Gotcha Day Revisited

Sorry it took so long to post after we got back home. A certain little someone has been keeping me busy.

It’s been a little over a month now since we received ourdaughter in China. That day was filled with all kinds of emotions. Brent and Iboth felt nausea as we waited at the hotel for our guide to take us to theCivil Affairs Office, where we would meet our daughter, Mia Xiao Wei, for thefirst time. At times, I even felt like I would faint.  It was a mixture of indescribable joy and anxiety at the same time. Satan was busy putting all kinds of thoughts into my mind. Werewe the right family for Mia? Are we too old to raise another child? Would shebe better off staying with the foster family in China? At the same time thatthe father of all lies was busy, God Almighty was taking care of business.

We were soon to meet our little miracle, a baby girl 17 months old that was born in China and left at three months of age at the gates of theBobai Welfare Institute. Dates, timing, and situations all had to line up perfectlyfor her to become part of our family. God knew that she would be the rightchild for us, and that we would be the right parents for her. His timing wasperfect as always. It was not God's will for her birth parents to abandon her, but it was His will for another family to take her in after she was.

When we got to the Civil Affairs Office, we weren’t sureif Mia was there yet or not. We saw other adopting families alongwith orphanage directors, nannies, and civil affair officers, and of course a fewchildren, but we didn’t see Mia at first. Our guide walked away from us to thefar end of a row of chairs. A group was sitting there with a child, butwe didn’t have a clear view. Our guide motioned us over to them. Mia wassitting  on the lap of the orphanage director.

We didn’t run and grab Mia for fear of having a screamingchild. We talked to her using a few of the Chinese words we know.

We then all had to head upstairs for our guide to takecare of some legalities. All the adopting families were ushered into a waitingroom/play area. The orphanage director put Mia down on a rocking toy for aminute. We stood watching her with silly grins on our faces and tears in our eyes, as she gave us a questioning look. The director then held her again,until one of the civil affairs officers came in and saw that Mia still hadn’tbeen given to us. We believe she scolded the director as she motioned for herto give Mia to me.

I took Mia in my arms and hugged her tight. She justmelted into me. Some of the gotcha day pictures may look like she washugging me back, but she was rather limp, and I believe she had checked outemotionally. She didn’t cry at all that day. When we got in the van to go back to our hotel,Igave her a sippy cup with some water. She gulped it like she was dying athirst.

Gotcha Day Video 1

Our first glimpse of Mia

Gotcha Day Video 2

Patiently waiting to hold her

Once we were back at the hotel, she became this happy, funny girl. She played and giggled for a long time, while our guide was there filling out some of the final paper work with us.

For the following couple of days , Mia would seem very happy and content, but then the grieving started. There were two days where she had bouts of unconsolable crying. Then came the temper tantrums, which are also a normal part of the greiving process for toddlers. For the most part, however, our times in China were good and happy. The greiving was necessary and oiur positive response to her during the hard times helped her to learn to trust us, and helped in the bonding process.

God Himself paved the way for adoption. Anyone that accepts what Christ did on the cross is an adopted son or daughterof God and becomes part of His forever family to dwell with Him for eternityafter they die. 

Lori