Inside MaoGang

Edited to add:  I just watched the video to make sure it worked.  I haven't watched it for quite some time. I just can't believe that's my daughter.  I can't believe that she lived there for 3 1/2 years before becoming my daughter. I can't believe I missed out on so much.  The little girl in the video doesn't even resemble my daugher now.  For the first time, this video was hard to watch.  She has changed so much.

God really is the God of second chances.

This short video was in Jia's referral information.  Parents waiting to travel and get their MaoGang girls wonder what kind of conditions their daughters are in while waiting on their Mama and Baba to come.

I doubt I leave this up for very long since it's sort of personal.  But it's too large to load on the MaoGang Yahoo group and I wanted to share.

So here's a peek inside MaoGang from about July 2008.  Jia was about 2.5 years old here.

 For those of you that know Jia now... watch the little boy shove her at the end.  Can you believe that she was ever so complacent??

I'm going to try and get back to blogging soon!  My computer was down, then we had vacation bible school.  I did the music and working all day then going to VBS really kicked my butt!

You just get out of blogging mode too easily!

Soon we're headed to Branson for vacation, then school starts!  YIPPEE!!!!

So, I'll be back!

Urgent Prayer Request

Our sweet friends from Texas are in China now!  They just got precious Emma on Monday and she is having some health problems and had to go to the hospital.  I know it is difficult enough to be in a foreign country when all is well, so I can only imagine what they're going through.
They are entirely comforted knowing that God loves little Emma even more than they do.  Please pray for Emma to get the medical attention she needs to thrive and for the Smith family as they endure this so far from family and friends.
Here's a bit from the latest email update I got from them....They don't see signs of lung infection, but said she has such severe malnutrition. They are giving her an IV as we speak and we are to go back each day for another IV until we leave Kunming, the city we are in now. Thank you for praying........and please continue to pray that the IV will help her, and that she will also be able to eat and drink what she needs to keep thriving. She is such an angel.......so precious......continue to pray her home to the US where she can get everything she needs. I do say, however, that the only ONE she needs......she has right here, right now....and I do trust Him to be her everything. Thank you, Jesus, for taking care of sweet Emma........

Our 1st Forever Family Day Celebration!

A year ago you were an orphan.

Now you are a beloved daughter, sister, grand-daughter, niece, aunt, cousin and friend.

Because God sets the lonely in families!

This is the first photo we seen of you!

It was love at first sight!

You didn't even have a name, you were a number.

As we moved along in the process, you went from being #208-11 to Qiu Wen...

And from Qiu Wen to Jiana Ellan...

but still there was something missing.

A smile.

A light in your eyes.

Your family.

Our first glimpse of you in person...

You were running late!  It was a good indication that you'd make a fine member of the Stotts family!

Your dress was 3 sizes too big and you were wearing yellow Spiderman shoes!

I tenatively reached out to touch you, you were terrified.

I can't imagine what that day was like for you.

It was one of the most joyous days of my life, but I know it was probably your worst.

Eventually, you decided to take a chance on us.

It was so rough for you the first few days.

I can't blame you for being afraid.

You were so sober.

I will NEVER forget those first smiles you trusted us with!

And eventually, you decided that we were all right and you could trust us with more smiles!
I watched you everyday give in a little bit more.

Your first day home.

Your first day as an American Citizen.

Your first Independence Day!

In just a few short days your personality really emerged!

We found out what a Diva you are!

And what a ham you are!

I'm already imagining you in school!

You're bound to be the class clown.

Oh, all those calls from the principals office...

Now your smile lights up the room.

And you are so happy.

I don't know if you'll remember any of your time in China.

You've chose to leave that life behind and embrace your new life.

But the time we had there with you is priceless.

We will always remember with joy the journey that God took us on to you!

We will always be glad we stepped out of the boat.

You have brought us so much joy.

And love.

Gone is the sober, stoic orphan with just an assigned number and name.

In her place is the greatest treasure from God...

A demonstration of His Grace...

In one little face.

Jiana (God's Grace) Ellan Qiu Wen Stotts

Thank you Jia.

For your courage. 

For taking a chance on us. 

 For letting us be your Baba and Mama.

For trusting us and letting us in your heart.

And for making your way into ours.

We love you sweet girl!

Happy 1st Forever Family Day!

Mama & Baba

Revisiting our last post before Forever Family Day

Boy, do I remember the tug-of-war going on in our hearts the night before getting Jia.  Are we being selfish taking her from everything she knows?  Is this really what's best for her?  I knew all along how much I wanted her, but had I stopped to think of what she would want?  I remember going to bed that night just a bundle of nerves.
Even more, I remember waking up the next morning and reaching for my bible.  As we sat in bed and re-read some scriptures that had become favorites over the years, a peace began to settle in.  Then, as I was looking for a scripture in Psalms, I ran across another one I had read often.  Psalms 68:5 - A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  I remember reading that one several times before, but I had never continued on.  Vs 6 says "God sets the lonely in families."
I remember the joy that came over me as I realized that that day, God was placing Jia in a family, because that's what He does.  He sets the lonely in families.  I just knew that all was well and as it should be!  From then on, things went so smoothly and perfectly!
You can re-visit our last post before getting Jia here.
Also, don't forget about the GIVE AWAY!!!!  Go here for details and to enter!

Hong Kong

A year ago we fell in love with Hong Kong.

Of course we were to nervous and excited to really enjoy it when we were there, and our time was too short.  But it didn't feel like it at the time because all we wanted to do was get on to China!

But looking back, HK was so easy to get around and so beautiful.  I would love to go back there and explore it some more!

We're celebrating  our first year home with Jia!!!

Don't forget to enter for the GIVE AWAY!  Go to this post and see how to get entered to win a SEW YUMMY apron or a gift certificate to PISH POSH TOTS!!!!

Side note:  our new friends, Danny and Angie are in China NOW!!!!  They'll be getting their precious Emma on Monday, day after Fathers Day.... just like us!  So keep 'em in your prayers and little Emma to.  I know it was all the prayers that paved the way before us and made everything go so smooth!

Celebrating with a GIVE-AWAY!!!!

One year ago today, we boarded a plane in KC and begun our Journey to Jia!

You can read all about that here.

And because we are SEW BLESSED,

we want to bless someone else who celebrates with us!

Here's the give-away contest:

From now until our 1 year 'Gotcha Day' anniversary which is June 22nd, you may enter to win a Sew Yummy Apron and a gift certificate from Pish Posh Tots.

Here's what ya gotta do:

Become a follower of JouneytoJia (if you already are, leave a comment saying that)

Become a fan of Sew Blessed on Facebook

Become a fan of Pish Posh Tots on Facebook

Share the giveaway news on your own blog or Facebook.

And finally, leave a comment with your own fundraising ideas

so everyone can be inspired to acheive their goal of adoption, missions or whatever!

Now, for each thing you do, come back and leave a seperate comment on this blog post for each.

For instance "I just became a follower"

"I just became a fan of PPT or SW on FB"

"I just shared about your giveaway on my blog/FB"

or

"Here's my fundraising idea"

I'll be sure and link to this post daily, so be sure and leave on your comments on the "Celebrating with a GIVE-AWAY" post!

Winners:

The contest will end June 22nd.  We'll be out celebrating our 1st Anniversary as a Forever Family, so winners won't be picked until Wednesday the 23rd.

I'll use a random generator to select 2 WINNERS. 

One will get a Sew Yummy Apron...made by Joy

And the other will receive a Pish Posh Tots gift certificate.

Now go share the news!