Heartbridge to Evie

This little one changes everything. 

Our two days at her healing home were hard on the heart.  We are endlessly grateful to Robin at New Hope/Heartbridge for the opportunity to spend time with Evie in her safe place, where she was cared for and loved for so long. 

 

Early Saturday AM, we moved from our Beijing hotel to an apartment at Heartbridge. 

When we entered her room, one of the nannies had her on her lap.  She looked up and then instantly started turning her little head away. 

Mark and I just sat near her, getting her used to our presence, watching her interact with her nannies.  Meanwhile, Sophia and Eli loved on her buddies.  Tears filled our eyes as we watched little hearts open wider. 

Finally, we started trying to play with our girl and eventually tried to hold her.  Her screams were instant.  Despite what I knew to be best, the nannies kept taking her back to calm her. They simply didn't want us to think anything bad of her, and I knew we were guests for the weekend, on their turf.

 

This picture truly represents the start of a battle to win Evie's trust.  She's been through so much, and thankfully has bonded with her nannies, which makes her so fearful of strangers.

After a few hours of back and forth, her nurses came in and said we could take her up to the apartment.  So, we carried her away from the room she's known for so long and sat her on my lap on a couch, beginning to show her family.    Eventually the tears slowed, but her fear was clear. 

We just started coloring on the coffee table, and let her watch us. 

Her nurses, Mona and Jona, came in and out teaching us how they've been caring for her.  These two were so sweet, so patient and so loving with both us and Evie. 

She sat totally still most of the time, hardly making eye contact.  Slowly though the kids started to win tiny levels of trust. 

Having two of her siblings there was such a gift for her and for them. 

This time with her was an unexpected gift.  Thankfully, since she wasn't crying near bedtime, they said that she could stay in the apartment with us overnight. 

 

That night ended up being incredibly hard.  She went to sleep easily, but woke up in the middle of the night crying and feverish.  Mark and I took turns holding her as she alternated between crying and dozing.  Tired and filled with emotion, we woke up the next day having to return Evie to her nanny who would escort her to Nanjing with us. 

 

Adoption is intensely beautiful, and intensely hard.  Honestly, these days were filled with lots of raw emotion, where we had to start leading our hearts. Over and over again we reminding ourselves of the long list of ways that God had moved mountains to connect us with this little one.  

Met Ya Day

Dear Evie,
Never ever will we forget your Met Ya Day, November 9th, 2013. 
We saw your face on February 8th and have loved you ever since.  We've pursued you, prayed for you, filled out giant stacks of paperwork, cried over you, gotten fingerprints, our home studied and so much more for you.

At 8 AM, a driver from New Hope/Heartbridge picked up your mommy, daddy, sissy, Mrs. April and Caleb.  We made small talk on the way there, but it was you that we were really thinking about. 

Then, we pulled into a gate and walked into your building, knowing you were upstairs.  We could never describe the feeling.  It was a mix of pure excitement, relief and a heavy dose of fear.

 

After walking up the stairs, with hearts pounding, we peaked into the glass and saw a nanny carrying you down the hallway into your room. 

 

Though we'd seen you, we still had to wait for Mr. Robin, the amazing man who has given his life to leading New Hope/Heartbridge.  He warned us that you might be really scared of us.  Guess you have a thing with strangers. 



Then finally, after pursuing you for 3+ years, we walked in, and there you were getting your hair worked on. 

You started crying as soon as we all moved closer to you.  They tried to hand you to us, but you didn't like that idea.  You've had a lot of people coming in and out of your life, haven't you?

Your nannies and nurses did everything they could to calm you down, but the tears kept flying. 


We walked down the hall behind you to start learning to care for you and you just were not happy. 

Later, you started to smile and play a bit. 

Back in your room later, mommy and daddy stepped back a bit and let Sophia and Caleb start to play with you.  You clutched an apple and blanket the whole time, just not so sure. 

Finally, you started to trust them a little, and you let them hold you. 


We spent time loving on your buddies as well.


Mrs. April found a few she wanted to talk home with her.
 
Then you let mommy hold you, just for a minute. 

Baby girl, we love you.  We know you don't understand all that is happening, but someday soon you'll start to trust.  Then, we'll see that smile of yours. 

We know it is going to be hard.  To be honest, we are pretty darn afraid as well. 

We'll start with just taking care of you and the rest will come. 
God writes awesome redemption stories. 

 We'll play a lot too.  We can play pass the apple as often as you'd like.

Your big sister has big plans to take care of you.  You pleased her when you slowly fell asleep in her arms.  We knew it had been a big morning for you. 

We left you on this day in your crib sucking on your blankie.  It was hard to walk away, but forever is coming soon. We'll be back for ya. 

We got one more peak at you on that day.  After a little tour, we came back by and saw you sitting up in your crib looking out at us through the glass.  No doubt you were thinking back through our morning together just as we were. 

Love you, sweet one,
Your Family 
 

Heartbridge/ New Hope

Heartbridge Healing Home is just outside Beijing down a country road lined with farms growing all kinds of veggies.

The final miles are lined with trees with trunks painted white.

After entering a gate, you see the building where all the children live. 

This is truly a place of hope for so many. 

Behind glass upstairs, is Evie's room, with her soft little crib

and her schedule. 

Down the hall is the cleaning room, with her washcloth handing in a row alongside many others. 

Down the hall is a shelf of meds, each marked by name. 

And outside, a little playground. 

 

We couldn't be more grateful for all that we saw of our girl's life here.

Evie in Motion

Our girl moves and breathes and laughs and cries!  Such a gift to see her in person.  So much to take in from today and so much to say.  Way too physically and emotionally exhausted though to blog it.  We are headed to bed at 8PM.  Had to share some sweetness with you though.  Thank you for praying for us!  Keep it coming. 

 

Heartbridge Healing Home: Evie's Home

On the other side of the world, Evie waits for us at the Heartbridge Healing Home in Beijing, which is a  Love Without Boundaries Foundation care facility.  Our girl was originally at the Xuzhou City Social Welfare Institure in Jiangsu Province, until one of her first miracles took place. 

 

Love Without Boundaries Foundation had heard about a baby really sick with a heart condition in Jiangsu.  LWB contacted the orphanage and asked about caring for her.  On the phone that day, someone shared that they did indeed have a heart baby who needed help, BUT that there was another little one more in need of emergency medical help that they asked if LWB would take instead. 

Her name was Han Hui Zhen, our Evie.  Love Without Boundaries saved BOTH babies. 

Thank God. 

 

Ever since that time, she's been at Heartbridge.  A friend recently sent us these pictures.

Heartbridge is on the second floor above the New Hope Foundation,

which also cares for medically fragile children in Beijing. 

Love being able to see the outside of the building and imagining our little lady on the second floor. 

We hope she has been able to play on all this playground equipment! 

This is her crib!  Our little "HH Zhen". 

And the cribs of her buds...
Where she takes in her meals. 

Love Without Boundaries has created an amazing care facility, and we are so grateful for the glimpse. 

So grateful for Heartbridge, and for the lives of all of her bumbo buddies!