Ying Rong is Home!

A lot has changed in our home over the past month. Ying Rong, now Veronica Josephine, is home with us. Joe traveled to China to finalize the adoption and the two returned home last month. Just about 24 hours before Joe left for China, our fourth biological baby, Miriam Gertrude, was born, at home, delivered by dad!

New Photos of Ying Rong

Travel Plans Begin!

We received our Official Letter of Acceptance from the Chinese Government last week! Our adoption agency has now started making Joe's travel plans and we've been told he will likely go to China at the end of July or beginning of August.

The next two months are going to fly by, with a lot more paperwork to complete and preparations here at home for the arrival of Ying Rong. We will receive one final update from the orphanage about how Ying Rong has been doing over the past several months, and hopefully we'll receive a few new photos as well. And, we are now at the point when we must choose a name for our little girl!

Dossier Complete and Now in China!

We reached a HUGE milestone in our adoption process this past week -  our dossier was sent to China and is now in the hands of the CCCWA! The China Centre for Children's Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) will review our dossier and make the final decision about whether we are fit to adopt Ying Rong. Our adoption agency estimates that we will hear from the CCCWA in 4-6 months. 

So, now the LONG wait!

A Post by Aunt Sarah

Below is a post written by Aunt Sarah, from Colorado. I asked her if she would write something about our adoption and she graciously accepted. We stayed with Tom and Sarah and their 5 children when we traveled to pick up Ying Rong from the airport for our 2016 Summer Hosting adventure. It was a brief visit, before we had to travel back to Kansas, but almost everyone was able to meet little Ying Rong. 

Sarah's post describes her thoughts and feelings about our adoption, feelings that I think might be fairly common among extended family members of those who are adopting. Fear, worry and doubts - about the changes and challenges that are ahead for their loved ones, and questions about how they will be able to handle it; concern for their biological nieces and nephews who will, without a doubt, be affected by adding a  new little one.

As the parent to be, I have had these same feelings and asked many of the same questions, and still, I don't have all the answers. I do know, though, like Sarah, that once you've met a child like Ying Rong, you can't help but love her, after which, many of the fears abate, as God gives us the courage to do what He has asked us to do.

Ying Rong with her cousins

When my brother and sister in law told me that they were thinking of adopting a little girl from China I felt a lot of different emotions. I was worried that it would be too much to handle with the 3 little kids they already had. I worried it would alienate them from us since we would not be sharing the same experience. I worried over a lot of things, I guess. All those feelings being felt, and processed, didn’t take too long, and we began to share the excitement of this new adventure with Joe and Melissa.

The trip out here to pick up Ying Rong was eagerly anticipated. We were very excited to see Joe’s family and spend some time with them. We were excited to get to meet Ying Rong before she spent the month in Kansas. We were excited. We were nervous.

Ying Rong was picked up from the Denver Airport on a Tuesday evening. Joe and Melissa brought her back to our house where we were waiting impatiently. Melissa was holding her when I opened the door for them. She seemd so small, and scared, and tired. She looked around at all her potential new cousins with a vaguely overwhelmed look. Joey said to Declan and Brendan “Look! We brought a new sister!”

The next morning everyone had to pack up and head back to Kansas. Ying Rong seemed to have slept well, and she looked a lot perkier. We had breakfast and she played with all the other kids like she had always known them. She smiled and laughed, and it didn’t bother anyone that they didn’t know the same language. She definitely wasn’t fond of Bosco or Darcy (dogs), though!

All too soon it was time to say goodbye. Goodbyes are always hard, and it must have been very confusing to Ying Rong. As I hugged all the kids, Ying Rong included, I was struck by the fact that I already loved her. After they left, and I was feeling quite emotional, I called Tom and told him, “I already love her! I can’t wait until they come back next month.”

New Photos of Ying Rong

We've received some photos of Ying Rong when she was younger and more recently, photos of her with her friends at the orphanage (not posted for privacy). Several of the friends with whom she is photographed are also being adopted by parents in the United States.

When Joe travels to China to finalize the adoption, he will most likely visit Ying Rong's orphanage -  to take a tour, meet her caregivers, bring gifts to the children, and to give Ying Rong a chance to say goodbye. We are hoping that he might also receive baby photos or anything else the staff may have kept for her.

Thank you!

We have been blessed to receive a number of anonymous donations, and donations from friends and family and want to express our gratitude for your help. We would not be able to adopt Ying Rong without your support. Thank you for helping us, and for helping Ying Rong get to us. Please be assured of our prayers for you, and may God bless you for your love and generosity. 

To date, we have received donations totaling nearly $18,000.  

adopttogether.org/thedorans

ADOPTION & FAMILY UPDATE

Our home study has been completed and approved, & authenticated by the Chinese Consulate; this step nearly completes our dossier. We have applied to United States Immigration to be adoptive parents to Ying Rong and are awaiting their approval. Once we are approved, we have one more immigration application and then our dossier will be complete and sent off to China! Our adoption agency anticipates Joe could travel to China towards the end of July. We are hoping and praying that he will travel as soon as possible. I am expecting our fourth baby in August and would love to have Joe and Ying Rong home before our new baby arrives!

New Photo and Video of Ying Rong

Merry Christmas!

We were blessed to receive new photos and a written update from the orphanage right before Christmas. Ying Rong is doing very well and looks happy in all the photos.