Typhoon Juan Headed For Shaling

I just found out this morning that there is a strong typhoon headed towards southern China. Shaling is in Shenzhen City, which is basically a suburb of Hong Kong. Typhoon Juan (international name: Typhoon Megi) started as a Tropical Depression, then became a Tropical Storm, then progressed through every category of a Typhoon, reaching the maximum Category 5 (Super Typhoon) rating just as it hit the Philippines earlier this week.

After hitting the Philippines, it downgraded all of the way to a Category 2, but is now back up to a Category 4 and headed to the east of Hong Kong. Category 4 means it is has sustained winds of 135 m.p.h. Also, the storm is supposedly much larger in size than when it hit the Philippines, so a wide area of southern China is expected to be affected. Here are some pictures of the projection of the storm’s path:





Please pray with me for not only Shaling’s safety, but the safety of all of those she knows and cares for. I pray also the welfare center in which she resides is not damaged.

Here are some links to some news stories about this typhoon:

abs-cbn news

Washington Post

A Special Visit

Today we welcomed the soon-to-be family of one of Shaling's orphanage mates, Heng Xin (also known as Star). In these videos, Star is the one in the purple shirt (and Shaling is in the white shirt). I think you'll see that the girls seem pretty close with each other.

Shaling 2 from Amy Reynolds on Vimeo.

Shaling 1 from Amy Reynolds on Vimeo.

Shaling 7 from Amy Reynolds on Vimeo.

Star will be going to live with the Stowells in Tennessee (Chattanooga). Over the last 5 or so months, I've become friends with Tim via some social groups on Yahoo that focus on adoptive families. He and his wife Ellen adopted Tian from China about 2 1/2 years ago. She'll be 11 on December 2nd. Coincidentally, Star will be 10, also on December 2nd. Tim and Ellen adopted a son, Yu-Hsuan, from Taiwan in late February/early March of this year. He is 8-years-old (will be 9 in January).

It turns out that Tim's parents live here in Springfield (and he has a brother in the Springfield/New Berlin area as well). He came up with the kids for a few days, giving Ellen a few days "off", as she home schools the children. He and the kids came over and spent the whole afternoon with us. We went to lunch at New Buffet City (where we also met up with our Chinese teacher, James Wang), went rock climbing at The Silo in Rochester, then just hung out at the house for awhile. We truly enjoyed this visit and hope to get together again after we've both added our girls. Here are some pictures of Tian, Yu-Hsuan & Preston on our couch:

Poem for Shaling

I've tried my hand at a poem in honor of Shaling. This is a bit out of my comfort zone, but I've been itching to blog, and have no news to share. I'm expecting a receipt from U.S.C.I.S. today or tomorrow, but most importantly, their approval by the end of next week.

Here's my stab at putting some of my feelings to words:

Dear Shaling, my treasure, my precious girl
You've set my heart a flutter and awhirl

We're plowing through our paperwork with passion
Been making travel plans in grand fashion

Though this process is taking quite awhile
I'm reminded it's worth it when I see your smile

Your bedroom is painted two shades of rose
Each time I walk by it, my love for you grows

Tonight as I gaze up at the faraway moon
I'll be content to know you'll be with us soon

For the time being, we're many worlds apart
But sweet daughter, you're already in my heart

Amy Reynolds, 10-15-2010

On November 12, In His Hands Orphan Outreach is hosting a banquet at the Firefighters Club on Lake Springfield. In His Hands helps make life better for orphans across the world by donating supplies to orphanages, providing surgery for cleft palate orphans, mentoring families who adopt orphans, and by building an orphanage.

Please prayerfully consider making a $30 donation and attending this banquet (or even sponsoring an entire table for $200). The banquet will include a meal, testimonials from adoptive families, and a musical performance. Please consider the table sponsorship even if you won't fill the table (8 tickets), as your extra tickets could be used for In His Hands to invite some local pastors to try and generate more interest in participation with the outreach program. For more information, see In His Hands Orphan Outreach.



The Starfish Poem

Once upon a time there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?"

The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish in the ocean."

"I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"

"The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll die."

"But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young man listened politely.

Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said - "It made a difference for that one."

Anonymous

Last Few Steps: I-800, NVC, Article 5, TA, CA & Gotcha!

Yesterday we received the package containing our “Letter of Seeking Confirmation” from our adoption agency. Brock and I had to both sign that “yes, we still want this specific little girl.” Then, I overnighted the original letter plus Shaling’s visa application back to our adoption agency. Plus, I overnighted our I-800 (request to classify an immigrant as an immediate relative) plus seven other documents (a financial page, a copy of the letter, our USCIS approval to adopt internationally notice, Shaling’s referral documents in both Chinese and English, a convention letter from our adoption agency, and an I-864W – affidavit of support exemption) to United States Citizenship & Immigration Services.

Today, I tracked both packages. They’ve both been successfully delivered (to Texas and Delaware).Within about two weeks, we should first receive a receipt from USCIS that they have our documents and then receive a Provisional Approval. About a week after that, the National Visa Center will confirm they have cabled our case to the U.S. Consulate in China. Roughly two weeks after that, an Article 5 should be issued by the U.S. Consulate. An Article 5 Letter states that we are suitable adoptive parents and that our child will be allowed to enter and reside permanently in the United States.

The next step is for the Article 5 to be delivered to the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs), who sends out our Travel Approval (TA). This takes about two or three weeks. Next, we will have a Consulate Appointment (CA) about two or three weeks after our TA is issued.

We will travel roughly 10 days BEFORE this appointment. We will spend two weeks there, probably flying there on a Saturday and home on a Friday. “Gotcha Day” – the day we meet her – will probably take place on the Monday after we arrive. We meet her at the Civil Affairs office and sign our adoption agreement. We have to return to the Civil Affairs office the next day to register the adoption and apply for her passport, which we should be able to pick up that Friday.

On Saturday, she’ll get a TB test and medical exam and get her visa photo. We get her test result on Monday. Tuesday is her visa appointment at the U.S. Consulate and Wednesday is the big oath-taking ceremony at the U.S. Consulate (lots & lots of families do this all at once). We get her visa on Thursday and leave for home on Friday. Those are all rough estimates…some of the appointments may be a bit different.

Somewhere around the time of our Travel Approval, we also have to go to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago (in person) to get our travel visas. I also have to arrange ALL of our travel details, as my adoption agency simply connects us with a woman in Beijing that assists me with this. She only helps us with everything *in* China; in other words, I have to book our flights separately.







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I just realized that the entry I posted yesterday about Shaling's birthday showed up as if it was posted on September 30. That bums me out, because even though I composed it as a draft that day, I actually posted it yesterday, ON HER BIRTHDAY. I've deleted the entry, because I didn't like it being out of order like that.

Just for posterity's sake, here are the photos that were in that entry:

What an LOA looks like

Our actual Letter of Acceptance had to be signed and notarized at our adoption agency's office, so we won't receive it until tomorrow. However, they were kind enough to scan in an image of it and email it to me. It's rather interesting to see an official document from a foreign country, so I thought I'd share it. I believe you can click on each image to enlarge it.

We got our LOA -- doin' the happy dance!

Our adoption agency emailed me after hours today to let me know that they received our LOA today. That is China's official approval that we can be Shaling's family. Our agency will forward the letter on to us. We will have to sign it and send it back to confirm that yes, we still want this specific child.

The next few steps as I understand them are:

We have to file an I-800 with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service. This is in order to get permission to classify Shaling as an immediate relative. Approval should come within two to three weeks.

Our I-800 will be sent to the NVC (National Visa Center), who will then send information to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou. This will take about two weeks.

Our Article 5 will be processed. This is the U.S. informing China that they agree that we can adopt this particular child and that all Hague (international adoption) requirements are met.

After the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) receives our Article 5, we can get Travel Approval. I believe we have to go to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago to get our visas.

Our Consulate appointment will be arranged. Our travel dates will be dependent on that appointment. It will be approximately 10 days after we arrive in China (and 2 or 3 days before we leave to come home).

I think our estimate of December or January, with early January being more probable, is now pretty firm.