Orphan Sunday is tomorrow

Tomorrow is Orphan Sunday. How will you spend the day? Will you please pray for the 132 MILLION orphans in the world? So many children who need a home.... so many children who need to hear the name of Jesus and know that He loves them more than they can imagine! The Cry of the Orphan is hosting a celebration in Nashville. It will include Steven Curtis Chapman and Dennis Rainey. For more information click HERE. I wish I could be in Nashville tomorrow for this celebration. We will have to be content watching it online.

But the Mansfield's will have our own celebration tomorrow. We will be celebrating that soon there will be one LESS orphan in the world. Xiao Li, who has been waiting for a family for 12 long years, will not grow up alone. She will not turn 14 only to be deemed "unadoptable," thus sealing her future. Xiao Li will not be turned to the streets at 16 with no one to care for her. No, Xiao Li will come home to a mama, daddy, and 4 sisters who already love her. Xiao Li will come to a country where she can hear about the love of Jesus and know the One who created her perfectly. She will live in a family who will help her reach her full potential to be everything that she was created to be, not limited due to her gender or disability.

Please join us in celebrating that soon there will be one less orphan in the world.

Avery XiaoLi Mansfield
will come home to her family sometime during the summer of 2010.

We are praying now for God to prepare her heart for the many changes that are to come. Will you join us in that?

I was totally planning on ending the post with that but realized that I would be so ill if I was left with so many unanswered questions...so here are some of the answers.

"Why are you going back?" Most of you know that Shawn was adopted at 14. Our family reaps the benefits every single day that there was a family who didn't turn their backs on a boy in need. Shawn is the man he is today because a family took the chance on bringing a 14 year old boy into their home with 3 little girls! I have no doubt that I would not be married to Shawn today and our girls would not even be alive if his family had not lovingly accepted him into their home and family. So for us, the bigger question would be, "How can you NOT go back? How can you NOT adopt an older child who has waited so long for a family?" We can never repay Shawn's family for the life-changing gift they gave. But we can bring another child home and give her the same opportunity.

"Why are you going back so soon?" The timing was totally God's plan. Our plan would have been to wait until next year but as all Christians know, our plans do not always mirror God's plans. And He has been VERY clear in confirming that Xiao Li is our daughter. We began this process very tentatively and yet, God has provided so many things to show us that now is the time and this is our girl.

"Where is she? Is she in the same place as Anna?" Xiao Li is in the same province as Anna Grace was but not the same city. There is an American group in her orphanage and it just happens to be the same group that is in Anna's former orphanage. That is an amazing fact considering that this group is only in 3 orphanages in the ENTIRE country. Coincidence? No, just the first of many confirmations from God.

"What is her special need?" She has a repaired cleft lip and palate, just like Anna Grace. We have a fabulous doctor who she will see when she gets home. He most likely will need to do another surgery and we are good with that. Other than that, Xiao Li is perfectly healthy!

"How did you get the name Avery?" We actually have a contact at Xiao Li's orphanage and she is helping us begin a relationship with her. We are able to send e-mails to her on a regular basis, which is amazingly wonderful!! We first asked Xiao Li if she even wanted an American name and she did. We then sent 4 names for her to choose from and Avery was her pick. We love it!

I am sure there are other questions but I'm drawing a blank....and I really need to go feed my little girls breakfast anyway! Post questions in the comments section and I will do my best to answer them. Thank you for joining us in praying for Avery XiaoLi.

As you begin your day tomorrow, please stop and pray for the millions of orphans worldwide who do not have a family excitedly preparing for them. Ask God what He would have you do. Some of you may be called to adoption. It is a scary thing for many people but I can promise you, it is an amazing journey and one that God ordained. God may be calling you to help another family who is called to adopt. Or to help an organization that sends resources to orphanages throughout the US and around the world. Or He may just be asking you to pray for orphans on a regular basis. Whatever you are called to do, I firmly believe that Christians are called to do something. Tomorrow, on Orphan Sunday, would you ask Him what you are supposed to do? I will be praying for you.

Our pumpkin fun

First I want to let you know that a computer techie friend of mine has put a nifty little link in the upper left corner of my blog. If you sign up, you can now receive an e-mail when I update. That is a good thing for people who read my blog because I am told that MANY of you visit a lot more often that I post. So now you can sign up and get an e-mail telling you there is a new post. Pretty cool, huh? I think so...
Thanks Jim!


So in our house we didn't get our pumpkin carved until November 4th but it did get carved! I am pretty sure Shawn thought he would get out of it this year but nooooo, he did not. Emily and Sarah had big plans for him.

I am sure Anna Grace had never put her hand inside a pumpkin before!
She didn't mind the goop at all.

Lauren was another story. I think her picture speaks to how she felt about the pumpkin goop. Emily and Sarah conveniently disappeared so Mama wouldn't make them stick their hands in...so no pictures of them!

What were the big plans the girls had for their pumpkin? Well, they wanted a cloud and a lightening bolt on the front. And they remembered a past pumpkin where Shawn wrote Sarah's name in the back. He actually carved it backwards so that when the light shone through, her name would be spelled correctly. And they wanted him to do that again. So Daddy wrote Xiao Li in the back of our pumpkin. Who is that you ask???

Come back tomorrow!!

For cute photos of Anna with a Hope Haven buddy, click here

Anna Grace's first Halloween

Tonight Anna Grace experienced trick-or-treating for the very first time! She LOVED it! We go to the mall to trick-or-treat because that tends to help Lauren stick with us a bit longer. It was really crowded tonight but the girls had a great time. Lauren did too although she was watching Dora on her ipod. She was very nervous as soon as we were surrounded by children in costumes. But she has a fabulous daddy and he hooked her up with some Dora and all was right in Lauren's world. Anna, on the other hand, thought everything about the night was fabulous, especially the candy! She was Minnie Mouse and she carried a small backpack on her back to hold her candy. At every store she would smile at the lady and then turn halfway around so they could drop her candy in. Very cute!! I think it is safe to say that she enjoyed herself....I can't wait to see her at Christmas!

Girls Rule!

Our family...as you can see, Lauren had decided this wasn't fun

Sarah was a spider princess

Lauren was Dora the Explorer...we tried to branch out this year with a new costume but this was the favorite. Don't mind the dirty face...this was taken AFTER eating the candy!

Anna Grace in her Minnie Mouse costume!

Emily was a spy...and somehow I didn't get a picture of her by herself. Maybe she will humor me and put her costume back on tomorrow so I can get a picture!

Getting a good picture of 4 children is MUCH harder than getting a good one of only one child. I know there is a mathematical principle there but have no idea what it is. Here are just 3 of the 10 pictures I took trying to get a good one of them all!



Photographing a two year old is also a challenge to your patience! You will notice in the first picture that she is watching her daddy to make sure he doesn't eat her candy. We told her that she would get it after we got a picture of her....we then had to clarify that she had to actually look at the camera for said picture!

"Okay, I'm looking!"

"Ta Da!"

"Seriously people...I am looking and smiling! Can I get that candy now?"

"Ahhh, just what I've been working so hard for!"

"Ya know? I think I like this American tradition!"

"Yep, I am certain I do!"

These are just some bonus shots from the other day. My sister found the CUTEST outfit ever and sent it to us. Anna Grace did pose for a few pictures but was happier kicked back in the chair singing.

Adoption...it is in my heart

I found the following on another adoptive mom's blog. It is where my heart is right now. I remember my parents telling me stories of their mission trips to Brazil. I remember the story a friend shared about seeing a little boy sleeping alone on a piece of cardboard on the side of a street and as my friend jogged by, the little boy sat up and began folding the cardboard. I remember saying to him, "That is why I can't go down there. I would never be able to get that child's face out of my mind. I would want to bring him home with me." And I know that was true because I heard that story over 15 years ago and it is still with me. I still think of that faceless child in Brazil who slept on a piece of cardboard all alone. I thought of him when I read the story below. Now I've also been to China and seen the need there. So many children who need a family, so many who sleep alone, cold and hungry... The author of the following story, more than likely has been where most of us have been at one point...fearing the unknown. If God has called us to something, He will hold our hand every step of the way. After we surrender to God and obey his calling on our lives...in any area...., fear is lifted....and many, many blessings flow. Obedience. Trust. Faith. PEACE.

Imagine with me for a minute…

Right now, today… you are small and alone.

You are hungry and lost.

You have no home, no parents, and seemingly no future.

You are scared, and weak, from days without food. You have nowhere to go, nowhere to be.

People walk by you but they don’t even look your way. It’s like you are invisible, nothing.

You keep walking, your feet are bleeding and sore… and yet still you manage to cling to the small bit of hope, the little voice inside your head that says maybe, just maybe, one day things will get better.

Maybe one day -you will matter.

It is getting dark outside- inside your fear is growing.

Where will you go?

Your heart is beating faster, and your fear becomes overwhelming, consuming your every thought.

Then you see it, a dirty, broken cardboard box and you bow your head thanking God for His provision.

For you have found it- shelter.

Safety, if only for one night.

You slip underneath it, hugging yourself, vowing once again not to cry- because by now you know tears are a waste of your strength.

Your eyes become heavy, despite the sweltering temperature.

As you begin to drift off to sleep you pray, hoping, dreaming, of a family of your own one day...

of a place where you will matter...

to someone.


Somewhere else in the world is a family...

They are just sitting down to dinner together.

They are smiling and their laughter fills the room.

Dinner is served and they bow their heads and they pray- thanking God for their many blessings… their home, their job, the food that is set before them.

They lift their heads and go back to the laughter and the joy.

They talk of their upcoming vacation plans, the lunch date they shared with a friend today and the movie they plan to see this coming weekend.

More laughter, more excitement, more.

As the leftovers are scraped into the garbage can and the table is cleaned up, hot bubble bathes are taken by all.

Evening settles in, and the family slips under their down comforters preparing for a good night's sleep.

Before turning out the lights, the husband leans over to kiss his wife good-night. She shyly smiles at him and begins to tell him that she has been feeling that perhaps God is calling them to adopt.

The room grows quiet as they are both lost in their own thoughts… their minds are flooded with questions, concern, and then inevitably -fear.

How could they manage?
Another child?
Why, they already have two!
Where would they put the child?
Who would share a room?
How could they afford to adopt?
Would they be able to take that vacation?
What would people think?
What if the child, you know, caused ‘problems’?

As their eyelids become heavy, they begin to drift off to sleep... and they think to themselves ‘surely not’.

Surely God knows this is not convenient.

Surely God wants them to take that vacation they deserve...

Surely he knows how busy they are.

They have plans and they have dreams.

As sleep overcomes them, the temperature in their master bedroom is perfect… and their pillows are fluffed to perfection.

Life is good for them, just as they had planned...

Anna Grace - 10 months ago in China


Anna Grace - Tonight, at home with her mama

Lord, thank you for changing my heart during our trip to China. May I never forget what I saw while I was there. May I never be caught up in the extravagant life that we enjoy in America. Help me be a light to others considering adoption.

Everyone is healthy!

Okay, so no post over the weekend-- sorry! The Mansfield Family is happy and healthy. Sarah was the only one who got sick and she has been fine since Thursday evening. Thank you, Lord!

So this week is our catch-up week! You know, when you homeschool and a child is sick, a lot of things fall behind. So we are hoping to get our school work caught up, as well as our house! But I am so thankful that my girls are home with me. I count it a privilege to teach them each day.

I would ask that you all be praying for Shawn tomorrow. At 6pm he will defend his dissertation. It should be over by 8pm. He is not nervous at all. I asked him tonight and he said, "What is there to be nervous about? It is just a brief like I give all the time, about information I have been researching for over 2 years. If I can't talk about it, I don't deserve the doctorate."
Well, okay then. I guess that is one way we are vastly different from one another. If it were me I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight! We are so proud of him for working the past 3 years on this degree. Shawn started his doctorate the month before Lauren was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome. And let me tell you, that seems like a lifetime ago! He started in June and Lauren was diagnosed on July 21. I asked him at the time if he thought he should delay school. He didn't want to do that because he knew he would probably never get to it if he stopped. How thankful I am for his wisdom in the midst of the biggest crisis our family has ever faced. He is absolutely right; he would have never gotten back into it. I am thankful for Shawn, for the husband and father that he is and I'm proud of this latest accomplishment. I'll have to share his life story with you all sometime. It is a good one!

Anna Grace is 2

Happy Birthday Precious Girl

We celebrated Anna Grace's birthday this week. The celebration began on Saturday night in Wilmington with her extended family there. She had a party with dancing, games, cupcakes and a pinata. She had a ball! She blew out her candles like a champ and loved munching on her cupcakes, yes two...one with vanilla icing and one with chocolate. When it came time to open her presents she opened the first two and then seemed as if she was finished. Shawn told her there were more and pointed at the other gifts waiting to be opened. Her eyes lit up as if to say, "They are all for ME?" It was so precious. I couldn't help but think of where she was last year on her birthday and how thankful I am that she is home. I cannot imagine what it would be like for her to live in an orphanage for her entire childhood. She is so full of life and joy. And then I can't forget the children that are still there. The precious children who have lived through many birthdays in an orphanage and don't have any concept of life in a family. How I pray that more Christian families will open their hearts and homes to a child who needs a mama and daddy. What a tremendous blessing we would have missed if we had not.

We were home on Tuesday for Anna Grace's actual birthday. We sang to her all day long. People called on the phone and sang all day long. I am sure she wondered why she kept hearing the same song. We gave her a play kitchen and she is loving it! I am so glad we got it for her. She cooks me a hotdog in the microwave every day. The kitchen also has a cordless phone and she loves walking around the house talking on it....I don't know where she learned that! : ) Her daddy maybe??

At the end of the day, we had a two year old in the house and what a joy she is. I am so thankful that I get to be her mama.

Lovin' the cupcakes!

Freeze dancing! She had to get in just the right position every time the music stopped. She should have been "out" many times over.

Cooking time....see that hotdog?

I found Anna in her bedroom lying on this blanket that Michele made for her. I think it is one of her favorite gifts!

We've also had other excitement in the house....Sarah has been sick since Monday night. Today we went to the doctor and she tested positive for Type A flu. They are assuming it is H1N1. Honestly, I am thankful we didn't go to the doctor until today. Tuesday was rough for Sarah but today she was MUCH better. So I am glad we didn't know what we were dealing with until she was on the upswing. If you think of us, pray for Lauren to stay healthy. She is considered high risk due to her diagnosis. Girls with Rett syndrome are predisposed to respiratory problems. Swine flu would not be a good thing for her to fight. Thankfully, I have had Sarah quarantined all week. The little girls have not gotten close to her at all and I am hoping we have done enough.

The Strollathon went well. It rained the day before and poured an hour after it was over...but we only had a couple of small showers during the event. So far we have raised $32,000. We are pleased with that considering the weather and the economy. But we still hope more money comes in . Reasearch is so very expensive and the Rett research going on right now is exciting. Just last week it was announced that doctors are starting the first EVER drug trial on girls. This is the first step to finding a cure! So money for research is needed now more than ever. If you'd like to donate go to www.rettsyndrome.org. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Lauren on her horse in hippotherapy. She has built up the strength to stand unassisted while on the horse's back. She is our super star!

That is our week in review. If life slows down a bit I will try to update more frequently. Ha! Not likely...
Thanks for remembering our sweet Lauren. I'll post an update on Sarah this weekend. We should be in the clear on Monday if no one else has gotten sick.