God Kisses- An Unexpected Surprise by Mail

Sometimes in life there are moments that you can look back at and know immediately that it was a "God moment". Throughout our adoption process both while we waited to be matched, during our time in China when we met our daughter, and most recently in this post-placement stage, we've continued to see those moments that have come to be known as "God kisses". 

"God kisses".

You know, those sweet little "extras" that God pours out on you when He certainly didn't have to. Those tangible little moments or things that you know could only come from Him- moments that point to an all-perfect God that is so concerned with every little detail, even the littlest details- that He thinks of something that even you wouldn't have thought of if you could have orchestrated it.

That's what our family received several weeks back. Several little "God kisses".  

It was an ordinary day. Nothing special going on and we had been home from China for about two months. I was getting dinner ready when Nate came home from work, walked in the door and asked me if I had ordered something. I looked at him funny and said, "No, why do you ask?" He then pulled up a huge brown flat package and said, "This was at the front door."

Curious, I took it from him and looked at the return label which showed that it was mailed from "Show Hope." I couldn't imagine what would be in such a large flat package and knew we weren't expecting anything from them.  

In case you've forgotten from previous posts, SHOW HOPE is the Christian organization in the Nashville area founded by music artist Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth. Show Hope was founded to help with orphan care initiatives such as adoption grants, orphan care/surgeries, orphan advocacy, and most importantly for us- to provide care centers in China to help children with medical needs who need additional care, surgeries, etc. above and beyond what the orphanage can provide. When we were matched with our little one, we soon discovered that she was in one of these 5 care centers in China (hers was on the fifth floor of her orphanage- run by Show Hope and New Hope Foundation).  She was receiving much needed additional care for her medical needs, for which we are abundantly grateful. You can read more about the amazing things we found out about our daughter and the way that Show Hope played such a huge part in our daughter's life by reading our post HERE.

Fast forward a few months later when we have our little one home and this package arrives at our doorstep. I carefully opened it as I soon noticed a note that said "X-rays- Do Not Bend". I was suddenly curious as I couldn't figure out why we would be receiving X-rays by mail, but as I opened up the package I suddenly realized it was more than X-rays.

We had been mailed all of our daughter's original MRI's directly from her orphanage in China to Show Hope and then on to us. A package full of "MRI film" poured out onto our kitchen table---

(future doctor in the making, perhaps?)

---but that wasn't all.

We looked further into the envelope and another packet of items were deeper inside. We had been sent a wonderful booklet about all of Show Hope's work sharing about the amazing life-change they've seen over the years. 

Then we found original segments of our daughter's referral information with medical tests we had seen before, but these sheets were from New Hope Foundation's intake notes they had written on her when they completed her medical exam. These documents had original handwritten notes on her paperwork, written by those who had cared for her in China. We then noticed several other items paper-clipped to these documents.

More "God Kisses"...

Attached were several laminated ID tags in several different sizes. I immediately recognized the photo and layout as we had seen it at her orphanage when we visited and I had quickly snapped a photo of it. 

It was her bed identification tag that we had seen in her room. I was beyond curious by this point that when I realized what I thought we were holding. I quickly sent an email to Show Hope to ask if they could share what these were and confirm, since I was unsure of why we had been sent several of the same item in different sizes. They went on to explain that they had sent us the original identification laminated tags that had been used in China for her bed and used with the few belongings that she had at her orphanage, so that her items didn't get mixed up with other children. (i.e. her bottle, etc.) 

"God kisses".

It's rare to receive much information on your little one, much less to receive the original MRI's taken in China and her ID tags for her few belongings and her crib. I know many a family that I've both worked with or known personally as friends who would give anything to receive something like that for their little one's history and especially to have for their medical history. 

However, we haven't reached the cherry on the top of this story yet. (shocking, I know)  The "God kisses" aren't over yet. There's one more to share. 

A few days later we received an email with a surprise invitation from Show Hope sharing that Steven Curtis Chapman and Mary Beth were inviting all of the families who have had children cared for in one of their care centers in China, to join them for a private reunion in Nashville at the Chapman Family Barn to celebrate all that God has done over the years and all of the lives changed through adoption. (picture "day of fun for kids and families" in your mind ) 

We didn't think we would be able to make this happen, then Nate came home a few weeks back to share that he'd worked out all of the details and we were going to go and be a part of this and meet other parents at this adoption reunion. So exciting!

.....and that's what we will be doing. We will have the privilege of visiting the Show Hope offices, meeting the staff and thanking them for the wonderful care they provided for our daughter. The following day we will meet other families who have also been impacted by all of the wonderful things that Show Hope is doing in China. We will share in the joy of being reunited with several families from our recent travel group in February who will also be attending this event. 

And if all of that wasn't enough excitement, we were asked to be filmed and share our story-- the story that HE so beautifully wrote. You can be praying for that this weekend too, that God will give us the words to say that will bring Him glory and praise for all that He has done. (and pray that our little peanut cooperates in this endeavor-- this is where I'm tempted to consider inserting a number of emoticons for your enjoyment, but I'll let your imagination run wild with the random faces I might be making right now just thinking about a one and a half year old sitting/participating in a 45 minute interview process-lol)

We are beyond blessed to have the opportunity to add one more piece to the story of our daughter's life- to have another tangible moment and memory to share with her down the road.

We are excited to take a little mini-trip to Nashville and grateful for all that God has done to make this possible. (and yes, you can say a little prayer for us as this will be our first road trip of any distance with Little Miss since we've been home these past three months) Our hearts are more than full and we don't ever want to take any of these "God Kisses" for granted and what they mean to our family and the life of our daughter. 

A Medical Update- Miracles from the Father

This post is well overdue since so many have been asking for an update on how everything has gone with all of our testing/medical appointments over the last two months. We are hopeful that you can excuse the lateness, as we just might have had our hands just a little full the last several weeks settling into life as a family of three, juggling new schedules, numerous medical appointments, and work schedules.  We know that so many have been asking the results of everything with our little one, so we’d like to take a few minutes to share some moments that we’ve had in the last 8 weeks.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t a one and done type of appointment, so much of this has been ongoing.

Upon coming home from China, there were many medical appointments and processes we had to go through for Little Miss.  We just finished one of our last ones a few weeks ago, and will at least get a short respite for a little bit.  A child that is adopted internationally has to be examined for a multitude of things, not just the medical needs that we knew our little one had. We had to go through rounds of blood work and testing for infectious diseases (it’s standard, even though this has been tested in China, it gets re-tested stateside), parasites, thyroid issues, standard blood panel, TB (tuberculosis), hearing tests (which is coming up in May), lead levels (since often buildings in China may have higher lead levels which can be very dangerous to a young child)  all the while meeting with our pediatric cardiologist, international adoption pediatrician, and an occupational therapist for evaluations and next steps in a treatment plan for our daughter.  Whew—makes me tired just remembering all of the back and forth to these appointments and re-reading this list.

During all of this, we quickly learned that “B” doesn’t have exposed veins from which nurses can draw blood, which they said is in part due to her heart condition and the way her blood pumps throughout her body, as it makes her veins very restricted and difficult to access. All of her blood draws were the most difficult thing to watch as the first round they probably pricked her about 6 times in one arm trying to get blood before they realized the issue they were dealing with, tried the other arm and then realized they had to get additional assistance to come in and try to figure out where to draw it from, which ended up being from a vein they had to “push up” in her hand. It was painful for us to watch and hold her and know that it’s for her good, but that she was traumatized a bit by this whole process.

After our initial consultations and testing which was about 4 weeks after we returned home from China, we were given the news that our cardiologist wanted to continue to wait and watch her heart for the next few months and see if she could continue to gain weight and grow. She’s still a tiny little thing at right under 20 pounds (which she’s thankfully gained about 3 pounds since Gotcha Day in China on February 2) We will go back to cardiology in June for a re-evaluation and to see how things are going.  Her cardiologist was very positive and is hoping for continued progress with hopes that we may avoid surgery.  Time will tell.

During all of these weeks of testing, we did come across a concern and some results that came up regarding her liver, which was a bit frightening, so the doctors wanted to do some further testing. We are so thankful to report that after further testing, everything appears to have checked out just fine and all of her other tests came back with wonderful results as well. She did test positive and was diagnosed with a parasite that generally would make a child her age sick, but God protected her and she didn't and hasn't had any symptoms which surprised doctors. God is good. There were even some initial concerns about some things we knew could be possibilities once we got her home, but God took care of those entirely and there are currently no additional issues at all. 

Since coming home about 10 weeks ago, we have learned a bit more about our little one thanks to two wonderful non-profits that provided care for our daughter in her orphanage care center. Oftentimes when an organization is working with orphans in China, they do not have the ability to share all of their information in advance to parents until the family finalizes their adoption.  It’s a hard dynamic to explain as to why this is the way it is, but we knew that once we returned from China, we were going to receive a lot more information on “B” than what we had received when we said “Yes” and she became ours.  We just weren’t sure how much info or what exactly we would receive, other than we knew we would receive some additional photos they had taken since the time she came into the orphanage at a month old.

We will still never forget that moment when we visited her orphanage...

...the medical staff handed us a piece of paper with New Hope Foundation letterhead on it and shared some notes and provided us with the name of the doctor and his contact information that had treated our daughter while in China. I literally almost fell in the floor as that sort of thing just doesn’t normally happen in international adoption. This one piece of paper held so much value as they shared that our specialists in the U.S. were welcome to communicate with this doctor at any time with questions. 

Wow. Just wow. There were no words...and trust me, neither of us are usually speechless very often.

Here is a short video that highlights the work of New Hope Foundation:

https://vimeo.com/115624870

We will forever be indebted to the wonderful work of New Hope Foundation in Beijing and Show Hope in Nashville for the wonderful work and financial support that made it possible for our daughter to be cared for in a way that far exceeded anything we could have imagined.  In partnership together, they provided specialized medical staffing and care for our daughter’s Special Care Center that was housed in her orphanage.  As you may know, Christian music artist Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth Chapman founded Show Hope.  The Chapmans saw the needs in China a number of years ago and adopted several children from China and then expanded to create an amazing non-profit that now has care centers in China for medical/special needs children, provides adoption grants to Christian families, provides foster care/adoption conferences and training for foster/adoptive families and more.

About a month after we had come home from China, we received an email from Show Hope that said they had finalized all of the additional items from China for “B” and were sending us that information. About five minutes later we were both staring at our computer, mouths wide open, looking at a screen which now held file after file of new information and additional photos.

• Almost 150 new photos from each month she was living there
• Photos of our daughter from the very day she came into the orphanage at 26   days old

•       Photos of her “ayi” (nanny) and other nannies that worked with her

•       Photos of the children that were her “crib mates” in her room

•       Photos of her with her little friends
•       Photos of their version of Christmas (which they did have Santa hats & cake-LOL) 

As if the photos weren’t a blessing enough, we then received a large excel document that were medical charts on our daughter with notes from almost every day or every other day or so where they charted her progress, her medical issues, each/every sickness she had, every medication she was given and more. We were blessed to receive important growth measurements for every month she was there, which was an incredible asset to her physicians here in the states. Our International Adoption Clinic and doctors were all stunned, as they had never seen anything like this provided on a child they had cared for upon returning from overseas. We had told them that they weren’t going to believe it until they saw it.

Through this amazing information, we learned a great deal more about our daughter’s health needs, medical issues she had experienced during certain months while in China, and also learned about some additional medical needs that we were weren’t aware of when we first reviewed her file and made the decision to adopt her. All of these wonderful notes just helped us piece together some of the missing pieces that were helpful to doctors and to us in general and will hopefully help us to continue on the best path of treatment for her in the days to come.

We know that the dynamic surrounding our daughter’s situation is unique and not what is commonly seen in China. It was without question- God ordained.  The prayers of many were answered in a way that is “Above and Beyond” anything we could have asked for on our own.

We realize many a parent adopting internationally would give anything to receive the kind of information God so graciously bestowed upon our family.  We know without a doubt that God ordained the exact place where she would be born, where she would be found, where she would be taken for care and placed her in a special care center where she would receive more one on one care and medical attention to help her survive her current circumstances and better grow and develop.  As if this wasn’t enough, to think that both of these organizations that helped provide treatment and care for our daughter were Christian organizations.  If that’s not the cherry on top, I’m not sure what else could be?

We want to thank each of you who have prayed for many months for our daughter, for her care, for her medical appointments/tests and for this entire process in general.  This very post would not be possible without numerous prayers from so many and we want you to know that it is because of the power of prayer that we are able to sit here and write this incredible praise report of all that God has done and is continuing to do in the life of our little one. She still has a ways to go in many areas and there are still more medical appointments ahead, but we are thankful for where things are right now and how God has truly had His hand on her life.  

If we learned anything out of the new information we received, we learned that this little one is quite a fighter and the outcome could have looked a lot different had God not intervened. As her doctor in China noted to us several weeks after we returned home, “You have a very special daughter.  After seeing so many other children in China not recover from some of the issues your daughter experienced early on, we do not take that for granted and we tried to optimize her chances to do well…” We know without a doubt that our little one is thriving and doing as well as she is today thanks to the wonderful care she received in her care center.

We prayed from the beginning of this process that God would use her life and story to reflect praise to her Heavenly Father…that her life and story would bring honor to God and point to moments and details that only an all-wise loving Father could orchestrate. It’s not at all about us, but ALL about Him.  May God continue to write her story in a way that only He can write.

“To Him who is able to do exceeding and abundantly above all that we ask or think…

to Him be the glory…forever and ever.”

– Ephesians 3:20-21

10 Years: Stories of Adoption & Free Concert

Wow. Two months. Really? We just realized that we've been quite delinquent in our posting- where does time go? More on that later. It would be too long a post. 

For today, we're going to focus on an exciting upcoming adoption event this Sunday hosted by an amazing organization that is near and dear to our hearts- Show Hope. I could go on and on sharing wonderful things about this organization, as the agency I work for is closely connected with this ministry and has a wonderful working relationship with their incredible staff. We are proud of their commitment to serving families, but more importantly- children around the world. If you are involved in adoption, foster care, orphan ministry and advocacy, or want to learn more- this is a great ministry doing amazing work in these areas. 

Show Hope sponsors programs in many areas helping children both in foster care as well as orphans around the world. They are also passionate about assisting Christian families with financial assistance to help offset the cost of adoption domestically in the U.S. as well as those adopting internationally. Our family was blessed with a grant from this organization and have also attended the "Empowered to Connect" Conference that Show Hope sponsors each year in several locations around the U.S. It is a conference every adoptive family (both domestic and international) or families actively involved in foster care should attend, if given the opportunity. 

Founded by Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman, this ministry is celebrating it's Ten Year Anniversary this year and is hosting an incredible lineup of musicians (Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, Laura Story, and more just to name a few) this Sunday, May 26th at 7pm CDT.  It will be a night of worship and a time to share the miracles and stories of how adoption has impacted the lives of many. Click Show Hope Event to learn more about this Sunday's event and sign up for free to watch this adoption celebration this Sunday at 7pm CDT.  

In honor of their Ten Year Anniversary, here is Show Hope's "Top Ten List", as noted from their website, addressing why you should consider viewing this event in your home and inviting others to join you: 

1. If you are adopting, this is a perfect opportunity to share your story 

 family and friends.

2. This is a great reason to gather your church small group for a night of worship and fellowship.

3. Miracle testimonies told at the event will help inspire those considering adoption.

4. Use the webcast to begin conversations, with your family, about the plight of orphans.

5. If you are a Show Hope Sponsor, this is a worshipful way to share with your family the impact your giving is having on orphans.

6. If you are a sponsor and have encouraged family or friends to become a sponsor, this is a great tool to invite them to prayerfully commit.

7. There will be special surprise guests you don’t want to miss hearing from!

8. Students involved with orphan care projects can use this event as a tool to convey their journey with peers.

9. Starting an orphan ministry in your church? Host a meeting around this event.

10. Simply rejoice, pray, and worship as a part of the extended Show Hope family!

I'm sure there are many things you could watch at 8pm EDT on Sunday night, but we'd encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to attend this free concert online and learn more about orphan care, adoption, and stories of the lives that have been impacted around the globe through the ministry of Show Hope.