Hope in China: Part II
We love celebrating with families over the milestones they see with their children over the initial months and years after coming home from China. Yesterday, you may have read the Heidebrink's adoption story and how God led them to adopt their sweet daughter, Hope, whose special need they would have originally never considered when they initially started adopting from China. If you haven't had a chance to read their story, click here as today we are sharing a wonderful update and an incredible God-moment from later in their adoption after coming home. Jolene shares about this miraculous day below:
“When we first met our daughter, Hope, she was weak and could barely hold her head up. She was able to sit up, but that was all. Her head would just hang back and she was unable to walk. The wonderful families we traveled with in China appeared to feel sorry for us; yet, we knew that the Lord was going to redeem what had been lost in Hope’s early years. As time went on after coming home, she began to walk with a walker. We were home about 15 months when God broke through and we saw a miracle. She was still in therapy and continuing to walk with her walker at the time and had never walked independently. Over the course of our first year home, we have been blessed with her amazing physical therapist who you will see in the video below. She has worked amazingly hard with Hope to help her come this far.
This incredible video highlights Hope’s first independent steps in her therapy room– she walked over 20 feet independently for the first time! WATCH for her brother and her therapist at the end, you don't want to miss it. This is all to HIS glory! Hope is such an incredible blessing from the Lord to us!”
This story is just one of thousands of stories over the years our staff have witnessed when God steps into a family’s story and takes what is broken, what is difficult, what may seem impossible and turns it around for His good and His glory. If you’re considering adopting from China, there are many children waiting just like Hope- children who may not have had an opportunity for a family or would not have reached a milestone like this one had it not been for the obedience of a family to answer the call to adopt.
If you are interested in learning more about adopting from China, we’d love to speak with you! You can contact us at china@awaa.org or by phone at 800-429-3369. Our China staff are ready and waiting to answer your questions, provide guidance, and help you on your journey of adoption.