Right after seeing Tian's face for the first time, I joined a yahoogroup that is for families who have adopted children from Yong Feng.  On that group, I met a gal who is also waiting to go to her daughter (and has been for quite some time, as they found their daughter shortly after returning from adopting their son, and had to wait a period of time before submitting their dossier for her.)  Anyways, her mother is a flight attendant who goes to China a few times a month, and graciously offered to take a care package over to China and mail it from there to the SWI.  This is a HUGE blessing, because postage overseas is really expensive for even a tiny package, but she was able to take a really good sized box FULL of goodies and mail it there for next to nothing. 

In the care package was a photo album that I made for Tian which had pages with Tian's pictures, as well as photos of all six of us, plus our house, and I put phrases in Chinese that said things like "Big Sister," "Big Brother,"  "MaMa and BaBa," "We love you," etc.  I also sent a couple of toys, a dress, a letter to the swi director, two disposable cameras, dried fruit things that we got a huge case of at Costco, Skittles, and candies for the aunties.  I also put in a pink stuffed dog (I bought this before finding out from her report that she is afraid of dogs, but hopefully not soft, pink ones).  I had also taken a picture of the dog and put it in her photo album.  I bought a second one, and will bring it (if I have the presence of mind to remember it) to when we meet Tian.  I'm praying that maybe she'll have loved on her dog, seen the dog in the album, associate the photos of us in the album with the dog, and then maybe feel a little connection if she meets us and we also have the dog.  It may not mean anything to her (I do realize she's two), but it was one thing I could think of to try to bridge the gap when we meet her....

Please pray for that meeting.

Deuteronomy 31:8  The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed.

Thank you, Shannon, for offering to have your mother take the care package over, and many thanks to your mother for taking it, as well as making sure it was addressed properly and sent rush delivery.  Also, thank you Carole for giving me the sweet little album to put the pictures in!  It was so much more practical than the one I had bought, being soft and having a handle.