As promised.........

I know I hit share to FaceBook on yesterday's post!  I even typed something in the message about going to bed.  When I looked at Facebook today, it did not show anything posting so I would appreciate you reading the post Standing Amazed In His Glory  I want you to see the amazing things God will do with Faith!  I know you will be encouraged!

As promised from yesterday................

Oh how we love all our children - of course this always includes our Guan Ya!  We praise God for allowing us to have daily communication with Guan Ya!  Our bonding is already so strong through emails!  I want to share a few messages she has sent me.  The first one I've already posted on Facebook but I want to have it here too.
You can call this one lost in translation! lol

Guan Ya "Ha ha!  I  like this bag, I never want you!"
 If I'd not gotten all the previous messages that night and the weeks prior, I would be concerned!  Sometimes you have to laugh at miscommunications!   

It should have translated to 
"Ha ha! I like this bag, I always want you (my family)!"  
Sweet girl, you never, ever, ever have to worry about wanting for your family!  After almost 14 years, your forever family is coming!  We are here baby girl and going no where!  We will ALWAYS be yours!  
We love our precious girl so much! 

Guan Ya and I have had many messages about her name and how she wants it written on American paperwork.  I wrote out how each of us had our First, Middle, Last name written out - Ex. GiGi Dahl Smith, Macy Jade Smith, Colton Lane Smith, etc.  
Guan Ya "I would like to have my name Guan Ya Smith because I want my father's last name."
Be still my beating heart as it is melting!  She did not understand that Smith would automatically be her last name and wanted to make sure she carried her Daddy's last name like us!  

Macy Jade has asked if Guan Ya would like to have her middle name.  Jade is a special name because Jade is very precious in China.  I was again melted by the sweetness of my children to think Macy wanted to share her middle name with her sister!  We mentioned this to Guan Ya and she likes Guan Ya Jade Smith also.  We are giving her some time to think of exactly how she wants her name.  
For GiGi, it really doesn't matter how it's written because she has decided her name is YaYa!  Everytime she saw Guan Ya's pictures, she would say "Guan Ya" then she would shake her head no and say "No Grandma!" I guess Guan Ya and Grandma was too close to sounding the same so she now says "YaYa sissy"!

I've gotten so many sweet messages from Guan Ya that there are too many too list!  They are daily!  Some of the messages she sent us has just broken my heart to pieces!  In the beginning she would write us how she would be no trouble to our family and how she would work hard for us and how she would take care of others. She even had other friends write to us and say the same things. Oh how it hurt to me to think in her mind we were adopting her for help!  She thought the only way someone would adopt her - a deaf-mute, almost 14 year old girl - would be for a helper.  She couldn't understand how we did not want her to take care of us but how we want to take care of her!  We want to love her and she is our daughter!  After much hard work through messages from us, I think she is really liking the idea of how much we really love her; how she is equally our daughter as any other daughter in our home!

I have never mentioned her working for us.  However, I did make the mistake one time of saying to her that if she liked to cook she could teach me how to cook Chinese.  Guan Ya responded  "I will always cook for you."  I explained that was not what I meant at all!  I told her that we could cook together for fun!  I'd teach her how to cook American food and if she knew how to cook Chinese, then she could teach me how to cook it.  It was something we could enjoy together, but that she was not the cook of the home.  I have a feeling it may take some work to get her mind-set of a helper removed. She is loved and is a member of our family!  I've tried to let her know she is already a member of our family in every message I can.  With time, I think she will figure it out - probably be as rotten as the other kids & needing constant reminders for chores! lol

The message from last night really got me laughing! 
Guan Ya said 
I have so many exams to review.  It has been so busy.  I'm waiting on you to pick me up!

I Loved the message!  I guess she thinks it is just too busy at school for her now and that she is ready for us to come get her!  I'm not sure if she thinks school here will not be as busy or hard, but she is ready to come home!  I assured her we would be there very soon!!!!  She has been so good about expressing her worries and letting us know her wants/needs/etc.  I'm so proud & thankful she feels close enough to express her feelings already!

We LOVE our kids and are so proud of all of our children!  We have been blessed!

If you feel led to donate, we have several ways for you to donate to help bring our daughter home (all found at the top of our blogspot). 
Mail to:  
Phil or Niki Smith, 226 Hwy 45, Rienzi, MS  38865

Donate at any Trustmark National Bank:
Phillip Smith or Niki J. Smith's Adoption Account

There is a paypal button to the far right at the very top of our blogspot.  If you click HERE  it should take you to it.

If you prefer to make a payment for our fees directly to our adoption agency, we are using  http://lifelinechild.org/ 
LifeLine Children's Services  
 2104 Rocky Ridge Road
Birmingham, AL 35216
T: 205.967.0811
F: 205.969.2137
E: lifeline@lifelineadoption.org
You can contact Morgan Cheek and I feel confident she would be more than happy to let you know how to get the money toward our fees.

We are still in debt from GiGi's adoption and are honestly trusting faith in our Lord to provide the funds!  


Our adoption agency figured adoption fees for Guan Ya to be around $30,000 (I don't think this included plan ticket, but I'd have to look at their estimates to be sure).  Estimates always seem to be less than actual expense.
 GiGi's adoption costs us a little over $50,000 (I can provide receipts for ever thing for proof)
* $6,000+ was due to the unexpected 1 week delay we experienced
*Tickets were also at an all time high - praying ticket prices will be cheaper this flight.
* Guan Ya's orphanage fee was graciously waived by her orphanage so that is saving us several thousand this time too!


The numbers look enormous on paper.....o.k. they sound elephantly (like my imaginary word teachers? ;-)  too! We know He will provide and we hold all the faith!  Please do not feel any amount is too small if you feel led to donate!
  Do you remember Mark 12:41-44?  

If everyone on my friend's list donated only $1 (no amount is too small!),  we would have $1,912.  (This would almost pay for the 2 fees we have due very soon!) Wow, what a difference $1 could make!

If everyone on our face book list donated $1 and shared our link in turn causing 2 of their friends to donate $1, we would have $5,736.
  
If everyone on my friend's list (1912 friends) donated $5, we would have $9,560

If each person on my friend's list pledged to donate $1 a week until we united with our daughter, that would be $8 = $15,296 (1/2 our adoption fees ; $10 donated each = $19,210.   (a good peaceful dent in what we will owe)
Will you help us to get others to pledge just $1 a week until we leave? ($8 total which alone would cover 1/2 our expenses)  Can you or anyone you know live without $1 a week?


For each person that donates $25 or more, I will make the same offer to send them a charm bracelet,  or a necklace,  or a pair of earrings if you want it. 
With the earrings or necklaces, you have a choice of 
MS State inspired
U of MS inspired
AL inspired
Faith inspired (ex. cross, words faith, etc)
You have to let me know which you would like in the comments, an email or in the comments in paypal, etc.  I know not everyone wants something so I don't want to send something you do not want.  


See how it adds up so fast when everyone works together?  PLEASE never feel any amount is too small!  If you do not feel led to donate, please pray for us!  Please pray specifically for the following
-the funds to be met
-paperwork and timing 
- for safety and continued bonding with Guan Ya
-for us as we wait 
-wellness (someone here has been sick since Christmas Eve - I'm praying everyone will be able to go back to school tomorrow.)

If the first 2 prayer requests aren't met, we would not be able to unite with our daughter and she will age out of the system causing her to be a forever orphan.  She has 8 weeks left to be adopted!  If she is not adopted in 8 weeks, she will remain a forever orphan in China (she will forever be our daughter in our hearts!).  I refuse to let my mind wonder there because I know God is the King of all Kings and I have faith that His will be done!  I also know I have a lot of friends that care about the orphans and want them to have homes!  If you didn't care about the orphans and Christ's love, you probably wouldn't be reading now........so I know you have the heart!

If you don't feel led to donate to our funds, please consider helping someone today!  If you feel led to help the orphans, there are lots of families needing funded and there are a ton of organizations that you can donate to.  Regardless of what you are led to donate to let 2013 be the year of giving!  Don't delay; today's the day!  
In the words of Winston Churchill 
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give!"

Thank you for each that continue to follow and share our story!  Thank you for each of you that have prayed for us &/or given to us in any way!  We are blessed by each of you!