Chicago, IL - O'Hare Airport
En route to Shanghai, at O'Hare airport - I turned on the laptop to check emails... and I literally squealed with delight when I opened an email that read - "Good News! Your match is here".
This was almost 11pm EST. I created such a commotion that Josh jumped out of bed (he had just falled asleep) and joined Jin and I as we jumped for joy in front of the computer, pouring over our first picture of Miranda Grace!
She is 18months old (DOB 4/21/05), in the province of AnQing.
Initial reactions - shock... then disbelief.... then when it all finally sank in, it was relief... which finally gave way to full blown, blissful JOY!!
We made numerous phone calls - first to the adoption agency in Singapore, then to parents, then to my cousin who will be her pediatrician in Singapore, to our friends in Shanghai. I could not bring myself to go to bed. Afterall, we're getting on the plane tomorrow - I'll sleep then!
I checked the CCAA website - it still shows the adoption referrals are at August 25th. (Ours is Sep 2nd). This means that there was some intervention to get our referral earlier. Earlier last week, our adoption agency had requested that I write her a letter of appeal, since we were planning a trip back home for Christmas. She was trying to appeal for us to make our adoption travels coincide with our Christmas trip. I complied but was not hopeful that our little letter would make any difference to this huge, bureaucratic process.
Friday evening Nov 10 at The Well... During worship, I felt the Holy Spirit drop it in my heart to pray for Miranda - but not for her physical safety and well-being, but for her paperwork. I leaned over and whispered to Jin, "I think Miranda's paperwork is being handled anyday now, let's pray". I shared that with several close friends who pray for Miranda.
In retrospect... this is the handiwork of God! He has been in the entire process weaving this beautiful story together. What we see in part, God sees in entirety.
What happens now? The adoption papers need to be couriered to us. We are going to be in Shanghai next week. Can we go visit her since we're already in China? This trip is going to be so significant, knowing that we are on the same soil as our daughter. ...
Questions and more questions... but no answers for now. But you know what? It doesn't really matter to me... God is holding our hands. He is holding ours in one, and Miranda's in the other. A chord of 3 strands is not easily broken. We are beginning to solidify as a family. These chords held by the Lord. Miranda, Xu MingJing - we love with with every fiber of our beings. We're coming soon. You're coming home soon. This will be a special Christmas.
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