Peace Speaker

This is the matching room where our "dossier" sits
and waits to be pulled. A dossier is apacket of all of
our blood sweat and tears, not to mention our
life story documented and notarized...
certified... and authenticated!
When God's perfect timing is complete, someone
from the matching department will reachfor our file and begin to read over it thoroughly. She will look through the profiles of available "paper ready babies" and match a baby to our dossier based on everything they have learned looking through our file. This is where all of our prayers meet the heart and mind of sweet Chinese social worker. She/he may not even know what is guiding them to this particular photo, that photo.... but Mark, Jason, Andrew and I know that this is the moment where an all knowing God literally creates a match made in heaven.

As some of you already know, our chosen adoption agency was Hope for Children out of Atlana. A few weeks ago we were abruptly notified that due to the failing economy, Hope was closing their doors effective immediately. An agency partner would be taking over our adoption process if we so choose. This offer came at an unexpected, significant fee increase. I don't have words to describe the fear and mistrust that began to consume my thoughts. Here we are so close to a referral and we are forced into the unknown. Then to add insult to injury came the news that the CCAA was increasing the orphanage fee donation from $3000 to $5000! Again... unexpected unforseen fees.
We have been brought to our knees (literally) by this flurry of unexpected events.
But God... that same all knowing God that will guide our daughters photo to our profile, is not shocked or caught off guard. He has used many caring family members and friends to intercede on our behalf. Peace comes like a soothing balm over a raw wound.
I'll close with Psalms 40:1-4a
I waited patiently for the Lord:
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and
put their trust in the Lord.
Blessed is the man who
makes the Lord his trust.
Our family is blessed beyond measure this Christmas Season!
We love you ,
Cindy (for Mark, Jason, and Andrew)

Time flies when your're having fun!

I know... It's been a long time. I'll try to catch us all up to speed. Our summer was awsome, we traveled some, sent the boys to church camps and sports camps, and before we knew it the o8 school year had began. Jason is a Junior, and Andew is a Sophomore. Sniff sniff... where has the time gone. They are both having a good semester, Jason was inducted into the Beta Club in September, and voted onto the Junior class Homecoming court in October. Andrew is busy keeping his tennis skills sharp. They are both enjoying being on the praise team for the youth group. Jason has been playing the drums, (rock on) and Andrew is singing and recently began to learn the acoustic guitar.

Our parsonage has undergone a $40,000. renovation, and yes... we were foolish enough to remain in it throught the entire ordeal. Never again!!! The results are fantastic and make the "in-house camping" experience a distant memory.

Mark and I are beginning to feel the pinch of the up-coming life change with the baby. We are so very close... it looks like a possible February/March referral. That will make it a full 3 year wait since login... 3 1/2 all together. We continue to wait watch and pray. In the in-between time it's just great to be the parents of 2 of the sweetest boys I know... a priveledge to serve the Lord at the 10th st. Church of God... and loving every second of it all.

Remember our family when you pray...

Love,

Cindy (for Mark, Jason, and Andrew and Jenna??? Caroline??? Sarah??? Rebeckah???

Pslam 62:1,2

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Summer at last!!

Hello,

Summer has finally arrived down here in South Georgia. So what is the first thing we do? Head up to Ohio for a family visit! My brother Dan has the perfect set-up for a family of massive proportions. As we celebrated my neice Dani's highschool graduation, we found some time to relax. I especailly love how Jason's smile is as big as Emilie's. Sorry for the awkward view of the photo's, most of you know I'm seriously electronically challenged.



This is Andrew with my Granny and Aunt. She'll soon turn 94 and has a tremendous heart for worship. It was wonderful for be in church with her. Amazingly she was able to standfor much of the praise & worship, and yes... she still actively participates!! I am very thankful that Jason and Andrew will have solid memories of her. She leaves a tremendous heritage of the faithfulness of God. Her ability to love unconditionally is uncanny. Just a week after this photo was taken Granny was hospitalized suffering symptoms of a stroke. It appears she has suffered a series of mini strokes. Please keep her in your prayers.

Now for the latest on our girl.....Referrals came in this week and we are inching ever closer to our 3/9/06 LID. It appears that the CCAA has placed children through January 20, 2006. We are Patiently awaiting our turn. We are hopeful to have a photo of her by the end of the year.

Please remember her as well as the entire Grimes family as we continue to wait... watch... and pray.

Much love,

Cindy

Basketball...Tennis...Baseball

I can hardly believe it...how does time go by so fast, yet we still have no referral?Our original intentions were to post once a month until we got closer to our referral.We have been attending basketball games through February, and now tennis for Andrew and baseball for Jason. I find myself doing double takes to be sure that these handsome, smart men are my sons. For those of you who know me, you know that there is not an atheletic bone in my body. I have become the epitome of "sports mom." Now for those of you who know Mark, realize these athletic abilities are soley from his gene pool. His favorite pastime is to coach the boys from the bench... fence... or bleachers and do so loudly!! We are having a great time, but I'm painfully aware that the clock is ticking. The longer we wait for a referral, the less time we have to spend as a family of five. This thought has really been weighing heavily on my heart lately. Jason will soon be a Junior, and Andrew a Sophomore.
As I "sit, soak, and sour," I realize a powerful truth. I know with all of my heart that the footsteps of my boys are ordered by the Lord. I pray for it daily and speak it over them. So this morning in church, it occured to me that our daughters footsteps are ordered by the Lord as well. By faith I know that soon those little footsteps will lead her straight to us!
Please remember to call out our names in prayer.
With much love,
Cindy (for mark, Jason & Andrew)

Happy New Year

Have we ever got some catching up to do! It seems that once the school year got going, we have been traveling at warp speed. Mark and I are great, the boys are doing great! The church is doing great, the adoption process.... not so much. Things continue to slow down. I am trying my best to leave this with the Lord. Some extra prayer cover regarding this matter would be greatly appreciated. I received a letter from my agency letting us know that they (China) have no intention of speeding up the referral process as stated earlier in the year the CCAA. (China Center of Adoption Affairs) There are also rumors that China may suspend referrals altogether for a few months to prepare for the Olympics.
The good news is that since we were staring at yet another Christmas without our daughter, we decided to take a vacation that would not be done as easily with a baby/toddler. So, Mark got busy with Denise at our travel agency and cooked up a sweet 7 day cruise of the Hawaiian Islands. Wow!!! It was beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! Jason and Andrew saw Pearl Harbor, Wiamea Canyon, Kilowea (sp) the volcano, and the Nepali Coast. We also learned to snorkel and saw countless fish that we had only ever seen in aquariums. The guys ended the trip with a zip-line tour on Kauai.
We have only been home for a week, and Mark has already had to preach 2 funerals. These were both dear sweet women who served the Lord for most of their lives at 10Th Street. They will be missed.
Now we are back to school, back to basket-ball season and all is well in the Grimes house. We give the Lord this New Year to use us as He pleases. Our time is His time, our work is His work. Please think about us often and say a prayer for us as we wait for little girl.
We love you all,
Cindy (for Mark, Jason, Andrew and baby girl)

Waiting, Watching, and Praying

Hello again.

Waiting.... It seems very hard to post when there is no hope of a referral in sight. This past month China only psoted 3 days of referrals. It's like being in the worst traffic jam imaginable, only on paper.

Please over look the obvious frustration in my tone. I know it is all in God's time, but as I stated in our original post, patience is not a virtue of mine. I'm trying very hard. We are certain she will be worth the wait, it just seems so far out of reach.

Watching.... I have read so many new referral posts that my bottom is stuck to the chiar! I cry and sniffle, then cry some more.

Praying.... Now a resovle takes over from deep within. I'm reminded once again that this day as well as the ones to come belong to the Lord. I pray for forgivness for not trusting in His all knowing grace. I give it all back to Him and sheepishly lay it at His feet. He knows me so well, He readily lifts the burden and dries my tears. I'm so undeserving of such mercy.

Looking ahead... Our family traveled over the Labor Day weekend to dedicate Mark's best friends son. Jason and Andrew were smitten with him. Andrew actually asked if it was too late for us to get a boy instead of a girl!!! (Issac is Korean, and his sister is Chinese)

Yes Andrew, it's a little late for that! :-)

Summer Fun

What ever happened to the "lazy days of summer?" We have been on the go since the last day of school. We have been purposeful with our time this summer to visit reletives and old friends, with some relaxation along the the way. Jason and Andrew got to vacation with cousins Josie and Emilie, who did a fine job preping them to be big brothers. As usual, they made me proud! I am less and less concerned with the age difference between the boys and their soon-to-be- sister. Everytime the girls are down for a visit, the boys are more excited to be getting a sister of thier own. (sister...chick magnet... it's all in one's own perspective)

School begins for me in less than 2 weeks, and only 3 for the boys. I'm praying that once the year gets started time will fly by! We are updating some paper work this summer and it only serves to remind me of how sloooow things have drug on. But... as sure as there is a God in heaven, we are certain He has brought us to this moment in our lives. I'll close this post with Hebrews 11:1 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. NLT

One day, and not so very far away, our faith will become sight and we will have our little girl.

Until next time.....