Harder Family

Harder Family

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Leaving China

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Today is a bittersweet day. We are boarding our flight in just a few minutes. We take off at 11:10am (China time), which is around 10:10pm Chicago time. We will be in the air approximately 14.5 hours. I am sad to leave China since this trip has been a great experience in seeing the boy's country and learning all that I can about the history and culture of China. It is also a sad day because the boy's will be leaving the only country they have known. In just a few hours, they will be in an entirely different country - different food, strange language, weird smells, new siblings, etc. I know that we will have some hard days (maybe weeks or months) as we all adjust to our new normal. I am going to keep reminding myself every day how frustrating it was to communicate with people who didn't speak my language, and how comforting and encouraging it was to speak with people who spoke English. Remembering all of these experiences and feelings will help me guide the boys and empathize with them.

Even though today is sad, it is also an exciting day. When the plane lands in Chicago, the boys will be American citizens! Their foster parents are so excited for the boys and all the opportunities and potential that America holds for them. Today is also exciting because our family will finally be all together in one place. We have been family now for almost 2 weeks for DJ and just under 2 weeks for Shan Chen, but our family has been on two different continents. I am ready for us to all be together and to find our new routine and normal. 

Thank you again to everyone who has been praying for us and who has supported us on this exciting adventure to add these two boys to our family!! I am excited to see what God has in store for our family as we move forward. Never be afraid to get out of that boat and trust God when He is calling you to do something!!! This has been a wild and life changing adventure, and I know that it is just the beginning!

If anyone ever wants to know more about adoption, please let me know!! Here's a video to watch about the plight facing China today - these are precious children who need a Mama and Baba to love them and care for them!! http://www.channelnewsasia.com/tv/tvshows/get-real-s15/china-s-new-unwanted/3595038.html

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Somehow this didn't post before we left China. We just landed!!! The boys are official US citizens!!


4 comments:

  1. Praying for these first days home. Transition is such a strange tension of sadness, difficulty, joy, and excitement. Love to you!

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  2. Ahhh!!!! Welcome home!! ❤❤❤

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  3. Welcome home! I hope you are all the way home by now and enjoying the first hours of jetlag, haha. Congrats to the new citizens!

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