New Beginnings- New Life

The first month of the year- a time for new beginnings!  What better way to celebrate than by signing paperwork for an adoption?!?  Lord willing, this Friday will be that day for us.  We have shared with Sam that it's the day he receives his new name.

Samuel came to us with a legal name.  His legal name was Samuel Zhukun Last Name of First Adoptive Family.  One of the first weeks that he was with us he shared with us that he didn't like his name.  When we asked him which name he was referring to,  he shared with us that he liked the English name Samuel, but he didn't like his middle name Zhukun.  He shared with us that was the name given to him by the orphanage and it wasn't the name that his birth mom had given him.  When we asked him what name it was that his birth mom gave him, he shared with us an answer.  A couple of weeks later we were having dinner with some Chinese speaking friends and we shared with them this story.  They shared with us that the meaning of the name his mom had given him could have meant "below good."  We quickly decided that we would NOT keep that name since it goes directly against what we believe about him.  Thus began the search for a middle name...

We told him that we wanted him to have a Chinese middle name because that is his heritage and we wanted him to keep part of that with him.  So, through Google translate, we kept suggesting new names.  We all giggled a lot and he continuously said that he didn't like our suggestions.  

However, Rene had an idea.  You see, his dad's name was Rene and his name is Rene and Owen's middle name is Rene, so he wanted Samuel's middle name to be Rene in Chinese.  While we were in China, we were able to talk to a couple there and share with them our idea.  The name Rene means "reborn/new life".  So, talking with this couple around a dinner table that night in China, we found our son's new name- Chongsheng.  It is the same word used in John chapter 3 and it means reborn/new life.  Rene in Chinese.  It just seemed perfect--convincing Sam would be different.

When we first told Sam his new middle name he laughed and then also refused it.  However, later on we had the opportunity to share with Sam that this is a family name and it is also his heritage.  Now, he shares his name with pride.  He knows that will be on his birth certificate and follow him the rest of his life.  He understands that it ties him to us forever.  

So, this Friday, Sam legally begins his new life with a new name.  Samuel Chongsheng Pizzati.
We are a little giddy with excitement!  The papers will finally show what our hearts already know.