Adopted for Life: Merry Christmas!

For those of you that did not receive our Christmas Letter:

Christmas seasons are often a time of rest, relaxation and rest- oration, when past traditions bring visions of hopeful familiarity, routine and bonds. We Kruggel’s share these expectations at this time of year as we concurrently reflect upon our lives, not only from distant history, but most recently in 2008. However for us this past year has been anything but restful and relaxing, and certainly not familiar or routine.

One year ago we made the firm decision and commitment to adopt another fatherless child into our family. Once again, we just couldn't shake our overwhelming passion for another, and we so desired for Poppy to have a chum that she could closely identify with for the rest of her life. Besides, we still had a little more room in our home, a lot more room in our hearts, and barely enough room in our adrenal glands but for the ample grace of God. So in March we (Tom, Victoria, Barret & Poppy) marched off to Beijing, visited with dear friends, trekked westerly across China in a closet sized sleeper car, and about 24 hours later arrived in Lanzhou, Gansu Province. Within a couple of hours of reaching our final destination, we had barely unloaded our suitcases when we met up with petite Wu Hui Xuan. With a restored cleft lip, her peering and pensive eyes, glassy with tears, penetrated our souls that were filled with high levels of both exhilaration and trepidation. Gently engaging with her, we studiously watched Xuan explore the confines of a foreign mezzanine hotel lobby without an apparent fear in the world. In a mere instant, we all turned a corner in life that was a one way street for everyone affected. Without looking back, we embraced our new found daughter, renamed Willow, and have since enjoyed the jubilation and tribulation (including a cleft palate surgery) of inescapable love. It didn’t take long for us to find it difficult to imagine life in the Kruggel home without Willow.

Poppy is a tender, playful sibling to sweet Willow, as first evidenced by her persistent questioning when meeting her, “Can we keep her, can we keep her?” But like most of us she’s also challenged with selfishness and aggravation. Minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day we all work together to train her up, love her up and point her up. In the midst of all this character development, her doctors have thankfully determined that her special needs heart condition is tame, and are confidently hopeful will cause little disruption to her physical development toward living a long, healthy and abundant life.

Our trip to China would have been virtually impossible had it not been for Barret. His charity and sacrificial spirit made for a successful journey that simply couldn't have been accomplished without him. As an unexpected reward, Willow immediately bonded with him more than any of us, which we were all delighted to gaze upon. He had to take time off from his Freshman year of High School to help us out, but the experience of those three weeks in China far outweighed any formal education he might have received otherwise. Now a Sophomore, Barret has visions of following in the footsteps of his older siblings and attending Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2011. He also turned 16 this year and, much to Mom and Dad’s chagrin, got his driver’s license only days after, but also stated that he wanted to begin his milestone “adulthood” by living a life of honor to Jesus; words to cherish forever.

Unlike our last trip, Annie couldn't join us on this most recent excursion to China because of her junior college commitments. Much to her disappointment, she stayed behind and “wo-manned” the Kruggel “fort” desiring all the while to be with us. Her forbearance was not in vain, however, because she was accepted as a Junior into Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where she began her Graphics Design major this Fall after counseling another summer at Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center. While grueling, her first quarter of studies was successfully filled with equal measures of pleasure and pain, exploring her first year away from home in the comfort and company of her older brother Austin, also attending Cal Poly.

Of course Austin couldn't’t go to China either because he’s now in his sixth year of Mechanical Engineering coursework as a graduate student. He will finally finish with a Masters of Science degree in the Spring, launching him into the world of semi-independence and self-sufficiency. These experiences are not foreign to him at all as evidenced by his three month excursion across Western Europe last summer with nothing but a backpack, a friend or two, a Eurail Pass and limited Euros. Upon his return, he had pretty much made up his mind after months of prayerful consideration to make a joyful commitment that will forever alter the course of his life. On a clear, crisp and glorious Thanksgiving Day morning, he kneeled beneath three wooden crosses towering overhead, perfectly placed on an isolated and craggy hillside overlooking the Siskiyou Mountains positioned just south of the Oregon border, and proposed to his beautiful bride-to-be, Meagan Kirkpatrick. What better way to submit himself to her but at the cross of the One who submitted Himself for the church, His bride, to the point of death? Their ultimate act of submission to each other will culminate on May 23^rd with family and friends in San Luis Obispo.

Victoria and Tom continually find themselves caught between the tension of clinging on and letting go. The littlest ones are definitely and gratefully clingy, but ironically we find ourselves to be clinging onto our oldest ones when they’re breaking away from us. This naturally healthy pathway of life isn’t easy for anyone, and the reality of our children needing us less each day than we need them is a high-wire trapeze feat requiring large doses of God’s kindness. Parenting carries with it incomprehensible quantities of bliss, and also unimaginable amounts of mourning. Both are necessary, and both are beneficial.

The change in our lives pales in comparison to the events of all events two millennia ago that forever altered the course of history. While Jewish traditions, like Passover, most assuredly sparked similar emotions we feel at this time of year, Jesus’ hushed birth and seemingly untimely death rocked their world and forever ours. And in the midst of such turmoil and change then and even today, we Kruggel’s look over our shoulder and marvel at His glad tidings over us with similar wonder as Mary by asking, “How can this be?” (Luke 1:34a). We then contemplate the words of Gabriel that, “… nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37). So now and going forward, “We walk by faith, and not by sight.” (II Corinthians 5:7)

You have prayed, phoned, embraced, comforted, served and supported us this year, whether we even knew it or not, and we give thanks knowing that this pilgrimage toward our eternal home is not traversed in isolation, but in community with you. So in return we don’t wish, but pray that Christmas will be for you as merry as Jesus’ joy is over us.