It's Official!

PA (preliminary approval) came early this morning via email from our agency. I was just counting the days yesterday and realizing that it would most likely be sometime around Labor Day before we'd receive word from Lisa at Lifeline, so imagine my total shock when I checked my email (as the kids were getting out of the car at school) and saw her name show up followed by a HUGE "CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!" I was able to tell the kids as they were hopping out of the van and they were so excited. Aidan still is oblivious to what all of this really means. He is quite funny. Kids are so honest. When we first shared with him that we wanted to adopt Ashlyn he wasn't too keen on the idea. He said he didn't know anyone with brown skin. Then I reminded him that he was on an ALL black basketball team, he has MANY asian friends AND family members, and his buddy/cousin Mary Clare (who is his twin separated at birth) IS FROM CHINA. He was like, "ohhhh". Then he was hesitant because his new Chinese friend/our exchange student, Rita, REFUSED to "buckle up" in the car after Aidan tried time and time again to demand that she do so. Apparently the Chinese do not wear seat belts and they also have a stubborn streak! :)
Ansley is over the moon with excitement, Alex is glad to no longer be the eldest, and miss Av??? Well, she's been going over to the coffee table and taking Ashlyn's picture and kissing it all week. It's as if she just knows. As for me and Matt, we are still astonished at the lengths that God has gone to for us to show us that "this is the way in which we should walk" (Jeremiah 42:3). He tells us in Jeremiah 33:3; "Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." And how does God show us those great and mighty things? 1 Corinthians 1:9-16 tells us one way: "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him. For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received (those who believe), not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know things things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he can not understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we (believers) have the mind of Christ." That is powerfully awesome! It is for ALL who love Him. And we do love Him. We love Him because He loved us first. While we were sinners, before we even acknowledged Him, He died for us.
We still have a long road ahead of us. We have tons and tons of paperwork to get at and LOTS of money that we are waiting on the Lord to provide. We are planning a fundraiser to help with costs. We appreciate your prayers, love, & support more than you know.

Miraculous

Way back on July 18th, when we were oblivious about what God was getting ready to do, I went for a walk on the trail. I think of Ashlyn alot when I'm walking. While I was praying for her I had a crazy thought. What if I could just tag along with one of the families from the Yahoo group on their trip back to China and catch a glimpse of her. This Yahoo group that I have mentioned before are families who have also adopted daughters and sons from Ashlyn's orphanage and many times they end up taking their children back to China at some point for a visit to the orphanage. It was really more of a fantasy that was going on in my crazy imagination, but it was exciting to think about nonetheless. I knew it would never be a possibility. I mean, how weird is that? If anyone knew I'd been thinking about that they'd probably think I was crazy. We weren't even looking to adopt her anymore, but there has been this lingering need in me to know this child that continued to remain even after we backed out.
When I got home from my walk I checked my email and literally gasped. I couldn't believe what I was reading. It was a lady named Mary who I had chatted with from the Yahoo group back in January when we were still on the path of adopting. She was checking in with me to see if we'd brought Ashlyn home yet. (She did not know we had backed out) She wanted to let me know that she and her daughter were headed to China at the end of the month for a visit and that they would be making a trip to the orphanage. Her daughters 2 best friends were still there and they had made arrangements to go and see them. As I sit and type this, I still can't believe it. What are the odds??? Just another one of those "coincidences"? Nope. I mean it had been almost 6 months since I'd talked to her. I can't even believe she thought of me because we only emailed each other a couple of times and I haven't been back on that Yahoo group since then. I emailed her back and shared with her that we were no longer in the adoption process, but I did tell her about my epiphony and asked her to take some pictures if she could. This was the same day that I got a call to come and rescue the two sweet Chinese foreign exchange students (angels from heaven) that stayed with us for 10 amazing days. Just 6 days before that, I received an email from an interested family inquiring about Ashlyn. She had read this blog and said, "Are you sure she isn't meant to be yours?"
So these are the things that lead up to our decision on the 20th to set our fears aside and go get our daughter. That and the immediate answered prayer that God would move in Matt and that he would initiate the discussion. This is just as huge as the rest of the signs because Matt had been completely closed off to the idea of adopting since we backed out. He didn't even want to hear about it when I went to tell him about Mary's email. That was just 2 days prior! It all happened so fast and God was SO clear. He knew we needed to know FOR SURE and He provided that assurance miraculously.
Mary emailed me last night. They were at the orphanage yesterday, and sadly, her daughters friends were not there afterall. Apparently they are "away at college"... Hmmm. This was the main reason they went back. Her daughter was so disappointed. They weren't even able to see her daughters old room because they are all in a newly renovated facility. My heart broke for her. She was able to see some of her nannies though and......
Ashlyn!
They remembered each other and Mary sent some great pictures of Ashlyn and her friends at the orphanage. There's even a picture of the room they sleep in... very tidy, little wooden (Ikea looking)beds, all made perfectly, and lined up in rows. I will say that she has appeared to have lost some weight. Does anyone else agree??? She is SO tiny.
I was on a cloud last night and still am this morning. Seeing her real smile in her natural environment (and not in front of some corny fake backdrop) is so gratifying. She looks so happy and so very much... OURS! Please continue to pray for favor from the CCCWA, as we really do not meet ALL of their financial criteria exactly. They approved us once before, but you just never know. Lifeline (our agency) is amazing. They are working and doing everything they can to get this approved for us. I can not say enough about this agency (specifically Lisa Kelly). They are just AMAZING.  I told Lisa tonight (She called me after hours and from home!) that if for NO other reason, this all fell apart in February because we were just with the WRONG agency. They are night and day different. I am so extremely thankful for my sweet friend Annie Hamlin for giving me the advice to go with them, and for Great Wall Adoption Agency for being so gracious in transfering her file to Lifeline for us. I'll update again as soon as we get PA, which will hopefully be in the next 2 weeks. Then it's the paper chase (Dossier) which I hear takes anywhere from 4-6 months to complete. Then we wait some more. Lisa says we should have her home in 12-15 months. UGH!

Announcing Our Newest Addition To The A-Team...

ASHLYN HOPE (LI HUI) McKEE!!!

The CCCWA said "YES"!!! I just received word tonight at 10:00 PM that we got approved...again. We still have to file for preliminary approval which is the "big one", but we are so thankful that they are giving us a second chance try to make her ours. I knew in my heart they would say yes, but I couldn't really let my heart run free until it was official. So much has happened in such a short window of time. It seemed like time was crawling by at such a slow pace there for so long. When we backed out I knew that it was going to be a very long time before Matt would be open to even discussing the idea of adoption again. I found myself feeling very helpless and yet, at the same time, my desire to adopt was growing rapidly. I had to keep reminding myself that God is in control and I want His will, not mine. Well, we are 100% sure this time that this little girl is meant to be a McKee. God all but showed up in person to tell us this was what we are suppose to do. We were so scared 6 months ago, but in these past 6 months, He's done an amazing thing for us. He gave us time to learn and think and pray. He has stretched us and changed us. No longer are we looking through rosey colored glasses. We are optimistic and full of hope, but we are aware that this will be a journey of faith for sure. The next step is to get some paperwork (our Letter of Intent) finished up and sent over to CCCWA and then if they approve us, we can write her to tell her about us. Oh, my heart!!! I already did that before, but never got the chance to send it. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get to be her mom after all. And all I was asking for was that I might get to meet her one day and hug her sweet neck and kiss her precious little face and look her in the eyes and tell her how we've prayed...
 God is so good. He is the giver of every good thing. Tonight I will sleep good knowing that in 12-15 short months my sweet daughter will finally be home.
PLEASE, we covet your prayers: financially, spiritually, physically, & emotionally
Love,
Matt & Rebecca