The most incredible gift we know of right now isn’t wrapped up in pretty paper or colorful bows. It’s not under a tree and will last far longer than any of the gifts that are.

I’ll allow Lydia to share the big news via her final first-grade journal entry of the year.

That’s right.

NJ is getting the best Christmas gift ever, the assurance that a family has said yes and that a family—his family—is already working feverishly to get papers signed and gathered into a brown paper package tied up with string so that they can go get him in China and bring him home for good. 

And, guess what? He’s going to grow up not all that far from us.

Can this Christmas be any merrier?

Hello, thank you for contacting us. We are experiencing an extraordinary volume of requests right now and appreciate your patience. We will be with you in approximately…10 days.

I kinda feel like I need to set that as my email auto reply.

Mark’s (ironically) in China which means I’m the only big person taking care of 5 little persons. Our Christmas cards are still neatly stacked in cellophane wrappers on our dining room table. There are wooden blocks and pretend food that look like permanent fixtures in our seasonal decor. I just keep flagging emails for me to get to tomorrow…and then tomorrow…and then tomorrow.

I thought it would be hard to press pause on nearly everything for this little guy. But, it’s really not that hard. What needs to get done will eventually get done. It’s actually really nice to stop so actively doing to stay close to him and watch him experience little things for the first time.

We were quite a sight. One lady with a camera, 3 white kids and 1 Chinese girl, all giggling and coaxing this little Chinese boy who was anxiously navigating a few inches of water. The bath at our home seemed crazy to him. For sure, this pool was mind-blowing.

As I hovered over him, fully attentive and always within arm’s reach to pull him up when he stumbled, I couldn’t help but imagine him in a different place, in a different situation, in layers and layers of clothes he’d surely be wearing, in a room with many children with no one hovering.

Everyone deserves to be hovered over.

What an honor, what a privilege, what a joy that we get to hover over him now.

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.

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.