We have quite possibly the greatest news of this entire journey so far, we have been OFFICIALLY MATCHED with our beautiful daughter in Colombia!
We were made aware that her transfer had occurred on September 21st, and then we were waiting on the review committee to view our case and make the official match. While the girls and I were attending a local spanish storytime and play group on Thursday 9/30, I received the most exciting call notifying us that FANA had officially matched us with her and the documents would be emailed to us soon. We were all so thrilled, and the rest of the day was filled with joyous praising and celebrating complete with dancing and jumping on the couches … I’ll let you imagine who did what, haha!
I spent Saturday afternoon writing our acceptance letter, filling out immigration forms, working on the photo album that we’ll be sending to her, and preparing a list of what to do next. We even took the girls to the toy store to pick out a gift to send along with the photo album. They chose the cutest little stuffed llama.
So, that brings us to an update in our “next steps” timeline:
[ DONE ] File update and for her to be transferred to the orphanage we are approved with. (Could be up to a month)
[ DONE ] Official match made
[ IN PROCESS ] Translate entire file and send I800 application (1-2 weeks)
I800 approval (4 weeks)
Article 5 (5 weeks)
TRAVEL! (3-6 weeks in country)
It has been so amazing to see how God has been working throughout this entire process to bring us to this point. I’m not going to lie, the wait between sending our letter of intent and waiting for this official match felt like an eternity some days. There were many emotions and I journaled some during that time. I believe sharing those little entries will give you a window into that time better than anything else I could write in this moment. I hope by sharing this you'll be encouraged by God's faithfulness in every moment.
But, before I paste those entries into the post, here is how you can be praying:
Pray for our daughter during this transition time. That she will be excited and not anxious, and that she'll quickly make friends in her new temporary home until we able to be with her.
Also pray for the family that was caring for her over the past four years, as we can't imagine how difficult it must be for them to have said goodbye to her recently.
Pray for our immigration paperwork to process quickly and smoothly.
Pray for our family as we continue to prepare our hearts and home for her to be with us and also as we prepare to travel amidst the busy holiday season that is to come.
9/3 : A week has passed since we found out the transfer had been requested and it could possibly take up to a month for this to occur. We have been praying diligently and asking God to move quickly and to care for our girl in this process. Ultimately, his perfect timing will happen and I’m also asking him to continue to give me peace with what that may look like. I feel like he is already answering that prayer… as much as my mamá heart longs to jump on a plane and bring her home this year, I also have a peace in this waiting. It’s a tension much like the last weeks of pregnancy - thankful for the time to continue preparing because much needs to be done yet also wanting with all my heart to have her in my arms YA! The difference here is that I have a face, and a name, and an understanding that this child isn’t tucked closely in my womb … she is on another continent. Even though I can’t be with her now, and she doesn’t even know the sound of my voice - or even that I exist - I can trust that God is with her and he is watching over her. Ultimately he controls all, and though I want to give her my care and love and protection, His will always be supremely better. So tonight as I head to bed yet again praying for her and looking forward to the day she is tucked snuggly into a bed in this very home, I rest in knowing that she is not forgotten by the God who created her and loves her more than I could ever dream.
9/20 : This week will be the four week mark from when her transfer was requested. There has been no update and I find myself wondering what she may be doing these days. Does she know that she will be moved? Is she still attending school as usual? Have the necessary steps behind the scenes begun to take place? Here, we are wrapping up our study on Asia and preparing to learn about oceans. I think about her often as I prepare the activities we will use to reinforce the use of the new Spanish vocabulary in the currículum Kira and Thea are going to learn from. I think about how cute it would be to see them all three together, teaching each other the animal names in Spanish and English. Kira and I are continuing to slowly prepare the room she will move into, but I’m trying to avoid moving her into a room away from Thea too far in advance. There are a few other small things I am working on preparing as well, but I’m also starting to feel a little stuck — physically preparing further will have to wait until we know clothing sizes and other information.
And so, God continues to call us to faithful waiting. Trusting his timing and praising his name all along the way. Some days it’s a battle in my heart to not grow impatient. Some days I just want an answer and I want it now. But the sweetest days are the ones that I rest in him, trusting his timing and praying for her, for our family, and for all the changes that are coming.
“Cause all my life you have been faithful
And all my life you have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God”
9/21 : Less than 12 hours from my last journaling here I received a call from Lifeline. Jordan informed me that our daughter had arrived in Bogotá at the end of last week and was settling in at FANA! She is in quarantine for two weeks and will then be able to participate with the other children. The review board should meet on Thursday, so we are hoping to hear in the next week and half that we have the official match and can begin translations and immigration applications. I was filled with such joy and excitement over this news that I was nearly in tears. I began work on the family photo book that we will be sending to her and my mind was racing with imaginations of what our Skype calls will look like. It took forever for me to settle down enough to sleep, even though it had been a busy and tiring day. Most of all my heart is full of praise that God allowed us to have this awareness of his work in this process and that we can now know where she is rather than wonder. One step closer, sweet girl. I can’t wait to wrap my arms around her. In the meantime, I continue to pray for her comfort and transition as all of these changes must be difficult for her to experience.
9/24 : It's Friday morning! Part of me is subconsciously waiting for the potential that we will hear about an official match today. With every step forward I get more excited thinking about the future. So much of the details are unknowns, and truly we can't know what it will be like. Bringing home a newborn was far different from what we had imagined and I'm sure this will be the same. I'm working on little projects like making DIY spanish expansion packs for some of our favorite kids games, and my heart melts into a puddle on the floor each time the girls pray for their new sister. Last night Kira was even praying that she wouldn't be sad when she had to leave her friends in Colombia and that her friends would get families too.
Meanwhile, this weather is beautiful and I'm thrilled with the fall season rolling in. We're taking full advantage of being out in the crisp but sunny mornings. It's my favorite time of the year.
9/25 : Friday afternoon we were updated that the review committee was not able to review our family this week due to some other urgent things that had to be taken care of that day. We are praying that next week they will be able to give us the official match, and we are continuing to excitedly prepare for the steps that will follow after that happens.
Ben and I had some one-on-one time with Thea today and we let her help us choose a doll at Target to put up and save for her new sister. Both Kira and Thea adore dressing and playing with their dolls, and she was really happy to be choosing one just for her sister too. That evening as we prayed before bed, Thea was sure to pray for all of our travel process and her sister to like the new doll when we go to see her "tomorrow". Haha! Not quite "tomorrow" but hopefully very soon my sweet girl.