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By Guest Blogger Angela Kreh, Joy’s new forever mama
Almost two weeks ago, my oldest daughter and I flew to China to meet a girl we'd never met to become the daughter we never knew we'd always missed.
We met Joy on March 12, and on March 13, she legally became ours forever.
As I fly home from China today with this spicy girl with the sparkly extra chromosome in my arms, I want to answer one big question.
The WHY.
(Admit it – you are or have wondered why we are adopting a child considered “imperfect” by the world!)
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Since the Kreh family moved forward to adopt the girl who turned our worlds upside down last winter, they’ve held fast to one motto: MORE JOY, LESS FEAR.
More JOY in their arms, less FEAR of what a life with a child with a sparkly extra chromosome might look like.
More JOY in their hearts, less FEAR about what dreams those hearts might have to exchange for new ones when they let God do a work on the old.
More JOY in their lives, less life lived in FEAR.
For the last year, our team has had the honor of watching this beautiful family (who we now just call our “cousins”) boldly march forward and courageously run after the girl who lives life out loud.
Who seizes every moment.
Who makes the most of every day.
And this month, we’ve had the heart-melting privilege of watching from afar as two of them have traveled to China to reclaim hope for this girl who for too long has been called “orphan.”
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A year and three months.
That’s how long we’ve known and loved and prayed for and ADORED the then 7-year-old girl with the sparkly extra chromosome who invaded our hearts and our lives with a vim and vigor and vivaciousness we will never, ever forget.
But that spunky, spicy girl — the one who caused our boys to relabel her superpower “Up Syndrome” — she’s been waiting much longer to be known and heard and seen and loved.
1770 days to be exact.
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Fourteen.
In China, it’s the magic age — the age that children “age out” of the international adoption system and are no longer available for adoption.
The number of birthdays they have until their file closes.
The age Jason, the child hosted by our beautiful friends during the same session we hosted Joy last winter, would have become an orphan FOREVER.
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We advocated for them.
You shared their stories.
Now, follow the families of FIVE SUPERHEROES-IN-WAITING as they board their boats and set sail to China to reclaim hope for the children who were orphans just one year ago, including OUR JOY!!!
Joy, JJ, Jason, Leia and Dana, many of whom found their forever families thanks to YOUR love, prayers and shares, will all unite with their families THIS MONTH!
Hang on tight to that Facebook feed, friends. You're about to get a front-row seat to the magic and the wonder and the waterworks-inducing power of REDEMPTION. <3 <3 <3
Starting March 5, Jason's and Dana's Adoption Days, at www.facebook.com/ofcapesandcombatboots.
#changetheorphanstory
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