Archives for December 2015

I was wondering how long it would take.

We gathered in the kitchen to pray before rushing off to school this morning. I reminded them of the need to pray in a specific way.

Drew, can you pray for us today? Don’t forget to pray for one of the families interested moves forward and says yes to NJ.

But…I want us to adopt him.

Oh, honey, you are so so great with him. You are such a good big brother to him right now. But, remember that we were called to do this and take care of him for right now so that we could help him find a family. Maybe we will adopt another little guy, maybe. I’m not saying no to that. But, our job right now is to do all we can to help NJ find another family who will be his family for forever.

(sigh.) I know. Okay.

It’s all part of our process, all part of our story and now also part of his. All of us are rallying together as a team to care for this little one for a season. As we do that, of course our hearts are engaged and overwhelmed, each of us in our own way.

Mark put his pressing to-do list aside to wrestle and tickle and make up funny songs to entertain him. Evan talks to him at the table and tries to get him to say words. Ashlyn carries him in the baby carrier and helps me with my tasks so that I am freed up to do the things only I can do for him. Drew nurtures him as if he was made for it, chasing him around, carrying him even when his arms hurt, offering him his lap at every opportunity, and desperately trying to cushion his head when he’s about to hurt himself by throwing himself down in anger when he’s told no. And, sweet Lydia, she shares. She shares her Mama and Daddy and her brothers and her sister with a child from China who is alone and doesn’t have a family like she does. She has compassion on him in a deep, deep way that the rest of us simply cannot.

We’re all in for this boy. But, that doesn’t mean he’s ours. We didn’t say yes to hosting to “try a kid out.” We said yes to hosting a child because we just felt like we couldn’t say no. And, as hard as it is—and it is, particularly over the next 10 days as I care for these 5 children alone (Mark left for China yesterday)—I am glad we are all where we are. We are all so excited to be a part of his story, even knowing that it will only be a chapter, believing that God is working for his good, continuing to write the rest of it even today.

Interested in learning more about adoption, the children being hosted through Living Hope Adoption Agency, or becoming a host for the next group of children coming this summer? Email Sarah at Living Hope to learn more.

It’s nearly 9:30pm right now. I can’t believe I’m not in bed yet. It’s been beckoning to me since a little before N.J.’s afternoon nap. And, that was over 8 hours ago. Somewhere along my journey of motherhood, I got caught up in the elementary and middle school seasons and forgot how physically demanding a toddler can be. It’s been a while, and my left arm and back are readily reminding me of that…as is the wooden play food strewn across my living room floor that I’m choosing to leave there so N.J. can pick up tomorrow where he left off.

When our kids begged us to host a child without a family (yet) for Christmas, it was one of the reasons I came up with for why we might not want to do that. It’s been a long time since we did this. Our life is really different now. We’re in a good parenting season right now. They promised they’d help. They promised it would be their ministry, their way to serve, their gift this Christmas to offer the King. They wanted a little one around here who they could help take care of and help find a family for. They were compelling, though Mark and I wondered what that would end up actually looking like in all practicality.

Only a couple days into this commitment, let me give you a few glimpses of what it looked like today.

Interested in learning more about this little guy we’re calling “N.J.”? He’s currently available for adoption through Living Hope Adoption Agency. He’s “special focus” which means that any family, regardless of if they have any paperwork ready, could adopt him. Email Sarah at Living Hope to learn more.

No international trip happens without a wee bit of chaos. Apparently, the journey of 12 orphans and their caregivers is no different. When the translator and director of the program received a call from an immigration officer asking what was up, we knew there’d be a slight delay in his arrival plans. Turns out, that slight delay put him arriving at our house at 2:30am Saturday night. Our four so wanted to stay up to welcome him. We finally coaxed them to go to sleep only when we promised we’d wake them up to tell them he was finally here.

I’m beginning to get a little insecure about my scary factor because just like Lydia did when we first met her, when N.J. came in, he shooed me away and went right for Mark, saying “Baba” as he did. By the time we introduced him to four sleepy children and gave him some food though, I must have moved up on his acceptable list. By 3:30am, he was bundled in footie pajamas and cocooned in my arms on the couch. There he and I stayed for 3 hours, both of us in and out of sleep. Let’s just say that by 7am, he looked pretty cute, and I looked like I needed a few cups of coffee.

Despite his crazy adventure getting here, he has done beautifully, joining us for church and his first Sunday School class (the bags under my eyes and I stayed with him) and for Lydia’s Chinese class Sunday afternoon (he genuinely seemed to enjoy hearing Mandarin…and me letting him rip up paper at his desk).

And, let me tell you this, people. This boy breaks all stereotypes of the petite Chinese child. At about 3 1/2, he easily weighs more than Lydia. Could have something to do with the fact that he thoroughly enjoys food, like kind of all the time. We got no problem there, people. In fact, when he’s not eating, he is playing that he’s eating. Yup, his favorite toy here so far is this play pot filled with pretend food that he stirs over and over again and then pretends to eat.

Interested in learning more about this little guy we’re calling “N.J.”? He’s currently available for adoption through Living Hope Adoption Agency. He’s “special focus” which means that any family, regardless of if they have any paperwork ready, could adopt him. Email Sarah at Living Hope to learn more.

A little 3 1/2 year old boy just braved a very busy airport, went through security, had papers checked and double checked, and then walked down a funny little hallway to board a big plane for his very first plane ride. There are 11 other children with him all anxiously anticipating what will be at the end of that plane ride. There are also 4 orphanage directors and some other caregivers too accompanying them, no doubt excited and anxious too about what the place they literally call “beautiful country” is really like.

I can only imagine the scene of getting those children ready to go with only small backpacks on their backs with whatever someone saw as essentials. I wonder if the staff made them all hold hands, weaving through the crowds of the airport like the tail of a kite. Did the wealthy people in their fashionable clothes there in Beijing point at them and try to take their picture? Did the staff put their hands up, gesturing for privacy? Or, did the staff proudly line the children up, appreciating the attention to this brand new exchange program for their orphanage?

N.J. is the youngest child in the group. The oldest is nearly 14. I hope all of their seats are together so that oldest boy or one of those children can show N.J. how to watch a show to pass the time. There’s a lot of it to pass—13 hours after which N.J. will get in a car (and a carseat for the first time) for another 2 1/2 hours before he arrives at our door.

We’re all going to stay up past bedtime to welcome him in a quiet way. No signs. No fanfare. No big hugs. We’ll let him wander around a little to see this place that will be his home for this season. We’ll show him where the little potty is (the one I couldn’t believe I was buying yesterday). We’ll show him his bed and loosen the sheets for him and show him how to pull them down (so much is so different). And, then we’ll just sit and pray that he eventually will want to get in them and sleep so the rest of us can too.