I am being drawn more and more to orphans, particularly those in China. I don’t know if the Lord is guiding or preparing me for something, or if it’s just a natural longing because of what we’ve seen and where our daughter is from. I’m on Facebook fairly often and subscribe to updates from a few ministries that take care of orphans in China, particularly Love Without Boundaries. Several times a day a picture of an adorable child who needs a family pops up on my Facebook page. I read about each child and think maybe this is my next son or daughter….. But ultimately I want to do something beyond adoption – I want to serve the orphans that are left behind or waiting. I’m not sure how – I don’t have any special talents like nursing or teaching or occupational therapy for so many of those children with special needs, but I have two arms to hug with, and a heart to love with. I’m praying the Lord does something with the burning I feel in me – I can literally feel it!
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- I am Kelly, now the mother of three. You can follow our family adventures here. Keith and I were married in 2001 and our son, Koen was born in 2006. The Lord put a passion for orphans and a desire to adopt in our hearts and we started our adoption journey in early 2007. Liliana came home in September 2009. We started our second adoption journey in late 2014 and after a much shorter wait, met Micah in September 2015, 6 years to the day after first meeting our daughter. We are so blessed. I try to be real here about bonding, parenting, my walk with the Lord.....
Our Son
We can't wait to meet M. H. From Yunnan Province, born in August of 2014 with cleft lip and palate.
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Our Adoption Timeline
-9/28/15-Arrive Home -9/21/15-Consulate Appointment -9/14/15-Gotcha Day -9/11/15-Board Plane for China -8/23/15-Consulate Appointment (CA) Scheduled for 9/21 -8/21/15-Soft Travel Approval (TA) Issued -8/19/15-Our Baby Boy's 1st Birthday -7/30/15-Article 5 Pick Up -7/16/15-Article 5 Dropped Off -7/14/15-NVC Email Received -7/6/15-I-800 Approval Granted -6/19/15-I-800 Filed (Immigration Approval for our son) -6/17/15-LOA/LSC Signed and Returned -6/15/15-LOA/LSC Arrived in Mail -6/11/15-LOA/LSC Issued -5/12/15-Pre-Approval (PA) -5/10/15-Log In Date (LID) -5/5/15-Dossier to China (DTC) -4/24/18-I800A Hard Copy arrives by mail -4/16/15-Immigration Approval -3/19/15-Fingerprinted at the USCIS Office -2/22/15-Immigration Application Sent -2/22/15-Home Study Finalized -1/22/15- Second Home Study visit -1/10/15- Finished Training Hours -1/8/15- First Home Study visit -12/3/14- Fingerprints -11/24/14- Talked with Agency, feel God wants us to move forward, not take it slow as originally planned -11/15/14- Applied with Agency to get National Adoption Month DiscountPopular Tags
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Love In Asia - Our Adoption Journies 
You have a love for these children and THAT is a gift! No talent needed.
Keeping you in our prayers that he will reveal His plans for you soon.
Blessings!
I think it’s wonderful that you are feeling a calling to serve and love these sweet babies (in some form or fashion) still in China! I would encourage you (just for now) to consider channeling all that desire into your new daughter. I know that with one of our children (who struggled more than the others with attachment), I often found myself dreaming about other projects, children, plans etc. because it was so much easier/sweeter/less painful than continuing to work on parenting my child whom God had placed in my arms. You have been so brave in sharing a piece of your struggle and I encourage you with all of my heart to focus all of your extra energies right back into this new relationship with your daughter. Such hard work!! But God will bless you abundantly (as He already has!). Please consider checking into Bethany CS’s post-adoption attachment program (Bethany Christian Services is located at 12360 Lake City Way NE Seattle, WA. Phone: 206-367-460). Blessings to you!!
What about contacting the orphanage that Li Li was at, and continuing to see what kind of needs they have? I know that the shipping costs can be just terrible, but maybe there are things that can be sent that would be helpful, or a gift to the kids? I remember all the items that you were able to take along with you when you went to China, and what a gift they were. It would be something that I would be willing to help with!
Kelly,
I am in the process of forming a non-profit to help older orphans. One of the places we are focusing on is China.
My wife and I have 2 older adopted children from Ukraine that we added to our 3 birth children. We understand the need for older orphans to have specific ministry dedicated to helping them survive and get training.
Would love to talk to you guys about what is on your hearts.
Blessings,
Ande
http://andeunderwood.com