Dear Levi...

Dear Levi, I can not believe we are actually leaving for China today!  In 48 hours we will finally get to hold you in our arms.   Our journey to you has been miraculous! I can not believe the doors that God has opened to bring you home in such a short time.  But while our wait has been short, your wait has seemed like forever.  For three years you have waited for a family to come. For three years you have watched your friends leave New Day and join their forever families.  In two days, sweet boy, it will be your turn!! Your turn to be held and be called son. Your turn to be called brother, grandson, and cousin!!  Everyone is so excited to meet you.  While our wait was short, it has not easy!!  The first time I saw your sweet face, I knew you were our son.  The first time Daddy saw your face, he said "What do we have to do to bring him home?"    Each day that passed you grew nearer to our hearts.  Each day brought a new possibility that we would see your face on the New Day blog!!  That we would learn more about you. How we wanted to hold you!! How we wished we could just reach through the screen and bring you home.  Each day your name was spoken. Each day you were prayed for.  And Monday's were glorious because we got to Skype with you! How we loved seeing your smile! To hear your voice! To see your orneriness! But they also caused us much concern.   Some days you would breath so heavy and raspy. Your breaths so shallow and short.  Your lips and fingernails bluish in color.  How we worried!!  How it pushed us all the more to get you home as quick as possible.  And now, within 48 hours, we will hold you in our arms!  What a joyful day this will be!!

At the same time, I know our joy, will be overshadowed by your sorrow.  You have already been through so much in your three years. But when New Day took you in, they became your family.  They have loved you so much! They have taught you how to love. How to flourish even in difficult times. They nursed you back to health and gotten you the medical care that you needed to live.  They encouraged  you to press on. To grow and develop into the precious boy that you are. What a wonderful gift they have given you.  I know you will always have a special place on your heart for New Day.   It breaks my heart to know you will yet again experience a loss.   Not just a loss of your birth country and heritage, but the loss of your New Day family.  We are so grateful for all they have given you.  For the foundation they have laid to prepare you for your forever family...for our family. 

Our prayer for you these past 8 months have been that the Lord would be preparing your heart for our family. That He would somehow let you know that we are your Mommy and Daddy. That it is us you have been waiting for.  That even before we knew you were our son, that God would have been showing you our faces. That your dreams would have been filled with visions of us, so that when you meet us,  you will know us.  That He would have been whispering in your ear, "This is your Mommy and Daddy and they are coming."  That He would touch your heart in all the areas that you have grieved, and heal them. That you would find peace and comfort, first in your heavenly Father's arms, and then ours.

We know you will be upset when you leave New Day.  We know you will grieve. We know you will be angry and scared.  Know that it is okay and we love you.  That we will grieve with you. But, know you are home. Know you are ours and we will never let you go. We are your forever family! We love you, sweet Levi! We love you, our son! And, we are finally coming!!  Love, Mommy and Daddy

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Psalm 30:5b   "Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning."