Waiting for Travel Approval and Tentative Travel Plans

This is an article that I wrote for our church family to bring them up to date about Joylee's journey home.  I thought I would share it with everyone.  Thank you for your continued prayer and encouragement.  
As of two weeks ago we had one major hurddle left - what is known of as the Travel Approval from China.  This will be the finalization of appointments with both the Chinese government and US government that will all take place in China on our trip.  The last word we received was that it could be up to five weeks before we receive our Travel Approval.  Once we receive the Travel Approval it could be another five weeks before we are actually able to travel.  As of now we are still hopeful that we will be able to travel to China to pick up our little girl, Joylee Aiyu Wells, before the end of the year.  (Joylee is the name we are giving her - it’s a combination of names, Joy in honor of my late mother and lee in honor of Kristine and her mother as it is their middle names.  Aiyu is her Chinese name that we will keep as her middle name as a way to honor her heritage.)  
When we do get to go get her we will be gone around 16 - 18 days.  We will fly into Beijing first where we will spend three days.  We will go through orientation with our adoption agency, Holt International, as well as get acclimated to the time change and prepare for the rest of the time in China.  On about day three we will travel to the Provence of Jilin to the capital city of Chanchun where Joylee is in foster care.  The Provence of Jilin is located in the northeast part of China with borders with Russia, Mongolia and North Korea.  The day we arrive in Changchun we should meet and be given custody of Joylee.  In adoption lingo this is refereed to as “Gotcha day” and is celebrated like a birthday.  We are so excited and looking forward to “Gotcha day” when we will get to meet Joylee and begin to include her into our family.  We will spend about five days in Changchun as we attend appointments with various government officials as part of the adoption process and wait for her Chinese passport to be processed.  After that work is completed we will travel to the city of Guangzhou, which is located in south central China, just north of Hong Kong.  We will spend about a week in Guangzhou where we will finalize the adoption and complete all U.S. immigration requirements.  We will then travel to Hong Kong where we will probably fly out from for our return flight to the U.S.  Kristine, Bethany and I will all be making the trip to bring Joylee home together.

Waiting...

I know it's been several weeks since our last post.  To be honest I thought we'd have a lot more to share as the time was drawing nearer for our trip to China and to meet our new daughter.  As it is we are making progress towards the goal of completing all the necessary paperwork yet it seems like the time between forms being received and approved are being drawn out.  We were hopeful that we would receive our Travel Approval and dates by the end of October.  As of this week that seems unlikely. 
With each passing day we are becoming more and more excited about the time.  For now we continue to wait.  Our anxiety is softened by the truth that we know that God's timing is perfect and as such we trust Him.  We do trust Him!  We busy ourselves with getting her room ready, buying toys and clothes at yard sales and praying for her.  I have to confess that I find myself staring at her picture several times a day either on my phone or at the picture above my computer in my office at church.  She is so cute and is growing up so fast!  So, we ask that you continue to pray for us, for our joy in the journey and for our patience.  Please continue to pray for Joylee, for her protection, care and well-being.  And, we ask that you join us in prayer for the process to go as God plans.  No delays, no issues, no problems.  It's our heart's desire to have her home by the end of the year.  If that is God's will it will be.  If not, we know that God is in control and He knows best.