We are finally packed up and getting ready to take the van to Hong Kong. By the time most of you are reading this, we will be ready to board our flight to Chicago. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about it. I do know that we will survive it, no matter what kind of passenger Miss Wesleigh is, so we're good. Just say a prayer for us!!!
I have a few thoughts to share with you as we prepare to leave the birth country of our daughter:
This journey has been the most amazing journey I have ever been on. I looked at Richard last night and said, "We did it! Can you believe after all these years of saying we were going to, doing paperwork, making plans...we did it!" I hope that following our journey has lit the fire of adoption in your heart. There are over 147 million orphans worldwide. As our group was on the bus heading for the airport to go to our different provinces and get our children, one of the dads who is a pastor shared a scripture with us. He read the story of when the disciples turned the children away from Jesus because they thought He was too busy. Jesus rebuked them and said to bring the children to him. He called them "the least of these". This dad told us that we were going to be a "Jesus" to these children...that we were saying, "bring the least of these to me, I will love them". There is no way you can look into any of these childrens' faces and say that they are not worthy of a home, of parents to love them. You can't look at my daughter and say that I should have thrown in the towel and given up...that the road was to hard and long. She deserves to have a family and so do all the others that we have to leave behind today. Jesus loves them...the least of these...I love them. This journey was long. It was painful. It was expensive. It was stressful. It was filled with tears, frustration and lots of red tape. It was worth it!
We can all do more.. I can do more. What will you do...for the least of these?
6 months of paperwork
2 years 7 months 19 days of waiting
28 hours of travel (twice!)
6 suitcases
3 backpacks
5 airport security checks
3 Chinese cities
2 bouts of jet lag
1 precious Chinese daughter.....PRICELESS
Thank you for taking this amazing journey with us. Your comments and support have been invaluable. They were a little piece of heaven each time I came to the computer. Many of you will be in this same place in the near future and I can't wait to follow your amazing journey. I will still be posting to my blog regularly, so please stay tuned to see how Miss Wesleigh continues to bloom and grow. I can't wait to see what God has in store for our family next. I do feel like this is an end to a chapter in our lives. We have talked about and planned for this moment for so long. Makes me wonder what the next chapter will hold...stay tuned!!
Zai Jian (goodbye) from China,
42 comments:
Praying for your flight home and praying for her adjustment in her new home. She is off to a great start! God is so amazing the way He puts our families together. What a creative and loving Father we have!
What a beautiful post. We were in China over 2 years ago and I still go back on my blog to read about our amazing journey. It was and always will be one of the great moments of our lives ~ safe travel!
What a touching farewell post. It's been such a joy to follow along every day and see Wesleigh come to love her family. Life will never be the same, praise God!
~Lynn
Beautiful! Thank you for an amazing farewell post from China - you did it!! God set the desire in your heart to reach out to one of His and He will continue to provide once you are home and equip you to be the best family for all your children! I am so thankful that God finds us where we are and doesn't LEAVE us that way! Amen!!
I can't wait to see your family at home, thanks for sharing your journey with us.
How incredibly sweet!!!! Have a safe trip home and can't wait to see her grow!
You have a beautiful family of 6 now :)
Tears flowed freely reading this post.
Jesus has touched my daughter, her husband, and their three boys. As a father and grandfather I can't ask for anything more than for my children and grandchildren to be walking in the will and presenence of God.
Looking forward to seeing my new granddaughter tomorrow.
Love,
Pawpaw
I have enjoyed reading all your posts from China and will continue to follow along when you get back home. You have such a wonderful family. Congratulations!
I am so proud of you all - you did do it! I am also proud of Joel and Jennifer for persevering in the adoption process. We grandparents get to enjoy the results of your faith and perseverance. There were times I admit that I wondered if this would happen, but I am so thankful that you persevered in your calling. And am so thankful to our Lord who cannot help but be faithful to who He is -- One who has a heart for orphans and, thankfully, a heart for us. I love you all and cannot contain my joy at seeing you tomorrow and meeting precious Miss W!
Mama
SO happy to have followed your journey in CHINA! I pray for your family during this long flight! Can you believe we did that three times back and forth? I know how brutal that travel is, and it is especially hard on that last leg bringing home a new baby who can't understand your language or what jet lag is. I pray for you today and the days that follow. I am praying for a smooth transition for you and for Wesleigh!
Can't wait to see your first post back on "our side"! Yay!!!
I am trying to write this through tears of joy. Your post was beautifully said and I cannot help but look at the picture of you and your family and see a miracle! You are an inspiration to so many! I am so proud of you! It doesn't seem real that Wesleigh is on her way home!!! I CANNOT WAIT!!!
Love you, Rachel
What a great post! It has been awesome to follow your journey. I hope the flight home went well.
A sweet post!! Best of luck on your flight home!! Thank you for allowing us to follow your journey.
BEAUTIFUL..
I am sooo happy for you my friend..
and once again this is why I can stay positive during this wait..Iknow that when Isabella is placed in my arms .. our journey will be complete and it will all be worth it..
Love you tons..
Love the first Family Photo..
Safe travels..
HUGS>.
What a beautiful post Jennifer...it made me want to shout "Amen"!
Praying for you now as you travel and looking forward to the homecoming pictures!
Oh, travel home safely!! I bet you just can't wait to get there...what an experience you have had. We are still plugging away with our adoption process...Home Study is in review and papers are being sent to the chinese consulates today...we are almost ready to send the dossier to china for the log in date and we can't wait!!
My husband and I both enjoyed following your journey while you have been in China. You made us laugh and cry and caputred every important detail, and I thank you for sharing so much.
Look forward to the next chapter and following along!
Hugs,
Diane
We did it, we did it, we did it, Yeah WE DID IT!*in Dora the Explorer* voice!! Don't worry you'll learn all about Dora in the very near future!! LOL!!! From one "new" mommy to another..(we have legal guadianship of a 2yr old we are on our last leg of adoption)all I can say is LET THE FUN BEGIN!!! We are up to our ears in hairbows, frilly dresses, Chuckee cheese and cheese doodle after 20yrs! Yep our "babies" are 29, 28, 24, 22, and 20! It's so wonderful to see these things again! My "girls" are 28 and 20! Waaay pass the bow and frilly dresses era!! LOL!! I have two grandsons and there is NO WAY I can "BOW" them either!! Oh the sound of them ALL together is PRICELESS!!!! In Ty Pennington (Extreme Makeover)voice WELCOME HOME DOUGHTY FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sneckip
May you and your family have a safe journey back home. I know that God hand-picked Wesleigh just for you. She seems so much a part of your family already in just a few short days. I know she will flourish with all of the love that surrounds her. She is a "lucky baby" indeed to be a part of you! Thanks for sharing your beautiful and inspiring journey.
-Heather Austin
Your mission and your passion, both stated beautifully. I know God will continue to use you to spread this message as you return to our comfortable often complacent home. Can't wait to talk to you! Hope you have a safe and PEACEFUL travel home!
Fran
Jen,
I have chills up and down my spine. YOU DID IT! I LOVE what you wrote here. It is so true and so beautiful and it will help so many people. It helped me in a way I cannot really tell you and would not make sense here anyway.
I will be thinking of you and praying for you on that flight home. I cannot wait to meet Miss Wesleigh Jane one of these days soon.
I look forward to seeing the next chapter unfold.
Love,
Kim
What a beautiful post and a wonderful way to end the in-China part of your journey. Your beautiful life as a family of six is just beginning and it has been awesome to see God's work thus far.
Praying for a safe trip home!!
Blessings Always, Ashley
Even though we've never met, as your mom and dad's friends, I've been following your journey, praying, and crying tears of joy. I'm quite taken with Miss W and cannot possibly express how much I see the Lord in all of this.
Kathy DiMari
I have enjoyed reading about your travels and can't wait to read about your new chapter. Hope you have a safe journey home.
Your words were so beautiful in your post today. I have to tell you it has been an honor and a privilege to follow your journey through your blog. It has also been a true blessing to me seeing you and your family follow God's will for your lives. I will be praying for a peaceful and uneventful flight home. Can't wait to meet Miss Wesleigh (when she is ready).
P.S. If you ever need a babysitter you can put me on your list.
Kim Didier
I have been following your story and I'm absolutely thrilled that you are now on your way home with your new daughter.My very best wishes to you all.
Beautifully said!
Prayers going up for a smooth journey HOME :)
Yes....yes. The most perfect post ever to describe the journey.
WOW what an amazing post. The miracle of adoption is so hard to describe. When you tell people that when you do God's will He takes care of you, sometimes they don't get it. You did an amazing job of describing the beauty of adoption. We are looking forward to traveling to our son in the Hunan Province (Hengyang City SWI) sometime in April or May and bringing him back here to Louisiana.
I'm praying your trip is smooth and uneventful.
God Bless,
Alicia
I'm so glad the pastor shared that scripture with your group on the bus, and you in turned shared it with us. I can't wait to follow the next chapter!
I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE Y'ALL AND MEET MY NEICE!!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!!
I love you and I'll be calling you tomorrow :) :) :) :)
PS-I have PLENTY of babysitters lined up for you. I've been showing all my friends, and they all volunteered ;)
Love, Amanda
Thank you for allowing the blog community to follow your adoption story. My family has just started looking into adopting and it's really encouraging and inspiring to see such positive, life-changing results.
Many blessings and Happy Travels!!
Best,
Erin
This post is sure to inspire and encourage those who still wait Jenn! I love the family picture...and the next chapter? Well, I can't wait to follow along and see what God has in store for your family. Looking forward to seeing those coming home pics!!
I have so enjoyed all your post from China, and looking forward to the next chapter. Welcome Home Wesleigh!
Lynette from Lafayette
It's Thursday noon here. I think your flight may land in Chicago in about a half hour. Praying you all got some rest. Just can't wait to get to the airport!!!!!! See you soon Miss W and your three awesome big brothers!!!
MawMaw
Hope you made it home safely!!!
Welcome to our newest American girl!!
Blessings, Ashley
Welcome home Wesleigh!
love, Lori Planchard
It's Thursday afternoon, 5 CST and I just thought I would check to be sure there was no update on the US.'s newest citizen :) Hoping you guys are home...can't wait to see pictures of Miss W in her new room!! No pressure though :) Seriously, jet lag stinks so don't feel responsible to us to update immediately. We will wait patiently!
Congrats to you and your family! We're just beginning our adoption process, so reading your posts is an encouragement. Thank you for sharing your lives with us. The best is yet to come.
Blessings,
Kelsey
Jennifer,
That was the most beautiful thing I have ever read. It makes me want to give more, be a better person, etc...very inspiring! One of my best friends and her husband have decided to adopt from Colombia and I have introduced her to your blog. I know it will be a comfort to her in hard times during her experience.
Thank you so much for letting us all go on this journey with you.
Rick and I love you all so much! Happiness! I am so glad I get to watch Wesleigh grow up with all the Doughtys and the Greenes.
Well said Jennifer, well said! Watching Wesleigh come home has filled me with such joy, thank you for sharing your journey!! From your powerful post, I think you maybe joining me! I have a feeling you are coming home with your heart on fire for these kids too!!! Prayers for a continued smooth transition....I hate to tell you how awful jetlag on the way home can be :(
Smiles!
Myra
Wonderful post! Sounds like you had a great experience and travel buddies. Hang on now as raising an adorable little girl controls your life!! Yes, the wait was bad and now as us "BTDT" families know, our daughters are precious!
Alyzabeth's Mommy
So Glad to hear that you guys had a great trip, with great travel buddies!! Thanks so much for sharing your journey with all of us, it makes the waiting a little tiny bit easier and we are thrilled to see your wonderful family with Wesleigh!!
Nancy
I am so happy for you! I'm glad that things have worked out for you and you have your precious daughter now. She is a lucky girl! I send you all my love!
Ashley
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