What if I told you...

Since learning who our little girl is just over a week ago - our world has been fully rocked.

Here's the thing about international adoption that stinks - she's on the other side of the world. Literally. When we wake up it's her bedtime. When we are awake - she's sleeping and vise versa. That should make for interesting upcoming travel.

We were prepared to receive a referral, learn all we could from that single email and a few outdated photos and wait for 6 months to travel. We were prepared to imagine how she might change from those photos, what she would be able to do by the time we met her and how she would develop from the child we read about in the referral to the child we would meet 6 months later.

That isn't quite how this worked out.  We have a remarkably rare gift - our little one is in a foster home. A foster home with a Facebook page, a website, and a blog...and they post information and photos. Many photos. Up-to-date photos.

(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

We have read all about her. Our world is well rocked and she is sufficiently stalked by her momma, daddy, siblings, uncle and grandparents. We have seen over 50 photos of her (and Glory to God - their camera skills aren't bad!!). We've seen her on her first birthday - which is precious to me beyond words. We've seen a picture of her struggling with pneumonia in the hospital. Yesterday we saw a picture of her just after being released from the hospital and today - we saw a picture of her smiling which brings my heart such joy because she had been so very sick. We are piecing details of her life without us day by day - we are filling in the gaps. What.a.gift.

God willing - she's going to be ours in about 6 months. She's already ours in our hearts.
She's in place (we've been told) is one of the best places to be for an orphan in China.
She is loved by her caregivers (and if you've seen her - who couldn't love her!!)
She hears both English and Mandarin.
She is close to excellent medical facilities prepared to operate on her heart as soon as she is fully recovered.

That more than covers my Christmas wish list.

What if I told you that you had the power to give someone hope beyond their wildest dreams?

If you are looking for a place to donate before the year-end...if you are looking for a way to bring hope to a place that really is the hands and feet of Jesus...a place that cares for the forgotten, the sick, the children who are fatherless and motherless...please check out the website for New Day Foster Home. There is a button on the top right of their where you can see how you can help. Also - please "like" them on Facebook. This is a home for children with such severe medical needs that they need extra care. The people working there not only nurture, love, care for, and educate the children living there - they also grieve deeply over the ones who pass away. The children need hope, and some need a miracle. The people who work there do too.

We all have the power to give hope. Pray for a miracle.
Nothing is impossible with God.

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27