Saturday, November 14, 2009

We desire to give LuShi a home! SECOND PA!


Two weeks ago, on October 30, Dick and Cheryl Graham with Bringing Hope to Children advocated for a boy rapidly approaching his 14th birthday. We have been in process to adopt Christina DuJie since August and had just recently sent in our I800A after an extended wait for our Home Study. I don't usually open these emails, but was moved to see what the situation was. The moving has not stopped.

We are now PreApproved to adopt Zhang LuShi in addition to DuJie and are trying desperately to give this child a home. His 14th birthday is December 12th .... just 4 short weeks away!! China is willing to do whatever it takes to get this child a family. Our agency, CAWLI, is doing everything THEY can to expedite this process. And we see days flying by with little to no time to raise the money needed to bring these children home or give USCIS the time to process our case.

I am asking for TWO things from this fantastic adoptive community:

First - PRAY for God's will to be accomplished - if He is pleased to place LuShi in our home, then He can pave the way through this seemingly IMPOSSIBLE short time period to do so. Pray for USCIS to be moved by compassion or whatever it takes to truly push this file through. China is willing to have everything else in fax only and even to let us travel without TA in hand.

Second - help us is ANY way feasible and within your power to get to China and give this boy a chance. There is a chipin right here on this blog and a purse fundraiser (done by the lovely Kelly R!) at http://www.hopeandhealingfororphans.blogspot.com/ . We could use frequent fly miles to help get us there and back or help with our stay at the hotel. Spread the word to any groups you belong to!

LuShi is from Linfen, Shanxi and has urinary incontinence and was diagnosed to have a tethered spinal cord 2 years ago (tho he has no history of spina bifada). He has only been allowed to go to school the last few years after LWB stepped in to support the cost of adult incontinence pads. There is no surgeon in China that feels skilled enough to do his surgery. He is nearly 14 and I am sure growing like any other 13 year old boy!! That cord could snap at any time, leaving him in a worse place than he is already in.

John and I are willing to do whatever the Lord desires regarding LuShi - we want to give him the opportunity for family, support, love, expert medical care and the chance to be told there is a God who loves him very much. Could you or your coworkers be looking for a great compassionate giving idea for the Christmas season? What a gift this would be for LuShi who has been overlooked for far too long. And what a story to tell him in future days of the support and love of a huge adoption community who KNOW what a true miracle this would be!!

12 comments:

  1. Could I please have permission to repost this on my blog? I have a little boy adopted through Dick and Cheryl too.

    Lina
    adoptingty @ yahoo. com

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  2. Me too, please. In fact, I adopted a little girl through Dick and Cheryl at the same time Lina did (the person posting above). I would like to put this on my blog and get the word out.
    Heather

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  3. YES you may post this on your blog!!! Thank you for your efforts!

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  4. Mary and John,
    I have added your story to my Facebook page as well, hoping to get the word out about LuShi and helping to bring him home. I will be praying for you and for him, and the rest of your family too.
    Peace,
    Teresa

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  5. I am posting this to my blog Mary. We used AGCI to adopt our youngest son and I think that is how I first "met" you.
    my blog is www.purposedrivenfamily.blogspot.com
    and I always post on Tuesdays about waiting children. I am going to do this week's post on your waiting son.

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  6. I will post you on my blog as well and have donated what I could. Bless you all and I will be praying for you all!

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  7. I am praying for your growing family and am so excited to see God move on behalf of His kids! I can't wait to follow your journey and witness more of God's goodness through the adoption of your newest son and daughter. We have a son w/ tethered cord and just visited Iowa City in Sept.
    Waiting in Prayerful Anticipation....
    Megan

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  8. Mary,
    I posted it on my blog. Maybe you guys can do a "baby bottle" fundraiser. I'm doing something similar with coffee cans. Email me if you need details.

    beth_c_smith@hotmail.com

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  9. Mary, is that a tethered *spinal* cord?

    Praying for you guys and for LuShi....

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  10. Sher, that would be correct. His spinal cord is "tethered" but the only manifestation from this, so far, is urinary incontinence. If uncorrected as he grows, the risk of further damage increases. We'll have him at a neurosurgeon soon after getting home!

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  11. Another adoptive Mama here who you don't know! :) As a fellow Sister-in-Christ, know that I am not only going to do what I can to share your story with friends and family, but will also join others in praying him HOME! We have two domestically adopted boys and a feisty, 6-year-old girl from China (brought home at 4 years and 8 mths and she is deaf). These children aging out of the system deserve a family and, more importantly, I know God wants them in a family! God does still work miracles in this world and I pray that there are not too many "stupid humans" who try to get in His way of this miracle! God WILL move that mountain and I sure would not want to get any rocks falling on me if I tried to stop him! :) :) You have my prayerful support and let us all know when and if phone calls need to be made! Us Mama-Bears are fierce advocates for the least of these...
    In Him, Heather Luke

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  12. We adopted our daughter at 5 years old through IAAP from Vietnam. She was diagnosed w/ a tethered cord and had surgery this spring at 7 years old. The surgery went great and she was up and walking the same evening and released the next day. Incredible the advances made in surgery just over the past few years. We are praying for you and your family - that you would be with your son in a few short weeks! Nothing is impossible with God!

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