She has a FAMILY!

Here's some fantastic news! Xiao Shan, who stole our hearts two years ago, has been adopted! This delightful child, abandoned on our grounds at the age of two because she was deaf and dumb, now has a loving Mum and Dad and even a big brother! Hitting her head in frustration is very definitely in her past!

The love and care Xiao Shan was given after she was abandoned on the grounds of Xining Children's Home was just the beginning of her journey of being loved and cared for by people who had been trained to see the physical and emotional needs of infants like Xiao Shan. Via this blog you read about her progress as she gradually came out of her introverted existence and began responding to love.

Then we began researching the possibility of a cochlear implant, and found that at the age of three she was the perfect age for this surgical procedure. Remember how we spread the word on this blog and saw compassionate people all over the world contribute so that she could have her first cochlear implant? And then, convinced that if she was our own child we'd want her to have the very best chances in life, we again spread the word that we wanted her to have two cochlear implants. While a few critics thought we should be satisfied with one, many others agreed she should be given everything we'd give our own children, and on May 11, 2009, Xiao Shan received her second bionic ear.

Going down the Memory Lane of Xiao Shan's time with us is particularly good when there's a Happy Ending and a New Beginning! Now her new beginning is with her new family, Leslie, Mark and four year-old Trent in her new country, the USA, and with a lovely new name: Shanna Elise!

After the China Centre of Adoption Affairs informed us of her adoption I met with Shanna and her new family in Guangzhou. Leslie and Mark had already adopted a 5-year old boy from Kunshan, so Shanna now has a new big brother who shares her Chinese roots!

I was very touched to see that Shanna clung to Leslie almost the entire time, as though absorbing the love of her new mother. Leslie has emailed that they're all recovering from jetlag and she will keep us up to date with news and photographs of Shanna. Meanwhile, here are some pictures of Xiao Shan from our meeting in Guangzhou before departing for the USA.

Celebrating the run with a cup of tea : Christian Action's Chairman Anthony Charter, a tired but happy Mark, Vicar of our church Peter Hurricks and myself

You prayed and gave and loved Xiao Shan and I now pray that her story will encourage you to keep praying and giving and sharing these true stories of mended lives with your friends. Bless you!

Mark, the marathon runner, has just given us the results of his mighty half-marathon effort to raise funds. He ran for two hours twenty minutes and found it tougher this year than ever before, but we're glad, and so is he that he survived! So far he has raised $78,342 in pledges with some more to come from funds collected among the Christian Action staff. He thanks all his friends for their support, verbally and in cash. Most importantly he says, "It sounds corny but it is true, that although the run was tough, if it gives a better life to a kid it is obviously hugely worth it!' And our gracious God, Father to the fatherless, will bless you for your thoughts, words and deeds, Mark!