Beijing and Beyond!

We had an amazing time in Beijing! What a privilege to experience the Chinese culture! Here are some pictures of the highlights. The only thing missing is Joy!

 

 

 

We are now in Nanning, and we are just a few hours away from meeting Joy. We found out that the supervisor of the orphanage will be bringing her to our hotel instead of the civil affairs office. This is a blessing that we weren't expecting. We will be united in the comfort of our hotel which will hopefully be a more peaceful experience for all of us. Our guide, Hannah, is so helpful! She actually talked to the orphanage supervisor who told her some details about Joy. Apparently, she does indeed talk a lot! She knows she has a family coming for her. She told everyone that her parents sent her the cakes! :) She also informed her nanny that she should talk to her a lot and give her a lot of food because she is leaving and moving to another country! She sounds like a funny little thing! We pray that we will get to see that little personality come out in time. It's almost here!

"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Joy, Here We Come!

"One more day" . . . we have been waiting and waiting to recite that phrase! We made it to the end of the countdown . . . Joy, here we come! Mia and I had so much fun organizing Joy's clothes and packing her suitcase. This is all about to become reality!

The bags are all packed, and we are all so excited, we can hardly stand it! We can hardly believe we are going to China, and we can hardly believe that we will meet our little Joy face to face and bring her home. Now, we just pray that all these bags make it to their final destination!

 

 I am thanking the Lord this evening amidst all of the excitement and busyness, that my heart is truly at peace. God is in control, He is sovereign over all! He has planned this adoption since the beginning of time. We are just thankful that He has chosen us to be a part of His plan for Joy's life. There are so many unknowns, yet we know the One who holds the future in His hands. We continue to fervently pray for Joy, as her life, and ours, is about to be changed forever. We pray that God in His mercy will help her, and us, to feel His perfect peace. We can't wait to tell her about Jesus! Precious, little one, we love you and can't wait to meet you! Please join us in praying for Joy and for the country of her birth!

 

"The joy of the Lord is my strength." Nehemiah 8:10

Prayers for Joy

We are so grateful for our wonderful church body! On our final Sunday as a family of 5, we were prayed over by our church. God has blessed us with a loving and supportive community of believers! We were showered with encouragement, and it brought such joy to our hearts. In addition, my sister's family is also about to bring home their little ones. God has orchestrated every detail, and He has ordained that our two families would experience this all together. What a kind and good Father we serve!

 "God sets the lonely in families." Psalm 68:6

So many precious people are praying for us and for Joy! We continue to stand in awe of our Lord and how He has surrounded us with His love through His saints. Today we paid our final adoption invoice, and we had just enough! God has consistently and miraculously provided financially for our adoption expenses. Again, we stand in awe! We have not always known how He would provide, but we believed that He would. Even when I doubted, He provided. Even when we had a major water leak in our house, He provided. Even when we had no idea where the money would come from, He provided. When we tallied up our fundraising efforts, and it was the exact amount of the matching grant we received, we were convinced that he provided. He has proven Himself faithful time and time again. How could I ever doubt?

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." Isaiah 12:2-3

Joy's Cake

We had a special cake sent to the orphanage in honor of Joy's homecoming! Here it is along with a couple of fun, new pics. Gotta love that face! :)

Special Preparations

We continue to count down the days . . . we will be leaving in just over a week. It is strange how the days can seem to be flying by, yet time is slowly ticking. The preparations are in full swing. It is almost time to start the packing, to empty the bags of  "stuff for China". Those little clothes hanging in the closet are almost ready to find their way into a suitcase.

 

Joy's bed is empty, waiting for a little precious China doll to occupy it. For now, her little dollies wait for her. They will be in her arms so soon . . . and she will be in ours!

 

 

Today we received an adorable backpack that we ordered for Joy. This will be for her special things, a concept that she has probably never experienced. We can't wait to load it up with art supplies, stickers, books, and treats. Yet, these things are a dim reflection of the love and blessings that we desire to give her. Our heavenly Father blesses us with good gifts, yet nothing can compare to His unfailing love!

My mind spins at times with all that needs to get done, yet my heart is at peace. That's only possible because . . . "the peace of God which transcends all understanding is guarding my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus." This incredible peace leads to just one word . . .

We're Going to China!

Joy, here we come! We officially received the travel approval on September 25th, the day right after I had written that last post. God is so faithful, never failing to keep us standing in awe of His wonderful ways! Mia started the official white board countdown . . .

A week has already passed, and we now leave for China in 3 weeks! So many details are swimming around in our minds. Yet, we are praying that we will stay focused on Christ and His goodness. We are fervently praying that Joy will transition well into our family. We are also praying for health and saftety for all of us. We are about to embark on an adventure that will forever change us. It is so good! We desire that God will change us continually, drawing us closer and closer to Himself. We welcome the things that force us to cling to Him. Whatever we may face, we long to remember that when we are weak, He is strong! Precious Joy, we love you and can't wait to show you just how much!