Our Red Thread

It would seem that this beautiful red thread

is pulling our hearts to China.

From early on in our marriage, Mark and I have felt drawn to China. We had hopes of traveling there to bring a daughter home while we were living in Oregon, but with Mark in grad school, the timing was just not right.

A few years later, after moving to the island, our Indonesian-Chinese daughter (Naomi) came to us, followed 2 years later by a sweet little sister (Kalea), putting all thoughts of China out of my mind.

When our first daughter was born we had plans to name her Mazie after my grandma Maza. However, when we were with her in the nursery just after her birth, Mark looked at me and said, "You know what her name is, don't you." "Yes," I said, reluctant to let go of the name. It was Naomi. God had placed her name in our minds. We both knew.

Though, somewhere in my heart I've always felt that a little Mazie would one day come.

A friend of mine was advocating for a little girl to help her find a family. I "stumbled upon" the link to her video on Facebook and wouldn't have given it a second thought... but then her name called to me... and then her eyes and little nose and hands... and something happened to my heart...

Our red thread journey leads here...  In an instant I fell in love.

Living in an orphanage in China is a little 2 year old girl named "Mayzee". She was born just days before my Grandma Maza's passing. Mei Mei ("little sister" in Chinese) is 10 months younger than Kalea and has the same strong will and little nose as both of the girls. (I think we're in for quite a ride!) She has been waiting for a family, and from the moment I stumbled upon her photo, I knew in my heart. Maybe I should clarify. My heart beat so intensely that the next day I went in for an EKG! That first night I did not sleep. At all. Suddenly I felt myself being drawn, physically, spiritually, emotionally... to China. To her.

Perhaps the clarity with which the Lord let us know this is right is proportionate to the mountain we have had to climb to get her home. Adoption is not for the faint of heart - I know that, but what I'm realizing is that international adoption is so far beyond what I imagined! I feel very grateful for the powerful and yet very peaceful answers to prayer we've received to guide us forward!

Mayzee has a history of seizures and needs to come home as soon as possible to get the care she needs. We would be grateful for your prayers on her behalf. It just so happens that our daughters' pediatrician also works as a pediatric neurologist part of the week at the Children's hospital. He is exactly the person we will need to help Mayzee. Go figure. It's amazing how the Lord often sets things in place years before we realize what is happening. To pull this together financially will take more than a small miracle, but everything else is falling into place beautifully!

We received our PA (Pre-approval) from China, "locking us to Mayzee" by the CCCWA (China Centre for Children's Welfare and Adoption) in November. We have a long road still ahead of us, but hope to have her home with us around December of 2013.

Naomi and Kalea are delighted to have a little sister and talk about her constantly! Kalea pulls her photo down from the bookshelf anytime someone comes in the door to tell them about her soon to be little mei mei. I can't wait for them to be together.

My heart is full on this Thanksgiving day.