When we first found out about Guo Dong Yun, we asked clarifying questions about her medical conditon but didn't receive back any info for almost two months. We prayerfully took a giant leap of faith and said "yes" to her referral before receiving any update on her. Our trust was and is completely in the hands of the Lord. A few days after we said "yes" we received new pictures and a brief update. God is so good! We had prayed very specifically that we might simply be able to see her smile. God answered and blessed us with two precious pictures of her smiling face.
All that to say . . . we really didn't expect to hear anything again this time for another two months. God was just so kind and loving to allow us to receive this update so soon. And if I'm being truly honest, I was experiencing some fear of the unknown. According to Joy's medical reports, she has hip dysplasia. This is a condition which affects the hip joints, and hers is bilateral meaning on both sides. With hip dysplasia the hips are usually unstable with shallow sockets, or they can be partially or completely dislocated. This will require surgery once we get her home. We really do not know the severity of her special needs, and again that is where the faith and trust come in. Also according to the initial reports she is quite small in stature. This can be due to a number of factors: she is institutionalized, she may just be genetically small, or her hip condition could also be affecting her height. However, there is also a chance that her smallness is related to some other condition or syndrome. That is where the fear was hitting me . . . this whole thing is just so unknown. But I know Who holds the "known" in His capable hands. And I know that He is loving Joy and us through whatever His plans may be. And I know that He desires that we trust and rely on Him alone. And I know that we will love her and accept her with joy no matter what.
So, as soon as I received the update my eyes darted to the bottom of the page where the measurements were listed. My heart literally pounded out of my chest, and my eyes filled with tears to see that she had grown about 4 inches since the last report. She is still a small little thing, but to see her growth was just incredible. The wave of relief and thankfulness that I felt is indescribable. God just knew that I needed that. I needed His comfort and reassurance that all is well, and ultimately He is in charge. He is just such a personal Father who proves His love for me over and over again. I stand in awe of Him each and every day. We still don't know so many things about what we will be facing, yet the peace that surpasses all understanding is ours to claim because our hope is in Christ. "Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I say it again, be joyful." Philippians 4:4
Here are some of the fun tidbits that we received about Joy (Guo Dong Yun):
she is called Yun or Mimi (so cute . . . that was and still is sometimes our nickname for Mia)
she talks a lot (oh boy!) and likes smiling :)
she loves dolls and bells (girly and musical?)
she likes snacks (she is definitely a Metzgar!)
she likes to share food and toys with other kids (kindness and humility . . . so sweet)
she likes to play games with other kids (she will fit right in)
We were also given the name of the nanny that she is closest to: Liang Jian Ying. That brought tears to my eyes to know that she is being cared for by someone special. She is bonded to someone who loves her. We are so thankful to know her by name so that we can pray for her and show her our gratitude for helping to nurture our daughter until we can bring her home. We are not sure if this picture below is of her or not, but we would like to think so. She looks so happy and proud of our little one! This also brings sadness for the loss that Joy will feel when she leaves everything and everyone that she has ever known. We pray that the love she has been shown will help her to understand the love that we desire to give her. Ultimately, our deepest desire is that she will come to know and understand the love of her heavenly Father.
