Lucas

by Lyn, mom to Lucas from China with an SN of repaired VSD

I was not one of those people who longed to adopt a child my whole life. My husband Bob and I had two biological girls and thought our family was complete. Adoption had never occurred to us until December 2005. That Christmas, God stirred our hearts, and a few months later we began the adoption process which eventually led us to Addie Jialin, a precious toddler we found through America World Adoption Association's waiting child program. Through Addie's adoption and the countless testimonies we have heard through the online adoption community since then - we have discovered that when we are involved in something which is close to God's heart, like adopting orphans, we get to experience the blessings of hearing from God and watching miracles take place. The entire adoption journey was a pivotal time in the life of our family as we got the privilege of watching God work and then got to welcome Addie into our family in May 2008. We were sure it was a wonderful, life-changing, one-time thing.

We were wrong.

As I continued to read adoption blogs after coming home with Addie, I was touched by families who welcomed not one or two orphans into their home, but four or five or six - and not just cute, healthy infants, but preteens and teenagers. They told story after story of the blessings of being obedient to what they felt God had called them to do.

In spite of the fact that our feisty little toddler had rocked my world, I finally told God that I was willing to adopt again if that was His will for our family. I reminded Him though that He would have to remove some obstacles that were keeping us from qualifying again for adopting from China. The obstacles seemed pretty huge, but we had seen Him perform miracles to enable us to bring Addie home. I acknowledged that nothing is impossible for Him. Less than two weeks after first praying that prayer, it became clear that the obstacles that had kept us from considering adopting again were gone. Somehow, in spite of the poor economy, we met all of the requirements to adopt from China once again. My husband, who had always been more open than I was to the idea of another adoption, agreed that God was calling us to go back to China. So, in October 2009, we applied to adopt a little girl between the ages of 4 and 7. We wanted to get an older child this time, since many couples were in line to adopt infants and toddlers, but only a small percentage of families were open to adopting children older than 3.

But then, a couple of months after beginning our second round of adoption paperwork , God surprised us. Instead of a little girl, God made it clear that He had a boy for us! In December 2009 we received an email from America World listing nine children who were available for adoption. The second child listed was a 6 year old girl with a corrected condition. She was adorable and exactly the age we were interested in. I needed to wait until my husband came home from Bible study before I requested her information, but I felt sure that he would would be interested in her. As I waited for Bob to return home, I realized that the last child listed, a 4 1/2 year old boy with a corrected heart condition, was wearing an orange shirt with "BOB" - my husband's name - on it! We had been praying that God would clearly show us which child He had picked out for us by causing something in the referral to jump out at us.

When Bob got home I showed him the email. We laughed about the Bob shirt, but then talked about the little girl and decided to email AWAA about getting her referral. Awhile later, Bob looked more closely at the boy in the BOB shirt and started laughing. He said, "Look at his hand! He's saying, 'goofball'!" Bob and the girls get very silly together at times. When they do, Bob calls them goofballs. One time, instead of saying it out loud to them, he looked at me, showed me the sign language "G", and mouthed "goofball". Since then, they all use that "G" as a way of telling each other they are silly. It's a strange ritual. In this picture, the little boy was pointing at the camera, but it looked just like he was making a "G". His shirt said "BOB" on it and he seemed to be looking at us and calling us goofballs, just like one of the family! A little too coincidental - just the kind of thing I was hoping would jump out at us on a sweet little girl's referral.


After talking about him a little longer, we finally decided that we would check with our social worker to see if it would be OK for a 3 year old girl and a 4 year old boy to share a room, since we didn't have a separate room to give him. In the meantime, I prayed that God would make it really clear if we should continue to look into getting information on the girl, or if we should ask for the little boy's referral instead. I had a hard time going to sleep that night, wondering if God was really going to give us a boy. Addie's room was decorated in deep red, with Chinese prints and characters. It could easily be a boy's room as well. We had already picked out a girl's name, but I had told my husband a few days earlier that it just wasn't sounding right to me any more. Was this because we were going to get a boy instead?! By the time I finally went to sleep, I was pretty convinced that God had chosen this little boy for us. My nicely ordered little world was going to be rocked once again.

When I got up the next morning, I checked the email. Our agency had sent us the referral information for the 6 year old girl. I looked through it, searching for something to show me that maybe my gut feeling from the night before was wrong. When I didn't see anything, I called America World and asked them the question about Addie sharing a room with a boy. Then I asked them if they'd be willing to tell me this particular little boy's birthday. I really wanted God to be clear. If we were going to get a boy, I wanted to make sure that it was God's idea and not just my imagination, so I prayed that God would use his birthday to make it clear that we should review his information. Addie's birthday is the day before our daughter Megan's birthday. If this boy's birthday was close to June 2nd - our daughter Robin's birthday - I would know for sure. Our coordinator said she'd get back with me in a few minutes. A little while later, I got an email from AWAA saying that although we should talk with our social worker also, it looked like a 3 year old girl and a 4 year old boy could share a room. Then she gave me his birthday: May 30th - 3 days before Robin's birthday. I asked to switch to his referral.

We accepted the referral for Lang Gang Hai on December 9th, 2009. After several crazy paperwork delays, we finally traveled to Guangdong, China where we met our son, who we named Lucas, on December 6th, 2010.

Unlike Addie's Gotcha Day, the day we met Lucas was pretty much a worst-case scenario. Lucas was terrified and wanted only to return to the orphanage with the workers who brought him to us. We left the Civil Affairs building with him kicking and screaming for someone to come and rescue him. It was a hard day, but God reminded us through scripture and emails from friends that He knew what He was doing and that Lucas was the child for us. Miraculously, we returned to the Civil Affairs Office the very next day with a happy little boy who was quite content to stay with his new family.


We have had Lucas for 2 months now. The transformation from that terrified little boy to the exuberant, affectionate little boy we now call "son" is nothing short of miraculous. He is smart, funny, and charming. He loves to go places and meet people and try new things. He never walks anywhere; he always runs, yelling “Come on Addie!” over his shoulder. He wholeheartedly participates in whatever he’s doing – whether playing, drawing, fighting with Addie, or riding a tricycle. He bounces with enthusiasm when he’s excited and screams with just as much fervor when he’s mad. The surgery he had when he was a year old to repair his ventricular septal defect was successful and he is a completely healthy 5 year old boy with no restrictions.


Although Lucas is doing very well, it's been quite an adjustment to add a five-year-old boy to the family! We have spent the last 2 months working with Lucas on issues like how to take turns with his sisters, how to share, how to eat without smacking, slurping and yelling at the table, how to use words to express frustration rather than temper tantrums, and how to obey. Our days have been filled with training, correcting, and redirecting, and at times it's been exhausting. But Lucas is learning quickly. He already understands most of what we say and is speaking English amazingly well. He is learning what it means to be loved unconditionally as part of a family and what it means to think of the needs of others instead of just fighting for what he wants.


And we are learning what it means to have a son. We are finding out that it is every bit as wonderful as being the parents of daughters, which is proof that when we are willing to trust God - even when He asks us to do something that is outside of our plan - He often changes our desires to match His.

Feel free to visit our family blog here.

Pei

By Nicole, mom to Pei from China with a SN of microtia and facial palsy

Journeys of Faith Often Have Limited Sight

We were a family of four before we traveled to Russia in July of 2008 to meet a little girl who needed a family. We had no information about this child prior to travel so this was a true journey of faith for us. I had prayed that God would make this easy and give me the signs that we needed. After meeting this tiny baby with a sketchy medical report, we left the hospital where she was housed. When asked what we thought of this child my husband said "when can we take her home". My husband was the logical one, the designated red flag seeker. Well, I said there is my sign and we brought that beautiful child home. Today, Ava is one of the greatest loves of my life.

We once again felt drawn to adopt.We began researching China's special needs program. This process is a bit different. You are sent children's files with special needs that you have preselected. So we did a great deal of research and sent our list of needs that would be a great fit in our family. We found this process a bit more difficult. There are so many children waiting for families. So, I prayed that God would once again carry the burden and send us a sign about what to do.

We watched a sermon one Sunday morning on-line. The words of that sermon continued to ring in my ears all day long.

"Journeys of Faith Have Times of Limited Sight"

So, when we returned from the grocery store that evening and saw that our adoption agency had called and I knew that meant only one thing. So, I threw down the groceries and ran to the computer. They had sent us the medical file of a beautiful little girl not yet two years old. When I saw her face my heart literally skipped a beat.


Her special needs where not on our list. In fact, we had never even heard of microtia with facial palsy. But once again those words from the sermon replayed in my mind. So we researched all aspects of microtia but did not find much info about the facial palsy. I was a bit concerned if this affected her chewing or talking. With each special need I think it is important to ask if you are prepared for the worst case scenario. A wonderful family stepped forward and shared their experience with this exact need and within hours we submitted our LOI for this beautiful child.

We knew that God had sent his message loud and clear. This little girl was the child he had chosen for us and we were the family he had chosen for her.

We have been home now since August 2010 with our sweet girl, Pei. She is an amazing little girl with a forgiving little soul. We find Pei's special need so manageable. It has not affected our daily life one bit! And the facial palsy that I was worried about is nothing! It does not affect her speech or eating. You only notice the weakness when she smiles or laughs. In fact, I do not even notice it anymore. I have grown to love her little half smile that can just light up a room like no other! She is picking up the English language really fast and is developmentally above her age group in all areas!

I have to say I would totally adopt another sweet child with microtia in a heart beat! If I can help anyone who is considering a child with microtia you can find me here. I would be happy to answer any questions!


I have once again been blessed to be called momma by a little angel that is truly heaven sent. And blessed to have yet another great love in my life.

Rachel and Katherine

by Joy, mother to Katherine and Rachel from China with SNs of limb differences

I am the mother of two daughters from China, both of whom were born with limb differences - specifically hand differences. As far as special needs go, my daughters’ diagnoses are no big deal and really don’t affect our lives much. I once read on another mom’s blog that “hands are over-rated”. We’ve learned that this is true!

Our older daughter, now 6 1/2, was not a “special needs” child. When we decided to adopt we had already been through the infertility merry-go-round and were just ready to have a baby. We had marked “yes” to some mild special needs but requested a healthy infant, as young as possible. When Katherine’s referral came our social worker told us her name and age (only 7 1/2 months!) and then cautioned that she had a special need. My husband and I were both special education teachers at the time and both of us immediately began thinking of serious medical issues - spina bifida! cerebral palsy! seizures! Our social worker explained that our baby had an extra finger (actually a “thumb”). We were weak with relief. An extra digit was an interesting quirk, not a true special need! And really, it wasn’t.

Katherine came home in November 2004. Our doctor here officially diagnosed her with polydactyl of the right hand. He told us that it was fairly common and tended to run in families. We have often wondered if someone in Katherine’s birth family also had extra fingers.


Six weeks after arriving home, Katherine had surgery to remove her extra “thumb”. It was an outpatient procedure and she went home the same day. She had to wear two different casts that covered her from fingers to over her elbow for six weeks but that didn’t slow her down in the least. She required no further treatment. Katherine has a scar on her right hand and that thumb is slightly smaller than the other, but you would never notice unless you knew to look. She is rather proud that she used to have 11 fingers.

When we decided to adopt again we told our agency that we were very interested in a child with special needs. Our experiences with Katherine’s hand issues had been no big deal and we felt we could handle a broader range of special needs. We knew that the whole adoption process has slowed dramatically and that made special needs even more appealing. However, our agency was small and received Waiting Child lists infrequently. So we waited. And waited.

When the special needs program in China was overhauled, our agency did not receive a Waiting Child list for a year and a half. I started looking at lists shared by other agencies. I quickly realized that I was drawn to children with limb differences. I inquired about a number of different kids, but none was still available. I followed other people’s travel blogs and studied the special needs children. I remember seeing one little boy with a missing hand and thinking “That would be an interesting special need.“ After three years we were discouraged and really tired of waiting. Our home study was due again, so we filled out another special needs checklist and told our social worker “We’re REALLY interested in a special needs child, especially one with limb differences.” A few weeks later she called us about Rachel and we immediately knew that this was our daughter.

Rachel’s referral described her has “missing her left palm and fingers.” She was beautiful! Her hand looked exactly like that of the little boy in the blog I’d seen months before. We settled in for the horrible 4 1/2 month wait until travel and spent a huge amount of time staring at Rachel’s pictures. We had photos of her hand, but no diagnosis and no real information about it. We didn’t really care. We knew she was ours and that she’d probably do lots of amazing things, even without a hand.


Rachel came home in September 2009 at the age of 21 months. As we had guessed, she did and continues to do everything that she wants with her “little” hand. It was important to me to have a diagnosis, a name for Rachel’s condition. Our doctor referred us to an orthopedic specialist who referred us to Shriner’s Hospital. At Shriner’s (a fabulous place, I might add) Rachel was diagnosed with symbrachydactyly. This is a rare birth defect caused by an unknown something interrupting the blood flow to the limb bud during the second month of fetal development. It is not genetic and is associated with no other abnormalities. In Rachel’s case her left forearm is shortened and she has a wrist and the heel of her palm. Her fingers are little nubbins. The doctor’s proclaimed her healthy and beautiful and assured us that “She’ll be fine just as she is.” And that is true.

Rachel will be 3 next month. She does everything any other almost 3 year old does. Everything! She dresses herself, including putting on her shoes and socks, rides a tricycle, cuts with scissors, zips up the climbing wall on the swingset, strings beads, and opens every jar, cupboard, and container she can get her hands on. Her problem solving skills are excellent. Someone once asked me what kind of adaptations we had made for Rachel. I replied that we had put locks on a lot more things than we ever had before! Rachel figures out on her own how to adapt tasks to her needs and we just follow her lead. She is fearless and persistent and determined to do everything. So we let her. I’m sure there will eventually be tasks that just can’t be mastered one-handed, but I’m not worried about it. After all, so you really need to knit or play the saxophone to have a full life?


Katherine once made the observation that “I had too many fingers and Rachel doesn’t have enough.” It all works out in the end. Hand difference really aren’t a big deal. My girls prove that. You can follow along on our everyday adventures here.

Lilah’s Turn

by Anne and Mike, mom and dad to Lilah from China with a SN of limb difference

Lilah is our second adopted child from China. Her brother Luke was adopted in February 2007 and the word to best describe his adoption was probably shocking. We were under the impression that his disabilities were minimal, and we could not have been more wrong. He was in trouble. He was desperately malnourished, his “congenital turned in foot” was actually two clubbed feet, and over time we came to find out his delays were due to some unknown birth trauma that resulted in CP like symptoms and Apraxia (he is currently almost 4 and is just now learning to talk). You can see his story in the early annals of NHBO.

Why are we retelling Luke’s story on Lilah’s tale? So we can show the difference between the two adoptions. We were always equipped to deal with the disabilities, but struggled with the surprise. We entered Lilah’s adoption with intention of knowing what we were in for. We went through a new agency, WACAP, where we felt we would get a very clear understanding of her disabilities so we could have a plan upon her return. It was not our intention of adopting so close to Luke’s adoption, but while searching through WACAP in an information gathering effort…there she was!






It was absolute love at first sight. She had a fire in her eyes, and an air of mischief we swear you could see through one photograph. We can’t think of how to put into words how seeing a picture can trigger such feeling and knowing, but it was real, it was from the heart and the gut. To top it off, she was from the same Province as Luke, which only seemed to seal the deal.

Quick change of plans, we rushed to get our application in before anyone else tried to steal our daughter (because we knew she was immediately)! Thank God we had done this before, since it was a race against time. By the end of a few days, we were “expecting” once again.

Now as to her disabilities: We almost have to make ourselves write the word, because we’re not sure Lilah believes she has a disability. She was born with a genetic disorder (not amniotic banding as we thought) that resulted in her being born with no feet. We haven’t found a way to tell people this without getting shocked reaction, but there it is. Lilah spent her formative years essentially walking on her ankles. In addition to this her fingers were not fully developed on both hands, so she has very small fingers, which makes it hard for her to grip anything.





We met with pediatricians and orthopedists and prepared ourselves to be the parents of a little girl with physical handicaps.

Lilah disagrees. No feet. No problem. The magnificent people at her orphanage had fashioned shoes for her out of a rubber ball cut in half and sewed into a sock. With this contraption she was able to go outside and walk, run and dance without hurting her small “heels” on the hard surfaces outside the orphanage. There will be a special place in Heaven for the person who came up with this idea. As a result, she had uninhibited ability to go outside and play like every other child in the orphanage.





Where Luke came quietly into our home, Lilah came in like a Hurricane! She’s high energy, boisterous, and terribly funny. She’s got a naughty streak, which she quickly taught to her quiet big brother. She challenges Luke and has been a God-send in helping him be more outgoing, playful and take more risks. And she’s smart. Good Lord is she smart! She just turned 3 and we had to let her start school because she needs more and more stimulation.





To address her needs, we took Lilah to the wonderful people at Atlanta Orthopedics and Prosthetics. Like us, for them, it was love at first sight. They quickly designed her prosthetics, which she loves and calls her "shoes". She took to them immediately and has been unstoppable. She also has become sort of an ambassador for Atlanta Orthopedics. The staff has her meet patients who are new to prosthetics or who are having a harder time adjusting to show them what is possible.





What is possible? Everything. She takes ballet. She rides her bike. She has trouble with stairs and jumping due to her lack of ankle joints, and can’t hold onto large items due to her small fingers. Those are her limits… for now. We know she will probably think of a way to overcome these too.

To see more of Lilah, and visit the rest of the family, visit the family blog here.

Sara

by Tricia, mom to Sara from China with an SN of congenital heart defect (VSD)

My husband and I had a strong desire to grow our family via adoption and we were soon drawn to China's program and the idea of adding a daughter to our family. We signed up with CCAI in 2007 and got in the NSN line in November that same year. The following year was when I first became aware of the charitable organization, Love Without Boundaries, and before I knew it I was volunteering for them in late 2008. The adoption community is an amazing on-line community and it didn't take long to find the resources and personal stories of families who had adopted special needs children from China. As I continued my volunteer work with LWB, it became very clear to my husband and me that we both felt drawn to switch to China's SN program and bring home a child that had a medical need we felt we could handle. For example, there was such a large and growing number of orphaned children within China with congenital heart disease (CHD). And, without the benefit of adoption or funding for surgery through volunteer organizations, their precious lives would be cut short. We live in Pittsburgh and quickly discovered that we had access to an amazing group of pediatric cardiology doctors and surgeons. My husband and I began to realize that we could really make "the" difference in the life of a child born in China with CHD.



In late 2009 we were blessed to receive a referral for our beautiful daughter (soon to be named Sara AnYe). I've attached her referral picture because I couldn't stop looking at it.... her amazing eyes just grabbed my heart. She was so tiny, which is not uncommon for children born with CHD. Sara had a large, unrepaired VSD. We had her file reviewed by several specialists and of course everyone had a different opinion. In fact, one doctor seemed set on giving us a bleak outlook based on what she saw on paper. I found myself getting very defensive towards her comments and fighting for this little girl.... after those moments it became clear to me that I knew in my heart this was my daughter. Sara has some additional issues within her file that seemed relevant to the medical world such as being very small physically and having a head size way below the growth charts. Plus all the doctors felt she was older than reported which made her physical size more of a concern. I remember that moment with my husband when we realized we could ask questions forever but not really know the answers until we brought this little girl home. So, as with every adoption story, it came down to that leap of faith. We're so thankful that we said - yes, we can help this little girl... let's bring her home.



After we had accepted Sara's referral, but before traveling to China, we were informed that Sara had recently received open heart surgery and that the surgery was a success. This was literally all the information we received on the subject of this last-minute surgery. But at this point, it didn't matter. We remained focused on getting to our daughter as soon as possible. We traveled to China in January 2010 and were united with her on January 11th. It was an unforgettable day. In fact, our entire trip in China was a wonderful opportunity to have one-on-one time with our daughter. Fast forward to today, and Sara feels like she's been part of our family for so long now. But, she's actually been home with us for only 3 months. During that time she has become very comfortable with our family and her brothers. She is a brave, active, beautiful little girl that likes to dance and we feel so blessed to have this opportunity to be her parents.



Her VSD surgery in China was performed very well and she currently has no restrictions. We continue to work on the attachment process and do our best to make her feel secure (especially at night when she has trouble sleeping). She's been through so much in her young life - including an open-heart surgery on her own. She still shows her fears around doctors (this is a big fear of her's) and when strangers get too close... but we look forward to giving her continued love, security and time to help her confidence grow. We love, love, love China's special needs kids and we know that each child that is waiting in China deserves everything we are providing for our Sara.

Gabe

by Jess, mom to Gabe Xulu from China with congenital glaucoma

While Tim and I were paper-chasing we knew from the get go that we would be adopting SN, so even before we submitted our dossier we filled out our SN checklist. Our agency didn't want us to submit it though until we submitted our dossier. We had checked all the minor needs and maybe one of the moderate needs. We put in our original home study that we would love to bring another daughter into our family, 1 - 3 yrs. And so we paper chased...

Then something happened, God laid on my heart that our son was in China. After doing some research we found that there were huge numbers of boys waiting for homes and that there were very few families who wanted to adopt boys. DH and I talked and after a few days we both agreed to tell our SW that either gender would be wonderful and raised our age to 4 yrs. Then shortly before we were due to submit our dossier our agency held an event in which they invited families that had already adopted SN children with various SN and from various countries. We went and had a wonderful time talking to families about their children. What a true picture of families with needs that we thought would be too much for us. We looked at each other and said. "wow". So many needs that we thought we knew, but really didn’t. We could do this. That night changed our lives as we added vision impairments and hepatitis B to our list.

The day I got the call for our son, I was at school and had to wait until 3pm until my husband could get to school and we opened the email together. We took one look at his big beautiful eyes and we knew that this was our son! He was almost 3 and had congenital glaucoma of both eyes. His report was conflicting, but we knew that no matter what his vision, he was ours. With God's help we knew we were safe in this step of faith. We gave our preliminary yes and then waited for our pediatrician and ophthalmologist to tell us what they thought of his file. They both thought he looked good, but our ophthalmologist saw the same things we did - they referred to him seeing, but also said things like, “but due to his blindness”. So, we went into this knowing that he could be blind.

At 8 months he had had a trabeculectomy to relive his glaucoma (drained the fluid in his eyes which causes the pressure), but he went 8 months with the damage being done. I began research, talked with our ISD professionals and prayed for our son while we waited to bring him home.


On September 14th, 2009 we hugged our son for the first time and watched as he played with the cars we gave him-he could see them!! He had to hold them very close, but he could see! Today our Gabe wears glasses for his near-sightedness and myopia.



We go to the pediatric ophthalmologist 2 times per year and one of those visits is a pressure check under anesthesia. Right now his pressure is normal and we pray that it stays that way for years to come. It amazes me that this need is not one that we think about daily or even weekly. Each morning we put on his glasses and that is all. Occasionally we have to get his glasses adjusted and clean them daily, but most days I think, “What special need?”

I praise God that he opened our hearts and minds to vision impairments otherwise we would not have our rough and tumble, awesome son with the biggest beautiful eyes that completely warm your heart! We have been home for a little over 6 months. Gabe knows his colors, has learned English amazingly well, loves to play in his coupe car outside and he has the best "squeezer hug". He will wrap his arms around you and hug with all his might and tells me "I lub you sooooooo mucha!"

Feel free to visit our family blog here.

Braxton

by Tamera, mom to Braxton from China with an SN of limb difference

Yesterday we awoke before the crack of dawn. This was a big day indeed. Braxton and I were headed to Shriners Hospital to receive his first prosthetic leg. It was merely 5:00am when we headed out and yet Braxton was wide eyed and quiet in the still of the early morning hour. As we drove the now familiar highway, he periodically asked questions revealing his mixture of emotions varying from excitement to uncertainty and disbelief to daring to dream. After four and a half years of tackling the world so differently from most of his peers, Braxton found himself on the brink of new opportunities and countless possibilities. A prosthetic leg. Wow, it has been a long journey to get here. I have dreamed of this day since we first saw Braxton’s captivating, orphaned face in a picture on a waiting child list in March of 2008. And now nearly two years later, his dream… our dream… is being realized.

While we were driving, I too, had many emotions and questions running through my mind. Fear, uncertainty, excitement, anticipation, joy. Questions like - Would he be able to walk? Would he cooperate? Would he like the prosthetic or be overcome by this ensuing fear that is so normal? Will he reject it or embrace it? I decided to take all of these thoughts and emotions captive and bring my every fear to the Lord. He is so faithful and He met me right there in our car on that highway and gave me a confident peace - a peace that I knew that no matter what today’s obstacles entailed, He would see us through.

When we arrived at the hospital, the sun was coming over the horizon and the morning felt promising. I decided to jump in with both feet and believe that we would see some miracles today. Braxton and Bryce joined me and the excitement was building. We made our way up to that little room on the second floor with big mirrors, parallel bars for learning to walk, and a history of previous children learning to put one foot in front of another. As soon as Mr. Dan from prosthetics walked in the door, Braxton pressed “Do you have my prosthetic? Can I try it? Is it ready, cuz I am!” Mr. Dan looked shocked at Braxton’s readiness since during our visit two weeks prior Braxton had many tears mixed with whining and complaining as he was so fearful of the whole experience. With no delay, Mr. Dan brought out and presented the new prosthetic leg fully armored with the Disney character Lightning McQueen and a lever for bending the working knee. Braxton squealed with delight and asked to put it on. Within no time, we were learning the many little maneuvers required in order to put on the prosthesis.

Then the big moment. Like a little warrior girded up for battle, Braxton stood timidly for the first time on two shoes. Next, Mr. Dan picked him up and took him to the parallel bars. These bars are significant for me as I am the mama of a competitive gymnast who propels his athletic body with great strength and technique around these types of bars. Now my youngest son at the age of 4 ½ gripped these bars for the first time and would inspire and awe me with equally amazing athletic potential - he would take his first steps.

Better than anything I had ever dreamed was the feeling that I experienced when I saw Braxton grab those bars and bravely take his first steps. Sweet, miraculous victory – God is so good!



Braxton has a long road ahead of him as he learns to walk and maybe even one day run. As he learns, he will fall. When he falls, Bryan and I will continue to urge him to get back up, dust himself off, and try again as we cheer him on. It will continue to be a journey with obstacles and road blocks, free-ways and toll booths, highways and speed bumps, setbacks and victories… but isn’t that how we all get through this journey called life? I am confident that our Great BIG God will continue to help us show Braxton how to maneuver through this new course of his journey.

Yesterday our son not only took his first steps in learning to walk; he also took huge strides in learning to believe, to hope, and to dream! Don’t you love a good story of victory and overcoming the impossible? Me too! But, we vow never to forget that there is a price that was paid before the victory could occur (sound like any other story you may have heard). There was an amputation, a second surgery for wound control, and more surgery to come. There was loss, pain, grief, fear, phantom pains, a spica cast, a stinky stump, stitches and more stitches. There were many miles and hours in the car where Braxton watched the Disney movie Cars at least 237 times as Tamera listened to inspiring speakers like James Cecy, John Piper and John MacArthur on CD for hours on end while traveling in the dark of the early morning. There were many hours waiting, many professionals planning, superb surgeons’ gentle hands and notable expertise, several tears and tantrums, multiple tubs of PlayDoh and several dozen stickers. There were many prayers whispered and several cries out to the Lord. Many words of encouragement from friends and family and much patience splashed with tolerance from Braxton’s siblings were also in the mix. A leg was amputated and now a new form of mobility is possible. We are blessed to parent little Braxton as his life is a constant reminder to us that all there is always a price for freedom and there is always a sacrifice in victory.

We have learned that Braxton’s physical disability does not define him. Limbs are truly overrated. What defines him is that he is our son - a significant and vital part of Team Wong. What defines him is that he is a courageous little boy who trusts his GREAT BIG GOD and in Him alone there is sweet, miraculous victory.

Joseph

by Angie, mom to Joseph from China with an SN cleft lip and palate

The word the Lord has used over and over to speak to our hearts is treasure. When He spoke to our hearts for the first time in Sept. 2003 about adoption He reminded us of our three treasures. We have three older daughters, who at that time were middle to late teens. We could not imagine ever giving up one of our treasures. But that is what we learned was happening to many little girls in China. He gave us this promise, “And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness – secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel the one who calls you by name.” – Isaiah 45:3

With a heart for the unwanted treasures we accepted this new call and journey and in July 2006 we went to China to bring home our first treasure, Lindsey. She was NSN but as we learned as others who have adopted that she had her own special needs many due to the particular place she had spent her first 11 months. Thankfully she was moved due to its closure to a new place for the 7 weeks prior to our arrival. We know many reasons why the Lord has placed this special little girl in our family.

During our 11.5 month wait for referral we began looking at the dedicated special needs lists. There we saw more treasures seemingly to us twice rejected as many little ones, very young with minor needs would sit on the lists never taken. We knew before we even went that first time we would be doing a SN adoption the next time. One year later with a 7-27-07 LID we began looking at the dedicated lists, that was all there was at that time. But now with the wait time increasing there were many looking at the SN lists. Our agency had a lottery type system. We put in requests in June 07, Sept 07, and January 08 but never were picked to see a file. There ranged anywhere from 25 to 125 families that had requested the same children we had. The shared list started and for four months we tried to be quick but again we never even reviewed a file. We began to realize these little girls we were looking at were definitely wanted!

Finally one day in May 2008 my husband said, “OK, so where is our kid?” I was the list watcher, so I told him if we wanted a boy we could have one. And it hit us these little boys were now the unwanted. There was a huge line for the NSN little girls, there were also plenty who wanted the little SN girls but the little boys? We felt the Lord ask will you add one. And we said YES! That same night while up and praying the Lord put the name Joseph on my husband’s heart. We found out the next morning that it meant “God adds”... what an awesome confirmation that was!

Our agency was going to start matching lists in about 3 weeks. So they asked all of the families interested to put together the necessary requirements. They were also going through a transition in leadership in the China program so for three nights in a row they had received files but had not put any up. They emailed to say that the young and minor need children had already been taken and locked but they would try to get the others up the following morning. I just knew in my heart that there were little boys on that list. Sure enough the first two were little boys 18 and 23 months with cleft lip and palate the 18 month old both the cleft lip and palate had been repaired, the 23 month old had not. I put in a request for both called my husband and he said whichever they give you tell them to lock it as we would have been matched with either if the new system had been up and running. I waited only 10 minutes but during that time I looked again at these little boys and I knew in my mind the 18 month old should be my choice but in my heart that little 23 month old tugged away. I prayed for the Lord’s will.



When our agency called they said the 18 month old is actually locked already but the 23 month old is still available!! I told her to lock his file for us. They also sent his file and I poured over all the information already wanting to gain insight into our little Joseph. It stated he liked playing with balls and cars and how true that turned out to be. When I reached the last page there was the hospital record stating his cleft lip and palate had been repaired in January 2008. I was so thankful for him that he did not have to wait.

We had submitted our LOI on May 16th and finally in October 2008 we brought home our second treasure, 28 month old Joseph.



On the one hand he is all boy. He loves sports, of any kind; at 2 he could already shoot a basketball. He loves cars, monster trucks, watches hockey with dad and NASCAR with one of his big sisters. On the other hand he is very sensitive and caring and loves to cuddle. He enjoys having me sit and read him book after book and even plays princess party with his sister Lindsey who is almost exactly one year older. They are building a great relationship as brother and sister and as friends.

All the doctors and our pediatric dentist have told us that the doctor who performed his cleft lip and palate surgery in China did an excellent job! No additional surgery is required! He will need orthodontics along the way.



We began again for a third time and the Lord gave us a new scripture. Matthew 6:20-21: “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

The passion in our heart is stronger that ever. In Oct. 2009 we could submit a list with our agency. We put down all the things we were open to be matched with but in our hearts we did not think that was where our child would be. See once again we had a heart for the ones that for various reasons were passed over. We looked at quite a few files, lots of little boys and some little girls. Then on January 25th, 2010 a little girl came up on the list, paperwork had been done at 8 months of age but she was now 22 months old with a cleft lip and palate, left ear deformity and some hearing loss in that ear. This was our daughter! Our agency locked her file on the 26th and submitted our LOI on the 27th. Feb. 1st we got our PA and now wait for our LOA. I will have to wait to share her story later.

I encourage all of you reading this to go out in search of hidden treasure you will be amazed at what you will find!

Jadyn

by Sue, mom to Jadyn from China with a SN of TGA, PS and VSD (major heart condition)

Our SN check list included mild and/or a correctable heart condition. 35 months after our log-in-date we received a phone call from our agency about a little girl who had recently turned 2 and had a VSD. They wanted to know if we would be interested in reviewing her file? By all means... YES we would. Less than five minutes later we were looking at pictures of an adorable little girl standing in a metal crib. I could just picture myself being her mommy.



We began to pour over her Chinese file, I read words I had no idea what they meant, she had more than a VSD, this I knew. My husband got on the phone and called two different pediatric cardiologists. We felt blessed that both offices agreed to review her medical file that day. We immediately e-mailed both offices her medical file, on a Friday afternoon!

Not one, but both doctors called us back that day. The first doctor explained her condition to us, and my husband was set, this was our daughter. I was more hesitant; I wanted to hear from the second doctor. Her condition was serious, I could not imagine falling in love with this baby and having her life cut short because of her heart condition.

The second doctor mimicked the exact same diagnosis and what was needed to repair her heart. Both Doctors told us that she would need open heart surgery, but that she would live an active, normal life. We accepted the referral of our daughter that evening, whom we have named Jadyn Qi.



My husband and I both would stay up late on the internet reading about her condition, this went on for weeks. We became somewhat of experts. I knew medical words and names of procedures, I had never heard of in my life time.

Jadyn has Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA), Pulmonary Stenosis, and a very large VSD. The last two conditions actually saved her life, as TGA alone is fatal.

Nine weeks after accepting her referral, Jadyn was in our arms.

After many tests and a echo of her heart it was found that her VSD could not be closed due to the size, it was too large to patch. Her doctors decided that she would have the Glenn & Fontan procedure. Home from China only 2 weeks, Jadyn had open heart surgery.



Jadyn was in the hospital for only 72 hours after having open heart surgery. Her nurse had to talk me into taking her home... I just couldn’t believe she was ready to be discharged.

Our girl is a trooper. Just six weeks after surgery, her cardiologists told me "I’ll see her in six months." Six months? Are you kidding me? Jadyn is on a half a baby aspirin per day, no other medications or restrictions. Once she reaches 35 pounds she will have her final heart procedure, called Fontan.



She has been home now for six months and has blossomed more than we could have ever imagined. Jadyn has gained seven pounds and grown over 2”. She has learned to run, to climb stairs, She is fully potty trained, can count to 20 and knows well over 100 English words.

Jadyn gets winded when she runs or plays hard, this will be corrected with her next surgery. Before her Glenn procedure her oxygen saturation level was in the 70’s and even lower when she would cry, it is currently in the mid 80’s. She is projected to be within normal range of mid to high 90’s after her next surgery.

We love this little girl so much.



You can read about our journey to Jadyn here.

Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have regarding our experience adopting a special heart baby.

Chloe

by Karin, mom to Chloe from China with a SN of a limb difference

Years ago, God very clearly led us to start down the adoption road for a little girl in China with a special need that was not considered 'adoptable'. At the time, CCAA had never allowed a child with this SN to be adopted. We had just returned home with our second daughter from China, and having four kids was sending us over the edge (haha). I had no desire for any more kids!!

But God....

There was no SN list back then and rarely were any pre-id adoptions allowed. However, we knew we were to try. We had a contact in China -- at the orphanage where 'our little girl', Chun, was living. She was trying to help from the China end. Over the next two years, God led us down many paths -- up high mountains, low valleys. There were moments of extreme awe and happiness as a roadblock was removed, only to be replaced with a long dark valley as another loomed in its place. We sought the Lord at every turn and were told to continue on.

We finished our dossier, only to find out that because of the quota placed on agencies that year, our agency no longer had a slot available. (A mix-up -- but nothing could be done.) So we had a dossier with no way to get it to China. And the clock was ticking on our paperwork, as you know.

For eight months it sat. In the meantime, CCAA started it's first SN list. Finally our agency found another agency with available slots and we were able to send our dossier through that agency. But let me tell you... it was a long eight months!!

Our new agency had a director who was -- well, less than honest. He kept telling me that our case was going to be presented to CCAA in person... that the person (QS), doing so was on his way to China at that very moment. I would wait on pins and needles for QS to return.... send emails... get no response... finally call and call and call. My insistence for an answer would finally grant me an opportunity to talk with the director -- only to be given the cryptic response... "No news this month."

URGH.

This went on for months. We could do nothing but wait and pray. All of our friends were praying with us for little Chun and that CCAA would relent and allow her to be adopted. Her paperwork was at CCAA.

During that time a personal friend of mine started some charity work in China. She miraculously -- amazingly -- was using QS to facilitate the beginnings of her work there. QS was part of a teeny, tiny, never heard of agency... the same agency that we were using!!! She asked QS about our case and he had never heard of us! (So much for him presenting our case numerous times to CCAA like the director had said.... grrrrr.....)

QS eventually presented our situation to CCAA and we were matched with Chun... I cannot begin to tell you the euphoria we felt when we were contacted with the news that we had been matched!! We were beside ourselves!! We were told that our file still had to be given approval by the director there, but that things looked pretty good.

A month later, we were contacted again with devastating news. QS had been told that the adoption would NOT be approved. CCAA would not approve a child with her special need for international adoption.

What?!?!?!?!

We were told that we would be getting a referral and that it would not be Chun. Well... I knew that I served a big God who could change hearts and I didn't want to give up on Chun. She needed a family. I had been praying for almost two years with a Mama's heart for that little girl. I couldn't give up on her now.

A few weeks later, our referral came. It was not for Chun.

We were devastated. I don't know what was worse... knowing that Chun wasn't coming home, or wondering if I had heard God wrong all those months. Could I really hear from Him? Why had He led us down this path? Had I only THOUGHT He wanted us to try to adopt her? How could we come to the end of a two-year road and not get her?

My heart was broken. What should we do about the sweet little girl we were referred? I wanted her. She was a beautiful 12 month old. She could fill the place in my heart that was so empty and grieving.

But...

While we had waited for Chun, God had given me a name. Chloe. That name was supposed to be for a little girl who was 'lame.' Don't want to make this sound too weird, but all the verses that He led me to were about 'the lame' so I knew she had a leg or foot problem. And one day in the fall of that year, I had been so burdened for 'Chloe' that I wondered if she had been born then??

The little girl we were referred was not lame. I wanted her anyway. What if CCAA got really mad at us for turning down a perfect referral? Would they just dump our dossier in the trash? We had already been waiting 2 years. Would we walk away empty-handed? How could God ask us to walk away from this precious baby girl?

Our agency was sympathetic, thankfully. Jeff and I prayed earnestly and felt that the little one we were referred was not our daughter. We had to check the box that said we were rejecting the referral. Ohhhhh.... so hard. I thought I would die. How could we reject her? With the rejection, we sent a letter saying that we thought she was beautiful and perfect but we had originally asked for a child with special needs and wondered if they would please allow us to wait for the next waiting child list to arrive at our agency so that we could chose a child from that list?

Thankfully... CCAA agreed to this weeks later.

Three weeks later, we received an email from our contact in China saying that a Christian family in China wanted to adopt Chun. Since they were Chinese, CCAA had willingly sent Chun's paperwork back so that the domestic adoption could take place. All of our prayers for Chun to have a Christian family were miraculously answered!!! And who would have thought that God would provide such a perfect family for Chun?!?!?!

It was with great relief that we felt released from advocating for her and could move forward with an adoption of a different child.

Our agency was small, as I said. Back then, waiting child lists were fairly small. What were the chances that our agency would get a list with a 'baby girl born in the fall, who was 'lame'?"

A few months later, I learned that SN lists had been sent to agencies. Of course... it was a holiday. New Years. Agencies were closed. The suspense was intense.

When the offices opened, I called. Our agency had gotten a list. There were six children on it. I so clearly remember asking, "Do you have a little girl with a foot or leg problem, born in the fall on the list?"

"Just a minute. Let me check," she said. LONG PAUSE while my heart thumped out of my chest. "Yes. We do! One little girl. She has some missing toes and a leg that is shorter than the other."

"When was she born?" I asked.

"Nov. 30th," she responded.

"Put her on hold for us! She is our daughter!" I said.

"Don't you want to see her picture?"

"NO!! I know she is ours!"

And she was! She was our Chloe.



For all those months, between losing Chun and finding Chloe, I struggled so much with, "What was that all about? Why did you lead us down those paths...seeming like you were leading us to Chun, and then at the last minute, jerked the rug out from under us? How could You be so cruel?"

His answer came in many different ways -- but the bottom few lines are this:

* We are very goal oriented. We think that the goal is the purpose, when actually it is sometimes the JOURNEY that is the purpose. The things we learn on the journey are the things He wants to teach us.

* We need to stay close to Him and listen carefully at all times... not assume that once on the path we know the destination. He is in the driver's seat and if He wants to change course, we need to be paying attention or we will head off in the wrong direction. So if we start in Florida, and He takes us on all the necessary roads to Ohio so that we think that is the destination, He might keep us on that highway until we get far enough north to turn toward New York. :)

I grieved deeply when we lost Chun and the little girl we were referred. Not only did I grieve the losses of both girls, but I grieved what I thought was my relationship with the Lord. It was humbling to say the least. Eventually, He showed me that I COULD hear from Him, but that I should not assume I knew the end -- nor doubt my ability to hear just because He changed the destination from what I had thought it would be.

To meet the rest of our family, visit us here.

Addie

by Lyn, mom to Addie from China with an SN of psychomotor developmental delays

My husband Bob and I got married in 1995, and by 2001 had two beautiful daughters. We were content with our family and had no plans to have any more children. However, in December 2005, God showed us that He had other plans for us.

That December, we attended a play at our church that was put on by a group of orphans from the Ukraine. The purpose of the play was to draw attention to the plight of orphans and to try to find adoptive homes for some of the kids who were in the play. I enjoyed the play and felt led to give money to help these children find homes, but I did not feel led to pursue adoption in any way.

A few days after going to see the play, however, I attended a Christmas party with a gift exchange. I received a DVD that included an adoption extra which told the story of Christian singer and songwriter, Stephen Curtis Chapman, adopting Shoahannah from China. It was a story that Bob and I had both heard before at an adoption fund raiser that we had attended a few years before. This time however, I couldn’t get adoption off of my mind. I was specifically drawn towards the adoption of a little Chinese girl. I prayed that if adoption was God’s plan for us, that Bob would be willing to pray with me about it. A few nights later we discussed adoption together and Bob suggested we begin praying about whether it was something we should consider. God had used the play at our church to prepare his heart to consider adopting. This answer to my prayer was the first of many times that God specifically guided us toward adoption.

I started researching adoption and found out that although we met the adoption requirements for several countries, we didn’t meet the salary requirement to adopt from China. We realized that it would take a miracle from God to adopt from there. We knew God performed miracles, and He could make it work, but we also realized that Bob would probably need a different job. He enjoyed his job as Program Director for a Christian retreat center and summer camp, and he didn't want to leave it. We started praying for a miracle raise.

In January 2006, as we were waiting to see how God would provide a larger salary for us, we found out that some supplemental income that we had been receiving for several years would come to an end as of December 2006. We realized that without this extra money it would not only be impossible for us to adopt from China, but Bob would also need to find a different job in order for us to make ends meet. So, Bob gave notice in January 2006 that he would be leaving his job at the end of that year. Although we were discouraged about this, we soon felt sure that this was God’s way of providing a new job for us with a salary that was acceptable to China.

During this time when we were job hunting and unable to begin the adoption process, we received a phone call from some old friends of ours. They called to tell us that they would be giving us $5,000 towards the adoption! This was further confirmation that not only was God in this, but He was already funding the adoption – before it had even begun!

In the fall, to our surprise and delight, Bob was offered a new job at the retreat center where he worked, that – in combination with housing and benefits – met the salary requirement for China! The day the board met to approve the new job, we received $2500 in the mail from our friends. With this confirmation, we applied to adopt in September 2006 and began the long adoption process.

We turned in our paperwork on January 26, 2007, and China logged us into their system on February 12. We decided to name our daughter-to-be Addie. On March 1st we hosted a spaghetti dinner fund raiser for friends and family. We told our story – which was a wonderful reminder of all God had done to lead us to begin this journey to Addie. God provided over $7000 from the dinner! We were amazed.

Meanwhile, the process for receiving a healthy infant had begun slowing way down, and it began to look like we would maybe have to wait 2 years to get a referral call. In March we decided to sign up to be considered for a special needs child. I had been interested in this from the beginning, and after praying about it with me, Bob finally agreed.

In signing up for the special needs program, we said we would be willing to take a child with corrected special needs or minor correctable special needs, but we did not feel we were ready to deal with major issues like cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness, etc… We also said we were interested only in a girl from birth to 2 years old. Most of the 80 – 100 people who were on the special needs list had also signed up for the same things, and only a few kids in each group of referrals fit that description, so the chances of receiving a special needs referral quickly were pretty slim.

We started to pray that God would allow us to have Addie in 2007 even though we knew it would take a miracle, “For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)

During this time God also continued to provide the finances for our adoption. I assumed that we would need to apply for an adoption grant, but by the time we were ready to travel to China, God had given us over $21,500 through donations from family and friends!

Our agency received a group of special needs referrals in October 2007, and we were hoping to receive a phone call. I was tempted to go back through the special needs application and change some of our answers to give us a better chance at receiving a referral. However, I realized that God had already picked out Addie for our family, and there was nothing that we could do to make our chances of receiving her any better. He would give her referral to us on the exact day that He had planned, and nothing could thwart His plans. I didn’t need to manipulate the situation to help Him get her to us! He is almighty and sovereign and self-sufficient. In Isaiah 46 God says, “My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.” When I went back to scripture and was reminded of what an all-powerful God we serve, I was peaceful again. We did not receive a phone call in October.

On December 6th we received an email saying that AWAA had received an unexpected group of special needs kids and that they would begin making phone calls the next day. After several days of hoping for a referral call, however, we got an email saying that they had made most of the phone calls. There were a five children left that did not fit into a specific category though, and they would email their information and pictures the next day. One was a 21 month old little girl described as being shy, quiet and introverted and having psychomotor delays. They also said that she had had a CT scan and some areas of her brain were expanded slightly. I had been hoping that I would know Addie as soon as I saw her. When I looked at this little girl though, there was nothing that made me think she was our daughter.

I had a 40 minute drive soon after seeing these referrals, and I used that time to pray for her and whether or not we should ask to be considered for her referral. As I was driving and praying, I started thinking about the type of family that would be good for a quiet little girl who could possibly be delayed her whole life. I realized that maybe our family would be good for her. We homeschool and she would have two older sisters and constant stimulation at home. I could work with her at her own pace and she wouldn't have to receive any negative educational labels. By the time I got home, I was convinced that we should ask to be considered for this little girl. Bob agreed with me, so I contacted our agency and asked to be put on the list with the others interested in her. We knew that if this was Addie, we would be chosen; if not, He would give her to us at the right time.



The next day we received the phone call we had been waiting for! The special needs team had decided that this little girl was a good match for our family! We prayed that if this was Addie, God would confirm it by giving us peace no matter what. After only a short time, Bob and I felt very sure that this was our daughter. After consulting with a doctor about her medical information, we accepted the referral. One interesting thing that we noticed about her after receiving more detailed information about her, was that her measurements were almost exactly the same as our daughter Megan, both at birth and at 16 ½ months! She was born on March 19, 2006, the day before Megan’s 5th birthday.

Finally, in May 2008, our entire family traveled to China together to get Addie. We found, to our surprise, that instead of the quiet, shy little girl we had been expecting, God had given us a beautiful, spunky two year old with a strong will, a wonderful sense of humor, and no signs of any delays. In fact, she was very bright!

God had one more surprise for us. The week that we returned home from China, we found out that Addie had been given to another family the year before on her first birthday. However, she was exhibiting so many delays that they took her to the hospital in China to have her examined. She was given a CT scan and the family was told that she had severe brain damage. They were told they could receive a different child. They had an older child with a severe heart condition and didn't feel that they could handle the unknowns of another special needs child. After an agonizing two hours, they gave Addie back. Their guide later told them that Addie would never speak in sentences and would need extreme care her entire life.



Did God heal her or did they get the wrong information? We don't know the answer to that, but here are some things we do know:

We serve a God who is powerful enough to heal a damaged brain, or even to cause a healthy baby to seem brain damaged when she isn't, in order for His purposes to be accomplished. We know that God has the right and the wisdom and the power to do all that He pleases, and that many times we don't understand the reasons for what He does. We know that He is trustworthy, and that He has a good plan.

Obviously God chose Addie for us before she was born, and He picked out another precious child for this family. We don't understand why they had to go through such a difficult situation, but we are thankful for the time they spent with Addie and how they have loved her and prayed for her since then. We are also very thankful that Addie shows no signs now of brain damage. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!



Addie has been home with us for close to two years now, and we can't imagine life without her! She is determined to grow bigger so that she can, "cook, drive the car, and be a mommy". She is sure that she could run the household if only I'd step aside and let her take over. We are now in the process of bringing home our son Lucas, who is 10 months older than Addie and living in Guangdong Province, China. We can't wait for our new adventure!



Feel free to visit our family blog here.

And our travel journal for Lucas here.

Kooper and Kinley

by Connie, mom to Kinley (2) and Kooper (13) adopted from China at the same time

In August of 2003 when God instantly gripped the hearts of my husband and I for the orphan, we had no idea where He would lead us. We knew He was calling us to a task much larger than ourselves, but no doubt it was His call, so we jumped out of the boat head first, trusting Him to provide everything we would need.

Six and a half years later He has grown our family by five China-born children, in addition to our three biological children.

Our recent journey is the most miraculous for our family. In August 2008 we were earnestly seeking the Lord for direction in serving Him, when we once again recognized the tug at our hearts to add to our family through adoption. With $250 in our savings account, we started the new Hague process to bring home a ‘special needs toddler under the age of 24 months,’ just three months after arriving home with our 2 year old son.

We finished our paper work as quickly as the new process would allow, and our dossier finally went to China in April 2009. The Lord had begun to open our hearts to much greater medical needs than we had ever considered, and ultimately our ‘checklist’ grew quite large. Little did we know that on April 13th He would grip my heart for something we had never, ever considered: an older child near aging out, plus a toddler.

My husband committed to pray about it and let me know when the Lord had clearly spoken to him. I realized then that this journey is not at all about what I can do, but rather all He is able and willing to do through me. One week later we called our agency to ask if it was possible to do such a thing. I was excited and afraid to make the call because we had no idea what we were asking or if our request would be granted…and if granted, what then? We really had no stipulations other than, ‘you know that boy who is 13 and will soon age out, that would be our son.’

Fortunately, our agency had enough faith in us to make the request. The next morning we received the referral of our 13 year old son! We were so certain this was God’s plan that we didn’t even look at his picture. We reviewed his file, which was five years old, and told our agency he was our son, as long as we would still be allowed to adopt a toddler, whose referral we had yet to receive.

China agreed to allow us to adopt two children at the same time with the caveat that we submit both LOIs at the same time. Nine days later we received the referral of our daughter who would soon turn 2, and though we were approved for many needs, her only reported medical need was a repaired cleft lip.

During our six-month wait to travel for Kinley Grace and Kooper, we sent gifts to both children, especially Kooper, so he would know he had a family waiting on the other side of the world to bring him home. We devised a safety plan, researched the children’s needs and began to seek out other families who had adopted older children. Kooper’s information was sketchy at best, but we knew God would prepare us for whatever was ahead.

In October 2009 we were expecting our travel approval and still had one obstacle to overcome. The Lord had stretched our initial $250 as far is it would go, but our duo adoption costs were exceeding $50,000 and we still needed $21,000 with no further resources. We had completed every grant application we could get our hands on, held a huge garage sale, made and sold candles and adoption decals. We had cut the cable, eating out, new clothes and still were short. We began our first extended fast, seeking the Lord’s guidance on whether we should make our specific need known. We live in a very small town, supposedly our economy is in crisis and so many had already contributed to the ransom to bring our children home.

The most amazing thing happened! On October 6th we held a spaghetti dinner fundraiser. We planned for 300 people, and prayed that God would show up in a big way. The weather was cold and the attendance was lower than expected, but that didn’t faze God. At the end of the day, our pastor tallied the money, and we had $21,115!

On October 21st, we landed in Nanjing and were told we would meet our son the same day! This was the moment we had been waiting for, and suddenly this boy we knew very little about would be our son, forever! As it turns out, he didn’t know any English, and we used creative ways to communicate. We immediately bought a translator, but if we had it to do over again there would be no translator. It ended up being a device that caused a lot of confusion, miscommunication and finally an issue of control for Kooper.



Five days later we traveled to Hangzhou to receive Kinley Grace, and I remember thinking, ‘how can it get any better? Can we really be any more blessed?’

Kinley was less than happy to meet her new parents, and once she settled down she began a five-day shut-down. She didn’t talk and wouldn’t let me put her down except at bedtime where she slept next to me. Of the few pictures we had of her while in the orphanage she never smiled, and we wondered what deep secrets lay beneath her sad expression.



As the honeymoon wore off and we were two weeks into our three-week trip, our joy turned to doubt. For one day we began to fall prey to the lies of the Enemy. We actually wondered if our children would be better left in China. One of them refused to come out of her shell and the other we couldn’t communicate with. As we had done throughout this journey, we bowed our hearts to the Father who had planned long ago to set these children into our family, and we regained perspective and the strength to persevere.

We discovered that Kinley indeed has an unrepaired hard palate, and Kooper has an undisclosed medical need requiring surgery. Surprisingly, these aren’t the things that we feared as much as our own weakness and inability to complete the task before us.

We’ve been home three months and a lot has happened in that time. Kinley Grace has become a bubbly, energetic and social toddler. Kooper is learning how to become part of a family, and we are home schooling for the first time.

Initially, we put Kooper in public school for two hours of ESL each day, and in January we enrolled him full-time. However, by the end of the second week we noticed he was no longer interested in family activities and avoided sibling contact. We recognized that he was seeking the approval of his peers and disassociating with his family and immediately decided to take him out of school and educate him at home. This has completely changed our family dynamics, but we are learning to adjust to a structured schedule while allowing the flexibility for spontaneity.

Kooper has learned to depend on us and is gradually understanding we have his best interest at heart. In a few weeks of home school he has learned the alphabet, numbers to 100, recognizing three-letter words and subtraction, which he’s never done before. He’s also reading a book for the first time in his life. We don’t look back, and we don’t look too far ahead. We focus on the present and celebrate each small victory.

We’ve seen the gospel come to life as never before. Daily we draw strength from the Lord, and daily He grants the grace we need to extend to our son. There have been some very difficult days, but we realize that nothing we endure compares to the sacrifice He made for us. He loved us when we were unlovely and when we rejected Him. He is teaching us to do the same with our son.



Our decision to adopt has been from an eternal perspective, but from a practical point of view we realize that with Kooper’s lack of education and life skills, he would not have thrived, or possibly even survived, in China. This knowledge has burdened our hearts for older children. I would encourage any family whom the Lord has burdened for older children to follow in obedience and trust that He will provide ALL you need. He will place before you other families who have traveled the same journey, and they will be a treasure! We believe 2 Corinthians 3:5 ~ Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

There are challenges, but the blessings outweigh them all!

We can’t even count the mountains God has moved to bring our five children home in the last six years. He has pruned our hearts, grown our faith and stretched us beyond imagination. We can’t wait to see what’s around the corner!

Feel free to visit the family's blog HERE.

Lilah

by Paige, mom to Lilah from China with a SN of Tessier Cleft

In April 2007, while attending a ladies morning out program, an advocate from Compassion Canada came and spoke to us about international adoption. While sitting there, God spoke very clearly to me and told me "It is time".

I immediately went home and began researching international adoption and Christian Adoption Services. I very quickly was led to adoption in China and it instantly felt like the right place to be looking.

It took me five days to talk to my husband about what I was feeling, but when I did he was more open to it than I had expected him to be. (I had been praying for five days for God to open his heart to what I had to say). My prayers were answered. He took a few days of praying and thinking, and his heart was opened and he and I could be completely excited about this together!

I have always felt we would adopt at some point. It was something we talked about doing "someday" quite often. After having four kids, it felt like we should be done. God had other plans for our family... The moment he told me it was time, I felt ready in every way and knew there was an empty spot in my heart for this new little girl.

The wait time is almost unbearable... We were logged in the regular program September 25, 2007 and slowly the wait time grew and grew and it looked possible we wouldn't see our daughter until 2015! In May 2008, we switched to the waiting child program and we were instantly comfortable with our decision and all it would entail. We were told at that time that our wait would be about a year. In July, CCAA changed the way they did the waiting child program and we found out that suddenly we were at the "top of the list". Since then there have been a few bumps which were very hard to deal with, but we knew that we will see our daughter in God's perfect timing.


In January 2009, we finally got "the call"! When I saw her I wanted her to be the child I was waiting for, but was not sure how my husband would react. Her paperwork stated that she had a cleft lip and a right eye deformity. When we went over the paperwork together we felt completely overwhelmed and weren't sure if this type of medical condition was something we could handle.

God gave me a verse that day in my devotions. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. -- 1 Samuel 16:7. After talking to some family and close friends and just taking some time to think, we sat down with each other and told each other that this was the child God meant to join our family.

My husband is a Plastic Surgeon, and so we had asked for anything Plastic Surgery related. When he first looked at her picture he knew that is was more complicated than her paperwork indicated and that there would be many unanswered questions until we could get her home and seen by many different doctors. Lilah was born with Tessier 4, a unilateral craniofacial cleft that runs from her lip, up along her nose and into her tear duct. These clefts are numbered from 0 -14 to indicate the location and extent of the cleft. Tessier clefts involve not only the mouth and the nose, but also the rest of the face. It may involve a split in the bones and skin or a misshapen facial feature.



We went to Gaungzhou in May 2009 to get Lilah. She had been in the care of True Children's Home since she was three months old. She had surgery to repair her cleft lip when she was eight months old and was then placed into foster care (which was overseen by TCH). Lilah had just turned two years old. Her adjustment to our family has been amazing, but with a few bumps along the way! She is a very strong willed and smart little girl. She is doted on by her parents and her four older siblings!

There was a lot of issues that her paperwork never mentioned. She has a very misshapen head, but it has nothing to do with her cleft. She is iron deficient and has been put on supplements. Her cleft is not genetic and shouldn't be an issue when she decides to have children of her own. She is very small, but because everything is proportionate, the doctors are not worried about it. We weren't sure if her palate was affected, but it is not.



We are still waiting to see what and when her surgeries will be. But they will be big. She now wears glasses, as her right eye is very farsighted. The next step is to get a CT scan to see exactly what it looks like under the skin. The first surgery will be to build up the bone in her cheek, and at that time they will put in a tissue expander to stretch the skin, so that they can repair and make a new lower eyelid. At this point, I don't have a time frame for her surgeries, we are taking it one day at a time and one step at a time.



But I do have to say this... Lilah is amazing. She learned English within the first two months and speaks in full sentences and can carry on a conversation. Her speech is clear. She has great motor skills and tries to write letters and draw shapes. She runs and spins and dances. She is very affectionate and loves to be held and read to. She is now potty trained and she sleeps like no other child I have ever had! She does look different and the biggest adjustment has been how to deal with the stares from strangers. But, we have not had to deal with speech therapy, developmental or physical delays of any kind. She is a perfect, healthy, intelligent and beautiful little girl. What a gift!

Feel free to visit our family blog here!