Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya, tomorrow! You're only a day away!
|
Joan of Arc
February 27, 2012 was the day that changed everything. Our family had bridged the seemingly impassible gap of 6 years of waiting and we breathlessly gripped our daughter and christened her with our tears. The day seemed to be flashing by with locomotive speed... and yet, I could feel every single thump of my heart. I will never forget locking eyes with Sterling when the nannies first rounded the corner from the elevator. I knew she was forever mine.
Our daughter was born a preemie, and was left in a bush on a busy corner of a public park the day of her birth. She was weak and her lungs were underdeveloped. Her mother could not care for her and she had no alternatives. She did what she could. She wrapped her baby, probably gave her a final kiss, and somehow found the strength to walk away... giving her daughter a desperate chance for life in a socialistic society that somehow lost the idea that life is precious.
Sterling was a survivor. She spent months in a incubator and grew stronger each day. Kellie and I stood by the incubator that was donated by persons unknown to us that saved our daughter's life. We are always grateful for this kindness we can never repay. Sterling is alive today because of the selflessness of: a mother, a donor, a team of nannies, and a nurse who all work together to save the lives of some 300 babies at a time.
That day we visited Sterling's nursery at the Fo Shan Orphanage in Guandong Province, China, thousands of miles and half a globe away from home... we had no idea that 7 months later Sterling would again play with a crib-mate.
Our daughter was born a preemie, and was left in a bush on a busy corner of a public park the day of her birth. She was weak and her lungs were underdeveloped. Her mother could not care for her and she had no alternatives. She did what she could. She wrapped her baby, probably gave her a final kiss, and somehow found the strength to walk away... giving her daughter a desperate chance for life in a socialistic society that somehow lost the idea that life is precious.
Sterling was a survivor. She spent months in a incubator and grew stronger each day. Kellie and I stood by the incubator that was donated by persons unknown to us that saved our daughter's life. We are always grateful for this kindness we can never repay. Sterling is alive today because of the selflessness of: a mother, a donor, a team of nannies, and a nurse who all work together to save the lives of some 300 babies at a time.
That day we visited Sterling's nursery at the Fo Shan Orphanage in Guandong Province, China, thousands of miles and half a globe away from home... we had no idea that 7 months later Sterling would again play with a crib-mate.
"Let us then, be up and doing. With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait."
|
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
These days are incredible for our family. We have taken some steps of faith that are bigger than the measure of our stride. We have leaned heavily into the foundation of our belief and the strength of our God. I write my stories down because I am often in disbelief.
Jerry and Jennifer Bennett came across our story online. Jennifer and Kellie began chatting and discovered with increased excitement that we had both adopted from China... from the same city... the same international agent... the same orphanage... the same room... a crib apart... separated only by the time span of about a month! Our daughters played together and clung to life together in that far away place, and now we discover that we live less than two hours apart in Ohio. Seriously? Are you kidding me?
The odds are astounding. In 2011 UNICEF estimated over 712,000 orphans in China, with over 4000 orphanages as agreed on by most agencies and as reported by MSNBC. In this country of 1.344 Billion, in a city of 16 Million, these two little girls found themselves together first as abandoned, then separated and removed from their country, and finally find themselves playing together at a museum in Columbus, Ohio now as adopted and cherished daughters of two very similar American families. Each were brought home to an older brother and sister, a Golden Doodle, and a big house in an old neighborhood. Even when they seemed so lost... a loving home awaited them both. The odds are meaningless.
|
"Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times."
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Do you have questions about faith? Let me tell you about my faith. Let me tell you how God has grabbed firmly onto my life and shaken it. Let me tell you of the awe and joy that overshadows the doubt and fear. Let me tell you how every aspect of our lives has changed and how our faith has now become the driving force behind our existence. Let me tell you how you can walk with us as we take new steps to extend this miracle of adoption to the abandoned and the orphaned of Guatemala. We have encountered miracles. We have encountered truth. It has changed our lives.
See our daughters as they play together. I am convinced that deep near the foundation of their souls these two beautiful girls are bound closely together by the hand of an almighty God who formed them and has held them since that day. He holds all the children of the world and He holds you as well. No matter what the outcome, He is God... whether He holds them while he weaves their story on this earth or whether He holds them as they slip into eternity.
Our question will always be... what did we do to stand in this world for the innocent?
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.
Isaiah 42:16 NIV
To learn more about our MISSION and how we need your help:
Shepherds In Guatemala
Walk with us now as monthly sponsors and make your stand in the world!
Chad & Kellie, Once again I am moved to tears. How in the world could these two baby girls once again reunite half way across the world? Coincidence? It's stories like these that God shows how intimately and deeply involved He is in our lives, down to the tiniest details. God is good! Thank you for continuing to share your stories with us!
ReplyDelete