Turning Inward

 The children delighted in having Dr. Caroline visit our home -- all the way from the UK! Last time Caroline saw Jonathon he was tiny and recovering from surgeries. Many loving hands have held Jonathon along his journey. And the best hands are about to come...


Starting now we are in a special time of life: getting ready for Jonathon to go from home here, to home with his adoptive family in the US.

Drew and I are turning inward, protecting our time, and being especially present and attuned to the kids, talking things through, treasuring all our moments together. Being ready and fully feeling it.


Jonathon has been studying his family picture book. He can identify Daddy, Mommy and Tangy the dog. The other faces are familiar and he'll connect the names soon. I don't think he comprehends what is going to happen. Of course not. But we're doing all we can to make him feel safe and secure. We're really optimistic that it's going to be a good transition for him, we believe that this is Father's good plan for him, at the core we are celebrating what's ahead for Jon. His family is awesome. Jonathon will be happy. I can imagine his first days with them -- he will be smiling and laughing, soaking up all the love of new relationships. I can imagine him getting tucked into bed with a full and satisfied feeling in his heart.

Titus and Michael understand a little better what's going to happen. We think they will feel loss, but we believe that this is another cool thing that Father wants to teach them even as they are young boys -- to trust, to join together in caring for orphans, to see their Mom and Dad follow and lean on Jesus, to be thankful and see how much goodness has been poured out into Jon's life and theirs too.

Drew and I are not anxious, not mourning, but joyfully accompanying Jonathon into the next season of his life. We have a strong sense that this is the right thing. Kind of like giving away a beloved daughter in a good marriage?


In May we're going to throw a huge party for Jonathon's enormous community of neighbors, friends, teachers, and classmates. We want to give these friends a chance to understand, grieve and celebrate. Imagine what an unusual kind of loss this is for Jonathon's friends. We want to record videos of these people sharing a memory or a wish for Jonathon and send it along for him and his family.

Perhaps with our small ripple we can increase awareness and activate a response to our Chinese kids who are suffering as a result of population control policy, abandonment, lack of access to health care, lack of foster care and lack of domestic adoption in China. We know for certain that many hearts are being touched by Jonathon's life.


It's a beautiful true story, isn't it?

counting the graces
thank you Father for
yet another heart-to-heart with Drew, these always refresh and strengthen
we got our first vacuum cleaner in China, amazing how much encouragement and hope owning a vacuum can bring into your life
good things happening in our families
my sisters, true sisters: Mandie and Jen, I am so blessed to have these two as mine
boy stuff -- climbing trees, digging holes, collecting pieces of nature
Miss Tian to pick up and teach the boys when I got home late
aperture