As most of you are aware, we have made it home after being in China for 16 days to adopt and bring Ellie home. Brian and I traveled to China while our kids stayed home with Brian’s parents. They were loved and cared for by so many and we are so grateful for all those who took time to make sure they were doing well in our absence. It’s so hard to be away for so long but the love they were surrounded by was reassuring and allowed us to stay focused on the reason we were away, fulfilling God’s plan for our family in bringing Ellie home. Prior to leaving this was our focus and our prayer with our children to prepare for our separation, to stay focused on the finish line and the reasons behind this separation. We have never been so proud of our children. They were strong, courageous and just amazing. They had their moments but they were focused and wanted so desperately for Ellie to be home, understanding and accepting what it would take for that to happen.
While in China Brian and I were able to take advantage of some touring, including visiting the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, Beijing and Tiananmen Square prior to traveling to Ellie’s province. This also allowed us to adjust to the 12 hour time difference! After being in China for 3 days we traveled with our guide to Hebei Province from Beijing via the bullet train. Once there we then traveled by car to Handan City where Ellie’s orphanage was located. Meeting Ellie was amazing, it’s actually hard to even describe. The experience was nothing short of God’s plan coming full circle. This little girl we had met on paper and fallen in love with was now in our arms and it felt like she had been there forever. All that waiting, all the questioning, yearning and doubting were done. And not only were we blessed to have her placed into our arms and become a part of our family but we were also able to meet her foster parents (they were referred to as grandparents). This family that had taken such good care of our little girl for over 3 years were nothing short of amazing. You could see and feel the bond they had with her and the love they felt towards her as they expressed a desire for her to be a part of a family with children, to feel a part of something so much bigger. The sadness of her being placed away from them was combined with their absolute happiness in seeing her with her forever family. This is one of the parts of adoption that feels so broken, so hard, but just as her foster family found beauty in this brokenness through the sacrifices they made for her, so do we. Ellie was able to go with us that evening. After completing all the necessary paperwork in province the following day we left the next day to travel by plane to Guangzhou China where we would complete Ellie’s medical and visa appointments and experience some additional tours.
During our travel we were accompanied by 5 other families through Bethany Christian Services. These people became our people, we toured together, ate meals together, worked through adjustment issues together and just kept each other going each day. We are so grateful for these families! Brian and I prayed God would place people into our lives through this experience and those we traveled with were all placed there for a reason. And interestingly enough 2 of the 5 other families were from west Michigan!
Ellie did great, considering the circumstances, on the trip home. We took a flight from Guangzhou to Beijing and then had a 7 hour layover in Beijing before heading to Detroit. Then it was just a short wait and a quick plane ride to Grand Rapids! We were greeted by our family and friends and able to finally hug our kids and be reunited as a family. Another moment in this process that is hard to describe in words. The feeling of being together as a family of 6!
We are so thankful for those of you who prayed for us before, during and now after our adoption journey. We felt completely covered in God’s love and guidance. This process has been life changing for our entire family. It has been faith building and has provided both joy and challenges beyond anything we could have ever thought imaginable. We know there will be more joy and challenges ahead but we know God will still be there, walking alongside us in these moments, celebrating in times of joy and lifting us up in challenging times.
Gard Family Adoption Adventure 