Where is Zoe Mei?

An invisible red thread connects those who

are destined to meet, regardless of

time, place or circumstance.  The 

thread may stretch or tangle, 

but it will never

break.

Ancient Chinese Belief

Our daughter is waiting for us somewhere in China.   Our hearts know no distance and we travel miles every day to an ancient land so far away.   Someday soon we will learn exactly where she waits in this land halfway around the world.

God's Little Girl 

Oh, little girl from a far away land,

You know not yet how the Father’s hand, 

Has fashioned your frame in ways so grand,

And loves you in ways you don’t understand. 

And though we’ve yet to hold your tiny frame, 

You’ve captured our hearts, and we long to call your name.

We thank God for you, a gift so sweet and pure,

And pray for you, to know His Son for sure.

And as you grow, may you always know The Lord is there wherever you go.

We promise to love you through all your days and hours, 

But never forget, His love is far greater than ours. 

Our Father’s Son, He freely gave 

And all who believe, He surely will save. 

Oh, little girl, we’re all adopted at so great a price, 

But as God’s little girl, you’re adopted twice. 

 Paul W. Smith 

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.  John 1:12

Why China?

Estimates of 1.7 million baby girls and disabled children are abandoned annually in China due to the one child per family policy.  Many will die from exposure before they are found or face an unknown future in overcrowded orphanages.  Only a few will find a family to love and care for them.

Some consider these few children the "lucky ones".  We, as parents of Sasha, disagree, instead we insist that we are the ones truly blessed.

Sasha in China

Sasha now!

"Life is lived forward and understood backwards"

We now look back in amazement at the many events that unfolded which allowed us to bring Sasha home (www.sashamei.blogspot.com) and see how God's timing and the importance of listening to Him when He speaks to us is so vital.   

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not

on thine own understanding.  In all thy

ways acknowledge Him and he

shall direct thy paths."

Proverbs 3:4-6

Our Family, Our Story

"What makes the difference between wishing and realizing our wishes?  Lots of things, and it may take months or years for a wish to come true, but it's far more likely to happen when you care so much about a wish that you will do all you can to make it happen."  

Fred Rogers

Our Family, Our Story...   

Dave and I (Cheryl) have been married 25 years.  We have three children.  Brady is a junior at Southeastern University in Lakeland Florida and is 21 years old.  Mikelle is 19 and is also a student at Southeastern University where she just began her freshman year.  Sasha is two years old and last September we welcomed her into our family.  She was born in Yangchun City, China and lights up our world.   We love our family time and treasure the moments when we are all together.

Where it all began...For the benefit of those reading this who may not know our story, let me explain.  When our daughter Mikelle and our son Brady were about two and four years old, Dave felt called to adopt.  Throughout the years, we discussed it casually never actually making the next step but knowing if we did we would adopt two little Asian girls.  Then when Brady came home for Christmas break his freshman year of college, God made it very clear to us that this was what He wanted us to do.  Within days we had chosen an adoption agency and were in the process of beginning the paper chase which leads to the formal dossier which travels to China for matching with a child.

Why some ask, would someone chose to start the process of raising a family all over again at this point?   Many others have questioned our sanity.  But when God leads, we know He has a mighty plan in store and we are called to follow.   We look forward to the challenge and adventure of raising God's children and are reminded once again of the quote, "You don't bless me so that I can close my eyes and fold my hands and be content with what I have.  You don't fill me so that I can live a life that's full and free for only me".

More of the story... One of the things that played an important part in the decision to adopt was the travelling of both Brady and Mikelle to Nicaragua on missions trips.  As they returned home with lives changed and shared the videos and pictures and testimonies, I felt my heart being torn open with sadness for the lives of children who would never know a loving family, who lacked food and clean drink, and might never know the love of Jesus.   I felt a movement in my heart and a love for these children that peered at me through their sad eyes in living color on my computer screen.  It wasn't until the adoption discussion came up again did I realize what an impact those lonely faces had made on my heart.  

We reach many crossroads and destinations as we journey through life.  As we wait for the little girl who will soon officially be our daughter I marvel at how far in so many ways we have come for this child.  In the two plus years since we started our process to adopt Sasha we have grown so much.  God continues to lead, guide and prepare us for yet another child of His who He will chose for us.  We know she, like Brady, Mikelle and Sasha will be perfect for our family.

Soon we will be waiting nervously for a door to open in a small room somewhere on the other side of the world.  Once again time will stand still as we meet another precious child of God and our lives will once again be changed forever.  We reach many destinations as we travel, but the journey never ends.  For our family, a new journey is just beginning.

What's in a name?

Zoe Mei  will be our daughter's name!   The origin of Zoe is Greek and the meaning is life.  The word zoe is used 134 times in the New Testament to indicate eternal life!

We have chosen Mei (pronounced Mae) for Zoe's middle name to represent both of our families.  Mei has more than one meaning as is common in many Chinese words.  It means "beautiful" and  "little sister".   We like to combine them to mean "beautiful little sister".  Zoe will share Mei not only with Sasha but also with her maternal great-grandmother, Anna Mae and her paternal grandmother, Ella Mae.

 Dear Sweet Daughter

As a girl I had a common dream, to be a mom someday.
My baby would have eyes of blue and hair the hue of hay.
But now my dreams have been transformed. New visions fill my head.
Now the tresses that I long to stroke are raven black instead.

And in my dreams those eyes are not so big or blue or round.
Now in my dreams they're almond shaped and colored cocoa brown.
And in my dreams my arms can stretch across enormous seas.
They reach half-way around the world and hold you close to me.

As you grow in your mother's womb, carefully knit together,
you're also growing in my heart, where you will stay forever.
And in my dreams the moment that your mother says good-bye,
I'll be right there to comfort you and hold you as you cry.

Our features may not look alike; we're different as can be.
But still I know the Father has created you for me.
And though I've not yet seen your face, or held your tiny hands,
and though we're half a world apart in very different lands.

I'll be right there to get you just as soon as God allows.
But til He says the time is right I give to you this vow.
I'll pray for your protection every night on bended knee.
For God will hold you in His arms, until you're here with me.

 Gayle Leubecker

The adventure continues!!!

Here we go again!  This will be the blog where we will trace our journey to China and back and the preparation up to the trip that will unite our little girl in China with our family.   

It has been a year since "Gotcha Day" in China when Sasha was physically placed in our arms.   This week as we fondly remembered that amazing day we also were blessed with exciting news about our adoption of Zoe Mei Liette.  Our dossier (paperwork) for Zoe was sent to China on August 1 and we were officially logged in at the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) on August 5!!!  We were beginning to wonder when we would receive our LID (log in date) and assumed the Beijing Olympics in August had slowed the process down.  So this was very good news.  At this point we do not know who Zoe is or anything about her.  Sometime in the next couple of months we will receive her picture and a brief medical report (this is known as the "referral").   We will acknowledge on paper that we accept the "referral" and before we know it we will be on our way to China again! 

As we pray for this new life that God has called us to bring into our family we reflect on the wonder of His plan for our lives.  Not only have we been blessed with three amazing children in Brady, Mikelle and Sasha, but God is also entrusting us with another life.  

"It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons."  

Johann Schiller

What a beautiful picture this paints of an adoptive family - brought together, not by blood, but through God's sovereignty and love, nonetheless!

This past year with Sasha has been an incredible 12 months.  She has touched our hearts in ways we would never have imagined.  As Colossians 1:17 says, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."   This has been shown to us repeatedly from even before we travelled to China.   And so now we once again trust our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to bring another special little lady into our life.  

"God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with."  

Billy Graham

We invite you to follow us on our journey to bring Zoe home.