Good News and Firsts!

     Last week it was heavy on our hearts that the boy in Ingrid's orphanage was not receiving the medical attention he needed.  There were many little boys that should be adopted and seeing them pulled deep at our hearts, our minds, our souls, our conscience.  As parents we know that a child should be loved and cared for.  That is basic.  This child, however, had his heart surgery at the same time Ingrid did, but the caretakers told us he turned "blue" and  did not feel the surgery worked.  We knew the orphanage itself could do very little to get him another surgery, and there were very few others that would be walking through the orphanage to see this little guy.  A verse that kept coming to us, (the same verse that kept our path towards Ingrid) is from Proverbs 24:12 "Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do.  God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."  We needed to do something.  We called our agency and left a message.  Through some tears and perhaps a desperate tone of voice we asked them if there was anything that could be done for this 2 year old boy through the agency to advocate for him, or through us to raise money to get him the medical attention he needed.  
    During the time we were still in China the agency was asked to come and view some children from the Jiangxi province (ironically out of all the provinces all over China, that was the little province we were in to get Ingrid)!  The goal was for our agency to sponsor and advocate for children who were waiting to be adopted.  Most of them would be older, and would "age-out" soon which means they can never be adopted.  Some of them had translation for their medical need that was not correct.  For a month the agency could "highlight" these 9 children (mostly boys), taking video, updating their medical reports, pictures, etc.  After that month they'd have to go back to the big shared list where again they could get lost in the shuffle. 
     The same day we left the message pleading for this little guy, the agency sent out an email to all of their clients throughout the country.  We could not believe it.  This little sunshine was on the list! This was all happening before we made the call and while we were still in China!  Oh how we pray that God will direct a family to adopt him!  We are so thankful for our chance to bring Ingrid home and know the family who could bring him home would be blessed beyond what they could every know.  His videos look great and pictures and praying this happens fast to get him surgery!
     That's our good news! 
     Ingrid's firsts.... so fun to see her eyes light up with foods and sounds and sights and smells!  What a joyful little girl!

First time at a Pumpkin Patch:

First time at a park, on a trike, playing (eating) with sidewalk chalk, and rolling pumpkins:

We took this of ourselves

 

 

 

 

Some more "firsts".... eating cookie dough (thanks to Oskar), and popcorn:

 

Discovering lots of empty bowls:

 

 

Playing Wii, learning to squat, bathing with a rubber duck, and doing the splits at the kitchen counter:

 

Those glueteus muscles must be growing!!

 





Another "first" was a chance for us to learn to make a common Chinese food that Ingrid had eaten often in the orphanage.  It is a comfort-type food made of rice that is eaten often at breakfast (almost like a porridge) or any time of the day.  It is called "Congee" or "Sik Juk".  The difference with regular rice and Congee is that regular rice is made with 1 cup of rice to 1 cup of water.  Congee is made with 1 cup of rice to 4 cups of water.  Our neighbors came over the other day to visit Ingrid and we mentioned that this was a food Ingrid has not had since she has been in this country.  Our neighbors offered to teach us how to make it!  Laura Chin, our neighbor,  is the daughter of Lee Ann Chin who is a restaurant icon in Minnesota.  Last Sunday she so graciously came over to our house with rice, chicken, onions, dried pork, soy sauce, and a "secret" kid-friendly ingredient her own kids enjoy crumbling on top of the Congee.  While Laura was teaching us Ingrid even walked over to Laura to have her pick her up.  What a special bond we are forming with our new neighbors.  We look forward to making Congee on Sunday afternoons like the Chin family does!  Here is what it looks like:

We celebrated Oskar's birthday on Sunday night and were able to serve the Congee to his cousins and relatives.  Most loved it and thought the "secret" kid ingredient topping was really fun.  The secret topping was crumbled Nacho Cheese Doritos!  We love celebrating Chinese and American foods together! 

What a blessing these "firsts" have been for us and we can't wait to celebrate more with Ingrid.  For trick-or-treating she will be dressed up for the first time as a .....
cupcake!