One. Forever.

It has been 565 days. 565! 565 days ago, Tiffany and I officially submitted our application to adopt a little girl from China; and even then, it was a journey eleven years in the making. It's been a long road to this point, but within hours of you reading this, Tiffany and I will board a plane to fly the 7,818 miles to Wuhan, China, the city where we will be united with Mia for the very first time. 

It has been 274 days. 274! 274 days ago, Tiffany and I got the referral on the little girl who would come to be known as Mia. This came after a time I felt the urge to pray, just before answering a call from our case worker about a little girl who needed a forever family. While I was praying, our case worker saw Mia's picture and thought of us. It is true. All of it. Next Monday, the face that we have only seen in pictures will be nose-to-nose to us. We will be hers. She will be ours. 

It has been 237 days. 237! 237 days ago, China generated a letter granting us preliminary approval to adopt this little girl. It was Christmas Day, and Mia received her middle name: Noelle. 

It's been 64 days. 64! 64 days ago we got our letter of acceptance to officially adopt Mia Noelle. 4 lives changed. Forever.

It's been 13 days. 13! 13 days ago we got our travel approval to fly to China to go get Mia. The journey wasn't quite finished, because we still had some things yet to be scheduled, but we were close. 

It's been 9 days. 9! 9 days ago we got the date for when we would have our appointment at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China to set in motion the events that will make Mia not only a Jordan, but a U.S. citizen. Forever. 

It's been 8 days. 8! 8 days ago we booked our travel package and the final countdown commenced. The time had come. All that separated us from Mia was one more week...one more week...until we could get to where we wanted to be some 20 months ago. 

And now we look forward. 

5 more days. 5! Only 5 more days until the little face we saw in those pictures every day for 9 months will be nose-to-nose to ours. 

6 more days. 6! Only 6 more days until we sign the paperwork to say we will be her forever family. 

13 more days. 13! Only 13 more days until we take the oath that will set in motion the events that will result in Mia not only being a Jordan, but an American. Forever. 

16 more days. 16! Only 16 more days until we board a plan that will carry us the 8002 miles to bring us back into the United States. When that plane lands at JFK in New York, Mia will be a Jordan and an American. Then it's on to Atlanta where a whole new journey begins. 

581 days. More than 17,000 miles. 1 little girl. 1 family. An eternity of difference. 

It's been a long journey that at times has been hopeless and filled with hope. Seeming to last forever and flying by. And here we are. In just a matter of days, we will be able to fulfill our mission to bring Mia home and then begin the long and intentional process of helping her assimilate into our family and culture. It won't always be easy; in fact, there are times that it will be tough and heartbreaking. As a friend of mine who adopted once said, "Adoption begins with tragedy." But there's something to be said about the love of God. God's love brings hope out of the hopelessness that invades our lives. Throughout all the difficulties, Tiffany and I know it would not be possible without the love and support of our friends, our families, and our precious church. 

So now we're down to 1. 1! Only one more day until we board the plane. Though it is just the two of us that will buckle up, there will be hundreds if not thousands of people who will embark on that journey with us. From buying t-shirts and crafts, to giving monetary gifts, running miles, to praying us through this process full of ups and downs, so many people and gestures of love will board that plane with us. All for one little girl, abandoned as a newborn in July of 2012, who has never known a mom and dad, yet now has a huge and loving family. 

There is so much more to say, but I have bags to pack and a plane to board. I have an ocean to cross and a daughter to claim. And while I do, I will remember and celebrate the God who claimed me as His own, welcoming me into His forever family. I will carry with me the love and grace of my own forever family that has helped us get to this point in our lives. And I will look forward to being back together with you so we can celebrate what God has done in all of our lives. But until then, remember Tiffany and me as we travel; Ethan as he stays behind with his grandparents to stay current with his school work; and Mia as her life is about to change. Forever. 

One little girl, brought into one family, by one great God, who wants for us all to be together. 

One. Forever.