After 20 very long months, we are finally about to head to China to bring home our precious twin girls, Xi He Xi (soon to be Axi Grace) and Xi He Xian (soon to be Addixian Hope). Currently, they live in the Wuxi Social Welfare Institute in Jiangsu, China.
On January 13th, we will leave Tampa and fly to Shanghai, then travel to Jiangsu's capital city of Nanjing, where we should receive the girls on Jan. 17. We plan to be back home on January 29th.
For the next 10 days, I will be scrambling to finish a big work project that is coming to a close after a long, tough year; pack for nine people and organize a housesitter, cat feeder, and dog sitter. I will also try to make my house at least presentable for when we come home, pack all of the copies of all the right documents, and somehow pull together the $18,000-plus that we will need for the trip. That includes a $10,200 required "donation" to the girls' orphanage (which we are happy to give, because it supports all the kids left behind who don't have families and may never have one). plus hotels for 16 nights, in-country flights and trains between the cities we must go to, medical check-ups and fees for the twins, tips for our translators and guides, and food for nine of us.
Adam and I are taking Jessica (18), Joshua (15), Justin (11), and Amberlie Joy (4), with us to China, along with our niece Ashley (14), who we consider part of the family! We will be coming home with the same group, plus the twins! Which should make for some interesting travel experiences! Pray for all of us -- for health, safety, patience and good spirits with each other.
Please pray, also, that the Lord will provide the last bit of finances we need to make the trip. Praise Him!! He led three very dear and faithful friends to donate nearly $4,000 to our fund last week!
We also received a call from an amazing ministry, Lifesong for Orphans, that they will provide a $2,500 matching grant THIS WEEK if we can pull together $2500 in donations. It works like this: if people donate to our adoption via Lifesong (this can be done on PayPal), then Lifesong will match each donation and send us a check before we leave! If $2500 is donated, Lifesong will match it and we will have $5,000 for our trip!!!
If you need a deduction, Lifesong is a nonprofit, so you can claim the tax deduction for giving! If you feel led to help, visit lifesongfororphans.org or call 309-747-3556. Our family account number is #1120.
Blessings, and we'll keep you posted!
Natalie
On January 13th, we will leave Tampa and fly to Shanghai, then travel to Jiangsu's capital city of Nanjing, where we should receive the girls on Jan. 17. We plan to be back home on January 29th.
For the next 10 days, I will be scrambling to finish a big work project that is coming to a close after a long, tough year; pack for nine people and organize a housesitter, cat feeder, and dog sitter. I will also try to make my house at least presentable for when we come home, pack all of the copies of all the right documents, and somehow pull together the $18,000-plus that we will need for the trip. That includes a $10,200 required "donation" to the girls' orphanage (which we are happy to give, because it supports all the kids left behind who don't have families and may never have one). plus hotels for 16 nights, in-country flights and trains between the cities we must go to, medical check-ups and fees for the twins, tips for our translators and guides, and food for nine of us.
Adam and I are taking Jessica (18), Joshua (15), Justin (11), and Amberlie Joy (4), with us to China, along with our niece Ashley (14), who we consider part of the family! We will be coming home with the same group, plus the twins! Which should make for some interesting travel experiences! Pray for all of us -- for health, safety, patience and good spirits with each other.
Please pray, also, that the Lord will provide the last bit of finances we need to make the trip. Praise Him!! He led three very dear and faithful friends to donate nearly $4,000 to our fund last week!
We also received a call from an amazing ministry, Lifesong for Orphans, that they will provide a $2,500 matching grant THIS WEEK if we can pull together $2500 in donations. It works like this: if people donate to our adoption via Lifesong (this can be done on PayPal), then Lifesong will match each donation and send us a check before we leave! If $2500 is donated, Lifesong will match it and we will have $5,000 for our trip!!!
If you need a deduction, Lifesong is a nonprofit, so you can claim the tax deduction for giving! If you feel led to help, visit lifesongfororphans.org or call 309-747-3556. Our family account number is #1120.
Blessings, and we'll keep you posted!
Natalie
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