Abby and Zeke

The boys and I spent today with some new friends.  

Abby spent today with a friend she has known for years.  

Let me tell you what an incredible blessing this was for her.  You see, in the last few months, Abby has given up alot.  

She has said goodbye to all of her friends, to everyone she has ever known.  Everyone.

She has left behind a country and a heritage, one that is steeped in traditions and culture that will always be foreign to her new family.  

She has said goodbye to a language that she has spoken for the last eight years, a language that is so very different than the one she is learning now.

You see, Abby has given up EVERYTHNG for a family. And while I would always insist that a family is exactly what she needed, I cannot forget the loss that goes hand in hand with that decision.

So today, reconnecting with an old friend was such a special gift for her.  It gives her one link to her past, however small.  It gives her one connection to someone who shares her history, one connection to someone who has walked the same path as she has, one connection to her past.  It is a gift that I am praising God for, because you see, God always knew these two children from a little town in northern China would one day become friends again on American soil.

Meet Abby's Friends

Meet Manuel (in orange), Francesco (in stripes), and Noe (in blue).  All of these handsome boys are from the same orphanage as Abby.  

It is great news that Francesco and Noe have families working on their adoptions.  They will soon leave China and come home to the United States.  Sadly, when they do, Manuel will have to say goodbye to his best friends.  He will be left to wonder when it will be his turn for a family.  Although Manuel has been available for adoption for quite some time now, he still has no family committed to bringing him home.

Manuel is described as smart, hardworking, and friendly.  He is nine years old and does very well at school.  He easily excels at Chinese, English, math, and handwriting.  His teachers have reported that he is respectful, able to follow instructions, plays well with others, and is a great helper in the classroom.

Why is Manuel still waiting?  He was born with a cleft lip and palate, but both have been repaired.  He is now able to pronounce words clearly and has normal hearing.   In other words, he is healthy!  

So why is he still waiting?  More than likely, he is waiting because he is a boy.  According to Adoptive Families magazine, only 20% of prospective parents will choose a boy.

20%??? Do the other 80% not know how wonderfully fun little boys can be?  

Manuel is a boy and so is waits.  He waits day after day for his family to come.  He waits for a mama who will tuck him in at night and who will kiss his boo-boos.  He waits for a dad to play catch with him and help him grow up strong and confident.  He waits for someone to love him and cherish him for the person that God made him to be.

When we were waiting to bring Abby home, I worried that maybe she would not like us.  I really worried that she would be disappointed that I was a single mom, that she would be upset that she was not going to have a father in her new family.  If you are thinking your family is not "enough" for this child, let me assure you that you are!  Manuel does not care if you are young or old.  He does not care if you have no children or lots of children.  He does not care if you are married or single.  He does not care if you are rich or struggling to make ends meet.  He doesn't care that you don't speak Mandarin or that you do not look like him.  He just wants someone to love him, someone to fight for him, someone to claim him.  He just wants a family.  And for that, he waits.

Manuel is currently listed with Holt International.  More information can be found at

 http://www.lwbcommunity.org/excel-with-manuel