Moriah Mei

There as been so much focus around our house on Joshua and Isaac that I wanted to stop for a second and think about one of our other kiddos.

Moriah's name means "seen by YAHWEH" and comes from Genesis 22, where Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son Isaac in the mountains of Moriah. When God provides the ram, Abraham names the place, "The Lord will provide."

Before Moriah was any more than an idea in our minds, the Lord gave us this name for her. Now she has been home for four and a half years and we continue to be amazed at this little one that the Lord has  given to us and how He continues to provide for her and for us.

I am sometimes asked about Moriah's special needs. The reality is that there is quite a long list. But if you interact with her for any length of time, you are likely to forget that she has any issues at all. She is bubbly, funny, affectionate, bossy (especially with Isaac), creative and tender hearted. She loves to think about God and focuses on the truth that He is always with us and will never leave us.

Double Trouble!

I'll never forget the day we saw her picture and information for the first time. Her name, Zheng Mei, seemed so small and her little eyes pierced our hearts. When we received her file, it indicated that she had a small thumb, hole in her heart and cerebral atrophy. We didn't know what that last one meant, but moved forward truly believing that this was the little girl we had waited for.

Such a sweet little face!

The day she came to us in China, I had Andy come in the bathroom where I was giving her a bath and take a look at her back. There was a big bump on her spine that just didn't look right to me. After a long string of medical tests and appointments after we got home we discovered that she has VATER association (also known as VACTRL). The acronym refers to the different parts of the body that can be affected. In her case, her spine (kypho-scoliosis), her little thumb and her heart (which has pretty much healed on its own.) Another revelation to us was that the "brain atrophy"which we had kind of dismissed was in fact probably the result of being shaken. Another year and a half would go by before we would discover that Moriah is completely deaf in her right ear. Quite a long list of issues for a little girl.

Some of our first moments....I look happy, Moriah's not sure what just happened.

This is the "don't take my picture" face.

Moriah has spent a great deal of time in PT, OT and speech. She had surgery to implant a BAHA device to help her hear. She may still need spine surgery, though we are still in a wait and see mode. Her learning is not as fast as some kids, but she is spunky and determined and she doesn't give up easily. Her gross motor development has been slow, but she can now run and can almost skip. I have come to expect that her pace may be slower than others, but she will move forward in her own time. Her teacher told me recently that she hears Moriah trying to keep some of the boys in her class on track by whispering to them what they should or should not be doing. She has become passionate about art, to the point that two of my end tables are now decorated with her original artwork scratched into the surface. (Perhaps scratching your name into the surface isn't the best way to escape detection...just a thought.)

This is "Ok, you can take my picture, but I'll do a cheesy smile" face.

Happy smile after a trip to that magical place.

My two daughters in a Hutong in Beijing

Moriah and Kimberly share a special bond as the only girls in this bunch of boys. They have such a sweet friendship despite the ten years difference in their ages.


God saw this precious little girl, left by her parents on the steps of a hospital in Zhengzhou, China for reasons we'll never know. From there to the orphanage, to a Chinese family for foster care, back to the orphanage, to Swallow's Nest (an American-run foster home) and finally to us. (All in 19 months!) Such a small and insignificant person in the scheme of the world, but seen by God. Loved by God. Provided for by God. Given to us as a precious treasure.

Gotcha Day #4!