Oh, LORD, please calm my heart today …
We signed up for email updates from the 2015 LWB Cleft Exchange
that is currently happening in China.
There are so many children who are receiving a wonderful gift this week …
the gift of greatly needed surgery. My
heart is torn today because I am so grateful to be able to virtually watch the
wonderful opportunity that is upon one of the boys we are in process to adopt
yet I am struck with sadness, anxiety and even anger because of what he is
having to endure.
Probably the most emotional moments of the day, however, came
when three children from an orphanage in Shandong arrived to see our team. All
three children have very complex facial issues, and because of that the
orphanage has tried to protect them by not taking them out in public. They had
to travel by train today, however, to get to Kaifeng, and so they knew the
children would be made fun of and hear negative comments. Because of this, they
all decided to wear masks on the journey, so that no one would see the
children’s faces.
Once they arrived we realized how compassionate the caregivers
were being for CJ, Billy, and Delia to take this extra precaution. As soon as
the masks were removed, other families in the hospital gasped and began coming
over to look at the children. One woman cleaning the hospital became so upset
that the children began to cry, and so our team began taping up paper over the
hospital room windows so no one could see inside. But as news spread about the
children, families from other floors began coming to see, and even ripped the papers
down so they could look at the kids. Thankfully the hospital staff got involved
and helped secure the room, and the papers were put back up to cover the
windows. It was just one of those moments we never anticipated, and it took
time to get it under control. Thankfully, once the paper was back up and the
door was firmly closed, the children calmed down and warmed up to our
volunteers.
Billy thankfully began to have fun with our team pretty quickly
after the crowd was dispersed. He loved building 3D puzzles, and he was even
beginning to repeat English words. He is one smart little boy.
We had learned right before the cleft trip that Billy has a
family who committed to his adoption, and so we discussed whether we should
continue with surgery in China or remove his case from the cleft trip. Now we
know that we absolutely made the right decision as none of us could imagine
what this little boy would have gone through for two weeks during the adoption
trip, if his presence at the hospital caused such a huge stir. His surgery will
be on Thursday, and it will require both surgeons in the OR. His caregivers who
came with him were so incredibly kind, and we are so happy that Dr. Tolan and
Dr. Tollefson can help him medically this week.
Dear LORD,
You are working it out … all according to Your great Plan …
for the good of those who love You. I
have to believe that … I need to keep reminding myself of that. It would be inappropriate of me … and selfish
… to ask You to SPEED up the process and create a way for us to be able to go
get our sons from China right now!! I
KNOW … I need to be realistic. I know
that it will be many months still before we go to China. So instead, LORD, I pray this prayer, will
all the spiritual fervor I have … please go to these children and let them know
You are there. Sit with them, LORD, …
envelop them gently in your lovingcare and tell them, “Do not be afraid … I am
with you.” For You love them, LORD, …
each of them. You made them and in your
perfect creation, they are special and beautiful and loved completely by You. Remove from them their fears and thoughts
about how “the world around them reacts” when they are seen. Please may Your Peace be their PEACE. One day, LORD, I know that Jonah will tell me
You were there.
God bless the medical team for I am confident that they see
these children as You do … PRECIOUS.
Father, I also ask a special blessing upon Rees as he may be
wondering where his friend (soon to be brother) is. I pray that You will comfort him and over
these next several months, I pray that you will be strengthening him and
filling him with JOY and REVERENCE for life … that when we are in China to
finalize the adoption that he will not be aware of those who may gawk at him,
that he will not be affected by the stares and sounds made by the people of his
homeland. Protect him, God, and prepare
us and him for the journey we will take together …
In Jesus’ name,
AMEN
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