Today it really hit me how far Gabi has come in three
months. Really how far we have all come
in three months. When we were in China
it really was one of the hardest times I (Christine) have gone through. I knew it was a possibility that she would
not bond with me and that she would reject me, but knowing and actually
experiencing it are completely different.
I was so thankful that she attached to Andy quickly, but it hurt that I
couldn’t hold her or comfort her when she was crying. I also knew what I feeling could not compare
to what she must be feeling. She was
taken from her nanny’s arm and given to complete strangers. She was taken to a place that looked nothing
like what she was used to, offered food she had never seen before, and whisked
all over China in taxi’s, trains, and planes.
When I was carrying her through the hotel in Beijing she literally
reached for complete strangers (men) to get away from me. Our girl is so strong and resilient and all
of that is just a distant memory. She
loves her mom and dad now (though often still prefers dad, but we are working
that) and her brothers and sister. She
gives kisses and great big bear hugs. If
she wakes up crying I can comfort her now.
She is running, jumping and climbing stairs (no small feat if you observed
her gross motor skills in May).
She
laughs and cries when she doesn’t get her way.
In so many ways she is a normal two year, but I can’t help to think how
extraordinary she is. I know God has
great things in store for her and I am so privileged to be a part of her
story. Adoption is hard, but oh so
amazing and completely worth it. We are
called to care for the orphans, to be a father to fatherless. There are so many children out there just
like Gabi and they need a family. We
would love to talk to you about adoption. We would love for you to partner with
us as we begin our next adoption. Yes,
we (I really mean Andy) will be traveling back to China to bring our new son
home sometime in the next year. Stay
tuned to hear more about him as soon as we can share.
