Living with Orphans

Jade's surgery

2010-03-15T16:34:00.000+08:00

And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. Numbers 12:13

I apologize to all of you who have followed our story. I long to be able to sit and share everything we are doing more often but I am not juggling the daily things really well lately. Blogging unfortunately is getting put on the back burner. This will be a very overdue post.

On March 2nd, Jade was scheduled for surgery on her ears. We have been battling what we thought was impacted wax since we got home. When I took her to an ENT, he diagnosed her with having keratomas in both her ears as well as wax. Keratomas in the ear are typically caused by an untreated ear infection that has caused the tympanic membrane (ear drum) to rupture. He couldn't tell if this was the cause or not because the ear canal was filled by the cyst and wax so he couldn't see the tympanic membrane.

Sometimes, these cysts will grow in the middle ear and wrap themselves around the bones that are used for hearing. If that was the case, they would have to be removed. My prayer for my baby girl was that He just keep her hearing intact. With vision challenges, she so heavily relies on her hearing. She doesn't look at me to see what I am feeling. She does it by the slightest change in my tone of voice.  Because of her need to keep her hearing, I took her to our church for prayer one Saturday night. I just wanted the surgery to be successful.

The doctor who diagnosed her was the same one who performed her surgery.  Right before he went in, he spoke to me about the fact that he may have to do a graft on her tympanic membrane.  If it had ruptured, this would be expected. I had full peace as they took her in that God was in control. I never expected the doctor to come out so quickly though.

When he came back out, he informed me and my parents that the cysts were not there! NOT THERE! They were gone! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! All he had to remove was impacted wax! The tympanic membrane was intact and there was no fluid in her ears. God, you are soooooo good!

This story has been one that I have loved to tell! I NEVER asked for the miracle of healing but He gave it. Many have heard the story and said "so the cysts were never in there in the first place." NOPE! They were there. "So how does that work?" GOD! He has the healing power to touch someone and remove cysts that were as hard as a wall from two small ear canals and leave only the wax. Had the doctor who had done the surgery been a different doctor than who had diagnosed it, we would never have been sure. HE made sure it was the same one. There is NO DOUBT that GOD'S HAND did this mighty work! No man...just GOD!

My prayer for her all along is that He use her in mighty ways for His kingdom. This is just one more testimony of his work in her life. The sad thing is, I never even thought to ask for healing. I didn't pray for that. One friend of mine said to me that I needed to be praying bigger than I was. He was right.  Someone was praying for that healing and it was in God's plan. He doesn't always heal. Sometimes our journeys through the pain without healing is our testimony. He knows how He plans on using us in this life so He allows in the things that will prepare us as we each need. I am just so blessed that Jesus intercedes for us and asks for what we need from God the Father. Thank you Jesus for all you do in my life and in my daughter's.

Jadisms

2010-02-19T12:41:00.000+08:00

Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. Mark 10:15

Over the past few months, I have been writing down some of the funny and precious little things Jade has said and/or done. I thought you might to hear some of them.

December

* She loves green beans. One night she took one in each hand decided to have a GREEN BEAN RACE and see which one could make it to her mouth first. "Ready. Set. Go!" I just want you to know it was a tie!

* One day she tripped over her blanket and landed with a belly flop on the floor. She thought it was hysterical. She now does it just for fun!

* As we were washing hands, I asked her "Who loves you?" I expected the answer of "Mama" or "Jesus". Jade said "Nancy!" who is a very good friend of mine and yes, she does love Jade.

* She likes to check things out and make sure they are what she expects they are going to be. "Mama drive car?" Yes Mama drive car. "Congcong drive car." Nooooo, Congcong tai xiao le! (Congcong's too little!) Then she laughs.

* While in the tub, Jade says to me "Poop?" No baobei, you have to wait until I am done with the shampoo before you can go poop. "Shampoop?" No baobei...shamPOO.

January

* Started greeting all her favorite things as she enters into a room. Hi shui (her drink)! Hi car! Hi bebe (her blanket)! Hi red lights (on the car)! Hi turtle!

* Jade are you being patient? "No...all done patient?" She has recently added "All done wait?" and "All done listen?".

* A friend of ours has been dealing with some challenges. I found myself praying for them in the kitchen, not out loud though. Jade came in from the other room and says to me "Mama, pray _____?" It is as if she knew. She continues to do this for this person periodically and seems to fall when they are in need of prayer. Sometimes even in the middle of the night, she will wake up enough to say "Mama, pray ____?" We pray and then she is back to sleep.

* She wants to know what everything is called. She will walk around rooms or places and just touch things and say "What's that? What's that?" as fast as I will answer. The most fun I have is when I hold off on answering her when I think she knows what it is called. She will then say to me "Mama! _____" and name the object she wanted me to name for her.

* Laying in bed when she should be sleeping yet singing "Jesus loves me" to herself.

* Singing along to "How Great is our God" while playing in the kitchen.

February

* One night, we were doing devotions in Luke 12:16-21. It is the story of the rich farmer. I told her in Chinese that he didn't love God (Ta bu ai shen). She told me "Bu hao" which means bad. She gets it!

* Someone had asked me if she wants everything she sees since she was used to so little. She HAD not. Just last week, she had been practicing "I want ____" at home. NOW, in the store it is "Congcong want this." Oh well, she can ask...doesn't mean I will buy it all.

* Disney has a new princess. Her name is Snow Wipes!

* Other creative words: oatmilk (aka oatmeal)

* She added to the Congcong drive car. Now she asks if the dvd player can drive the car or the bebe or the shui or anything else she can think of. When she is all done with her list, she laughs and says "Nooooo, only ren (people) drive car!"

* Every child tries to push back going to sleep. For Jade, she asks for one more kiss or tai duo le kisses (too many kisses). Tonight, we spent the evening dancing and singing in the kitchen. She just kept asking "One more song Mama? Sing?" How do you say no to that?

I know there are many more. I need to write ALL of them down. If you want to keep up with the funny little things she does, check me out of Facebook. She is often in my status.

Can you give it all?

2010-02-19T11:31:00.004+08:00

Five Months as a family

2010-02-08T04:20:00.002+08:00

For God has not given us a spirit of fear: but of power, and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

It is hard to believe but five months ago today, Jade was placed in my arms. I guess the picture of that day is very fresh in my mind as a friend of mine is running Project Chosen this month on her blog. http://threadsoffaithfulness.blogspot.com/. Each day is a new family's adoption story. Our story is on there too. As I showed the pictures to Jade, she knew it was me but didn't recognize herself in the picture from the day I got her. She has seen herself in those glasses and the hat but didn't put the two together. Maybe it is because she is so different from the child she was on that day.

Jade came to me very anxious. In three short years, this little one was abandoned at 7 days old, lived at an orphanage with different caretakers caring for her daily and spent 6 months or so living with a foster family. Just as she would get comfortable and things were "stable" or predictable, things would change on her. That is life for most children who live in an orphanage setting. She had started to bond with a foster family only to be moved again. I guess I started thinking about whether SHE thinks about that or not after the dream she had on Friday.

I went to go get her up from her nap when I heard her stirring. It was different though. Usually, she will call out my name. Not this time. All she kept saying was "here". She just kept repeating it, slowly yet sounding very sad. I wasn't sure if she was asleep or awake so I stood outside her door for awhile. I called out her name a few times very quietly but no response. She was sleeping. She does talk in her sleep so this didn't surprise me. It was her tone that did surprise me. When she finally called out "mama", I went in to get her. As soon as I picked her up, she started listing things and in chinglish, she told me those things were "bu here" or not here. I continued to reassure her that each and every item was still here and that mama would always be here for her.

My heart broke for her and for other older orphans that can remember life before adoption. How many of them go through this? How many fear losing things that they have come to know...come to rely on...come to trust? I can't imagine what some of them have gone through before they had a family much less what goes on in their heads afterwards. As we drove to my friends house that evening, she asked me again "Mama here?". I frequently tell her "mama loves you...always." This time I told her that and I will always be here for you. I also told her that Jesus would always love her and also always be there for her. Though she may not truly understand what that means for her life yet, it gave me comfort knowing that He is watching over her. He is keeping watch and He never sleeps. No matter what her fears are or my fears are, He does give us a spirit of power, of love and a sound mind when we call on Him during those times. Thank you Lord for doing that.

How do I love you?

2009-12-29T14:10:00.000+08:00

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Loving someone isn't always easy to do. Fortunately, I didn't have to learn how to love my daughter. I am amazed that even before they brought her to me and she was placed in my arms, I loved her. I loved her even before I knew who she was...before I knew she was born. That is how God was with each one of us.

Jade

God knew each one of us before we were born. He knows the beginning from the end so He knew all that would happen in each of our lives before we took our first breath. He knew how we would feel about Him and the choices we would make and yet He still loved us.

Many have rejected Him. Many are presently rejecting Him. Many will come to reject Him. Wow! I don't know if I would want to love someone if I knew ahead of time that they were going to reject me. It says though..."For God so loved the world...". There is not one out there that He has not loved or is not presently loving even though He knows what they are feeling in their heart towards him and his Son. Could you do that? Could you love someone if you knew ahead of time that they were going to reject you?

Loving someone makes you vulnerable. Loving someone does mean they could reject you. Loving someone does mean you will get hurt at times. I know that when my daughter started one of her newest "jokes", it hurt. I would say to her lovingly, "Give mama a kiss" and she, with a smile on her face, turns her face from mine. She thinks she is funny. She even tells me "Congcong funny" and laughs when she does it. Does she know that each time she does it, I feel rejected? No. Nor will I ever tell her that. Do I know that is not what she is trying to say to me? Yes. I know her heart. I know she loves me. Loving someone does make you very vulnerable to be rejected. Loving someone can also bring you the greatest blessings.

Mark 12:30-31 has Jesus telling us 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these. If he commands us to do this, there must be a good reason for it. He never commands us to do something that is going to harm us. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 He has promised us that.

If he has called us to love others, are we not to make ourselves vulnerable and do so? There are many out there who need you to love them. They often make it difficult to love them. They often push us away. There are many out there who are hurting and need to feel loved. There are many who have been rejected and afraid to open up their heart and love someone. I ask you to make yourself vulnerable and love someone. God did it for you. He gave us the gift of his Son because of his love for us. Who are we then to not turn around and love someone else? May you be blessed beyond measure because you did.

Update on my father

2009-12-27T03:20:00.000+08:00

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

I have meant to blog about my father's progress since surgery for several days now. Now that the holiday has past, I am finding a moment to breathe and want to update all of you.

Dad is home now and has been for over a week. I have been amazed at how well he is healing and see the hand of God all over it! Those faithful prayers have been heard and I thank you for that. I think what is even more amazing is my father ALSO believes that it is those prayers being heard and answered on why he is healing so well.

Paul and his granddaughter, Jade resting after all the presents were opened

When dad came out of surgery and we were able to see him in the recovery room, I was already amazed there. He was coherent and already joking around less than one hour after surgery. I remember I wasn't doing that well after my own surgery and this was BRAIN SURGERY! Thank you Lord that you placed your angels around him and are continuing to KEEP WATCH over him.

Less than 24 hours after the surgery, he was being moved out of the ICU into a room. Another huge wow! Daddy at that time said he had really good drs and surgeons watching over him and that is why he was healing so well. Leave it to me but I couldn't let that moment go. "No daddy, this is the Lord! He did this." He is the great physician. He is the great healer. I told daddy that day how many people I had sent emails out to and how many of them had shared his need for prayer with their prayer warriors/lists/circles/churches/etc. I figured in my own little head that there was easily over a thousand people who at least prayed once for my daddy. This has obviously made a difference to him. People that didn't even know him and people that he didn't know had faith were praying for him. Thank you Lord that you put the needs of others on our hearts and we are given the opportunity to be able to come to you with our requests. No matter how big or small, you listen to the ones you call yours and hear our prayers. Thank you for that gift and the one you are giving our family as we watch my daddy heal.

The road ahead is not yet clear though. He has gotten his prognosis. The cancer that was found in his lung 3 years ago has metastasized and moved to his brain. The original cancer is called small cell cancer. It is known as an agressive cancer. The scan in August of the body, not the brain, had shown no new signs of the cancer. His oncologist had been hopeful since my father had almost made it to the 3 year mark with nothing showing up. For now, he will have to undergo radiation treatments. They are not going to start until he has healed from the surgery. He will start with 2 weeks worth of radiation (5 days each week) and then assess if he needs more. At this time, they are not planning on doing radiation on the entire brain, just where the tumor was located. Praise the Lord! Due to the fact that this is in his brain, they will not treat him with chemo.

One of the things the doctor has prepared my father with is the fact that though no cancer is showing up anywhere else, since it has metastasized, there are "seeds" of it in his body. Though they have not grown, we need to expect that those seeds could grow at any time.

One of the other amazing things I have watched is my father's attitude. Though this man has every right to feel many emotions right now, he appears to be fully at peace with everything. He is calm. He is not appearing stressed. He is worried though about my mother and I. My mother is trying to be strong for him and that worries him. My brother is worried about her too.

God was so gracious. He shut the door in China for me knowing this was going to happen. I can't imagine how I would have felt dealing with this over there. He has also given me Jade. This forces me to keep my emotions in check and keep giving them over to God so they don't impact her. I can tell you that one of my most precious memories of her and a sign of her heart was the day before my father's surgery. I stood in the kitchen crying and trying to hide it. Jade was sitting across the room and said "Mama crying?" I said "yes baobei". She said "Shall we pray?"..."Yes, baobei." She is already knowing that when things are difficult, we pray. May she always know that this is what we do as He listens and He answers prayers.

Thank you again to all the prayer warriors out there. It is because of your faithfulness in bringing our needs to the Father that my father is healing and emotionally handling this so well. On behalf of the entire Rittenhouse family, thank you.

Surgery

2009-12-15T20:48:00.000+08:00

When you pass thorugh the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. Isaiah 43:2

On Friday, December 4th, my father went in for an MRI. They found a tumor the size of a golf ball in his right frontal lobe. It is large enough that it has pushed his brain over 7mm. He has been suffering from the side effects of this for a while now. I noticed changes in him almost immediately when I returned from China. It doesn't matter how long it has been there. What matters now is the future.

My father, Paul, and Jade

Today, we head to the hospital for his brain surgery. They are going to be able to remove it. Praise the Lord! The surgery should last only 2 hours. My father is very pleased with the surgeon he has and has great faith in his ability. They will do a biopsy on the mass. It could take up to 10 days to receive the results. After reviewing the MRI and looking at my father's history with cancer, 3 out of the 4 possibilities could cancer. I serve a MIGHTY God. He is NOT a God of probabilities. He is BIGGER than all the scenarios we can put together in our heads. I am praying for another miracle. Two and a half years ago, he cured his previous cancer. I know He is still in the MIRACLE BUSINESS and can do it again. For that matter, he can make it so there is NO cancer.

One of the challenges Dad faces in recovery is his ability to fight off infection. He has diabetes. The doctors have had him on a steroid to reduce the swelling prior to surgery. This will also hopefully help in his ability to fight off any infection.

Whatever He allows into our family's lives, I know it will be for a purpose. I can't explain why these things happen to people. I just have watched God walk people through these things. They may be dark, nasty, horrible things but He loves each of us enough that He promises not to leave us in the middle of them. He takes us THROUGH them. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13. I know in my own life, He took me through some very dark and horrible things that I would not wish upon my enemy but THROUGH it, I eventually came to know Jesus as my Savior.

I had always known about Jesus. I knew He was born of a virgin, came to save us from our sins, died on a cross, rose again 3 days later and will come again but I NEVER KNEW HIM! I knew OF Him but didnt' have a personal relationship with Him. That is the difference. I had to go through some really awful things before I was ready to humble myself and realize I needed a Savior. Only then did I call upon Him and sought Him with ALL my heart. I came to know that Jesus was there as my best friend. He was there when I couldn't get someone on the phone. He was there when I was crying in my car on the way to work. He was there when I was suffering anxiety attacks and nothing before ever stopped them. He was there as I went off meds for depression and felt like I was in a deep dark pit and there was no way out. I can now look back on times in my life before I knew Him that I know He was there. Those really dark things that could have had far worse endings, He was there then too. He protected me then even though I wasn't trusting in Him but only in myself to take care of me. My prayer is that through this brain tumor, my family will come to know Him and trust in Him alone.

When times are rough, there is nothing greater than the peace you receive from Jesus. He carries you when you don't think you can go on. He gives you strength to endure. If you don't know Him as your best friend, ask Him into your life. Admit to Him that you are a sinner and you no longer want to do it on your own. Ask Him to be your Savior. He is standing right beside you with His hand stretched out to you. He just wants you to reach for Him. He will never make you take His hand. You will never regret it if you do.

Bringing in the new

2009-11-16T04:51:00.000+08:00

Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are {in fact} unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 1 Corinthians 5:7

As you have heard me say many times, Jade constantly amazes me. I know normally developing children learn things quickly. When you have taught developmentally delayed children for more than 20 years, you forget how quickly normal children learn things.

Unfortunately, while she learns English, I hear less and less Chinese at the level she was at in China coming out of her. She spoke in full sentences, even with me, while we were in China. Some of her thoughts were very complex and truly showed her level of intelligence.  Even when I had her recently speak with a Chinese friend of mine, she didn't use it with her either.

What is sad for me is seeing her losing a part of who she is. Yes, by bringing her home she became an American. Yes, she will speak English as an American. I know that when you are learning something new, some of the old things slide back. It is just hard to watch a part of who she has been for the past three years leaving her. She is still Chinese and always will be. I don't want her to forget that.

She was born to a woman in China. She has a biological father who is Chinese as well. I watch all the wonderful things she is doing and think about a family that doesn't get to see this wonderful part of her. When we celebrated her birthday a few weeks ago, did they think about their child they felt had to give up? She was abandoned on November 1. Did they remember that day as well and wonder what has happened to her? Chances are they will never know that she was adopted nor that she now lives in the United States.    They will also never know what a sweet, loving, bright child she is. All they knew was she was an albino and that she was different. I don't know what went through their heads or whether or not they think of her today. I just don't want her to forget who she is and where she came from. God allowed her to be born in China, spend almost 3 years in an orphanage and a foster home before He joined us together as a family. Being Chinese is a part of her heritage and I don't want her to ever forget that.

As the old leaves her and the new is coming in, may I never forget to share with her all the wonderful things I know about China with her. May I never forget to share with her His unconditional love and teach her about His ways. May He continue to watch over both of us and help us to know what she needs to keep and what she needs to let go.

Blessings of the week

2009-11-15T04:02:00.000+08:00

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ Philippians 3:8

Though I am looking to be more content in life, nothing has brought me more joy than being a mother. Though I have many days that I struggle with putting the things of life in their proper order, there are two things that will always be at the top of my list: my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and my daughter. That is how it should be. He comes first. As He comes first, He gives me the ability to be the best that I can be for her. Without Him, nothing else matters. Without Him, it is all a loss. I can't imagine being a mom without Him first in my life.

This week, Jade and I had a wonderful blessing. With it being Veteran's Day on Wednesday, we got an extra day to spend together. We took full advantage of it. Late in the afternoon, we headed over to the playground across the street from our home. She loves it. My mom watches her two days a week and they go there alot. Jade is getting more confident as she tries more things. With her vision challenges, she sometimes seems unsure and wants me to hold her hand to get through things. It doesn't take her long until she wants to be independent.

She is starting to take more risks indoors and out. Climbing on things, bouncing on things, jumping on things, just physically exploring her world more and more. With that is coming more falls and more bumps. She is very much like many other children who come out of an orphanage setting. They get hurt but many don't cry. Their experience may be that no one will come or comfort me when I cry so why bother. This isn't due to the children being unloved. Many times this is due to the ratio of staff to children is extremely high. Due to this, many children that needed to be picked up and held couldn't be because there was not enough people available to do this. I also know that many of the ayis (nannies) often haven't finished middle school and definitely did not receive training to work with children as they do here in the states. I'm sure in time Jade will watch other children and come to realize she can milk her "bonk-a-boos" with a few tears.

My baobei (my precious treasure)

At the playground across the street from our home

My precious baby girl

Not only were we blessed with an extra day to spend together, we were blessed with a family from church coming by today to play with Jade while I tackled more boxes that need to be unpacked. Since I only had 3 weeks to get repairs done and move back into my home before I went to get her, only the major necessities of life were unpacked. Even though we have been home almost 2 months, I still had some stuff that I brought home from my year in China that needed to be put away. While they played with Jade, I was able to get alot accomplished in a very short time today. Nothing can be more overwhelming to me than to constantly see the things I still need to do glaring at me every day. I now can say one more room is done! Lord, you are so good! Thank you for the blessings you give.

Content? Not yet but getting there

2009-11-14T10:38:00.002+08:00

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. Philippians 4:11

I'm going to start this one out by stating that I AM NOT COMPLAINING about my life. Not in any way, shape or form! Right now, I am just sharing my thoughts about where I am in my life.

Now that I have said that, hmmm...content. I have recently found myself praying for this again. I found myself two years ago praying for this and I was amazed when I finally looked back at my life and found that I was content. I stopped longing for things that were not mine to have. I love how He hears our hearts desires and gives them to us when they are in line with His will for our lives.

I want to be back in that state of mind. I have been blessed so abundantly with the gift of my daughter. Please don't take this as me saying I want more. I'm not deserving of what He has already given me. How could I even think to want more blessings?

Sometimes my head is a scary place to be. I don't let things go very easily. I over think things. I try to figure things out in my head. I try to interpret meanings behind things that maybe aren't meant for me to understand or to know just yet. This is what I want to stop. I want to take each of these thoughts captive and give them over to God. I want to be comfortable waiting for Him to fulfill the promises He has given me instead of me saying "Is this it Lord?" or "What does this mean when ... happened?".

This is what I mean by wanting to be content. I want to be able to walk through my day CONTENT to be doing what He has me doing, going where He wants me to be and totally focused on the most important job He has ever given me...being a mom. All the rest of life is very distracting at times. I forgot about some of that while I was in China. I want my focus back. While I was in China, I never forgot any of the promises He had given me. I just wasn't busy trying to interpret all the little things and how they played into my desires. I was content...content in waiting on Him and His perfect timing for anything and everything in my life. I long for that again. My daughter deserves that from me.

Please pray that I am able to find this. I have started to find some of it as I have pulled myself back from some things that I have let my head get all wrapped up in. Pray I am able to hear His still, small voice so I know where He wants me to step, when He wants me to step and to wait contently for His plans to unfold instead of me unfolding my plans. Thank you Lord that you love me enough to continue to mold me into being the best mother and woman I can be.

2 months

2009-11-09T03:39:00.007+08:00

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

On Saturday, November 2, I celebrated the fact that Jade and I have been a family for 2 months. I want you to know that it feels like she has been with me so much longer than just a mere 60 days. She continues to be such an angel. My mom keeps telling me how lucky I am. I know this is not luck but a blessing from my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This gift is so perfect that it could only come from Him.

Let's make them all talk at the same time!

Everyday she is trying new things. I can watch her for hours trying to figure out what she is going to think of next. The other day she decided that she was going to activate all the LeapFrog things on the refrigerator at the same time. She then stood back and chuckled at herself. She just cracks me up sometimes...ok...most of the time.

Dancing in the kitchen

She loves music. She loves dancing. She has figured out that if she stands infront of the dishwasher she can see her reflection in it while she dances. She received one of those cards that has music in it for her birthday. She likes when I sing to it and we added some "moves" to go with it. She will imitate anything I do! NOT ALWAYS a good thing but it definitely helps to keep me aware of all the things I shouldn't be doing. I think some dance classes may be in her future.

Dancing to her Fridge DJ

Every morning we have our little rituals. The first thing when she wakes up, she asks me "How are you?". The next question I get as we go downstairs is "Cheerios?". I make my coffee while she sits next to the fridge with her Cheerios and her drink (aka "shui" pronounced "shway"). I always bring down her blanket because we take it to daycare. This week, she decided that she wanted it over her lap while she sat there with her Cheerios and shui.

Her newest thing

Also this week, Little, our cat, decided that he really likes Jade's bag. I was filling it with all the things she needed one morning. Little decided she needed to take him with her too.

Little wants to go to daycare too

For any of you that have been into Jade's playroom, you will see that I have lots of books! I love to read and I love to read to her even more. Her favorite book of the week is The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. She sat there the other night with it in her lap while I was cooking dinner. The ladybug was picking fights with bigger and bigger animals. I tell the story in English but add some size words in Chinese. As she was "reading" the book, she would flip to each page and find the ladybug, call it "xiao de" (little one) and then the other animal and call it "da de" (big one). As the animals would get bigger, she was imitating what I had done with my voice. This was truly fun to listen to and watch!

Checking out her favorite book of the week

She has started to wear bows in her hair. It is growing very quickly. If you check out the pictures of her buzz cut in June, it is wonderful to see how much it has grown. They don't stay in long as they seem to slide out easily but the other morning she got up and wanted them in. That morning, she also decided that her bucket could hold more than her stuff from the refrigerator.

Her latest bucket trick

The other night, I had to go out to the kitchen to get something. When I came back in, I found this.

Little trying to convince Jade to share her dinner

My mom had bought a cradle this summer at a garage sale. My nephew had to complete a project for school by helping someone do something. He chose to help my dad sand and paint the cradle for Jade. It is adorable!

Her cradle my nephew, Hunter, painted for her

We had about 40 family members over to our home yesterday to celebrate her becoming a part of her family. As Hunter gave her his gift, he brought in one of her dolls to put in it. Jade wanted to take it out though and climb in herself. :) The sweetest thing was later on when she was given another baby doll as a gift, it too was put in the cradle. Jade then started praying with the baby as I do when I put her to bed. I so love her!

My new hat?

My daughter is quite a natural when it comes to performing for an audience. Her mama is the same way...unfortunately.

Her new cart

Jade loves to push things around the house, including the 6" tall carriage for my mini Boyd's Bear. She started pushing the cart around and realized that it had a seat in the front, just like in the stores. Hmmmmm! Yes, as most children would, she tried to climb in this too! She was satisfied (for that day) when we showed her that her dolls or stuffed animals could ride instead.

As I told you earlier, she loves having an audience and is always ready to perform. Since I have worked in an elementary school for 16 years and performed as a clown, I have a few cute little tricks to show her. One was my favorite...a round of applause, a seal of approval and a little Hip! Hip! Hooray!. She performed Hip! Hip! Hooray! for the large crowd yesterday several times. I believe my mom may have even gotten it on tape.

Hip! Hip! Hooray!

She also took this moment of having a large audience to try out a new trick, climbing on the coffee table!

Her newest trick

Each day with her is truly a gift. If nothing else good comes into my life, I will be ok because she is a good and perfect gift everyday. Even on days that are challenging, I love her more and more. I look forward to what will come with her. Thank you Lord Jesus for this gift.

Jade's 3rd Birthday

2009-10-31T09:32:00.002+08:00

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:7

On Thursday, October 22, 2009, some friends and family members gathered at my home to celebrate a wonderous day. It was the day the Lord chose for my little baobei to be born on 3 years ago in Tianjin, China. He knew what plans He had for her life. He knew what she would endure before she would be joined with me. I'm just glad that He didn't wait any longer to put us together. Thank you Lord for that blessing!

I started the day by leaving my house while she was still asleep. I found myself arriving at work holding back tears. I had waited for the past 5 years for the day I would celebrate my daughter's birth and I wasn't there. I wasn't the one that got to wake her up. I wasn't the first one that got to wish her Happy Birthday on the day she was born. Birthdays have always been extremely special to me...I'm not sure why. To not be able to start her first one here together was really hard for me. Fortunately, a good friend came in and said "Call home!" I did and it made such a difference. It didn't give me those "firsts" that I wanted but I was able to be the first to sing to her in Chinese and she understood. No one can take that one from me!

Jade and her mama wearing their "scarves"

When I got home from work, I was "blessed" with the challenge of not only finishing up dinner for 14 people, finishing her cake(messed up the frosting recipe 3 times!), stopping her from melting down because I was not following our regular "routine" but I had to also deal with a backed up, smelly sink! I called my Mr. Fixit friend and insisted that he didn't need to come out and fix it. Why do I do those things? Who was I kidding? I didn't have the foggiest clue of what I was doing. I had run a snake down the pipe and that is the best I could do. I thought I was going to go underneath, take off the trap and really fix it? Needless to say, Mr. Fixit had to come out at 9 pm because the blockage was down in the basement. I need to stop relying on him to come and rescue me everytime I have a house issue but I am so blessed that he has come and rescued me more than once since I have been back in the states.

Jade applauding the singing with Hunter (her cousin) and Gloria

Jade loved having everyone there. She loved all the attention and getting to play with Hunter and Gloria. She wasn't too keen on eating the cake. She is not a big sweet eater. She tried her hardest to blow out the candles. Thank goodness for help from Hunter and Gloria on that one!

My little princess

My daughter is in need of nothing yet she was blessed again with so many gifts. As she unwrapped one of them, she kept taking out the tissue paper and would lay it out flat as if that was the cherished gift! One of her gifts was a Cinderella dress and crown. Every princess must have a crown! She's not too sure of the dress yet but knowing how much she likes to put on jewelery and towels as scarves, I expect that dress up is right around the corner.

Jade enjoying one of her presents

She was too cute when she got a stroller for the dolls. She thought is was for her and tried to sit in it! She may be light but not THAT light! My mom took her and her doll out for a walk yesterday with it! The first time out was Jade's turn to ride in her stroller so Laolao (grandma) could get her exercise. The second time was so Jade could walk her doll. Wish I was there to see that!

Jade with her Uncle Brian

I was so blessed that my brother was able to come out for this. His schedule is often full and my nephew is supposed to spend Thursdays with his mom. They came anyways! What a gift for me and for Jade. Hunter so loves his cousin. He is so good with little children.

It is hard to believe that within the first month of having her home, I was able to celebrate a milestone with her. Our first birthday celebration together. I can't wait to share each upcoming event with her. Everything is new to her. Everything she sees, does, experiences is brand new and she loves every little thing (well, not yet the car seat!) and can't wait once she gets past the initial "What is this?". I just want to be the one to show her more of it. Unfortunately, I can't. I have to work and others get to have those moments. I have mine though and no one can take those. Last night was one of those. She was very upset. She is starting to get fussy when I tell her it is almost time to go to bed or take a bath. She knows she will have to stop playing. She ened up crying through out her bath. As I layed her down to bed, she was still crying. We prayed and I asked Jesus to comfort her and to help her calm down so she would sleep well. Immediately after praying, she took a deep breath and was done crying. AMEN! We praised Jesus for helping her! May she see continue to see the power of prayer when you call on the one I know as my Lord and Savior! Thank you Lord for all those little gifts. Every good and perfect gift DOES come from above! What other gift could I want? I have her.

Growing more and more

2009-10-19T05:25:00.003+08:00

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Psalm 92:12

She amazes me how much she grows. It is daily...not in height but in knowledge. Now that I think about it...she is physically growing too. The doctor says she gained 2.5 lbs since she has been home and to keep feeding her when she is hungry. Ok doc, you know what is best. The awesome thing is that she loves fruit and vegetables and he was surprised to see that her tests showed that her enzymes are good and so is her iron level. Now if I can only get my iron and B12 levels up I would be doing as well as she is. :)

I had told you that while we were in China, she was laying in bed and counted up to 50. This is not typical for a child who was not yet 3 years old. Well, the other night, she was pulling out my cooling racks from the cupboard and she wanted me to count with her. We counted each of the lines on the rack. I pointed and she counted...in English. She independently went to 16. She amazes me. She is a little sponge.

Jade and our cat "Little" entertain each other

Fortunately, Jade and the two cats get along well. She doesn't like it when they fight. Unfortunately, we have been dealing with alot of that lately. I sat on Little's tail on Sunday and he thought it was Miss Hue. He started hissing at her and she started swatting at him and this is how it has been for 5 days straight. I went away for the weekend so I have no idea how they survived. Anyone want 2 cats? Screaming Piazzolla in the car is enough for me. I don't need two screaming cats in the house too!

Jade with her "scarf" and her favorite accessory, keys

Jade loves to imitate anything that anyone is doing. Her latest thing is whenever I am wearing my favorite scarves from China, she runs and gets the towel out of the bathroom and puts it around her neck. Her other favorite accessory continues to be keys! The challenge is that when we are outside of the house, she is going to ANYONE and trying to get their keys. She pulled out of my hand at church and at a store doing this. It concerns me how freely she will go to strangers and it is something I am keeping an eye on. I is a sign of attachment issues and I need to talk to a few of my friends who have gone through this to see what they think and how they knew. For now, I pray and ask for my Lord's wisdom, guidance and protection.

My little monkey

One of the cutest things she started doing this week was carrying over her new English skills into new situations! As a speech therapist, NOTHING you love more than carryover! Woohoo! As I have told you before, she loves to sing. Well, singing Noah has a great big ark and Old MacDonald has a farm has helped. The other night, I was telling her we were eating chicken. I often tell her in Chinese and in English. After I told her we were eating chicken, she took a bite and then said "buck buck". :) She makes me chuckle all the time! She started making more of the animal sounds. If I start it and then wait, she will finish what I started. My favorite is when she does the monkey! If I haven't told you already, I sooooo love her!

Open my eyes Lord

2009-10-19T03:58:00.002+08:00

Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. Psalm 119:18

This has been a challenging weekend for me. I have wanted to blog all weekend and just couldn't find the time. I love sharing with all of you the joys my daughter brings. I will eventually get to that in a different post, but now, I just need to share about me. I need prayer and therefore, I want to share with you where I am at. This may not make alot of sense. This is just kinda rambling for me so I can sort it all out in my head and with God so be patient as you read this.

Our morning started out with me trying to get a "little guiet time". I was so excited. I woke up and had actually slept through the night without waking. Woohoo! Jade wasnt' awake so I wanted to go downstairs and get a cup of coffee and open my bible. I have been desiring adult time and quiet time this week. Not getting enough of either. Needless to say, I sat on one of my cat's tails which set him off and that set the other cat off, which in turn woke up Jade. Quiet time...gone. The morning continued to snowball. Let's just say, we left the house for church at the time we were supposed to actually ARRIVE there. Not good. As I drove out the driveway, I said, "Why bother going? You're already late. She's not actually understanding anything she is hearing anyways."

Lord, change my heart. Change my thoughts. Change my mood. I found myself Friday night so missing China and SFCV. As this weekend has unfolded, a friend of mine asked me why am I feeling this way. What is it I am looking for that I think I would get from adult time, time to myself, my hair cut/colored? What is it? Lord, open my eyes. I want to see. I want to know.

This weekend, I started thinking about how life was so much simpler in China. I could see and hear God so much clearer. There were less distractions of everyday life there to pull you away from Him. I didn't really get "adult time" and conversation except on Sundays as I rode in an hour with the Bakers to church, for lunch and the ride home. Even though I longed for it, it was part of life there so I just dealt with it. I couldn't easily get to church more than once a week like I can here. If I wanted to be "fed", I had to do it myself. I couldn't easily get to a store to purchase things and I couldn't really shop as it wasn't in my budget and most things didn't fit me.

When I first returned to the states, I wanted to keep my life simlified. I lived with so little there and still had so much more than most of my friends there. I find myself wanting things here. Why? I don't need them. while in china, I didn't cut or highlight my hair. I was afraid of a bad haircut (flashbacks of teenage years) and couldn't justify spending a week's salary to go to Beijing and color my hair. I don't know if it was I just didn't feel pretty or feeling like a mom or flashbacks of my oldest friend telling me I was looking frumpy but I went and got my hair cut and low lighted. I love it but why did I feel like I NEEDED it.

Sometimes my head is a very scary place to spend time in. That is why I only want to hear from my Lord. I want peace back. I want to be focused on what He wants me to focus on in my life. If there is something He wants me to change, I am willing. If there is something He wants me to do or stop doing, I am willing. I want Him to be my center, like it was in China. I need Him there. He was my husband in China. To some of you, calling Him "my husband" doesn't make any sense but He was my confidant. He comforted me. He corrected me. He calmed me down. He refocused me. These are all the traits that many of you turn to your own husband for and I want Him like that for me here too. I haven't put Him there in the last few weeks and I want Him back there. There are so many decisions I have to make and I hate trusting myself to make good ones. I know there is no greater wisdom, understanding or discernment than I can get from my Lord and Savior. Just pray that I can find what I had with Him while I was in China back here in the states as a mother. There is nothing greater than this. I don't need all the rest. If He opens my eyes and shows me something, AMEN to that! If not, I am ok with that, as long as I can put Him in the center of my life again.

No more tears...well, sorta

2009-10-11T09:24:00.006+08:00

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Psalm 126:5

Jade has done super this week. The greatest accomplishment this week was the fact that she stopped crying going from home to daycare and then from daycare to home! Of course, it wasn't by her own will...there was the infamous dangling carrot of fruit snacks as an incentive! Hey, it got me peace for 1.5 miles! I'll take it! I will just let you know though that when you try to travel further with her...the effect only lasts for up to 15 minutes. And in those 15 minutes, do you know how many animals got onto Noah's ark? She kept asking for rat-a-tat-tat and I kept singing. At least half the ride was scream free!

She amazes me how fast she picks up the language. I know this happens with all the children that are adopted so young but when you have worked in Special Education for 21 years, you sometimes lose a grip on what is "normal" development. It seems like every day she is learning a new English word, following more directions without me speaking Chinese and using new Chinese phrases that I haven't heard before. Her newest one is keys. She LOVES people's keys and their cell phones. A friend of mine says he feels like he should be getting arrested as she pats him down looking for his phone in his pockets when he walks in the door. One of the men in our church has a huge ring of keys and those are her all time favorite. She likes to flip through them and gingle a few at a time together and then alter combinations to hear the different sounds they make. My mom comes out on Wednesday nights and watches her for two days a week. As "Laolao" walks in the door, Jade is already asking for keys. Mom is willing to trade them for a little loving. Jade decided that Laolao's keys may also make some really interesting jewelry.

Jade wearing her newest "necklace"

I have been floored by the outpouring of donations I have received for Jade. Families are going through their toys, books and clothes and passing onto us what they no longer need or have an abundance of. I love how our Lord supplies all our needs. I walk into her playroom and realize that other than books, there is not much here that I have purchased. It was all donated or given as gifts.

Jade and some of her "stuff"

I love watching her play. I expected to have to show her everything and teach her how to play. Yes, I do have to do this but she picks up on it so quickly. She was given the Fisher Price castle and she loves moving the people around. She finds it entertaining to watch mommy make these funny voices as she moves the people around. (At least we are both entertained by one another!) The other day, she picked up the thrones for the king and queen and said "potty". As I looked at them, I agreed. They do kinda look like potty seats for children. I love looking at the world through her eyes. It makes me take time for the little things I have been missing.

My baobei

The other day, we had to go to the store. As we walked through the store, she just wanted me to sing to her. She kept requesting the songs. I don't mind singing to her in public, I just don't know what all the other customers in the grocery store thought about us! :) The best part is she prefers the songs we sing from Children's Ministry. She asks for them in her own special ways and I sing along for her. It's my little evangelist and she is not even 3 yet! She is already getting out His word in non-intimidating ways and she doesn't even know it! She has this way of getting people to do things that God says is good. Hmmm, guess I am going to keep praying that He use her in mighty ways to let people see His glorious ways and bring them to salvation!

Picking apples

2009-10-04T09:40:00.006+08:00

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

For the past 6 years, I have belonged to an adoption support group. We meet monthly and the people in our group have grown to be called family by one another. Over the years, we have gone on many field trips. There has always been an abundance of children I could "borrow" for the day and call mine but today, I was able to go on my first field trip as a mama! How sweet it was!

Jade and I on the children's wagon ride

Jade was super! (as long as we don't talk about the lovely ride with her screaming all the way in the car seat) She went on the wagon ride with me after I was able to squish myself in and pry myself back out. I was blessed to have this all documented in pictures. Thanks Gary! She loved it. For those of you who know me, I love to sing and what would a field trip be without a little singing. Yes, we sang as we rode! The young man driving the tractor looked back and laughed at us a few times but my daughter loved it and that is all that matters!

Jade and Carol James

Since I have grown to love so many of these children, it was very hard for me to share my time with them and my daughter. Meaghan was one of these special little girls. Meaghan has been home for 4 years and she is my lovie! Each one of these girls has been waiting for my daughter to come home so they could play with her. May they all grow to be good friends and know that even though I am Jade's mama, I will continue to love them.

Meaghan and I

We took a wagon ride out to the orchard. They gave us bags to fill. I was so excited as I haven't done this since I was a teenager and getting paid to pick fruit. Jade was quite content. She enjoyed walking through the orchard and was all set once her hands got full.

Jade and her two apples

I kept trying to convince her to put her apples in my bag and get more but nope...that was not her plan. So she ate and I picked. We all joked about whether or not they were going to give us an apple breathalizer when we got back to pay for our apples. They were so good. Nothing is better than a crisp apple right from the tree, well, except maybe the apple crisp and apple sauce made from them later in the day. :)

"Ok Mama, my hands are full! I'm ready to go!"

This was not only my first field trip with my daughter but Karen Pickard has also recently brought home her daughter Maya from Ethiopia. This was an exciting moment for both of us and one we have both waited for.

Maya-one of our newest additions to the AWAA family

The Kulps were in China while I was. We were both getting our daughters at the same time. It was such a blessing to be able to see people you knew and watched walk through their journey get their daughter, Danielle.

Danielle-our other newest family addition

I so love our support group. No one is afraid to say they are having challenges. No one pretends to be the perfect parent. Though my best friend has been telling me that all parents make mistakes and we all feel dumb sometimes, it was good to hear other people telling you this too. So many other families have experienced my car seat issues (and it looks like it could be a long ride until she is comfortable in it) as children in other countries often don't use car seats and haven't traveled much.

As we went through the day, we shared stories of our children. I was sharing how Jade has started to sing the chorus of a worship song and raise her hands in praise like mama does (Monkey see...monkey do). Each mom shared a song their son or daughter did the same thing to. Each song was totally different but it totally matched the child's personality. I love how you do this Lord!

After a wonderful day, we journeyed home. Later on, Jade decided that all the plastic containers needed to come out of the cabinet. She decided to create a masterpiece with them. She also realized that they can be used for art AND to make a lovely hat!

Jade proudly displaying her new "hat" and artistic creation of plastic containers

First week home

2009-10-03T09:54:00.005+08:00

“Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me! ” Psalm 66:20

This has been a long week for me. It started with a return to work. Ugh! Fortunately, she is doing well at daycare. We spent three days at daycare the week before getting to know the children so I think that helped with the transition on Monday. I think she has handled this because she is used to rotating care takers while living in the orphanage. For me the hardest part is watching her leave my arms and want to go to Jaminett. I am trying not to say "attachment issues" but I am keeping my eye on it. She is very comfortable going to a variety of people and I am trying to sort it all out and decide how I am going to handle this. Is this part of her personality? Is it an attachment issue?

On Tuesday, we headed to see a pediatric opthamologist. I didn't expect to get in so quickly and now I wish we hadn't. After 1.5 hours in the car (screaming, taking off her clothes, trying to get out of the carseat, and a bloody nose from getting so stressed out), she was exhausted. This dr didn't even take the time to ask me any questions about her vision or gain a rapport with a child who was obviously not comfortable (she was hiding under my coat trying to fall asleep when he walked in) before he started evaluating her. After he tried to evaluate her unsuccessfully, he said he would need to put her out to be able to evaluate her. He could tell me what they might find but he couldn't tell me what she was exhibiting on WHY he thought she might have those issues. He didn't even suggest that we try an evaluate her again after she has been home longer and more comfortable. Let's just say, I am in the process of looking for another doctor.

This week at work, I received this special gift. A woman I work with walked up to me and handed me this pink bag. It was from her daughter to my daughter. She had gone home and told her daughter about Jade. She told her how she had come from an orphanage in China and didn't have many if any toys where she had lived. Stephanie immediately wanted to go through her own toys and give some of them to my daughter. Stephanie is only 4 years old. She not only wanted to give her own belongings, she wanted to take her birthday money and go shopping for things Jade needed. Stephanie bought Jade a new pair of pj's, a bear that prayers and some new jewelry. I was so touched as was her mother. If only the adult part of the world could see things like this child has, there would be no one who was hungry, without shelter, without clothing, the world would be a better place.

In all the things that Stephanie had given Jade, there was a wipe box full of necklaces and bracelets. When I gave it to Jade and she opened it up, it took her breath away. She immediately put it down and started putting on all, and I do mean ALL her new jewels. Her arm was so full of bracelets that she couldn't even bend her elbow!

Jade all dressed up and ready to go!

On Thursday and Friday, my mother comes out to my home and watches my daughter at my house. This is good but it was hard to leave this morning as my daughter was still sleeping when I left. Every morning, we pray together before I leave her. It was far too quiet to not hear her little "Amen" at the end of our prayer.

One of my favorite stories this week has to do with worship. Every morning, Jade and I play a cd called "Sing over me". It has a combo of worship and lullabies and I highly recommend it to all mothers. We stand in the kitchen, I hold her and we sway to the music. I always sing the first song "How great is our God" to her. The second song is "Here I am to worship". To my surprise, she started singing the chorus this week with me! How precious to my ears! If it is precious to me, I can only imagine how it sounds to God! I can't wait for the day that she truly understands what she is singing and truly wants Him as her Savior! Today she added a new twist to it. She started raising her hands in praise while she sang!

Parents, I tell you to watch what you are doing or not doing. Your children are watching and listening! She has only been home in the states with me for 11 days. In that time, she is studying me. She hears what I do and imitates it. She watches what I do and imitates it. For those of you who love the Lord, may your children hear you praising Him. May they watch you worshiping Him. May they hear your prayers to Him. It is by our walk, by our actions that they learn how to do these things. If they can't see it or hear it, how will they know? I encourage you to live your life for Christ so your children can see and know this is the way a Christian is. You will be blessed as you watch your children grow as they are given that model for their life.

The gift of a child

2009-09-25T01:47:00.005+08:00

A gift is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; Wherever he turns, he prospers. Proverbs 17:8

Jade is considered a precious stone of China. Jade is also my precious baby girl. I tell her that daily both in Chinese and in English. She too is a gift to me. I praise Him for designing her for me daily as I know that such a perfect gift could only come from Him.

I stood in my kitchen the other day and was just watching her explore her new world. I thought about the gift He sends to us in the form of a child. Each day with her, I feel like I see something new in her. It is like I am unwrapping this beautiful package each day and the gift justs keep getting better and better.

Even if you don't have children, God did this for us as well. His son, Jesus Christ, was sent to us as a child. When you accept Christ as your Savior, each day is a new day and you get to see something new. I learn new things about Him each day. I also see areas that He is working on in me. I am soooo glad that He is still working in me as I don't want to make mistakes with her. I can see areas in my life that He has been molding me for so I would be ready for this moment with her. Each day living for Him and with Him is a gift.

For those of you who have experienced the gift of a child through adoption, I thank you for eliminating one more orphan in this world. For those of you who have not, you may want to consider it. It is an amazing gift. For my friend who have given birth as well as adopted, they say there is no difference. They are your child. I know that as I look into her eyes, I see the eyes of God...perfect, pure, meek, loving, patient. Everything about her was designed specifically for me.

Right now, she lays upstairs sleeping. She awoke from her nap earlier and got up briefly. She had shots and blood drawn today. She lay in my arms downstairs and just kept asking for Cheerios, a drink and to go to sleep. Jetlag and all these daily challenges as dr appts, carseats and visiting daycare in preparation for Monday have been challenging. I know He is watching over us and directing us. I pray He continues to let me clearly hear His wisdom as He guides me on what is best for my precious baby girl.

Our friend Nancy holding her at the shower they had for us at work

Jade with her grandpa

Jade with my brother's son, Hunter

Jade and I at Laura's wedding reception before we left China

Prayer Request

2009-09-20T10:10:00.001+08:00

This will have to be quick. I have not had consistent internet access the past two days so I apologize for not updating the blog via email. We leave SFCV in 2 hours. We head to Beijing for church, see some things, lunch and the airport. This will be a challenging day. She has seen the suitcases already and knows there is a change coming. She has been whining due to that.
We need prayer. Our flight leaves Beijing at 9:15 tonight and we fly into South Korea. We have a 10 hour layover there. We are going to stay in a hotel and that will be a nother transition for her. We fly to Washington at 10 am ish on Monday morning on a flight that is over 13 hours long. We then have a 5 hour layover before we get to Rochester at 6 pm.
His mercies are new every morning and we have a few mornings to get through until we are home. I am glad I am doing this journey with Him leading and guiding us. I can't imagine doing this without Him. Just please continue to keep us in prayer. I know that things have gone so well BECAUSE of all the faithful who have been praying for us! We thank you for that!
As we step off the plane in Washington, Jade will officially be a US Citizen! See you soon!

Praise the Lord Pictures

2009-09-18T10:00:00.003+08:00

Jade and Shelby

Jade and Teacher Wang

Jade and Sara

My world traveler...have potty, will travel

Praise the Lord!

2009-09-18T10:00:00.001+08:00

The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. Psalm 28:7

Thank you to all of you faithful who have been fervently praying for us on this trip and especially for today! I praise you Lord for all you have done and are going to do in my daughter’s life and in mine!
She made it! I can’t say with no crying but so minimal it doesn’t even matter! She walked and playfully ran through the airport! Woohoo! First major challenge averted! Lord you are soooo good! Whined a little while waiting for tickets but truly minimal. While waiting for the plane, she decided she too wanted to carry bags like Laolao (maternal grandmother) and mama were so we gave her the “potty” bag. She was pleased as punch to drag it around in our area! She thought she was pretty special! She got on the plane and only whined a little about putting the seat belt. She slept for an hour and got whiny after two hours but I got up and took her to the bathroom and she was content again. Changing scenery seems to help. So does giving her those 5 minute warnings. It will be so much easier when we both understand each other more.
Driver Gu picked us up at the airport. He told me she was beautiful. I do agree. We got to SFCV and were met by friends. She needed a nap so I had to hold people off for a while. Transition was making her whiny…as expected but still nothing in comparison to what we have been going through. Thank you Lord! She didn’t want to get up from her nap but once we got her outside, my baby girl was back in action. She wanted to be down and with the children. She stayed near me and made sure she knew where I was but still was willing to talk to my friends and the other children here. Lord, you are soooo good!
The hardest moment for me was when one of the nannies asked me why I didn’t adopt a child from here. I tried to explain that you can’t always get matched with a child that you desire, especially once you are already with a specific agency. I know there are so many God stories out there testifying of beating those odds but also I know this is the child God created just for me.
This wise nanny told me that all the children here need a mother and a father to take care of them. I told her they were blessed to have them to love them until that time comes. She told me it is not the same. I agree. May those of you who have never witnessed the miracle of adoption or the precious face of an orphan see what happens to a child when they enter into a family. Though they may be loved where they are, there will NEVER be anything that can be as good to them as a family to call their own. I ask those of you who have no children, already “have enough” or have already raised a family to consider this. Is He calling you to adopt? Is He calling you to step out and help orphans in some way? Find out. If it is adoption, it is the most amazing thing you will ever experience in your life and the blessings you could bring to a child’s life with be numerous.
Tomorrow, I must say many goodbyes to people I have come to love here and will forever be in my heart. I don’t understand why God moves many people out of here that the Chinese have come to love and respect but I do know that He leaves that whole in their heart so He can fill it if they let Him in. Pray for the Chinese staff here that do not yet know Him as well as pray the staff here that does know Him will speak boldly in His name and testify what He has done in their lives.
Lord I am just so glad that you are my Savior and that you are with me and my daughter as we go through each and every day!

Swearing in

2009-09-17T10:44:00.001+08:00

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

He is so faithful and again, He hears the desires of our hearts even when we don’t go to Him and tell Him. I was disappointed today as I had expected to attend a swearing in ceremony with families I didn’t know. I wanted to be a part of our group. He knew that. Today, the last eight families had their paperwork done at the consulate and because there were so small a number of families, they moved their swearing in date to today! Yippee! Praise the Lord! Not only was I there with the families that I have gone through this journey with but the Kulp family (from our AWAA Support Group) was also there. I love how He takes those desires and puts them together better than you could have ever asked for! He has proved that again and again on this journey.

This is going to be a short one as I need to get up in 5 hours to catch our flight to Beijing. Jade continues to have challenges going into new situations with large groups and in noisy places. A family suggested I try cotton balls. I am not sure if that is for her or to hand out to the people around us but we are going to try that tomorrow to get through the airport and the flight. She did not do well at the consulate today. She cried and screamed for a long time. Once we sat down and I sang to her, she did better. She prefers Old Macdonald right now and tells me by putting her hands on my face, looking at me and saying “Ee Ii Ee Ii Oo”. Hey if it works and keeps her from crying in those situations, I will sing it until I lose my voice! Please pray for her. Pray I have the wisdom to know what will comfort her and that the people around us have patience with a crying child on a 3 hour flight. My back is starting to bother me and carrying two bags and her tomorrow through the airport could be challenging.

With a flight back to Beijing, I have to put her through another transition. This one could be more challenging as it is an orphanage situation. There will be many Chinese friends who will want to meet her. She tends to shy away from the other children as well and last I checked, SFCV still has over 100 children there. We will only be there 3 days before I have to take the long flight home with a 10 hour layover in South Korea. Just please continue to keep us in prayer.

I didn’t have time to download pictures so I will try to get you some extras tomorrow!

Loys of Little Blessings Pictures

2009-09-16T09:44:00.001+08:00

My sleeping baby

Jade and I in a park on Shamian Island

Jade and I with a "sister"

Jade and I on the terrace of our hotel

Lots of little blessings

2009-09-16T09:41:00.000+08:00

Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4
Blessings…that is what the last 24 hours has held for me. It started last night. I forgot to tell you about something she did while we were lying down and trying to fall asleep. I kept telling her in Chinese and English to go to sleep. One time when I told her to go to sleep in Chinese, she turned to me and corrected me!  I felt like I was back in Chinese class. Even my daughter knows my tones stink! She is quite the funny little lady.
This morning started out with paperwork. Fortunately, I didn’t have to go to the consulate…only our guide goes. She took care of all the paperwork and I got a call at 10:45 am telling me she was done and her paperwork is complete! Praise the Lord! Tomorrow we head to the US Consulate for the swearing in ceremony at 3 pm.
Please keep the families in prayer. There are still two families who are having challenges with their paperwork. Remember that paperwork I was waiting on from USCIS and it going from there to the National Visa Center? Well, two families had the proper documents that said it was all in order but the information here that was sent is not accurate. They have been working since we got here to get it in order. He is still in control and He still sits on the throne! This will all work out on the 11th hour, 59th minute. Just pray they can keep His peace while they wait as there is nothing else they can do at this point. It is in His hands and there are no better hands for this to be in.
While we walked around on Shamian Island this afternoon, we ran into one of my favorite families: Tara, Joe and their daughter Mylii. They walked us over to a shop that was run by “brothers and sisters”. It was wonderful to talk with them. They were so excited that Tara and Joe brought their friends back to their shop. They were very kind. We also found a shop that all the proceeds benefit orphans. I would like to help them find a way to sell their wares in the states to help raise funds for them. The handiwork is unique and good quality for the cost. I found the most precious Christmas stocking in the silk brocade for only $7. This was another one of those stores that I felt no need to barter at.
While shopping today, one shopkeeper was talking to my daughter. She was asking her questions. Some of their conversation I understood. At one point in time, she looked amazed. I asked her what Jade said. She told me that Jade had just told her that her mama loved her and she loved her mama. It may or may not be what Jade truly said but it touched my heart anyways. Her mama does love her…more than she knows.
As we lay down to sleep, we said our prayers as we usually do. Jade doesn’t want to hold hands to pray but she will put her hands together on her own now. Tonight, after we were done praying and we were just laying there snuggling, she put her hands together again and said “Amen.” She certainly touches my heart in places I never knew existed! Lord, may you continue to draw her to you and may she one day come to know you as her Lord and Savior.
Thank you Lord! You continue to bless me beyond measure and way beyond what I deserve. Thank you for loving Jade and I that much!

We Passed the TB Teart Pictures

2009-09-15T03:32:00.002+08:00

We passed the TB test!

2009-09-15T03:29:00.001+08:00

“But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14

Praise the Lord! It was not pretty initially but He is faithful and she passed. We were the first ones in because her “spot” was 8 mm x 5 mm. Anything 5 mm big will require an xray. Let’s just say it was so painful to have to hold her up against the xray machine and the more she struggled the longer it took to get a clear picture. He is so faithful though as both xrays showed clear lungs! The entire bus cheered as we got back on the bus!
I have been talking to some of the women here and many of us have had those human doubts and fears that we know are not of God while we are here. There are so many Godly families in this group. I know that does not make the enemy happy. It means there are more children that are going to hear about God’s grace, mercy, faithfulness and be able to see the light of Jesus Christ shine through their families. He doesn’t want to lose this battle but as far as we parents are concerned, we will openly take on this battle with the enemy. We will NOT hold back all of God’s goodness and share the gift of having a savior with our children. One friend of mine, who has adopted a little one from China almost 4 years ago, had her daughter recently tell her that Jesus was her daddy’s best friend and she wanted him to be hers too. As sweet as it is to hear my daughter echo back to me “I love you”, those words will be so much sweeter.
I forgot to tell you one of the sweetest moments from yesterday. Since touch is one of my love languages, my daughter has had to suffer from many kisses and snuggles from her mama. Fortunately, she has had no complaints so far. Yesterday, as she was crying in my arms, I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. A few seconds later, she lifted her head and kissed my chin. I have a tear in my eye just thinking of that moment. I know I have already told you this but I love her!
After the torture of the xray, she was emotionally spent and we were supposed to walk around Shaiman Island and shop. Many of the families also wanted to get our pictures taken at the White Swan Hotel. This is a famous hotel re: adoptions. There is a red couch inside that families go to have their children’s pictures taken on. Let’s just say…Jade was not too cooperative for this one. Mom’s joke lately is “How are we going to know Jade was even here in China? All we ever see you with is a child with a pink hat…no face.”  We do have an increasing number of those but there are just as many other precious shots of her. However, this afternoon was another wonderful moment in the baby steps she is taking! I have had to carry her around up until a few days ago when she started to be willing to walk around holding my hand. Today, she was willing to ride in the stroller for over an hour! Woohoo! We may make it through the airport in South Korea and Washington yet! 
Tomorrow, they do the paperwork at the consulate for Jade. On Wednesday, I get sworn in and we get her visa. On Thursday, we head back up to Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village. As much as I long to see everyone there and be able to complete my packing and my good byes, I just want to take my little girl home. She has had to go through so many transitions. Adding one more to her list isn’t what I want to do but there is no choice in this. I couldn’t take all my luggage with me all over China so returning is necessary. Just keep her in prayer as she faces one more transition and then a LONG flight home. I am praying that what happened on the last flight doesn’t happen on Thursdays or our flight back home. I love that His mercies are new every morning and He doesn’t give me more than I can handle.

2009-09-15T00:54:00.002+08:00

Another Long Emotional Day

2009-09-15T00:51:00.000+08:00

“Fear not, for I am with thee; I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, Give them up; and to the south, Do not keep them back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;” Isaiah 43:5-6

As I fell asleep last night, I cried. I am so blessed to be given such a precious child. It feels like I have always known her and that she has always been mine. Other than the fact that we don’t speak the same language all the time, we were designed for one another. I believe this is why God creates the lonely in families…so children can be joined with their forever families.

She wakes up and is the sweetest thing. She wants to snuggle for at least 15 minutes until she is awake. Once she is awake, she is ready to go. Well, I should say she is happy, laughing and a joy to be with…until you want to dress her. This is when she often starts crying. I think she knows that after we get dressed, we leave the comfort and security of our room.

She calmed down enough to eat a good breakfast. She was fine leaving the hotel, even though we walked outside and the heat took your breath away. You didn’t even have to move and you were sweating. (At 8:30pm, the temp was 90 degrees and the heat index was 96 degrees just to give you an idea how hot it was today.) Everything changed about 15 minutes later.

Today, we went to the Guangdong Folk Arts Museum. It was stunning. Jade didn’t think so. I don’t know if it was the heat, the fact she didn’t get her full 12 hours of sleep, or just part of this process. She seems to get better and then when we do large group things in some places, she loses it. It started like it usually does with rambling through all the family names as she cries. It breaks my heart when she gets crying so hard she can’t catch her breath. Today was different though. She just kept saying “go home”. Eventually after 45 minutes, she got so exhausted, she fell asleep on me. It was hard to find a spot in the shade because I couldn’t leave her hat on her. She was way too hot and too emotional. While she was sleeping, many Chinese people stopped to look at her and ask me questions. I was able to answer many of them with my bad tones and some simple phrases or bits of info. One older man kept walking back and forth in front of us. After his last trip past us, he told me she was piaoliang, which means beautiful. I agree.

Once the group was done here, they headed to a tea house. I opted out of the tea house. There was no need to push her any further today. We sat on the bus. She slept for a little while. When she woke up, she wanted to eat. Food seems to comfort her. By the time the group returned to the bus, my baby girl was back to normal.

Tomorrow should be challenging for her as well. We have to return to have the children’s TB test evaluated at 1pm. Keep us all in prayer. Jade’s has raised and swelled some. I believe they only allow 5 mm before they have to run an xray on the child to see if they actually have TB. Jade’s is larger than I would like it to be as many of the families have said their child has no mark on them at all. Just pray. He is in control. It will all depend on how she handles all of this on whether we will join everyone on Shaiman Island for shopping and walking around.

Update…just ran into a family who just adopted with our group as I came down to Starbucks to send this out. They said their friend adopted a little albino and she comes alive inside and at night. Maybe the light is effecting her more than I realize.

Exhausted but making it pictures

2009-09-14T12:02:00.002+08:00

Exhausted but making it

2009-09-14T11:50:00.000+08:00

"I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through
bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:2-3

Sorry I didn’t blog yesterday. It was a L O N G day. We had to fly to Guangzhou on a 3 hour flight. She started having problems in the airport. Our plane was also delayed for over an hour. She calmed down before we got on the flight. God was so good. She did phenomenal on most of the flight. The last hour was horrendous. She woke up right before the descent crying for her foster family. This lasted for over an hour…through the end of the flight and through the airport until we were finally able to find our guide. Some of the times she was so overwhelmed with emotion she was screaming. It breaks my heart when I can’t comfort her.
We didn’t get into our hotel, which is stunning by the way, until almost 8 pm. I have gotten a cold and between that and the emotions, by 8:30 I was exhausted and ready for bed too. At least it was better than some of the families who didn’t arrive until midnight and had to get up 6 hours later. Keep the families we are traveling in prayer as a couple of the moms are also sick.
We got to start the stress all over again today. We had to go and have our medical exams done today. Fortunately, none of the children are now sick but one has finally been able to break her fever after 4 days. Nothing is more stressful to the children than transitions and then to be poked, proded and for those who were 2 years old and older, they needed a TB test. Jade cried and screamed during that 1.5 hour ordeal too.
She fell asleep on the bus ride over to the shopping center. They took us to a very expensive mall. I have had to carry her everywhere for the past 5 days. Now that she sees other children walking around with their parents, she is at least willing to walk around holding hands. This is a big step. She still doesn’t want anything to do with the stroller, but at least it is helpful in carrying our bags!
Please keep her in prayer. I am having a hard time getting her to drink enough. I am concerned with her getting dehydrated, especially since it is in the 90’s and humid where we are now.
She is the most precious thing I have ever laid eyes on. She is such a good girl and already has me wrapped around her tiny little finger. Imagine that! I have had so much fun being the mom and the dad. I picture a family I adore and how her husband who has raised 6 girls still, 40 years later, does silly things with his girls before he puts them to bed. His wife then has to come in and remind the girls it is time for bed. I am doing both of these, but how to I tell her she needs to go to sleep when I am the one that wound her up?  Fortunately, I tell her to go to sleep in Chinese and she smiles at me and lays back down.
What a gift she is. I know that God’s plan to have me in China over the past year was to help me to be able to communicate with her. I do believe this is one of the reasons she is doing so well. I praise you Lord for all you have done for the two of us. I continued to be amazed with how smart she is. On the day we were leaving Tianjin, she told our guide that her mama had taken her necklace away from her. That happened on the first day I got her because I didn’t want her to break such a precious gift. Because she remembered that 4 days later and told our guide, I was able to show her where it was and that seemed to reassure her. Today as she lay down to take her nap, I was amazed to hear her count in Chinese up to 50. Today, she started initiating in English. I had to take care of some things and mom was giving her some yogurt. When Jade “Congcong” was ready, she told my mom “Ready!”. It only takes one or two models for her to learn things. (This may be normal for all of your own three year olds at home, but not typically from a child who lived in an orphanage for the first two years of life.) I so love her.
I need some sleep but have to go downstairs to send this blog out…internet cost around $12 a day if you want it in your room. Please continue to pray for many of the fathers on this trip. As would be expected, the children typically bond with their mothers and want little to do with the fathers. This has been very hard, even though they have expected it. A few of the children have done the opposite and only want the father. This too breaks a mother’s heart. Please pray that over time, these children are able to attach with both of their parents. For those of you who do not understand attachment issues, there is a great website written by two adoptive parents. www.a4everfamily.com I thank you all for all your prayers. I know it is in the power of prayer that Jade and I have bonded so well and are working through the challenging times with God’s strength and wisdom.
Tomorrow should be easier. We are just doing some sightseeing and then the afternoon is open. Maybe we will head over to the beautiful park right across the street.

Jade’s sight pictures

2009-09-12T02:45:00.001+08:00

Jade’s sight

2009-09-12T02:44:00.000+08:00

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” I Corinthians 2:9

Every day just gets better. She is getting less nervous as we leave the room. This is good. As she lay down to take her nap, she didn’t cry for her foster family. Praise the Lord! Thank you for your prayers of comfort for her. It is because of the power of prayer that she is doing so well.

When I came to China last year, He always amazed me here in ways I have never experienced before. This journey is no different. I never knew I could love someone so much. I expected to love her and enjoy every moment but not to this intensity. She continues to amaze me.

When you adopt a child, you expect that they will be delayed. The common expectation is 1 month for every 3 months they lived in an orphanage. Reports vary for how long Jade was at the Tianjin Social Welfare Institute. I was told that she moved to a foster home in March but the note from the foster mother says she had Jade for a year. Minimally, I expected at least a year’s delay. I am not seeing that at all. Today, she started counting and was able to count to 25 on her own. We counted some objects in the hotel and she was able to get to 19 on her own. She is already imitating me in English. She has accurately answered a variety of questions my guide has asked her. Yesterday, our guide was teaching Jade how to say “Hurry up mama!” After a few times, Helen said it in English and Jade turned to me and said it in Chinese. There were a few other instances today where someone said something in English and she said it in Chinese. I may have a very smart little lady on my hands.

Another amazing thing is her sight. Granted, I am no neuro-opthamologist but her vision is not as impaired as I expected. She is able to find things in the room with no difficulty. She is able to identify things that are within 2 feet of her without a problem. She loves to look at the pictures I take of her and is able to identify who is on the 2.5” screen. She has more difficulty with dark objects on dark backgrounds and distances. She appears to be using her peripheral vision when focusing on things across the room, like when she was kicking the beach ball to me. Things that are written she holds closer to her eyes. No matter what, we will figure it all out.

One thing was unexpected though. On the first day, I went to take her to the bathroom and found a spot on her leg that is the size of a large egg that has course hair on it. It looks very familiar to a hairy nevus. I’m not sure if it is or not so I will have to wait until she sees the pediatrician the week we get home to find out. This too, we will figure out.

While on this trip, mom has been sharing with me things I used to do as a child that I had never known about. I guess Jade and I are very similar as Jade lays in bed talking about a variety of things. Sometimes she is singing, sometimes just rambling or so it sounds and sometimes it sounds like a conversation. Mom says I used to rerun my day as I lay in bed retelling of all the day’s events. Lord, you never cease to amaze me.

I still think that the sweetest thing to my ears is her voice and her laughter. The sweetest thing to my eyes has been her smile. I can’t thank Him enough for this gift He has given me in my daughter. I love that God has put two people together and both of our love languages are touch and words of affirmation!

A day in Tianjin Pictures

2009-09-10T09:11:00.002+08:00

A Day in Tianjin

2009-09-10T09:10:00.000+08:00

"Oh Lord, you are my God; I will exalt and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." Isaiah 25:1

Mom and our guide Helen headed out first thing this morning to go to the notary office to pick up the official documents. What joy it gave me to see her name with the official Chinese red stamp on it saying Jade Mingcong Rittenhouse is my daughter! I will forever be amazed that you, Lord, loved us enough to make us a family.

Jade has finally eaten a few good meals. Our guide told me yesterday that I wasn’t feeding her enough for a Chinese 3 year old. I only was feeding her until she was full. I thought that when she just kept pocketing the food that I gave her that she was full. Guess I was wrong.

This afternoon, we ventured out to the Ancient Market Street. It is a reproduction of traditional market street. As we walked through there, many people stopped and told us how beautiful Jade was. As I was talking to my guide tonight, she said most people had no idea that she was Chinese as she had her sunglasses on and unless she spoke, they wouldn’t have known. It was hard for me at dinner. I know this will happen but my mother feathers got ruffled for the first time tonight when a woman sat at another table and blatantly pointed at my daughter and was laughing. Maybe it was because she was wearing capris instead of long pants. Whatever it was that she found “funny”, I found it very hard and just wanted to hold her tighter, tell her how much I love her and remind myself that God made her perfect since He makes no mistakes.

My question to you my friends is when everyone was offering their wisdom from all their experience, why did no one suggest that I would need to start carrying around a 25 lb bag of potatoes to prepare my body for this? Let’s just say Jade doesn’t like the stroller and my mother can only carry her for a little while as I don’t want her to hurt her back. For those of you who were blessed to have their husbands with them to carry their children, you make sure you go and thank him today for all that he did for you during your time in China! J
Jade’s latest thing today was creating patterns while lining up our shoes. Initially she lined them up in pairs from smallest to largest. Then she started getting creative by alternating little one, big one. She got to one point and she needed another bigger pair. She went over to me and started jabbering about my sandal and started to help me take them off so she could use them. Fortunately, though it is a little obsessive-compulsive, I can stop her in the middle of things and she will walk away from them. Phew! I do think my house will end up being more orderly as she likes things in their places. Well, one recommendation was as a mom, I would need to be more organized. Enter in Jade Mingcong!
Bath time went much better. She only cried initially. She can be quite the drama queen and knows how to work the tears already. It quickly stopped as we started playing with tub toys…glad they finally worked! Tonight was the first night she didn’t cry out for her foster family before she fell asleep. Praise Jesus! We are coming along. She is having a hard time with transitions and when we leave the room. Her personality becomes much quieter outside of here. Not sure if it is the light, the noise, a fear of me bringing her back…I just don’t know.
Tomorrow, if my back and neck can handle it, we are going to go see some more sights in Tianjin.

It's Official!!

2009-09-10T08:59:00.000+08:00

"Thanks be unto God for his indescribable gift." 2 Corinthians 9:15

Today was the day we had to go to the Civil Affairs Office. It is there that I signed more papers. Yesterday’s papers gave me 24 hour custody of her. As of today, she is now known as Jade Mingcong Rittenhouse. What a gift she is! I am not deserving of such a gift but I am so glad He has given her to me.
I got mommy demerits while at the office today. The weather was supposed to be in the mid 70’s. It wasn’t. I dressed her in a dress and a sweater. No problem in the US. In China, children need to be kept warmer than adults and her legs were exposed. OH MY HENNA! What will happen to her? J I had to tell them that I would never abandon her, mistreat her or neglect her. It is a good thing I didn’t have to say I would dress her appropriately and in enough layers too!
One thing I have found out is that when they told me she would only go on the little potty they sent her with, they were telling the truth. She had to go to the bathroom a few times while we were out this morning but refused to go when I took her. Our guide even tried but no go! She is very strong willed and if it is not the way she knows it needs to be, it is NOT happening! Hmmm, two strong willed women living under the same roof…should be very interesting! Mom and I have decided that no matter where we go, the pot goes with us! Wonder what security will think when we fly to Guangzhou on Friday with it.
I want to tell you my favorite moment of the day. It happened at bedtime. Well, bedtime started at 7:15 but took until 9:15 until she actually fell asleep. When it is time for rest, this is the time that she cries the most for her foster family. It is very hard to hear your child crying and know there is nothing you can do to comfort her but pray and stay with her. It only lasted 20 minutes tonight compared to yesterday’s 45 minutes. I have been telling her in Chinese for the past two days that I am her mama. Every person she meets in Chinese has been telling her the same thing. When it is time to sleep, I lay down with her and rub her back as she settles down. I needed to get up and take care of something. She rolled over, looked for me and called out “Mama?”. She did this two different times. She is beginning to know me as her mama. What sweet words those were to my ears. As we snuggled together, she started imitating the words I was saying to her in Chinese. I was telling her she was my precious daughter, my baby girl and I love you. Her little voice echoed those words back to me. I know she doesn’t yet know what they really mean but one day she will. Thank you Lord for these gifts. It has touched my heart in ways I didn’t expect.

It's Official!!

2009-09-09T20:35:00.001+08:00

Gotcha Day Pictures

2009-09-07T21:49:00.002+08:00

Gotcha Day

2009-09-07T21:45:00.000+08:00

"For this child I prayed and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him." 1 Samuel 1:27

It is really real! The day I have longed for and prayed for has arrived! Jade Mingcong Rittenhouse is no longer an orphan. She is my daughter! She has been in my arms since around 10:30 am. I can’t even begin to tell you the size of the smile that brings to my face as I write this to you.

We left Beijing and headed out on the fast train. We got to Tianjin in 30 minutes when it usually takes a taxi at least 2-2.5 hours to get there. We immediately went to the orphanage. I am still trying to figure out how to download my videos to my laptop so please be patient. My friend Sara from SFCV came and joined us.

Two women brought Jade in. The woman carrying her was her jie jie, or older sister. This woman’s mother was Jade’s foster mom. Jade has been crying out for her most of the day. She has been asking for her jie jie, mama and baba most of the day. Please pray for her as this is very hard on her. I know she has been in a very loving home. They sent Jade to me with a bag of clothes, many of them new, as well as food, a little potty, a second pair of shoes, a toy, her own real pearl necklace and a real jade bracelet. I think my favorite was the note the mother included inside the bag. She was able to have someone translate it for her. Please pray for her as she truly loved my daughter as her own until she was placed in my arms.

Our guide, Helen, has been a gift. She is well aware of typical behaviors of adoptive children and has told me that Jade (they call her Congcong) has obvious bonded with her foster family so she will bond to me. She retold me all the things I already knew but it was good for my mom to hear it from someone beside myself. Jade is in mourning over her loss and because she was able to create such a bond with them, in time, it is likely that she will do that with me as well. The hard part is many times she is seeking out my mother when she wants comfort. I believe this may be due to the fact that my mom may be similar in age to her foster mom. This is also hard for my mother as she desires to comfort her but has honored my requests. It is so critical right now that Jade knows I am the one to give her all that she needs.

She is so thin. When they said she only weighed 24 lbs, they were accurate. I am not sure she even weighs that! She seems to be fitting the 24 mo/2T clothes I brought. Thank you to those of you who ran out and got us some smaller clothes to bring on this trip! Her skin is very pale. Her hair is more white than blond. Her lashes are very long and she has very few Chinese traits other than her Tianjin hua (dialect) and the fact that she speaks Chinese. My friend Sara says she looks more European than Asian. Her eyes are a very pale blue and when the light hits it just right, you can see the pink in them. She is just beautiful.

She is a very bright young child! I do believe when she was given the name Mingcong, it was a good match. It means “bright” and “clever”. I had used the top of the cheerios bowl as a plate for the apple I had cut up for her. She never saw the lid on the bowl yet picked it up, sought out the bowl and put the two pieces together. I am able to understand many of the things she is talking about. Her voice is the sweetest thing I think my ears have ever heard. God is so good! Had I not worked this past year in China, I never would have taken Chinese classes and would not have this knowledge to use with her.

I have sat here and watched her throughout the day and chuckle at the traits she has that are similar to mine! I love how God works! She knows what she wants and has no trouble telling people, even in a different language, what she wants. She loves structure. She loves praise. She loves to snuggle. In time, we will be ok. Thank you Lord for loving us so much that you have brought us together to be a family.

I have said over the past few days that I can’t believe that it is finally here! A friend shared with me the day before I left for China that this is how we will feel when we finally stand before Christ. All that we have endured will be worth it. We have waited for that amazing moment and when it finally happens, everything else fades away. It is true. I think I caught a glimpse of what is will be like when I am finally able to stand face to face with Christ as I saw Him in my daughter as they handed her to me.

I could write so much more but since I don’t have to type this into my blog, I probably should stop here. I will tell you more about her tomorrow. All I have to say is…she is perfect and she is mine!

Today is the day...

2009-09-07T10:48:00.000+08:00

A wonderful friend sent me this poem and I immediately thought of today when
she sent it to me. I forgot to add it in my last blog but woke up this
morning and knew I wanted to share it with all of you. Today, Jade moves
from being the child of my heart to the child in my arms. Lord I praise you
for loving me this much that you have given me the desires of my heart. I
will never be able to thank you enough.

May you be safe and sleep soundly through the night,
May you be safe as you wake to the morning's light
May you feel my love from so far away,
May it comfort and protect you throughout each day,
I will pray for you my little one,
Until our time of waiting is done.
I will pray the the Lord keep you safe from harm,
Until the child of my heart becomes the child in my arms.

-- Anonymous--

Silk, Pearls, & The Summer Palace Pictures

2009-09-07T10:43:00.002+08:00

Silk, Pearls, and The Summer Palace

2009-09-07T10:41:00.001+08:00

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46
Today started out with a wonderful blessing. We all went to my home church, Beijing International Christian Fellowship (BICF). The worship was wonderful. As we sang of all that Christ has given us by dying on the cross to save us, it made me think about all He has taken me through to get me to the moment of receiving Jade as my daughter. Thank you Lord for loving me enough to make me into the mother she needs me to be.
We left BICF and headed to the Pearl Market. Here we learned that oysters don’t just make one pearl inside. The one we opened actually had 20+ pearls inside it! We also went to the silk museum. One of the things I wanted to bring home was a silk purse. I had bought one on my first trip to China. I brought it with me to China but it was stolen from my luggage. I have hunted all over China this past year looking for one I loved as much…no additional luck today. I guess it just isn’t something that I needed.
We went to the Summer Palace in the rain. It was extremely cold and was wishing I was smart enough to pack pants for me. Oh yeah…mommy demerit #1…forgot to pack pants for Jade too. The next two days are supposed to be cool and nothing offends the Chinese more than children not dressed in enough layers. Guess we will be visiting Walmart sooner than expected! I wish I could tell you some interesting facts about the Summer Palace but I wasn’t paying attention. Sorry.
Mom and I are heading to bed. They are picking up our luggage at 6:30 am so we can head to the train station. We are taking the newest train to Tianjin in the morning. I sit here excited and nervous, hoping I am prepared for this. I know that no parent enters into parenthood knowing all that they needed to know or are “ready” to handle everything that they will face. No one else was, so why should I expect to be? Fortunately, I know I’ll be alright. I have the one who knows everything walking through this with me…what more could I ask for. Thank you Lord for being there for me and my daughter, Jade.

Beijing Pictures

2009-09-07T10:37:00.001+08:00

Beijing 1

2009-09-07T10:36:00.002+08:00

And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:10

Today was wonderful! We started touring today. Mom was able to see many of the things I have been able to see here in China. She was disappointed as our original plan had to be changed. October1st is a holiday here in China. To prepare for this, they closed Forbidden City. One of the things we have to deal with here is not having ANY control over many things that will happen. So we started the day walking Tiannamen Square. After that, we headed to the Jade Factory. Mom and I found a piece of jade for Jade to wear when she is older. Mom is not enjoying how much attention you get from the sales people. Shopping should be interesting in the markets for mom!

We left the Jade Factory and headed out to lunch. We had more food than we could finish. I always feel arrogant and greedy when they order so much food and then it is left there…wasted. I wonder how the Chinese look at us when we do this. After lunch, we headed to the great wall.

The land here is so amazing. No matter how many times I have seen it, it still amazes me. As for the wall, God allowed man to create this. It is so stunning. When they started building it in 200 something BC, they used 1 million men to do this. That was 1/10^th of China’s population at the time. Many men died while working on the wall. For more details on the wall, check back to my posts in October and/or November 2008.

I was so proud of mom. She wasn’t sure she was going to make it or not. I have pictures to prove it! She made it to the first tower! Way to go mom! We have some amazing families on this trip. It was fun to sit on the wall hearing some of their stories. Each one of us has a story to tell. I love how God has worked in each family here.

One more day of touring and then mom and I get on a train. We head over to Tianjin on Monday morning. Jade, mama is coming!

A Day At Shepherd's Field Pictures

2009-09-05T11:55:00.007+08:00

Sam

Mom with Cody & Robert

Zoey

A Day At Shepherd's Field

2009-09-05T10:04:00.002+08:00

“But Jesus said, Suffer little children,
and forbid them not, to come unto me:
for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 19:14

Today we finished sorting through my belongings. I had many items donated to me for Jade that I had intended to you when I returned to China to live. We also finished up the classroom. By the afternoon, we were able to go and spend some time with the children. What a blessing that was!
We started at Samaritan’s House. Wow! I couldn’t believe how big Sam had gotten! (Once I get home, I will try to go back and add some more pictures so my friends, please be patient. ) Ella’s hair is growing back after her surgery. I think it will be soon that they will be able to put her cute little pony tails back in on top. Zoey was a smiley as ever. Walter is just the cutest little thing…so tiny yet so interested in the world around him. Joey is starting to show signs of being able to localize to sound as they release the stiffness in his neck through therapy. Praise God as the nannies kept saying…”He can’t see. He can’t hear. What do we do with him?” No longer! Woohoo!
We then went to House of Peace. Mom started getting more comfortable. I could see her heart taking in each little child. She started asking questions about what would happen in each of their lives. She wanted to know more about them.
Our last home for the day was House of Blessings. For those of you who have been in there with those boys… you know how exhausted you can quickly get in there! J When they say “they are all boy”, we have a few of them in here! I was so excited. As I sat there, Peyton came over to me on his own! Yea! For the past year, I would go in there and if I ever approached him, he would cry and reach out for his nanny. Not this time! He walked over to me (and his gait is now strong!) and put his hand on my shoulder to get my attention. It was a precious moment. Adam also came over to play with me and Connor crawled up into my lap. I loved those moments! The next best was when the school age children came back into the home. They saw me sitting there and remembered how much I loved to sing with them. They immediately broke into song! I had Josiah, Malachi, Bea, and several others all around me as we sang. Malachi directed what we were going to sing and he started singing “Jesus loves me” and “Deep and wide”! It worked for me. Mom got this on video so I will upload that once I get home. Mom sat on the couch snuggled in with Cody and Robert.
As we drove to Beijing, Mom says spending time at Shepherd’s Field was one of the highlights of this trip. Thank you Lord for letting her see many of the reasons why I loved it so much there and will continue to love it there.

Walking Back Into Shepherd's Field

2009-09-04T11:51:00.012+08:00

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and He with me. Revelation 3:20

Today was a bittersweet day for me. I was back at Shepherd's Field Children's Village, the place that I love so much and worked at last year.

As we pulled up last night, I loved hearing the joy and excitement in my mother's voice. She has never been to China and saw only where I worked through my blog. As she saw the familiar fence around Shepherd's Field, she got excited. She felt it was even more beautiful in person. It was so nice to be able to walk around with mom and show her all the things I loved about Shepherd's Field. Building by building we walked around. Person by person, I introduced her to the people who were in my life this past year.

She was excited to see some of the children she had been following. She met Stacy. She saw one of the sweaters Stacy had knitted and mom is going to purchase it for Jade. Stacy was excited and took the compliments humbly. She is such a sweet young girl.

We went into the school. They were excited to see me. I love remembering when we would sit out in the yard and they would just keep asking me "What's this?" as they longed to learn more and more English. These hearts are just so open to love and be loved. It was joyful to walk into the door of the school and feel that unconditional love that these children offer.

My favorite moment was as we were leaving for dinner, some of the children from Samaritan's House came running over to us. Several of them swarmed around mom. They wanted to hug her, carry her purse, and just love on her. In that moment, I think she saw a little part of why I love it here so much.

Today was hard though. As I walked around, I knew it was different. Though the people and the grounds at SFCV have not changed, my role here has. I saw all the little things that I had done while I was here are now done by others. That is actually a good thing. Many times I prayed for someone to help because I was going to need to be able to spend my time with Jade. He heard my cries. He sent some amazing people who are exactly what is now needed here. I was needed last year. My time is now done though.

I am not very good with words. I will never be able to ever describe how much this place has meant to me in words. it has shaped me...molded me...made me in to the woman I need to be for this next part of my life. I don't know all that will come in my life but I do know the next step is to be a mom. I love everyone here so much that I think it would have distracted me from doing the most important job He has been preparing me for...being a mama to a sweet precious girl named Jade.

I know He has shut the door here. I am OK with that. He promises me that He has a plan for my life. It is to prosper me, not to harm me. I do have a hope and a future. It is hard because I know He used me to do some amazing things here last year. My time is done. I faithfully came and did what He called me to do. Because of my time here, SFCV will always be in my prayers. Though He has closed one door, He has also opened another door for me...A BIGGER, BETTER DOOR. I am going to be a mom. No greater gift could He have given me than that.

Let me introduce myself...

2009-09-04T11:36:00.003+08:00

I am Marilyn. I am Dawn's best friend. While she is in China, she has found that the proxy's she used to use to be able to get into her blog and Facebook have now all been blocked. Since she has no access, she will be emailing her blogs to me and I will be uploading them for her. Please be patient with me as I have never blogged before. I will try and get them up as soon as possible but it may take me awhile. Thanks for your patience.

Leaving on a jet plane

2009-08-31T20:13:00.003+08:00

Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. Matthew 18:5

It's here! it's finally here! On Tuesday morning September 1st, I get on a plane to go back to China! this time, I will be going to get my daughter! AMEN! Praise the L*rd! My mother and I leave Rochester, NY around 10:30 am and arrive in Beijing on September 2 at 8:05 pm. What a L O N G day! We will be heading to Shepherds' Field Children's Village first. I wanted to be able to start sorting through my belongings in the classroom and spend soem tiem with friends before I get Jade. We will meet the other families in Beijing on the evening of the 4th. We will do some touring in Beijing and my mother will get to see many of the things I have already experienced. When you wake up on Labor Day, Jade Mingcong Rittenhouse will officially be my daughter! Woohoo! Yes...I am FINALLY going to be a mom! :)

I joined the AWAA Adoption Support Group in our area 6 years ago. Throughout that time, I have seen many families walk through the Rochester Airport with their children that they have prayed for. I have always pictured the day I would finally get to be the parent on the other side of the glass, walking down with my duaghter toward all the people who were waiting to welcome us home. When I started looking at flights, all the flights came in at around 11 pm. I knew there would be very few people able to make it. I love how He hears the desires of our heart, even when we don't ask Him for them. As I gave into the fact that this wouldn't be a dream that would happen, my agent came bck to me and told me he had a new flight and it got into rochester at 6:05 pm. Thank you L*rd! I love how you love me and blessme beyond measure! I know many of you do not live in my area but I would like to extend an invitation to any of you who would like to come. Come witness the miracle of adoption at the Rochester Airport on Monday, September 21st at 6:05 pm (United Flight UA 7388 from Washington) when my mother and I bring my daughter, Jade, home.

Don't forget, I will be blogging in Ch*na! My father bought a video camera because he wants to see my face when I get her. Not only have I been waiting but so has my whole family. I will try and add the videos as we go as well. Things add s l o w l y in China so check Facebook too. I can always upload pics faster there.

Oh yeah...if I haven't told you lately! I AM FINALLY GOING TO BE A MOM! :)

Why do I doubt?

2009-08-22T10:59:00.004+08:00

And the L*rd said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? Numbers 14:11

Do you ever have those days when you doubt your abilities? I have been lately. As I prepare my home for my daughter, I keep doubting my ability to make decisions. It is driving me nuts. I can't even make a paint choice decision. How am I going to make the big decisions for her?

I love how He has been speaking to me as I read through Numbers. There are many who have doubted in the promises that G*d has promised them. Why would I not be different? I no longer want to be there though. I don't want to doubt. I just want to trust in Him. He continues to remind me that He has shown me many signs that this is His will for my life. I am to be a mother, a mother of a little girl from Ch*na.

When I was hitting road blocks before my paperwork even got to Ch*na, I asked Him to close the door on this if it was not His will. He not only kept it open, He took me through my depression so I no longer need meds. I still have bouts of the depression but He takes me THROUGH it. He has taken me through so much. Why do I doubt that He is going to do this as well?

I know that as a single woman, many doubt that I should be doing this. It will extremely hard at times but with Him as my husband and her Abba Father, we will make it through. Pray I let this go.

I think what triggered it again today was the little voice of the enemy. I had some challenges painting her room today. I can't even begin to tell you the journey through this. Ladies, many of you will at least sympathize with me as many of you have had thoughts in your head of what your first child's room would look like. You have dreamed about it for a long time. I did too. For five years I thought about it. As a friend of mine assessed her room (it has lead paint in it), his suggestion was to touch up the trim only. Long story on the why but his counsel was wise. That meant I had to give up my dream. I know that the most beautiful thing in her room is going to be her, so why am I having trouble with this?

I finally surrendered and figured I would paint the trim and the ceiling only. My heart is still not completely in it. I started painting the ceiling with a friend of mine, I start to wonder why there are cracks showing up in the ceiling that weren't there before. All of a sudden it hits me! There is WALLPAPER on the ceiling! One of the bits of advice I was given was DON'T paint the wallpaper. What did I do? I painted wallpaper! This is when the enemy came in. That little voice of doubt saying, "See. You got wise counsel on this but you didn't listen. What makes you think you are going to listen to Him when He tells you what to do with your daughter?"

What it comes down to is I NEED PR*YER! I want to spend these next 10 days before I go and get my daughter in joy! This should be the most joyful time in my life! I no longer want the chains of doubt and insecurity wrapped around me. I want to be resting in His loving arms trusting that He is going to take care of everything like He already has. He tells me to "Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are mine." Isaiah 43:1 L*rd, restore my soul.

It's been sent!

2009-08-21T19:43:00.004+08:00

Those who rest in the shadow of the Most High God will be kept safe by the Mighty One. Psalm 91:1

I have been waiting, not so patiently, for my papers to travel from Buffalo, NY to somewhere in New Hampshire. Two weeks ago, I received confirmation that my papers were approved. Immigration (USCIS) said it would take at least a week to get them to the National Visa Center in NH. Were they sending them by bike messenger? As of last Friday, they had not received them. On Wednesday, I called again. For those of you wondering why I didn't call every day to see if they had them, I couldn't live with the disappointment of them not being there. So I waited. I was told they did have them and they had sent them on. My approved home study and fingerprints have been sent to Guangzhou, China! Woohoo! This means I can now FINALLY book a ticket and travel to China!

Jade, your mama is coming!

My plan is to travel to China on Monday, August 31st. This will allow me a few days to return to Shepherd's Field Children's Village and start going through boxes. My classroom was packed up before I returned home as we were moving into the new school in the Fall. A team blessed me by packing up my room. Now I need to go back through each box to locate my personal items as well as items the Baker boys may need back in the states for them to be successful. My mother and I will meet up with the other families in Beijing on Friday, September 4th.

Jade will be in my arms on Monday, September 7th! It will be our Labor Day back here in the states. For me, it will a day of rejoicing as this labor of love finally happens. I wouldn't trade one single minute of this. All the challenges...all the road blocks...all the hurdles...all to shape and mold me into the mom He needs me to be. I don't know how families go through all these challenges without Him. I have thanked Him numerous times for giving me strength when I had none, peace when I was fearful, mercy when I chose my own paths, wisdom when I asked for it and He continues to give.

Wednesday night, I got home from church and started to question whether I should go no or wait. All along, I had planned on using some of my sick time for my adoption. I received notice from work last week that since I would not be returning to work until September 28th, I would not be eligible to use my sick time from this school year. I can only use what I have accrued...which is very little. This would put me without a paycheck for 3 weeks. Due to this fact, I started getting fearful and thinking "well, if I start work, I could go later to get Jade and then I will have sick time to use." I don't know if any one else does this but I tend to sometimes think I need to figure it out for G*d. He must need my help, right? Ha! WRONG!

I knew what I needed to do. I needed some quiet time...just Him and I. I came home and just sat at his feet. I started reading. I read Numbers 11:25 and it spoke of how the spirit came upon them. I needed that. I had a quick decision I needed to make. I needed His spirit to guide me as my wisdom is nothing compared to His. As I read and listened, I could hear Him saying "Have I not provided all that you have needed for this adoption already? Why do you think I can't take care of this also?" As the night went on, I felt stronger. I knew it would be ok. But I LOVE how He doesn't just leave it there. He knew I still had a little doubt.

As I lay in bed Thursday morning, I kept thinking about all the promises He had already fulfilled in my life. I praise you L*rd for loving me that way. Suddenly, He showed me that if I were to start work and use only some of my sick time, I would still end up with almost the same amount of days without pay. Traveling later would mean I would miss 4 weeks of school instead of just three since I am traveling before school starts. I LOVE HOW YOU WORK, L*RD! When we ask for YOUR wisdom, you give it abundantly! Thank you for being such a loving Father that you desire to give your children all they need!

I still don't know how this will work out but I BELIEVE and TRUST that He does. Anything He allows into my life will be used for His glory. This adoption journey has been an amazing story that He has written. What a journey Jade is on. She doesn't even it know it yet but He is stiching together an amazing story in her life...one that started with being born as a precious little child who is an albino, abandoned and an orphan but soon to be a part of a family. May she one day also give her heart to my L*rd and Sav*or, Jes*s Chr*st and know that she has a promise in heaven.

Not traveling next week

2009-08-16T18:50:00.005+08:00

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of G*d has been poured out in our hearts by the H*ly Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:3-5

I got up Friday morning dreading making the call to the National Visa Center. I knew in my heart on Thursday, that unless they had received the papers from immigration that day, there would not be enough time for me to get an appointment at the Consulate, schedule a flight, unpack a house, pack for China and fly out by Tuesday am. My heart was breaking knowing that I was going to have to wait longer to get my daughter, but I made the call anyways just to be sure. I was right. They had not received the papers from immigration. I was not to get my daughter...yet.

Why does it take so little time for things to be approved yet a week for them to be mailed? I lived in China and they have so many people employed in so many places. Granted they make very little money, yet the integrity they have for their jobs is so great. So often, people don't want to take that little extra step to help someone else out. I know I had no special reason for them to push my papers through. It is amazing that if you have a reason, they can do things in one day that usually take months. Instead of being frustrated with the system though, I am holding onto the truth that G*d is in control.

I believe He is all knowing and He only wants good for me. Many don't think that having tribulations or challenges in your life as "good." I do know they are as they are what continues to shape and mold me. I am resting in knowing that His perfect plan will come together...IN HIS PERFECT TIMING. As I talked to my pastor on Friday, he reminded me that Abraham had waited 13 years before he took things into his own hands to produce the child he wanted and was promised. He warned me not to do anything of my own will. Fortunately, other than getting on a plane and heading to Ch*na, there is nothing I can do. So I wait.

A friend of me thought I was pushing it when I originally thought I could travel by August 18th. I know that He allowed me to hope for that. I tend to be a BIG procrastinator! Had I thought I had another two weeks, all that is now done would not be done. Because I am done with Ch*na stuff, I now have these next two weeks to allow me to do the mommy nesting thing. I can prepare our home.

I moved back into my home on Thursday night with the help from people at my church. What a gift that was. After they left, I walked from room to room praying over the house and for my daughter. I can't wait to have her in my arms. I can't wait to bring her home. As the men were putting things together, some things weren't perfect. All I would ask was "Is it safe for my daughter? Will it work?". That is all that matters now to me. I think that was why yesterday was so hard.

Yesterday, some friends and my mom came out to help me unpack. What an amazing blessing they have given me. My house is so big and I have so much stuff. I kept telling my best friend that I was just feeling uneasy all day and I wasn't sure why. Little things kept bothering me but I knew there was more to it than I was realizing. It hit me late last night. I don't want all this stuff that we were unpacking!

Thursday night, I walked through my home. It was simple. It was clean. It was orderly. It is no longer that way. I lived in Ch*na with so little and was so content. I didn't need all of the STUFF that I have here and I presently don't want all the stuff here. I think where I am having a problem with my stuff is that it represents money I wasted. Before I was saved, I was a shop-a-holic. I shopped to avoid feeling. I shopped to fill in the hole in my heart. I shopped to procrastinate. Many of the things that are coming out of those boxes are reminders of how I have lived my life. I no longer want them in my life because I no longer want that kind of life. I told my pastor on Thursday night that I would have more than enough stuff here to outfit a new couple that had little to nothing. Let me bless others with my abundance. I no longer need it.

Do you have things in your own home that you don't need? There may be others around you that are in need and you have something you can offer them. It may be something tangible, like the stuff in my boxes. It may be a meal. It may be encouragement. Whatever it is, you do have something you can offer to someone who has less than you. Be willing to give. You will find you are blessed when you do.

Amazing...it's just AMAZING!

2009-08-11T07:07:00.008+08:00

But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified G*d, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" Mark 2:10-12

Amazing...He is just amazing! I know you have heard me say it before but let me tell you again today...HE IS AMAZING! I started my day out praising Him for all that has happened in the last few months. He opened doors. He closed others. He continued to guide me through the wonder, peace, pain, tears and eventually brought me back to joy! I know that all He has let things into my life that He is going to use to make me into a better mom and woman.

BLESSING #1
At lunch time, I made a call regarding daycare. It is not always easy to get these things settled when you have 3 weeks notice and your original plans are thrown out the window. His timing however is always perfect! The woman I spoke to today came highly recommended by a friend of mine. This woman sends her pictures periodically of precious moments from her son's day, like his first kiss! I loved it because Jenn would have her day brightened by these and then she would share them with us and we were blessed too! This woman has an opening for the fall. She also only has 3 full time children during the day and two part time. She is also starting a pre-school which will greatly help Jade learn our language. EXTRA BONUS! She used to be an opthamalogic technician so she is familiar with albinos and vision problems. Woohoo! If He had stopped here for the day, I would have thought He was amazing! But He didn't!

BLESSING #2
Last week, I received notice from immigration that they have approved my homestudy. They informed me that they would mail it to the National Visa Center (NVC) by next Wednesday...two days from now. If I am going to be able to travel by next week, waiting for this to happen is not my choice. My agency said I don't need to wait until Wednesday and I can start calling NVC to see if they have received the paperwork yet. I can't book any flights or set up a consulate appoint until NVC sends the documents to Guangzhou, Ch*na. REMEMBER WHAT HE CREATED IN 6 DAYS? This should be easy! Me waiting for it...not so easy! I have called numerous times today but every time I call, I get a busy signal. I will keep trying. Fortunately, they are open later than most organizations are! In His hands...He can do anything. Last I checked, He is STILL in the miracle business! If He had stopped after this, I would have thought He was amazing! But He didn't!

BLESSING #3
I can't tell you how much it truly means to me to know that I can tell my daughter that I was able to bring her home through donations from family and friends. Not just a little bit but $11,000 worth of donations. As time is coming close, I added things up and figured out that I needed $3400 to be able to get to China. This is what I told A Child Waits Foundation (http://www.achildwaits.org/). Then I found out I hadn't budgeted in food or spending money. AWAA suggests $500-$700 for that for two weeks. I was on my way home today when I got a call from Cynthia Nelsen. She is the president for A Child Waits Foundation and she was calling with good news. They have given me a grant for $3500. ALLELUIAH! He is so worthy of all our praise! I am floored and amazed at how much He loves me and my daughter. He has provided all of this! None of it was by MY own good deeds. He did this because He can and I will forever tell the world all the GLORY AND HONOR of this adoption goes to Him, my Lord and Savior! He is sooooooo amazing! But He didn't stop here!

BLESSING #4
I was out looking for sandals this weekend for my trip. My present sandals are "floppy". The straps stretched and are loose on my feet. Bad time of year to look for sandals. I stopped into a store and they told me to bring my sandals in and they could punch more holes in them. I was in the area and was wearing them so I thought I would stop in. They punched them for me but this is not where He did His amazing work. I will tell anyone that will listen that I am adopting. I shared that with the women in the store. I also shared with them that I also had gotten a grant for the last amount I really needed today. One woman said she didn't know there were grants for adoption. I was given an amazing opportunity to share the things He had done for me and others who had adopted. This woman started crying. She shared with me that her and her husband had given up the hope of becoming parents because adoption was too expensive. I gave her some sites to check on and continued to tell her that it was no accident that I walked into this store. He knew...it needed to be on this day, on her shift, right before my adoption, and gave me an opportunity to share this story. Step my friends...step where He tells you to go. As you walk where He asks you to walk, you will be blessed. Blessed in AMAZING ways. As He blesses you, He will have you bless others. I am so glad that I was able to share my blessings with others. He loved this woman this much and knew the desires of her heart to become a mom that He sent me into this store at this perfect time to hopefully restore her hope in that! That is how much He loves us! May you faithfully walk where He asks you to walk so you too can be blessed in amazing ways!

News from a far country

2009-08-06T05:38:00.000+08:00

As cold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a far country. Proverbs 25:25

When you are waiting on news for your adoption, nothing is better than news from Ch*na! This news arrived on Monday. I received my part via an email but the title was "Travel Approval." Yes, my dear friends, it has arrived!

November 2003 Joined AWAA Support Group
November 2004 Sent in application for adoption
December 23, 2006 DTC (Documents to China)
December 25, 2006 Best Christmas Gift of all...documents ARRIVE in China
January 27, 2007 Log in Date
April 22, 2009 Submitted application for Waiting Child
May 4, 2009 Received Jade Mingcong's referral
May 28, 2009 Received PreApproval from China
June 19, 2009 Received Referral Acceptance or Letter of Acceptance
August 3, 2009 Received Travel Approval

So much more fits in between all those lines above but ALL of it is worth it. In two weeks, I could be traveling to get my daughter! Woohoo! What a gift this will be. He has so tested and polished my faith as He does when He has us faithfully (or at times trying to be faithfully) waiting for Him. I am still waiting on some very important documents that will decide if I travel with the next group on August 20th or not.

I can't even make any travel arrangements until I get approval from Immigration. With the most recent changes, I had to change my home study again. They were able to get that done and on Monday I sent it out. If they approve it by the latest of August 17th, I can still make it on this trip. I also have not yet heard from the grants. I am still short $3400 but where He guides, He does provide. He has already raised $11,000 so this is nothing for Him. He will show me exactly what I need to do to accomplish this and it may just mean waiting more on Him. Either way...He will show me and His promise will be fulfilled. She is to be my daughter and there is nothing that is going to stop Him from accomplishing that!

Oh yeah...if I haven't told you lately...I'm going to be a mama and I can't wait! :)

Unforeseen Changes

2009-08-01T05:06:00.008+08:00

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. Job 13:15

Ever have one of those days when something happens that you never thought would and it changes your entire future? That was where I was at lunch time on Tuesday.

I was checking my email at lunch time. I don't always do that at work but on that day, I had plans to go over to Newark so I could let my employer know that I wanted to request another year's leave of absence so I could return to Ch*na for the 2009-2010 school year. I was scanning through the subjects to see if there was anything I really needed to read. I can't always get Internet reception in the my friends' apartment where I am staying here in the states. I saw one that caught my eye labeled "News from Ch*na." It was from Tim Baker, the father of the two boys I teach and my employer. As I was reading it, I started feeling uneasy. As I continued on, I started having those old feelings I used to have with my anxiety attacks. I have not felt those feelings in almost 7 years. Tim was informing me that he and his family would be returning to the states in December and they were releasing me for my commitment to teach the boys.

Many of you know how much I have not only come to love those boys but the entire Baker family, the women and children of Sh*pherd's Field Children's Village as well as the country itself. I felt my world crashing around me as I read those words. I just kept saying "No! No! NO!" through all my tears. The women I am working with this summer immediately became concerned that something was happening to my adoption. They knew I was waiting for immigration to approve me to raise my daughter in Ch*na for the next year. I reassured them that it wasn't that but they also have seen how I light up when I talk about Ch*na. They have heard me repeatedly tell them that I have seen more growth in these two boys than I ever did in the past 20 years I have worked in Special Education. If you can't see the love I have for Ch*na when I speak about it, then you are blind. They knew how badly I wanted to be there.

As I left the building in tears, I just kept thinking "Did I hear you wrong L*rd? I had peace about returning to Ch*na and was faithfully stepping to fulfill that. Did I not hear you?" I know this email was a message from the Lrd as I received this email only 2 hours before I was going to request a leave of absence. Had it been any later, I wouldn't have had a job to return to this year and would be out on the job search with the rest of the country. I love that He does speak even if people think I am crazy when I say that. I love that when we wait on Him, He is faithful to direct our paths. It isn't always the door we wanted Him to open but it is always what is needed in our life.

I don't understand this. This is another thing I love about our L*rd and Savi*r. He gives us A PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTAND through the gift of the H*ly Spir*t. I don't get it but I am doing ok. Each day is a new day and He IS restoring my soul. For some unknown reason, He needs me here in the states. It may be to keep Jade safe. If may be to keep me safe. It may be that I know have work to do here. It may just be that this where I was always meant to raise Jade yet He allowed me to hope for Ch*na until it was time for me to give it up. Maybe one day He will let me see the reason behind His plans. Maybe He won't. Either way, I am trusting in Him to lead me and guide me.

I am entering into the world of being a first time mother. Many mothers enter into this with a spouse to help them make decisions and someone to make mistakes with. He is just taking me into a place that I have to rely on Jes*s as my husband more and more.

There were so many good things I was involved in at Sh*pherd's Field Children's Village in addition to teaching two of the most amazing boys I have ever been blessed to teach. I ask the faithful ones to keep "my boys" in prayer. They will eventually be reentering the public school system and will be testing out the strategies they have learned over the past year. This will be a VERY CHALLENGING situation for them. They know that "Those who rest in the shadow of the Most High G*d will be kept safe by the Mighty One. "Psalm 91:1. Pr*y they are able to rely on the things He taught them this year. Keep Philip Baker in prayer as he will be having surgery to repair the fistula in his hard palate. Remember Esther Baker as she will start the school year in the states living with another family until her family returns in December. Pray for Tim and Pam Baker as they make decision for their family. The ladies of Sh*pherd's Field, what a gift they are to me...pray they draw close to Him and they are open to being used by G*d to share with their countrymen about the work that Jes*s has done in their lives.

I know He doesn't need me to be there to do the work I was doing for Him. He is a big G*d and can do it all without me. He is our Sh*pherd and they are His sheep. May more in Ch*na and at Sh*pherd's Field come to know Him as their Shepherd. It is so much easier when you are walking where He guides, ESPECIALLY when it is really hard to walk down a path and you DON'T want to be there. When you walk with Him, He lifts you up in ways you wouldn't get when you are choosing your own path. I don't ever want to be there again. I did that for more than 35 years of my life. I am so blessed that my daughter and I are loved by a gracious, merciful and faithful G*d and that He is watching over us.

Waiting some more

2009-07-28T06:45:00.007+08:00

Wait on the L*RD; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the L*RD! Psalm 27:14

Waiting on Him has not been the easiest thing to do. I know He has a plan. I know that becoming a mom is His plan for me and my daughter is in Ch*na. I love to have my ducks in order. At this point, I don't even know when the ducks will be coming in muchless how many will be arriving. Not very easy for me. I am trying really hard to trust in Him and the fact that where He guides, He provides.

The world can't understand why I would want to return to Ch*na to raise my daughter for the next year. In their eyes, I make more money in the states and could provide so much more for her here. It made it even harder when I didn't get approved for the loan that I applied for. All along, I kept working on getting my debt lower and my credit record better so I would be elligible for a loan when the time came. Never did ever consider that I wouldn't be elligible because I was making so little and didn't have enough to make the payment.

I love how He loves me though. When they declined me for the loan, I immediately thought "Well, this is just going to be a bigger G*d story!" It definitely is! I had continued to hope for the loan to go through even though I should have figured out I wouldn't get it when I filled out the forms. He continued to let me hope for it until the right time. Now He just wants me to wait on Him and faithfully do what He asks.

I love that while you wait on Him, He blesses you along the way. I have received a few tokens for good. Today, I received a donation check for $3000. I was blown away! I love how He uses people to do His work. He has touched so many people with the spirit of adoption. Those people want to share in helping others receive that joy as well. I am getting so much closer. This is all due to the faithful out there pr*ying and doing as He guides as well. Thank you all for being a part of Jade's journey home!

I still have some last minute grants that I am going to apply for. I am waiting to hear from A Child Waits Foundation and Show Hope. He knows the needs for the adoption, for the travel needed later in the year to make her a US citizen as well as the needs for our year in Ch*na. There is nothing HE can't do. So for now, I wait on the L*RD! He continues to give me confirmation after confirmation that where I am stepping is His plan and no matter what door closes, I will step where He guides.

Waiting

2009-07-18T10:53:00.003+08:00

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Over the past 4 1/2 years of waiting for this adoption to actually come full circle, I have read several adoption blogs. There is not a mom out there who hasn't had to wait for things...papers...decisions...certifications...TA's. The list goes on! I now know where they were and for some of them, presently are!

I too am waiting for my TA! I can't complain about that as I have only been waiting 2 weeks. Many families under the new Hague Treaty are waiting for many, many weeks! I sympathize with them. I am under the pre-Hague Treaty rules and my TA is projected to take only 2-6 weeks. My prayer is that my TA takes it's sweet time! I guess you might ask why?

For me, there are lots of things that still have to get put into place before I can travel to get my daughter. You wanna hear the list? Good...let me share it with you!

1. I am waiting for my Home Study Update to get finished. Today it was finally agreed on that I didn't have to try and get Child Abuse Clearance from Ch*na as they don't have anything like it in place. This was a HUGE challenge for me. I won't even begin to get into it but it wasn't pretty!

2. Once my Home Study Update is finished, it needs to be sent to USCIS (Immigration). A week before I got my RA/LOA, the policy changed. After living in Ch*na a year...I understand how policies change before you have finished taking a breath. Adoptive families used to be able to just bring their updates with them to Guangzhou. Now they have to have Immigration approve it before it is sent to Ch*na.

3. From what I understand, even if my TA came in now, I can't travel until Immigration approves it.

4. Even if my TA arrives, I am still waiting on grants and loans to come through. G*d has been the Great Provider, Jehovah Jireh. He has raised over $7000 in donations. I totally missed the fact that I will need to return to the states within the first 6 months of her adoption to complete my home study visits and to make her a US citizen. This means I have to raise enough money for two of us to travel to the US in the middle of the year.

5. Just to add some more to my plate...I am trying to get my house rented so I can return to Ch*na next year. I also need a home for my two cats again. I could use a little wisdom on whether it is wise to sell my car and van or not. I also have a business that I ran before leaving for Ch*na. If I am not going to do anything with it when I return, then I need to do something with all my stock.

6. Many of the things I have collected for Jade are packed away in boxes/bins in my house. Hmmm, which room is it in? Which box shall I start on? Guess she doesn't need most of that stuff until we are back in the states anyways.

7. Oh yeah...did I tell you I am working full time at summer school too? :)

Lots to deal with...Lots to do. It is all in His hands. He figured it all out last year. When He calls you to do something, He will equip you with all you need...finances...a renter...a foster home for your pets...patience...strength...wisdom... I'm just glad that this is HIS plan so He already has it all figured out. He will fill me in when I need to know...unfortunately it won't be when I WANT it...like soon if not now.

For me, the hardest part is ALL the unknowns. The list is extremely big and people are asking...it's their job. I don't mean to get frustrated with them. I guess the more I can't answer questions, the more I realize how little I have control over. Some days...I am ok with it. Lately...lots of frustration. Please pr*y for me. My heart knows He is in control...my head is somewhere else.

Knowing...

2009-07-18T09:40:00.004+08:00

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. John 1:10

I was talking to a friend of mine on Facebook tonight. I was sharing with her how exciting it is to see G*d working through this adoption. She has two adopted little ones too, so she personally knows the miracle of adoption.

She was asking how the financial situation is coming along. I want you all to know how amazed I am! I have watched Him work greatly in many people's hearts to want to join in helping to bring home Jade. I was telling my friend how excited I was to tell my daughter about "her story." People don't even know her yet they feel an attachment to her. I don't know her but I know without a doubt she is mine. We are all thinking about her and anxiously waiting for the moment when I get her! It will be that moment when she truly comes to know she has a mama...one who loved her before she ever saw my face...a mama who has only wanted the Lord to bless her abundantly.

I started thinking about how this must have been for G*d with each of us. I think about the time I lived before I knew Him...knew His love. Before I knew Him, He was thinking about me. I didn't know Him but He knew that I was His. (Isaiah 43:1) He was anxiously waiting for the moment that I would one day see Him and come to know Him as my daddy (Romans 8:15). He taught me how to patiently (some of the time) wait for my daughter as He waited 36 years for me. I guess my 4 1/2 years of waiting pales in comparison.

I remember listening to Mary Beth Chapman speaking in an interview of when they handed her their daughter Shaohannah. She said "I get it Lord." Today was that moment for me...I get. I get how much He loves us as He waits patiently for us. Not all will come to Him. For those of us who have, we too have been adopted into His family. He is our papa...our daddy...our father...who lovingly waited for us. He is so glad to wrap His arms around His children.

May you wrap your arms around your little ones tonight. Remember how you waited for them...weither it was their birth or their adoption...Can you remember those feelings? If you have not yet met my maker...He too feels that for you. He wants you to come into the family. He wants to wrap His arms around you and say "I love you my child." This is there for anyone who shall believe in Jes*s Chr*st as their savior. May you come to join us in this amazing family.

Let me introduce you to JADE!

2009-07-06T02:13:00.004+08:00

She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Proverbs 3:15

It's official! I re-read the paperwork and I can finally show you who my daughter is! Woohoo! I have the pleasure of introducing you to my daughter Jade Mingcong Rittenhouse!

Jade when she was around 1 year old

Since she is an albino, she will not look very Chin*se but she is precious to me! She will have pale skin, blond if not almost white hair and probably blue eyes. Some who have seen her think her eyes are pink. Mother's whose children are albino have said that in some light, their daughter's eyes are pink. I will not know until she is in my arms but either way...she is PRECIOUS and she is MINE!

This is my favorite picture of her

These two pictures are the first ones I received. The rest are on facebook so check it out there. (Dawn Rittenhouse-friend me if you haven't yet) I have found that things upload MUCH FASTER here than in Ch*na but I am sitting in a public location as the place I am staying at doesn't have internet so I am trying to be as quick as possible. I know so many of you have been so patient in waiting for this moment! I am so glad that I am finally getting time to sit down and share it all with you! You have all been here through my journey. May you be sharing in my joy!

This is the most recent picture I have of my little one, who is actually supposed to be at least 34 inches tall! She only weighs 24 lbs so she is going to be tall and thin...something her mother NEVER was or will be! She is sporting the traditional summer buzz cut! Boys and girls get these depending on where they are living. You will note that the girls at SFCV will always have long hair and look girlie! My daughter too will one day have pretty little hair bows and clips but for now...no maintenance hair cut it is! :)

I want to thank all of you out there who are pr*ying for us and who have donated to her adoption. You have been a part of raising over $5000! Praise G*d! We still have a long way to go but He has given me tokens for good with hopes of grants and loans. I just spoke to someone at A Child Waits Foundation (http://www.achildwaits.org/) and had very encouraging news. He is so faithful! I can't wait to see all that He is still going to do! The time is getting close. My agency projects a possible travel date of July 30th but I still need to finish a Homestudy Update that must be approved by Immigration and Ch*na before I can travel. If He is sending me at the end of the month, He has LOTS to finish...grants/loans approved, a house rented, new home for two cats, car possibly sold, and lots of decisions to make. Fortunately I know He is not too busy to handle this really BIG list! He will direct me through the doors He wants me to walk through in HIS perfect timing. Just pr*y I hear and am obedient!

It's here! It's really here!

2009-06-23T07:13:00.004+08:00

OH MY HENNA! He will never cease to amaze me! As I entered into this adoption, my time frame has NEVER been the same as His! Why should it amaze me that I received my REFERRAL ACCEPTANCE (RA)papers in less than 4 weeks? Yes, you read that correctly...my REFERRAL ACCEPTANCE is here! For those of you not familiar in the adoption community, The RA is the next piece of paper I needed for my adoption! Some agencies will call this a Letter of Acceptance (LOA). They are the same thing. It was supposed to take 1-3 months after I received my Pre-approval. NOPE! God decided He wanted to do it sooner! Woohoo! In about 3 weeks time He did it. The next step is waiting for my travel approval. I don't have papers in front of me because I am sitting in an airport in Seoul, South Korea waiting for my plane to take me home but I think it is now 2-6 weeks to wait for my Travel Approval (TA) and then about 2 weeks until I travel.

Here is your part in all of this. PR*Y! PR*Y long! PR*Y hard! PR*Y without ceasing that all the money I need comes in. He is sooooooooo good that I know He already has this all worked out. I was hoping to be able to work 6 weeks of summer school to raise the money but He may have a different plan. I am hoping that all of this testifies too all of His power and His greatness as we trust in Him and walk where He wants us to especially when the world looks at us and says we are crazy. Crazy for giving up a job that pays almost 10 times what I am making in Ch*na...Crazy for giving up job security...Crazy for not having health insurance (which may be different now that I will have a daughter)...just plain CRAZY for going to Ch*na when you are alone and no one there to support you emotionally. I have seen Him do miracles at Shepherd's Field Children's Village and I believe He can do a miracle financially in my adoption! Just keep on pr*ying! I am thankful for all my prayer warriors out that! I couldn't have done all that He did through me this year without you behind me. You are like the people left back in the camp when Joshua went out for battle. Thank you for your continued support. I can't wait until I find out when I can finally post a picture of her on here for all of you to see!

Children's Day

2009-06-13T13:32:00.011+08:00

Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. Matthew 18:5

June 1st is Children's Day in Ch*na. It is as big as Mother's Day is in the states! People go all out to celebrate! Our children were going to celebrate too! Each one of them is a gift from above and they were going to know that! Needless to say...celebrating with 250 adults and 175 children is not a simple matter. It takes lots of planning and lots of people to put it together. Fortunately, we had Dawn Choate's team, the Benslay family, Sally Lockett of Portion for Orphans and Janelle and Jeff Cater here to help. We spent the day blowing up pools and pool toys, washing tables and chairs and made some potato salad from 50 potatoes. In the evening, we made 230 hamburgers, cut almost 400 rolls, and peeled/cut 100 potatoes for more potato salad.

Potato salad and jiao zi central started first thing in the morning. One thousand jiao zi were made! I was blessed to be able to use our new kitchen with the Shepherd's Field chef! I don't think he knows what to think of me yet but he will get used to me by next year!

Dawn and Shepherd's Field Cook

Throughout this year, I have spent plenty of time in the Baker's kitchen. Xiao Wang, one of the Baker's ayis (nannies) is used to me and my American food. She and I spent the time making some deviled eggs and the rest of the potato salad.

Xiao Wang and I

While we were cooking, the children sang for all our staff and guests. We had over 350 people on the grounds today celebrate children. Teacher Wangs students did an awesome job. The children were dressed in their best and looked adorable, from the youngest to the oldest.

Ginger

Emily, Margaret and Luke

Tristan

Cole

Grace

Tiffany (Mei Mei)

Christina

Teacher Zhang's students

Kathy, Anya, Joy, Fiona, Jerak Robbins and Elizabeth

Teacher Wang's students join the group

(L to R) Christina, Joy, Fiona, Jerak Robbins, Elizabeth

(L to R)Anya, Kathy, Timothy (L to R) Gregg, Jamison, Joseph, Seth

There are so many pictures I want to post but there isn't enough room! Check me out on Facebook.com. Friend me (Dawn Rittenhouse) to see more pictures. These children are truly a gift. They do embody His unconditional love. Come one day and meet them. Better yet, adopt one and take them home as your own child!

Good Morning

2009-06-13T12:27:00.006+08:00

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. Psalm 5:3

Hearing the voice of the one that you love first thing in the morning is such a sweet sound. I imagine that is how our voices sound to Him every day. What a gift we have to be able to have a G*d that loves us enough that He wants to talk to us.

I hear Him everyday too! I start my morning off by hearing Him in the children here at Shepherd's Field Children's Village. What a gift! My apartment is directly across from Samaritan's House and first thing in the morning, one ayi (nanny) loves to take her children with her as she gets food from the kitchen or brings the trash out. As a speech therapist, you know any one who is really helping children's language to grow by how they talk to the children and how the children imitate them. This is what I hear every morning with this nanny. When the puppies were outside, I would here her say "xiao gou" (meaning small dog) and Zephaniah, Emily, and Margaret would be repeating it right back. It brings a smile to may face, even though it is happening at 5:30 in the MORNING right outside my window while I am trying to bury myself deeper under my covers. Any of you who know me well know I love my sleep and mornings are challenging to me! G*d has a funny sense of humor as He does these things! I just wanted to share with you what I woke up to this morning outside my window.

Zephaniah (tricycle) and Luke (red car)

Adrian (blue and white car), Mei Mei (Tiffany),
Tristan (in orange) and Ginger on the potty

Who says potty training has to occur inside? :) Have potty, will travel!

One of my latest tasks I have chosen to do first thing in the morning is to take care of an abandoned kitten. This one was abandoned last Sunday and it was not ready to be without a mother. I have been feeding it formula with an eye dropper.

For a few days, it started to take in more and more food and was doing well. Over the past two days it has started to deteriorate...probably the reason the mother abandoned it. I don't expect it will make it through the day as its breathing is slow and labored. Many have asked "Why do you feed it? Why don't you just let nature take it's course?" This is the reason why.

This is Ling Ling. She is 16 and comes over daily to check on the puppies and the kittens. She helps me feed them and she in turn gets some unconditional love right back. Isn't that why many of us have pets?

Ling Ling and Obi Wan

I made a rules for the boys. We don't name any of the "orphaned" pets anymore. This means they are ours. Our daily pr*yer when we get new "orphans" is that the puppies and kittens get homes. He answered the one for the puppies. The kittens may be going to an pet shop in Shunyi later next week as I will be heading home for the summer soon. Until then, Ling Ling will help me by giving them love, food and some attention.

Ling Ling and I

I am so thankful for my time with Ling Ling. She is precious. The older girls here have a hard time with her as she is a little sister mentally yet in a teenager's body. I love that about her. She just loves life to the fullest! She finds joy in the little things, such as riding tricycles that don't fit her, riding bikes with a broken seat and figuring out a way to do it because it is her favorite one or coming over to check on the liang ge xiao gou (2 puppies)and wu ge xiao mao (5 kittens) as soon as school is done for the day. Her smile always brightens my day. May you too come to love the Ling Lings in your own life.

Jade

2009-06-07T23:06:00.003+08:00

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15

Many mothers have certain things she pr*ys for before she has her child in her arms. I can say that I have several. My latest is for her vision. As an albino, she will have vision problems. I do not know the extent but I do know she will have them. My pr*yer is that she will be able to see her mama's face and see how much I love her. I also want her to "see" Him in me.

All along, I have always pr*yed that someone would come to see her before she came to me that would love her with His love. I was given that opportunity as I visited 3 precious little girls in Jianjin. I shared His love with them and pr*yed over them before they were placed in their families. I now have shared pictures with their forever families. I desire that too for my little one.

A few days ago, a women named Erin came here to visit a team from Florida. As Erin and I spoke, I shared with her that my daughter was from the city she works in. She told me that she knew a woman who spends time at that orphanage. I emailed her. Guess what? He hears the desires of our heart! He sent someone to spend time with her! My daughter is said to be "very, very, very lovey! She loves to hug and NOT let go." Sounds like she has "touch" as her love language too! I can't wait to be the one that she is hugging but I am glad that He sent someone to her before she is mine to love her! Wow! That is how much He loves each one of us! He wants to fulfill all our dreams, wrap them up in the prettiest of boxes and hand deliver them to us when we least expect it! This is as good if not better than an update from the orph*nage!

I am so glad that someone else has been hugging my daughter for me. I need to ask you a favor though. For those of you who have adopted children...there are many days and years that you didn't get to hug your child. Hug them an extra time today...hug them just a little bit longer today...help to take away and replace those hugless days with all the hugs you have for them now. If you have children...hug them...hug them lots...hug them long and lovingly. Let them know how much they mean to you. We often think children know how much we love them but tell them that you do anyways. They may just be needing to hear it.

Gifts

2009-05-29T19:28:00.006+08:00

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

I started my day off wonderfully. I was able to sleep in because today is a holiday in China. Of course, there is always way too much going on outside my windows for me to sleep much past 7: the fan starting in the kitchen around 5 am, ayis coming over to get the food, ayis bringing the garbage over, the gate guard who goes for a walk and sings. :) It's all good. I was up but I didn't want to take a shower right away so I went to check my email. I started out with such exciting news.

I stared down at the list and saw two people wanted to know more about my house. If I am to return here next year, I need to find new tenants. For those of you who are my pr*yer warriors, please be pr*ying for me to get the right tenants. I also need a home for my two cats. Anyways, I was so excited to know that two people wanted to know about my house. As a matter of fact, my mom is showing one of them the house later today. Those were two things that continue to give me hope even if they don't decide to rent the house. That started my day off praising Him and put a big smile on my face.

Then I scrolled back a little further in my email. My jaw hit the floor. I leaned in closer just to make sure I was reading it correctly. I got an email from my family coordinator at AWAA with the subject title "PA HAS ARRIVED"! For those of you in the adoption community you know what this is but let me fill the rest of you in. This is the FIRST paper you need from China that says they are considering you for a specific special needs child. This one tells you that they have preapproved you for your child. Yes, check one! Jade is one step closer to coming home to rest in her mama's arms. I was floored! My agency told me that since my paperwork has already gone through the review room that it was possible that I could get my PA as soon as the beginning of June. Last I checked...it's not June yet! Twenty one days and I received my PA! Woohoo! Thank you G*d! I love how you love me and I love how you long to give the fatherless a home. The day is coming soon that my daughter will no longer have to be known as an orphan. I know she is already mine though she doesn't even know I exist. I can't wait for the day that I can send her a little care package with pictures of me in there. I can't wait to show her all the love that I have been saving up for her! He has been busy making me into the woman I needed to be so I could be the best mom for her. This in itself would have made my day wonderful, but He didn't stop here!

Friends of mine are in the process of moving back to the states after living here for 7 years. Their children range in age from 15 years to 15 months. They have six children and just fostered a little girl who is only a few weeks older than my daughter is. I went over to visit them and they walked me through the house to see what I needed. They blessed me BEYOND measure! I have a highchair, clothes, shoes, a chalkboard easel, playdough, tinkertoys, bouncy balls, arts and crafts things, a special needs Mr. Potato Head (he's missing some parts), a Christmas Tree, Duplo blocks, musical instruments, a child's sized chair/table set and the list goes on. I suddenly got overwhelmed while there. I cried tears of joy on Renee's shoulder. He heard my heart. I never realized until that moment that I had wondered what I would be able to afford to buy for her once I got her home. What would we play with? I kept thinking of all the things I had in the states and wondered if I would be able to bring them back with me. He heard all those thoughts, those questions but never once did I ask HIM to provide them for me. Ye of little faith...I love that He knew what I needed, heard my heart and gave them to me anyways. I can't wait to get playdough stuck in the carpet! I can't wait to stub my toe on her stuff in her room that I forgot to put away before I put her to sleep. I can't wait to draw on the chalk board with her. I can't wait to feed her in her highchair as she wonders "what is this food she is feeding me? Where's the rice?". What an amazing gift today was. Thank you L*rd that every good and perfect gift does come from you. You are providing for me and her in ways that I never dreamed of. Thank you for loving the two of us that way!

Race Day

2009-05-28T12:21:00.008+08:00

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Last week, Zack decided that he wanted to race the girls in the office. This was a major accomplishment for Zack. Zack tends to follow his twin brother's ideas and often doesn't trust his own ideas. Last week, Nate was home sick for three days. It was during that time that Zack came up with this idea. I told him that if he wanted to do this, he was going to have to ask the girls to do this. He was game. This brings joy to my heart. When I started here in September, Zack didn't say much. He has alot of sound errors that cause his intelligibility to be effected. At times, this will also effect his confidence when talking to others.

He decided who he wanted to ask. We went over to the office and I "spoon fed" him the words that he needed to say to ask each of them. His and Nate's two favorite office girls are Sara and Shelby. He likes to joke around with them, almost like he would with his sisters. It is cute to watch. We also asked two of the therapists who like to run: Iris and Laura. Needless to say, the girls were extremely confident that THEY were each going to win. Zack was also just as confident that he was going to beat the girls. We decided to wait until Nate was fully recovered and up to racing. Now...onto race day!

In addition to the boys, there was a family with 3 boys who also raced with them against the girls. In the first race, Zack's confidence paid off. He did win.

Nate, Zack, Gabriel and Iris

Not all the girls got into this one. So we had to let them recover and held another race. Sara is going to race the boys next week as she had errands she needed to do for work. This time, it was Shelby, Laura, Iris, Nate and Zack. I started with On your mark, Get set, Go. This didn't work for the Chinese ladies. Well, I should say...two of them. As you can see, Iris is the only one who ran (in bare feet too!) against the boys. Shelby and Laura were still back at start! This worked for Iris's advantage! She won!

Zack, Nate and Iris

This one wore Nate out! He didn't even make it to the finish line. Here's where he ended the race.

Nate

Shelby asked if they could do it again and this time count "1, 2, 3, go". This time, Shelby and Laura did run against the boys. However, Zack wasn't going to let his "big sister" beat him. Remember how I said he treated the "girls" like his sisters? Well, this time he truly did treat them the same way he would have if he had been racing them. He was NOT going to let them win at any cost, even if it meant he lost too!

Nate took full advantage of this opportunity! With two opponents out of his way, he was able to finish first! Nice job Nate and you did it fairly!

(pictures to be added after I can get back into blogger!)

Zack on the other hand was now going to have to deal with a "big sister's" need to retaliate! As any big sister would do, Shelby ran after him, put him in a head lock and wrestled him to the ground! The picture I wish I caught was off all the nannies at the Inn sticking their heads out the windows and doors, watching this all happen! It was quite the funny afternoon!

Two boys, one dog and lots of dirt

2009-05-23T19:43:00.014+08:00

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

If you haven't heard, Shepherd's Field is in the process of putting in the foundation for the our Vocational Center. It will be the biggest building on the grounds, almost twice the size of our biggest building presently on the grounds. As you dig a hole for that, the dirt that came out of the hole has to go somewhere. A large mound of dirt will not go unnoticed by two 12 year old boys for very long. Today, they decided to climb it.

Nate and Zack

Yes, you see it correctly. It IS as high as the roof of the building next to it! Their faithful sidekick and one of our orphans is Stevie, the dog. They lovingly call her "Ugly Doggie" but today she became "Dirty Dog". They thought she would also like to climb the mountain of dirt with them. I don't think she liked their idea too much.

the boys and Stevie

Even though she likes to go into the stinky, mucky water across the road from Shepherd's Field, being on the top of the dirt pile was not her thing. Needless to say, a bath after that wasn't such a bad idea.

Zack, Stevie and I

The boys liked using lots of soap. I bet their mom goes through shampoo like it is water in their bathroom! Stevie had enough on her that I think if that cats would have let us bathe them, we could have shared it. You know how children shape their hair in the tub when they have lots of shampoo in it? Well, it works for dogs too! That much shampoo works really well to make Stevie have a "Shampoo Mohawk"! Poor Stevie! It is a good thing she knows we love her!

Stevie's Mohawk

I don't think the boys have ever washed their dogs on their own. Poor Stevie had a face full of water, wet ears and water up her nose. All the staff that walked by found this quite a humorous sight and you could hear them chuckle as they walked past us. Remember that mucky water across the street I told you about? Well, she headed that way right after we let her go. The boys laughed so hard because she nevers runs that fast unless she is chasing something. She went running across the street but decided the garbage pile was what she wanted to roll in instead of going in the mucky water! It took her at least 30 minutes to come anywhere near us and forgive us for making her smell clean.

Two boys, one clean dog and their favorite orphan cat, Blackie

Boys and their bikes

2009-05-20T13:07:00.004+08:00

This is the day the L*RD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

I wish I carried my camera around with me in my pocket. You would think by now I would remember to do that in the morning. Yesterday was a wonderful day. I wish you could have watched it. It started in the morning. Right next to building I am in is a cement driveway. It is perfect for riding bikes and trikes and anything with wheels! Now that it is paved, the nannies love to bring the children over to this side in the morning. They get the shade from the fence and the children can play. Unfortunately, all the bikes had been taken back to the houses so Zack and I made it our mission to get them all and bring them back for the children. As we pulled cars and bikes and trikes and motorcycles across the lawn, the boys immediately got up and came running to us. It was so cute to see. No matter what country you are in...boys love their bikes! Give them something that moves and they are happy! The more we brought over, the more children got up to play with them. It was such a joy to watch them playing with all the stuff. It was even more fun when I looked out in the afternoon and one of the nannies was on the tricycle peddling with the children! They too want to have fun!

The fun didn't stop when the little ones went to bed either. Later in the evening, I could hear Ling Ling outside my windows. Ling Ling is 16 years old and developmentally delayed. She has the most precious heart! Many have fallen in love with her. She adores Stacy, our oldest girl her at Shepherd's Field and many nights she can be found walking the grounds and chattering at Stacy. Last week, she was following Stacy on a bike...a two-wheel bike with training wheels made for a 4 year old! It was precious. I just found myself smiling (and laughing) as she rode by. I'm not sure whose smile was bigger, hers or mine! Last night, she decided to try the tricycle. Ling Ling has waist length hair and it kept getting in her way. I think in the 9 months I have been here, this is the first time I saw it down. It is almost always braided. She would peddle along and then stop and flip her hair out of her way. She kept doing this, flipping her hair from one side to the other. I think my favorite was the Little Tykes black truck. You know the traditional orange bottom car with the yellow roof that the kids get in and use their feet to move like a Flintstones car? Well, we have the same one but also trucks that have the part in back like a pickup truck would. Ling Ling couldn't climb in it so she got in the back and pushed it backwards. She was so much fun to watch. I tried taking pictures but she caught me and started telling Stacy what I was doing so they both stopped. (I should say I THINK she was telling Stacy that since I still don't understand lots in Chinese unless I know the context!) I just wanted to share the joys I had yesterday. For those of you who have met some of these children, I hope you can picture all of this in your own head. Maybe soon I will get some pictures of this and post them for you. Until then, use your imagination. Better yet, start planning a trip to come and visit us here! I like that idea best!

My Adoption

2009-05-17T20:14:00.006+08:00

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15

I sent out a letter to friends of mine via email and Facebook yesterday. I got a response back from a friend who asked if she could post the letter on her blog so I got to thinking, "If she is posting it, why am I not posting it also?" That is where we are my friends...so tell Jill thank you for the wonderful idea of sharing this with our bloggy friends. It is because of her that you are now a part of my adoption in a way I never would of thought of.

Dear Friends and Family,
What an exciting time this is. In November 2004, I started my adoption journey. I had no idea it would take me this long. G*d knew though. He has spent every day of the last 4 ½ years preparing me to be the mother I needed to be for the child He had chosen for me. My papers arrived in China on Christmas 2006. What a gift that was. I remember thinking a few months before my papers were done that maybe my papers took so long to do because she wasn’t born yet. I now can say, yes, one purpose for my papers taking so long was that.

My daughter, Wei Mingcong, was born on October 22, 2006. She lives 1 ½ hours from me but I won’t get her for a few months. Now comes the time to finish raising the funds for her adoption. If I was living in the states, I would be selling my glassware, doing garage sales, selling candy bars, doing whatever it would take to raise the $11,500 still needed to get her home. However, G*d had a different plan. He has me, in Ch*na, and my wait time is short before my daughter is in my loving arms. My agency expects that I could be traveling to get her by the end of the summer. Praise G*d! My time to be a mother has come!

Since my time is short, I am coming to you and asking you to help bring my little one home. I know the challenges many of you are facing on a daily basis because of the US economy. Fortunately, I am trusting in HIS economy. Things don’t always add up the way we would like it to, but fortunately, when we trust in the L*rd with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding, HE provides what we need. This past year living in Ch*na on a salary that was less than 1/8 of what I was used to making has proved that HE does provide when we trust in Him. I work for an organization that daily trusts in HIM to provide and they have seen HIS miracles related to financial needs occur time after time.

One of the things I have had to learn to do this year was humble myself and ask for help. That is why I am coming to you. My Adoption Association, America World, has a program called the "Eternal Family" program to help bring my daughter home. The Eternal Family program allows friends and family to participate in charitable giving towards the adoption of my child. Of course, I present this to you as an opportunity and not an obligation. Checks are made out to America World Adoption and sent directly to the office at: 6723 Whittier Ave., Suite 202, McLean, VA 22101. On the memo line, please indicate “Eternal Family.” I’ve included a separate sheet that should be completed and included with the check when it is sent to America World. You will receive a receipt from America World for tax purposes at the end of this fiscal year. Time truly is short and I will need to receive any donations by July 1st.

My adoption journey has been one of faith. I have been blessed by the changes in my life that have come from it. I humbly ask you to join hearts and hands with me in this journey and pray for this little one as we become a family. Every little bit counts and I thank you for considering this.

Love and blessings,
Dawn

Eternal Family Adoption Assistance Program

Name of Adopting Family you are requesting to support: _____Dawn Rittenhouse_________
Please record your name, or organization’s name, full address, phone number, and the amount of your contribution in the box below. Be sure to include this form with your check. Checks can be made payable to America World Adoption. America World is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; therefore, all donations are considered tax-deductible contributions in the year they are given. The funds donated are not refundable to the donor or to the family. The maximum amount of donation money for a family’s adoption expense is determined by household income (with a cap of $10,000). Any amount above this will be used to fund other families or America World projects. In order to fully comply with the law, America World retains discretion and control over the use of all donated funds. Contributions become part of a fund used to assist families with their adoption expenses. While we cannot guarantee that all funds donated by you will be made available to your designated family, America World does work to honor the wishes of donors.
Name: ____________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________
City, State, and Zip Code: _______________________________________________
Phone Number: ______________________________________________________
Please indicate the Amount of Contribution:
$20 $50 $100 $200

$300 $400 $500 $750

$1000 $2000 $3000 $5000

$__________ Other

___Please check here if you do not wish to receive future information on how you can partner with us in the mission of serving the world’s orphans.

AWAA • 6723 Whittier Avenue • Suite 202 • McLean • VA • 22101 • 800-429-3369 •
Fax 703-356-8973

Traveling to Chengdu

2009-05-09T21:59:00.009+08:00

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah Psalm 46:2-3

Last week I had my first break from teaching since Christm*s. It was awesome! I went south with one of my friends here, Sara Zhou. She lives in the Sichuan province in a town called Renshou. We started our trip by grabbing a train and traveling 31 hours to get to Chengdu. If you have never traveled by train I suggest you experience it. However, take my advice, don't take a 31 hour ride on a hard sleeper! Yes it is much better than a hard seat, but my back is still recovering!

Sara

As we traveled south, we got to see the beautiful scenery of the Qinling Mountains. It was beautiful, even though it was overcast. It felt more like home. Though I don't live in the mountains, I was seeing more trees like we had at home...a much wider variety than we have up north. I was blessed to have a window seat to be able to view it all.

As we traveled, we saw homes that from a distance reminded me of our two story homes in the states. In the north, houses are only one story to keep the family warmer in the cold months.

Some of my favorite pictures are ones that I are in my memory. When traveling by train, you quickly lose the picture that you want to take or it ends up blurry. I loved seeing people working in their fields especially working in the rice fields with the farmers wearing the traditional Chinese hat.

My camera just can't do this area justice. They use every area possible. They cut into the land, into the mountains so they can farm on flat lands. The Chin*se are very smart and let nothing go to waste. We could learn some things from them in that area.

The dirt was red. It stayed that way all the way into Renshou. Clay dirt where ever you looked. I can't imagine how hard that must be on the oxen as they pull the plow through it. I was able to see that but not fast enough with the camera.

This is a local burial site. Up north they cremate the bodies and bury them in a large mound of dirt. Down south, they dig into the side of the hill and bury them in their. They place a door that looks like it could be the entrance. They have festivals in the early spring where family members go to the place where their dead is buried and bring them things. This is so their family members can do well that year in the after life. They will bring fruit and offer them money. They will burn the money as an offering to them. Before all this, they will light fireworks to warn off the evil spirits.

In the center you will see a blue tent. We saw several of these in this area. This was in the upper area of the earthqu*ke region. We saw large sections of rock that had fallen off the mountain sides and it made me wonder if it was from that or not. You saw many people working on building homes near these tents.

If you ever have a chance to travel through here, I recommend it. It is definitely His country, created by Him.

Can you guess who is going to be a mom?

2009-05-08T17:04:00.006+08:00

He maketh the barren woman to keep house, [and to be] a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 113:9

I would like to share some wonderful news with all of you! Many of you know that I started my adoption 4 1/2 years. It has finally gotten to the point where I can say...I AM GOING TO BE A MOM! Yes you read it right...a mom! She is 2 1/2 years old. She is from Tianjin. She was born on 10-22-06 and was abandoned on 11-1-06. She has albinism. This means she will be an albino.

I would love to post a picture but at this time, I can't. Part of my process is that I sent my paperwork in to Ch*na requesting Wei Mingcong. Now I wait. It is in their court. We wait for them to preapprove me and then send me a Letter of Confirmation. This will take a few months but I expect to have her by sometime in the fall.

This has happened faster than I ever expected. The week before I left on vacation, I had finally submitted my Special Needs Application to AWAA. The first time I reviewed the application almost a year ago, I was overwhelmed by the special needs listed. I thought "Oh, I couldn't do these. This is more than I can handle." After working here, I sat down to fill out the application and my thoughts were so different. As I looked at things that caused me fear previously, this time I saw faces. As I looked at each condition, I saw faces of the children here that have that same condition. They are children...children that need a home. How was I to say no. I was putting it in His hands to choose who was best for me. Isn't it amazing how He can change our hearts to match the plans He has for us when we are open to it?

On Monday night, I called my agency to go over some questions they had for me re: my application. As my family coordinator and I spoke, I shared with her that Bea (Dong Hongcui) had been on my heart since last June but I was open to whatever child He had planned for me. If it wasn't her, I just wanted Him to give her a family. Since she has a repaired lip and soon to have a repaired palate, she would be easily adopted. After sharing this, they informed me they had a few referrals they were considering for me. I sat speechless. (WOW! He has made me speechless many times here. I guess it is a good place for me!) Around midnight on Monday, I received Wei Mingcong's pictures and paperwork. She is precious. As I sat and pr*yed, I was initially shocked and then started to doubt myself. Why then had Bea been on my heart since June? I love when He answers us in that still small voice. He reminded me that if I hadn't asked about her paperwork, there is no telling how long it would have been for her orphan*ge to realize her paperwork and that of 3 others was missing. Because I asked, they have now restarted the paperwork necessary for those 4 children to be eligible to have a family. I did have a role in her life...but not as her mama. He has someone else planned.

I am so excited! I finally feel "pregnant"! And believe it or not, I'm not showing one bit! :) I guess Sunday is going to be a Happy Mother's Day after all!

More May Birthdays

2009-05-08T15:04:00.005+08:00

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:40

That is my hope and pr*yer for all the children here, on their birthdays and everyday. This week we have celebrated 4 birthdays here at Shepherd's Field. Let me introduce you to our birthday boys and girls.

Fred

Fred (Fu Kangzhen) from Jiaozuo was born on 5-5-08. He has cleft lip and palate. His lip has been repaired but I don't believe his palate has been yet. He truly enjoyed his birthday card. He has grown in the past few months since he arrived here. Isn't it grand how lots of love and help a child grow? Guess that may be why they put him in the House of Love.

Aubrey

Aubrey (Rao Xiachen) is from Shangrao. She was born on 5-5-06. She has a genetic syndrome. Aubrey also lives in the House of Love. I ended up interrupting her at preschool so we could give her the birthday card the boys made. Fortunately, Cole was there too.

Cole

Cole (Fu Liangling) is from Jiaozuo. He was born on 5-8-06 and came to us on 6-2-07. Cole lives in the House of Peace.

Connor

Connor (Xiao Jie) is from Anhui. He was born on 5-8-08 and arrived here a week before I did in September. He has respiratory problems. He lives in the House of Blessings. He's a munchin and so adorable.

Celebrate their birthdays with me. What a blessing they are!

May Birthdays

2009-05-04T15:55:00.003+08:00

But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. Isaiah 43:1

May 2nd was a special day. Not only was it part of the May Holiday (May 1st is Ch*na's Labor Day and so it was a holiday weekend) but it was the birthday for two special little ones here at Shepherd's Field.

Joelle

Joelle (Ling Wanshu) turned 1 year old on Saturday. She has been with us since July. She has tumors. She lives in Samaritan House. She smiled at Zack as he gave her the card he made for her.

Part of the min*stry I have asked the boys to participate in is celebrating each child's birthday with a card made by them. We deliver them in the afternoon and we sing Happy Birthday in Chin*se as well. Zack has gotten really good at doing this. This is still not Nate's favorite thing. He is very uncomfortable in new situations and people he doesn't know well. He is at least now comfortable enough to hand the cards to the children. Singing will eventually come along. One baby step at a time. :)

Moses

For those of you who have met Moses (Dang Shanbei) , you would agree he is quite the "pistol"! Although he is a dwarf, is deaf and has a heart condition, there is no stopping him! He is learning Chin*se Sign Language this year at the School for the Deaf in Langfang. This has been a wonderful opportunity for him to be able to learn a more consistent way of communicating. What is amazing that although up to this point he has not learned a language, he has been able to successfully communicate his thoughts and feelings through gestures, facial expressions, body language and vocalizations. I remember my first week here. I sat next to him and he was telling me through gestures. vocalizations and facial expressions how he could hear the rain and he showed me that he didn't like it, it was going to get him wet and that it was loud. Imagine how much he could do with a consistent language and way to communicate! Moses lives in the House of Peace and has been with us for 3.5 years. Celebrate his 9th birthday with me!

How I ended up here at PHF

2009-04-18T20:52:00.003+08:00

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had." Luke 21:1-4

I while ago I thought I should tell you about my story on how I got here. I put that on the "list" of things I should eventually blog about. Well, you know how those lists are, at least MY lists...I write them, misplace them or forget to look at them and then eventually run into them and say "Oh yeah. I was supposed to do that!" This time, I didn't run into the "list". I actually got a letter that made me think I needed to tell you the story.

Last spring, I was considering going on a m*ssion trip with a team from Visiting Orph*ns. In my own head, I couldn't figure out how this was a good idea while waiting for my adoption. (Yes, my adoption journey is another thing on the list and one day...you will hear that one too!) I am a planner. I like to have things in order and things should make sense. Ever since I became a Chr*stian, I have had to learn that some of the best things have come out of things that initially made no "human" sense at all! This is one of them! Many couldn't understand why I could justify spending my extra money on this trip when I could have saved it for my adoption. I couldn't understand either but felt driven to go. I kept pr*ying about which group I should join. There were three that I was pr*ying about. I remember calling my friend Marilyn and telling her I kept feeling that I should go to Fushun but it wasn't on the list. She laughed at me and told me it was on the list just further down, not at the groups I was looking at though. It was the orphan*ge her daughter came from and there was a team returning there. I hadn't even looked at those teams as options since they were groups returning. I didn't think I would join those but He knew where He needed me to go. I gladly joined this team thinking what a wonderful opportunity to go and see where Sarah came from. Though it was a blessing to give pictures of Sarah with her family to the orphan*ge director and meet her foster mom, this was NOT the entire reason He needed me to go to Fushun.

When we got to Ch*na, part of our itinerary included spending part of a day at a place called Sheph*rd's Field Childr*n's Village. It was a Foster Home run by foreigners outside of Beij*ng. I had never even heard of it before. All I knew about it was that two of the couples on our team sponsored children there. To me, it was just another opportunity to love some more orph*ns. What a blessing it was for our team members to get to see the children they have been helping. The children looked well cared for and the nannies spent lots of time loving the children. This is where it started...I started noticing all the cleft lip and palate children. One little one caught my eye. Her name was Bea (pronounced Baya). Ring a bell? As we walked around, we had stopped into the House of Peace. We were watching the nannies teaching the children how to count while they were waiting on their potties. It was a precious moment. As we walked out of there, I was walking alone. I remember seeing a puppy in a box (possibly the one I feed now every night) and thinking "L*rd, I could work here." I hadn't been happy where I was for a long time. I liked the things I saw here and thought I would like to work in a place where I could share my spirit*al thoughts and beliefs and didn't have to worry about what I could and couldn't say to my students. What better way to help orph*ns than to come and teach them! He had now planted the first seed in His plan.

A few days later we headed to Fushun. While there, my heart was totally changed. When I had come to Ch*na on my first trip, I met numerous babies and toddlers. My heart was not ready for the change that older children can do. From day one, the older children were our focus. We played with the younger ones but it was so easy to include the older children in all that we did. We saw transformations in their faces as smiles eventually came out. They were cautious and protective of their hearts but they recognized two of the couples that were with us. One couple brought photo albums for each child. It had pictures in them from the trip last year. It was such a gift to them! They loved it. The next few days would be times for us to share things with them...projects to make, pictures to color, stories to tell, songs to sing, games to play, whistles to toot and the list goes on. What I think amazed me the most was how we would give these simple little things to them and they would turn around an give them back to us. They wanted to show us their love for us. It was unconditional love. I often cried as they did this. They had so little yet kept giving it all to us. It reminded me of G*d's love for us. I remember being back in the hotel and asking everyone where I could find the story of the widow's mite in the b*ble. That was what I kept thinking of when I thought of these children. Like her, they gave ALL! I wanted to be able to love like that! I wanted to know it would feel to be able to just give it away without worries about how the bills would get paid, fears about how I could pay for an adoption, concerns about what others would think. I wanted to love like that!

I felt G*d tugging at my heart after the first day. Prior to coming, I asked Him to let me spend time with the child He knew needed me most. I didn't know who it was but time was getting short. We only had a few days there and I didn't want to lose a moment. I kept asking Him who it was and when I arrived that morning, one young man (cleft lip and palate none the less) came up to me and lifted his arms up to me and said "Mama!" I thought "This must be the one!" Nope! After we had held our Olympic Games, we were handing out medals. I was standing there and the little one I had in the morning wanted nothing to do with me. I kept asking Him who was it. The next thing I know someone, has slipped their little hand into mine. I didn't even have to look and I knew...this was the one. My heart melted. I turned to look into the precious eyes of an 11 year old boy. His name was Fuxing (sp?). We were inseparable for the next 3 days. What amazed me the most was we all went to min*ster to them and we were the ones being min*stered to. I felt I was receiving more than I was giving. I can still feel all those feelings as if it was just last week. One of the things I received was reigniting my fire to teach children. I was able to do all the things with these children that I so desperately missed while teaching at the High School level.

As we continued on with our trip, I kept talking to the team about when we all would come back and work here after we learned Chin*se. When I got home, I did look into Chin*se classes at the college in my town. About a week after I got home, out team leader sent me an email and told me that PHF was looking for a special educator for two 11 year old boys. Naw...I couldn't do that! It was one of those jaw dropping moments when you realized some of the things you said and did and He was listening..."I could work here."... 11 year old boy in Fushun and have been teaching 5th and 6th graders for past two years at church... "I don't want to work here anymore." I finally sent out an email to Tim and Pam Baker telling them my work history and what I was capable of doing. Little did I know that I would get a reponse that said "You're all that we hoped and prayed for during this past year." WOW! He had been preparing me for this moment!

There were many challenges to get to PHF by the beginning of the school year. I was hoping to be there by the end of August and I accepted the position on July 7th. I had to get renters for my house, pack up a 4 bedroom house, find a home for my cats, come up with the money to pay for a flight and mortgage payments until I could find a renter...and the list goes on. Throughout it all, I just kept asking for Him to be glorified. Many questioned whether I should be leaving a job that I have had for 20 years to do this. How could I live off of that amount? How would all the bills I had back home get paid? Lots of questions and very little answers...just a peace that passes all understanding that I knew that Ch*na and PHF was where I was supposed to be for the next school year. As it all worked out around the 11th hour, of course, I knew He was glorified through this whole process. When I was finally able to call my mother and tell her I had renters for my home, she said to me "He really was in this all the time, wasn't He?" and I said "yeah, ma, He was." He kept speaking to me the same thing He spoke to me in Ch*na, about giving it all. He kept asking me, "Are you willing to give it all Dawn?" I was...not all the time...many times I doubted myself. Was I really hearing Him? Was this all in my head? I remember when my visa got denied, a friend of mine said to me "Wow. You must really be a threat to the enemy. Remember this when times get rough that He called you to this." I have remember that and getting this letter reminded me I needed to share this journey.

I want to share a part of what was written. At the end of our team's time in Ch*na, we were asked to write a letter, talking about how we were feeling at that moment. I was floored when I read it! It was exactly what ended up happening yet I didn't know He already had it all planned out!

Dated 6-26-08

"Oh my heavenly father,
I come to you feeling so much I have been asking you for the past few years to make me into the woman you desire me to be. I never thought I would be here at this emotional place. I am ready to sell off my collections, pay off my debt, sell my dream home and move to Ch*na. I no longer have the passion to do what I am doing in the states. I want to do it here! I will sleep on that board, have only a few outfits, have paint peeling on the walls, whatever it takes. I want to serve where you want me to . I want to do your will. I want to do it in your time. Besides wanting to come and give it all to your children here in Ch*na, I am willing to do whatever you want me to regarding my adoption. ... Before I left on this trip, I heard you keep speaking to me about my need to "have my ducks in the pond." This is a real big pond L*rd! A pond I had never thought looking at. I know you are a BIG G*d, one who is in control. Open the doors you want to open, close the doors you want closed and continue to change my heart. I do desire to be the woman you desire me to be. Send me to the end of the earth. I want to share this amazing love that you have given me with whomever you want me to and wherever you want me to. I am here to serve you G*d. My life is not mine. It is yours. I love you L*rd! Love, Dawn

There is not a thing I wrote that He didn't do in my life. I was at a point that I was on my knees, in my kitchen, listening to Steven Curtis Chapman's "Yours" song telling Him, "If you want me to sell the house, I will. It is Yours. I think I need it for my adoption but You can do anything." He didn't need me to. He found me renters instead. I love how He is changing me, one moment at a time. I love how I can look back and see all the things He lined up to prepare me for this year...

3 years ago...baptized...asked for Him to send me where He wanted to send me and use me however He wanted to use me
3 years ago...my first trip to Ch*na
3 years ago...started teaching 5th and 6th graders at church and a challenging bunch they were
3 years ago...started taking m*nistry classes at night
3 years ago...Baker's started asking people to pr*y for the teacher to come and teach their boys

I want you all to know that if you are presently asking Him for something, don't give up hope. Hope does not disappoint when you have Him on your side. He is already working in you. Let Him have all the time He needs for when He shows you that final picture, you will be floored. You will feel exactly what I felt when I read my letter and saw all that He was doing then and now in my life. I can't wait to see what the next picture will be...My hope...my daughter...then my husband....His perfect timing...it's all worth it for it takes your breath away every time!

...and a GOOD FRIDAY it is!

2009-04-10T21:20:00.012+08:00

Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled as spoken by the prophets: "They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots." Matthew 27:35

Today is the day that my Savi*r died for me so my sins could be forgiven! A GOOD FRIDAY it is! Shepherd's Field truly looked like a Children's Village today! We had an Easter Egg Hunt and there were children and nannies everywhere! The staff hid over 400 carefully dyed and decorated eggs all over the grounds. It took them at least 30 minutes to hide them all and less than 10 minutes for 60 children to find them! I'm not sure who was more competitive though...the children or the nannies! :)

Tristan

Mei Mei

Iris (OT) with her little man

Eric and his nanny

Laura (Speech Therapist) and Cameron

Ling Ling

Bea

(pronounced Baya or maybe Jade if my prayers are answered)

Christina

Jacob Jai

Gregg, Ahna, Timothy and gang

Joseph, Cameron, Benjamin, Brent, Jacob Jai and others

Brent, Holly, Henry, Joy, Jacob Jai, Adrian, Luke and friends

Adam, Peyton, Emily, Malachi, Bea, Ahna, Timothy

Lucas, Gregg, Will, Mariah, Cole

Not a single child here doesn't need a family. Don't you want to come and

just love on them with me?

The Children of Shepherd's Field

Every child here needs love, especially the little ones that couldn't make it out for this event. If you have never visited Ch*na, consider coming. The gift of love is so easy to give. That is all these children ask for...a little love. Don't we all want that? A little love? I am so glad that on this day, my Savi*r loved me enough that He gave His life on the cross so I could have everlasting life. What a gift...that gift of love!

A Red Thread Moment

2009-04-09T20:22:00.005+08:00

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet,regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break."- an ancient Chinese belief

We have entered into the "team season" again here at PHF. It has started to get really busy and I am finding that I am trying to "wear too many hats" at one time as more people come. One of the blessings with having more people come is I get to meet some of the people that pr*yed for me before I accepted the job here teaching the boys. One woman who came with a team from Clearwater, Florida was actually considering my job. It was wonderful to get to spend time with her and see why G*d needed here at home. She has a granddaughter with a cleft palate and is very involved with many good things. I will never stop being amazed how He placed that need on people's hearts who never met me before. I love how He works!

On Monday, two doctors arrived. It was awesome to find out they came from Syracuse, NY. That is my territory! Not exactly right around the corner but when you are talking about being on the other side of the world, Syracuse is close enough. What really made this one a red thread connection was that as Paul was telling me his story, I felt I had met him and his wife before. For some reason I felt I had met them at a craft show. I guess it was because I couldn't remember what else I would have done that would have led me to meet them. It was his wife Melissa that remembered where we had met. It was at an adoption seminar last spring!

My best friends, Marilyn and Walter Pieschke, run adoption seminars for AWAA a couple times a year. I have often presented at these. After my initial trip to Ch*na in the summer of 2006, I really felt that people needed to know the typical life for some orphans. It was just awesome to see how some of things I had said at that seminar impacted her. He is soooooo good! You never know who is listening to the things you say. You never know who you are going to effect. This is why we need to share our stories. The things G*d has shown you and done in your life could positively effect another person's life. I had a hard time "justifying" going on that trip because I was in the middle of getting my paperwork ready for Ch*na. It was His plan and I love that He continues to let me see the fruit from that event.

My request for you is that if you feel He is directing you down a certain path, then STEP! When He guides, He provides. It doesn't have to make sense. Many times, the bigger it is, the less it will make sense to us. Those are the times that He wants us to trust in Him even more and faithfully STEP! You will be blessed beyond measure when you step where He has asked you to. I was and continue to be. I can't wait to see what other red thread moments He is going to provide for me while I am here.

Penny's Gang

2009-03-14T16:45:00.016+08:00

Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name. 2 Samuel 22:50

To those of you who know me well, you know that I often have the best intentions. That is exactly what this blog is...the best intentions. This is about an event that happened almost two weeks ago but it was still worth blogging about. Hope you don't mind that my intentions of getting it out to you is a little delayed.

Two weeks ago, we were blessed here at Shepherd's Field to have some artists from Oregon and California come visit us and perform for the staff and children. it was such an amazing blessing.

Penny's Gang in our Outreach Center

These artists are working with Penny's Gang Records and have these HUGE hearts. The Outreach Center will eventually be the area where meals will be served to the staff, the school aged children and guests. This will also be a gathering place for events such as this one. We had a team come through in the fall when it was not yet completed. We sang in here then and knew this building was designed for worsh*p! And worsh*p we did, then and now!

(From L to R) Cal Coyle, Shelley James, Patrick Paegel and Chris Bolden

Cal and Shelley are married and listening to them harmonize is truly music to your ears. You know that they were designed for each other. Patrick is a very humble man. He will not speak much about what he has done but I believe he has written many worship songs. He has been given a gift. One of his latest can be heard on http://www.pennysgangrecords.com/. I find myself singing it many mornings. It is called "The Great I am". Actually you can hear all the artist on the Christm*s CD. Chris Bolden is their producer and another amazing man.

Teacher Wang and Bea

For those of you that may not know, this little beauty is the one I have been pr*ying about. As I walked around singing, there was one moment that Bea turned and stared at me. She was no longer watching the people singing, but watching me. The thought that ran through my head as she watched me was "Is this a daughter watching her mother?". Time will tell if that truly was the case or not.

Shelley James

I was in my glory singing with them. I just kept walking around the back, taking pictures and loving the sound of singing in a building that was made for it. The sound was glorious. As the words were sung, I just kept thinking of how each one of them may or may not know our Savi*r. I just pr*yed that the words we sang touched them in a way that other things have not yet reached them. Shelley sang a version of Amazing Grace that has a chorus that says "Amazing Grace, Amazing Mercy, Amazing Love for me." I have seen that Grace. I have felt that Mercy. I know that Love. I so want everyone here to know it too though I know it is highly unlikely that all will accept Him.

Though many of the staff and children do not understand English, I do believe many of them were enjoying the music.

Cameron, Josiah, Jerak Robbins and friends

Hayden, Joy and Kathy

Teacher Wang and Henry

a little help from a loving nanny

This little guy wanted to get closer to the music. He got up from his chair and walked up to Bill. Bill was sitting right next to Cal, the bass guitarist. What better seat than this one to enjoy the show from!

After the show, the children shared there talents as well. Our first singer was Grady. Grady is a 13 year old boy with Scoliosis. He has a great heart and a great smile and longs for a family. what child doesn't want to be a part of a family?

Our next young man was Jamison. He is 11 years old. He suffers from burns but it didn't effect his voice. It was beautiful. He has been given a gift, a wonderful gift, one we were glad to have him share with us.

Our next performers were Seth, 13 and Christina, 9.

Our last performers were from some of the youngest ones in the bunch. Kathy, 6, Jerak Robbins, 4, and Joy, 4 joined friends in singing a Chinese song for us and also Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. They were so precious.

Join me in praising Him for giving us these children to care for. What a gift we are given. Pr*y we are able to share His love with all of them here and they will come to know Him too. The older children long for a baba (a father) and they have one that wants to wrap His loving arms around each and every one of them. He is already watching over them. May they one day come to truly know Him and know that the comfort they have comes from Him. Nothing would be more glorious.

A weekend of birthdays

2009-03-14T15:08:00.008+08:00

"Therefore know that the L*RD your G*d, He is G*d, the faithful G*d who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; Deuteronomy 7:9

I love knowing He is faithful! He is not only faithful to me but to these orphans all around me! He has blessed them with loving nannies and people who come from around the world to give them love. He has also given you a desire to see what is happening in their lives otherwise you would be reading this right now. Let me get to the point of today's blog.

MORE BIRTHDAYS! Woohoo! On Saturday, March 7th, Peyton (Fu De) turned 2. He has a cleft lip and palate. I love teasing him when I go into the House of Blessings. He LOVES his nanny and when I pretend to try to take him from her, he clings tighter. He doesn't mind getting tickled though. He looks at me really strange when I laugh but he loves to blow me kisses or let me kiss his forehead when I am leaving. :)

Peyton

Shepherd's Field's next birthday was celebrated by Emily (Chang Mengyan). She turned 4 on March 8th. She has Thalessemia. From what little I know of it, it is an inherited recessive blood disorder. She was very excited to get her card from the boys. Her friend Margaret enjoyed checking out what she got too.

Emily

On March 9th, we celebrated 2 birthdays. (I got to celebrate 3 because that was my daddy's birthday too...and yes at 43, he is still my daddy!) Evan (Fu XinXing) turned 2. He has cleft lip and palate.

Evan

Luke (Tian Yi) also turned 2. He is one of our heart babies. He immediately started to cry as the boys and I came into the room. Fortunately, his loving nanny comforted him enough to let us take his picture with his card.

Luke

I feel so blessed to be able to share this with you. I hope you enjoy celebrating their birthdays as much as we do here. Join me in wishing them a belated Sheng ri kuai le!

Happy Belated Birthday Will and Kathy!

2009-03-13T22:39:00.011+08:00

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. Luke 1:14

On March 4th, we rejoiced over the birthday of Will (Fu Zhihua). He turned 3 years old. I realized when I sat down to write this that I don't have Will's picture. Sorry about that. I will try to remember and add it later.

On March 5th, it was Kathy's turn. Kathy (Gao Shenrong) turned 6 years old. She has a heart condition.

(front row L to R: Hayden, Joy and Kathy)

One of the things my boys do here is make cards for the children on their birthdays. We deliver them and sing Happy Birthday in Chinese to them. Zack has become very confident doing this. Nack has come a long way but this is still not comfortable for him. As we entered into the House of Peace to deliver Kathy's card, they told us she was upstairs. She was already in her room. Fortunately, she wasn't asleep and the nannies let us in. What we thought was joyous was not so for one of her roommates. Joy didn't mind but Holly started crying immediately. So much for bringing joy to the children! :) Kathy liked it...I guess that was all that mattered.

Join me in wishing them a Happy Belated Birthday. Sheng ri kuai le!

How Great is our G*d

2009-03-13T21:11:00.005+08:00

The L*RD will demonstrate his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. The ends of the earth will see the salvation of our G*d. Isaiah 52:10

There is so much that has gone on in the past week. Wow, where to start! Guess I'll start with today.

My view of the courtyard

As I stand in my apartment overlooking the courtyard here at Sh*pherd’s Field, I have this overwhelming urge to pray for the salv*tion of the nannies, the workers, the driver’s the office staff, the accountants, the gardeners and most importantly, the orphans. I was singing Chris Tomlin’s How Great is Our G*d this afternoon. The lyric line that brought me to my knees was “All will see how Great is our G*d.” I know that there will come a time in each person’s life that they will stand in court: G*d’s court. There, they will see that J*sus really does exist and always did. Many have heard about Him but reject living a life that is for Him. “It’s too hard” they say or “Look at all the fun I am missing out on” or “I have time”. Many think they have given their life to Him because they faithfully go to church, serve on many committees or prayer groups in their church and think this will get them to heaven. There are those like the ones I live with that don’t believe in Him at all and have rejected Him. Without a personal relationship with J*sus, our L*rd and S*vior, there will be judgement in that court. I have felt overwhelmed for the people and children of Ch*na and their need for a S*vior. All will see how great is our G*d. Why not see it now? You won’t have to face those courts when He is your S*vior! He has saved you from that! He doesn’t want you to choose that court. You have a much easier choice. Choose Him as your S*vior and save yourself from damn*tion. Your choice…what do you want? I know there is truth in John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. He was sacrificed for you and for me so that we won’t have to go to Hell. Please join me in pr*ying for the unsaved.

Happy Birthday Joseph

2009-03-02T20:14:00.007+08:00

How precious is Your loving kindness, O G*d! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. Psalm 36:7

March is a busy month for birthdays here at Shepherd's Field Children's Village. Yesterday was the first of many. On March 1, 1999, Joseph was born.

Joseph and Christina

Joseph is such a good friend. He has a friend, Jamison, who he helps get around. Jamison suffered damage to his eyes and needs help to get around. Joseph is that friend that makes sure Jamison has someone to hold onto and follow.

Gregg, Grady, Ling Ling and Joseph

He is quite the artist. I have seen his work and he has really enjoyed doing a variety of art projects. Leah recently posted more about Joseph on our PHF blog. Check it out here. http://chinaorphans.org/phfblog/2009/02/04/joseph-dang-feilong/

Joseph has a heart condition. In reality, don't we all have a heart condition? Where is your heart right now? Who holds your heart? For me, it is my L*rd and Savi*r, J*sus Chr*st. My hope and pr*yer for all of you is that one day, He will hold yours too. The last six years of my life have been the best part of my life. In February 2003, my heart was healed. The Great Physician healed my brokenness. I pr*y that the children here come to know Him so their brokenness of being an orphan can be healed. May you let Him into your heart so He can heal yours too.