September 8, 2004 - Kate's Referral

     It is with inexpressible joy that I am writing to announce the referral of our new daughter - Katherine Grace MengHua McCary!  "The Call" came today that news had finally arrived from China.  A little girl by the name of Yi Meng Hua, born on September 8, 2003 (one year old today!!), had been matched with our family!  She is waiting for us at the YiYang Children's Welfare Institute in Hunan, China.  On September 19, 2003, our 11 day old baby girl was found next to the roadside, packed in red carpet with a bottle and some formula- no doubt, left to be found by someone who would love and care for her.  We are thrilled to have been chosen as the lucky family to do just that!  Moments after the call, a picture of her would arrive on our computer.  We all gathered around to finally see the little face I had spent a lifetime dreaming about!  With the click of a button, there she was!!!...

     No one could have ever prepared me for the overwhelming emotion I would feel upon finally seeing her!  It was much like the moment I first saw my other three children at their deliveries, and one I will forever treasure.  As you can imagine, I stared at her picture for hours- memorizing every detail of her mouth, her eyes... and those cheeks!!!  Finally, at 3AM, I turned out the light to end this most special day, but couldn't resist turning it back on for just one more glance!
     I have been praying since the beginning of this journey that God would confirm the baby chosen for us as His choice.  I offered a few ideas as to how He might do this... A dream about her, so that I would know her face, or maybe a birthday of Dec. 18th - the day I found the white feather on the beach and felt certain that this was God's plan for us.  I was disappointed that He'd chosen neither of those options...  But He had an even better idea!  When our baby was brought to the orphanage, she was given the first name of "Meng".  Translated into English- that name is "DREAM".  That God would fulfill my lifelong dream with a little girl by that very name, is the sweetest confirmation from the Dream Giver Himself that this is, indeed, His perfect choice for us!  And His blessings go on and on!  As if the first name of "Dream" wasn't enough...  the middle name given her was "Hua" - meaning  "FLOWER" in English!  God's tender mercies overflowing in my life through a precious baby girl named "Dream Flower"!  Could His intimate love be more obvious to an "Ordinary", "Much-Afraid" Mom like me?  I am in awe of such a great God!


 "God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on Him"  Hudson Taylor