Prayers and Pictures

In 12 hours Kevin and I will board a plane to China.  China.  I am going to China tomorrow.  I don't know if I will really even believe it when I am actually there.  On July 21st, 2011, a little girl appeared on our agency's waiting child list and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the photograph.  We asked if she was available to pursue adopting.  The answer was yes.  Mountains and mountains of paperwork and a rollercoaster year of emotions later we are traveling to China to bring the person behind that photograph home.

Home.  It is such a great word.  Family.  Even better.  Forever Home with Family.  The best.

We are going in eyes wide open.  We know that this may be the start of the hardest thing we have ever done.  Our daughter may not like us. She may be scared and go silent. She may be angry and scream and cry. She may grieve a life she has always known now gone and be unsure of these new people who she cannot understand.  Her health may be much worse than we could have ever expected.  Or things may go fabulously well.  She may transition beautifully and bond to us before we even leave China.  We may find a way to communicate with one another.  She may understand how much we love her.  She may actually want to come with us and be a part of our family.  We don't know what the journey over the next few weeks holds for us.  But one thing is for sure, we will be her mommy and daddy forever and she will forever be our daughter.  And we have the rest of our lives to figure the rest of it out.

Again thank you for all the love and support you have given to our family, especially these past two weeks.  We know our kids are in good hands and we will come home to a big supportive family.  Our best friends arrived this morning and immediately the stress level around our house dropped.  Then at our church this morning they congregation all prayed for us and showered us with so much love.  What a great send off!!  We ask that you continue to pray for us and we will try to update as we can during our trip.  Here are some specific ways to pray:

*  Safety for all the flights and train rides to and from and in China
*  Opportunities to be a light and share love
*  Kevin's blood sugars would remain in good control and all his medication will function properly
*  Our bodies will stay strong and healthy
*  Elie's heart to be open to Kevin and I.  That she will be prepared to meet us.
*  We can all find a way to communicate with one another
*  Kody, Tyler, and Faith will be comforted while we are away
*  Strength for those caring for the three of them while we are gone
*  All paperwork and money needed during the trip will happen easily and we will not be missing anything
*  Final approval from medical examiners and immigration will go well
*  Safety as we tour all three cities in China and opportunities to meet many local people
*  That we will be able to visit both of Elie's orphanages and meet those who have cared for her, especially her foster mom
*  In all things God will be glorified

And now what you have all been waiting a year for,  here is our daughter, Eliana Hope or as she is know in China, He Liang (pronounced Her Lee-ang).  You can watch her grow up as we have this past year.

This was the image that stole my  heart.  From her birthdate given we knew that this was an old picture and we couldn't wait to see a current photograph.  This is what Elie looked like when she when she was first placed into the system to be adopted.  Looking at the photograph I have no idea why no other family has ever been interested in adopting her...or why we couldn't have been matched with her when she was this age... but I do trust God, His timing and His love for Elie that far exceeds my own.

Once we said yes, we received this next set of photographs of our daughter in a pink puffy coat.  I must have looked at this picture a thousand times, analyzing every detail.  The beautiful warm coat, the stylish shoes, her beautiful smile, all giving me hope that she was happy and well cared for.  I really hope we see this reindeer while we are there.  This picture stayed in my bible, on our refrigerator and in my wallet for many months... and I know it was also on many of your refrigerators too!

Three months later we recieved this photograph.  Our daughter was jumping years at a time each photo that we were given.  Don't you just love her grin?!  And remember the bunny shoes?  

And our latest update came just a month ago.  She has gotten so big!!  I am overjoyed that we will not have to continue to watch her grow through photographs, but instead be the one behind the camera.