The National Visa Center finished our paperwork, and it was hand delivered yesterday to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China!
The Consulate should take about 2 weeks and then send our info over to CCCWA (China folks in charge of adoptions). They should take about 4-6 weeks and then give us TA - our Travel Approval.
Our agency thinks we are still on schedule for traveling at the end of March.
We were also blessed with a $500 donation, given to our agency! The money is a big blessing, but the support and encouragement that the money represents is also huge.
And now for the 2nd book I have read recently about folks who were blind that also have lived extraordinary lives. :)
Did you know that Fanny Crosby was blind and wrote over 8,000 hymns?
"Crosby has generally been represented by the largest number of hymns of any writer of the twentieth century in nonliturgical hymnals...and was also arguably the most influential female theologian in Christian history" (Wikipedia).
She wrote some of my favorite hymns "Blessed Assurance" and "To God be the Glory".
In response to her blindness she wrote, "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank Him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me."
She wrote many, many hymns for the Moody and Sankey evangelistic meetings.
She composed hymns so quickly in her head, here is one example:
"Generally, when a melody is given, I choose my own subject. Sometimes the melody suggests the subject at once; if it does not I lay it aside until another time. Sometimes the words to the melody come to me faster than I can remember them. One evening, for instance, Mr. Sankey played a sweet air. I excused myself and went to my room to compose the words to 'O My Redeemer" (page 177).
She spoke several times to Congress, as well as to President Polk.
She also wrote poetry...lots of poetry.
She spoke before various religious bodies..."such as the Young Men's Christian Associations, Sabbath schools and churches of many creeds" (pg. 166).
She has some good advice regarding how to treat those not following the Lord:
"I could give more than one instance where men have been reclaimed, after a long struggle and many attempts at reformation, because someone spoke a kind word to them even at what appeared to be the last moment. I have also known many others who turned away from a meeting simply because the cheering word had not been spoken, nor the helping hand extended.
Never to chide the erring has always been my policy, for I firmly believe that harsh words only serve to harden hearts that might otherwise be softened into repentance" (page 156).
Fanny also had quite a sense of humor.
She also had an amazing memory. She said there is so more we could remember if we simply would give "memory a chance". She would write an entire book of 40 hymns in her head, and only have it written down once it was completed.
And I'll end this book review :) with the words to her song Blessed Assurance...
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain:This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long; this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
vs.2
Perfect submission, perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
vs.3
Perfect submission, all is at rest!
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
