Our timeline to Emma Grace SiQi

God put adoption on our hearts several years ago, and we discussed it, but never really followed through. In early 2005, things just kept coming up over and over again, although we had not talked to anyone about it, or solicited any information from anyone. We prayed about it, and it seemed to be the direction we were to take, so we officially began this journey September 7, 2005 by completing an application for adoption through Living Hope Adoption Agency. When we agreed with God and began the paperchase, we did not have the money for this addition to our family. At every turn, it was supplied. God is awesome, and it has been amazing!!

Our paperchase took exactly 5 months, and our paper work was DTC (Date to China) on Feb. 13, 2006. The wait had already started to climb, and was at approximately 10 months at that time from the date logged in to China's system, LID, and our date was March 20, 2006.

We originally applied to the Non-Special-Needs, or the Traditional Program as it is called, though we talked of adopting a waiting child, called a Special Needs adoption. We were on several agencies lists to view their waiting children since December 2005.

On November 28, I received an email to look at A Helping Hand's list of waiting children. I already had a password for that agency, and did go on line and view the children they had on their list at that time. When I opened the "file" for a little 10 month old girl referred to as "Kelly" on their site, my heart just melted. It was love at first sight. Bobby was away on a golf retreat with some of the men from our church. I called him right away, and told him he had to find a computer and look at this little angel. He called me as he was looking, and said, "I think she's ours."

"Kelly's" special need was listed as corrected club feet, and possible neural tube defect, which translates to possible spina bifida. Well, we immediately took the information we had to a local doctor who checked it out, as well as a neurologist for review. We also requested an MRI so we could have a better idea of what to expect. We enlisted every praying person we know to intercede for our little girl that she would in fact NOT have SB. Guess what? Early on the same day we were referred this little one by AHH, we received an email from the director of the orphanage who said that she DID NOT have SB - Praise the Lord!! Thank you to everyone who prayed this away!!

Then, on December 20, at 5:10 pm, 9 months to the day we were logged into China, we received THE call that we had been chosen to parent this wonderful baby girl.