Her story begins in the south of China.
In China, the most populous land on earth, the government allows couples to have but one child. Baby Zi Zhen (her orphanage name) was born female into a culture where sons are more highly valued than daughters.
Boys are raised to head households and provide for the family. Daughters are raised to marry young and care for their in-laws.
There, Mia was abandoned at a restaurant gate. The police were notified early that morning, August 21, 2006, and picked her up. They noted that she was only a few hours old. Whoever left her there, out of fear, or shame, or desperation, or panic, wanted Mia to live and gave her a chance at life. It is illegal to abandon babies in China, a punishable offense that is rarely enforced. Sometimes the abandoned babies show up in the most unlikely places, such as vegetable bins in outdoor markets.
More often, they are placed anonymously at not-so-secret drop spots, where caring individuals scoop them up and deliver them to orphanages.
This is Mia's "Finding Spot".
There is no way to know how hungry or distressed Mia was when she was discovered and taken to the orphanage. But this we know: She was tiny, resilient and well cared for by the time she was put up for adoption.
After more than two years of adoption paperwork and waiting, Brad & Glenda McMath received "the call" that Mia would be theirs. They had already decided to name her "Mia", which means "my girl".
God has chosen 2 girls, Macy- age 5, and Mia who is almost 2 now... to be daughters in this family. One by birth. One by adoption. Both completly chosen by God to be "McMaths".
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One year ago today we flew from Beijing to Guangzhou on a 3 hour flight. Mia's orphanage was in the Guangdong province in South China. Only one more day until we could hold our baby!
(adapted from an "Abandoned" timeline)
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