I took this post from a blog, Random Clarity, who is in China right now with their little boy from Henan Province. I've followed this little group who has gone through the same agency and same province as we will, as we've waited for our TA, and it has been so fun. She posted the following before she left for China, and it captured my thoughts and feelings exactly, so I had to re-post it. It is beautiful!

"Me? Without words? Takes a lot to get there for me. Those of you that know me are not shocked, I know. But truly, perfect, even adequate words fail me now to express my ..... see, I don't know what to even call it. Amazement? Joy? Wonder? Gratitude? Awe.

God has provided for us in a beautiful, all-sufficient way. Everything we lacked to bring Joel home has now been provided. We have all the funds we need to travel, get our son, and bring him home. God knows each one of us so well, and he knows who to bring alongside each of us in our journeys. Fundraising is one of the most daunting parts to an adoptive family. It shouldn't be. God has proven himself as a perfect provider over and over - in our lives, our extended families' lives, in our friends' lives as well. One man told me at the beginning of our adoption journey that raising the money would be the easy part.

Excuse me? The Easy Part??

I understand why he said it, and, truth be told, he was right. Compared to walking through the other difficulties that have come up? Compared to preparing to grow our family and prepare for a beautiful child who has many unknown pieces? Compared to the crazy paperwork chase? Compared to WAITING months and months to hold a child we know & so long for? Compared to raising another child for life?

No, raising the money on the front end of adoption is much easier than that. Well, it's all relative. Fundraising is hard; humbling oneself to ask for help is hard; saving and pinching pennies and working extra and selling stuff can be hard. But it is so worth it. We HAD to have help; we HAD to invite others into our story. We are not alone. God raised up a community around us. More people than just US are invested in our son. That's very cool.

And now, we can focus on getting everything ready to travel and ready here to have a toddler living among us again.

So, there, I guess I found some words. We are praising God for his provision. We thank YOU for listening to the prompting of God's heart to help us in this way. We are overwhelmed with joy and peace and amazement at how God loves and cares for His kids and how He allows us to be part of each others' stories."
-Random Clarity