{One Less} Forever Family Day!

There are approximately 147 million orphans in the world,  but tonight there is one less...

After our busy morning it was time to meet the precious little one we have been praying and waiting for since our adoption journey began. We left our hotel as a party of two for the last time and hopped in the van along with the other two families and Zhou, and headed to the Jiangsu Registration Service Centre for Foreign-related Marriage and Adoption.

We arrived before the babies but only had to wait five or ten minutes before they arrived. On this day our agency had three families adopting from this orphanage along with a family from another agency.

Here they come!

Our angel in the blue hat waiting for his turn to meet his forever family

Justin's turn!

And then he was in our arms!! Finally! He did not cry, and though alert he was very tired from his long day of travel [because our little one had been living at a healing home in the loving care of an amazing organization (Love Without Boundaries) and not the orphanage, he had to take a train from Beijing to Xuzhou (where the orphanage is located) and then a second train from Xuzhou to Nanjing to meet us].

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ~John 14:18 

Dear Justin Li,

Mommy and Daddy are so happy to finally meet you! The journey has been long, but oh so worth it and we wouldn't change a thing. You are an orphan no longer; you are a beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, and cousin! You are known and loved, and you are forever ours. You were born in our hearts and we love you very much!

Love Always,

Mommy & Daddy

Our agency group with all of our babies!

After some paperwork (during which Justin took a little nap) we headed back to the hotel to get to know each other and begin our lives together as a new forever family.

No smiles yet, but we are working on it!

Sweet sleeping baby

These verses were sent to me by a dear friend right after we returned home - LOVE!

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ~Acts 17:26-27