Our dossier is GONE!

Our dossier was mailed off to our courier last Tuesday. All the paperwork we have worked on for so long was out of our hands! Our courier lives in DC and walks the documents into the state department where they stay there for four days. She picks them up and carries them to the Chinese Embassy, where they stay a week and have the seal put on them. They are then express mailed to our agency. They send them to China after they receive them, review them for perfection and translate them.  We got a call yesterday evening that two documents were invalid due to a notary error. Our wonderfully sweet notary made a mistake on the date, lined through and initialed it. We gave her the OK that it was fine. It has been ok on thousands of documents..,until Monday when they were taken there. The policy literally changed the day our papers were received at the Embassy. :(  We made copies Monday night, got them notarized, certified and authenticated in Nashville on Tueaday. Three Tuesdays in a row we have driven to Nashville!!!  Hoping for no more mistakes when our dossier is under critical review at our agency!!!! We sent everything off Wednesday morning and they were received today at our courier's houses We just received an email stating that they would be walked in tomorrow morning. Here we go again!!! Pray for perfect documents!!! 

This week I have had our Navajo family on my heart. Our mission trip was life saving...for some Navajos and for Justin and I. I have prayed for my Navajo family all week and I received this picture this week  from a church friend. 

Window Rock, Arizona covered in snow. It was mighty hot when we visited in June and now it is under a peaceful white blanket. To everything there is a season. Thank God for seasons. I am so thankful we are always changing and growing in Him. I am also thankful God doesn't have seasons. He is always the same - yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

On a lighter note, my kids are all playing Minecraft together. This is the ONLY video game that I ever don't mind them playing (limited, of course!). You can build just about anything your heart can dream to build. Eli just said "Look, Ezra!! I just built an orphanage"!! :). 

Joy is so loved by our community. Today, this note was given to me along with the beautiful dress. 

We feel so much love this Christmas season!!! We hope Joy feels the arms of Jesus wrapped around her!