he is ours, and we are his. forever.

This morning (Tuesday August 7th) we made it official.

John Paul is now, and forever, our child. 

But I want to record details, things I hope I remember forever but fear I may forget, so I'm going to back up and start writing.

Matt and Luke and I arrived Sunday afternoon, pulled up to our hotel and the first people we laid eyes on were our friends Jeff and Rebecca (and their kiddos) and Jill.  Three different sets of people arriving from three different cities (two trains and one airplane) and we *happened* to walk into the hotel lobby within minutes of one another.

What a sweet gift to be with these friends.  Jill watched Luke Sunday evening while Matt and I went out for dinner, and then into the evening the five of us sat and talked and laughed and prayed.

Monday morning at 9:30 we headed to the civil affairs office.  There were at least eight families adopting at the same time.  Most (maybe all?) adoptions happen on Monday morning, so there we all were.  Waiting for this life changing moment of meeting our children for the first time.

And before I knew it children started arriving.  It's unbelievably simple - after all the stacks of paper that have been chased, and all the months that have been waited, the end of the journey arrives.  A van pulls up.  The side doors open and out climb the passengers - an adult or two, and a child.  They walk up the steps, a few moments of confusion, and then the orphanage workers place the child into the arms of their new parents.

All adoptions from orphanages in the entire province happen in the provincial capital (Zhengzhou), and we knew John Paul's orphanage was "the farthest away", so we weren't surprised when he wasn't in the first groups to arrive.  Our friends Jeff and Rebecca spotted their little guy as soon as he was out of the vehicle and we watched his first moments with his new family.  (Their new Isaac was a foster brother of their David, whom they adopted last November.  To see them come back to get his foster brother, and make him a brother for life, and joined by two other siblings - it was a sweet moment!)

And then a lady in a blue dress, carrying a toddler sized boy.... but I couldn't see his face.  Was that him?

Yes.  He's the one for us.

Now I can fill in details, things I learned after that moment passed.  The lady in blue works at his orphanage.  John Paul left his foster mother a week earlier.  Blue lady (I never learned her name) didn't know him well, and couldn't even really answer my questions.  So after 19 months with his foster mama, John Paul spent one week (can you imagine?!?!?) in an orphanage, and then a three hour drive with two women he barely knew, and was passed into our arms.

After tears and a bit of struggle, he decided Matt was a much better option than the orphanage ladies, and settled down nicely.  So nicely he wasn't initially too eager to switch to my arms.

We now know that he is (understandably) rattled by transition.  Moving from my arms to Matt's.  Leaving our hotel room for breakfast.  Any time we get into or out of a vehicle he cries and clings.  But once we get settled in and it's clear Mommy and Daddy aren't going anywhere he relaxes and loosens his grip :)

I have so much more to write - but must stop here.  It's late.  And I am exhausted.  

To all of you who are praying: I am humbled to know how much you love and care for us and our John Paul.  It will be a long time before I can return all the emails, but know that each one is a gift to our family.  Today meeting his foster mom and seeing his finding place was very blessed.  His foster mother is an amazing lady, clearly loved him to bits, and had prepared him as best as she possibly could for this transition.  More about that later, and the rest of our gotcha day, and ..... I really really must go to bed.