We're Leaving SOON!!

It's really here. The day we've been planning and packing for all year is upon us. I'm really almost ready, it's just so hard to tell yourself "it's done" and not pull out or try to do one more thing. I'm working on a blog just for the china trip at www.journey2emmafaith.blogspot.com and will hopefully have it finished soon. Our friends, Mark and Shannon, are already on their way. I've listed their new blog on Emma's site along with some of the other Jinhua families we've been so blessed to meet. I've got to work throught he last of my list and make one last trip to Amarillo, so today will be gone before I know it. Can't wait to say "We're in China!".

China Itinerary

It's been a crazy couple of weeks, but we did get most of our travel confirmed last week. We leave Amarillo at 6:35am on the 9th and eventually fly out of Minneapolis to Tokyo, then to Shanghai. We arrive at 8:55pm and will be welcomed by our friends Jeff and Kristy who moved to China last year. It is such a blessing to have friends there and we are so looking forward to the 2 days we'll have with them. We leave Sunday afternoon (that's the unconfirmed part that we hope to have confirmed by next week) the 12th on the bullet train to Hangzhou, Zhejiang with Mark and Shannon. We will get our girls the next morning, October 13th!

The rest of the schedule is as follows:

-10/14 2 and 1/2 hour trip to Jinhua and visit to Emma's orphanage
-10/15 free day and appointment with local eye doctor
-10/16 tour of West Lake
-10/17 leave for Guangzhou, 3pm flight
-10/18 medical exam
-10/19 trip to Guangzhou zoo
-10/20 9am Consulate appointment
-10/21 swearing in at US Consulate
-10/22 8:20am flight home arriving in Amarillo @ 10:55pm!

We are continuing to pray for Emma as she waits and for Isaiah as he prepares to go back to China. There is so much transition ahead for all of us and our hearts desire is that we are knit together as a family and that we can press into Him on our rough days. We also are praying for Blake while he is home with family. There are a million little details that need to be taken care of before we leave, but I know that all will fall into place and Emma will be in our arms and her forever home soon!

Blog for Susannah

Susannah's family blog is open at www.roomforatleastonemore.blogspot.com for those of you who are praying and want updates.

Prayer request for family in China

I just got a request for a family in China whose little girl is in desperate need of a miracle. The little girls' name is Susannah and the family is having to wait on officials to give the okay to release her from the hospital to complete the adoption. At this point they have not been able to speed things up, which they really need to happen so Susannah can get the care she needs here in the states. All I know about her condition is that her lungs looked very bad, her heart is terribly weak, and the family was saying it would take a miracle for her to pull through. They are standing and believing for miracles, but it is very difficult when you're in a foreign land and feel so alone. I had the link posted to their blog, but it has been closed to the public so I'll post updates as I hear.

I'll try to post an update later on our travel plans. Right now we do have our flights and will be leaving the 9th and returning the 22nd. Hopefully the in country itinerary will be confirmed by Friday.

Blessings--Leigh

Our Consulate Appointment is SET!!!!

We got an e-mail this morning letting us know our CA will be October 20th at 9am and we'll have Emma in our arms on the 13th! We are now in the mad dash to get flights confirmed and our travel details in order. We are even more blessed to be traveling with Mark and Shannon. We just knew our girls would be coming home together, but it was definately tried and tested several times over. We're praying for all the details of the trip to fall in place and the Father's continued hand to be on all we need to do.

Emma's Room

DSC01027.JPG
Originally uploaded by lejchis

Travel Approval for Emma!!!!!

We got the news that our TA arrived at our agency yesterday, September 4th...two days before Jeff's birthday and the day we got word of Isaiah's TA in 2006. We knew it was on its way on Tuesday and were hoping it would arrive in time for us to get our request back to China for the earliest possible Consulate appointment (CA) and it did! We've requested the first October date that we could which is the 13th. That would put us leaving on the 2nd and getting Emma on the 6th. Our second choice is the 20th and I'm not EVEN going to talk about the third option. We seriously are praying for the first date because I don't think my heart could take any later!?

Our friends Mark and Shannon (www.herewegrowagain.blogspot.com), who have their daughter Mavery waiting for them at Emma's SWI, have also received their TA and are still hoping to travel with us. We should have things finalized by the end of next week. We are praying on so many fronts for the perfect completion of this leg of the journey. After walking with Isaiah through his transition, I know all too well the loss and grieving that their little hearts endure, but I'm also so aware of the Father's bigger plan, His comfort, and the joy of a child finally home. I just know how much prayer does to pave the way and how much we need Him for the every phase of this journey.

I have to share another Isaiah story. Last Friday we were praying and Isaiah was asking for Emma to be home soon. He then said," thank you God that JinMing will be coming home on Tuesday". He finished and said "Today's Friday, tomorrow's Saturday, then it's Sunday and Monday and Tuesday and we get to go get my sister! " I said that I wished we could get her on Tuesday, but it would have to be a little longer than that. He then replied, "no mama we can go get her on Tuesday!" I then just said okay, Isaiah. When he got out of school on Tuesday, Brittany picked him up and told him the news about our TA coming. He said, "I told you JinMing was coming home on Tuesday!"

Why do I ever doubt what this little one hears? Isaiah has always had an ear tuned to heaven to hear what His Father says. What a blessing my children are and how I love to watch them grow in their giftings. What will Emma do and say that astounds me and makes my heart smile?

We have so many last minute details to take care of...flights, hotels, packing, and final paperwork that I know the time will fly and we'll be on that plane to China!

Leigh

LOA for Emma Faith!!!!!!

We got the call from our agency this morning that our Letter of Acceptance had arrived (day 76)! China has officially finalized our approval and we will now wait for our Travel Approval (TA). The wait for TA's has been around 3 weeks and then we will know for sure when we can get miss Emma. God really has graced us during the wait and has continued to take the burden of the timing from off our shoulders and placed it on His. We are, of course, still praying for the perfect completion of this leg of the journey and to be holding Emma SOON!

I will post more later, we have a busy weekend ahead of us.

Wrestling...resting

The past few days have been a little difficult. I have found myself rejoicing with those who recieved their letters of acceptance (LOA) from China and wondering where ours might be. I've had to come to terms once again with things I thought would be, but are not yet. I've had to press into to the pain of disappointment and the peace of HIS timing. I don't even think I can put into words all that is in my heart right now, so I'll let a couple of Jason Upton's songs do it for me. I do see Him holding my hand as I get up to walk a road I wasn't expecting and picking me up each time I stumble on it. He once again is more than I could ask for and a Papa who comforts like noone else.

We are still asking for Emma's release and all the final paperwork we need. Thanks to all who have faithfully stood by us as we enter this last push to bring Emma home. It's hard and there is just no way around it, but I truly can't imagine doing this without the family and friends He's so graciously hedged us in with. I know it won't be long until the pain subsides and the joy of all we've asked for will be upon us...so until then we do what only He has graced us to do and that is wait and rest in a God who has a perfect plan.

Emma's Birthday Package

Emma's Birthday Package
Originally uploaded by lejchis

Happy Birthday Emma Faith!

We really had hopes when all this started that we just might be with Emma for her 5th birthday, but it was not to be. So now we send her all our love and some gifts and a cake from miles away. (she actually would have celebrated her special day while we were sleeping) The package we and her grandparents sent was put together by Angela in China. She did a great job and even found a toy that teaches some English. I can't wait to see the pictures of her day and to see her in her new dress! I wonder what she was thinking as she went through her "first" birthday knowing that some of her friends had already gone to a place called "home" while she and others wait. Isaiah put into words, when finally watching some of her video, what she might be feeling..."it is really sad in China without a mommy and daddy. I don't like it." I just pray she finds comfort in knowing she isn't forgotten and we'll send gifts and reminders for as long as we have to.

I know the Father is using this time to continue to prepare her heart and ours for her arrival, but some days the wait just really stinks! I just have to lay all my emotions and questions at His feet and know that He makes all things beautiful in His time and this will be no different. We are on day 51 of the wait for our Letter of Acceptance (LOA) and are hopeful that it will arrive by the end of the month. We will still have another 3-4 weeks after that for Travel Approval and then I'm not sure what the wait will be. Last time we hit the crunch before the October holiday and were pushed back. I'm still holding out hope that maybe we can get that late September travel.

Video of Emma!

Marianne and another waiting mom, Cynthia, posted a video of our children on Cynthia's blog. The blog is www.underthemistymountain.blogspot.com . I can barely write through my tears right now and can't begin to describe how much I long to have our Emma home. How blessed we've been in our journey to to her!

Another family visits Emma's SWI

Another family we know went to get their son, Jonah, this past week and were able to take pictures of Emma for us. Their blog is www.jonahsfamily.blogspot.com. Marianne, Jonah's mama, said Emma was very friendly and loved the purple purse with blocks that they brought as a gift for her. It has been more than I could ask for to have these wonderful families in our lives to take pictures and give us glimpses of our Emma. I am also amazed at the openness of the orphanage and their continued willingness to do so much for our children. We'll be forever grateful. I'll try to get the most recent pictures posted to our blog later in the week.

This is one of my favorite pictures that Angi took. It looks like Emma has a dimple and in the exact same place her mama does!

Pictures from JinHua

Care packages Emma has received

These are some of the things Emma has received from us as she waits. I thought you all might like to see them. The next thing we will be sending is a birthday cake and camera.

We have a name!

I know we've been calling JinMing "Jinny" for a while now, mostly because it was easy. I've just had this sneaking suspicion it might be something else, a name with a story. Sooo, yesterday was our 20th anniversary and Jeff asked me what I wanted, I said "our daughter's name". The rest went something like this... he looked at me and said we've been calling her Jinny. I know we've been calling her Jinny, but I want to know that we chose her name, a name with meaning, with a story. Jeff then asks, like what? Like I've always known Faith would be a part of her name because she was born in our hearts out of faith and confidence that God had another child for us. I then asked him about the name Emma. He said he really liked it and it was his great grandmothers name (she was the one who cared for Jeff as a little boy and her birthday is the same as JinMing's, July 18th). We left the conversation at that and this morning Jeff called me to say, Leigh, her name is Emma Faith JinMing Chisum! I just knew her Daddy would know it, I mean really know it when it was real.

So now we change everything to Emma and have an even better story to tell her when she grows up. Isaiah had stopped calling her Jinny about a month ago, so I should have known something was up!

More Pictures from Jinhua!

One of Emma's best friends, Autumn, is with her family now and they have a blog with many new pictures of Emma and the other children. Their blog is http://www.nowentering7thheaven.blogspot.com/. I love what Emma is wearing...a pink tutu! I can already see her and our dear friends daughter, Hannah, dancing around. I know this is also a difficult time for the children as their world's are changing so quickly. I just keep praying for peace in the transition, comfort in the grieving, and for joy as they embrace the new.

Reposted Emma's slideshow from April

I never could figure out what was wrong with Emma's slideshow, so I just re-posted. Thanks again, Chris, for these wonderful pictures! Emma's the one in the solid yellow sweater. Her friends Autumn (red sweater/black pants), Nathan (boy in gray), Jonah (boy in yellow), Mavery (little one in yellow sweater/black pants), and Benjamin (little one in gray striped sweater) all will be coming home very soon.

Jinhua Children

Recent pictures & celebrations

I thought I'd post some recent pics of the kids and the boys 16th & 6th birthdays. Enjoy!

LID!!!!

We have our log in date (LID) with China of May 29th! That was so quick and such a blessing. That date begins our travel countdown. It's the same LID we had with Isaiah and Blake's birthday. There are so many parellels between Isaiah and Emma in this journey, but I still keep asking for them to change for the travel date. I can't help but ask for sooner...after all, I am a mom and my child is waiting for me, so ask I must!

Isaiah continues to pray for his little sister to be home soon and plays games where "we're all together" and "a family that doesn't have to be sad anymore". I know he has alot of adjustments ahead of him, but I do continue to pray for that supernatural bond of brother and sister between him and Emma.

Blake just celebrated his 16th birthday and drives to work each morning...it just doesn't seem right that my two oldest should be just that, so old! Brittany is loving her new job as cashier at United (our local grocery store) and Isaiah and I are trying to adjust to it just being the two of us during the day. I do feel God has given this time to us as we prepare for our newest addition and more changes. Isaiah also celebrated his 6th birthday on the 2nd of June. He's grown so much and it truly feels like he's been with us forever.

I have to tell another story of God's faithfulness in leading us through our journey of parenting. Isaiah was really struggling when we got home after celebrating Blake's birthday. He was acting out much like he did when we first got home. I felt sure it was just a case of jealousy and dealing with it in our usual time-outs, grumpy mommy sorta way. We both were pretty frustrated, when I felt the Lord speak to me that some of this jealousy was because Isaiah didn't have a "birthday story". As soon as He spoke, I knew it was what was going on. I asked Isaiah if I could hold him and us rock for a while? He answered "yes", which is pretty unusual. As I rocked him, I began to tell him more of his story and how he came into our lives and hearts and how we'd never be the same because of this precious gift--Isaiah. He began to melt in my arms and I could feel him settling. Isaiah was great the rest of the evening! I really couldn't do this without my Father's help.

I'll try to post some new pictures of the kids soon and fix Emma's slideshow (not sure what happened there!?) while I'm at it.

Dossier to China

I recieved an e-mail form our agency yesterday that our dossier (all the papaerwork for our adoption) would be off to be translated and then on to China today. We hope to be logged in (LID) to the China Center for Adoption Affairs very soon. That will actually begin our wait to travel. We are so thankful to be one step closer to having Jinny home.

With all the heartbreaking news right now, this has been a ray of sunshine. We continue to pray for the people of China and the Steven Curtis Chapman family. I can't put to words how much I grieve for all of them. I know only the Father's love and mercy can truly comfort during seasons of such pain.

I-171H!!!!

We finally got that little piece of paper that everything revolves around yesterday! I had asked my Father for that approval for Mother's Day and little did I know it was on it's way. When I looked at the date we were approved (passed all the FBI backgroung checks), I noticed it was the exact same day as Isaiah's-- May 8th. I keep seeing God's little kisses to me in all these things, just to let me know He's in control and has His perfect timing. I loved Isaiah's reaction when I came running in the house waving the paper saying "we got it!". He started jumping up and down yelling "Yes! Yes! FINALLY, now we can go get Jinny!" I had to burst his bubble a little and tell him it would still be a while longer, but he said, "that's okay, we'll still have her really soon." I love his joy and the life he brings to our home! Needless to say, it has been a mad dash to get this one last piece of paperwork certified in Austin and authenticated in Houston so we can send it to CHI and on to China. We hope to have all of this done by Friday and our completed dossier to China at the first of next week! Then we begin our wait for travel...hopefully 3-5 months, but less would be great--a miracle, but great.

We did hear that Jinny and her area of China is fine, but the devastation in the areas hardest hit by the earthquake is heartwrenching. Half the Sky (www.halfthesky.org) is a great place to keep updated and give to help those hardest hit. We also heard form Jin's orphanage that she got the pillow with our family picture and some candy we sent. They said she was sooo excited to get a gift from us. I just sat and cried when I read it, knowing she was seeing us for the first time and wondering what she was thinking. We are plannning on sending her a family album and some clothes next time. I can't tell you what a blessing it has been to keep in contact with the orphanage and to know they are doing such a great job preparing her.

The rest of the Chisum household is doing great. We're ready for the summer and some down time, if there is any such thing. I'm hoping to have some time to get the kids rooms in order and ready for Jinny. She'll be here before we know it!

About Emma

We got updates from the orphanage yesterday about Emma. It's such a blessing to have this glimpse into who she is and at the same time it intensifies the longing to know her and have her home. They call her MingMing and say that she is very brave and that nothing frightens her. I can't help but thinking how many times she's had to be brave going through sickness and surgeries alone. It hurts my mother's heart, but I know He's near to her even when I am not.

Blaming her makes her upset, but talking and playing settles her. If they tell her we are coming to get her, she gets very happy. Jin Ming is very close to her nanny and her roommates. One of her best friends is being adopted by a family we met through CHI and the other just had her file sent to the CCAA. We pray she finds her family soon and would love it if they were near us. We so want to keep the girls in contact with each other, if at all possible.

Emma loves bright colored things and loves fruit, but not veggies. She is said to be fairly extroverted and strong willed, so she, too, will definately fit in the Chisum household. They also sent us updated measurements. She is almost the exact same size as Isaiah! I'm seeing "twins" again. People always thought Brit and Blake were twins when they were that age. We are still waiting to hear if there are any specific needs of the orphanage and will share them with those of you who have asked when we hear.

We did hear that there wouldn't be any interuptions due to our agency's pending Hague status since our adoption is already in progress. That is definately an answer to pray and welcomed good news. We've also heard that adoption travel should procede throughout the Olympics, so we're still hoping for summer travel.

I just know I will be posting soon that we have our long awaited immigration approval and then we will finally have that dossier in China!

Update from Emma's Orphanage!

We contacted a lady in China a few days ago to ask her to check on Emma and see if we could get a few of our questions answered. They got back with us and our answers came this morning! I'll do my best to summarize. They call her MingMing and said she gets upset when someone blames her, but is happy when they tell her that mama and baba are coming to get her soon. They comfort her by talking to her or playing with her and her favorite activity is playing with other children. She has two other roomates that she is very close to and one is from our CHI group! Her name is now Autumn and her parents will probably have her home before we can get Emma home, but we hope to stay in contact. The other little girl's file has just been sent to the CCAA, so we pray she finds her home soon and, who knows, maybe close to us!?



They said she is very close to her caregiver and is a very brave and fairly extroverted little girl. They also said she is strong willed, so she'll be a perfect fit in this family. She loves to sing songs and likes food. She dislikes veggies, but loves fruit. The only animal she's ever seen is a bird that one of the caregivers brought and she loved it! They also said she likes colorful things, so all of her bright pink and flowered clothes should be perfect.



We also got updated measurements and she is almost the exact same size as Isaiah! It looks like we'll have "twins" again (people always thought Brit and Blake wer twins because of their similar size).

Isaiah's Adoption Slideshow

Emma and Her Jinhua Freinds

Jin Ming last summer

This is a picture we think must have been taken last summer. She has so much more of her "baby" fat. It's hard to believe how much they change about this age. We were just looking at Isaiah's pictures from about the same age and he looks so much older now. I can't wait to see new pictures, but it makes my heart hurt just knowing some of what we've missed. I have to remember how many firsts we've had with Isaiah and how many we will still have with Jinny.

Update

I wanted to let everyone know that we did get fingerprinted on the 25th and so begins our wait for immigration approval (I 171H). This can take, on average, any where from 2-3 months. With Isaiah it was much quicker and, of course, we are hoping for the same. I did request special consideration due to Jin Ming's condition and are praying that request will be honored.

On another note, we are asking for prayer concerning our agency's Hague accreditation, which is still pending. I'll try to explain this as simply as possible. China has become a part of the Hague nations and all agency's must follow certain guidelines in order to become accredited and to continue their China adoptions. Adoption agency's have been working with our government to meet these requirements by April 1st. For those agencies like ours (CHI), whose cases are still pending, concerns about delays and suspensions have arisen. The State Department told CHI that as long as I-600A's (ours was filed 3/14/08) were filed by the 4/1 date all should be fine. China's Center for Adoption Affairs has not stated that this will be THEIR policy. They could suspend any agency's adoptions that have not already been logged in (dossiers/all paperwork in China), until Hague approval is granted. This is where we need prayer for favor with the Chinese government and for our government to complete the cases of "pending" agencies as soon as possible.

We will not have our dossier ready until well after this date. We are hoping by that time all things will have been worked out, but it can still affect us and many other families. We knew this adoption would require more trust and a stretching of our faith, but noone ever knows exactly what that will look like. As everything continues to unfold, I am reminded in a deeper way that He truly is our sheild and fortess in times of trouble.

We know, through other families that have had contact with Jinny's orphanage, that she knows she has a family waiting for her. We are still hoping to send her something soon to let her know who we are. We pray as the process unfolds that she will be surrounded with His lovingkindness and have peace in her wait.

Waiting...

(I'm actually posting on March 17th, but decided to post this draft from the 4th
as I struggled with...well, with waiting, trusting, etc.)

We are still waiting on many things--pre-approval (which has been taking a long time for some families), home study approval, more medical explanation forms, and our precious daughter to be home. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I said, "we've done this before, I'll be more prepared this time, the paperwork shouldn't be so bad second time around"! I know my Father has to look at me and chuckle sometimes. Sooo... more lessons on waiting for Him and pressing into His strength during my daily moments of weakness, anxiety, frustrations, etc. I have to say in all my wrestling, He does bring a peace and a grace to press through that can't be found any other way.

I started to delete this entry since I never got back to it, but decided it needed to be left as a reminder of how we, I, walk through.

We did finally see answers--our PA came in on March 14th along with our homestudy approval. The last of the medical forms arrived, so all we really need as far as paperwork is our FBI/ immigration clearance and approval. That approval wait can be up to 2-3 months, but we continue to hope for quick processing. We did hear from a family who just got their child and was able to visit Jin Ming's orphanage. They took video and pictures of all the children who came to greet them and will post those when they return. We are so hoping to see our Jin Ming in some of those pictures. They said the new facility was so nice and that all the children were well cared for and so loved by the staff. We so often pray for those precious caregivers in China who have become mamas to our children until they can find their forever homes. I know many of them will always hold a special place in our kids hearts.

After the whirlwind of stock show season ending, we are now planning on being home for a while. Hopefully that means me keeping up with posts better! Thanks for all of you who keep us covered in prayer.

Love and blessings!

Waiting for pre-approval

We are well into our paperchase and still waiting on PA (pre-approval) from China and our update on the home study to be completed. The Chinese New Year celebration begins today and everything in China comes to a standstill for a week, so we will not hear anything on the PA until afterwards. In the meantime, our hearts and prayers are with the Chinese people as they try to recover from the storms. We never heard anything from Jin Ming's orphanage in the reports of those hardest hit, so are assuming she and the other children are fine. Half the Sky is an organization that is helping the children and keeping us updated. Their site is http://www.halfthesky.org/ and any donations that people want to make can be made through the "little mouse fund". A friend of ours in China was able to check on Jin Ming for us a couple of weeks ago and said her medical needs are being met and that she's doing well. The staff describes her as very friendly and a little fat (she loves to eat!). By Chinese orphanage standards this is great! It is such a comfort to hear anything, yet my heart still aches to have her home.

As far as our other kids go, they are all doing great. Brit just showed her steer in Ft. Worth and placed 12th, which is awesome, but was 2 out of the money. Blake is hoping to get his steer fat enough to take to Houston in March. Isaiah is still doing very well in school and talks about his "little girl"/ sister everyday. He went shopping for her in Ft. Worth and picked out a pink rhinestone cowgirl shirt along with a Dora coloring book. He is very interested in learning his language again and we start Mandarin classes in Amarillo tomorrow.

Hope to have our PA next time I post!

Our China Doll

We are on the road to our second China adoption and are awed once again how God puts His plans in perfect order and time. We knew as we started the process with Isaiah that we'd also have a daughter from China, but had no idea how or when. After a year of much transition and joy with our first, we found Jin Ming. We first saw her in November on the Chidrens House International list, but her file was under review. When we returned home from our Thanksgiving trip we checked the list again. She was still there and no match had been made. She continued to pull at our heart strings and on November 29th we asked to review her file. She was under review again from another family, but her files were e-mailed to us so we could get to know her. She had congenital glaucoma and was blind in her right eye with limited vision in her left eye. Surgery had been done at 15 months to stabalize her vision and two others to remove her tonsils and a polyp from her tongue. She had been through so much at such a young age. By December 7th Jeff and I were e-mailing the agency to let them know that we were seriously considering her. I was still reserved in my heart out of fear of all the "what if's", while I watched Jeff grow in a confidence that she was the one. I knew that Jeff would lead us through this adoption, but I wasn't prepared for the fears that would attack me. In all of this, God was faithfully leading us and preparing me for that leap of faith only He could perform.

I had called our daughter Faith from the beginning, not knowing how many unknowns there would truly be. After talking to doctors and waiting on a reply from our insurance, we took that "leap of Faith" and made our request to adopt Jin Ming on January 7th. I love to look back already and see how He leads through doubts and fears nevering wavering in His intentions and fully confident that His way will prevail on our weak hearts. He truly is a good, good God with an amazing heart for each of His kids. Our other kids are so excited about their little sister and Isaiah continues to bless us as he prepares for "his Jinny's" arrival home. He prays that "she won't have to cry anymore" and that "her mama and baba will get her soon". He's also informed us that she loves flowers and needs butterfly sunglasses! There is nothing like the simple faith and heart of a child to keep things in life real.

We continue to pray, as we did for Isaiah, that her heart will be prepared and her transition smooth. We also are praying for her eye pressures to stay in check and her ear infections to be healed. Isaiah often tells us how Jesus held him while he cried and waited for his mommy and daddy. We know he will do the same for Jin Ming.

Blessings--Leigh