Hard News? God has answers/support

Last week, after being told repeatedly that noone can understand Joshua's Chinese, Cantonese or English (he can understand!), we had his speech evaluated. He scored moderately severe :-(. BUT his prognosis is great. :-) And so he had his very first Speech appt today with Robert's old ST! She said Joshua is not only quite imitative, but she thinks he's extremely bright! When she tried to get him to say "port" and showed him a boat going into a port, he pointed to his cheek with the Port Wine Stain and said "port". Hmmm... he's been listening in on our conversations!

I sure pray his future is as bright as his promise is now :-).

Because... this kiddo does not just have "mild" Sturge-Weber like I was hoping and expecting :-(. The doc has yet to finish his report rating it and sending all the info to us in "English" but the radiologist noted quite a few abnormalities in the brain and neck. One of the freakiest to me at the moment is that Joshua has no left jugular vein?! God is His Perfect Timing connected me with a Sturge-Weber support group and delayed our receiving this MRI report til today. Guess what the group has been talking about the last 2 days?? Yep... missing jugular veins. Wow.

Was the adoption expensive?

Since we hope to promote adoptions of other special needs kiddos from the US or abroad, I sure don't mind talking costs or logistics. Paperwork-wise, this one adoption had a LOT more paperwork and hurdles involved than all 3 of our domestic adoptions combined! But between our state agency, Lutheran SS, and wonderful guidance of our international agency, Holt, and the prayers and encouragement of many, we completed the course and brought this special one home :-).

The adoption process isn't totally over until the 1 yr post adoption reports are done and turned in. But hopefully most of the expenses (and paperwork!) are in. This adoption cost over $30,000 since we had the extra expense of having to go backwards and clear our 18 yr old child at one point. That figure does not include taking our 18 yr old on our trip to China with us.

But between a Holt grant, wonderful donations (THANK YOU!!), and a future expected adoption tax credit, our remaining cost will be under $5000. And then between a fundraiser we held here, the selling of a couple of items, lots of skimping by the family, and an extra productive market garden summer of 2009, God provided ALL we needed to bring this young man into a family of his own :-), plus enough to let Ryan travel to.

Was it worth it? It was to Joshua GuanYan :-). THANKS again to all who participated in bringing Joshua "home" whether by prayer or donation of time or money. God used a lot of people to open the door for this little one... and we can't wait to see what God's Plan for his life is :-), and how the ripples will spread from here.