Ruth

Just to let anyone know who is still wondering about little Ruth, she did have her surgery on Friday, and apparently is doing very well. Thank you to all who have kept her in your prayers!!!

Here is a collection of my favourite pictures from our recent time at Morning Star Family Home. The song is by Casting Crowns "So Far to Find You"

The Great Wall and Good Byes

We are all safe and sound at home now. It's always good to come back to that place called home. But during these sleepless nights wrestling with jetlag, my thoughts are in China. I'm so sorry I did not post more on this blog, but the moments I had free were mostly moments I fell on my bed in exhaustion. So during these wee hours of this Sunday morning, I will fill you in on our last few days in China.
On Wednesday we took an amazing trip to the Great Wall. This was my third time visiting the Wall, and the third section of the wall I have been able to see. This was a very remote section with a sign posted "not open to the public". Needless to say, we were the only ones there! We climbed a steep, narrow pathway through the forest to a make-shift ladder, and crawled our way on to the wall. This section of the wall was gorgeous, no tourism, no vendors, just us, old stones, cold wind, sky and mountains. It was a breath taking experience, and not only because the climb was steep and dangerous!! Some sections were ramp, and we practically had to climb on all fours because of the steepness. other sections were uneven stairs, and also very steep. I did not make it to the top due to the final ascent of steep stairs, and an over active imagination as I could envision myself trying to climb down again and tumbling off that mountain!! But we proudly cheered Kim, Carol and Lisa as we watched them climb to the top!! Coming down again was a challenge, but not as bad as I thought it would be!
Thursday morning rolled around and as we packed our bags we faced the sad reality of having to say good bye to our darling little babies. Heading over to the babies house one last time for final cuddles and kisses was hard. Even though we were with these children only 2 weeks, we certainly fell in love with them all. As I kissed them all good bye I whispered prayers for them, for hope, for healing, for the love of a forever family. What an awesome privilege this has been to serve these precious children. Thank you to all who have followed this blog, and who have prayed along with us on this adventure. You are a blessing to each of us!

"I Will Not Forget You!"

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" Isaiah 49:15

Something Geeta said to me after a few days with the babies really summed up my experiences here at Morning Star Family Home, and I'm sure this speaks for the other ladies here too, "it is so fulfilling".  Holding these children, even in the middle of the night, whispering prayers against their soft hair, soothing their crying.... though tiring, very fulfilling. So often in the past 2 weeks I have thought about their mothers, how they must be missing their children, also crying softly at night. Costs are so high here in China, the average person would not be able to afford the life saving surgery these children need. So their only option is to say goodbye, and hope that someone else can give their child the life they need. Life here is harsh, but it must go on. And so that verse in Isaiah has been rattling around in my head, how can a mother forget, how can she say good bye to her child, she doesn't have a choice, she just must make this decision so her child can live. And this choice means life for the child, and this choice means a child for a family somewhere else in the world, and maybe some day that mother will forget and move on. But God, He never forgets, He never lets go of us, He never moves on when we have wandered away. What an amazing God we serve, what a loving, perfect Father.

Some day after many years have passed, our memories are bound to fail us. Yes, even we will forget these beautiful children. They will grow up and have families of their own. But what a blessed reassurance to know that God says "I will not forget you!"