More Glimmers of Hope...

Tonight after dinner I took JJ and DanNi up to the room while Matthew was paying the bill and telling the Tichenor's goodbye for the evening. We played Uno together and it was the first time that DanNi has laughed and smiled with me right there. It was a great moment! One that I will never forget. It was like I tried to take a picture of it in my mind, so that it will always be there. We also played a game of Memory with the Uno cards and she liked that. She also loves Matthew's Game Boy Tetris.

Just for the record, b/c when we were pretty scared about things that were happening, not knowing if our adoption was legal or not, I sent out a 'Please Help' email to an Older Kids Yahoo group we are part of...wow...some of the scathing emails we received...obviously those people do not know us and do not know our hearts....

Anyone reading this blog obviously knows I cannot chronicle every single second, every meal, every moment in time...
but for the record, for DanNi's sake, almost every meal we've eaten has been Chinese (we are staying at the China Hotel..a Marriott Hotel with a 5-star buffet). We even went to the Friendship Store and Carrefour and let her choose her own snacks and drinks (those of you that know me, note the sarcasm toward those who are casting a judgmental eye, that are obviously not here, walking in our steps)....We have taken her to buy her own clothes and shoes here...her own toys....and we do give her choices. We are by no means forcing her to participate in group activities. I would never do that to any of my children.

There's no way we could have been 100% prepared...that's impossible...we did read and we did participate in training before hand...we are not complete morons, though, as Jeanette has implied in her emails..and yes, I am calling her out. Perhaps if she continues to be offended by reading this blog, written by an evangelical Christian mother, she will see the Light, or quit reading it. That's what I love about freedom! No one is forcing you or her, to read our blog. We are not trying to convert DanNi to Christianity. Duh....we know DanNi is 12 years old and her culture is part of her, that's what we love about her...I do know quite a bit about Chinese culture, festivals and religions, and do know that a large % of the people here are Buddhists...hince all the little Buddha statues we see everywhere! I am quite observant. :)

HOWEVER, we do believe John 14:6 that says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life...no one comes to the Father, but through Me."...not thru Mohammed, not thru Joseph Smith, Allah, or any other false god out there...He has given DanNi a free will, just like He gave me, and I pray that one day she comes to know Him as her personal Lord and Savior. And I will NEVER apologize for making that my prayer as her mother.

And yes, we do realize that for many Chinese people, touch and affection are not the norm. That doesn't mean though, since now she's part of our family, we are going to exclude her from how we show love to our girls. Obviously, if she is not ready for it, now or two years from now, we will not force it on her. What parent does that? Why would I want to alienate her? I will reassure her by my words, actions, tone of voice, facial expressions, that I love her with all that is in me..and when she is ready, I am here to hug, kiss and love on her. And tonight, I saw a glimmer of that in her sweet smile and laughter as she laid on the bed, across from me, while we played a simple game of Uno.