Oh, the joy in my heart this day.
Emma Kate, you are SO beloved. And SO cared for. Your God is a mighty God. And in His grace and mercy He is tending you with a care that takes my breath away.
"Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him,
for he shields him all day long,
and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders."
Our God is also tending EMma Kate's family. The information and assurances that we keep receiving just bring peace and settle my heart. God must know my thirsty heart is in need of this advanced level of care. I am so humbled by what He has given us, and know it is so much more than we could or should expect. I am so overwhelmed with how LOVED I have felt by the Lord in this adoption. It stops me.
Following is a post that was written by a woman who just returned from volunteering in Emma Kate's orphanage and school. I don't know that a waiting parent could read sweeter words. The post is addressed to a Mom who is currently in China receiving her son!
Sue,
Congratulations! We were thinking about you. The van that took us from Fuzhou to Jinjiang on Sunday, 2/28,for our Love Without Boundaries therapy camp, was the same one that was then used to bring your son to meet you back in Fuzhou! The reason the director didn't accompany him was that Monday was the first day of our therapy camp at Jinjiang and she wanted to be there for that.
We are now home in the US, having returned late Tuesday. Our time spent at Jinjiang was great, and we as Jinjiang families have so much to be thankful for. The Jinjiang orphanage is quite a special place. They have a beautiful building, playground and facilities. But more importantly they have a director, assistant directors and ayis who really know and love the children. The children are extremely well cared for. They are clean and well dressed. The director and asst. directors know all the children by name, and they all interact withthe children in a loving and positive way. While we were there for our therapy camp, we had an opportunity to see the Believe in Me schools run by Love Without Boundaries. What a wonderful opportunity for the children, to have a stimulating and enriching place to spend their days. They always seemed to be having fun, whether in their classrooms or moving about the orphanage! If you are looking for a good way to positively impact the life of a child at Jinjiang (or any other orphanage for that matter) - become a sponsor for the Believe in Me school!
We did have the wonderful, unforgettable experience of taking all the students of the Believe in Me classrooms on their first fieldtrip! We took 32 children and about 20 caregivers/teachers /directors to McDonalds and then into the adjoing mall for little amusement rides. This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip! The children were ear to ear smiles! They ate their hamburgers, fries and nuggets with gusto (some even requested a 2nd burger!!). To see them riding the carousel and waving as they came around brought tears to my eyes. They had a blast. It was a great experience for the caregivers as well, and gave them time to spend with the chilren in a normal childhood environment. I hope the children get to do more of this, as it was such a positive experience for everyone!
I gave Director Wang both the scrapbook of Jinjiangsters that Gayle put together and last years Jinjiang calendar by Joann. The directors and caregivers just loved looking at the pictures - they would point at pictures and laugh and smile. They seemed genuinely thrilled to see how well all the children were doing!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to take them along with me.
For any waiting families - I do have pictures that I took of the field trip to McDonald's. I would be happy to share any pictures I have of your child with you, but according to CCAA regulations, I have to wait until the adoption is finalized. So let me know when you travel, and I will make sure to send you the pictures for when you return home!
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