The Beginning of An End

So how many of you actually turn to the back of the book to read the ending of a story?  I admit I love the details but sometimes I just want to know the ending.  The ending of our adoption story is that we are home! The adoption process is over and SanMing is now John Aden Dodge and will forever be a Dodge.

Lang Fang, China
Where John lived the last 14 months.

Un-Offical Gotcha Day
March 9, 2013
Harmony House       

Official Gotcha Day
March 11, 2013
Taiyuan, Shanxi China

March 12, 2013
John officially becomes our son

The "Brown Envelope" 

US Consulate in Guangzhou, China

Ticket and passport in hand.
Beijing, China

Goodbye China,
Hello USA.

Aaron, Sarah and Levi waiting at the airport in St. Louis

The Welcoming Club.

The plane has landed.

Finally back in Missouri.

What a long hallway with  the rest of my family at the other end.

Yes, that is an ugly cry. After 11 months of waiting, 16 days of traveling what seemed like a million miles I am  entitled to the ugly cry at having ALL my family together in one spot.

Happy to be a family of SIX!

Getting his gifts for Sarah, Aaron and Levi.

                                   

Looking at their gifts from John.

But John's story does not end here...for him this is only the beginning    He has the opportunity to live a life of hope. Opportunity to  find the ultimate truth that our whole purpose in life is to bring honor and glory to our Creator and Lord Jesus Christ. His story is a story of redemption! A story of a young boy left by his birth mother shortly after birth for reasons people in America could NEVER understand and for reasons will will NEVER know.  He was raised by a foster family for nine years and once again left for reason we could NEVER understand or reasons we will NEVER know. But the one thing we do KNOW is that the Lord Jesus Christ has a plan for Dang SanMing, now John Aden Dodge. He will NEVER be left alone again...he will FOREVER be loved by us and a Lord that is bigger than all the hurts he has endured!

                     

Forever a DODGE.

Let's go HOME!

John 14:18 

I will not leave you as orphans: 
I am coming to you.