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I've enjoyed reading about your adoption journey and I'll be praying for your flights and transition once home. We are 2 weeks away from our own adoption journey to the Ukraine to bring a 2yr. old little girl with Down syndrome home to join our family. This is our first adoption also and we have 3 kids at home (also) and we homeschool (also). :)

Thanks again for sharing and for letting us know how to pray for you guys!

Kristin Ferguson
Raleigh, NC

Mark and family,
hope all is well with the new baby! mr. John and Kay are all talks and pics of everyone! I go there church. They have been a blessin to me. in alot of ways. I just wanted you to know i we at parkview are praing for you and your family!!

I just had to send a note to say that we also met our son, Jason WeiXun at Nanjing on the same day, and followed the same schedule as you all with the "official business"! I have to say, I am a huge CC fan and I recognize seeing you and your curly-haired daughter from the pictures, but totally never saw Mark! I guess I was a little distracted myself and focused on you guys since you were the ones holding the beautiful new daughter--she stole the show, huh? We were in the same room with you at the Civil Affairs Bureau and I remember seeing you holding your daughter and how upset she was, but thinking as hard as it is, that is a good thing. Our son is 6 1/2 and had a very hard time that day (they moved us into the room where the picture was taken for the adoption certificate...) He is having a hard time adjusting to sleep here, is very fearful of strangers and new situations and is actually scared of his Daddy, which is VERY hard for Daddy! He is our third Chinese son, and while it doesn't make his pain any less easy to see, I know that soon he will be flourishing and we will see all the glory of the funny little man that we have seen glimpses of. I hope that Meaka is adjusting well--doting big sisters are a huge help! We also have three and they have been a great blessing to the boys and to me! Anyway, I am sure that you are swamped with things to do and may not even see this, but I was SO excited to share this most special day with your family that I just had to post a comment!! :>) May god bless your family. I will keep you all in my prayers as you go through this transition period.

Poor John Michael. His curls are beautiful, but he is a boy!

Mark and Family!

What a blessing to have the opportunity to travel to China to pick up our "China doll". My wife and I truly shared the experience with you and your family. We were in the medical clinic on Saturday with Elianna Lorraine Dodson, our newest member of the Dodson clan. Of course, we recognized you from the many concerts that we have enjoyed on your trips to and around Virginia. It was such a hectic time at the clinic! We were also with you at the worship service on Sunday! What a wonderful experience, to be able to worship in China! It really gives a special meaning to "until the whole world hears".
Your music has been a special blessing for us! My prayers this morning are for Hope, Elianna, and all the other children that are starting their new lives in a "new" land. I also pray for the families preparing to travel to be united with their treasures as well. What a wonderful experience to touch down on US soil and getting the visa stamped to make our little ones citizens! God is so great!!
God bless you all!

What a blessing to be able to bless someone less fortunate - what with a new home and a new family! Hope is indeed blessed to have you open up your hearts to her. I pray for a smooth transition for everyone!

Praying in the Philippines! - Kaye

Why is it so many Christians travel across the world to adopt a child when there are so many children in American foster systems who need a loving home? If all the Christians who have traveled over seas to adopt a child would do the same for our foster system maybe we could defeat the cycle of hopelessness in our cities, help clear up the criminal justice system, and help bring down poverty. Please enlighten me I would like to know?.

Maybe it's because GOD told them to do so.
But, yes it would be great IF THE RICH PEOPLE OF THE U.S. WOULD DO THE SAME & ADOPT THE POOR CHILDREN IN THE FOSTER CARE( THEY ARE SOOOOO
ABUSED IT ISN'T EVEN FUNNY).
PEOPLE HERE SHOULD STOP & THINK OF THESE POOR INNOCENT CHILDREN.
BUT, FIRST & FOREMOST THE SORRY PEOPLE WHO HAD THESE INNOCENT CHILDREN TO BEGIN WITH.
SHOULD HAVE THIUGHT ABOUT THE INNOCENT LIVES
BEFORE THEY HAD THEM==== ONLY TO DESTROY THEM.

Please forgive me. This is a reply to Anonymous's letter, about why Ameriocans go elsewhere to adopt.
Thanks.

I think it's sooooooooo very wonderful for those who can afford to adopt, to do so. And make a child's life have sooo
much more hopes, dreams, love & memories to cherish 4-ever.
GOD BLESS the HALL FAMILY for doing just that.
I LOVE CASTING CROWNS MUSIC.
I"M A BIG FAN!

I 100% THINK THAT IF GOD ALL MIGHTY PUTS IT IN SOMONES HEART TO ADOPT THEN NOTHING CAN STOP IT. DON'T MONEY STAND IN YOUR WAY GOD THE FATHER HOLDS THE WORLD IN HIS HAND WHATS MONEY TO HIM.
1 CORINTH. 13:13-THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE

I FEEL THAT WHY I MYSELF WANT TO LOOK IN TO ADOPT INTERNATIONAL IS BECAUSE AS AWFUL AS WE MAY THINK THAT OUR COUNTRIES SYSTEM FOR ORPHANS IS WE IN AMERICA HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE AND THERE ARE CHRISTIANS INVOLVED IN THE SYSTEM SO MANY COUNTRIES HAVE NOTHING NEAR THIS IN PLACE THERE ARE SO MANY FORGOTTEN LOST AND PUSHED ASIDE AROUND THE WORLD BECAUSE THEY ARE ORPAHANS.

I've just read about your adoption journey! We returned home from China ourselves on May 16th with our beautiful Emily Lijile! It was a long time coming (waiting almost 4 yrs) and we ended up switching to a special needs program as God was telling us we aren't perfect and we shouldn't expect a perfect child. Within days of switching we got our referral for our 2 yr old little Emily. Her SN is a scar across her backside from a surgery she had when she was 6 months old. She is perfect to us!
I thank God everyday for the joy of Emily and for giving us the opportunity to parent. We are unable to have biological children so this is our dream come true. I pray that the Lord has another China baby in mind for us but if not we know thats not in His plan for us.
Thanks for the blog and as i read it i thought of the moments when we were at those places ourselves a month ago! The biggest joy i had was this week at our church service and Emily had her hand raised to the Lord!
God bless you and your family!

Hi Melanie,

Congratulations on finally getting to bring home your precious girl! All your children are beautiful! I know you don't remember but I met you and Mark a couple years ago backstage in Nashville, and we were talking about our adoptions. We were finally matched with our daughter, Kylie Hope, in April so we hope to travel in July or August. I had some questions for you and would appreciate if you could email me back at evansfamily97@bellsouth.net

How did your 3 biological children do in China (any sicknesses?)

Where did you have your sons shirts made that said Big Brother in Chinese? I love them and would love to have one made for my son.

You can also visit my blog at www.evansfamily97.blogspot.com

Thanks and have a blessed day,
Jennifer

Hello I saw Hope last sunday sooo cute I saw her from afar though didnt get to say hello! I was in the balcony You guys have been in my families prayers!!! LOVE YA!

Reading about your little Hope brings back memories of when my daughter Kris and my son-in-law Joey were adopting our little Nick (he's 5 now). They finally brought him home when he was 5 weeks old. A short time earlier our daughter Barbie and son-in-law Mike had gone through a failed pregnancy, then had Gracie (also 5 now). I remember telling Barbie that I could not believe that God had given Mark Hall a song (Praise You in This Storm) for our family! God bless you all!
Betty
garyandbetty@att.net