The big day... (and a reflection on adoption)

Ok, we haven't packed our bags yet, and it may be some time before we are able to pack our bags and return to China, but we are on our way! Yesterday we took the a very big step towards adding another child to our family. We sent our application to Holt International Adoption. When we adopted Isaac we learned that "special needs" does not have to mean scary and unmanageable and with that knowledge in hand we are set to begin another "special needs" adoption. Every mother knows her child is special, and it is nice to know that the whole world agrees ;o) To date China has matched families whose paperwork was logged in as of March 30, 2006. Our original adoption paperwork was logged in with CCAA on August 30, 2006. There are still five months ahead of our original log in date, sadly we believe that we will be home with our second child before families who started the "non-special needs" adoption are matched with their children. We are always in prayer for these families, that God will give them peace and assurance that in His time, He will bring their children into their arms. We also pray that things in China will speed up for these families. However, in the mean time there are many, many children who wait in orphanags who are "special" and in need of a Mommy and Daddy to love them and take care of them.

It's just so amazing to see what love can do and as I look back over the past 14 months it is simply amazing to see how love and nurture have brought amazing changes to a little boy that 4 years ago I would have considered unadoptable because of my lack of knowledge. I shake my head in amazement of the many things I would have missed had I not allowed God to work in my heart and then take the time to educate myself about what the special needs program entailed. My heart breaks that there are children out there, waiting because other people have not educated themselves about special needs. I was surprised to find how many "special" people I already have in my life: family members, friends, co-workers, people that I can't imagine my life without. People that in different circumstances could have found themselves in an orphanage waiting and hoping for a family. We are so blessed to have insurance, even with the problems that exist in our system we have insurance. I ask myself, would Isaac's mother have been able to keep him as her son if she had the luxury of insurance like I do? I pray that God reveals Himself to her and that He comforts her heart with the knowledge of her son's beautiful smile and that he is in a loving home and is going to be a successful man.

Here he is, my boy. Such an energetic little man, so full of life. He has no idea that he isn't a good match for a game of basketball with Daddy and Big Gramps.