From bad to worse...Need prayer

We were told by our agency that it is unlikely that we will be able to complete our adoption. It was hard to hear (see, on email). They doubt that we will get a referral before the shutdown on Sept. 1st.

Only a miracle would change things...this miracle would involve the US & Vietnam governments agreeing on a temporary agreement to continue adoptions (Congressional letter to Sec of State Rice).

Another possible miracle would be for the 2 governments to agree to "grandfather" cases like ours in to complete. We have over 14 months, thousands of dollars, and a wealth of emotional stock invested in this. It is hard to imagine that it could end like this.

Please help us pray for this whole situation...especially for the orphans that will never know homes if this shutdown happens. It just doesn't make sense - this world is so messed up...
Kathy
"If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." Psalm 139:9-10

While we wait (and dream)...

I love to search the internet and learn more about Vietnam & the people of Vietnam. We have so looked forward to exploring this great country when we travel to get Lela. I hope and pray we will be able to now -- since adoptions will be shutting down in Sept. Please continue to pray and enjoy some pictures of this great land that I came across.





"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God;..." 1 John 3:1

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

Nothing new to report. You would think that after 14 months of waiting, it would get easier....well, it doesn't. No news. With every day of no news, we draw nearer to the Sept 1st deadline when adoptions with Vietnam will shut down.
Keep praying.
Kathy
"...I do believe; help my unbelief." Mark 9:24

DTV 7 months!!!!

Our paperwork has been in Vietnam for 7 months now!! Let's hope THIS IS THE MONTH we "get the call" from our agency! I can't wait!!
Kathy
"...learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows." Isaiah 1:17

The sand slips through the hour glass as Sept 1st approaches

September 1st......the dreaded day. On this day, US citizens will not be allowed to adopt children from Vietnam. Of course, a miracle could happen, and the US & VN governments could change their minds, but there is little hope of that happening before September 1st.
Our agency is optimistic that we will receive our referral of Lela Grace before the Sept 1st deadline. So, we chose to be optimistic with them. We hope for a phone call everyday. I'm ready to hang the letters on her wall (painted letters that spell out "LELA" -- I've had them a while, but, protecting my heart, didn't want to hang them in her room). I've decided to believe whole-heartedly that this WILL happen. The joy is worth the risk.
Continue your prayers.
Kathy
"For in thee the orphan fines mercy." Hosea 14:3

Please continue to pray!

Please continue to pray for us as we seek His will in this adoption. I never knew that this would be such a spiritual journey. There is peace when we are trusting the LORD, and there is fear when our faith is weak. Please pray that we will watch as the LORD unfolds His plan, and trust Him at every turn.
Thank you, my friends.
Kathy
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

In memory of Maria Chapman

Scroll down and turn off the video before watching this video. What a precious family. Continue your prayers.

Pray for the Chapman family

.......................Please be much in prayer for the family of Steven Curtis Chapman. They have had a tragic death and my heart just breaks for the entire family. Their teenage son accidentally ran over their daughter in their driveway. She later died at the hospital. Newstory SCC is the artist of the song that plays when you open my blog and also the founder of Shaohannah's Hope - a adoption advocacy group that I have on my links to information below. He and his family are great advocates of international adoption.
Kathy
"For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." Isaiah 41:13

6 months DTV

Our dossier (paperwork) has been in Vietnam for 6 months now (DTV = dossier to vietnam).
Last week we hit a "high" on this emotional roller coster, as several families from our agency received their "referral." Lots of beautiful babies, one step closer to their forever home. Keep praying that Lela will come soon.
Kathy
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16b

Count your blessings

With the situation in Vietnam so discouraging, I thought I would exercise a little "count your blessings" therapy and count a few of my recent blessings!

Brother enjoys his horse back riding therapy

12th Annual Rook tournament at our house last week
Old fashion tent revival at our church 2 weeks ago
Second place at the track meet yesterday

My LORD is so good to me!
Kathy
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." Colossians 3:15

The Chaos continues....Vietnam disputes US claims

The adoption relationship between the US and Vietnam continues its downward spiral. It truly is like a cat fight, but the children are the ones who walk away with the scars. As the US continues to accuse VN of corruption, VN accuses the US of disrespect and unsympathetic investigations. Another news story shows a different perspective than the "US" stories that I have posted earlier.
It is so hard to reconcile all the bickering between nations. If only the orphans were considered first and foremost in every debate. Unfortunately, money and politics take first seat.
Continue your prayers.
Kathy
"He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy He will save.” Psalm 72:13

Official press release...

We all know that adoptions from Vietnam will shut down in Sept. We have all been waiting to hear if they will process "pipeline" cases.
Last night, the US Embassy issued an official statement, confirming that some corruption has been found. They also relayed that Vietnam will continue adoptions to US families who have an official referral by Sept 1, 2008. We do not have an official referral (when our paperwork is matched with a baby's paperwork) yet. Since the US has been taking so long to investigate each case, Vietnam has slowed down referring babies to US families (instead they are referred to European countries). When corruption abounds, policing must also abound. I've attached links below.
Basically, this means we are in limbo. There is a good chance that we will not be able to adopt a child from Vietnam.
Dennis remains optimistic, but I find myself guarding my heart. We need a glimmer of hope. Continue to pray.
Kathy
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:7
MSNBC story
US Embassy press release - short version
Long version - disturbing

A year ago today...

A year ago today, Dennis & I had a discussion that would forever change our future...we decided to pursue international adoption. One of my dearest friends came to me that day and told me that she was "expecting." With us all in our 40s, the excitement was laced with fear. She now has a beautiful, healthy baby girl, but that news spurred Dennis and I to re-look at our longtime dream of adopting a child. We had said "if the LORD ever provides the money, we'll do it!" But we realized that God doesn't work that way....He asks us to step out on faith & WATCH as He provides. We decided to step out. And here we are...one year later.
Although the adoption world is shaky right now, we are firm in our belief that the LORD has called us to provide a home for a Vietnamese baby. Continue your prayers as we watch this all unfold.
Kathy
"Then He will give you rain for the seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plenteous..." Isaiah 30:23

5 months DTV!

Five months DTV! That means our paperwork as been in Vietnam, waiting for Lela for 5 months now. We began the adoption process last April, and boy has it been an "up and down" year with international adoption. We are hopeful that we can bring Lela home this Fall, but as we well know, there are no guarantees with international adoption.
Please continue to pray that the LORD's will is done.
Thanks.
Kathy
"Do not move the ancient boundary stone in the fields of the fatherless for their defender is strong; He will take up their case…” Proverbs 23:10-11
..................................VIETNAM.................................

More from Phoenix

Dennis & the kids went to the Botanical Gardens while I was at my conference today. Arizona is truly beautiful!





"He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3:11

Pictures from Phoenix

After two long (delayed and changed) plane rides, this southern family found themselves in Arizona!! We've had a great day, getting to know this great state & seeing one of the 7 wonders of the world --- the Grand Canyon. WOW! What a great God we serve, One who would allow us to enjoy such a gorgeous sight. I thought you may enjoy some pictures of our journey thus far.







"How great are your works, O LORD..." Psalm 92:5

Still Waiting!

Will the phone ever ring? We hope our agency will call within the next couple of months to tell us that we are matched with Lela. We grow more anxious, as we are quite confident that adoptions in Vietnam will shut down in September (the 2 countries can't agree on the new bi-lateral agreement and the current one expires in Sept).
Our agency keeps telling us that we are far enough along in the process...not to worry. Easier said, than done! So, we wait on the phone call. Keep praying as we fight fear and doubt. Kathy
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat…I needed clothes and you clothed me” – Matthew 25:35-36

Yesterday was 4 months DTV!

"4 months DTV" means our paperwork has been in Vietnam for 4 months. We are hoping for a match with Lela in the next 2 months....but it could be longer.
Keep praying!
Kathy
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalm 27:14

Hope is restored!!!

It is hard to share all the latest happenings with Vietnam adoptions....but let's just say...things are now looking brighter than they have in the last few weeks.
You know...the other day I was reading about Joshua in the bible. Don't you know that he wanted to say, "What? March around Jericho seven times? That will take too long, how about only once? but, seven?...that doesn't make sense!" But God had a plan and His timing was perfect. Same with adoption....it doesn't make sense that it is so hard and time consuming to rescue one child. Instead of spending my energies on trying to figure it all out....I need to keep marching (and trust the LORD's timing).
My hope was fading, but has now been restored!!
Keep praying!!
Kathy
Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31

Sad week in Vietnam....

Sad news surrounds this week in the Vietnam adoption world, as 3 babies close to our hearts have passed away:
Charlie & Heather -- lost a baby girl, (recently matched)
Steve & Lynn - lost a baby girl, (recently matched)
Marie - lost a baby girl, (waiting to travel)
They have fallen victim to a rhinovirus that has invaded several orphanages in Vietnam. News Story

And on the political front, James & Dawn, were waiting to travel to get their baby girl. The US decided that the baby's paperwork did not meet their standards, therefore, a visa will NOT be approved. This family is devastated at "losing" this child due to a paperwork glitch.

International adoption can be an emotional roller coster. It can be mixed with hope as well as a helpless feeling. The LORD is in control and we must trust Him and His timing. Pray for these devastated families.

Please also help us pray that He will strengthen us and others as we answer His call to care for the orphans through adoption. And pray that the virus at this orphanage will subside soon.
Kathy
"In My Father's house are many dwelling places...for I go to prepare a place for you...I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:2-3

Great day in Vietnam!

Recall, our agency had 4 families that ran into some adoption worries in VN back in Sept. Basically, their babies' paperwork was missing a few things and the families were stuck in VN (with their babies), and the USCIS would not give the babies visas to travel home. The last 2 families are now headed home (they've been there +4 months). The paperwork of the babies of all 4 families has been cleared! The story of one family can be found here: http://cbs5.com/local/vietnam.orphan.adoption.2.649012.html
There is a new paperwork procedure that is in place now, so hopefully we would not be in for such a turmoil with Lela's paperwork.....but my heart has went out to these families, unable to travel home. But now they are headed home. Praise the LORD!
Kathy

"I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised...." Psalm 18:3

US Warning Concerning Adoptions in Vietnam

This warning was issued yesterday. http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/intercountry/intercountry_3939.html Basically, the US is warning citizens NOT to begin the adoption process with VN. Our agency stopped accepting applications in December. A bi-lateral agreement is due for renewal in March (to take effect in Sept 08). There are several indications that make me think the US & VN will not sign this agreement and adoptions will be shut down. Of course, no one will know until March.
Our agency foresees our adoption to be completed by Sept 08. We cling to that hope, but we are also aware of the rocky relationship between the 2 governments. Nothing is guaranteed in international adoption.
Pray for the entire situation.
Kathy
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

10 weeks DTV

Today marks the 10 week point since our dossier (paperwork package) was sent to Vietnam (DTV - dossier To Vietnam). If things were the same as they were when we first began the process, we would be anxious with every telephone ring right now...thinking it was "the call" to say we have been matched with a baby. But with the recent problems, the time line is longer. So we wait. In a few months, we'll be watching the phone, waiting for "the call." I still hope the call will come quickly -- before we expect it! Lela will likely be around 3 months old when we receive "the call" so we do believe she has been born. Pray she will stay warm, be comforted when she cries, and will receive baby formula that will meet her needs.
Kathy
"He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy He will save.” Psalm 72:13

While we wait......

Big Sister likes to play with Ivy, the American Girl doll she received on her birthday in October. Funny, American Girl just came out with a beautiful Asian doll after we had started our adoption journey. We can't wait until we bring our real Asian beauty home!
Keep praying for Lela! Pray she stays warm during the cold winter.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

Waiting......

We received word this week that our timeline could be a little longer than we expected. With the troubles in Vietnam, some VN provinces cannot complete adoptions -- which eliminates 2 orphanages that our agency used. There are still 5 other orphanages that continue to place babies with our agency. It looks like it may be summer or fall when we receive our referral (match with Lela). But you never know...we're still hopeful it will be soon.
It is sad on many levels. We were also told of some babies that had passed away due to the cold weather (this is the cold season in VN). Oh, how we take our medical care & our warm houses for granted.
It is hard to make sense of it all. It is hard to understand why the wait is so long when so many babies need homes.
We seek your prayers.
Kathy
"In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Lela's Room is ready!

Now, all we need is Lela! We have had so much fun getting Lela's room ready. Just yesterday, we received a couple of baby dolls we had ordered. I just know she will love them! I hope she likes lots of pink, because her room is full of it! It's funny, I kinda miss getting all the paperwork together....at least then I felt like I was "hurry-ing" the process along. Now, there is nothing left to do, but wait! It's hard to wait, knowing she is so far away from us. Keep her in your prayers!
Kathy
"I will go before you and make the rough places smooth..." Isaiah 45:2a

CNN story on Vietnam Adoptions

For those of you following the turmoil happening with Vietnam adoptions, please click on this link to a 4-minute CNN news report. You must listen to a commercial first, and then the adoption story will play.
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2007/11/30/cho.adoption.delay.cnn
This helps to explain some of the issues going on in Vietnam right now. Thankfully, we will apply for Lela's visa before we travel (new procedure), so this should not be an issue for families going in the future.
Remember these families who are in limbo in prayer. I can't imagine how hard this has been.
Kathy
"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." Psalm 31:24

Her Name is Lela Grace

We finally decided on a name for our baby girl...Lela Grace Irwin. She will be given a Vietnamese name, so we may keep part of it as a 2nd middle name. We will decide that later. We are excited to finally have a name. Now, we just need to get her home!
Kathy
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18

Happy day

One of our 4 families in Vietnam received word today that their baby's visa has been granted and they are headed home!! Remember the other 3 families in prayer, as they work toward this goal.
Kathy
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice." Philippians 4:4

Good news.....2nd post today!

We just received word that our paperwork (dossier) is headed to Vietnam. In the adoption world, we call this DTV (dossier to Vietnam). This is truly a milestone, especially with the happenings as of late.
Keep praying!
Kathy
"O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people." Psalm 117:1

Waiting....but hopeful

Not a lot to report about the meeting today....other than, it appears that no drastic changes were made & adoptions will continue for the time being between the US and VN. I'm sure cases will be scrutinized more closely --- and this is a good thing. The US & Vietnam have a planned meeting in March to re-sign country to country adoption agreements. My hope is that relations will continue at least until this time. Of course, nothing is rock solid when dealing with international adoption.
Our 4 families continue in VN. Keep praying.
Keep praying that our faith will be strong through this, as it appears we are still moving forward. I made a comment to my Sunday school class about a month ago that I was shocked at how smoothly this adoption has been. Bam! Shouldn't have said that! Pray that we will follow as the LORD leads - be it through storms or smooth sailing.
Kathy
"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Psalm 27:14

Vietnam adoption troubles

I thought I would share a link with you in case you would like to follow the turmoil happening in Vietnam concerning adoption. http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/adoptionstatement1107.html
In turn, our adoption agency has halted all new applications to Vietnam. This is a little scary, but thankfully, we are far enough in the process, that we will still proceed. Of course, our prayer is that the USCIS will not close down US adoptions completely, like they did from 2002-2005 (due to similar happenings). The USCIS has called for a meeting that will take place on Monday. They have asked all licensed agencies to attend. This is worrisome. The USCIS has placed a new procedure that should help identify potentially unethical cases before families travel, so I hope this will help with future cases. Our 4 families are still in Vietnam and our agency has lawyers in place in the US and in VN, trying to release the babies' visas so they can come home. Keep praying for these tired, emotionally drained families.
As for us, we feel strongly that the LORD led us to adopt from Vietnam. And we fear for the orphans of this country if the US shuts down US adoptions there. Pray that we will not worry and trust as the LORD works out His plan.
Dennis & Kathy
"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe." Proverbs 29:25

Pray for Vietnam Adoption Process

I'll not go into great detail, but some upsetting happenings are going on in the adoption world in Vietnam right now. 4 families from our agency (as well as many others from other agencies) are in Vietnam, fighting for permission to return to the US with their babies. They have been there nearly 6 weeks (planned on 3 weeks) and have no word yet of when they can return. Several have spouses and/or children at home. Please help us pray for them and the entire Vietnamese adoption situation.
Thanks. Kathy
“For Thou art my hope, O Lord God: Thou art my trust from my youth.” Psalm 71:5

Paperwork is done; waiting period begins!

Today we received our I-171H (last immigration document) back from our state capital with the state certification. So we fought the clock to get our entire paperwork mountain (aka dossier) to the post office by 5:00pm tonight. Our dossier will make a quick stop in Oregon to be reviewed by our adoption agency (PLAN,Inc) and then on to the Vietnamese Consulate!!



This is a snapshot of our dossier (paperwork to Vietnam)



This officially ends our paper chase. Now we enter the waiting game. We now wait until the Vietnamese government matches us up with our baby girl. When we receive this "referral," we'll receive a few pictures, a medical report & brief history (if known) and her location. Our agency works out of 5 orphanages from 3 different provinces. She will likely be between 5 and 8 months old at the time of referral. Shortly after the referral, we will get our travel date, which is typically 1-4 months after the referral date.
Help us pray for the government officials as they match us with a baby girl.
In Christ,
Dennis and Kathy
"For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba Father!" Romans 8:15

Another step closer!!!

Today we received our I-171H form ---- this is an immigration form that puts the final stamp of approval (here in the US) for us to adopt an international orphan. We've been (patiently) waiting for this form for 6 1/2 weeks now. And finally, today it arrived!
Tomorrow, we will take this last document & go through all the hoops like all the other documents (notarized, county certified, to state capital for state certified). When we get it back from the state capital......we will be ready to mail the entire packet to the Vietnamese Consulate (final step before the Vietnamese government receives it).
We are getting ready here at home. My sister and her husband have us stocked with 2 pack-n-plays. A college friend made me a couple of "girly" spit cloths! Fun stuff!! One of our close friends is expecting a baby girl next month. At her baby shower last week, we made fun because she received baby nail clippers with magnifying glasses on them (like me....she is past 40 years old). She was quick to remind me that I'll be wanting some too!!! And she is right!! Good to know some manufacturers are thinking about us "older" moms! I know we are in for an adventure. This waiting has been hard.
Oh, and by the way, (in case you were wondering) we will be adding posts everytime we get another step closer. And for the 3 weeks we are in Vietnam, I'm sure we'll post just about everyday. How wonderful that our friends and family can share this adventure with us via the internet. And I'm sure I'll load up our blogsite with lots of baby pictures!! Thanks for your interest. Keep praying for us, our new baby & our baby's birth mom!!!
Dennis and Kathy
"You are the defender of orphans LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless..." Psalm 10:14

Beginning the adoption

Hello! This is our first BLOG entry for the Irwins. Kinda fancy for us!! Our family is in the process of adopting a baby girl from Vietnam. We began the process about 3 months ago. Wow.....who would have thought the paperwork would be so involved. Our homestudy was completed last month and we have collected around 20 documents. Most of these have been notarized, county certified, state certified (Dennis always adds..."and fortified"), and will soon be authenticated by the Vietnamese consulate. We have been fingerprinted at the state capital & are close to the end of our paper chase! Shew!!!
We are currently waiting on an immigration document to arrive in the mail (form I-171H). When we receive it, we can send our entire package of documents on to our agency and then on to Vietnam. It will then be translated and go into the Vietnamese government system to be matched with a baby girl.
This "paper pregnancy" has been very consuming, but it has been exciting, every step of the way. We expect our baby girl will be between 5 & 8 months old when we bring her home. We hope to have her home by next summer.
We have 2 beautiful biological children: A boy (age 12) and a girl(age 9). We feel that the LORD has called us to add to our family through international adoption. As the process moves along, we become more and more excited about meeting the baby girl that the LORD has planned for our family. We talk about her a lot & we all debate on what we will name her.
We have began working on her bedroom which makes the process a little more real. Big brother is developmentally delayed and has a hard time understanding some things. We're hoping that getting the room ready will help him understand a little more. We're not real sure he understands that he will have "another" little sister. It seemed at first he thought we were going to trade his sister in, but we've assured him that, like it or not, we are keeping Big Sister!! Ha!
Big sister is ecstatic about being a big sister. We've pulled some of her old baby clothes out of the attic & she volunteered to wash them, fold them and place them in "the baby's" dresser. She's been trying some of them on a doll (that she's estimated to be the size of a 5-8 month old). We are all anxious to bring our new baby home.
We are very excited to share our experience with you all. I'll probably post when we have a more news -- when things are progressing. Please pray for us as we seek the LORD Jesus Christ in all these happenings! Please also help us pray for our baby's birth mother -- that the LORD will give her a peace concerning her difficult decision. Pray for her health & most importantly, that she will somehow come to know the LORD if she doesn't know Him already.

Thank you for sharing this special time with us!

Dennis & Kathy
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the East and gather you from the West." Isaiah 43:5