Swallow's Nest Visit

We are so grateful for China Little Flower, Swallow's Nest and their loving staff who have cared for Benjamin since he was only a couple of days old. He spent the 1st year of his life in Beijing at China Little Flower and then went to  Swallow's Nest.  We had the honor of getting to meet Clay Williams and Rebekah Gilley of "the nest" while we visited in Zhengzhou. Clay's wife Pam is currently in the U.S. helping to care for her father. They have four baby homes located in Benjamin's hometown of Zhengzhou. They are located in different apartments and are set up to be a normal home environment for the children. They children housed there range in age from newborn to about 5 years old. They take in premature and medically vulnerable babies so they can receive the neccesary attention they need in order to survive. These children are then loved, nurtured and prayed back to health as they wait for their forever families to find them. This incredible organization also comes to the aid of families who dearly love their children but lack the money to have surgeries and other medical care done for them. They releive some of the financial burden from these parents so that they are not forced to abandon their children. They also partner with a professional au pair program and help to train nannies who are placed all over the world. They have an incredible impact in their community. Their genuine love and sincerity in their work is so evident, as is the fact that there is only one source that such love could flow from continually. Our visit with Clay and Rebecca at Swallow's Nest was life changing! I encourage you to check out their website, they have a bunch of kids who need sponsorship, as well as other needs.  Any donations you make go directly to their work, with the only administrative costs being the nannies' salaries. www.swallowsnestzz.org

I will post more pictures when we have a better connection, and there are a few more on our facebook page.
James 1:27 being lived out

Introducing the Littlest Lockwood

This has been quite a day!All the families met in the lobby at 9:30 this morning and went by bus to the civil affairs office to meet our children. The building was much nicer than last time and the growth in special needs adoptions from Henan is evident. After arriving, the babies began arriving a few at a time. It was indescribable to witness families meeting and being knit together simultaneousely. There was not a dry eye in the place! I worked hard to gain my composure before Yin Ji arrived. I didn't want him to have to deal with my tears on top of his own emotions. His sisters were so excited! I loved that they could be a part of the beginning of this miracle. When he finally arrived, his daddy recognized him from across the room and jogged over to get him.  Poor little guy was so overwhelmed by strangers, and crying toddlers. He cried a little bit and then withdrew like a turtle into his shell. He snuggled close and shut his eyes. He appeared to sleep through most of the process, but I think it was his way of coping. He was wrapped in the blanket with our picture on it that his Auntie Abby gave us for Christmas. I would catch him opening his eyes and peeking at us, but if we attempted to engage him at all he quickly withdrew. That didn't last long at all. When we got back to the hotel room he quickly shifted gears and lit up. He has been smiley and happy and BUSY! He is into everything. He is also tiny.  He is wearing the only pair of 12 month pants I packed and the waist is rolled over. We will have to do some shopping tomorrow since everything else I brought is 1 months. We fed him and when I finally layed him down for a nap he promptly climbed out of his crib. We are going to practice our Chinese and learn to say "lay down, night night" very soon! He finally collapsed at about 5 tonight and is sleeping peacefully. Thank you all so much for your love, prayers and support. Please continue to pray for us in China as well as the boys and my parents.

Beijing With the Girls

We arrived safe and sound after a 12 hour flight.  The girls did wonderfully. The flight was not overly full, thankfully. We have been trying to get on a good schedule here before we go on to Benjamin's province to meet him. The 1st place our tour group went was to a hutong village. After that we toured a silk factory where we got a lesson/demonstration in how silk is made and manufactured. They had an incredible array of handmade silk rugs, clothing, and bedding. In the afternoon we went to the forbidden city. It was beautiful. The girls have done very well. Hannah has a cold so by early evening she is fairly exhausted but she is hanging in there ok. We are thankful to have Ashley with us to help keep an eye on miss Faith.  The next day, we toured the Great Wall and attended a Chinese acrobate show. We have enjoyed seeing the girls experience Beijing, but we are ready to get going to Zhengzhou and meet our boy!