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Post by Jeff Gerke on Dec 24, 2008 9:13:51 GMT -5
I don't think I've mentioned this on The Anomaly before now, but for the last 2+ years my wife and I have been in the process of adopting an orphan girl from China. In December of 2007, when the promised 8 month wait had turned to a threatened 48+ month wait, we switched over to the special needs program. Well, yesterday we got our match photo. We know what our Sophie looks like now. She's precious--and very young for international adoption, only 8 months old right now. She has bilateral cleft lip and palate, so her photos look a little scary or gruesome if you're not used to such things. But surgery will completely repair these things soon after we get her home. I've doctored up one of her photos so people can see what she will look like. Keep an eye on our site, www.BringSophieHome.com for photos and updates. God willing, we'll travel to China to get Sophie within the next 3-5 months. We could have her home by her first birthday! It's almost unheard of in China adoption. We thought we were going to get a 2 year old and have her home by her third birthday. We don't have all the money we need to complete the adoption or the surgeries afterward. I'm in no way asking you guys for money. God is going to provide, and there are credit card options we can use and then pay off later. But I also wouldn't want to rob you of the blessing of giving if God moves your heart to consider it. There's donation information at www.BringSophieHome.com. It seem so unreal. For almost two-and-a-half years we've been thinking about this day, but it kept speeding away from us into the future. We weren't expecting this call until March or maybe even July, but to get it in December was a shocking but wonderful blessing. Our daughter (13) is beside herself with joy over the news. Our son (8) doesn't understand what it means and he's a little nervous about the change. We haven't shown him the undoctored photo yet. Because you guys are great prayer warriors and good friends, I wanted you to know the joy of the babe that has come to us this Christmas. Jeff P.S. One funny note. The Chinese name someone has given her may sound beautiful in Mandarin but in English it's a stinker. They call her Dang Rong. I don't know about you, but I look at that name and see right away there's something dang wrong about it! |
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Post by rwley on Dec 24, 2008 10:56:11 GMT -5
Congratulations! It's wonderful that you have answered the call God put in your heart to adopt a child. Especially one that has special needs. Your lives will be endlessly blessed by the addition of this new little gift. God will provide all that's needed.
Merry Christmas!!
Robi
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Post by morganlbusse on Dec 24, 2008 17:15:04 GMT -5
Congrats Jeff! And that the adoption is happening so quickly is such a blessing  |
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Post by torainfor on Dec 24, 2008 21:43:28 GMT -5
Oh, you're giving me flashbacks! Only advice I can think to give you (besides bringing earplugs for the folks who sit next to you on the plane!) is UHT milk. It's all Jack ate or drank the entire 25-hour flight home. Oh, and Cheerios. I don't know about China, but Thailand didn't have them. He had to settle for shrimp chips (blech!).
Prayers away now and over the first year.
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Dec 25, 2008 9:24:11 GMT -5
Thank you guys!
And as I write this it's Christmas day, so Merry (or Happy) Christmas to all Anomaliens.
Jeff
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Post by dizzyjam on Dec 25, 2008 16:20:39 GMT -5
"Anom-aliens" maybe? Heh-heh. Merry Christmas to you as well, Jeff, and congratulations on the relative speed that has now been increased in your quest. May all go well in the coming months as you go out there and as you bring her back and as the doctor's work to correct the deformity. I had an uncle I see occasionally over the years that a number of years back he and his wife took in a baby from Romania with a cleft problem and Will now is doing well in high school and has grown up looking like the rest of us. God bless you in what you're doing and may the Lord provide all the finances you need. Everybody reading this buy more books from MLP and encourage others to do the same. May you be surrounded by the wealth that God brings you.
Be encouraged,
David
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Post by metalikhan on Dec 27, 2008 1:37:38 GMT -5
Congratulations! What a wonderful Christmas present!
Would you mind if I place your family and this precious Sophie on my church's prayer list, for blessings on your finances and for smoothing all the international legalities you may yet have?
God bless you and your family!
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Dec 27, 2008 10:32:34 GMT -5
Thank you, David. And yes, metalikhan, we would love that!
Jeff
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Mar 4, 2009 8:32:22 GMT -5
Well, the time is almost upon us. A week from today is March 11, and that's the day my wife and I are heading to China to adopt our little girl. God willing and the Internet works, we will be posting updates and photos and videos while we're on the trip. Keep an eye on the Trip Journal section of www.BringSophieHome.com to watch it all happen. Keep in mind that China is several hours ahead of us. So, for instance, when something is happening on the morning of March 16 for us in China, that's actually taking place in the evening of the 15th here in the States. Here's the schedule as it stands now: - March 11--fly from Colorado Springs to Beijing (arrive on the 12th)
- March 13-14--get acclimated and see Beijing (incl. Great Wall, Forbidden City, and hopefully some Beijing Olympics venues--water cube, bird's nest, etc.)
- March 15--fly to Zhengzhou (say JinJoe), the city where we'll get our baby
- March 16--Gotcha Day (also our wedding anniversary AND Sophie's 11-month birthday)
- March 17-20--bonding, more paperwork, day tours (hopefully including a tour of the Shaolin Temple)
- March 21--fly to Guangzhou (GwongJoe), the city where the U.S. Consulate is
- March 22--rest
- March 23--Sophie's medical physical and her visa photo session
- March 24--Consulate appointment (we stay at the hotel and the adoption agency reps take our paperwork over)
- March 25--Oath ceremony at the consulate, during which Sophie becomes a U.S. citizen (no cameras allowed into the consulate; waa)
- March 26--fly from Guangzhou to Beijing, then fly from Beijing to Chicago, and from Chicago to Colorado Springs, arriving home after 9 p.m. on this day
Pretty crazy, huh? But tremendously exciting. After over three years in the process it's finally happening! Many things to pray for, as you can see. But there's one thing I'd like to specifically ask you to pray about. On the long flight back from Beijing to Chicago we'll have a tired baby with us. We've requested two things on that flight, but don't know if we'll get either. Our first preference is to get a bulkhead row and a bassinet. It's basically a little cradle they bolt to the wall in front of us. She'd have a place to sleep or sit the whole way back. Our second choice, if we don't get that, is to have an empty seat between my wife and me. We have not paid for a seat for our child--just an infant lap ticket. The travel agency has booked us with an empty seat between us--which means we'd basically get an extra seat without paying for it (because who wants to sit between adoptive parents and a crying baby?). But there's no guarantee that booking will hold. For the sake of everyone--baby, parents, and other passengers--we'd love for one of these situations to work out. Please pray for that. And also please pray that, no matter what seats we get, our baby is calm and travels easily and we have abundant grace and traveling mercies dumped on us from on high.  Thanks you guys! My presence on The Anomaly between now and early April may get a little spotty, but my heart never leaves you! But watch for posts from a mystery person named jeffisontheroad--that's me! Jeff |
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Post by duchessashley on Mar 4, 2009 9:09:44 GMT -5
This all sounds wonderfully exciting...and nerve-wracking...at the same time! You and your family will be in our prayers. I'm certain that God will do some awesome and mighty things during this time! And give that sweet baby a great big kiss from all of us out here. |
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Post by torainfor on Mar 4, 2009 10:05:52 GMT -5
When we flew back from Bangkok, Tom brought earplugs for the people around us. On the flight from Tokyo to Detroit, though, we were surrounded by a Japanese grandma eager to see her new grandchild and a new dad of twins coming home. They were both very gracious with us and our shrieking eel.
Prayers away. The fact that you're already parents will help a great deal. Tom and I were clueless!
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Post by Teskas on Mar 4, 2009 12:30:35 GMT -5
Your itinerary looks exhausting, Jeff. God bless you and your family every step (and air mile) of the way.
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Mar 4, 2009 17:26:28 GMT -5
Thank you, guys!
Jeff
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Post by Christian Soldier on Mar 5, 2009 5:59:18 GMT -5
Two days to acclimate! They gave us two weeks and it still wasn't enough. Still, it sounds exciting, Jeff. God speed, God Bless!
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Post by veritasseeker90 on Mar 5, 2009 23:42:53 GMT -5
Good luck and congrats!
And a little off topic, but I was born with Cleft Lip and palate. I'm just not sure what "type".
I was fortunate with my doctors, most people can't tell that I have it. My point in saying that was, I pray that her doctor(s) does a wonderful job and to give you guys......hope....hmmm, that's not really the right word....what word am I looking for? Gah! I can't think straight, but hopefully you know what I mean and I didn't offend you in anyway.
Do you happen to know what surgeries she'll be going through?
I'll be praying for you, your wife and you're baby and I hope all goes well!
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