147 milllion orphans - 3

Sweet Ainsley is no longer on my sidebar because she has a family!  Praise God for 1 less orphan.

 

Mei Mei and Di Di are still in Leiyang SWI, but they have a family working hard to bring them home.  If you are new to our family's blog, these 2 were Leiney Grace's best friends - her sister and brother - her family before she came to us.  They are currently about $800 short of having their homestudy paid for.  Please consider donating.  It will cost an estimated $45,000 to adopt these 2 precious little ones.  There is a link on my sidebar where you can donate to their adoption.  Your donation will be tax- deductible.   Also, their parents-to-be are selling their camper in an effort to raise funds.  Here is a link to their blog where you can find more information about the camper as well as their other fundraisers!  www.lovesredthread.blogspot.com



Dedicated to my dear friend Amy who has recently shared with me - via a few lengthy phone conversations along with innumerable interuptions by one or more of our 13 children - the blessings of a large family as well as the extra work that inevitably comes with the blessings!  Constantly being in the kitchen cooking, cleaning, repeat, cooking, cleaning, repeat - over and over and over again - is just one example. 

Hats off (and happy cooking) to my fellow M.O.M.s
(Mother of Many)!

Too Funny Tuesday

It's VBS week, and I am helping with 3rd grade.  Today I had the funniest conversation with 2 of the girls.  It went something like this. . .
After seeing numerous kids come up to me in the halls and say "Mom, . . ." one of the girls approached me. . .

GIRL: Mrs. Jan, how many kids do you have?
ME: Guess!
GIRL: 4
ME: Nope
GIRL: 5
ME: Nope
GIRL: 3
ME: Nope
GIRL: 1
 ME: Nope
GIRL: 2
ME: Nope
GIRL: I don't know! (quite exasperated!)
ME: I have 8 kids!
GIRL: (eyes quite large and in complete shock) You DO?
ME: Yes, I really do.

Girl returns to the line and shares this amazing info with several other 3rd grade girls.  Girl #2 comes up to me. . .

GIRL #2: Mrs. Jan, do you really have 8 kids?
ME: Yes, I do.
GIRL #2: (in absolute seriousness) Well, how many HUSBANDS do you have?
ME: (trying not to fall on the floor laughing) Oh, I just have 1 husband!

Giving Thanks!

Wonderful News:

These 2 precious children, Leiney Grace's best friends from Leiyang SWI, have a family pursuing their adoption!  Yes, 1 family for both of them! And our God allowed that family to be only 45 minutes from us.  And the 3 will attend the same Chinese immersion school.  How cool is that? Thank you, Jesus!

Mom's on a Mission received it's first donation towards Mei Mei's (now Di Di's too) grant fund. Please consider giving if you have not.  Even if it's $10 - God can and will multiply each and every donation. Thank you, Jesus for the kind friend who gave from her heart to "the least of these"!

Oh, and thank you, sweet Jesus, for notes such as this one from my children.  This one is from Lilly, and it is so special!  She had it on the floor of the hallway to my bedroom.  I saw it when I woke up one recent morning staggering to the coffee pot.  What a wonderful way to wake up!

Thank you, Father in Heaven, that tonight as we shared one thing we were thankful for during family devotion, this precious child  said in a whisper "Jesus".  That is why I adopt again and again, and moments like that make me forget all the sweat and tears over paper work as well as the sacrifice it took to afford another adoption.  Also a big thank you to Jennifer O. who took this beautiful picture of Leiney Grace on very short notice.

Thank you, Father, for laughter!  I had a good chuckle when I saw all the pictures my silly son took of himself when he "borrowed" my camera! 

Blessed and Thankful

Happy Mother's Day Ya'll!

                                           It was Mother's Day.
                                           I asked for a few simple things.
                                           My hubby did good.
                                           Kisses from Katie - so excited to read this book!
                                           And my current favorite tee from 147 Million.
                                           Lots of cute homemade cards.
                                           But when I asked for a picture. . .
                                           Well, I guess that was asking for a little too much!
                                           It was painful and long and  loud
                                           and the result - not what I was hoping for.
                                           But, on this Mother's Day,  I am blessed
                                           and thankful just the same!

Blessed and thankful for Mamas in China who chose life for these 3 beautiful daughters of mine.  I can't imagine my life without them. 

 

And so blessed and thankful to have this adorable and stubborn silly son of mine. All because a mom in Inner Mongolia chose life!

 

And on this Mother's Day, praying for Mei Mei to have a Mama to love and call her own! 

Moms on a Mission

Mei Mei, "Maria" on BAAS's list, first caught my eye months ago when I opened the above picture of Lei Qing Quan, the daughter I was waiting to meet on the other side of the world.  The smile on Mei Mei's face grabbed my heart.  Now 3 months after bringing Leiney Grace home, Mei Mei is still gripping my heart.  Praise God that she is even available for international adoption, but she has lingered on a "list" for over a year - waiting - just waiting for someone to say "Yes, you are my beloved daughter!"  I have spent many hours contemplating what  I can do to help this child who is so desperate for a family.   A child who walks on deformed and painful feet. . .who can barely wear shoes. . .who may need a bilateral amputation. . .who has spina bifida which scares a lot of potential families away?

Mei Mei's left foot is severly deformed.  Through the help of my good friend Amy, we have had a pediatrician review her file and currently have a pediatric orthopedic specialist reviewing it.  It appears that her feet, with the left being much worse, were neurologically damaged due to her not receiving surgery for the spina bifida until she was 3 years old.  This breaks my hurt and motivates me to help this little girl!    "Don't forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to God."  Hebrews 13:16

Being the "fixer" and "doer" that I am, I have not been idle.   I have been advocating on waiting children sites and spreading the word about this beautiful child to fellow adoptive moms.  I have been praying ALOT.  As many of you have guessed, I would go get little Mei Mei in a second, but there are 2 BIG obstacles in my way - a reluctant husband (mainly reluctant because of the financial burden) and $20, 000 plus - the current cost of an adoption from China.  Sadly, many times the money is all that stands in the way of a child finding their forever family. . . it seems that those who have the money don't have the "calling". So as we expectantly wait to see exactly which special family the Lord has ordained for Mei Mei, another adoptive mom, Jennifer(www.theocaincrew.blogspot.com)  and I  are teaming up to raise funds for Mei Mei's adoption in hopes that a sizeable grant may better enable a family to step forward and say "Yes" to Mei Mei.

"Mom's on a Mission" - our plan is quite simple:
Raise as much money as we can and designate all of it for a grant for Mei Mei's family. 

As Jennifer and I are planning our yard sale, craft show, bake sale, t-shirt sales, etc, we need your help too.  We want other moms who have a heart for the orphan to join us.  We may not ALL be called to adopt, but we are ALL called by God to care for the orphan.  How can you help?

Post about Mei Mei and "Moms on a Mission" on your blog, facebook page, etc.   Email your friends and family.  Have a yard sale, bake sale, put a donation can on your desk at work -  be creative - just raise money for Mei Mei.  America is the wealthiest country in the world.  If we all contribute a little - it will go a long way - maybe even all the way to China to bring Mei Mei home.  Home - where Mei Mei can know the love of a family, learn about Jesus who will hopefully become her Lord and Savior one day, and receive the medical treatment that she truly needs.

If YOU want to join "Moms on a Mission", just leave a comment or email me at dfbjhb@windstream.net .  Together we can make a difference. One person can't change the world, but you and I can change the world for one person - and for now, it's Mei Mei.  Please help us!

3 Months Already?

Has it truly been 3 months since I met a sickly, frail, and scared little girl named Lei Qing Quan in a Civil Affairs building in Changsha?  In some ways it seems as if she has always been here, and then in others it seems like we were just meeting in that cold, drafty room only yesterday.

We have each grown so much over these last 3 months - she has grown more trusting and more in love with her family.  While I have certainly grown closer to my new daughter, I am most grateful for the ways in which I have grown closer to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I have fallen more in love with her yet also, and more importantly, with Him.  I have pondered His love and provision for this child and me - both His children.  I have marveled at His miraculous healing of my daughter's heart and the way He planted her right here in my family and how He has allowed her to blossom right before my very eyes.  I thank Him often for calling us to this dear child and for giving us the courage to say "Yes, Lord."  I thank Him for His sovereign plan in building our family through adoption again and for giving David and me peace to accept it - knowing many others would not support our answering yet another call to adopt one of "the least of these" - even if they believe in the Source of that call.  Over these last 3 months, I have reflected on how He  has provided for our family during this adoption and heart surgery - in big and small ways. And I am humbled.

 I thank Him for doing more with my life than I could have ever dreamed of, hoped for, or prayed for.  I pray that my life and my love for the orphan will bring glory to Him and lead others to seek Him in their lives. I love you, sweet Jesus, and thank you for loving me. I am grateful for the love that you, and you alone, have placed in my heart for the orphan.  It is that love that led us to this child.

This child of beauty - both inside and out

This child who melts my heart

This child who is so thoughful and caring

This child who has so much joy and zest for life - a life she has waited on for a long time

This child who is so eager to learn

This child who is so excited to hear - or read - the name "Jesus" and who reminds me to pray - especially for Mei Mei and Didi

This child who loves hair bows - big ones too

This child who loves her family - especially her mama

This child with such a lovely smile - who can also pout & whine 
(she is a child and a sinner - lest I forget!)

This child who has reminded me of God's love, mercy, and grace

 

Introducing. . .

Two precious children who need loving families to say a simple word. . ."Yes"

Yes, I will be the Lord's vessel to bring you hope.
Yes, I will love you always.
Yes, I will get the medical care for you that you have waited far too long for.
Yes, I will be your family - forever.
Yes, little one, I am on my way to bring you home.

Mei Mei, as Leiney Grace calls her is now "Maria" and Di Di is now "Ricky" on BAAS's individual list.  From what I know, "Maria"and "Ricky" have been on the shared list for quite some time - perhaps even a year or more.  Xiaoqing with BAAS contacted the international adoption orphanage who did Leiney Grace's adoption papers to inquire about these 2 children.  After finding out they were already on the shared list, Xiaoqing requested their files and will have them for 3 months. 

"Maria" is 8 years old and has lived in the orphanage with Leiney Grace since she was 2 years old.  She had a benign tumor in her lumbosacral area and deformed feet upon admission.  She was given surgery in 2006 to remove the sacral meningocele and repair her tethered cord - based on this information- I am assuming she has spina bifida although her file does not state that.  According to her growth report in her file and according to our Leiney Grace, "Maria" is a smart little girl and is developmentally on target except for gross motor due to her feet.  Her deformed feet have never been treated.  From what I have read in her file and asked Leiney Grace, I believe she is continent, but I am asking Xiaoqing to check on this. "She is expressive and a sensible, strong, and brave child. She has difficulty walking in shoes because of deformed feet so sometimes she only wears socks.  Especially in winter, she has chillblain (blisters?) on feet which may break, but she still insists on walking alone.  All caretakers are moved by this."  Leiney Grace says that she and Mei Mei went to school and that Mei Mei reads every day.  She also says that Mei Mei played the violin with her.  The two of them slept together and apparently were very close yet when Leiney Grace left the orphanage to come meet her mama, Mei Mei did not cry and told her to "Go to Mama and Baba"  Oh, how I want this child to know the love of a family and most importantly the love of Jesus and the hope He brings.

"Ricky" just turned 7 in March.  He has been in the orphanage since he was a newborn.  He is postoperative for polydactyly of hands and feet (extra fingers, toes) and is listed as having cleft lip, palate, deformity of tongue, and cleft vermilion tubercle.  I do not see a cleft lip in his photos.  He does have a deformity of his tonuge and mouth.  He can speak but Leiney Grace says his tongue is a circle - not so sure about that.  He will likely need surgery and speech therapy though.  He is described as "a very diligent child, takes an initiative to clean the room, clever and gentle." 

Honestly these two children have a lot stacked against them.  They have been on the shared list a long time and after 3 months on the list, the odds of a child being adopted goes way down.  Di Di is a boy which is a huge strike against him because most adoptive families want girls.  They are both older children which is another huge strike - most people want babies or toddlers.  Then you add in their multiple medical needs and the bottom line is - these kids need a miracle.  Please pray for just that!

I have more pictures and more information so please spread the word to everyone you know and feel free to contact me if you or a friend has questions.  dfbjhb@windstream.net

Jian Cheng

This post is for Monique from the Netherlands.  It was great to read the comment from you.  I just asked Leiney Grace if the little boy in these pictures is named Jian Cheng, and she said yes!  Please email me as I would love to find out more about how you know this little boy from Leiyang SWI: Jan at dfbjhb@windstream.net

If anyone else out there in cyber world knows anything about Leiyang SWI or these children, please email me as well!  Thanks.

A Birthday for Our Princess

HAPPY 9th Birthday to our newest little princess, Leiney Grace!

We always have a special breakfast on birthdays - wasn't quite sure what that would be for Leiney Grace! Breakfast has been the most difficult meal for her as she adjusts to our American diet.  This birthday breakfast consisted of dumplings and oranges - just for Leiney Grace - no other takers on the dumplings!    

Leiney Grace had a big surprise when we met the H family at the zoo today! Amy and her 5 kiddos helped us to celebrate Leiney Grace's birthday.  We finished up our time together with a picnic and cupcakes!  It was such a wonderful reunion.

 Our 1st birthday with Leiney Grace happened to be her 9th birthday.  It saddens me to think of all the special times we have missed in her life.   Today, I put that thought out of my head, and we attempted to give our special princess a spectacular day - I think we succeeded!