Hosting Tong

Zhao Tong came to America in 2014 for GWCA’s Holiday Hosting Program. During the four weeks that Zhao was here, his host family grew to love him very much, and they began working on the paperwork to bring him here forever! Now, less than one year later, they are getting ready to complete the final steps of the adoption as they travel to bring him home. Read their story about deciding to host this amazing kiddo, and how it has changed their lives forever!

A Seed is Planted

Several weeks later I was abruptly awakened from a deep sleep to sitting straight up in bed to someone calling out “Mom”.  Jamie & Jayden always call me Mommy and they come running in to our bedroom if they want me. Troubled, I got up and checked on them and they were sound asleep.  In the morning I told Jeff about the voice I heard.  No comment from him.  I told Jeff I really think God wants us to do this.  He responded well God needs to show me too.

About this same time Justine and Jenna our older daughters started asking us when we were going to go back to China and adopt another child.  I shared my dreams with them.   They were convinced it was what God wanted us to do.  So they started asking Jamie & Jayden if they would like another brother.  Jamie and Jayden said definitely “NO”.  Jayden listed reasons why not; 1. There is no room for him to sleep at our house. 2. He would break their toys. 3. He would fight them. 4. They already had a brother, Jerus. No new brother was coming to our house.

In December Jeff shared with me a dream he had. In his dream, he was out to eat with some people for work.  Someone asked him how many children do you have?  Jeff answered 5.  Then a little boy sitting next to him grabbed his sleeve and said “What about me, Daddy?”  Jeff was beginning to believe God wanted us to adopt but brought up Jamie & Jayden’s reluctance to having another brother.   Jamie & Jayden were still always answering NO to talk of a new brother.

In January as we sat down to eat Jayden says out of the blue, so if we did get another brother where would he sleep?  How old would he be?  What kinds of things could he do? As I answered each of his questions he and Jamie would look at each other and then he says what do you think Jamie, let’s get a new brother.  Jamie agrees with Jayden and then looks at me and says “Wow what made us CHANGE OUR HEARTS.” God finally got our entire family on the same page.

In the summer of 2014 we learned about Great Wall China Adoption’s (the adoption agency we had used for Jamie and Jayden) winter hosting program.  This is where a family has a child from an orphanage come and live with them for four to six weeks. The time period for hosting was mid-December to mid-January. So in September of 2014 we set off on a journey to host a boy from China.

Great Wall China Adoption (GWCA) Hosting Program

Meeting Zhao Tong

Who the heck is Conrad

Highlights from Our Time Hosting Zhao Tong

The Decision
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