Monday

Praises:

1.  Anita found some instant coffee at the corner store. 

2.  For small baby buns peeking out of split bottom pants.  This is what babies who are potty training wear.

3.  We have not starved as we attempt to eat with chopsticks.

4.  White Rabbit candy... yummy!

5.  Chinese hospitality

6.  The children love us and run to meet us

 

Prayers:

1.  Our translator, Jean, needs our prayers.  She is heart broken (as we all are) over what she is seeing.  She is a believer.  It is also very exhausting for her to translate for us for so many hours a day.

2.  There is a boy here around age 8 that has cataracts over his cornea.  He needs a cornea transplant in order to see.  He is very bright but he can't go to school. 

3.  There is a girl who came to the orphanage a few months ago.  She's around 6 years old and she doesn't speak and doesn't have a name.  She has old scars on her wrists that appear as if she was sat one point tied up.  I painted her nails yesterday and she has really warmed up to Ruth.  She sits by herself and none of the other children will play with her because they say she is dirty.  She has a little scarf around her neck to catch her drool.

4.  There is another sweet girl who I believe has spina bifida.  Today she walked holding the rail from her dorm all the way to the preschool class to find me.  She really struggles to walk and when she was walking back with me she fell a few times.  She is around Kendall's age.  I was really moved after seeing how difficult the walk was that she made to find me and I really had to choke back my tears.  Her and I seem to be on the same wave length or something because I can understand her most times and she understands me most times.  She wants to be close to me and she holds my hand and rubs it on her face.  I can't help wondering what will happen to her when she is too old to live there at the orphanage.  She is not adoptable.  When I am holding her hand I just pray that she would some how some way come to know the Lord.  I would love to see her again.  Her name is Lei Lei.  Pray that we can get her a walker or braces to use.

5.  There is another sweet girl that when I rub her little cheek she just smiles so big.  I hold her and she buries her head in my shoulder.  She can't walk and her legs and hands are shriveled.  Today I watched her crawl across the floor to a small potty and pull her tiny body up to use it.  I thought I might start to lose it so I had to walk outside.   

6.  There is a little boy, 15 months old,  who called me "Mama" and he walked with me up and down the hall for an hour or more.  I would lift him up and we would watch the people working in the scrap yard next door.  He is there because he has a small hole in the roof of his mouth.  Pray that he is adopted soon as he is in otherwise complete health.  He is adorable and so sweet.  Most of the children call adults "Auntie" in Chinese so, it was some surprise to be called "Mama".  Jean said he looked like he was my son which of course made me choke back the tears.   

7.  It is really getting hard now.  We are getting very attached to the children.  I see that their clothing and their bodies are so dirty and they only have string and broken toys to play with.  It is heart breaking.  Before we went this morning we prayed for specific children and we all cried out to God.  Also, we are really missing our own children.

~Heather