Gotcha Day

After the whirl wind race we were off to meet our new daughter.  That is if the driver doesn't run over a couple hundred pedestrians on the way to the Civil Affairs office.  Before I go further I have to go backwards.  When we decided to adopt an older child we had a lot of preconceived notions in our heads based on all the reading and studying we had done.  We did not have real high expectations for our initial meeting.  But once again our God proved how little faith those of us professing believers have.  Our family has seen more than our share of answered prayers but we go in expecting the worst.  Before we left we laid out our prayer requests (same as they had been for the past 9 months), we prayed with many of your over the last week.  Gotcha Days all look different and I really did not expect this one to be filled with hugs and smiles.  I just wanted prayer for a short grieving period, the ability to communicate on some level and for God to prepare Olivia's heart.  Our brothers and sisters in Christ responded with continued prayer and again God showed me why I believe and why I try so hard to be obedient (failing often).  He knocked this one out of the park.

We had our game plan, get to the office, do some paper work and wait for the coordinated hand off.  We entered the room (where we would meet her} and sat down on the couch.  Everyone was very nervous and more than anxious.  We all sat down and began making small talk.  I got up to go across the room to take a picture and out of a side room runs Olivia Zijing yelling Baba, Baba.  I bend down on my knees and before the cameras were rolling or the paper work started she jumps into my arms and begins to hug me while she was smiling from ear to ear.  UNBELIEVABLE.  Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined. 

I sit before this computer humbled at how He shows us his faithfulness.  Yes Olivia has been with us less than 24 hours, and yes Abigail's gears are grinding to see how this whole family thing is going to play out with a new competing sibling and yes we are in this way too early to call victory and adjustment.  But WOW I am speechless.  We got through the last 5 hours with out an interpreter and got the potty thing down.  Abigail wishes Zijing spoke English and she will repeat anything you say to her.  Olivia is very nervous and giggles at everything.  We suspect the giggling is a nervous system overload (poor thing). 

The girls (including Wendy) are in bed, Zachary is in bed and I should be.  I am running on fumes based on that travel schedule but I had to get this out there for you good and faithful servants who needed to know. Keep praying for adjustment, bonding and that Abigail adjusts as well.  This is so much for two little girls to go through and  I think Abby got a look back into her past today which will help her better understand her story.  Enough for now

Post from Baba - (photos and more tomorrow but from Wendy)