Then and Now…the Difference a Year Makes!!

Around this time last year, I was madly fundraising and sharing this picture of Esty turning TEN years old…alone, in an orphanage.

Then...and now!

This morning, I had the thrill of surprising her at school with balloons, her favorite cookies, a party hat and a birthday sash! Tomorrow is her actual birthday, but we did a party in her class as a surprise!

And oh my...

WHAT. A. DIFFERENCE. 

One year.

What can be accomplished in the course of a year by a MIGHTY GOD?

He raised 100% of the funds necessary for us to adopt Esty. (Another MASSIVE thank you to every one of you who helped!!!)

He allowed us to get to her in the NICK OF TIME as she was severely ill and went septic the same week we got her out of her orphanage.

He allowed us to find good healthcare in China and provided the antibiotics necessary to save her life.

He brought us home safely, in spite of nasty winter weather.

He has cemented our family together at the heart. This has not been without struggles as older children who are adopted do struggle. But we are a family who embraces one another fully, with great thankfulness to the God who has done it.

He has provided for the hundreds of hours we have spent at doctors' offices, clinics, hospitals in every way: financially, childcare, transportation, emotional and physical strength.

He has healed Esty of some massive things that have been going wrong with her body for a long time.

Esty has become a champion at all her personal care. (This is a HUGE ONE!) 

She is no longer relinquished to the corner and sitting in a wheelchair. She is walking with AFO's (ankle-foot-orthotics) and quad canes! She is riding a bicycle! 

She can put on and take off her massive TLSO (thoracic-lumbar-sacral-orthotic) (back brace!) by herself. And she never has ONCE complained about it. She wears it 20 hours daily.

God has opened her mind to receive a new language…Esty now speaks English nearly 98% of the time. (And I constantly pray that she maintains some of her Mandarin!)

God has taught her what unconditional love feels like. He has used us in this process. It has been hard, as we are so fallen, but He has done it in spite of us.

He has given her laughter. Hearing her laugh, knowing she is safe and that her future has begun is a most amazing and rewarding thing.

And so tomorrow, we celebrate our dear gift named Esty! We can't wait!

A Year Ago Today...

Sometimes I just sit amazed at ALL God has done in one year's time.

One year ago today, we met Zareb Jeremiah.

He was all dressed up in layers of funny colors as only an orphanage could do!

That moment that the director brought him in to her office to meet his parents was a holy moment.

I KNOW I heard angels' wings flutter. "Shhhh! This is the MOMENT!!" they must have said.

"Jeremiah, this is your Mummy and your Daddy," said Barbara, the director. She led a silent, wide-eyed little boy over to the chairs where we sat waiting with big round eyes ourselves. It was a moment we had all been anticipating and none of us could believe was happening.

"Hullo Mummy." He said in the softest voice, barely lifting his eyes.

"And this is your Daddy," Barbara guided.

"Hullo Daddy." he breathed, looking at his shoes.

We thanked Barbara profusely for choosing us to be his parents. She waved her hand, "No no, I didn't do this, GOD DID." (in a fabulous Ugandan accent)

From there, we immediately got into a taxi to take his passport picture. Note how happy WE were...and how scared to death poor little "Jeremiah" was!

That scared look was appropriate! Who in the world were we?? He left the orphanage for the first time in TEN MONTHS! And with these strange white people!

Then I compare that with how he is now.

It's an astounding change.

He loves freely.

Covers my face with sloppy wet kisses of his own volition.

Giggles.

Eats like there's no tomorrow.

Twirls and sings.

Beats the African drums with his brother and daddy.

Loudly declares his opinions while playing.

He rides a bike without training wheels.

Loves to swim in the pool.

Drops everything and breaks into an all-out run when he learns his daddy is home!

Early in the mornings he crawls into bed with me declaring, "It's snuggle time!"

When we snuggle, he remembers. We talk. He mentions the orphanage. How we came to get him and we brought him here.

Deeper snuggle.

"Will you always keep me safe?" he asks.

"I will."

"We need to get Toby out of the orphanage too, Mommy." This comment breaks my reverie and snaps me back to the job of bringing Toby home.

Reality comes in like an unwanted icy blast...dear little Toby does not yet know the freedom to come find mommy and snuggle and hear that life is going to be alright.

I had NO IDEA that one year from today we would be delighting in Zebby and collectively aching to bring home yet ANOTHER orphan. 

It kind of amazes me.

If I were writing the text of my life story, I would have never added these chapters. These adoption chapters of sons. 

But God.

He is writing our lives, and we are committed to the task of keeping our eyes on Him and obeying. We no more than finalized Zareb's adoption in April and He led us to the file of a Dong BaoKun in China. I think I would have given us a little breather...but not God! Here we go!

I wonder where we will be next August 11 as we mark 2 years of knowing Zareb?

Only God and time will tell.