Bringing Nathan Home

So - the journey is complete.  And Nathan is now home.  Actually, now we really begin the journey of living life with Nathan.   I love to whisper to him all the time - "You belong to us and we belong to you and we will NEVER LEAVE YOU". 

 

Guangzhou to Shanghai:   We started the trip home by packing all day Wednesday (that would be Tuesday night USA time) and then got up bright and early Thursday morning to catch our first flight into Shanghai.  I wish that we could have gone into that city and located the Shanghai Children's Home where Nathan lived almost all of his 15 months.  We didn't even know it existed until after we had received Nathan and the discovery of this clean, warm and loving environment that not only housed our little boy but also cared for his medical needs is indeed overwhelming to comprehend.  But our layover was too brief to venture into the city and so we just hung out at the airport for 6 hours before getting on our Chicago flight.  The picture above is a little outing that Keith took Nathan on while in the airport.  He would be our most precious piece of luggage!

 

Shanghai to Chicago:  The looong airplane ride was surprisingly uneventful.  Nathan did wonderfully and was able to sleep on the floor on the bassinet cushion.  He slept 7 hours that "night", which was a major answer to prayer.  Above is Nathan discovering the earphones.  When I let him listen to music on them his eyes just got really wide and he started swaying to the music.  So sweet.    It was exciting to feel the wheels touch down in Chicago and to have a little celebration of Nathan becoming an American officially. 

Chicago to Orlando:  Then, we had a small layover and enjoyed our first American meal of pizza (as well as a cup of Starbuck's hot chocolate) before boarding the plane for the last part of the trip.  Nathan napped for about an hour and then played with us.  As we drew nearer to Orlando, my stomach was filled with knots of anticipation.  I was aching to hold our kids and to have us all together.

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All together at last:  So, at 11:35 p.m. on Thursday night after more than 30 hours of traveling, we exited the terminal .  Then we saw them.  We all ran towards each other.  Then there was much hugging and kissing and oohing and aahing over Nathan.  He was overwhelmed and you know what, I was too.  Even writing about it now makes my eyes tear up.  What a precious reunion and introduction it was.  Drew, Lauren and Emily are such amazing siblings for Nathan and they have quickly warmed up to each other.  There's just lots of love in the Johnson home these days, as well as some jet lag and tiredness (I feel like a new parent with my droopy eyes and tired body).  Please keep praying for us as we transition to one another.

Saying our good-byes

How can it be that the long time away from our kids and "home" is drawing to a close? On the one hand it feels like we've been away forever and on the other it is like we blinked and two weeks went by. Our whole world has taken a turn upside down for the better and very soon we'll be boarding a plane to head home with our precious son!!! While Nathan napped, Keith did his magic and got our bags packed up beautifully this afternoon while I went out and did some last minute gift buying.


This morning was the famous "red couch" picture time for our travel group of 16 families. All of our adopted children showed up in the hotel lobby around 11 a.m. decked out in their traditional Chinese outfits and it was quite the show. My favorite part was when we had all 16 of those little ones on the sofa. Imagine trying to get all of them to look at the camera at the same time.


It was quite an adventure for sure! Doesn't Nathan look like a cutie in his outfit? I love it!!

A highlight for me this afternoon was stopping in some of the little shops that I've been in over the last few days. And I especially loved meeting a dear Chinese woman who owned a shop here and told us she was a Christian. She had a copy of a English Standard Version Bible, an NIV Bible and a hymnal for sale in Chinese/English. They were so cool to look through. It gave me goosebumps! I asked her how she came to know Jesus and she said it was through her church. She told me that she prayed that Nathan would come to love Jesus some day (of course, we're praying for that too).


And I love it that I was able to find something really special in her shop. I've been toying with getting our family traditional Chinese silk clothes to coordinate with Nathan's outfit but could never decide whether to buy them or not. What I found were 3 beautiful red, silk scarves for the Johnson women and two red silk ties for Drew and Keith. That way our whole family can coordinate with Nathan's traditional outfit and dress up for Chinese New Year celebrations, etc. It is really special to me that I found these in her shop.

As we got ready to leave I asked her if I could pray for her family. She has a little boy too...one that is just a few months older than Nathan and if was my deep honor to pray for God's blessings on her family and her business. We took a picture of her with Nathan and I and then she pulled out her camera and took a picture of our family too. It was a very sweet conclusion to our time here in China. I'm renewed in my passion to pray for the Chinese people to come to faith in Jesus. There are many Chinese who know him already and many more that I pray will hear soon about who Jesus is.

P.S. I just remembered that I didn't tell you about our boat ride on the Pearl River last night. It was gorgeous to see Guangzhou at night from the river. There was a meal served and then we went out on the deck and just watched the city go by us. There are 6 bridges in the city and they were all lit up in a rainbow assortment of colors, as were many of the skyscrapers. It truly was a wonderful evening and we're really glad we did it!

Nathan's First Happy Meal

Nathan, Keith and I headed out with our tour group this morning to see some of Guangzhou. We visited the pearl market and it was in a 5-story mall filled with shops and shops full of pearls and other kinds of jewelry. I've never seen that many pearls before OR seen a mall just for jewelry. Let alone a huge mall like that one. When we were finished it was right around lunch time and the Johnsons were hungry.


But where should we go for lunch? Then we saw them - those golden arches that our three older children revere so much. Since Nathan was officially recognized yesterday by the U.S. government and since we'd been joking about him having his first "Happy Meal" before we left China, we figured the time had come to introduce him to the American icon, McDonalds.

In the end it was a good thing I ordered a Filet-o-Fish because those nuggets were a little too much for Nathan to chew. He had some of my fish sandwich and I had some of his nuggets. Overall, it was a good introduction . . . complete with a Happy Meal toy to boot.


Oh, and the other highlight was having his "Happy Meal" with a friend. Ron and Laurie's little boy John was there too. All in all, it was quite the experience.

Tonight, we are taking a dinner boat ride with our group along the Pearl River here. We're trusting that the ride will be relaxing and that the food will be good. I'm sure that it will be beautiful to see all the lights of Guangzhou at night. Maybe it will be a bit more elegant setting for a meal than our McDonalds lunch, don't you think?!!!

And then tomorrow is really a packing day for us. We leave for home on Thursday.

I am really aching for our kids these days. I know they are having a blast, but this mom is more than ready to hug each of them so tight that they are breathless. And it will just be so sweet to be together as a complete family!!!!! Thank you Jesus for that reunion to come!!!!

Made in China

How many things in your home have the tag "Made in China"? Long before God had put Chinese adoption on our hearts, we would talk about all of the things made in China and how hard it was to fathom all that came from there to our country. The most "American" looking things would still have that little tag.



Last night when we were out walking after dinner, I saw the little t-shirt that is on Nathan reading those words, "Made in China". Who could have every guessed that we would cherish those words like we do and that we would have in our hands a little someone that we would forever have and hold. So, now being made in China is a whole different reality for us, hmmm.

Along those lines, we are getting closer than ever to bringing Nathan home. Today we went with him to the American Consulate here and took the oath for him so that he could become a U.S. citizen. The woman in the room who walked us through the process told us that this year there will be about 24,000 immigrant visas from China and that adoptions represent 3,000 of those 24,000. Of the 3,000 adoptions about 2/3 of them are special needs adoptions. So, approximately 2,000 special needs Chinese children will find homes in the U.S. this year. Isn't that amazing?

There were 33 families (8 of which were from our agency) who stood together and raised our right hands repeating the words of promise and oath on behalf of our children. When we finished there was a round of applause from all of us and a huge lump in my throat. A few minutes later our names were called and Keith, Nathan and I went up to sign the last official piece of documentation before going home. And when that plane touches down in Chicago in a few short days, Nathan will officially be a U.S. citizen.



It's all such a whirlwind for me at times. How can this be real? At the consulate they mentioned that they knew that some of us in that room had been waiting a long time for this day and that they were excited with us that it had arrived. Amen and Amen is all I can say. We have waited and the Lord is good.

Now, back in our hotel room before dinner Keith and I have each taken our turns tumbling and giggling and playing with Nathan. He was pushing me over and then I'd sit up and then he'd push me over again. And when he really giggles, it is just enough to melt this mother's heart. I love holding him close and just telling him that he belongs to us and that we will never leave him. He has a home in America with us and we are so excited. Keith has even taken to singing the "Star Spangled Banner" a few times!!

Although Nathan Jiang Johnson was truly made by God, he was formed in his birth mother's womb here in China. He WAS "Made in China". And now, like all those things from China, he will make his way to America. But, he is, of course, not for sale!!!! He's totally ours and worth more than all the best jade China has to offer!

Our Day out with Ann

What a sweet day for me. We not only enjoyed some sightseeing and shopping in Guangzhou, but we also got to do it with my friend Ann. Ann and her family are living near Hong Kong this year and she was able to hop the train and get away for a day from them to be from us.

This morning she arrived in time to enjoy our breakfast buffet with us at the hotel. Then we loaded up on the bus for three stops in town. The first was to a Buddhist temple.


Amidst the strong smell of incense, we learned about the Buddha statues. First was the "Happy Buddha" to greet us and then there were others throughout the temple. As I watched men and women worshipping those statues, my heart broke. It is true that in the heart of man is that drive to worship. But what will we worship? Sadly, in China, many worship idols.

I asked our tour guide Grace if she practices Buddhism and she told me that she didn't and that was because she learned in school that there was no God. I followed up by asking her what most people in China believed and she said that only older people still came to worship for the most part. But then she surprised me and said that Christianity is growing. Isn't that interesting that she would say that?

After the temple we visited the Old Chen House. The "Chen" name in Guangzhou is like Smith or Johnson in America. It is a home for any in the Chen family and was a place to worship your ancestors. It was not Buddhism, but a place to honor your family. Now the government owns and operates it.

Then we went on to shop. Shopping in China is not like the U.S. There are places where you can barter and places where you can't. There are places that jip you off with fake things or might give you fake money in change and other places that are for real. We bought a little stroller full prices yesterday that we should have bartered for and today went to barter somewhere that you aren't supposed to do that. What a learning curve.


After that (while Nathan slept), Ann and I enjoyed lunch together and some time walking around and doing a little local shopping. I loved finding the little panda puppet for Nathan. He will stick his little hand inside it too and has already had fun playing with it!! It's been quite a day. A day out with our new son and a friend from our North Carolina days. Thanks Lord for time spent with those we love!

Moving on

Yes, life is moving on. My sickness has moved on and we've packed our bags and moved on from Zhengzhou and the place that we met Nathan. Yesterday was filled with packing up and going to the airport and waiting and then flying for 2 hours.

Keith and I haven't flown with a baby for awhile and that was a trip for us. He actually did really well on the flight and sat between us while the three of us ate the meal they provided. I've mentioned that Nathan is very friendly and he made a new friend in the man sitting beside us on the flight. By the end, this man had helped me put a new outfit on him (after he overflowed a diaper) and held him while we landed since Nathan was amazed by the lights of Guangzhou.

Below is a picture of us in the process of packing. We were mostly finished by the time Nathan woke up from his nap and had enough time to shoot this picture. Oh, we also found out that Nathan had a nickname in China. It was "Little Fat Cat". Isn't that something else? I love it. Those chubby cheeks say it all.

And now we are in Guangzhou. Our flight landed at 8:30 p.m. but we didn't get to our hotel until 10:30 p.m and didn't get our luggage until 11 p.m. As you can imagine, we had one exhausted little boy. And we were wiped out too. But we got up and going this morning to get a visa picture for him and have a physical done (see picture below). He was given a clean bill of health and our next big adoption thing is going for his visa on Monday.

I'm excited to share is that I did some shopping while Nathan napped this afternoon and it was really fun. Guangzhou feels like Florida, weather wise, and our hotel area reminds Keith of New Orleans. This is definitely "tourist" China, but it is beautiful to be here.

So, the next time we really "move on", it will be to come home. I can hardly wait to hug our kids and introduce everyone. We are enjoying this last stop, but also counting the days.

One last fun update is that I'm going to be able to see my dear friend Ann Brassard who is living a few hours away. She's coming in the morning and will be the first of you all to hold and meet Nathan!!! More later...

A quiet, healthy day

Today was a day for me to re-enter life after being sick most of yesterday. Thanks to those of you who were praying for me. I'm very grateful to be healthy again.

This morning there was an optional tour to a local museum in Zhengzhou that we could have gone on, but we realized that we needed some quiet time and space to relax with Nathan and recover. So, we leisurely enjoyed our breakfast at the hotel (which has been our favorite meal every day), took a walk with Nathan down to a nearby park with 2 other couples and their babies and came back and played in the hotel's little play room they have set up for our kids. For me, in particular, it was "just what the doctor ordered".


Having a quieter day like this for the three of us was sweet because we could just enjoy Nathan and play together. I loved it when Keith got on one end of the teeter totter (see picture below) and then invited Nathan to join him. You should have heard Nathan squealing in laughter. He really loved it and we were loving it with him.

When you think about all of the moments you share with your children...moments that are the building blocks of your relationship, you know that there are no substitutes for time spent focusing on them. I've loved those times with Drew, Lauren and Emily and now we are beginning to have those memories with Nathan. We were told by his "nannies" that he loves to laugh and every time that laugh comes out, it makes me want to cry (a good kind of cry, of course).

So, there's nothing life changing today but on the other hand it is all the little, daily things that make our lives so rich. And we are definitely having a "rich" life here with our boy. The longer we spend time with him, the more excited I get for him to meet his brother and sisters, his grandparents, uncles and aunts, 12 cousins and friends.

"This is the day the LORD has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it"

Good news

Rhonda is feeling healthy again for which we are grateful.

A Small Setback

Today we experienced a setback. During the night Rhonda got really sick. By morning she thought she was feeling better only to have it return again. She has been resting all day and 12 hours later is still not normal yet. Please pray that she would recover quickly.

Fortunately this was a "free" day for us. Some of the families were visiting the orphanage from which their baby came; however, our orphanage is 3 hours drive one way so we had already decided yesterday to stay home. It was a hard decision because we would really liked to have seen Nathan's home town (Pingdingshan) and especially the area near a large river where he was abandoned.

I spent the day with Nathan. Nathan bonded with Rhonda immediately but has been more reserved with me. (It's quite common that adopted babies will initially "prefer" one parent to another.) I feel like we connected today. Our hotel has a small play room we get to spend time together there. Nathan has the cutest little giggle when he is happy.

It's Official!

"We're a family of 6" were Keith's words as we accepted our Certificate of Adoption this morning. After we'd signed all of the proper forms we got in the bus again and went to the top floor of the Notary building where the documents were notarized.

SO - Nathan Jiang Johnson is officially ours. It is really hard to believe and we are incredibly humbled and grateful to God for him.

For me, I find myself (at a little over 36 hours into this) wondering about who this little miracle of a boy really is. We went to a local "Wal-Mart" type store today and as we were wheeling the cart around the store, I would watch him and wonder what was going on in his mind. What does he think of us? What are his tastes? (he does seem to like everything we offer him to eat so far). And what is his personality? What were his parents like? What were the 15 months like for him before we all met? So many questions and so few answers.

We are figuring some things out about him. He is teething. We just figured that out at dinner tonight. He likes to roll around all over his crib before falling to sleep. He is very friendly. This morning at breakfast he had the undivided attention of a worker outside the restaurant window. He kept entertaining this man with his waves and looks. Nathan does like attention.

These are just a few glimpses into his life and everyone of them is like a puzzle piece. I think one of the hardest realities of adoption is that there will be many of those pieces that we will never find. But that is where our prayers (and yours) come in, as well as our faith and trust that our redeeming God will not only redeem those things we don't know, but also use them for His glory
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We can't wait for all of you to meet him too! He's coming out of his shell and we are too and the discovery is quite an adventure. I love this picture of him tonight making his first "cell phone call". We'll talk to you all again tomorrow.

Gotcha Day

Here he is!!! We are all doing well. The hotel room is dark and quiet right now as I write this and Nathan is taking his first nap with us.

Where do I begin to explain what I've felt these last few hours? Let me start by quoting from my journal entry earlier this morning before we went to get him and then I'll add a postscript.

"Nathan, here we come!"
November 29, 2010
So - after over 4 years of actively pursuing adoption, after years of longing, this is it!

Jesus, how can this be? How can this miracle be coming true? The roller coaster of emotions that I'm feeling is overwhelming. I am both celebrating and grieving.

The joy and anticipation of loving him is so sweet but the sadness over what he has not ever known in his 15 months of life AND over the trauma that today represents (strange faces, sounds, smells, etc.) for him is right there pressed up beside the joy.

And in all of my emotions, you are LORD. You're my Father who has adopted me and held me since I was in my mother's womb. You know Nathan just like you knew me. You know who he is, who is birth Mommy is, and You are why Keith and I are here."

I wrote these words after breakfast and spent some time meditating on Psalm 139:13-16. That passage is so amazing and will be marked in my heart as Nathan's "Gotcha Day" passage. God intimately knows him and intricately formed him in his mother's womb. And God is intricately weaving us into Nathan's story now. We, too, are to be a part of the story he has. Praise to you God for the knitting that you have done, are doing and will do!!!!

[Fast forward to the present (i.e., the post script)] So, that was this morning BEFORE we met him. Then all 16 families boarded our 2 buses and headed over to the room where we were to meet our children. What a surreal situation is was for all of us. My main emotion for the day so far is disbelief. I still can't believe that the baby boy in that crib in our room is really him.

We watched and took pictures as children started to come into the room. Ron and Laurie's son came pretty quickly and being a part of their first moments with John was amazing. I must have taken 50 or more pictures for them.

We waited (a common theme for us, hmm), watched, took pictures for others and waited some more. Actually, we were the last of all the families to get our baby. By the end I felt like I did when I had been a bridesmaid over and over and never a bride. I think it still didn't seem like we would get a baby. Everyone else would, but we would go home empty handed.

And then he came. When they handed him to us, he began to cry. I've cried tears about this transition for him and can completely understand why he was crying. But, after a few moments and some snacks, the tears subsided and he began to intently look all around him. You could almost see him trying to process all these strange new realities and take it all in.

We received a bag full of things like formula, new pictures of him, extra clothes and diapers from the PingDingShan orphanage. And I couldn't believe that they included all of the things we had sent him in his care package! Also, there was a dear little gift of a baby bracelet and necklace from one of his nannies who loved him. That will be a treasure, for sure.

There's much to still process, but one last highlight for me was just a few minutes ago when we were lying him down for his nap. I had wondered when I'd see his first smile and got a smile AND a precious giggle from him when I tickled his ribs. I think one of the things I'm most excited to see happen is for him to show us who he really is. It will be fun to see his personality come out.

Thanks Jesus for this day. Thanks for Nathan and his life. Thanks for intersecting our lives and for letting us belong to each other!

Tomorrow is Gotcha Day

The years of waiting have now finally turned to just hours. In less than 15 hours we will hold Nathan and have him with us. The anticipation is escalating as the hours tick away!!!!!!!!!!!

We flew out of Beijing this morning and arrived in Zhengzho by early afternoon. Unpacking tiny 18 month old clothes (at least compared to Drew, Lauren and Emily's), diapers and placing Nathan's blankets on the crib in the room for him were my highlights today. I guess I'm nesting here in our hotel room, getting things ready for our dear little boy.

What will he look like in real life, not just in a picture? How will he respond to us? Will he sense how much we love him? What will those first moments be like for the three of us? Only the Lord knows and that is where we are resting...is in the Lord's arms. We are entrusting Nathan and our future with him to the Lord, believing that the Lord has ordained all of us to be together. AND we can't wait for Nathan to meet his extended family. Often in China, because of the one-child policy, Chinese children don't have siblings, aunts, uncles or cousins. Well, Nathan is going to step into a world full of family. Life is going to go upside down for him for sure, in the best possible way!!

Would you please pray that God's hand of grace and goodness will be on Nathan in these next days and weeks? Everything will be new for him. Thank you for praying for our "Gotcha Day" and beyond.

One last thing. A huge blessing in our trip are the other families that we are going through this experience with. There are 16 families here in the Henan province getting their children. Our representative told us all today that we are the biggest group to come to this province with CCAI ever. I'm pretty sure we are all getting special needs children and hearing others' stories has been such a blessing. Some families are here with their kids and some came without them (like us). Some brought one or two parents along. Also, some of the children along were adopted from China and now their parents are adopting again. Out of the 16 families, four of us are getting children from PingDingShan.

We've also really enjoyed some time with one of the couples, Ron and Laurie Besonen. Keith and I have known Laurie since our days in Indianapolis. Then we met Ron once they were engaged. How sweet is it that God brought us to China to get boys with cleft lip and palate on the same travel group.

Look for our big news along with pictures tomorrow!!!!

Visiting the Great Wall

It is one of the 7 wonders of the world and we were breathless and really cold as we kept climbing the wall to the top. It felt like we were on a Rocky Mountain hike but Keith and I bundled up and made the trek to the top. What an awesome work of art the wall is. And what a reminder of both what mankind is available of as well as how faceless and harsh a project like that one can be.

So, after working out and taking loads of video and pictures, our wobbly legs headed back into Beijing.

Tomorrow morning we fly to Zhengzhou, which is the place where Nathan will become ours. It seems fitting to think of picking up our wonder up soon after experiencing this wonder. And, of course, as we walked on the wall, we were thinking of the Lord and His beauty and wonder in all that He has made. Please be praying for our Gotcha Day which is right around the corner. Thanks and all of our love from nippy China.

Seeing China from a Rickshaw

This morning we went and saw history - by rickshaw. The quaint, ancient neighborhood of the old homes, or "horts", was fascinating to hear about and see. Only those employed by the Ming and Qin emperors could live there. They were built with courtyards and wove along narrow alleys. As our driver peddled our bicycle down some of those alleys, we nestled under a cozy blanket in the 35 degree weather. Then, we got out for awhile and got to walk inside and see one of the homes. The family has lived there for 5 generations and the grandmother told us about her life now. She was born in that home.

Our tour representative for our agency, George, called rickshaws China's early form of a BMW. It certainly was quite an experience. I loved it when our sweet rickshaw driver, noting Keith's height, called him Yao Ming. [For those of you not into basketball, Yao Ming is a 7 foot starter in the NBA who is very famous in China.] Anyway, that ride was unforgettable.
Then, we toured a silk factory and learned how silk is made. It was so interesting. Did you know that single cacoons are used for clothing and double ones are used to make quilts. I used my birthday money and bought a queen silk quilt for our bed. It is so cool.

After our Chinese lunch we walked through Tian'an Men Square followed by the grand palace, nicknamed the Forbidden City because only the emperor and his insiders were allowed into it.


The emperor demanded full allegiance and worship from his people and the enormity of his empire and palace (with over 9000 rooms) was fascinating to consider. What is it in a man's heart that causes him to see himself as a god? The throne for the emperor had a special set of stairs only he could use. And when he came into his palace there was a gate that only he could enter through.

As Keith and I looked at that throne, we were thinking about the ONE king of the universe who deserves our worship. No human can fill those shoes or should fill those shoes. How very grateful we are to be serving the King of Kings. And someday everyone will know that truth. What a day that will be. For now, our prayer is that Nathan will come to see the beauty and majesty of that king above all others.

So, the day is done and I'm dragging a lot more today. Keith had to pull me out the door to get dinner at 6 p.m. I just wanted to sleep.

The days are ticking down and even though Nathan doesn't know it yet, we are growing in our anticipation that very soon he will know it! Meeting all of the other amazing families and beginning to hear some of their stories is also so inspiring for us. What a blessing to be on this adoption journey!!!

First Impressions of Beijing

Quiet airport. Keith and I are taller than everyone. smoggy haze. smell of coal. loaded down bicycles. plush high rises. gray, apartments. lots of them.

I looked out of our bus window as our representative George told us about his hometown of Beijing, trying to take in as much as I could. He told us that there are 18 million people and 5 million cars here and called Beijing a parking lot. We drove into the city as the sun was beginning it's descent and saw the orange ball surrounded by the haze of coal smoke. There were bicyclists peddling beside the airport expressway loaded down with all varieties of things. And then there were the high rises (including a Wal-Mart Supercenter) in the thick of downtown.

Are we really in China? It seems hard to believe. Thanks for praying for our flight. We were graciously given exit row seats that Keith and I were very grateful to have. Also, we both were able to sleep more than I ever remember sleeping on an international flight. You all were praying and we appreciate those prayers very much.

The lovely flight attendant that sat right there near us suggested Peking Duck as a good option for my birthday out with Keith and so we are headed down to our hotel lobby to celebrate Thanksgiving and my birthday, Chinese style. [We were served chicken and stuffing last night on the flight, so I guess we did get a little Thanksgiving already, hmmm.]

Nathan, we are here in your beautiful country and closer to you than we've ever been before. What a grand place this is...full of so many amazing people and such old history. We're very excited to be in your homeland and are trying to soak in every detail we can so that we will have many stories to tell you as you grow older!

Tomorrow we tour the Forbidden City and Tian'an Men Square.

Waiting in Chicago

So, Keith and I are sitting at a food court at Chicago O'Hare and in a few hours will be on our way to Beijing and one step closer to holding Nathan. This is it!! We're really going.

There's so much in my heart and so much that hasn't been said yet, but I'm guessing that over the next few weeks in particular I'll get the chance to fill in some of the cracks. The main thing I'm feeling right now is gratitude. I'm thankful and it is fitting because tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

I'm thankful for Keith. He is my partner and dear husband. I can't imagine this journey without him. Any of you who know him know that he is a stickler for details and he has covered every base of our preparation beautifully.

Earlier this week, when I was at Target (buying more medicine than I have ever bought before) he was at home arranging all of the documents on the floor of his office. This whole process of adoption is filled with documents to be filled in and signed and sent off to one place and then another. And now the last documents are in our bags and we are packed and we are really going to get him.

Back to gratefulness ---- well, I just want to say that I'm grateful for the waiting. I've hated it at times and cried out in frustration at times, but the Lord has had his sweet way with me in the midst of my balled up fists. He has taught me that He is God and I am not. He is the ONE who controls all things. He brings the sun up and He brings kings into power and removes them. He knew when a tiny little baby with a heart-broken mother would be left at a river in PingDingShan. And He knew that Nathan belonged to us. So, He let us wait and He didn't cower or budge on the timing that He knew was right for our family.

So, today, one day before both Thanksgiving and my birthday, I want to proclaim my thanksgiving to the God of our lives. He is good and His plans are right and we are humbled by His timing and His provision. My arms are aching to hold Nathan so tight and whisper how much I love him and how long I waited and how worth the wait he was. That will come soon...in 5 days to be exact. Until then and in this final waiting time, I'll keep thanking the Lord.

Thank you Jesus, for sending a little son into our lives.

Nathan's Story

(Originally written September 2010)

Here he is – our dear son!  But before I (Rhonda) tell you more, why don’t you find a cozy chair and grab a cup of “coffee” so you can sit down and enjoy reading the story of how God brought our son to us!

      Nathan Jiang (江) Johnson

Nathan means “Gift of God”, which he certainly is.  And his Chinese middle name Jiang (which sounds like my dad’s name John with a slight “g” sound on the end) was chosen to honor my father.  In Chinese, Jiang means “river”—which symbolizes strength, peace and endurance.  Not only was Nathan found by a river when he was one day old, but for Chinese Christians Jiang also signifies someone who guides people to THE River of Life (which is our prayer for him).

The Dream of International Adoption

Long before I met Keith, I dreamed of adopting internationally.  I would think about bringing a bit of God’s big world into my home and seeing my family change, for generations to come, as a result of all of us belonging to each other.  But was this God’s dream or just mine?

The Dream Begins To Come True

Five years ago, our family was happily living in Durham, North Carolina.  Our three kids were such a blessing but that dream to adopt had not gone away.  Keith knew my heart but I knew that we both needed to feel called to this.  So, I prayed and waited on the Lord.  In February 2006 Keith caught me off guard one day when told me, “I’m ready”. My response was, “Ready for what?” to which he said, “Ready to adopt.”  GOD HAD LED and so we started the application process.

Our paperwork and movement towards a finished dossier filled many Sunday afternoons and beyond that spring, summer, and even into the fall.  And then in December of 2006 our dossier was in China.  Now all we had to do was wait.

And WAIT we did!  For years and years.  There have been times of anguish and frustration.  Times of peace and settled trust.  And sometimes a little bit of everything.  Time kept moving on.  And we moved on . . . on to Florida two years ago, still without our littlest member with us.

A New Direction in our Dream

Then, in May 2009 we were invited to come to meeting with our agency’s founders, Josh and Lillian, hosted for families like ours who were waiting for a child.  Keith and I walked into that room and looked around at all the others who were waiting and longing for their babies, just like us, and my heart broke.  The car ride home that day was profoundly difficult for me.  That day was a watershed event.  I faced my heart that had become dry and detached.  I realized how sad I really was.  I was angry about waiting and didn’t want to wait anymore.

Following that meeting, we began to realize that staying on our current path (i.e., traditional “healthy” baby) would mean waiting several more years.  So, we began the process of praying for and processing whether God might be using these circumstances to redirect us to a special needs baby.  Maybe His plan all along had been that and now we were ready to consider it seriously.

All last summer and throughout the fall we thought and prayed and sought counsel.  Was this God’s plan?  Time was passing, but we wanted to make sure this was right and from Him.  Finally, as 2010 became a reality, we were ready to say “yes”.  Then, there were new rounds of paperwork.  So we dove in again.

Our Match Day Happens!

Then, finally on July 13^th (Nathan’s 11 month birthday) we received word that we had been matched with a baby boy.  Our perfect match.  In God’s perfect timing. 

In the beginning, I thought we’d adopt from Europe and God led us to China.  I thought once we pursued China that we’d get a girl and God matched us with a dear little boy.  I thought that we’d have a traditional placement and God knew we would be matched with a laughing joyful little one who needed a cleft palate surgery and a few other medical things.  I thought our children would all be 2 ½ years apart and God knew that Nathan would have three older siblings (two little mommy’s and one teenage brother).  GOD KNEW and I was along for a ride of faith like I’ve never known before.

Our “Gotcha” Day is coming!

All of this and we haven’t even held him yet.  So, the waiting isn’t over, but it is almost over.  And the paperwork isn’t over, but it is almost over.  And before I know it, Keith and I will be holding him and loving him in person.  I cannot wait. . .  All of us can’t wait!!!  His orphanage is in the city of PingDingShan in the Henan Providence.  They tell us that he loves to laugh and be given attention (which we’ll be more than ready to give him).