We Finally Met Her!

On Monday of this week, Emily and I went to the zoo.

This wasn’t just any normal zoo visit. It was the second biggest and most important day of our relationship so far - we met our future daughter!

Here’s the story:
We had been planning this day for weeks, working with DSS to get a date on the calendar. After having been approved to meet her, and us deciding to move forward, we put together a scrapbook of our life and sent it to be used to introduce us to her. So a few case workers got together with her and showed her the scrapbook. At this point, we didn’t even know that it had happened until Emily got an email at her work from her. She took the time to track us down across the internet, and we began a process of emailing back and forth with her. I haven’t been so giddy to get an email since Emily and I first started emailing each other. I’m still at the point of constantly checking to see if there is something new in my inbox.

Monday finally came, and we were so nervous. Not only were we meeting her for the first time, but her foster parents and three social workers were going to be on hand as well. As soon as we met her, all of that washed away and it was just natural. We had a wonderful visit for six hours at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia as we fed the animals, chased squirrels, made every animal sound in creation, and just marveled at the fact that we were hanging out with this girl who, if the Lord wills, will become our daughter. It was such a great joy.

There is alot that we can’t tell you about her online, but here are a few tidbits:
1. She just turned 13 years old.
2. She is absolutely adorable.
3. Zebras are her favorite animal.
4. She just got braces.
5. She wears neon socks.
6. She told me last night in an email that ‘she can’t wait to become an Ainsworth’.

So here is where we are now -
We get to spend every weekend in May with her. We will be heading to the upstate this Friday for our first visit, and will follow with another up there the following weekend. Hopefully, for the last two weekends in May, she will be able to come spend the weekend with us in Charleston. If all goes well and everyone is happy, she should be able to move in with us at the beginning of the summer!!

Please keep praying for us as we continue in this journey. It’s all moving so fast now (which is such a contrast to the earlier pace), so pray that we can keep up with life over the coming months. Pray for her that she would feel comfortable, loved, and attached to our family. Pray for her transition away from the foster home that’s been her most consistent home in her life. Pray for us that we would make God honoring decisions as we begin to parent her.

We love you all and are so thankful for your thoughts, encouragement, and prayers over the last two years. You are all our family. God is beyond faithful!