Hope

Today we had the joy of meeting Hope for the very first time. She greeted us with sweet smiles and big hugs as she called us by name: ma ma and ba ba (Mommy and Daddy). We sat and did a puzzle together, looked at a short book, and asked the orphanage director a few questions. Within a half hour we were back on the road to hotel with a scared little girl whose tears began to silently flow as we drove the short distance to our lodging. We completed our paperwork with the guide we have here in Hope's province and Hope continued to be a bit subdued. However, it wasn't long after our guide left that Hope began to perk up. She loves coloring, looking at family photos, and absolutely delights in blowing bubbles and it wasn't long before we got to see a much more energetic little girl. Though we spent much of the time wondering what on earth she was trying to communicate to us, through sign language, laughter, and a few fumbles, we had a lovely evening together. Hope particularly enjoyed the meal we shared around our little hotel room table and laughed heartily each time Ma Ma slopped her food due to her continued lack of chopstick coordination. Now, at 7:45 p.m., she's just fallen to sleep and we're praising the Lord for blessing us with this little girl after our three years of waiting. We have many more pictures and will post more later, but for now, know that we miss you all and look forward to seeing many of you within a few weeks.

~Corey (for the three in China)