Category: Current Adoption

He Knows

They waited to tell Everett he had a family until our dossier was logged into Beijing…

And we are LID. October 13.

So he knows. We got confirmation from someone who visited him that he knows he has a family.

I cannot imagine being 13, orphaned since 6, and finding out a piece of information like that. We’ll have to ask him someday what it was like.

Thanks for thinking of us! And thanks for thinking of me this week as I have our 5 kids by myself. Getting out the door this morning had to be one of the worst mornings I’ve ever seen. The kids all really miss their mom, and it’s only been two days. Tammy is taking a course at TCU in Fort Worth this week and will be back on Sunday.

FINANCIAL UPDATE: A generous donor has given the full $3000 to enable us to receive our $3000 matching grant from Lifesong. AND we have been given another $4000 matching grant from an individual donor so that additional gifts given to us through Lifesong will continue to be doubled, isn’t that fantastic? So far about half of an estimated $30,000 of bills have come in, and these gifts are really, really going to help put a dent in those. We’re grateful for a Dad Who Provides.

If you would also like to participate in helping bring Everett home, here’s what you need to know from Lifesong:

Checks should be payable to “Lifesong for Orphans. In the memo, note “family name” and “family account number” (Johnson #5459) to assure it goes to the correct account. Please mail to Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 40, Gridley, IL 61744. Lifesong has been blessed with a partner that underwrites all U.S. administrative and fundraising costs (TMG Foundation and other partners). That means 100% of your donation will go directly to the adoption.

To pay online go to www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate. Select “Give to an Adoptive Family.” Complete the online form and fill in “Family Account Number” and “Family Name” fields. Note PayPal charges an administrative fee (2.9% + $.30 USD per transaction). Your donation will be decreased by the amount of this fee.

NOTE: In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to the named non-profit organization. This organization retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor’s suggested use.

Individual donations $50 or more and yearly donations totaling $250 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt. Receipts for donations under $50 will gladly be sent upon request. Lifesong is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization.

 

Thanks! Dann, Tammy, Enoch, Haddie, Elijah, Eden, Hope and soon Everett

DTC and CTP

DTC!

For all those who’ve dipped toes in the adoption world before…

You know “DTC” stands for “Date to China.” This means our dossier (all the paperwork compiled together, each document notarized, state certified and authenticated as necessary) has been shipped from the U.S.!

Next on the list: LID (Login Date), signifying CCCWA in China has received and logged in our dossier, at which point the process on this side of the ocean starts moving forward.

In other adoption news: Lifesong for Orphans, via one of their outside partners: We Care for Orphans, has given us a matching grant of $3000! We are so grateful for the Lord’s provision.

 

CTP!

Here’s an acronym no one’s familiar with. Cause I just made it up.

“Continuing Towards Publication.” That’s my update on the Lily Was the Valley front.

No, I haven’t landed a literary agent.

Nope, no publishers knocking at my door.

I’m getting ready to self-publish, educating myself (slowly) about the process, deciding what to do about a cover, but overall feeling pretty good about everything at present.

I also recently contacted a fellow author about my manuscript, and her advice was to seek professional editing for X reason. So, feeling pretty sensitive about my own editing chops being thus slighted (not that all authors don’t need editors, we do), I saw the problem and did a major restructuring of Part I myself, then sent a hard copy on to the Big League editor in Manhattan. Might be the most rewarding $30 bucks I’ve spent on the book-writing journey so far––here’s what he said:

 Got LILY WAS THE VALLEY Wednesday and spent some time with it last night, and I’d be delighted to work on it. However, I’m not at all sure you need an editor, what I read was very well done (about 35 or 40 pages and I scanned the rest). If I were to work on it I would have to go through it carefully twice (which is my basic discipline) and my fee would be $2,000. But I’m not sure at all that it would be worth your money. Definitely don’t hire me unless you’re prepared for an evaluation that said you’d done a terrific job and it doesn’t need any, or much, work. Of course, I can’t say this for sure without carefully reading it twice, but I think there’s a good chance that you’re in excellent shape, so if money is tight my advice would be to skip editing and go ahead.

This guy’s resume proved he was no slouch, and after scores of rejection letters, getting that letter made me feel about the best I have in a long time. I’m grateful for everyone who has chimed in on getting the current manuscript to where it is now.

 

So…Everett and the book, they’re neck and neck. I wonder who’s going to arrive first?