You sang it when you read it, didn’t you??? It’s ok to admit it. (Devin was eavesdropping as I wrote this on the train, and he said that he did not sing it when he read it……and his nose grew 2 inches…)
Most who know me know that I am a simple person, and it does not take much to inspire me……even Queen. I could hear this song playing in the gym at the hotel over my worship music in my earphones during my workout this morning. Since it was a “ballad” when we were in our formative years, it was easy to sing, even if I was not focusing on it. Later on, this song hit me when I was going over this current trip, as well as our future trip home. So it inspired me to write a wrap-up to our incredible trip to China that we prayed and waited so long to occur.
The initial thought hit me as we were preparing for the day, and I was going over in my head what Mary Beth was going to process once she finally leaves her homeland and arrives in a strange place where most everyone looks like these new people that are her family. Outside of the few faces at church and in school that are also from China, she will now be in the minority for the first time in her life. We are preparing for her world to totally be rocked and turned upside down. This is not a temporary trip like we just took. This is something that she will have to get used to for the rest of her life…..or at least for her younger years if she follows her heart back to China or another country to serve her Father. I know that if it was me, at my current age, I would be very fearful of the unknown. We can only hope that her young heart either does not realize that this is so different from her prior home, since she is with us, or that she is just so young that it will not phase her. Honestly, after knowing her for just over a week , I do not see where either of these options will fly, and she will enter a world that is very foreign to her, and she will really need to rely on her new family for comfort and security. This does give us an opportunity to express to her the 13th “lesson” that Paul wrote the 1st time to the people in Corinth, and we will need to really prepare our other children for this. We need to anticipate the worst for her as we get her to her new home, based on what we know of her intellect and personality. I think the “spice” that so many Chinese have spoken of those in her province will come out – in both positive and negative instances. We cannot go into this with blinders on (which I stay in that world most of the time), as she will have her big brown eyes opened in just a few days. We will seek Wisdom and Guidance (James 1:5) over this transition for her – and us – as we get back into the real world. We have faith that He will provide this to us, because it is a promise from our Father.
Speaking of her knowing her Father, we are getting her adjusted to our time of going to Him at meal times and at night before bed, in the hopes that she will soon learn by example to go to Him on her own soon. She is bowing her head with us and closing her eyes when we do this together, even holding out BOTH hands for us to hold them with us. PTL!!!
Back to being rocked, this time it is me. This place and this trip has again rocked my world for these little ones in China. The trip to Jericho this summer in SE Asia was tough enough to swallow, as I wanted to stay. But seeing these little ones daily, with their progress with their new families, has been totally inspiring and a downright blast for me. Anyone that knows me, knows that I would rather hang out with younger people than adults most of the time. (Big people are fun, but my passion is with the younger folks.) I love talking with, coaching, teaching, and having fun with little kids, no matter the age. But something about these little beautiful children and knowing that their future will be so much better than it was one week before gives me such encouragement. (Actually as I am typing this on the train to Hong Kong, my little buddy Joe Joe crawled up in my lap to play. He has two cleft palms, which means that he basically has two fingers on each hand, with no palm. But he sure has some pinchers on there, and it does not phase him now that his hands are like this.) It is little children like this that I will miss seeing and playing with every day on our trip. I loved making them laugh and playing with them. I would love to see what their future holds for them, having parents that love them and want the best for them. These little ones are another highlight that I want to treasure from this trip.
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| Mrs. Gina is taking Jamison home to her daddy in Alabama |
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| This little beauty is going home to Iowa |
I did learn last night that there was one adoption from the week that did not go through the completion process. Our friend visited the orphanage yesterday and said she broke down when she saw this little 14-month old beauty. I do not know the details of the “disruption” of this particular adoption. But I just know that there is one little girl who was going to a home this past week that will have to wait a little longer. It broke my heart as I stood on the street listening to this story. I told my new friend that we were approved to bring two children home by immigration, and I would love to take her – just for the fact that it would be one less night for this child to spend another night in the orphanage. Hopefully, she will be placed somewhere soon, and she will have an incredible future with a family that will give the love of the Father to her, as she is certainly deserving of it.
One unfortunate incident that occurred on the street today was that Mary Beth fell as she was running along the sidewalk and cobblestone streets. Luke said that she was running back to me and tripped. This may have been her first set of skinned knees…..and it will not be the last if she plans on keeping up with her brothers and sister. But the one thing that stood out to me was that her left elbow was the one that was skinned when she tried to catch herself. When you trip and fall, it is normally your palm that gets skinned up. Why did she use her left arm to brace herself and not instinctively use her right hand to stop herself? I doubt others find that interesting but me. However, it is something I want to track and learn to have her answer.
On a good note about her left arm, it does not appear to phase her a bit now, and we hope and pray that continues to be a non-issue once we get home. We know that being in a new place, it could cause some insecurities to arise. However, we know that our family and friends will offer her encouragement as she gets to know them, and that those will be alleviated soon.
We are arriving in Hong Kong now and will all take a taxi to the hotel next to the airport. That is one less hurdle to jump before coming home.
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| Train ride to HK means we are getting closer!!! |
I love the pictures
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