Good Friday-- Literally

Today is Good Friday, and for us this year, it is an extra special Good Friday as we just heard that our dossier (a.k.a.- our entire life on paper) arrived at the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA-- you will be seeing these initials alot). It was delivered today by our agency's staff, so it's so good to know that all of the paperwork we worked so diligently on, has now made the long journey overseas and is safely at the Center in Beijing. (insert the word relief here)

This makes Good Friday an even more exciting day this year as we not only celebrate this fun news, but we pause on this day to reflect and celebrate what Christ did for us through the cross as we look forward to Sunday, the celebration of His resurrection. For a Christ-follower, this is one of the most important weeks of the year, so we are blessed to have had our dossier be just another special part of this weekend of celebration. We are thankful to each of you who have had a part in praying for our paperwork to go smoothly these last few months.

Now we wait for our next step, which is to hear that our dossier has been "logged in". This means that in the next few weeks, our dossier will receive a date (Log in Date- LID) and this important date is from which everything in the adoption process is based. You will hear us talk about this date often. Dossier paperwork is not immediately reviewed when it arrives in China, so our LID is very important as we will continue to watch as we wait in process, for when our "log in date" has come up and our paperwork has been reviewed and approved by China.  Currently, China has completed the review of all dossiers through the month of September 2011.  Our prayer is that our dossier will have been reviewed before we are called with a child match. If so, it will mean less time we will wait between accepting our child and having to travel; otherwise, if we are matched earlier by our agency and our paperwork in China has not been reviewed, it will take longer between being matched and being approved to travel. ( = worse case scenario)

I hope that as you enter this weekend, that you are able to take time to reflect on what this weekend is all about, and pause to reflect on the greatest sacrifice ever given and and the most amazing miracle of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ.