ONE LESS ORPHAN!!!

On Mother's Day of 2016 one little boy walked into the arms of his daddy and became one less orphan, one more beloved son.  Our son.  Our precious little Jacob.

Pondering this new daddy...

The hat says it all!  We know we was well loved by his caregivers.  They put this hat on him to meet daddy.  It says "LUCK."  Luck is an important concept in Chinese culture.  To be orphaned means you are unlucky.  To be disabled means you are unlucky.  Jacob was both.  Now he has a family, and that family will do everything possible to help him overcome his disablity.  Now Jacob is lucky!

Saying goodbye is never easy.  Jacob was well prepared for his new family.  He remembers his sister Hannah and keeps asking for her.  He wants to see his Mommy and the rest of his family.  He was happy to see his Daddy and his Grandpa.  Nonetheless, it's a huge and traumatic change when your world completely turns upside down.  When the reality (and finality) of what was happening hit him he fought and grieved with everything he had in him.  

Time to head back to the hotel.  So sad...

Safe in Daddy's arms.

Watching cartoons has been the great time occupier for him.

He's addicted to cartoons.  I guess it's to be expected for a little boy with limited use of his arms and legs.  I can't wait to open his world up to lots of new experiences beyond a tv screen (especially since we don't even have a tv!).

Okay, I'm ready to start my new life!  Are we going home now???  Caleb loved that he was wearing a Captain America shirt upon arrival to his Daddy.  Captain America and Superman are Caleb's favorite superheros.

You mean it's going to be almost TWO WEEKS before I get to go home???

This is the spot where Jacob was abandoned.  Right in front of the orphanage.  It truly breaks my heart to think of him laying there as a baby alone, cold, hungry, and wet.  Disabled.  Unwanted.  Abandoned. An orphan.  Now he is our beloved son.  He will be loved and cared for to the greatest of our ability.  We will travel all the way across the country if necessary to get him whatever medical care he needs.  He will be surrounded by love.  Adopting Jacob didn't change the world, but it sure did change HIS world for the better!

It's always a moving experience to visit an orphanage, to see so many babies and children with no family, many needing medical care.  The little boy in Grandpa's lap literally climbed out of the crib and into his lap to be held.  Children don't just need Mommies and Daddies.  They also need the love of grandparents, of extended family, of a church family, of friends, etc.  No matter how you help an orphan to have a family, whether it be adopting yourself or helping another family to adopt, you really are making a difference in the world.

While playing around in the hotel Jacob fell and got hurt a little.  He climbed up into Grandpa's arms for some comfort.  Is there any better way to show how adoption changes lives?  

There's still time to help get Jacob home.  You can make a tax-deductible donation here to help with the remaining travel expenses, all the more important with all the difficulty they are having getting home!  Please pray for flights to open up and for them to not cost a fortune!