Reunion in Washington DC

I have dreamed of reuniting with some of our children and their forever families, and on my recent trip to the US, we were able to make it happen in not one, but two cities! The two reunions were in DC and Los Angeles, and it was everything I could have asked for and more.

Our DC reunion was on the afternoon of 23 June. Marlon and I met with three of our Xining children along with their families. The first and youngest guest, baby Catherine, is 22 months old and was adopted late last year. Her father, William, and two brothers Tev and DJ, along with William's nephew and niece coordinated the site and the dinner!

Precious Catherine was quite a
mover. I was trying to give
her a gift!

Leah, who is already over 10 years old, was adopted by Aron and Jenn in 2010. We had the privilege, as a family, of seeing Leah off in Xining when Marlon and Danial accompanied me to Qinghai that year! Leah's parents came along with her two siblings Kyra and Ryann.

Then we had Sue-Mae, knick-named Ms. Smiley Kylie, our six-year-old joyful girl, along with her parents, Stacy and Jack, as well as her three siblings, who were all adopted from China.

We spent the afternoon eating delicious food, catching up on life, and sharing what God has been doing in China through CA since 1997. It was encouraging to be in a room full of people who understand the importance of the work we do in the Children's Homes, and especially to be among people who have played such an instrumental role in showing God's love to these precious girls.

I wanted each of the girls to remember this moment, even though some were young, so I gave each one a necklace which included a jade chicken. I chose this because the shape of the chicken is similar to the shape of China on a map. I wanted each child to have a special reminder of their culture and roots as they grow up and pursue their dreams.

I know without a doubt, that each of the people at our reunion was deeply impacted by the special love of adoption. I pray that each family will be willing to share this message of faith and hope with others, and that one day every orphaned or abandoned child will have a forever family.

I look forward to sharing news about the LA reunion. Until then, pray for God's blessing for each of these lovely families.