2/29 Reunion in Amish country

If you have been following Jen's story, you may remember that she was in a group of 11 girls from the same orphanage who were in the process of being adopted to American families. One of first families to adopt from Zhuhai set up an Internet support group. In June 2007, we found the group and began to meet adoptive families from across the States. Before long, parents began to surface who were adopting girls the same age as Jen. We pieced together pictures and stories and began to match faces from old photos to referral pictures. When we met Jen, the vice director of the orphanage gave us pictures of the 11 girls and told us they were coming to America. That was a joyous realization. Suddenly names of girls that had been swirling in our heads came to us as we looked at the picture of the 11 girls. We had met a number of their parents over the Internet. Jen was a part of a little wave of girls who grew up together and were now leaving for America over the coming months.

After coming home in late December, we were anxious for the next family to return home so Jen could be in contact with someone else from Zhuhai. A family from the Midwest came home and we were elated to have the chance to meet them on our journey to Wisconsin.


It was a beautiful day in the little town of Arcola, Illinois that we met with Alison and her parents, Lynn and Brenda. It wasn't long before the girls began to talk over breakfast. We enjoyed sharing the moment with our friends and were honored to meet another family who had adopted a child from the same orphanage. The girls have apparently known each other all of their lives. How strange it must have been for them...reunited in another time and in another place, amidst the snowy fields of Illinois with their new families. We saw a smile creep out over sausage and our Jen was eager to chat about who knows what. A little snowball fight broke out before we left and Jen gave chase after her younger "sister". We hope that these connections will be precious to Jen in the days that are to come. We admire Lynn and Brenda for their willingness to follow God and love a child who was in need. We have such bright hopes for Alison and all of Jen's sisters and brothers from Zhuhai.

May their testimony one day be that someone chose to love them and gave them the gift of adoption which altered the entire course of their lives.

May their days be long upon earth.