Saturday, June 8, 2013

Little update!

Sorry for the lack of updates, but as many of you know it's a ton of paperwork and waiting!!  We did just recieve our approval from homeland security to adopt, which we waited 2 months for! Yay! 

The next step is to get all of our documents in place to send over for our dossier (official legal paperwork that goes to China). Hopefully all that will be ready in a few weeks, or at most a month! 

The puzzle is coming along! Thank you again so much to all those who have donated! We could not do it without each one of you that have helped! God is using so many people to bring our little girl home! 
We are having a garage sale June 27 and 28 and all the proceeds will benefit our adoption as well. If anyone has anything to donate or you just want to come help or shop, inbox me or email for more information, katevdp@hotmail.com. Thank you to all those who have donated already, we are starting to get pretty full! :)  We are truly blessed!

We know that God is in control of this whole process and have already seen Him work through every step! He is so good! We can't wait to meet the little girl that God has for us in China! 

Thursday, March 28, 2013

I am adopted

Not trying to throw anyone off- I am not adopted in the way we typically think.  I was raised by my biological parents- sorry to scare you mom and dad! However, I am adopted into Gods family along with my fellow believers!

I am hoping to explain one of the reasons our family is choosing to adopt a child.  God is our father and adopted us into his family.  Our family adopting a child who doesn't have love, a father, a mother is a perfect example of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  All who are in Christ are adopted in Christ and when we adopt and love children that are not our biological children and treat them with the same love, blessing and inheritance, that is showing something of the heart of our father Father God and the heart of the gospel by welcoming them into the family- and through Jesus we have also inherited all the blessing! How awesome?!?! We all can't wait to go bring our child home and love on them, just as Christ has loved us!!

Quick update:
We have completed the home study!! AND...it was approved! YAY!! So another step to check off our list. Now we compile all the documents we need for our dossier, and send them to the state and Chinese consulate for certification and authetification, THEN to China!! So exciting and yet can be so drawn out, as lots of you know! Pray that everything would happen smoothly and quickly so we can get logged into China's system! Thank you al for your support and prayers already! We have seen God's hand at work through every stage. And the puzzle project is coming along and a huge success so far! THANK YOU SO MUCH to all who have sponsered a puzzle piece already, we are so blessed and so thankful for the overwhelming response!!! ox

Ephesians 1:3-14
Blessed be  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing  in the heavenly places,  even as he  chose us in him  before the foundation of the world, that we should be  holy and blameless before him. In love  he predestined us  for  adoption as sons through Jesus Christ,  according to the purpose of his will,  to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in  the Beloved.  In him we have  redemption  through his blood,  the forgiveness of our trespasses,  according to the riches of his grace,  which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight  making known  to us the mystery of his will,  according to his purpose, which he  set forth in Christ  as a plan for  the fullness of time,  to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.  In him we have obtained  an inheritance,  having been predestined  according to the purpose of him who works all things according to  the counsel of his will,  so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be  to the praise of his glory.  In him you also, when you heard  the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him,  were sealed with the  promised Holy Spirit,  who is  the guarantee  of our  inheritance until  we acquire  possession of it,    to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:3-14 ESV)



Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Piece by piece...

Through this process of adoption we are trying to teach our children (and future child) about God's faithfulness, blessing and provision for our family.  One of our exciting ways to do this involves a puzzle.  We have had a puzzle made of this awesome design (thanks to Echoes of Mercy-Etsy):


Our hope for this puzzle is to get sponsors for each piece! We will put the sponsor's name/s on the back of each individual piece so that eventually we will be able to put it together and frame the puzzle for the new baby's room! It doesn't sound like much, but when we get 550 pieces that have an important names on the back- it will be a reminder of God's fathfulness to provide for this calling! This is such a special way that you can be a "piece" of helping us bring this precious child home.

If you are interested in sponsoring a piece($10) just use our PayPal donate button to the right and be sure to include the name or names you would like on the back of the puzzle peice. I will update with pictures once we start this project with the kids!

Thank you all so much for the overhwelming support in this adventure! We couldnt do it without each one of you- and we are excited to see all your names as a part of our journey!

Please don't hesitate to share on your facebook page or tell others about it!

Much love and God bless,
The VanDerPloog family

"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."  Isaiah 1:17

"Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies."  Psalm 36:5

Friday, January 25, 2013

A not so normal New Years...

Well I don't know about your plans for New Years Eve but in the past we have gotten together with friends, played games and had a great time! This year we didn't have any plans, which we were perfectly fine with; we had a relaxing night being together as a family.  What we also did, was fill out an application for international adoption.  Lucas and I have talked for the past few years about the desire to adopt, but never felt like the timing was right.  But this past fall we agreed that now was the time! it took a while however to research agencies and more about the whole process.  So in the comfort of our VanDerPloog home on New Years Eve, we filled out the application to adopt! We are so excited for this new chapter in our lives and thankful for God's provision for us already!

We have already had to jump a few hurdles but would like to announce that our family has been approved to adopt from China.  There are many factors that helped us arrive at this decision. God definately opened and closed several doors for this to happen!

We would appreciate your prayers as move forward with our homestudy, financially providing for this huge expense (God has proven so faithful), preparing the dossier, and ultimately matched with our precious child. Also if there are any families who have adopted or are currently in the process and you have resources/books that were helpful please pass this information along- it will be greatly appreciated. There is lots to be done!! And if anyone has further questions for us you can message me privately or email me: katevdp@hotmail.com. And we would be happy to answer them!