Lately...(it's been too long since our last post)

Wowser! Has it really been 4 months since our last post?! Reading back over my last entry is a jolting reminder of how far He has led us as a family in such a short time- although, as is usually the case, it didn’t seem so short in the midst of it.  Pierce is doing fantastic now. The rough (really rough) first 6-8 weeks are quickly fading out of sight in the rearview mirror and we’re basking in his beautiful true-self as it emerges more each week. We’re so very thankful for the glorious future He has planned for him.  Pierce is a joyful, smiling, silly, adjusted member of the family. He still has his stubborn, disobedient moments each day (don’t we all) and is still working on being gentle with his words and body. We find ourselves saying, “let’s try again” numerous times each day as we try to gently correct and redirect him, but overall he’s working through things that most 4 year olds are being trained in. {Pierce is 6 but developmentally he’s closer to 4}.

As the last step in the adoption process we traveled to the American embassy in Guangzhou a few weeks ago to get Pierce’s visa for entry into the States this coming summer.  During his medical exam the physician and social worker asked what his disabilities were. Upon hearing that there were none, they questioned how he was labeled “waiting child” by Beijing last spring. Quick reminder: if Pierce hadn’t been labeled “waiting child” last May then his folder would have hit the worldwide system then there would have been virtually no chance of us being matched with him. That’s why EVERYONE, even our own agency, told us for over a year that it simply wasn't going to happen and we needed to be realistic about it. A classification of “waiting child” is given to children who might be harder to find adoptive parents for, either because of health or age. Wendy told them he was labeled this way because of his age. They appeared puzzled and said that children must be 9 years old before they’re classified as such. They got on the phone and called our provincial capital to verify and seek clarification. Now mind you, Pierce’s adoption is final, so there was no danger in anything being reversed. The physician and social worker spend each work day doing the exams and filing the proper paperwork for international adoptions, and they had never heard of such a thing before. They were just baffled by it. We weren’t.  Pierce’s adoption into our family was directed by the King of Kings.  He moved mountains, changed hearts, and cut red tape to bring us together. Nothing was going to stop Him, not even technicalities in the system.  This somewhat humorous exchange was a great reminder of our Father’s care and sovereignty. We continue to give Him praise and honor and thanksgiving for all He did! For over a year, with tears and many sleepless nights we pleaded, questioned, and ultimately surrendered the whole process to Him as we waited in faith. Now that it is over we want to ensure that our thanksgiving is at least that long- but in reality it will be for eternity! I praise you Father and love you dearly. You are faithful and you are good in all you do. Through all our worries and questions you had it all under control and your timing was perfect. Thank you for your patience and grace.

One more bit of praise. In total, Sheldon and Pierce’s adoptions cost $45,000. That’s about $45,000 more than we had. J Many of you supported us in prayer and in finances to bring these little guys home. We thank you and we thank our Father for being our provider. It’s simply beautiful to watch a segment of the Kingdom unite together to accomplish something eternal. We are eternally grateful.

This will be our last semester in China. We’re praying through our options for what is next, but want to finish strong here.  We welcome back the students and begin a new semester in 10 days after enjoying several weeks of rest and renewal during the winter holiday.  It will be good to see our dear students again, although each semester we are saying goodbye to more and more precious friends as they graduate and move on.  Several students who spent many afternoons and evenings in our home left at the end of last semester. This semester will be different without them, but He continues to put new people in our path.  More to come……..Grace and peace.

Here's a quick video of Pierce singing his and Sheldon's favorite song: