I wrote this back on March 31st, and finally put into blog post format. Enjoy a piece of our lives.
Yesterday we had the most amazing chance of visiting our daughters orphanage. I was nervous about it, in more ways than one – however we knew our daughters orphanage has always been part of her story. It’s really all she’s ever known. And we didn’t want to erase it from her story, but only preserve it for her future questions to better her life and her story for God’s glory.
We entered the old city where our daughter’s orphanage resides.
Behind those billboards – are literal shacks. We found this all over Chin@.
The old orphanage wasn’t much – this is a way better building for the children.
As we drove up in a little van to the orphanage I thought the outside was a rather beautiful building. The building was only a few years old, and the front area was filled with beautiful blooming trees and a small play ground. As we walked inside it was much like we expected, yet much different then what we expected. Plain walls and very institutional looking. It was quiet. Very quite.
We walked up a couple flights of stairs. And down a large open dim hallway. So quiet. So still. And we came to a room with double doors decorated with cartoon characters. The door was opened and it was bright, sunny. This was it. This was the room our daughter has lived in for almost her entire life. {Our daughters orphanage room gets special funding from our adoption agency. They make sure they keep it up and make it as cheery as possible, and that the children get as much care as they possibly can. – However there are too many babies to care for per one nanny.}
Embracing one of the women that cared and loved on my child while I couldn’t.
As we walked in – several nannies hollered out our daughters Chinese name. Our little girl quickly cuddled up to my shoulder. But then the moment came! One of the nannies that she has spent the most time with saw her. She quickly grabbed her from my arms and started talking to her, and hugging her and tears quickly started streaming down her face. It was a tough moment. For the nanny, for our daughter and for me. But it was a good moment. The nanny spoke to me in mandarin and our guide translated her words to me. She told me that the day came that our daughter was going to leave – and she went to wash a baby bottle out for another child, and she came back and our little girl was already gone. She never was able to say goodbye. Right then and there, I knew God orchestrated yet again, another beautiful moment. This woman who has cared for my child the best way she could, did love my child as her own. My little girl was snuggling up to her nanny – it was hard, but it was beautiful. My daughter kept looking at me while her nanny kept holding her and talking to me. She was so thankful we came back to say goodbye and she kept telling our daughter that she had a good mama who was going to take good care of her. Then my daughter was handed back to me, she quickly cuddled right into my shoulder. My heart melted. I began to feel the tears coming. True love. True sacrifice. Simply beautiful.
As we furthered our way into other rooms of the orphanage – we spotted so many children. So many children who need families. We walked passed cribs filled with babies staring up at us, we walked past toddlers who came up to us and just looked up and stared with the saddest of eyes. We also saw the tiniest little person I have ever laid eyes on, laying in a incubator. My heart was overwhelmed. We’ve got to do something! We’ve got to do more!
As we walked back through, I smiled and rubbed hands to as many children as I could. I knelt down on my knees to touch the hand of a little girl my daughters age who’s eyelids were deformed, my daughter quickly grabbed my neck tight. She thought I was going to set her on the floor – it was at that moment my overwhelmed feeling brought me back to my daughter. We ARE doing something right now. We have our little girl who no doubt wants to be with us. One less orphan. And that’s something beautiful! Our daughter had only been with us a day and half – and it was evident she loved the nannies who cared for her, but she was already loving her mommy and daddy too. She wanted to be with us. My mama heart was overjoyed!
If your heart has been prompted by us sharing our story over these several months – we give honor and glory to the Lord above. He’s the one who has opened our hearts and our lives for our little girl, he’s the one who has provided the money we needed to cover the adoption expenses. And we pray for those of you, who’s hearts are stirring towards adoption. (You know who you are, and we know several of you have shared your hearts with us since we’ve begun the adoption process.) Please pray about, how God would have your family help the fatherless. We can’t express this enough: adoption is truly a beautiful story of redemption, God’s love and grace. You won’t regret it!
As I sit her typing this post, our little girl is napping peacefully in our hotel room. She has been with us one day, and a half. She has been opening up with us with leaps and bounds. She’s starting to trust us more, and has already been in contact with her siblings via skype, and it’s no doubt the love is very mutual.
Being away from the rest of our children is hard. We miss them terribly! And we can’t wait to have our whole family together. But for now…we wait some more. We wait for paperwork to be completed. Nothing new! We’ve been waiting for almost a year, what’s a few more days – she’s in our arms now! And besides, it’s just another learning curve and another chance to rejoice in all the things God is doing!
Praise the Lord with us! We have our daughter! <3
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