We have our precious Evangeline!
We just came upstairs from dinner, and we are all going to bed, but I wanted to do a post first to tell you about our day and everything I know about our sweet Evangeline.
She is beautiful, and very frail and very tiny. She walked in ahead of the man who brought her to the Civil Affairs Office, and I didn’t recognize her. As soon as she walked in, I was in awe of this tiny precious little girl. She was very nervous, and sort of hovered at the door, and the more I looked at her, I could see that this precious little girl was our Evangeline.
I went over to her and knelt down on the floor next to her.
She just stood there with tears running down her face. I could see she was suffering terribly, and I wanted desperately to tell her in a language she could understand that it would be okay, that we would love her and take care of her.
But all I could do was kneel there and rub her arm.
I wasn’t sure she wanted me to hug her, but I did, and then the man who brought her got out the picture album we had sent her.
Still she was so nervous.
Inside the picture album we had sent her, was the letter we had written her. She opened it up and began to talk to the guide while pointing at the part of the letter where we had told her that her friend Emily had wanted her to have a family too. She was saying “Ruping” which was her friend Emily’s Chinese name. We told her she would be able to talk to her and see her, and she began to calm down.
I was overwhelmed with the strength of this tiny child who was so much older than she looked.
We signed a few papers.
And just as suddenly as she had walked in the door, it was time for us to go.
This incredibly brave tiny teen walked out into her new life holding my hand with a confidence and spunk that impressed me as something remarkable.
Welcome home, Evangeline.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27
We had a nice dinner with her, she laughed and talked to the waitress in Chinese. Then, we came upstairs to our room, and I gave her her new nightgown and helped her get out her dress. I took the elastics out and brushed her beautiful black hair.
And I was overwhelmingly aware of how unspeakably blessed we are to have another precious daughter.
Blessings!
And just like that… Our 2 are tiny still. Our almost 10 year old wears a size 5, and our 7 year old wears a 4. When we got Alaina (at 6 years old) she was SO skinny — her little arms looked like bones wrapped in skin. She hasn’t “beefed up” much but is steadily growing just under the curve of the “0 percentile”! Hope you see her personality come thru soon! It’s such a hard and emotional journey!
I appreciate your sensitivity to your daughters. Sometimes people expect children to immediately embrace their new lives and be thankful, not realizing that the orphanage or foster care situation is all they have ever known. They leave behind other children who are the same as brothers and sisters to them and go to parents who often don’t look like them or smell like them or speak like them! It’s hard! BUT “Sorrow endures for a night but joy comes in the morning!” We are praying for the girls’ sweet hearts and looking forward to meeting you on Thursday!
Pat
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I love the way you suspending expectations and letting Evangeline transition at her own pace. She is simply gorgeous and so brave. I just know she is going to blossom in her beautiful forever family. Continued prayers!
– Karin, Jerry and JunFen
Diane
My heart was full just reading post and looking at your photos…..I will pray that each day will bring a new joy and thatyou will all will be able to make new memories that will last her lifetime…..God, the Holy Spirit, will give you all what you need in the days ahead…I believe it……May God bless you all as you prepare to travel home….
this was one of the most tender posts about meeting your child for the first time that i have ever read…..
how precious your sweet Evangeline is!
blessings and (((hugs)))
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I cannot imagine how it must feel to dream all of your life of having a family…and then suddenly, the time arrives, and you aren’t even sure what a family is. You have no concept of how a family operates or what your place in it will be. You have little idea of what it must be like in another country…with strangers. It does indeed take true courage in a child to face so many unknowns. I cannot imagine facing so many new things at once. Continuing to pray for your tiny, brave girl. I have little doubt that you will both win her heart before long. You are doing a fabulous job of letting her set the pace. Thank you so much for sharing your journey.
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Diane,
thank you for your post.. It was very detailed and I felt your and your daughters emotions right through your writing…. Bless her beautiful heart.. May the good Lord watch over her and protect her all the days of her life… How are you all getting along with the language barrier?
I’m SO glad you’re being gentle and slow with her, keeping those expectations easy and being so reassuring. I hope she and Eliza hit it off well and are a comfort to one another on this big scary wonderful life change! I am SO HAPPY for you all, McCaslin family, SO happy for Evangeline, for Eliza, and ALL GLORY TO OUR GOD FOR BRINGING THIS ABOUT!!!
KellyM 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
A very scared little girl who is unsure of it all will soon SEE and KNOW she finally has a mom and dad who love her so much! It is so scary for them at first! Her life is changing for the better! What a blessing to all of you! Praise God!
Oh she is absolutely beautiful. So brave and courageous. I am in awe of the miracle of adoption. Faithful God, redeeming and healing and loving and bringing great joy….blessed to watch it all unfold…xo
Linny Saunders recently posted..And His Name Is…
PS I forgot to comment on how beautiful she looked when you met her. Her outfit and hair took great care! She can treasure it forever.
Linny Saunders recently posted..And His Name Is…
Praise the Lord!!!!! Bless you for allowing your precious new daughter to go at her own pace! I prayed for this child and am so thrilled to know that she will be loved forever!!!!
wow Diane!! such a beautiful story….of a beautiful little girl who has been given life!! can’t wait to continue to watch His story unfold in her precious life!!
Oh goodness… what words are there to say that seem even close to adequate. Blessing to you all, Nancy
Hello and congratulations on your beautiful daughter! A friend of mine, Annie, posted your blog on Facebook and I knew I had to see for myself, beautiful older children coming home. We have been home with our 2 year old daughter from Shaanxi for 3 months now. God is stirring in my heart and I am drawn now towards the older children about to age out of the system. Right now we cannot financially consider another adoption, but maybe in a number of years we can if the Lord leads. I really enjoyed seeing your Civil Affairs Office pictures and thinking that I sat on that very couch only months ago and one of China’s daughters became my own. Wow. Only God. Blessings to you and your family. I hope I can follow your journey!
Thanks for lubricating my eyes, as I shared the joy of adoption via proxy.