"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!!!!!!!!!!!!!