TA for Jake!

On Friday, while we were at a wedding reception, we got the call from Heartsent that we now have our Travel Approval for Jake!

However, we will not start booking any hotels or flights, until we have Joy's Travel Approval.  

We are so grateful and thankful that our GREAT God has worked it out that we may bring both of our beautiful children home at the same time.  This was the desire of my heart and my Heavenly Father heard my prayers.

Please pray that we will receive Joy's Travel Approval (TA)

before Thanksgiving.  Then we can travel after Thanksgiving and before Christmas.  It's a small window, but I know that God's timing is perfect.

And also, the answer to a big question,

"Who's going?"

We've finally decided that I will go with Grace and Shane and my cousin, Charles.  Tom and Marta will stay home.

This means that we will have a 3 week trip.  

We are so blessed to have many friends and family supporting Tom and Marta while they wait on us to bring Jake and Joy home. 

Thank you to all who are praying for us.

Thank you, Claudine Herodote and family, for the incredible Chinese lunch that you prepared for us at your house yesterday, Oct 27th.  Thank you also for the travel goodies and Mr. Rice!  May God bless you for your generosity and hospitality!

Xi'an, Jake's Capital City!

Xi'an (Chinese: 西安; pinyin: Xī'ān; Wade–Giles: Hsi-An, also spelled Hsi-an, Hsian, or Sian)^[1][2] is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty.^[1] Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, having held the position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history,^[3] including Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang.^[3] Xi'an is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army.^[1]
Since the 1990s, as part of the economic revival of interior China especially for the central and northwest regions, the city of Xi'an has re-emerged as an important cultural, industrial and educational centre of the central-northwest region, with facilities for research and development, national security and China's space exploration program. It's now one of the most populous metropolitan areas in inland China with more than 8 million inhabitants, including urban parts of Xianyang (Weicheng and Qindu districts).
According to a July 2012 report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, it was recently named as one of the 13 emerging megacities, or megalopolises, in China.^[4] The report pinpoints and highlights the demographic and income trends that are shaping these cities' development.

"Little Person" of America

    Our daughter, Joy, has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism.  I know we will find it quite common for both children and adults to have questions about her condition.  

    We wanted you to have a few basic facts about dwarfism:

•  There are over 200 distinct types of dwarfism.
•  There are no "cures" for Joy, although limb-lengthening has been used on some people.
• Over 80% of people with dwarfism have average-height parents and siblings.  We don't know anything yet about her parents, and we probably will never know.
• Joy's adult height will be some where around 4'2", about the height of an average-height first or second grader.
• It is extremely rare to have retardation in conjunction with dwarfism; only a few rare types correlate to any type of mentally handicapping condition. 

Terminology: the word "dwarf" is not used anymore among most of the short-stature community; it is seen as a derogatory, slang word.  We will use the terms "short-stature," "little person," or "having dwarfism" in our  home.

The LPA (Little People of America) Organization has been very helpful with information regarding the SN of dwarfism.  We will become members once Joy is home.  They have an adoption grant which we will apply for and should receive.  We are so thankful for this organization and their assistance!   If you'd like to visit their site,

please go to www.lpaonline.org.

Bringing Joy Home

Dear Family and Friends,

  This is our beautiful daughter, Joy, who we are hoping will be coming home with her brother, Jake.

Joy has been in an orphanage her whole life.  Her special need (SN) is dwarfism.  She is 10 years old and full of happiness and love.  The caretakers at her orphanage have stated that she loves to sing and dance.  I can't wait!  

  Our biggest obstacle to bringing Joy home with Jake is funding.  Tom and I are applying for as many grants as we possibly can.  

  Much to our surprise we received Joy's LSC (Letter of Confirmation) approximately 2 weeks after we had gotten the Pre-Approval (PA) for her adoption.  What this means in the adoption world is that the adoption can be completed in a short amount of time and we can make our travel plans sooner rather than later.

  Tom & I have been going back and forth over the last couple of weeks over our trip to China.  We couldn't decide if we were suppose to delay Jake's adoption to bring Joy home at the same time or if we were suppose to make 2 trips to China....one in Nov and then one in the spring.  The LSC really changed our thoughts completely.  This part of the process now gives us the ability to go sooner (Dec 2012) to bring them both home at the same time.  We totally believe that this is all part of God's plan.

 If you are feeling led in any way to help us bring Joy home, then Tom & I humbly ask you to send your tax-deductible contribution to our adoption agency:

Heartsent Adoptions Inc.

140 Brookwood Rd. , #100

Orinda, CA 94563

Please put on the memo line of your check,  Tom & Amy Parker.  We thank you in advance for any amount that you may contribute.  You are a blessing to us and our children.