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| Jonah is in the center of the photo in a yellow shirt and red pants. |
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Best video ever!
Jonah spent most of his life behind metal bars with very little stimulation or opportunity to play and have fun.
For over a week Jonah has been in the arms of his loving daddy. He's not only been loved and cared for, he's learning about new things like good food, toys, and playtime in the bathtub. Jonah loves to play in the water! Isn't he adorable? I can't wait till they get home so I can love on him myself!
If you'd like to show some love to this precious little boy you can donate to our family sponsorship account on Reece's Rainbow to help bring him home. http://reecesrainbow.org/75910/sponsormurray
Monday, June 23, 2014
Change the world...
The following is from Ernie's Facebook page Saturday morning:
The flight from the province to Guangzhou is always tough. Most of the kids are horrified, the local Chinese are confused by all of the Americans with Chinese kids and there's a sense in the many of the kids that they are leaving the only home they have every known. Jonah cried during takeoff but I got him to sleep soon thereafter. I was just caressing his face and he slowly fell asleep. Such a sweet little guy.
In nearly 4 years of life Jonah had probably never fallen asleep with someone caressing his face. He had probably never been lovingly held as he fell asleep. He had never had someone hold him all night long. He had never been loved unconditionally. Instead he had spent the majority of his life behind metal bars in a harsh institution devoid of stimulation, nurturing, and love. In a moment of time Jonah's life completely changed. Through the miracle of adoption this little orphan - abandoned, unwanted, unloved - became our beloved son.
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| "Adopting one child won't change the world, but for that child the world will change." |
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Because I have Down syndrome...
The following was from Ernie's Facebook status this morning (including the picture):
My name is Jonah. Today when my daddy got my adoption paperwork it came with no shot records. All the other families had shot records. When he asked why I had none they said because I have Down syndrome I was not worthy of receiving any shots. My daddy cried when he heard this. He then told me that God loves all of His children and that I would be fine.
Notice the redness under Jonah's nose. That is because he has been denied even the most basic medical care. He has a chronic bloody nose. He is stuffy and can't breathe well. He is almost 4, and although some developmental delays are to be expected due to his having Down syndrome, his delays are more extreme than they should be due to being left in a crib (more like a cage with it's metal bars and hard floor) all day in an impoverished orphanage. Jonah can't eat much other than rice (even noodles are too difficult unless they are broken into tiny pieces) because he can't chew well enough to break food up. He does walk but not very well. This summer he turns 4 years old, but he is very much a "baby" and seems more like a 1 yr old.
Jonah has suffered from neglect due to the conditions of the orphanage in which he has lived for nearly 4 years. But aside from the poor conditions of the orphanage he has suffered because he has Down syndrome.
Because he has Down syndrome Jonah has not received any immunizations.
Because he has Down syndrome Jonah was not given medical care for his illnesses.
Because he has Down syndrome people stare at Jonah rudely.
Because he has Down syndrome people act scared of Jonah.
Because he has Down syndrome people act disgusted by Jonah.
Because he has Down syndrome people ask what is wrong with Jonah.
Because he has Down syndrome Jonah waited almost 2 years to have his file prepared for adoption.
Because he has Down syndrome Jonah waited almost 2 more years to be adopted, even though there are literally thousands upon thousands of people waiting to adopt a child. All this time he was considered "special focus" and was listed on the "shared list" that is available to all agencies, meaning he could have been adopted by anyone working with any agency. The restrictions that are placed on some children (e.g. can't be adopted by singles, families must already have a completed and logged-in dossier, etc.) didn't apply to him. He was made available to anyone that qualified to adopt in an effort to reach more prospective parents, just like so many other precious children who continue to wait because they have Down syndrome.
Because he has Down syndrome Jonah was featured on Reece's Rainbow, an amazing organization dedicated to helping "hard-to-place"children find families, especially kids with Down syndrome. He was featured on there for many months before we chose to adopt him. If you would like to be a part of the blessing that comes in showing this precious child the love he so deserves, the medical care he greatly needs you can donate to our family sponsorship page here:
http://reecesrainbow.org/75910/sponsormurray
Jonah, you may have Down syndrome, but it will never define you. You will be known not because you have Down syndrome, you will be known for the wonderful person you are. I will make sure of it. And your Daddy. And all of your many siblings. You have a family now. You are wanted. You are so adored. You are treasured.
Jonah, YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!
My name is Jonah. Today when my daddy got my adoption paperwork it came with no shot records. All the other families had shot records. When he asked why I had none they said because I have Down syndrome I was not worthy of receiving any shots. My daddy cried when he heard this. He then told me that God loves all of His children and that I would be fine.
Notice the redness under Jonah's nose. That is because he has been denied even the most basic medical care. He has a chronic bloody nose. He is stuffy and can't breathe well. He is almost 4, and although some developmental delays are to be expected due to his having Down syndrome, his delays are more extreme than they should be due to being left in a crib (more like a cage with it's metal bars and hard floor) all day in an impoverished orphanage. Jonah can't eat much other than rice (even noodles are too difficult unless they are broken into tiny pieces) because he can't chew well enough to break food up. He does walk but not very well. This summer he turns 4 years old, but he is very much a "baby" and seems more like a 1 yr old.
Jonah has suffered from neglect due to the conditions of the orphanage in which he has lived for nearly 4 years. But aside from the poor conditions of the orphanage he has suffered because he has Down syndrome.
Because he has Down syndrome Jonah has not received any immunizations.
Because he has Down syndrome Jonah was not given medical care for his illnesses.
Because he has Down syndrome people stare at Jonah rudely.
Because he has Down syndrome people act scared of Jonah.
Because he has Down syndrome people act disgusted by Jonah.
Because he has Down syndrome people ask what is wrong with Jonah.
Because he has Down syndrome Jonah waited almost 2 years to have his file prepared for adoption.
Because he has Down syndrome Jonah waited almost 2 more years to be adopted, even though there are literally thousands upon thousands of people waiting to adopt a child. All this time he was considered "special focus" and was listed on the "shared list" that is available to all agencies, meaning he could have been adopted by anyone working with any agency. The restrictions that are placed on some children (e.g. can't be adopted by singles, families must already have a completed and logged-in dossier, etc.) didn't apply to him. He was made available to anyone that qualified to adopt in an effort to reach more prospective parents, just like so many other precious children who continue to wait because they have Down syndrome.
Because he has Down syndrome Jonah was featured on Reece's Rainbow, an amazing organization dedicated to helping "hard-to-place"children find families, especially kids with Down syndrome. He was featured on there for many months before we chose to adopt him. If you would like to be a part of the blessing that comes in showing this precious child the love he so deserves, the medical care he greatly needs you can donate to our family sponsorship page here:
http://reecesrainbow.org/75910/sponsormurray
Jonah, you may have Down syndrome, but it will never define you. You will be known not because you have Down syndrome, you will be known for the wonderful person you are. I will make sure of it. And your Daddy. And all of your many siblings. You have a family now. You are wanted. You are so adored. You are treasured.
Jonah, YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!
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| There is always love in Daddy's hands... |
Reflections on Father's Day...
When my husband and I first met one of the things that drew us together was how well we could relate to each other's desire for our fathers to have played a bigger role in our lives. Growing up I only saw my dad a few times a year. He left my mom when I was very young, and from that point on he had minimal involvement in my life. I do believe he loved me, but I always wished he had done more to actually show me his love. Ernie's story was very similar, except that he had grown up with even less contact from his dad.
Both our dads ended up having more children with new wives. Those children were given the attention and love from our dads we so greatly missed. Don't misunderstand, we are very grateful for that! We love those siblings, even if we rarely see them, and truly want the best for them! We are glad they never felt the sting of rejection we felt from our dads. But my husband understands what I mean when I say I feel like "yesterday's leftovers."
Growing up without a dad is hard. I know if there were anything my husband wishes could have been different in his life it would be to have grown up knowing a father's love. As he became an adult he was able to establish a relationship with his dad, but as I know from my experience with my own father a distant relationship will never be enough to heal the hurt and damage caused by growing up feeling rejected by your own dad. When my father died I was full of grief, but while I mourned his loss one of the strongest feelings I had was the sadness that our relationship would never be better, that all hope of being closer to him was gone.
So Father's Day has always come with mixed feelings for both Ernie and me. However, this Father's Day Ernie got the greatest blessing ever. A child - an orphan... abandoned, unwanted, and unloved - walked into his arms, and both their lives were forever changed for the better. Someone recently questioned Ernie's role in our adoptions, even suggesting he "be a man and say NO MORE" and that I am "not allowing him to have a decent, peaceful life." Oh, if only those who don't understand could see the joy in his heart!!!
Ernie has talked to my mom several times while he is in China, and she has seen his posts on Facebook. As she said to me this morning, "Ernie doesn't need to fly on a plane to be on cloud nine - he's already there with his precious little boy!" She noted how incredibly happy he is, how much he is enjoying his new son, and how fiercely he is willing to defend him against those who see him as worthless due to his having Down syndrome.
I am so proud of my husband for the man he is, for the father he has become despite having grown up without one. I thank God everyday for sending him into my life. I am grateful for his love and for our great friendship (we truly are best friends!). I am amazed at the blessings God has poured into our lives. I pray those who don't understand will open their hearts and minds to accept the joy we have in our family, even if the way we have chosen to build our family is vastly different from their own. I pray broken relationships are mended and distant relationships grow stronger. I pray those we love will realize how precious our children are and burn with a desire to show them the love they deserve. I pray this precious little child grows to understand how greatly loved his is, how much he is wanted, how wonderful and incredibly special he is!
Both our dads ended up having more children with new wives. Those children were given the attention and love from our dads we so greatly missed. Don't misunderstand, we are very grateful for that! We love those siblings, even if we rarely see them, and truly want the best for them! We are glad they never felt the sting of rejection we felt from our dads. But my husband understands what I mean when I say I feel like "yesterday's leftovers."
Growing up without a dad is hard. I know if there were anything my husband wishes could have been different in his life it would be to have grown up knowing a father's love. As he became an adult he was able to establish a relationship with his dad, but as I know from my experience with my own father a distant relationship will never be enough to heal the hurt and damage caused by growing up feeling rejected by your own dad. When my father died I was full of grief, but while I mourned his loss one of the strongest feelings I had was the sadness that our relationship would never be better, that all hope of being closer to him was gone.
So Father's Day has always come with mixed feelings for both Ernie and me. However, this Father's Day Ernie got the greatest blessing ever. A child - an orphan... abandoned, unwanted, and unloved - walked into his arms, and both their lives were forever changed for the better. Someone recently questioned Ernie's role in our adoptions, even suggesting he "be a man and say NO MORE" and that I am "not allowing him to have a decent, peaceful life." Oh, if only those who don't understand could see the joy in his heart!!!
Ernie has talked to my mom several times while he is in China, and she has seen his posts on Facebook. As she said to me this morning, "Ernie doesn't need to fly on a plane to be on cloud nine - he's already there with his precious little boy!" She noted how incredibly happy he is, how much he is enjoying his new son, and how fiercely he is willing to defend him against those who see him as worthless due to his having Down syndrome.
I am so proud of my husband for the man he is, for the father he has become despite having grown up without one. I thank God everyday for sending him into my life. I am grateful for his love and for our great friendship (we truly are best friends!). I am amazed at the blessings God has poured into our lives. I pray those who don't understand will open their hearts and minds to accept the joy we have in our family, even if the way we have chosen to build our family is vastly different from their own. I pray broken relationships are mended and distant relationships grow stronger. I pray those we love will realize how precious our children are and burn with a desire to show them the love they deserve. I pray this precious little child grows to understand how greatly loved his is, how much he is wanted, how wonderful and incredibly special he is!
Monday, June 16, 2014
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Travel time!
Just a brief note to say that travel approval we were waiting for, well it came weeks ago. Yep, that's right. This Father's Day my husband will have the best gift ever! I'll be posting pictures soon!
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