WOW there are 100 of you on our email list that is reading these emails and have supported us with your kind words, actions, etc to get us to this day!!! THANK YOU!!!!
We are off to China! Check your emails for updates. Here is a link to Aiden's school Jan newsletter. It has lots of good pictures of him and a goodbye from his teacher (Pg 16. pic slideshow automatically loads). It takes awhile before the newsletter downloads so be PATIENT!! Pg 1. editor comments is about Aiden too! http://www.bcis.cn/en/
Ok so this is going to be another long email........which was totally unplanned. Not sure where all this is coming from. True I am a talker and can talk your ears off, but as far as typing, texting, and writing.... I HATE IT......but i came across this yesterday and it was very profound. I just had to voice my opinion and share this so we all can see what adoption really is. Alot of blogs, adoption videos, and stories show the warm and fuzzy stuff (yes there is warm and fuzzy in all adoptions) but there is also the reality of pain, loss, grief, unspoken demands of the new parent and child, language/culture barriers, disappointment, mood swings, and doubts that go along with it. I think the document attached will give you insight from the adoptee perspective..who ironically is Aiden's age. True there are difference in each child's story,but there are similarities. The more you become aware of all aspects of adoption ( good and ugly), we all can start supporting families, children, and friends going through the process of adoption. I have attached my rant in a separate word document so you can view at your own leisure...
I PROMISE emails going forward wont be so long (maybe).... :)
Now back to regular programming: this is our official second email in this Journey (first email was our schedule and adoption story) now this one kicks off our trip and will be labeled per day!!! Before we go any further, I would like to take the time to acknowledge AdoptionResource Foundation and Holt Special Needs Adoption Fund. Their combined grants provided $3000 towards the cost of our adoption!!!! Another big THANK YOU to Grandparents Stevens and Nall who donated their airfare mileage points for our RT tickets to China and back to USA which saved us another $2500 in costs!!!!! Whoooohooo!!!
Looking back through our stuff, I found some clips of emails during the time period when we found out on January 22, 2008 that WACAP wanted to find a paper ready family and Aiden's adoption was not possible.
Jan 22, 2008; Ray Stevens to Staci Singleton: By no means are we giving up on Tian Ai. but we will have to be patient and pray that it all works out. God will open the appropriate doors and close the necessary ones..... unfortunately he doesn't tell us ahead of time. :) But he has not failed us in 30+ years, I don't expect him to start now. In the meantime please pray (I know you already are) that Tian finds the proper christian home and is able to get the care he needs. We believe its our home, but time will tell.
Feb 21, 2008: Reply from WACAP: We have had a family come forward for Tian Ai. They are hoping to adopt him and are just waiting for a physicians report. I am hopeful he will have a family soon.
Looking back:
1. When we found out in 2008 we would not be able to adopt Aiden, I remembered being so upset and angry. I cried harder than i have ever cried in my life. Of course I asked GOD WHY? I knew in my heart adoption was the plan and had asked God to bring the child to me (I did not want to pick the child out of a waiting child list), and I knew when i saw his picture he was my child. (I know crazy, but cant explain it). Later that same night after I cried myself to sleep, I had a dream where God told me Aiden was our son. I remember waking up the next morning and telling Ray my dream while feeling that it was so real but i dismissing it because I had solid evidence and emails that said otherwise (also I know when your so emotional and upset about things it could have been my subconscious forcing me to dream it) Now I look back and smile. God did whisper and answer my prayer that night just not the way or timeline I imagined.
2. Aiden's adoption to another family was stopped in 2008. The only reason that happened was because Aiden stated he did not want to be adopted. It's really hard to imagine a huge organization like CCAA and a communist government listening and caring about the request of a 6 yr old child who had no ability to understand the magnitude of how that decision would impact his whole life.
3. In 2009 a year later, Aiden out of the blue asked for a family and they listened and agreed to resubmit his paperwork (In China, this was a huge risk for them as alot of work and costs go into redoing files and knowing that his file had very little activity when it was available 2 years earlier in addition to being an 7 yr old SN boy, the chances of an adoption were slim to none)
4. God placing human angels on earth who love the orphan children in China/ These angels spend their days advocating and caring for the fatherless. They became a strong protector and advocate for his welfare by getting him into an English foster home and private school while the paperwork was being processed. Now, I did question God over and over, WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE HIM in the orphanage for soooo long....some of those answers, I do not have, but God delivered him from there 6 months prior to our arrival. THANK YOU GOD!!!
5. The funds to pay for Aiden's foster home and school costs came from a Chinese business man that God sent. Without his contributions, it would not have been possible for him to have left Langfang in August.
6. God arranging this 6 month time period so Aiden in his safe environment could get to know us and be sure if adoption was really want he wanted.
AND the biggest one; Aiden loves us.......truly loves us and feels that he is ours......... thats what blows my mind.
To sum it all up: (yes its going to get mushy or cheesy here)
As we embark on our adoption trip and add another chapter to our extraordinary story. I wanted to send out one of my favorite songs ("Ordinary Miracle" by Sarah McLachlan http://www.youtube.
PSS: If anyone is interested in free book download about adoption: During the month of February Crossway Books and Christian Audio are offering a free download of Dr. Russell Moore’s book Adopted for Life. Download
If you guys have any questions during our journey feel free to ask, i may even just compile them for one big email so i wont have to answer the same thing over and over ;)!!!
-- Love ya'll!
Ray and Leigh!!!
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