Introducing...

Anna Yuan Landis!!!

She is now 19 months old (18 months in this picture) and we are hoping and praying to bring her home before she turns 2 (October 2nd). Yuan (pronounced youON) was the name given to her by those in the orphanage. It means "a beauty." We couldn't agree with them more. We chose the name Anna as well for its meaning: Gracious and merciful. It is our deep desire and prayer that she will live life filled with a gracious spirit as well as be merciful to all (us included) who have made drastic decisions and changes on her behalf, without her consent. She is in the city of Yulin which is in the province of Guangxi. Yulin is in southern China, between Hong Kong and the Vietnam border. As far as we know she is currently in foster care and has been so since almost 9 months of age. She is said to be active, fairly extroverted, energetic, restless and fond of imitating, listening to music, playing with toys, reading picture books and playing games. She has "a ready smile", gets along with others well and enjoys being outdoors. She is also noted as being a deep sleeper :). We were thrilled to see that she experienced some difficulty transitioning from the orphanage to foster care but after 10 days attached to the foster mother. Thrilled because it hints to us that she had bonded to those in the orphanage. We expect to have our own significant difficulties with this but we are optimistic that she knows what it is to be loved.

These are two of the 5 pictures we received with her referral. In the picture to the left we anticipate her to be about 12 months. In the picture below we anticipate her to be about 7 months.

You can click on any of these pictures to make them larger. Thanks for sharing in our joy and anticipation!!!

We Have a Daughter!!!!!

On Tuesday night Tana received a call at 10:30 from our agency saying that they had a little girl they thought might be our daughter. She is 18 months old and has a repaired cleft lip and unrepaired cleft palate. It was a long night reviewing her info alone and then doing so together when Matt woke up for work at 2:30. Wednesday morning we forwarded her file to CHOP for review and later in the day they set up a phone consult with us for 8:30 Thursday evening. By late Thursday afternoon we were both nauseous from nervousness over the upcoming consult. They search her records for the smallest indication that there is an underlying syndrome or undiagnosed condition present. In addition they give you a good dose of reality of what it will be like to parent a child with these needs. It had only taken seconds for her eyes to permanently etch themselves on our hearts and minds and we didn't know what we were going to do if there were red flags with her records. The doctor went through everything, focusing especially on her small size and what that could mean. Afterward however she stated that she "does not look in anyway unhealthy". HUGE relief!!! Today our agency is submitting to China our Letter of Intent to adopt her. They expect we will travel to bring her home in September or October. Pictures and info about her will be posted in the next few days!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who thought of and prayed for us over these stressful days.

Fundraisers?

As noted in the last post, we have been asked if we are going to have fundraisers or the like to help with funding her adoption. The point of a fundraiser is to solicit funds which misses much of what we felt we have been called to with this and are seeking. While we need funds, we also just as much need support, encouragement and prayers. We desire those who are called to give, be it financial, meals, gifts, prayers, to "get" what they are giving to and not give out of obligation.

God led us to this point and He will provide. When it comes to the funds, of course we want all the funds up front and not have to repeatedly declare that He will provide. Of course we want the easy way: Who doesn't? But the easy way misses the "WOW" moments that scream of His presence with us and the easy way keeps us working, working, working for our own good and purpose.

With this said, for those of you who are led to support us financially you can do so by giving monies directly to us or if you prefer to give anonymously we have set up a savings account for all adoption related expenses at National Penn Bank. You can either stop in at the Red Hill branch or mail a check to the below address.

National Penn Bank
Red Hill Community Office
433 Main Street
Red Hill, PA 18076
Attn: Julie Clemmer

On the memo line please note that it is for Matt & Tana Landis, Adoption Fund. Julie Clemmer can be contacted if you have any questions (215-679-8040).

New Look and Update

I'm new to the blogging realm and it was fun tonight trying out new looks for this. The visual volume of the original was just too much for me! I also added a subscribe button which I think will notify you when I publish a post. I think anyway... If any of you know how this works please let me know so I can pass the info on.

We found out today our dossier was logged into CCAA on April 8 and a new shared list (shared between adoption agencies worldwide) of children needing families is coming out Wednesday China time/Tuesday night our time. There is a possibility she is on that list! We will let you all know either way.

A number of you have been asking about giving towards the adoption costs and our plans for fundraisers. I will post more about this in the next day or two.

Tana

The Process

This is a more technical post but a necessary one because it both documents our journey and answers the question so many have: "When?"
The process starts with figuring out an agency which goes together with deciding if you are going the domestic or international route. If you are going international you need to know which country you qualify for and if your agency adopts from there. This was the most difficult part of the process for us by far. We knew we were to adopt but experienced confirmations rather than leadings when it came to choosing an agency and country. We attended an information meeting at Pearl Buck in March 2009 and in August we mailed them the face sheet of our application. A few days later we received a stack of instructions, policies, forms and procedures which made up the remainder of the application. In all there were 26 documents we had to complete or obtain in order to finish our application. This became another part time job for Tana and very overwhelming to be honest. The end was not in sight and we felt so vulnerable in opening up our lives and navigating through the newness and tediousness of it all. We commented numerous times we could not begin to imagine having to prove ourselves capable of adopting with the pain of infertility in our backgrounds. If this was or is your situation, our hearts go out to you and we deeply admire and respect your strength.
On October 7, 2009 we completed our application and on October 21, 2009 we had our first of two home study visits by our adoption coordinator. Despite Timothy amusing himself by belching during supper and feeling the need to talk about the Captain Underpants book he read at school that day, the first visit was a great time in meeting her face to face. During the second visit the kids loved their individual interviews with her and we were much more at ease.
After our home study was completed we had to apply for her immigration approval. US Citizenship and Immigration Services conduct background searches on us, review our home study and approve (or not) our application to adopt. We received USCIS approval on January 20, 2010. This was the last document we needed to complete our dossier (the packet of papers that is sent over to China)! After some adjustments to a few other documents, we were ready to have our dossier go through the process of being notarized, certified by the state of PA and authenticated by the Chinese Consulate General in NY. Today, March 3, 2010, Natalie and I took our completed dossier to Pearl Buck who will send it to China!
Now we wait. Every 5 or so weeks China Center of Adoption Affairs puts out a list of children with special needs that are available for adoption. Pearl Buck's matching coordinator looks over this list and our info and sees if there are any potential matches. If there is one she forwards the child's file to us to review. Part of us reviewing it will include a review by the International Adoption department of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. If the child's needs are more than what we think we can manage, we can decline go back to waiting. We could be matched with a child within the next couple of months or it could take a year. Most likely however our little girl has already been born so please keep praying for her and those caring for her! After we are matched we will travel in about 4 months. What we are semi-expecting and hoping for is that we will have her home by the end of 2010.

From the Mind of a 3 Year Old

It has been difficult to explain adoption and special needs to our kids with truthful and accurate words but yet an encouraging and optimistic mindset. I wait for and hang onto the more lighthearted conversations we have, regardless of how irrelevant they may seem. Yesterday Natalie and I were heading to the UPS Store to send our documents that are going over to China to the Chinese Consulate General in NY to be authenticated. (The last of three steps required to prove that the document is legitimate.) She is more than accustomed to heading to the post office and UPS Store to send letters "so we can bring home baby sister". In the van she was chattering about how mommy and Natalie weren't going to get baby sister but going to the UPS Store to send letters so that then mommy and daddy can go to China and get her. She continued on (as she always does :)) that China is far, far away so mommy and daddy will have to fly there. Here is the new part that she added with all seriousness: Mommy and daddy will have to push a button in the van to make the wings come out so we can fly there. I tried to explain to her that only the Magic School Bus can turn into a plane and that mommy and daddy had to go to the airport to get on a plane to fly to China. She gave me a look that completely conveyed she wasn't sure if I knew what I was talking about.

Why...

Tana

Adoption was something that I was always intrigued by and interested in. My inquisitiveness gradually progressed from concern to a restless burden for the plight of children whose circumstances were at the best bleak but sadly often completely hopeless. There are many ways one can care for orphans and those at risk of becoming orphaned: Child sponsorship, becoming an advocate, praying, supporting those who support them… I wholeheartedly pursued these avenues expecting doing so would settle this burden. It wasn’t and so here I am. Each step of the way through this journey God has put people and resources in my path that have overwhelmingly confirmed His leading. While there is still much more unknown than known, I trust Him and know that He is a faithful God. While I am full of indescribable joy and excitement for bringing home our little girl, I am equally full of anticipation to see how God will provide.

Matt

Adopting was something I knew Tana sensed a calling to do for several years already, but it was something I didn’t want anything to do with. I felt that we had three children to care for already and adopting would interfere with us raising them. Also, although I wouldn’t readily admit it, I was concerned how adopting would also interfere with my life. I was comfortable with where we were at in our lives and didn’t want to add anything else. I was also very fearful of all the unknowns that go along with adopting. Over the last year and a half God was working in me and I was willing to start talking with Tana about adopting. I found myself wanting to learn more and know more about adoption and adoptive families. As we started to pursue adoption I started to have more and more compassion for the children in China who were orphaned. As Christ has compassion on me, I am commanded to show compassion to others. With God’s help I can give a child who is poor, needy and wounded; love, support and a chance at life (Psalm 109:21-22). As we are in the midst of the adoption process I am still fearful of all the unknowns but I am certain that God is leading the way and that we are following His leading.

...Welcome House of Pearl S. Buck International?

There are so many agencies out there. Here are a few reasons that confirmed Welcome House of Pearl S. Buck International was for us.

• History (Founded by Pearl S. Buck to find adoptive families for children China considered to be unadoptable.)
• Transparency
• Long standing, strong relationship with China Center of Adoption Affairs
• Care of orphans through Opportunity House
• References and reputation
• Ongoing support after adoption
• Local
• Education of pre-adoptive parents

...China?

According to what we have read and heard, the orphans in China have been orphaned for three main reasons. First is China’s one child policy that applies to the majority of Chinese families. Couples who have more than one child face steep fines. The second is a couple’s preference for a boy. Perhaps we should use the term need rather than preference. In traditional Chinese culture the wife becomes part of her husband’s family. Her parents will not have the security of knowing they will be cared for during their senior years that a boy will bring. This combined with the fact that a boy will also carry on the family name results in baby girls being orphaned simply because of their gender. The third reason again has to do with traditional Chinese culture. If a child is born with a physical defect or health condition, they are considered unlucky and will be orphaned. Again, the parents must rely on their child to care for them in their senior years and a special needs child, regardless of gender, makes it difficult for the parents to be assured of this care. Due to all of this there are many orphans in China who do not have a chance of being adopted within China.

Below are some additional confirmations we experienced.

• In adopting through China we could also fairly easily adopt a child who would be younger than Natalie. Our new child needs stability as do our other three. Interfering with the birth order would throw another adjustment into a time that is already full of transitions.
• There is a large amount of Chinese cultural support in this area.
• It’s a predictable trip to pick her up with a predictable timeline. That’s big for a thoroughly American Matt and a Tana who will fiercely miss her three at home.
• Timothy “happens” to have a classmate who was adopted from China two years ago. He shares about her sharing about what her life was like in China. She has been a significant source of education and enthusiasm as he anticipates the arrival of his little sister.

...Waiting Child?

The Waiting Child program was established by the China Center of Adoption Affairs in order to find families for children with special needs. As we looked into the health issues we could encounter in adopting any child from China, we had to identify what we thought would and would not be manageable in our family and with the resources in our area. The needs we were open to placed us within the Waiting Child program. The below video was done by Love Without Boundaries and reinforces giving the Waiting Child program, and thus the children in it, a deeper look.