A Priceless Gift

Our Journey Begins

As a kindergarten teacher, who loves children, I always imagined that one day my house would be filled with children, the sounds of laughter, and the pitter patter of little bare feet running across the floor.  My husband and I always discussed the idea that adoption would be a route that we would take when building our family.  Children are gifts to be treasured and we felt that there were many children in need of families. We knew that somewhere there was a child waiting for us.  We honestly felt that a life without children would be an empty one for us. 

When we discovered Journey’s of The Heart, we knew we were in the right place.  Initially it was the director’s first hand experience in being touched by adoption with building their own family that drew us.  We were also impressed that the agency had experience in dealing with a wide range of international programs.  The name “Journey’s of The Heart” also struck me in a special way. 

Looking back now the name sums up the entire leap of faith we took.  We also loved the idea that the agency offered events that we could participate in later as a family, such as reunions and picnic’s.

The Informational Seminar

From the first moments we listened, we could already sense that Journey’s would make our dreams a reality.  We decided that the international program would be a good fit for us.  We had some apprehension- About this being our first time traveling out of the country, but at the same time we knew the significance that this trip would hold.  We felt that it was important to travel to our child’s birth country so that we could experience the culture first hand.  We also knew that any stories, pictures, videos, and items we purchased would later be an important part of our child’s history to share with him or her as she grew up.  When we attended an informational meeting we found Journey’s to be outstanding in providing an overview of the various  international programs that they offered, so that we could make a decision- About what country and process would best fit our needs. 

Making a Decision and Beginning The Process

After some careful consideration we committed ourselves to the China program.   The piles of paperwork began, but not without Journey’s being there to help. During this part of the process we appreciated the availability of the staff when we called to ask questions.  We always got immediate answers to our phone calls and e-mail’s.  Journey’s personal touch was there when we simply wanted an update of how things were moving along during the long waiting period.

Any delays we interpreted with a positive outlook, meaning that our perfect child just wasn’t ready for us yet.  In August of 2002 we began our adventure and our dossier finally made it to China in April of 2003. 

The Referral

Our request was for a healthy baby - a boy or girl.  We felt that whatever was meant for us would happen.  It’s hard to believe that a perfect match was made for our family a world away.  When we least expected it,- About a year and a half into the process, the magic phone call finally came.  On New Year’s Eve we received our referral for an eight month old baby girl, JI ZhouJuan (Auspicious Fine Girlish Beauty) from Ji’an Social Welfare Institute in Jiangxi Province, China.  We couldn’t believe that our daughter wasn’t even born until two weeks after our paperwork went to China.  The stork arrived in the form of the Federal Express man with pictures of our little angel.  It was an amazing moment looking at pictures of that sweet little face.  Later that evening we named our daughter Jianna Zhou, keeping her given family name and incorporating the name of her orphanage and the province where her first few months of life were spent.  It was important to us to keep as much of her history as possible.

The Long Awaited Trip

After we attempted to catch our breath, we spent the next few weeks in a whirlwind of preparations, including preparing a nursery, packing to travel, and of course celebrating with numerous baby showers.  Thank goodness for Journey’s assistance in arranging everything for our trip, right down to some sample packing lists and recommendations.  Our detailed itinerary including sightseeing and intercountry arrangements, as well as a conference call with our travel group, were also extremely helpful.  We took a fourteen hour flight to Beijing spending Valentine’s Day in the air.  From the moment we stepped off the plane, along with every other part of our trip, we were assisted by our Journey’s guide in China, Marsha, who is truly dedicated to the work she does.  Anything we needed or wanted was taken care of.  We spent seventeen days immersed in the Chinese culture. We had the opportunity to walk up the Great Wall, see Tian’ men Square, The Forbidden City, take a trip to a silk factory, observe cloisonné being made, and most importantly view our daughter’s abandonment site as well as visit her orphanage.  The trip was truly the trip of a lifetime! 

The time in China was most valuable because it created a phenomenal bonding experience with our daughter.  We could truly just “exist” without the interruptions of a hectic daily schedule that we would have if we were at home.  The trip also created some new and fantastic friendships.  We continue to stay in touch with our travel buddies and we try to get the girls, who are close in age, together often.  In a sense it feels as if we gained a new family.  This truly emotional experience has enriched our lives in ways that I never could have imagined! 

Enjoying Each Moment With Our Daughter

Looking back it’s hard to remember a time when Jianna wasn’t a part of our lives.  We are very grateful that this sweet little girl, destined to join our lives and family, has adapted so quickly and been so resilient with all of the changes in her first few months of life.  We are delighted with our new roles as parents.  Parenthood is exhausting and much more work than we ever imagined, but truly outstanding!  We are so glad Jianna came into our lives so that we could be there to experience all of her major milestones with her including seeing her first tooth, watching her take her first step, and hearing her first word.  Now at twenty two months, Jianna has brought so much love into our hearts and laughter into our lives.  The rewards of each day with our little angel are endless.  We are truly blessed! 

Thank You

Thanks to Journey’s of The Heart for all of the wonderful work they do in creating families.  Our faith, our patience, our prayers........ were answered when we met our daughter for the first time.  Without the help we received from Journey’s of The Heart this joyous event may have never happened.  We are so grateful for all they have done.  We recommend them highly.  We would do it all over again in a heartbeat, with Journey’s leading the way.