Our God is amazing. He continues to awe us each new day with His provision. When we arrived to visit with Sarang and her foster parents at the agency, Sarang came to me and allowed me to hug her. She was much more responsive than yesterday and I had the idea she was somehow resigned to what lay ahead. The foster mother encouraged her to come to me and it seemed she might be ready to make the transition – much more so than yesterday.

Our visit was amazing. Hyejin had already written down every detail about Sarang’s routine, her medications, her meal and bedtime rituals, her likes and dislikes and everything imaginable to make Sarang’s transition easier. Whitney and I had brought a list of things we wanted to ask the foster mother and case worker, but when we scanned it, every single thing had already been covered. We were overwhelmed with God’s provision and the foster parents’ generosity. They had filled to overflowing more than two large bags of gifts and baby paraphernalia.

There were clothes, shoes, hats, toys, her favorite foods, a handmade scarf, a beautiful custom photo album with pictures chronicling the year she spent in their home, a Korean-English Bible, a tea set from a missionary in their church who’s been praying for Sarang since last summer, and a letter telling her about Jesus…

Words are inadequate to describe the experience of these loving foster parents, who have prayed over and cared for this child, to transfer her to our care in such a manner. The whole exchange was incredibly emotional. After the foster parents had a long and tearful good-bye with Sarang, the foster mother handed her to me. We said good-bye to them at the elevator and Sarang remained calm in my arms for at least ten minutes. I was absolutely amazed at her composure. But as we neared the hotel, Sarang began to cry and call for Umma (the Korean word for mama) gently at first, then more insistent. She cried hard and was even angry from time to time. Mercifully, she allowed me to comfort her and even laid her head on my shoulder and leaned into me. She cried for about 45 minutes, then fell asleep with her head on my shoulder.

After a short nap, her mood improved and we were able to feed her and give her a bath, which she loved. It is clear she is struggling with grief and yet she is trying to open up to us. As the evening wore on, she allowed me to put her down several times and was happier a little longer each time.

We were so relieved to see her smile and be playful, and I’m nearly sure she tried to say “Mommy” one or two times.

She’s sleeping peacefully as I write this.