Anna’s Forever Families……where faith takes a family one step closer to forever.

The title is one that I had to share. We had to sit and answer some questions
for the web designer and the Lord just put the above title in my head. I just love
it. I hope to use it along with our logo every chance I get.

This evening is quiet and rainy. Grace & Tony just left about 45 minutes ago to go on a father/daughter adventure to Dollywood tomorrow. I love how he takes time off when I need him to and wants to really do something with Grace. This is the first time Grace was a little teary to leave me. She has been rather clingy here recently.
I honestly do not know why. She has been off for fall break and got to go to work with me the last two weeks but I really wanted her to do something fun so Tony had thought up a trip to Gatlinburg. I pray even though tomorrow is supposed to be rainy that they enjoy their time together and that our heavenly Father will protect them in their travels to & from.

So I am catching up with the blog and just listening to the rain. Last time I wrote I was having one of those days/nights. I do not even call them "bad" days anymore because they are not even 24 hours long....just a brief moment of longing for the one that is no longer with you. It is what it is. No more no less. Now just a permanent fact of life. I now know just to go with it. Really everything now just has that feel to it. If you have no control over it then you hand it over to the One who does and "go with it". We are encountering some of that already with this adoption--but that is something I might write about later. Right now I want to tell you about the first recipients of a grant from Anna's Forever Families. The grant was awarded the end of September to one of the most inspiring families. The St.John family is in the middle of the most amazing journey. A journey of pure hope & faith. A journey that God is cradling with His mighty hand. You see His fingerprints over every inch. I urge you to read part of their story below:

In 2006 we traveled to China to adopt Sophie and had the amazing opportunity to visit the Taiyuan China Care Home to drop off donations. While there we met Jun Ping and Duo (and Mia Hope).

Jun Ping and Duo were best of friends, like true brother and sister. They played together, helped each other and even showed some jealousy when a toy we gave Jun Ping was picked up by Duo. We were able to go with them to the park and played with both of them for a while.

One of the volunteers commented, “I'd love to see them adopted together.” Unknown to anyone except that volunteer, we had already put in the paperwork to seek approval to adopt Jun Ping. I asked the status of Duo's paperwork and was told it hadn't even been started. It seemed that perhaps the orphanage didn't think he was adoptable. My 11 year old son who was in China with us stated “If you adopt a little boy, I want it to be Duo.”

The day after our adoption of Sophie was finalized, we received pre-approval to adopt Jun Ping. One year later we returned to China to bring her home. We call her Maddie Jun and she has never forgotten her friend, her brother, Duo.

We continued to look for Duo's file using what few China contacts we had to keep us updated on it's progress. Finally in 2008 we were told his file had been submitted. We put out word to adoption agencies and yahoo groups to help us watch for his file. No one could find it. Finally in early 2009 a friend wrote to me and recommended a specific agency. We had already tried another highly recommended agency and they would only tell us his file hadn't been assigned yet. We knew that. We wanted to know more. Where was it? Why hadn't it been assigned?

The second highly recommended agency took the ball and ran with it. Within days they responded letting us know his file was at the CCAA. They asked, “Do you want to adopt him?” My answer was a quick, emphatic “Yes! Yes! YES! A thousand times YES!” and there was much celebrating at our house that night. We decided it would be best to hold off telling Maddie Jun as she would never understand the timeline of the adoption process. When we talk about Duo in reference to the adoption process we refer to him as David so she doesn't know.

Maddie prays for Duo every night. She often asks why we can't get in an airplane and go get him. “You went to China for me and Sophie. Go for Duo. Be his mama.” Lately she has been talking to the moon...to Duo. She says things like, “Duo Guess what?!? I have mama, daddy, Matthew, Sophie, Olivia & Albert (our dogs)! Family Duo! I not forget you. I pray Jesus find you mama and daddy. Jesus loves you Duo!” A few days ago in the midst of tears she told me “Duo is sad. He wants mama and daddy.” She has also said “Why you no get him?” When I tried to explain it just didn't work that way she said “I go. I adopt him. I adopt him to me sister!” (meaning, she will be his sister.)

She talks about their favorite game (hide-and-seek) and what game she wants to show him (rock-scissors-paper). She talks about their favorite foods (shrimp and peas) and what foods she wants to give him (pizza). She says “I can play with Duo and pretend he has mama and daddy.” “How do you pretend that?” I asked. “The daddy goes to work and the mama holds you!” she answered. We have decided to wait until we receive Travel Approval to tell Maddie the news. I plan on video-taping it. I can hardly wait to bring this much wanted and loved son and brother home. We love you Duo.

Incredible to think that Maddie does not even know how close she is to having Duo with her. I can not even begin to tell how you how it feels to be a small part of their story. Here is a picture(click to enlarge) of Maddie & Duo(David).



I can not wait till they are finally together as a forever family. I can tell you that I know that my Anna is happy in heaven tonight knowing her Momma & Poppa wanted to try to give back a portion of the love she gave us. No amount of money provided in a grant could ever come close but oh, as parents who have been there, every bit helps. It is with such pleasure & honor that I can say that James & Marjorie St.John and their dear family are the first recipients of what I pray will be many grants to follow from Anna's Forever Families. God is so Good! Even through the pain & loss there is so much Good! God Bless & thanks for stopping by.....I promise to write more soon!

In His Hands,
Jo

James 1:17
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the
heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give
us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfurits of
all He created."