Meeting Hudson

Yesterday was hard to put into words. First off we woke up a 4 am since we went to bed at 8 pm the night before. That wasn't all that bad since it gave us plenty of time to get ready for the day. We got to the civil affairs office at 10:30. This was the same place we met Wyatt for the first time just over a year ago. He said he remembered it but I think it was from the pictures he's seen. There were about 15 families waiting to meet their new baby or child. It's amazing to see the emotion on the faces of Mommy's and Daddy's when they first see their little one for the first time. Adoption is such a picture of the gospel when Christ first holds us when he adopts us into his family for the first time. Often the little ones cry which is a good sign that they actually attached to some caregiver and are grieving this loss. I guess its similar to way that we grieve over our sin when we are first brought into God's family. Dawn is reading through the book of Galatians and her reading yesterday was Galatians 4:4-6 "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because we are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying "Abba! Father!" May we all cry Abba Father daily as we realize the gift of adoption that he has given to us.

Well, we finally saw Hudson come through the doors and Dawn held him. He didn't cry at first as he looked like a dear in the headlights. His right leg and hand which is weak due to the stroke he had as a newborn was even weaker because of the recent break he had to his femur. At nearly two years his is unable to walk nor grasp any thing from is right hand. He is so adorable and precious. We stand in awe over the privilege of raising another precious child for the Lord. Wyatt loves him already and seems to realize that his Di Di (little brother in Chinese) is weak and needs him to protect him. When we got back to the hotel Dawn was able to get some smiles as well as a belly laugh. He loves the iPad, playing ball, and playing matchbox cars. He can't crawl well but rather scoots around. He loves doing whatever Wyatt is doing. We are so thankful to have Conner as our photographer!    

Please continue to pray as we will be gone from 9:00 am until 7:00 tonight....more paperwork and another bullet train trip to Hudson's town he was born in to apply for his passport.