A little more than two and a half *decades* ago, I began my college career at the University of Louisville. I was a young single mother of a two month old; also working a full-time, early-morning shift at a local bakery, attending school full-time in the afternoons and evenings, and relying heavily on the availability and generosity of my aged grandparents (and sometimes parents-both mine and Rick’s) as my only babysitters. It was a heavy, heavy load and I failed miserably under the weight of it all. I continued in that failing misery for a couple of semesters, until I finally came to the realization I just didn’t want a college degree badly enough; and to compound that lack of desire, there were other more pressing matters that required my complete attention, like my now recovering marriage and striving to sustain the healthy balance between working and parenting. So I dropped out of school.

The next couple of years were important years of growth for me personally. I got married, almost divorced a year later, was saved by Jesus’s grace, gave birth to another little boy, and became a Stay at Home Mom….in exactly that order. Going back to school had flitted in and out of my mind from time to time, but I needed to be sure I was ready to commit. In the Fall of 1997, I knew the timing was right. My life was stable-and more importantly, *I* was stable. I was desirous of my degree and felt I had acquired the maturity needed to make an honest go of it. I spent the next five years taking part-time classes at UL and acquiring 67 credit hours in the process. One story I often (and proudly) tell my children is of having my third child, Jake, on a Wednesday afternoon, discharging from the hospital that Friday, and showing up for my 8 a.m. Final Exam the following Monday. I got a B on that Math Final, but I was immensely proud of every bit of that B, given the extenuating circumstances!

In the Spring of 2003, having just had my fifth child, I knew the time had come for me to conclude my schooling. I wrestled and wrestled with that decision, because it felt so much like quitting and leaving something unfinished. But in the end, I recognized my kids and husband needed to come first. I wanted to continue homeschooling, but that school choice was not going to be conducive to nursing clinicals, which required my full-time work presence. There was no way homeschooling, along with being mom to another newborn, fit into that picture. I was heavy-hearted, but lightened by the freedom that only true obedience and right prioritization brings.

The last sixteen years have been filled with the births of two more precious children and the adoption of four medically-needy little ones from China. I was privileged to be my Grandpa’s caregiver, until his health declined beyond my capacity. We’ve travelled with Rick on many of his work trips and cheered the kids on in their vast extracurricular endeavors. When two of my children were walking devastating, destructive pathways that required my complete and undivided attention, I was able to enter into their distinctly unique but equally painful despair in a way that I would not have been able to had my attention been drawn away elsewhere. I’m so thankful for those seasons of great joy and unspeakable sorrow, always intermingled, yet ever and always making us look more and more like our Savior! We will never *want* these things, but we absolutely NEED them in our lives!

Today marks the introduction of a new season and the start of, what I hope, is a redemptive chapter in my life. I am beyond excited to tell you all that I have made the decision to go back to UL to complete my degree! I went to Student Advising this morning and made the initial contact with the Financial Aid Office. As usual, my ever-present and faithful hubby was right by my side. I’m so thankful for his unwavering support!! I am declaring my major in Criminal Justice, since I am/have already been employed for many years now in the positions of teacher, elder companion, nurse, social worker, social justice advocate (specifically as it relates to orphan care), caregiver, dietician, etc. Simply being a mother has provided a myriad of real life learning opportunities that a single collegiate degree could never offer. This journey is not so much about a well-earned piece of paper as it is the restoration of the years the locusts have eaten.

This pursuit is extremely personal to me. To answer a few obvious questions. NO, I am not interested in entering the job market upon graduation. Yes, I still LOVE being a SAHM to my children. I very much enjoy partnering with CEC in the collaborative education of three of my middle kiddos. I fully intend to bring the Quad Squad home during their middle and high school years and either work with CEC or, for the first time in Kelley kid-dom history, teach them solely at home. The jury’s still out on that one. 🙂 I recognize Benji’s health needs (or something else providentially hindering) may cause this desire to, once again, end in ‘unfinished business’. And that’s okay. But I have a strong sense that *now* is the time and space to pursue this. So I’m going with my gut on this one and praying God’s continued blessing and sustaining providence over Benji. Besides, I fully trust God in His sovereign plans for my life. His Will *will* be accomplished one way or the other. I’m just an instrument in the hands of my Redeemer. But I also know God loves to give good gifts to His children. And how I’m hoping this desire of mine-to make an end of this ‘unfinished business’-is one He’ll grant to me! May He not only grant it, but give the strength to see it through infinitely well and for HIS glory. Amen!

Dear Friends,

I wasn’t able to keep the blog updated while in China. As you read, you’ll understand why. I am going to copy the Facebook posts that April and I posted while in China along with the dates. I’ll add very little commentary from this side, I believe the posts will clearly communicate all that we went through to bring these boys home. If you didn’t read the previous post, my 17 year old son, Jake, was involved in a head-on collision the day before we left. He was to go with me and be my helper – everything from managing the luggage to managing the children when I needed to attend paperwork meetings that last several hours. There are also times where supplies need to be picked up from the Walmart and it’s best to have someone stay with the children while the other adult goes and get necessities or lunch etc.

He broke his collarbone in the accident, we’re very thankful to the Lord nothing more. Both airbags deployed and the paramedic on scene and doctor in the hospital both said he was fortunate to be alive and that his seat belt saved his life. He is healing up, still unable to bear any weight with his left (and dominant) hand. He is to be X-rayed soon to make sure the bones are healing correctly.

Having an adult (the obvious preference is your spouse) with you is vital, particularly if you’re adopting two children. April and I learned that lesson well when we adopted the girls. We had our 14 year old (at the time) daughter with us and we were exhausted for most of the trip. But we had each other and Grace was instrumental in the bonding and attachment process.

I spent most of Monday, December 15th in the ER at U of L hospital. Jake was released in the late afternoon (the person he hit was released a day later and is doing fine). We spent the final couple hours rushing to pack, changing travel arrangements, etc. We had our Christmas with the children that evening and then Ryle and I were off to the airport at 6 a.m. Tuesday, December 16th.

This blog picks up on 12/18 as 12/16-12/17 are in a previous blog post.

December 18th

Tiananmen Square / Forbidden City / Hutong Tour on rickshaw with lunch / International Market in Beijing for ‘delicacies’ in the evening. Ryle, with his blonde hair, was quite the star. Numerous people had their picture made with him and there was much staring and pointing at him while we were in China.

December 19th

We had a good day at the Great Wall, a nice lunch with a tour of a jade factory (still can’t bring myself to purchase it due to price) and a lot of fun at the Acrobatics Show. Ryle really enjoyed it.

We are up at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning and need to leave the hotel at 7:45 to catch our flight to Zhengzhou – the city where the boys live.

We are all packed up. The airlines in China only allow 44 lbs per person (something I had forgotten) and we are over – way over. Hopefully the excess baggage fees are affordable. I miss April quite a bit but particularly when doing something she usually takes care of like getting all the packing squared away, or dressing kids, or bathing kids, etc. I prefer the pack mule, errand boy role – mostly because it’s less work! Much love to all back home.

Entrance to Great Wall

December 20th

Ryle and I arrived safely in Zhengzhou with no problems. We received the final updates on the boys answering questions that April and I sent to China over a month ago.

It is encouraging that the boys get along well with others. Their lack of fear of strangers is not really a good thing – it just means they aren’t attached to anyone and will go to everyone. I’m not too excited about that 2 am cath schedule! Hoping to adjust his schedule to something better suited to our home schedule. Either way, he needs to cathed every six hours – no matter what. 

His post:

The two newest additions to the Kelley family. Say hello to Silas and Benjamin!

Pictures from Gotcha Day in China.

My first view as I walked in the door.

The boys were at the SWI before we arrived.

Benji wasn’t happy to come to his new baba!

Bribing with a sucker

Bus ride back to the hotel

Bus ride back to the hotel

December 21st Afternoon

April writes: My poor hubby. Silas is already grieving, but Rick can’t “make it all better with food” like we did with the girls because of some gastrointestinal issues. Benjamin is a quiet delight, and for now, I’m grateful. It seems that Rick will have to focus quite a bit of attention on Silas. Please continue praying for Rick and Ryle. That incessant crying can wear one down quickly. And I feel acutely the inability to be of any help at all.

December 21st Evening

I was unable to cath Benji during the evening. I spoke with the head doctor of the Show Hope unit (an American) by phone. He walked me through what I supposed to be doing. It was quite nerve racking. I had to have two people hold Benji down as I tried to do cath. I couldn’t make it work. He was screaming, I was sweating profusely, my Chinese guide was helping but after all that – I still couldn’t make it work. So we had to hire a vehicle and travel back to the orphanage at 10:30 p.m. The orphanage is 40 minutes away. The driver got lost. We arrived back at the hotel well after midnight. We spent over an hour at the orphanage. The nurse trained me on how to cath (there was very little training earlier in the day when I got the boys). I was also quite sick to my stomach as I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. The orphanage gave me a glass of water and a banana and I felt much better after that. It was a rough first day.

April wrote the following post the next day:

Update from China:

Last night was a rough night for Rick. After four attempts, he was still unable to cath Benji. Thankfully, a fellow travel group member was willing to come stay in Rick’s room with the other sleeping kiddos, Ryle and Silas.
So, at 10:30 at night, with a traumatized child that he’d only met a few hours before, Rick and his guide Vivian traveled the 40 minutes back to the orphanage. Once there, an American doctor with Show Hope was able to spend some time giving Rick some extra pointers on cathing. He was also able to gain some additional insight into Benji and his temperament.
They returned back to the hotel some time after midnight. All were exhausted, but thankfully, Benji went right to sleep and slept the rest of the night.

Today has been a bit of a better start to the day. Rick WAS able to successfully cath Benji, and the boys seemed happy and content when we Facetimed earlier. Praising the Lord for His new mercies.

Immediate Prayer Requests:

1. That all would get some much needed rest and sleep.
2. That Rick would continue to know success in cathing Benjamin.
3. That Ryle would take social cues better and be able to be a bigger help to Rick.
4. That they would continue to know the Lord’s help as they “gut out” the rest of their time in China.
5. For Silas and Benjamin’s grieving, and for their attachment to begin to Rick.

December 22nd morning

Orphans no more. Adoption finalized this morning. Pray for a single lady in our Travel Group that is really struggling and considering disruption. I have been able to speak with her quite a bit and encourage her that it gets better. She delayed her decision until tomorrow which gives me hope.

December 22nd Afternoon

Dear friends,

Thank you for praying. I don’t know that I could have envisioned this being more difficult than it is. The boys are sweet but busy. Faith (sort of) and Hope would obey a stern voice or look. These guys – whew! My Chinese vocabulary for the girls was basic. Hello / No / Stop it / I love you / thank you. Check out my new vocabulary!

I am struggling terribly from a sleep standpoint. Pray I sleep tonight (your Tuesday morning/afternoon).

I have successfully cathed Benji twice for which I praise God. Last night I tried four times with help from a NICU nurse in our travel group and we couldn’t get it.

Had to travel by van at 1030pm back to the orphanage, the driver got lost and got back to the hotel at 1215am. It was so tough but the Lord was kind in sustaining us. Thankful for my little travel group. They have been so incredibly gracious and helpful. My sense is that I could not do this without them.

So thankful for the Lord’s new mercies each morning. I have been singing to myself the line in the hymn “strength for today, bright hope for tomorrow great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.” When I consider the length of the trip (11 days), it really does seem unbearable. But – by God’s grace I can manage and press through an hour at a time. It helps me to think of it in those terms.

My pastor has said that the difficulty in trial is often not the intensity but the unknown duration. My duration is only 11 more days and my trust is that He will carry me each day. Thankful for the Rock that is higher than I.

Psalms 61:1-2
Hear my cry, O God;
Attend to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

I miss my wife. I miss my children. Please continue to pray, I know the Lord hears and is answering.

Much love to you all.

December 23rd 

April writes:

“With the Lord’s help, we can do hard things.” That just might be the over-arching theme of this adoption. Rick put both boys to bed at 8:15 tonight. He was, in his words, “bone-weary”, and yet the boys screamed for 30 minutes before finally going to sleep. I remember how difficult nighttime in China can be.

Cathing continues to be a dreaded and trying process. Benji thrashes, screams, and crosses his legs to prevent access…all while poor Ryle holds him down. I.Can.Not.Imagine. Sometimes distractions work (apple juice, suckers, etc.), sometimes not. He even fights taking his medicine. This little peanut is such a fighter! And though difficult to navigate now, we know that these kids from unimaginable circumstances develop this resiliency, in large part, out of survival. These are all trying things that we pray will get better after we get him home, and he begins to know the love and security of a family. 

And now, some much-needed GOOD news. The lady in Rick’s travel group decided to NOT disrupt her adoption! YAY!! That situation had weighed heavily on both of our hearts, and I know many of your all’s as well. I’m so thankful the Lord answered our cries in such a powerful way.

Tomorrow, which is our evening tonight, Rick is planning to go back to the orphanage to visit. He has wrestled much as to whether this is a positive thing or not. On the one hand, so much more insight can be gleaned about the boys’ pasts, temperaments, likes/dislikes, friends, medical histories, routines, etc. On the other hand, Benji will see his nanny and friends; Silas will be taken back to a place that, because of the abrupt removal from his foster family, only recently was a source of much grief for him. This trip will likely reignite the grieving process all over again. But at this point, Rick believes the positive outweighs the negative, so back to the orphanage they plan to go. Please pray for them in that regard.

Immediate Prayer Requests:

1. That the Lord will continue to uphold Rick and Ryle, and supply strength, sustenance, and SLEEP in full measure.
2. For a positive outcome to the orphanage visit.
3. That Silas and Benji will feel safe and loved. Also pray for them as they work through their grief. These little guys truly have and continue to endure so much in their short lives.
4. Be in prayer for Rick today at 11 a.m. as he again caths Benji. Pray for success.

Thank you, friends, for helping us shoulder the load. We have been so grateful for your prayers, your positive thoughts, and your words of affirmation and love. It’s been a great blessing to me personally to have so many reach out and help with things that have made this process so much easier on this side of the pond. You guys are the oft overlooked and unsung heroes in the big picture of adoption.
We thank you and love you, each and every one.

Some pics of the boys…nothing too great because I have to snap them on my computer while I’m talking to them. Poor Rick doesn’t even have the energy or time to take pictures.

Silas is blocking Benji’s way and waiting for him to notice…

He noticed…LOL

Silas giving Baba a kiss.

December 24th Morning

Heading to the orphanage. A few pictures from this morning.

December 24th Evening

Merry Christmas Eve U.S. Friends! Ours is winding down as you wake up. We went to the orphanage where Lian Min (Benji) was cared for by Show Hope’s Medical Unit. They care for approximately 50-100 orphans at the orphanage. Pictures will follow after I’m able to upload and sort through them.

Silas is running a fever this evening and coughing a lot. Ryle has vomited numerous times and struggling with some constipation. He is currently on the bathroom floor. We would appreciate your prayers as we move into our evening. 

Benji is proving to be a tough little one, for which I am thankful. He has had three difficult surgeries in his short three years and more to come. He is going to need that fight in the days and months ahead.

Silas is something else! I believe that Faith is going to be butting heads with him quite a bit. He is quite a bully. We ran into his nanny’s daughter-in-law at the orphanage today. She said that Silas was quite dominant over her five year old son. He’s only two! He has already needed some loving, um, correction – something we didn’t have to do much of with girls while we were in China.

Visiting the orphanage was one of those life changing experiences. My heart is so grieved for how many orphans there are – 800 at that orphanage alone. By mistake, we exited out where the aged out boys live. These are boys who are over 14 years old and can never be adopted because China won’t allow it.

Our Chinese guide hurried through the atrium as the 10-20 boys came swarming to her. They spooked her a bit I think. I lagged behind with Ryle and stood there for 2-3 minutes and told Ryle to take it all in. I told him, “Look around. Look at their faces. Smell. Look at the boys drinking from a pipe outside. This is it for them. Apart from Jesus, they have no hope in the world.” That realization hit me very hard – I wept. Right there in the open in that place.

Very sobering day. I need to move toward bed – I may be in for a long night with sick little and big ones.

Merry Christmas from the Far East.

Love to all.

December 25th Morning

Christmas breakfast with these two. I told Silas to make a monkey face and that’s what he did. 🐵 Ryle is not feeling well and stayed in the room. Hoping he feels better by lunch. We’re going with our Travel Group to the Little Chinese Restaurant at 12:30.

The boys slept well. Had a successful cath at 3:30am but the little one stirred shortly thereafter. We watched cartoons on TV (just to buy me some time) and were the first to the breakfast buffet at 6:30.

Last full day in Zhengzhou. We all fly tomorrow to Guangzhou. The logistics of that should be interesting. 

Missing my family right now knowing they are all celebrating together at this hour.

Love to all. Hope to post more later.

December 25th Evening

Pillowing our heads Christmas night as you begin your day. The boys went down quite easily this evening. I made sure to make a big deal of them helping me turn off the lights, gave drinks, meds, etc and put them in their beds with very little resistance. SiJam is coughing quite a bit so we’ll see how that goes.

Behold the Lamb album is quietly playing while Ryle reads by a dim light. My family is half a world away and I’m missing them terribly. I’ll miss our 2nd annual tradition of the Chinese food feast for dinner. I’ll miss seeing the kids open presents. I’ll miss the slowness of the day. I’ll miss reading Luke 2 and a host of other things we do on the day.

All of that is helped knowing that I’m right where God would have me. I know that I’m here to adopt the boys but I believe God also had me here to in some small part encourage a single lady who was strongly considering disruption (where you send the child back and cancel the adoption). So much to be thankful for…

So thankful that the Word became flesh. So thankful for redemption. So thankful to be adopted. So thankful that one Day the word orphan will no longer be a present reality-it will be a distant memory of what we once were before Christ. So thankful that the Day is coming when the Son returns, rights every wrong and brings all Father’s children to Him.

And thankful for so many of you who have prayed and encouraged. My heart is full. This has been hard but Lord willing, it will be a distant memory. In two months, no one will want to hear how hard it was-they just want to see the boys. Like childbirth, I don’t want to hear how hard the labor was…just show me the baby! In the meantime, please continue to pray. We still need it!

Love you all. Good night.

December 27th Morning

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers but we need still more.

We had a rough night. Ryle was up most of the night vomiting and struggling with diarrhea. He still hasn’t been able to keep anything down this morning (7-UP, apple juice, water and Pepsi). I have messaged an ER doc friend in the U.S. – he said that if he’s not able to keep anything down in the next few hours, we’ll need to take him to the hospital. (There is a western hospital/clinic 20-30 minutes from the hotel.)

Here are some pictures from bath time and feeding time.

April writes regarding the same issue:

Back on that roller coaster again. Please pray for my sweet boy. When I was Facetiming with Rick earlier tonight, Ryle looked so pale. He was weepy and obviously miserable. To think of adding a hospitalization onto this trip is so heavy, I can’t carry it. Thankful for One Who can. And is.

December 27th Evening

Dear Friends,

I am very thankful to the Lord that Ryle stopped vomiting shortly after I posted earlier and you all began to pray. He started feeling better a couple of hours ago and has taken in a good amount of liquids in the past three hours and is eating crackers right now. Please pray for his sleep tonight.

We have the clinic tomorrow where the little ones will go through a medical check up. That was a long process last time. Please pray that Silas and Benji will check out okay, that Si’s fever will not crop up as this can cause some issues in getting out the country. 

I am so indebted to you all for your prayers. They have meant the world to me and April. I have debated on whether to continue to burden you all with prayer requests – I feel so unbelievably ridiculously needy. Sometimes I think, it can’t get worse. And maybe that’s one of the many lessons that the Lord is teaching me.

Finally, I would really appreciate your prayers for my sleep tonight.

December 28th Morning

Great night of sleep for all. Heading to the medical clinic.

December 29th Morning

Thank you so much for your prayers. We have had a good couple of days. The clinic went fine yesterday. There was some fussing after having their blood drawn but they were both so brave. We have been able to wrestle and tickle quite a bit. It is a delight to feel well enough to start to facilitate the bonding and attachment process. For so long, it was just survive and limp through the next item on the list. So thankful the Lord has given rest and strength.

The boys are a lot of fun! Typical toddlers in many ways. Benji throws several fits a day lasting 15-30 minutes. After awhile, I engage him with loving but firm redirection and correction. Praying that the Lord gives grace in dealing with those times. The most difficult is when he does it during cath time. Speaking of which, the Lord has given much help in that area. By God’s grace, I am more confident going into the process and have a better sense of his anatomy and where to push the cath a little harder to get it into the bladder. He fights me two of the four times per day. 

We played at the playground in the afternoon and went on the Pearl River Cruise in the evening. It was only yesterday morning that I finally felt somewhat decent after 7.5 hours of sleep (with a cath in between).

Right now, we are waiting in the room for the TB test results. It’s not often that the test comes back positive but if it does, there will be additional steps for us to leave China. Please pray that we get the all clear.

Tonight we have the Maccao dinner as a travel group.

Tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. we go to the US Consulate to take the oath swearing to be good parents, to not abuse or abandon our new additions – may God give grace to do so.

On the horizon we have our trip home. That is a looming reality – we will wake up on 3:00 PM EST Thursday and arrive back in Louisville at 9:00 PM EST Friday. It makes my heart sing that April is going to be able to join us in Detroit for the six hour layover. It will be wonderful for her to be able to spend some time with the boys before we get home.

It is very sweet when they hear April’s voice when we FaceTime, they both holler for “Mama!” whenever we connect.

Again – thank you for your many prayers. The Lord has used them and answered them to carry us through. I certainly feel like we’re in the home stretch. Looking forward to being home with my family.

Love to all.

Our guide from Guangzhou had this shirt on yesterday. Unbelievable. She said that she has a U of L shirt but that it is short sleeved and only wears it in the summer.

Where Ryle and I ate lunch yesterday. They cook the food outside and flush the water from the dumplings (which were delicious) down a drain. I can assure, this wouldn’t pass the health department inspection in the US.

Boys – look at the camera… boys? Boys?

3rd largest building in the world in the background.

Bath time fun! They both like the water but is there any harder than bathing toddlers? Thank you April for being the primary bather of our children all these years. You’re amazing!

December 30th Morning

April writes:

The roller coaster saga continues.

Just got through Facetiming my dear loves in China. My poor Rick is very ill. Today was the Consulate Appointment and he couldn’t even stand up for it. He couldn’t push his own kids in their strollers or carry his own bags. The only thing in his hands? A throw-up bag.

This trip has been viciously relentless. It reminds me…remember the one that stowed away on the plane? The one who specializes in all manner of hijinx and tomfoolery? He’s still there wreaking havoc and trying desperately to stop a process, over which, he ultimately has no control. Our God is Sovereign and mighty…He reigns forever and ever. And He loves these kids so very much. I know because His Word tells me so. 

Therefore, we have set our face as flint, myopically focused on getting these two precious boys home. Will you once again pray with me? Rick has to board a plane in 48 hours. The hours prior will be filled with meetings, a group picture, managing the needs of small children, and packing, packing, packing. And all while he is very sick.

Please pray for healing, endurance, and strength for this last leg of the journey. Also for supernatural patience…illness often breeds impatience. And everyone’s nerves will be raw by the time they cross the finish line. It’s just one unfortunate-but-true aspect of this exhausting race.

We have seen the Lord’s good hand. We’ve been upheld in the midst of great trial. We believe him to be faithful and true. We’ve read of his love for the fatherless and for us too when we were but mere prodigal wretches ourselves. He will bring us through.

Friends, keep your eyes on the ashes….He’s making something beautiful in His time.

December 31st Morning

April writes:

Finally got a few minutes to chat with my loves tonight. Silas was calling for his Mama and I was all too happy to oblige him with my oohs and aahs, funny faces, and loud exclamations of “Ni hao!”. Benji had his face stuffed in a bowl of noodles, so he didn’t have much interest in the crazy lady carrying on on the screen. They both are already such a delight to my heart.

There were lots of happy children here at home who were excited to speak to their big brother Ryle.  Our previous phone calls have taken place so late into the night, that the children were typically asleep. They’ve missed their big brother! Ryle is looking forward to being home. He assures me he has a big hug waiting for me. I can’t wait. 💗

The best news is that Rick is feeling quite a bit better and the Lord was pleased to bless him with 8.5 hours of sleep last night! Wow! Thank you, Lord! Things often look better in the morning, and today’s morning seems to be no exception. Once again, His mercies were new.

(On that note of mercy, please do pray for sweet Benji to have a BM. It’s been almost 24 hours since his last, and for his special needs, that’s troubling news. So please pray for poo!  😜)

Rick was intending to spend some time on Shamian Island today. We were both hoping to get some Bibles for the Quads that are written in both English and Chinese, as well as, a few souvenir-type gifts for the other kids and Zade. But he’s wisely decided to not overdo anything and allow his body to rest, heal, and conserve energy stores for tomorrow’s long journey back home. Instead, he will use this time to get the boys bathed and ready and attend to the tremendous job of packing up. After taking down and setting up in three different cities, I’m quite sure he has competently earned his certificate and title of Packing Pro.

Rick and the boys start the long journey back tomorrow at 3 p.m. EST. They are scheduled to arrive in Louisville on Friday evening at 9:08 p.m. Some have asked about the airport. YES!! ALL are invited and PLEASE do come. I remember well my excitement of seeing all the familiar and loved faces once we stepped off that plane. Our mission was accomplished and it made our hearts all the more full to see so many from our Village there to greet us at the finish line. No doubt Rick and Ryle will feel the same way, so please do come out and join me in welcoming them HOME.

Thank you for your prayers for our family these last couple of weeks. Not much longer now! Much love to you all.

December 31st Evening

Thank you for your prayers for us! Silas is already asleep in his bed and I’ll be putting Benji down after his 9:30p cath. My day will begin at 3:30 a.m. (2:30 PM EST 12/31) when I get up to cath Benji. Lord willing, I’ll be able to put him back to bed until we leave at 5 a.m. I’ll stay up and finish getting everything together, put the bags out for the bellhop at 4:30a so that we can be in the lobby at 5:00a.

We fly Guangzhou to Shanghai (Flight DL 6712 7:30a-9:50a [6:30p-8:50p EST]). Then we fly Shanghai to Detroit (Flight DL 582 12:30p-1:30p [11:30p EST]). April will meet us in Detroit and then we’ll fly Detroit to Louisville (Flight DL 5762 7:40p-9:08p). 

Thomas Watson once said, “The angel fetched Peter out of prison but it was prayer that fetched the angel.” Dear Friends, if I could put my own personal spin on that statement – The Lord sent relief to us in China but it was the many prayers of His people that moved His heart to do so. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Your prayers to our Great High Priest, who sympathizes with us in our weakness, has heard and answered at every turn. I don’t have the time now to list the many ways in which He heard your prayers, but there were numerous times where relief would come when I knew that one or more of you was praying for us at that very moment.

As difficult as this has been, I have never felt abandoned or alone. I have certainly never thought we shouldn’t have done this. In fact, the case could be made that the difficulty that we have experienced justifies the necessity of taking this road. To keep things in perspective, it’s only been 11 days since we’ve had the boys. 11 days – that’s it. There are many more people that I love who are walking a far more difficult road and their trial has lasted much longer than 11 days.

Good night and Happy New Year from China.

January 1st Morning

Surprise! There’s trouble in China. LOL.

Rick just called to ask that we all please pray for his flight situation. Apparently, he only has 2 1/2 hours between flights and they wouldn’t allow him to check his luggage all the way through. So first, there can’t be any delays from Guangzhou to Shanghai.  😁 Once they land, they have to get off the plane with both boys and no strollers. Rick would be okay, but that will be a difficult task for Ryle, to carry one of the boys a pretty far distance. Then, they have to go to the luggage area, wait for it to come out, gather it up, and check it back in again. From there, they go back through security. All of that has to be accomplished in 2 1/2 hours, or they don’t make it back on time to meet me in Detroit. Please pray for the Lord to work all these things out. Thank you, friends! 

January 1st Midday

Our January 1st began at 2:30 pm EST Thursday. The picture below is how the boys slept some of the time on the plane. They took all three seats and I had to stand. The flight from Shanghai to Detroit was 13 hours, they slept for 5-6 hours of that. The rest of the time they ate and whined. 🙂

January 1st Midday (still)

We landed in Detroit, waited for customs and made it to the gate before April arrived to help during the six hour layover. These boys have no idea of the love that is in store for them – from all of their siblings but especially their wonderful Mama!

First pictures as US citizens! These were taken moments after touching down in DTW.

Waiting for Mama’s plane.

January 1st Evening

We’re home!

My crew from L-R back: Elijah, Silas (in stroller), Kaylynn (daughter-in-law), Christian, me, April (holding Benji), Jake, Gabe, Rachel (daughter-in-law to be 5/14/16). In front of me is Ryle (my awesome traveling partner) holding Hope, Micah, in the foreground is Graceann holding Faith

Please note – Facebook will have more updates and pictures so if you’re interested, feel free to friend me and April. I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to update the blog once we get the boys. The process on the blog is a pain and time consuming – especially adding pictures. Thanks.

Ryle and I had a good day. After breakfast, we went to the pool. The pool attendant kept a close watch on Ryle and several times looked concerned that he was drowning. He likes to hold his breath for as long as he can and float in the water (like every other kid).

After swimming, we went to the mall a block away and walked around for several hours. Ryle gave me one of his many ‘Ryleisms’ from the trip. “How come so many Asians have black hair?” To which I quickly found this guy in front of a candy kiosk:

We had lunch at an okay place and they had this on the menu: 

Who doesn’t love bone marrow on their toast.

Facebook Post from Thursday morning:

Dawn in Beijing. What do you know – new mercies this morning! Ryle is sleeping like a champ (as usual). He’s probably had 12 hours of sleep in the last 24.

We arrived at the hotel last night around 5 p.m., unloaded, and went to check out the pool. We ate at the restaurant in the hotel for dinner (thanks mom and dad!). It was a great dinner buffet with all kinds of western and Asian foods. At one point, the buffet attendant speaking some form of Chinglish told me something and I agreed to what he said. Nodding politely and smiling always seems like the right thing to do. 

Ryle and I are inflight. Here a couple of Facebook posts from April yesterday and today. It will quickly bring you up-to-speed.

Posted 12/14/15 evening

Many of you know that our Son, Jake, was involved in a head-on collision this morning. First responders said that his seat belt saved his life. The ER doc added that he’s lucky to be alive. We are so grateful for the gift of what feels like added years for our Son. We’re also thankful that the young woman he collided with is a Christian…her example to us in the midst of great trial, has been exemplary and most beautifully, God-glorifying. Though we would have never picked these circumstances, we are better for having met her.

Most of you will also know that Jake was scheduled to fly out tomorrow morning with Rick and Ryle to head for China. He was to fill the roles of luggage handler, brother, and companion to a man who has sometimes been known to miss his wife and family something fierce when he’s far away from them. My heart hurts for my dear hubby, who now has to handle the logistics and specialized care of two traumatized toddlers, one of which, is medically fragile. Please pray for them. This trip is so very, very hard…and though we’d not dreamed it possible just a few short hours ago, it just became infinitely harder.

We’re so thankful for all the calls, texts, and offers of help. Our “village” (the body of Christ) is very dear to our hearts. We thank you for supporting us with your love. An extra-special shout of gratitude to my Mom, Debbie Dowers Leonard, who left work right away and came to stay all day with our kids so that we could be at the hospital. And to Marlene R. Kelley and Rick Kelley, for watching our kids for the evening so that we could attend to the rest of the packing, uninterrupted by the ever-pressing needs of little children. And to our beloved Pastor Jim, for coming to pray with us and make us laugh. Laughter truly is the best medicine. And finally, to our kids…Christian Kelley, Gabe Kelley, and Grace Kelley…for rushing to their brother’s side once they learned of the accident. I’m proud of them for looking for ways to pitch in and help. They make my world go ’round and I love them all very much.

Please pray for us in the coming weeks. Pray for Jake as he struggles with pain and feelings of having let his Dad down. Pray for the young lady also involved in the accident, who remains hospitalized tonight. But most of all, pray that God alone would receive much glory in our weakness.

Posted 12/15/15 morning:

It happened on the final leg of our journey to our daughters in early 2014. Our warm, gooey thoughts of spending precious time with family evaporated in the frantic, hurried efforts to race out ahead of an ice storm that was bearing down on our city. We just made it on the last plane out of Louisville.

It happened again yesterday with the early-morning news that our Son had been in a terrible car crash. A day planned for last-minute packing, a tea party, and an early Christmas with our kids, was suddenly reduced to a day of waiting and gut-wrenching decision-making in a hospital room. The spirit of Christmas however, came anyway, with the gift of our Son’s life and that of the young woman involved in the wreck.

One of our children questioned whether we believe these dark providences to be omens or signs that we should not go. But we have learned that, with adoption, the efforts of the Evil One are real. They are pointed. They are relentless. He doesn’t care who he hurts, and he certainly has no intention of giving up what he believes to be his…these precious, vulnerable children. But he is wrong. These children are God’s…they are made in His image…and it seems, He would have these two to be our beloved Sons. Satan’s schemes are no match for the providential Will of our Father.

It is with this mindset that Rick and Ryle embarked this morning on the journey of a lifetime. But a road wrought with dangers, toils, and snares, to be sure. Satan didn’t stand on the Tarmac and stamp his feet in frustration that all his attempts had failed. He simply stowed away on the plane. And his incessant escapades of hijinx and tomfoolery will no doubt continue once again in China. But our God is here when they taxi out; He is not just on the plane, but holds it firmly up in the skies with the palm of His hand. And He will go before them there in China. I believe that with all my heart, and I hope you do too.

Please join us in prayer for the next 18 days. I know personally how difficult this trip is. Rick and Ryle will experience bone-deep weariness, a sense of isolation, feelings of doubt and fear, and they will miss their village fiercely. FB and email will become a greater mode of encouragement than ever before. Inundate these methods with Scripture proofs and words of affirmation and love. They will need it much more than you could ever believe. God is faithful. He will be their strength and their Guide.

Let the adventure begin.

April writes: It has been a while since we have updated our blog.  And so much has changed.

Come along with me as I tell you one of the greatest stories that God has allowed our family to be a part of in a long, long time.

Our intention throughout this adoption had been to bring one child home from China.  We found that child, Silas James, in November 2014, and began the process to bring him home.  His adoption had been moving along at a steady pace and we had even submitted our dossier and received our Log In Date.  We were simply awaiting our Letter of Acceptance…the rest of the process would move along fairly quickly from that point and then Rick would be in China bringing him home.  We were so close to our boy.  But then something happened…something that God has been orchestrating since the early part of this year.

In March, the face of a little three year old boy appeared in my FB feed.  This face, in fact.

He was a precious love with big, haunting eyes…there was an instant connection on my part.  But I knew that because we were reusing our dossier from the girls’ adoption, we were only allowed to adopt one child.  Over a period of a few weeks though, I slowly learned how very, very sick this little boy was.  And how desperately he needed a family to come for him.  So I began to seriously advocate for him.  I posted his picture on every site I could think of…mentioned him to those that had expressed an interest in adopting *someday*…shouted from the rooftops for someone, ANYONE, to please make this boy their Son, the apple of their eye.  But no one came forward.  And I understood why.  His needs were/are profound.  They are so outside the comfort zone of most families, even experienced adoptive families.  So I continued to pray for this little boy’s family to find him quickly, knowing that God alone can do all things, even those things that seem impossible.

A month or so after first laying eyes on this little guy, with the knowledge that no one was coming forward for him even after much advocacy, I approached Rick with the idea of bringing him home ourselves.  He was attentive, but resistant.  Our plate was already so incredibly full.  He couldn’t imagine how a medically fragile child could fit into our cram-packed life.  Frankly, neither could I.  But I also couldn’t stomach the thought of watching this child die, alone and helpless in China, knowing God had given me the ability to DO SOMETHING.  I leaned heavily into the arms of the One that I knew held this little boy’s life in His hands.

The talks continued, but the comfort level did not increase.  And then, in April, my beloved 91 year old Grandpa had a stroke.  Life was flipped upside down as we all struggled to adjust to a new equilibrium.

But after a couple of months, all was much more stable.  And my thoughts again returned to the little boy that had stolen my heart.  The talks resumed, but Rick was not just resistant as before, he was now firmly closed to the idea.  My conscience screamed, and I found that I could not shout it down.  My soul was in anguish over the plight of this child..I felt so helpless.  How were we any different from those that passed by the wounded man in the parable of the good Samaritan told by Jesus?  I began to pray to God this verse in the Psalms, on behalf of this dear boy…

                                                   “Help me, O Lord my God!  

                                            Oh, save me according to Your mercy,

                                       That they may know that this is YOUR hand-

                                     That YOU, Lord, have done it!” (emphasis mine)

Then suddenly, God moved, and began to do something absolutely wonderful.  Out of the blue, Rick asked to “reopen the discussions” about this precious little one.  We had the hard talks about what the implications of this little boy’s special needs meant for us and our children…how we would manage doctor’s visits, hospitalizations, and surgeries.  We reached out to medical experts, seeking their experienced counsel.  We spoke at length of what it might look like to bring him home, only to watch him die.  Could we do it?  Were we willing to walk a path that potentially held so much struggle and pain?

The answer, over a period of weeks, became “yes”, we were willing.  And that willingness evolved into a desire to make this little boy a treasured part of our family.  We contacted our adoption agency and requested that they see if China would be willing to let us add him.  They were encouraging, but they also let us know that we had a very short window left to be able to add him, even if China would allow it.  We were getting close to receiving our Letter of Acceptance, and they felt that at the point of receiving that, we would not be permitted to add him.  They petitioned the CCCWA (the governing authority on adoption in China) and asked that an exception be made in our case, because of this little boy’s significant health issues.  China unofficially said “no”.  It was their position that we don’t make enough money, that we have too many children, and that the official rules of a reusing a previously used dossier are that only one child is permitted to be adopted.  We were stunted, but undaunted.

Our agency responded by obtaining a letter from a physician at this little boy’s current care facility, testifying to the fact that he is very ill, dying even,  and desperately needs a family that can get him the medical help that he needs.  And that our family was willing.  In the meantime, our Letter of Acceptance arrived.  And what is normally an occasion for much celebration, was to us yet another nail in this little boy’s coffin.  We waited with baited breath for a response from China.  And we waited and waited and waited some more.  We waited for WEEKS, with no word.  We began to realize that we were going to have to make a decision to move forward with Silas’s adoption and potentially leave this other little boy behind to die.  It wasn’t fair to keep stalling Silas’s adoption, on the hope that the CCCWA would eventually say yes.  And by their silence and first response, it wasn’t looking like they were going to permit it anyway.  We conference-called our agency and spoke with the staff liaison regarding how best to proceed.  She felt like it was reasonable that we might know something in a week’s time.  Rick set a deadline of a week.  If we hadn’t heard back by then, we had to move forward.  The days passed excruciatingly slow, with no word.

As the deadline approached, we sent out an SOS email to a few trusted friends, begging for fervent prayer that we hoped would be “effectual and avail much”.  We felt like this boy’s very life hung in the balance.  We wanted as many people as possible pleading to God on his behalf.  The day prior to the deadline, we received a disheartening email from our adoption agency.  They had heard back from China.  They felt that this was a decision that would have to be made by the Director of the CCCWA.  And with a lengthy Chinese holiday rapidly approaching, the decision was going to “take much time” to be made.  Despite my pleas, Rick held firm with his deadline.  He felt that if this boy was meant to be ours, God could still make it happen…”He knows all these things.”  I felt like who were we to put a deadline on God?  The battle waged, but ultimately Rick held firm, and I truly had to give it all over to the Lord.  It was just too much for me to carry.

The next morning dawned and I received the email that I’ll never forget as long as I live.  It was from our trusted adoption liaison, and she had entitled it, “YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS…”.  Even though the CCCWA had just said the day before that the decision would take much time, even though our agency felt that it didn’t look good for hearing back before our self-imposed deadline, even though China was going to have to grant an exception to a rule that they don’t typically waive, God had worked a MIRACLE, and the Director of the governing authority in China had RELENTED and CONCEDED to  our petition to add this sweet boy onto our current adoption!  This precious boy will finally know what it is to have a family!!!

We want to celebrate each birthday like it’s his last.  We want to dance and spin the days away, laughing and loving.  We want to get him the medical attention that he needs and would not have gotten in the country of his birth.  But most of all, we long to have the absolute privilege of teaching him about Jesus, that he “may gain Christ and be found in Him”.  For it is this same Jesus that we praise for gifting this little life to us.

Please join us in thanking our great God for moving on behalf of this little boy and our family.  He answered our many prayers.  He has helped, saved, shown mercy…it happened all according to His good will and purpose.  He has proven once again, that He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine.  Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, Worship His holy name!