone informed.  It also helps us and the readers to see just how we got where we are. We promise to try to keep our posts as clear, short, and informative as possible.  However, we’ve got to tell you how we got where we are now, and that’s taken no less than two years.  Also, if you’ve ever talked to Brandy or read anything I’ve written, short and concise are not our forte.

It might help if I start by answering some questions, “Why don’t you try to have your own?  Why do you want to adopt?  Why would you go out of the country to adopt when there are children right here?”


Let me start by saying that we did not come to this decision over night.  Let’s rewind.  Two years ago, adoption was barely in my vocabulary.  I’m not even sure what triggered the journey to adoption.  Have you ever stopped yourself and asked, “How did I get here?”  I can only say with certainty, that God has a plan and we are only just beginning to see it unfold.

Why don’t we try to have our own?  
This has been a question we have been asked since before we even got married.  When Brandy and I were dating, we had the inevitable discussion about children.  I had always pictured having two kids, three years apart.  Brandy had pretty much decided that she didn’t want children.  All I knew was that I loved Brandy, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, even if that meant my family would only consist of her and myself.  Regardless, we knew we wanted to spend the first few years of our marriage getting to know each other.  Our lives have changed so much over the past seven years of being together.  Who we were then and who we are now, might not know each other if we passed in the street.  Now, we both know that our family is going to be more than just the two of us.  Somewhere along the way we have decided that we want to have one child the normal way (the way that doesn’t need a blog for everyone to understand), and we want to adopt at least one child.

Why do we want to adopt?
I think it’s gotta be the same for all or most who adopt.  It’s just a calling.  It started as a whisper, but God has been speaking much louder and clearer that this is something He wants us to do.  It’s something I never saw myself doing, but my heart has been changed.  We now know the beauty of adoption.  We know that it is one of the greatest examples of God’s love because He first adopted us.  Our hearts break every time we hear a story of an innocent child or baby who is mistreated.   So, this is why we want to adopt.  We want to make a difference in one child’s life.  We want to show them the love of Christ and give them a life that they would not have known otherwise.  

Why would you go out of the country to adopt when there are children right here?
The most simple and most important answer to this question, it’s what we feel lead to do.  We are not called to adopt domestically.  We support domestic adoption whole-heartedly, but there were a few things that stopped us in our tracks when we considered domestic adoption.  As I said, we just haven’t been lead towards domestic adoption.  I even asked the domestic vs. international adoption question to a customer of mine who adopted internationally.  What he said sold me on international adoption.  His reasoning was based on a fear of what would happen if the mother or father one day decided they wanted their baby back.  I could think of few things harder for an adoptive parent to have to go through.  Now, I have heard plenty of stories about domestic adoption and children who have known their birth parents and their adopted parents, so I am not trying to sway anyone towards international adoption.  It’s just that this is how it is for us.  Yes, I know the same thing that I fear could happen with international adoption as well.  Our calling is to adopt a child from Asia, and we want to have a child that is ours and only ours.