Libi Faith Goes to the 5th Grade

Another "full" day for Libi. We spent the morning with the Doctor and then took a visit to Joel's class at school.

The Doctor visit was good. We left with a list of orders for the lab. We will hit all of that tomorrow and needless to say, I am not looking forward to that. Pray for a good vein and a great tech to draw all of the blood necessary. We have 5 specialist appointments scheduled and a battery of other tests. I am so thankful for how God has ordered every detail of her medical care. It really is falling into place beautifully! A huge praise with Libi! She has this really unusual cough. I have been thinking that she is possibly aspirating on her bottles. Well, her pediatrician suggested trying some breathing treatments with her because he heard her wheezing today. I did one at noon and one just before bed...so far NO coughing! This would be HUGE!

The visit to Joel's 5th grade class was such a gift! You want to meet some amazing prayer warriors? Then just step into the 5th grade class at Cornerstone Christian Academy. These kids have prayed and waited for Libi Faith to come home since last November. Once again, God's perfect timing that they were able to enjoy a time of welcoming her home as a class today. These kids have stood with Joel in heartache as he let go of his sister Ari and they walked this journey to Libi with great anticipation! They have amazed me and encouraged me. I am blown away by their faith and love for this little angel. I thank you Mrs. Chambers for teaching these children to be passionate about their God! I thank you 5th grade class, for you have taught me much about pure love and childlike faith. I have been richly and abundantly blessed!!

Speaking of blessed...the blessings never seem to end around here. The greatest gifts have come our way. I came home after a long day yesterday only to find my parents had been here and cleaned my house!! What a gift! I have not had to think about dinner, nor will I for weeks! These are the blessings that mean more than I can say. I praise God for each of you who have blessed us with acts of service and taken our names before the throne of our Great God. Know that we are overwhelmed with gratitude for all that you have done!

Libi continues to make great strides. We are daily excited about new things we see in her. She and I have begun to sing show tunes together. So far, "Annie" seems to rank as a favorite in our repitour...My poor daughter...she really does seem to like me though.

She's a Butterfly

We made it till 5:45 today! Progress!!!! Yesterday was a big day! I needed little time to process it with God before I posted. My mother in law and I ventured up to Chicago with Libi to take her to an international adoption specialist there. On the way up we stopped off at our great friends, Josh and Christy Schraeder's. The Schraeder's have been home just one month with their third child adopted from China. They are a precious family, and they have been a rich source of encouragement and advice along this journey. Libi enjoyed watching their children.

Libi did great in the car. She slept most of the way up and back. She got a little restless on the way home, but as soon as the music came on she was good.

So, the appointment. The good news is, Libi has great skin! The doctor said he has never seen better skin on a baby. The doctor also said that she is "beefy". Which I found funny, but Libi will soon grow to dislike that as an affectionate term. Bottom line diagnosis: Libi is complex. She has multiple challenges. This is not news to us, but when faced with the reality of it all at once can be a bit overwhelming.

We will start ruling out major concerns first. She will need a MRI and neurologist right away so that we can determine if there is any seizure activity happening that we are not "seeing". She could be having mild mini seizures. Also, it is very apparent that she has some significant reflux and has been aspirating. She will need to have some GI tests and a swallow test to determine the severity of this problem. Worst case scenario with this would be the need for a G-tube for feeding. Again, these things are the major concerns and most certainly we are expectant that these will quickly be ruled out.

Today Libi will see her pediatrician here and begin the battery of tests and referrals. Pray for her today as she begins the process of being poked and prodded. Pray that her mamma will have wisdom on comforting and advocating for her.

As I lay beside her last night I was so reminded by my Good King that He is capable of working beyond what we can ask or imagine. I have seen Him do it thus far, and I know that is the character of who He is. So we wait as He continues to do His thing...His new thing in Libi Faith!

This morning Libi and I were having such a precious time of "bonding". I was amazed at how she was hugging my arm and looking so intently in my eyes. I couldn't believe that this was the same little girl I laid with just 18 days ago!! She has truly transformed before my eyes! How she had changed...but not as much as I have changed. I feel like I don't even know myself. She has become my passion and love to extent I never imagined. I thought of the all the hopes and dreams I have for her and the Lord quickly reminded me that He has His own hopes and dreams for her. The greatest of those being, to give her a future and a hope...I believe for Libi that was us...and for us that was Libi!

So, I would ask that you would join us in praying for this little butterfly.

SHE'S A BUTTERFLY

She remembers when she first got her wings
And how she opened up that day she learned to sing
Then the colors came, erased the black and white
And her whole world changed when she realized

She's a butterfly, pretty as the crimson sky
Nothings ever gonna bring her down
And everywhere she goes
Everybody knows she's so glad to be alive
She's a butterfly
Like the purest light in a darkened world
So much hope inside such a lovely girl
You should see her fly, it's almost magical
It makes you wanna cry, she's so beautiful


God bless the butterfly,give her the strength to fly
Never let her wings touch the ground
God bless the butterfly,give her the strength to fly
Never let her wings touch the ground

Libi's Easter Seals Appoinment

So today was Libi's evaluation at Easter Seals. Easter Seals is an incredible organization that provides therapy services for growth and development for children with delays due to various reasons. She was a trooper. She did great. There were 6 people in the room to evaluate her. She just played and enjoyed herself. I am already CRAZY about Easter Seals! They seemed to enjoy Libi as much as I did. She truly is a sweetheart. I don't just say that because she is my daughter, well, maybe I do. Anyway, she will be receiving, what I believe, is the best therapy possible. Easter Seals is passionate about what they do and passionate about these kids. She should begin sessions by the end of next week. Libi will receive Developmental therapy, Physical therapy, Occupationally therapy, and feeding therapy. Eventually speech therapy will be added to the therapy list! I am so grateful for how the Lord has ordered everything needed for her development. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I have not had to go looking for one Dr. or therapist for this girl. He has laid it all before us! He ordered it so perfectly that even the timing of her appointments happening the week after we get home. They were all scheduled on His Kingdom calendar. They sent us home with a really cool stander for her home therapy. She has to spend about a half an hour a day in it. Praise God for Easter Seals...

quick update

I'm falling asleep at the computer so this is a quick update. Day before last we were up at 3:00 AM. Yesterday up at 4:00. Today we were up at 5:00. Could we make it till 6:00 tomorrow? Mommy hopes so! Just wanted to let you see some pics from the last day. Tomorrow Libi starts doctor appointments. Pray for wisdom and most of all "cheerleaders" as we begin to piece together a medical team for Libi Faith.

Blessing Blanket

Reading "Daddy's Girl"
Look how good she is sitting up...that straight back...PTL!

I was overwhelmed to complete sobs this morning by how many people the story of Libi Faith has touched. I cannot say thank you enough, not for myself, but for my daughter. I desire for her to one day have a glimpse of the love and prayers that were offered up for her when she was birthed into all of our hearts. SO.....

I would like to ask each of you to send a 9 inch square of fabric and write a blessing, prayer, verse for Libi Faith and attach a swatch of the same fabric with it. The notes of blessing along with the swatch will be put into a book for her and the 9 inch squares will be made into a quilt.

You can send them to:

Amy Arnold
3504 Zachary Lane
Bloomington IL 61704

or...we will have a basket for them at the open house.

again the open house is:

June 8th 3-5:00
Hampton Inn & Suites
College Hills


Thank you once again...she is a little life that has been changed, and you have all been a HUGE part of it all!

"The Happiest Day of My Life" - Joel Arnold

I once again find myself overwhelmed with emotions. What's new right? My little angel is rolling on the floor with her brother Joel just like she has been doing it her whole life. Only God, that is all that explains any of this. This little babe was hand picked by God from the beginning of time to be our daughter and it is known to us full well. Brad and I are blown away by how she just "feels" so natural to us. We had many moments of deja vu in China with her. She is so familiar to us. It is really hard to describe, but as Brad and I talk about it we seem to both feel the same thing. AMAZING LOVE...

Coming home felt so incredible. It was a feeling like no other. Not just to come home, but to come home to our dearly loved family and friends. Thank you to all of you who took the time and made the drive to Chicago to welcome our Libi Faith home. We can never express to you how grateful we are for such a welcome home celebration. I cannot imagine the greeting we will receive at the the gates of heaven, but in my mind this welcoming is close to what I imagine...yes, that incredible! When we got her in the door of our house there was such a sweet peace that fell over our home and me that has not ever been here before. It is "home" like it has never been before.

Libi is continuing to make great strides in her progress. We promise to keep updating every couple of days. We know so many of you are praying and we have seen God do miraculous things together....this is just the start. We will behold amazing things in and through this little girl in the days and weeks and months ahead. Jacob had a dream of Libi walking last night and it was the school year next year...I believe that to be a clear vision of what lies ahead for our angel.

I am not sure if we have adequately expressed on the blog what a miracle it is that this precious girl is home. There are many things that could have hindered this for her. I am so reminded of the scripture found in Job 42:2 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. We have been shown and told many times that a child in Libi's condition will very rarely make it out of China. There are situations where families arrive and reject these little ones because they are more severe than they had anticipated. The directors at Libi's foster home were praying hard the day we picked her up that the orphanage would allow her to be released and that we would desire to receive her. To even type this is difficult. Has this journey been without fear? No. Has it been without struggle? No. We have been catapulted out of our comfort zone? Yes, but...I cannot fathom saying anything but "Yes and Amen" to this little child of God. We are now the blessed recipients of this incredible gift.

They are all His little ones. I urge you to cry out on behalf of these that carry the label of "special needs". They need their families. They need their mommies and daddies. We need to pray for them and seek the Lord on our faces for what our role is in caring for them....

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.


Love and blessings to all of you! Thank you for helping us bring Libi Faith Jia Qi Arnold home!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A "New Day" in China

I am typing this blog from the legendary New Day Foster Home, where Libi spent the last 15 months of her life. As we told Karen (the New Day Director), "we all in Bloomington feel as though you, the staff and kids here are movie stars." However, unlike movie stars, they are more beautiful in person than they are on the web site.

We had to get up early, as you could tell from the post about Libi's cold, and take the van to the airport. When we arrived at the airport, it seemed as though it was going to be another one of those John Candy and Steve Martin travel days. However, by the time we found the New Day driver in the Beijing airport (7 hours later), we finally got a heavenly perspective and laughed. Anyway, Libi coughed her little "5 pack a day lady" cough most of the way to Beijing. She was even more of an attention getter than usual. No seizures however. After getting the bags to the van and passing a 6'10 Chinese girl, (Jacob was impressed) we made the 75 minute trek to NDC in rural Beijing.

I never pictured how far out this place is. It put so much perspective on Libi's treks to the hospital and how difficult that must have been. Anyway, it is a beautiful place in the country. It is a Business (for helping Chinese nationals have a fair place to learn skills and make a living), a Language school, (to help students and young adults perfect conversational English), and a foster home. Many of you have seen pictures of the foster home on the web site, but they don't do it justice. It is a very pleasant place for the kids, with great rehab facilities, a playground and classrooms. We were grateful to God for this place, the care Libi received, the sponsors that contributed to her care, and mostly the nanny that cared for her daily. Julia is a sweet lady, who clearly loves this precious child. As we have experienced ourselves, our hearts ache for her. Libi did get to spend some time with her, and we took some great pictures of Libi with Julia.

Waking up this morning, we questioned whether it was the right decision to come to New Day at the end of the trip. We quickly rebutted that God was sovereign and let it go. After the brief time with Libi's nanny, Karen brought us to the nurses office, where there happened to be the nurse, the resident doctor, and a visiting doctor from Mercer School of Medicine. So, that cold that you all were praying for today, was treated by not 1, but three medical providers in the most rural part of Beijing. How's that for a Great Provider. They even had some antibiotic and cold medicine to give to her. Praise the Lord. Anytime we begin to look at scheduling conflicts or adverse conditions, we need more of that Sovereign God perspective, amen?

Now the hard part... you know those movie stars I mentioned earlier. Turns out they are just as needy as those in Hollywood. Amy and I went in the toddler playroom after dinner and we were attacked. Let me preface this with a description of what New Day Foster home is - It is a fantastic place, where kids are loved and most importantly saved from the medical conditions that plaque their lives. It is an intense treatment foster home, meaning the really sick go there to get out of the grave and off the gurney. On top of all that, they have nannies, interns and staff that love them dearly. However, the reality of what we saw is this is only temporary. What these kids want is a ma ma and a ba ba. Those kids could not get close enough to you. They would fight over each other to have the prime spot in our laps. They are truly remarkable kids, and every one of them, with their medical baggage and all, would be a tremendous gift to anyone of us. (We have some stories for some of you that have favorites there, so please be patient and we will get some pictures and descriptions of their personalities.)

Friends, let's all get on the bus together. There are kids here that want a family. I know that blogs, stories, pictures and even video do not touch the reality of what we experienced tonight. We can only pass along the experience and hope that the Lord will take it a step further and personalize it for each one of you. Many of you have experienced it and have commented that the feeling can even be addictive. Wow, what a great drug to be hooked on.

We have said many times, and will continue to repeat it: "We could not have made it through any of this without the army of prayer in front and behind us." Almost every night we are overwhelmed to tears by your prayers, scriptures and encouragement left for us on the blog. Thank you each one, and praise you Father for your showering abundant love on us.

We will be arriving in Chicago tomorrow night, and all who are crazy enough to make the drive up there to she Libi place her feet on US soil as an American Citizen are absolutely welcome. Libi has had a traumatic few weeks, and though we would love all of you to experience her silky smooth skin and kissable cheeks first hand, we will limit passing her around to just her brothers and grandparents. Also, when we arrive home we will take the weekend (thru Monday) to get Libi comfortable with the house, her brothers, and sleeping in the Western Hemisphere, by leaving the phone off the hook and the doorbell unattended. I hope that you all understand our desire to see Libi bond and feel safe, before we throw too many people in front of her. We will be having an open house for everyone to see her on June 8th at the Hampton Inn in Bloomington. So, this is it for our in country posts. We love you and cannot thank you enough...

Libi's Sick

Hey all, I am going to throw one more burden of prayer on you guys. Please pray for Libi, her cold has gotten worse through the night, and I am concerned about her seizures with the stress of the travel. Please pray for God to heal her and sustain her through these next two big days. This is a lot for healthy adults, let alone sick infants. Thanks again brothers and sisters. We love you all... Brad

Leaving Guangzhou

I am a mix of emotions tonight. What's new? Other than feeling like I am "rocking" on a boat constantly, we are all holding up well physically. We are ready to come home. Today we enjoyed another quiet day...I say this, but keep in mind "quiet" with a baby. It seems like I never "stop", you know. I have a feeling we are all going to CRASH hard when we get home. I am looking forward to those first few days with family. It sounds like such a sweet refuge to me right now.

Our travel group took our kids to the famous "red couches" here in Guangzhou for pictures. Not all of the children were hip on getting their pictures, but there were a few that didn't mind...including our sweet Libi. She was pleased as punch to sit on that couch. I think you will enjoy the pictures. We have made wonderful connections here. It was difficult to say good-bye to our friends the Braniffs tonight. There is a bond a connection there that is deep. We are already planning our vacation to see them!
We also had our final stage of the adoption today. We received Libi's visa and had the oath ceremony. It was pretty emotional. It is the end of so much and yet the beginning at the same time. There are so many stages of this process of bringing our little princess home, it seems strange that once her little feet hit US soil it will all be OFFICIAL! She is too precious for words. God has entrusted us with a rich treasure.

She is really struggling to settle, so I need to go relieve daddy. Pray for Libi, she is getting a cold. Also, pray for our visit to New Day, her foster home. Pray for no set backs or confusion. I want to be wise about her needs. I covet your prayers for wisdom and peace....thank you again, for being on this journey with us!!! We are soon to be home!!!!

Consulate Day Success

UPDATED

BTW - Praise God for the Sanders news tonight. Zoe, here they come! Also, many of you have asked about the plane ticket home... God not only worked out the ticket change, He also threw us into the bulk head row for the 2.5 hour flight. Thanks so much for praying.

Good evening (morning for y'all) family, friends and neighbors. We had a very relaxing day today. Rob (Izzy's dad) and I made our way to the Carrefour with a short list of things to get for our new little ones. Sounds easy right... we had instructions for the cab driver in Mandarin to get us there and back. Rob had most of his shopping list in Mandarin as well. Me not so much... a stroller, some baby food, and some soy based formula. We spent 30 minutes looking at the back of every container of Formula looking for some evidence that it was soy based. We spoke to over 10 people looking for someone who could speak enough English for me to not be a failure again. No luck. We could not find hair scrunchies either. What we did find was a variety of stage 1-3 baby food that had flavors like fish with yam paste and chicken with veal. I can't imagine any toddler refusing such delicacies.

After returning somewhat empty handed, we went out for lunch at Lucy's again. We did have some nice conversation with more adoptive families which was great. Shamian Island is an amazing place. After lunch we went to a store, and at 2:28 pm there was a moment of horn blowing and silence in memory of the tragedy in Sichuan. The store we were in was owned by a believer. He asked several of us adoptive parents to please pray with them during this time of silence. It was very sobering. For 3 minutes horns from all over the country were blowing. This seemed to mask the mourning, because the only Chinese person in the store was the clerk who was sobbing. It was not evident until the horns stopped. I don't think anyone here seems to grasp the magnitude of this event for China. I found myself praying God send a spirit of salvation. The Chinese are unable to handle this tragedy on their own. They need help from all countries. Could God be bringing about peace through this tragedy. Could He be preparing the hearts of Chinese people for the Gospel.

The one thing that is clear... God wants us to pray for this country. So many of us already hold it dear to our hearts as the birthplace of our children. So let's do join together in prayer.

We went to the Cow Bridge (Tai Restaurant) for dinner with a couple other adoptive families. The food was fairly good, and as always it was nice to spend time with other people walking out the same thing you are.

Libi Update - She is amazing as always. Today was another day of progress. She was doing her sit-up trick with daddy, where she grabs my hands and does assisted pull-ups on the count of 3. She continues to eat better each sitting, and was a little jealous of every bite that Amy took during dinner. By the way Amy picked up a slimy round mushroom with chopsticks. She is getting a little prideful about her new found talents. I however, have out mastered even most Chinese that we eat with by tossing peanuts across the table to Mr. Braniffs open mouth without missing once. I am not sure China was ready for the two of us. Oh yeah this was about Libi wasn't it... If you are curious how many teeth Libi has, check the pictures. Although we are going to need a good orthodontist. (Too much tongue sucking) She loves to play peak-a-boo and can pull the blanket off her face. She is very engaged with mommy, especially after bottle time. Enjoy the pictures of our continually changing beauty. We think you will find her as beautiful as we do.

Church with our Love Bug in Guangzhou

Do you remember the first Sunday after 9-11? That is what I compare the feeling here in China to be like right now. The people are all united and hurting. Our hearts ache with theirs. Church was amazing! I loved the opportunity to praise the Father in my daughters birth country. We sang the most beautiful worship songs. Of course, the tears poured down my face as I thought of where He has brought us over the last 8 months. It seems like Libi Faith has always been here with us. I cannot imagine my life without her. It was moving to sit amongst many who were holding little rescued ones in their arms. As the closing prayer was said on behalf of all of those suffering from the earthquake, you could hear sniffles and see tears streaming down faces. Father bless and keep this country as it mourns this great tragedy...

We had a very relaxing day. Libi Faith is continuing to make great progress. She ate much better again today. We are pushing her around in this little umbrella stroller sometimes and she really likes it. Although, the ERGO carrier is the preferred method of transportation especially for sleeping. We enjoyed shopping with Ann today, a personal shopper. (thanks Millers!) She is quite a fun lady. I cannot begin to describe to you the amount of people in Guangzhou. Ann took us to a huge market area...I just can't even begin to wrap my head around the enormity of this place, let alone describe it to you. I've not been to the Mall of America, but I am sure it probably makes it look like a 7-11.

I am thankful for this time here in Guangzhou. I am ready to get home, don't get me wrong, but Libi needs this time with her mamma. I know we will bond more at home, but I feel like I can really focus on her and gain a better understanding of her culture in this time. It really is a gift. The first few days she was very restless while she slept, but the last couple of days has settled down. She usually comes into bed with us in the early morning hours and is quite content to do so. Her little things she would do to "sooth" herself are diminishing...she is allowing me to soothe her. When we were out today with our guide there were comments about Libi looking very much like our biological daughter and that she could not be 2 years old. I love these people of China, and so does my daughter! She lights up in a way like no other when the women speak to her. In church today she was straining to see the women sitting in front of us. I am sure she is missing her nannies!

I know I continue to say this, but we are so thankful for all of your prayers and support back home. We love hearing from you as you email and leave comments. You are a "lifeline" to us right now. Many of you have had dreams and visions of Libi Faith and we have been so blessed to hear about them. My sweet friend Bridget prayed along with many of you, through our waiting for Libi. She felt strongly that part of our waiting was because of who we would be here with...that is clear with our new friends, the Braniffs! We are friends for life and our story with them is just beginning. Also, she kept hearing the number 27. Maybe we would leave on the 27th...maybe we would be united with her on the 27th...well, here is the mystery revealed...Libi Faith Jia Qi was the 27th orphan to be adopted from her province this year. You can think I am crazy, but I know God spoke these things! As soon as we were told she was number 27 I screamed!!!! He speaks so we see and acknowledge Him in all of our ways. You are perfection Father, there is none like You!!!

A Day in Guangzhou

Well, I think my wife has tasted first blood in the Guangzhou market. We arrived in Guangzhou late last night (sorry no posts), and spent the morning in the infamous Polyclinic. There were lots of screaming babies, sterile walls, and exam rooms, and a lot of talking that I couldn't understand (go figure). Libi sat on my lap most of the time completely unaffected by all of the surroundings. Even her hearing test was quite comical. All this noise going on around us, and they would play a toy piano or a tambourine, and Libi would kind of looked at the nurse as if to say, "I hear it, but am not interested enough to participate in these reindeer games."

We had a bit of a scare while we were there as the doctors were quite concerned that Libi was taking seizure medication. There was a long discussion between the doctor and our travel coordinator, and then they pulled us all into the main office with three more doctors and even more discussions. Finally, without notice they let us go. There was really no debrief on what the big deal was, but it left Amy very fearful for a moment. I then spent 3 hours trying to fix Libi's return flight that was booked a day after the rest of us. I guess she has already gotten pretty independent to try that eh? Anyway, after three hours of phone calls, faxes and emails, I still don't have it fixed. Please pray for this one... minor and fixable, nonetheless it is stressful and time consuming.

After all this we decided to try our hand at bartering. Wow is that fun. It's nice to perfect those skills when you are not paying $20K on a car. Just 120 RMB for a couple shirts and "oh yeah could you throw in the Olympic hat too." We are going to the real market with the Miller's secret weapon tomorrow after church. Thanks again Chard and Melissa, we love Ann already. By the way Chard, your friend at the dragon something or other is gone. There is a young girl working there now who has only been there for two months. Very smooth though. I will continue to work to get very good price on B quality watch for you. (Manderenglish) We finished the evening with dinner at the new Italian restaurant and ice cream at the Deli.

Yesterday, we wound up our trip in Fuzhou with some bowling downstairs. The lane quit working several times, and the event was quite comical, as most everything has been the last few days. We are having so much fun with our travel mates, struggling at times to maintain our sanctification because of it. (Me and Rob that is... our wives deny they even know us, and Jacob has gotten quite an education.) Just kidding. After bowling, we walked to McDonald's and had lunch. We stopped on the way, and had Libi's picture taken with the Libi's dress maker. After the trip to Mickey D's we went to the police station to get Libi's passport, and then off to the airport. We so enjoyed our travel coordinator Catherine in Fuzhou. She was a true delight. If you ever adopt for the Fujian province you are in for a treat. She is much more educated on American slang, so you won't have such a high learning curve. Please pray for her.

By the way, for those interested... we transferred to the Victory in Guangzhou, because after all I am an accountant. It was almost half the price of the White Swan, and appears to be quite worth it so far. Very nice rooms, food and still close to everything. Most all of our travel group is staying here with us.

I have created a couple slide shows for your viewing pleasure, since you would all rather look at my daughter than read my shallow narratives. We love you all...

What a pretty girl (Daddy's in trouble)

This morning we had a lazy time getting her ready after a late breakfast. Here are some shots of our precious girl. You can tell from these why her daddy is mesmerized by her. Love you all, thank you for loving us. - Brad (Slide show by me too...lest you think Amy is impressed with herself.)

ANother day in Fuzhou

Okay, I have hit exhaustion! We are ready for some "reboot" time. I don't even have time to journal. It has been like receiving a newborn and then having to run a marathon with her in your arms. Well, not that bad. We are good, just tired. I am resting when she is resting, or I am engaged in meeting a need or interacting with her. Joel and Jack get ready to help mommy ALOT!! I did not anticipate Libi being so "infant-like". It is actually a sweet thing for bonding, because she needs me for everything, but do you remember all the things you need to do and remember? All the hours I spent packing...oh, what a waste! I was so unprepared. Lesson learned for the next one. Tomorrow will be more time just here at the hotel. That will be good.

We went to the Panda zoo today. Interesting. Maybe I should just leave it at that. There were 3 pandas. We weren't there long. We then went to a tea ceremony which was very interesting and enjoyable. We also went to a Christian church. It was very beautiful. It was in the heart of Fuzhou. There are 10,000 people that come to that church on Sunday! What was so beautiful was the steeple...it said, Jesus Loves You on top. I don't have the pictures of that stuff yet because we were without our camera. Our friends took all the pictures today. Once again, such a blessing to be with them!

The cameras...somehow our battery charger for our good camera is at home. Bummer! The great thing is that we were able to get a charger this evening. It was an interesting purchase. We received a "special" price...$80...sounds reasonable huh? There was no receipt and the money went into a pocket, not ours. Anyway, we are grateful to have it.

Libi is doing so great! She continues to amaze us! She has begun to eat more and getting better at it. I did switch to soy today and took all of the advice to heart about possible reflux. It seemed to help a lot. She enjoyed therapy with daddy today. I was blown away at what she did! Brad would hold out his fingers and she would get a hold of them and he would count to 3 and pull her up. It did not take her long before she knew "3" and was using those ab muscles to pull herself and not depend on Brad. By the end of their time she had 2 new amazing "tricks".

We took the girls to have Mandarin dresses made tonight. They were so sweet getting measured! We got Izzy and Libi red dresses that are being hand sown tonight and delivered to our room tomorrow. The amazing thing is, probably the most inexpensive thing we have done since we have been here! The shop we were in was precious! The ladies were adorable! They were having me try on all kinds of dresses. It was fun. I am sure they were having more fun than I was though. They did talk me into purchasing one. Irene, I am sure your wardrobe holds a beautiful Asian gown, so we will have to take our boys out on the town in them together! Again, I am just loving the people and the culture here. I do think it is best if I don't shop. I cannot say "no" especially to these sweet people of China. I know, I have sucker written all over me! That is why I had better just stay home!!!!

We had Pizza Hut and Haagen Dazs tonight. Our guide explained to us that only the "wealthy" people would have ice cream there. I can understand that. Our ice cream was more than our dinner. I think we are still learning about how to navigate China on a budget. At pizza hut there was a"one trip" salad bar. Our guide demonstrated how people here get the MOST out of the salad bar. They build these towers of food...you will have to see the pictures. We had a lot of fun with it. Our guide, Catherine is a riot!! We are having a blast with her and our friends.

A lady approached us tonight and reiterated to us what a gift we held in our arms. She works with "un-adoptable" orphans here in China and she was so blessed by the sight of Libi in an adoptive families arms. I am telling you and will not stop...this little girl is A MIRACULOUS GIFT!!!!! We are in awe of what the Father has done and we rejoice greatly with each of you in this. We miss you all. I am ready to be back home with my boys. We are one week away from coming home. It seems like a long time, but since we have gotten Libi the days seem to go faster. Some of the slides I am putting in this post are older. I tried to label them for you...pray us through this last week, and may the Lord return the blessing to each on you 100 fold!!!!!

Every day progress

I cannot believe how my time is consumed each day. I really thought I would have more time to email and skype, so to all of you who are waiting...I am SO sorry. Like Brad just told me, I have one focus right now. It is a wonderful one too. Libi Faith is making so much progress. Her fine motor skills amaze me. I have sat with her on my lap at the computer several times, but this afternoon as I posted the last blog entry, she was on my lap again, but not with ease. She was reaching for everything. She got a pencil right away with her tiny little fingers. Tonight at dinner we were laughing at how she was grabbing at everything! Even little pieces of rice. She is eating better. She is not gagging on things. She has discovered apple juice, watered down of course, and the BMs are coming....another big event of the night...GIGGLES! Straight from the belly, and who were they for, Jacob. Sorry, Joel and Jack, but you will have your chance soon enough. Even thought Jacob is just as big as the rest of us it is like she gets that he is a kid. I love the way she looks at him. She is coming along so much. Our friends that are traveling with us have noticed huge strides and so has our coordinator. So, just wanted to let you know the progress. The panda zoo is on the agenda for tomorrow AM. I may stay back, but we will see what the morning brings. Thanks for all of the love and encouragement...we thrive on it!

A day to remember....

I will start by saying, hang on! This was one of the most incredible and difficult days of my life. The start...we heard our sweet girl cry. She woke up crying this morning. It was music to our ears. I so wanted to hear that emotion from her. I thought she might be grieving, sad to wake up from sleep in an unfamiliar place, but it was just a difficult BM. Anyway, I loved being able to comfort her. She was very happy to see her family and let us know with lots of sweet smiles. She then took a shower. She did great, and smelled a whole lot better!

She was fussy at breakfast. I think she might have a little bit of reflux. There is a clinic here in the hotel so I am going to check in with them about it. I will take any advice on this one.

There is another adopting family down the hall from us that has provided the craziest things for us. The mom has come knocking on the door hand delivering things that I have just mentioned that I wished I had without knowing the need. Libi's feet are so tiny. I have no shoes or socks that will stay on...she brought some to me. She also brought a pacifier about an hour after I mentioned wishing I had brought one. One thing she brought was soy formula. I think that is my cue from the Father to give it a whirl with Libi. The crazy thing...a few moments ago I was thirsty...before I went to poor a drink she showed up at the door with a green apple soda that is popular here in China for me to try. I LOVE stuff like that! I love that He satisfies my every thirst.

We have been placed here with a precious family. I have posted a picture of their precious babe below. She reminds us a lot of Ari! They have blessed us in ways too numerous to count. We both feel like we could not be on this journey without one another. Today we saw a very great purpose in us all being brought together.

We took a visit to the orphanage here today. I thought I was some what prepared for it. I was very wrong! I want you to know I write this through much agony. I cannot quite express what I saw and felt. The eyes of the abandoned will forever haunt my mind. As we stood outside the orphanage we took a photo in front of the statue, "mother's forever love". As we moved through the doors and up the stairs nothing could have prepared my heart for what I would behold. Crib after crib of precious babies...some asleep, some soothing themselves to sleep, some with bottles propped up...all of them little treasures of a Good King. All of the little ones we saw were "special needs". (I am beginning to really despise that label.) I would have left there today with any one of those children in my arms, and I can't imagine anyone who would have been with me today would have felt otherwise. Today we saw the "healthy babies". As our guide said we did not see the "very sick" children. Those would be children like our blessed Libi Faith. It is too emotional for me to write about that now. I just sit here feeling so honored to be that little girls mother. I have been given a great and awesome gift...I will never be able to thank Him enough for my daughter...she has been rescued, and so have I....

Our next stop was even more emotional. We had the opportunity to visit a foster home that would blow you out of your chair. People that sold everything they had a few years ago and began to take in orphans. They now have 28! They are amazing servants of Him. I cannot get over what I saw. Our connection is through our friends that we are here with. Just as our sweet Libi was in a foster home of many children, their sweet baby was blessed to be in this foster home. We saw little ones who lives have been transformed by the hand of the Father. His heart is flowing in this place with incredible love and care. As you walked through the gate it was like stepping into the most peaceful haven. The stories of each of these little ones would fill a book. They encouraged our hearts as if we had been with the Father directly. We were given great hope about what Libi will be and become. They really did teach us some great ways to care for her. By the way, the last pictures of Libi so happy is her being spoken to by the foster mamma in Chinese...she LOVED her!

(just FYI...the pictures of the sweet faces after Brad with Libi asleep on his shoulder were taken at the foster home, not the orphanage)



"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of their Father in heaven. What do you think, if a man owns 100 sheep and 1 of them wonders away, will he not go into the hills and look for the 1 who wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about the 1 sheep than about the 99 that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."

"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my Name, welcomes me."

Do you know when you have a day when you know that nothing else will ever be the same? That day for me is today...I am broken and thankful, I am blessed...

Earthquake 2

We heard from our agency this morning that the Colleges and the rest of the families are just fine here. Thanks for the prayer and concern.

Let's reflect for just a moment at two significant events in the past month. The day that we received travel approval in the US, we were wakened to an earthquake. The day that Libi Faith officially became an Arnold, there was an earthquake in China. Clearly the Lord is going to continue to shake our world with this little peanut.

Libi fell asleep last night pushing and pulling on my fingers. She is such an active little thing. She had only one little coughing spell, but otherwise has slept all night. She is a great sleeper - praise the Lord for that eh! [EPFB] PRAYER REQUEST: Libi has not had a BM since we got her, could you pray for her (and her daddy) to be successful.

We hit Mickey D's for dinner last night, and nearly screwed up ordering value meals for Pete's sake. After fussing about with the workers, finally an American college student walks up and says "you guys look like yo could use some help." Gee, is it that obvious when a 6'5, gray spotted Caucasian takes 10 minutes to order at McDonald's. With his help, we were finally able to get our food (Rob and I went out hunting for our women and children-picture it) and make our way to the hotel in the cab pointing him at every turn.

How crippling it is to be in a place that is so foreign. It should not be that hard. That darn tower of babel. Anyway, it is an adventure. We really had a great day yesterday after the official paperwork was completed. We spent most of the afternoon doing homework with Jacob and playing with our little girl. As you can see in the pictures that Amy posted earlier, she slept quite a bit too. By the way the bad hair day pictures were as she was. The was no combing, gel or manipulation involved.

SOAPBOX TIME - One thing that is becoming amazingly clear to all of us, is the unlimited potential of God to change a life. I think we all go into this unknown world of adoption and get completely frightened - I am. We see pictures of children, hear special needs labels, and kind of pick and choose what degree of challenge we are capable of handling. We even see the various countries restrict certain kids from even being available to be adopted. Now we have only begun our journey with a little child that has very small challenges ahead of her compared to many, but there is a clear message that God is communicating to us. You may be limited, but I am not. You are weak, but I am strong. You can make a machine that over time can change the shape of a mountain, but I can speak and make it flat (excuse the Caterpillar analogy).

God can take any label and remove it. We have heard testimony after testimony of bad prognosis' that God radically removes in 12 months or less. Let's take God out of the box folks, and pray hard for Him to make the mountains flat in our lives (thanks Jason.) In the area of adoption, are you saying "we have done enough." Are you fearful of the challenge of "Special Needs". I feel like we are only ankle deep in the water, and we have seen God in ways we have not seen before. We are going to go to an American foster home today, run by a fantastic couple from Florida, that is head deep in the water for the Lord. I will let you know if they say it was the wrong thing to do.

Sorry, for the diatribe, you all know my frailties, fleshly struggles and weaknesses, but I think there is a challenge before us all. Are we living for ourselves or the Lord. Are we satisfied with the happiness we can create, or do we want the JOY that He can give. Let's strip away the thoughts of labels and let pray that God would wow us all. We are already seeing signs of that in Libi's life. It is a direct result of God answering your cries on her behalf.

Thank you all so much. You are a blessng that word's cannot describe. As you can probably tell from my rambling we feel like we could accomplish anything with Him because of your prayer for us. Love you all...

Earthquake

Hello sweet warriors...I wanted to let you all know that we felt the earthquake today, but nothing significant where we are at. We are very far from the epicenter. It was worse when we felt the one in Illinois. Please pray for the College family. They are in our travel group here and were to unite with their son at 2:00 in the city where the quake occurred at 2:30. I must admit I do not like being so far from home when things like this happen. Pray for peace for us all. Libi Faith just went to sleep and I need to head that way myself. Thank you for being there for us!!!!

Adoption Day

Well, Here it is! She is officially ours!!! We are signed, sealed and delivered. We are grateful for this precious gift we have been entrusted. She is a true treasure. We know that the Lord holds a great plan and purpose for her life. We are already seeing so much change in her. She makes much more eye contact. She is smiling more, and she knows her mamma! She fell asleep on Brad and myself today. When she is out...she is toast. Her smile lights up her whole face! You at home will never know this little girl we met yesterday. In two weeks she is going to be so different. Everyone had told us this, but now we are seeing what a difference a mamma, daddy and big brother can make in a life. Thank you for your constant prayers and support. It is not the easiest road we are on, but His grace is sufficient. Love and blessings...

our first night

Our life verse for Libi Faih Jia Qi:

"And you will be called by a new name
Which the mouth of the LORD will designate.
You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD.
And a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
It will no longer be said of you, "Forsaken,"
Nor to your land will it any longer be said, "Desolate";
But you will be called, "My delight is in her."
Isaiah 62:2-4

I will probably never be able to describe the moment I met her. It was like an out of body experience. It was very overwhelming. She was not relaxed. I thought she was, but now I have seen relaxed with her and that was not it. Everyone there was so excited. They love uniting these babies with their forever families. Again, my love for China and the people grew even more. My heart ached for her sweet nanny. I just wanted to keep placing Libi back into her arms. You could tell she loves her so much! She was glad to hear that we would be stopping by New Day before we come home. Our embrace as she left was long and painful. I am so thankful for her and her love for my daughter.

There is also another very important woman whose physical presence was not there today, but she was very much there. Libi's birth mother. How I know on this mother's day she thinks of her daughter. I pray the Father would speak so that she would know she is okay. I held those tiny little clothes and the precious note she was left with, and it was beyond what a mother's heart can handle. I thank you, for choosing life for our sweet daughter! You did a wonderful thing for her and we are forever grateful to you!!

Getting our sweet girl back to the room and stripping off her clothes was a moment! I just soaked in every inch of her sweet little body. She is like a silky, marshmallow! Her thighs are pretty chunky. I had a hard time zipping her sleeper around them. She is very playful and active. She is actually much stronger than I had anticipated. She really cannot sit up though. She arches her back a lot. She has weak abs and neck muscles. We were already making her work! She furrowed her brow at her daddy at one point as if to say, that is enough, weirdo! She is the most content little thing. She makes lots of noises. She loves to do this little high pitched squeal. She loves music. The really cool thing she does, is clap on command. It is so cute! I was laying with her on the bed and she loved touching my hair. I think the hair is going to have to stay long and down for awhile. She holds it a lot, especially when she had her bottle. She did great with the bottle, not so great with the yogurt. She struggles with sitting. Texture is hard for her, because she really doesn't chew, just sucks.

She slept on me and Jacob for awhile. We tried her in the bed with us but the just could not get comfortable. Then, they brought a crib to us. It seems like a board in the bottom. As soon as I laid her in it she was comfy and OUT!!! She is all cuddled up with her blanket on her tummy. Again, mommy goals here. trying to keep her on her tummy.

Thank you for all of your prayers. You will never know how strongly they are felt. Continue to pray for health for Libi. We think she may have had another mild seizure on the way here. It could have been stress. These next few days will not be easy for her though. We know every detail is in His hands and we have seen it in abundance!

Gotcha

Well, the awaited day has come and the hour appointed by God from the foundation of the world has come to pass. Libi Faith Jia Qi is an Arnold. What an emotional day this has been. It started out very peaceful, breakfast with our new friends talking about the day, to walking around aimlessly in Fuzhou trying to kill some time. We had a small time of prayer and devotional with the Braniff's, then with no warning a whirlwind of activity occurred.

Our travel coordinator came in and said that Libi was downstairs. We quickly grabbed our stuff and took off to the 3rd floor of the hotel in the conference room. Amy got ahead of me, as I was running behind her trying to get the camera re-wound and hand it off to Rob (Braniff). She went into the room ahead of me, and as we walked in it was like an out of body experience. We have seen nothing but pictures and a small amount of video of her, and here she was live and in the flesh. It was so incredibly peaceful though as Amy took her. She was little stiff at first, but quickly settled in to her and was peaceful.

Both her nanny from New Day and her nanny from the Fujian orphanage were there, and they were quite emotional. Clearly, they both love her dearly. We were able to get them and the Orphanage officials before we left.

We stripped her down to her diaper, and just played with her. Seeing what she feels like, how she smells, and what she can do. That turned into the Baba Arnold boot camp. After a little while she got a little frustrated with me for pushing her too hard. So we just sat and watched her.

She is a precious gift from God. The appointed time has come and past. We are incredibly grateful. Thank you to all who have prayed

A Wife of Noble Character - I have Found

I kept thinking this morning on mother's day, among all the other thoughts that have run through my head, "A Wife of Noble Character - I have found." Of course that answer is of the question that is in the 10th verse of Pr. 31. I have found her. I think of all the ways that God could honor my wife on a day set aside for recognition of a mother's life - to give her another child. Wow, how about that. Can someone give me an amen?

Today, more than any other mother's day, she proves herself faithful to those verses..."Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm all the days of her life...She sets about her work vigorously, her arms are strong for her tasks...She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy...She is clothed with strength and dignity, she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue... Her children rise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he PRAISES HER. Many women do noble things, but my Amy surpasses them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (By the way you have all three). Give her the REWARD she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

I love you Amy Malynn Arnold, you are worthy to boast of. May this be the most blessed Mother's day you have ever experienced.

Tiena min Square/ Forbidden City/ Faces of China

Today was yet another fascinating day in China. It is very late, so we will be brief. I am amazed at how quickly the days fly by here. We went to Tiena min Square, the Forbidden City and a silk factory. We continue to be amazed by the how "larger than life" things are. Tiena min Square is GINORMOUS!!! We had no idea how huge it is or the size of the Forbidden City. Most of my pictures today were of the children. They have our hearts, for sure! there is a picture of Brad and I in front of a unique tree that has a very romantic story behind it. It is called the tree of foever love...I will share the story with all of my sappy friends when we get home. We enjoyed our time with our new friends here. We will unite with our daughters together tomorrow, just one more thing to make it harder to say good-bye to them! The culture here is absolutely captivating. We feel like sponges just trying to soak up any bit of history we can. It makes me feel so proud for our daughter that she has such an amazing home country. We hated to say good-bye to our guide today. She is so knowledgeable and we seriously did not have to make one decision about anything. She spoiled us!

We arrived in Fuzhou, the capital city of Libi Faith's province at 9:00 PM. We then had an hour drive to our hotel. Once again, the size and expanse of the city is not what I had anticipated. Our hotel is quite beautiful. I cannot wait until the morning to see the Lake. We will post some pictures.

My heart is so full of peace. Tonight it was hard to hear some of the realities of Libi's precious life up until now. We were shown her "finding ad". It is so difficult to think about what her mother must have gone through as she choose to leave her that day...too much to put into words right now. The picture in my slides of the mother with her baby wrapped up in her arms struck a chord in my heart today for Libi's mother. We were very happy to hear that we should receive the note that was left with her and the clothes she had on. Her new life begins tomorrow...3:00-4:00 is the anticipated event of her being birthed into our arms forever. It is later than we had originally anticipated so all of you back home will probably have to wait until the early hours of Mother's Day to celebrate with us! You have been such a great support to us through all of your comments and prayers. We are having such an amazing time and feel so at rest with everything!

First full day in China

I love this country! I am captivated by the people here. They are so kind and warm. I love showing them our picture of Libi Faith that is tied to our backpack. As soon as we show the picture they know that we are in China to adopt and they are so excited and happy. Of course, we are getting the most adorable little girl in China. :) I so wish that I could carry on a conversation with them. This country has so much cultural pride. I am blown away by the business and continual labor seen everywhere as they are preparing for the Olympic games. They are working so hard to give the world their BEST. The world will be drawn in, for sure. Beijing in and of itself, is quite the city. 18 million people living here.


We had the wonderful privilege of seeing the Great Wall today. Because we are hooked up with the most incredible tour guide, we went to a less popular spot of the wall. It was very quiet and peaceful. It was not what you would expect. In fact, we rode up to the wall in a cable car, not such a big deal...but how we got down, that is another story. We took individual toboggans and slid down. It was quite fun. I was on Jacob's tail the whole time! He wasn't quite fast enough for his crazy mom. Let me tell you that toboggan cornered like it was on rails!!! Joel and Jack you would have loved that part.


We have enjoyed the other families in our tour group immensely. There are 6 other families. For me it has made this whole thing even more real and exciting. As we huffed and puffed climbing the wall today we teased with one another that we were doing quite well for being 9 months pregnant. One of the families has a darling little blonde haired blue eyed 5 year old daughter. It is like walking around with Shirley Temple. Everyone here wants to touch her and have pictures with her.


Tonight we went to see a Chinese Acrobat show that was quite amazing. Have you ever seen 12 women on one bike? The lady who could pretty much bend in half backwards was a little disturbing, and I had to look away. At the show we met 3 families who were sitting behind us that would soon be uniting with their sweet little ones. It is so amazing to share in this experience with others.

Now the food...I think I was destined to eat it. I LOVE it! We have had the most amazing meals. We will see what the rest of our stay has in store, but so far, I am glad we have had a lot of exercise because the way I'm eating, it could get ugly fast. I am tired, but I am not sensing any "jet lag". I just feel ready for bed. Thank you for praying! It is abundantly clear that we are so covered by all of you. Jacob is SACKED on the couch. He has really enjoyed his time also. We had a lot of fun being "bus buddies" and chatting on our bus rides. I could go on for much longer, but I have 2 boys that are already OUT and I am heading that way.

We love you all! You have no idea how much we LOVE hearing from each of you. It means more than you know!

a day in Beijing

Well, I wanted to take a minute before we head out for the day and first tell you how wonderful it is to hear from each of you here in China! (Yes, that is an exclamation point, Barton, and there will be many more!!) I am so excited to be here. I can't quite describe the feeling. I find myself staring out the window at the people doing their morning exercises, and I am so intrigued about them and their life. I know we have not seen or experienced much yet, but I am so ready to embrace my daughters home. I have never felt such peace or certainty over anything in my whole life! It is such a peaceful confidence of being right in the moment you are to be in by Divine design. My biggest crisis has been not having a hairdryer this morning. :) What a crisis. Depending on the situation with the hair it could be major...anyway, I love being here with my "big guys", but I am missing my little men back at home. Thank you to the Shaw's for loving on them. Thank you for all of your love, support and prayers. If you struggle to post you can use my email: amymarnold@comcast.net

We are off to see the Great Wall!!! I cannot wait. Tonight is a big dinner and Chinese acrobats.

3 more days to Libi Faith!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am in a constant state of thinking and praying for her, wondering how close in proximity I actually am to her!! I can' think about that too much or I'm going to have to go get her!

We're Here

For two weeks, Amy asked me if I was going to purchase the Economy Plus Access fee that would get us an additional 5" of leg room on the Chicago to Beijing route. I delayed, and Ray Sanders prayed. Guess what? We got the seats for free. We boarded the plane and looked up to see ourselves in the section we nearly paid $700 more sit in. Praise the Lord.

Our drive up to Chicago was excellent, thanks to the Starbucks and fellowship. Don't tell Barton, but we were plenty early, and had time to walk around looking for a movie rental shop. At one point I actually stopped and asked someone for directions. She looked at me as if to say, "You must be outchor mind!" We eventually found one, but neither bought nor rented anything. We grabbed some lunch and boarded the plane. After our praise for the extra leg room we waited on the tarmack and back to the gate for a total of 2 hours of delays. Not to worry, because we really had nothing urgent to do once we arrived. The flight went well overall, we cleared customs quickly, and we were met by Angela, our Beijing based travel coordinator, once clearing through customs.

We are aleady amazed by the people and the culture. We are a little sleepy, fairly hungary, so food and bed sound like great options about now. Thanks for the prayer, love and support. Talk to you all soon.