The Waiting Child

I know that this could seem like a low blow, a heart wrencher, of sorts, but to be frank, this is reality for many children. Please read the poem and just let your heart feel.

The Waiting Child
By Debbie Bodie

I saw you meet your child today
You kissed your baby joyfully
And as you walked away with him
I played pretend you'd chosen me.

I'm happy for the baby, yet
Inside I'm aching miserably
I want to plead as you go by,
"Does no-one want a child of three?"

I saw you meet your child today
In love with her before you met
And as I watched you take her out
I knew it wasn't my turn yet.

I recognize you from last year!
I knew I'd seen your face before!
But you came for a second babe.
Does no-one want a child of four?

I saw you meet your child today
But this time there was something new
A nurse came in and took MY hand
And then she gave my hand to you.

Can this be true? I'm almost six!
And there are infants here, you see?
But then you kissed me and I knew
The child you picked this time was me.

Copyright 1997

Exhausted, but blessed!

Whew! What a weekend! We have been working diligently towards this weekend ever since we heard that we will be traveling to China, this Summer! We sent out multitudes of letters, visited a few locally owned restaurants, sent e-mails to anyone in our database and have had so many people working on our behalf! Our BIG EVENT, the Third Annual Missions Auction (our first) at Valley Fourth Memorial. We have so many to thank, so in no specific order, we want to give a shout-out to those who made the auction overwhelming successful for our fundraising, for China: Randy Scott & Clear Channel Radio in Sacramento, Jason Brown, Judy Kuntz & Oasis Counseling, Jan Constable, Kim Perdue, Jeff Mahowald & Jeffery A. Mahowald Contracting, Amy Diesberg & Diesberg Appraisals & Matthew & Clear Channel Radio in Spokane. Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts, to all of those who contributed your goods and services!

We do not know our final numbers, but we're blessed beyond our hopes, with the outcome of the auction. We also have to give a huge thanks to Valley Fourth for allowing us to participate with them, all the e-mails between Libby, Event Coordinator and Pastor, Steve Allen, who directed the event, is leading this missions trip to China, and served as auctioneer! Thank you also to Darva, our sitter who stayed so late with our children, put up with our sassy and often, not obedient boys, and our daughter who probably gave her a scare when she fell and bit holes into her tongue while we were gone! P.S. - Thanks A.C. for letting us keep your daughter out late!

Second on our list was sharing with our congregation, about our adoption and our passion for China. We had a week to prepare a power-point (thanks to Chad, our Tech. guy and friend), what we wanted to share, our video and what we are going to do at the Philip Hayden Foundation. It came together, was hopefully impactful on peoples hearts, and was what God wanted us to share. I have to say that public speaking is NOT one of my spiritual gifts, so to God be the glory for anything good, and God, I'm sorry for getting in the way of everything else!

A final note: I was skimming through an amazing book, written by Jeff Gammage, a journalist and adoptive father, in his book "China Ghosts." It is beautifully written, with words that bring to life the reality of emotions that encompass adoption and its many facets. A quote that struck me is as follows: “Don’t think that you’re going to walk into an overcrowded orphanage, take one child out, leave ninety-nine behind, and be the same person when you sit down to breakfast the next morning.” That really describes where this all started for us. We and our family, are forever changed by this experience, this addition. We are now 1/5 Chinese. It is our bloodline, who we are, and what we feel passionate about!

Thank you, again!

The Road to China

The road to China has been one miracle after another, our flights have been booked with God's fingerprints all over it. We have been watching flight information for the past month (since we found out we had the opportunity to go). The prices have stayed right around $1,500 per ticket, with little fluctuation. We found tickets for $1,597, we booked through the site kayak.com, gave our credit card # and felt relieved that we had one big piece, behind us. Later that evening, Brian received an e-mail stating that the airlines would not confirm the flights and prices and that we did NOT have confirmed prices/flights. The panic began to set in, wondering if we'd missed our opportunity. We went back to orbitz and tried to re-confirm flights we'd found there, only to find that those prices were "unavailable." Brian contacted a travel agent, she found us tickets for $1,307 each. We ended up saving around $400!

We have been busy going through our stuff, boxes that have been in our garage and basement, toys the kids no longer play with, in order to prepare for our garage sale. We are researching publishers or photo book options. We have some supplies that we will be needing, a background for some formal pictures, photo storage and backup, and some snack food just in case I can not identify some food. Oh, and a good book for the 19 hour flights! We will be renting a body (unfortunately a camera body) for me to use in China, we each have a different artistic perspective and this will give us two opportunities to catch the perfect shot. Brian has been trying to school me on apeture and shutter speed, and oh so much more. I pulled out my note pad, he thought I mocked, but really, this girl learns by doing and seeing, not by hearing!

Our auction is coming up next weekend, and we have had the most generous donations! This is a bit jumbled, just like my mind right now! So many thoughts, so little time!

~Now to the pictures: 1) Dad & Grace on the hammock 2) Jonah playing baseball 3) Carter sipping Hot Cocoa at a freezing baseball game.

Seeing the heart of God, in His people

Tonight was a true testament of giving and generosity. A friend who is financially struggling (to say the least) offered us items to auction. It's difficult to describe my feelings, accept in that we are truely seeing the heart of God, in His people. Asking for financial resources is humbling. It is not comfortable, it is out of our element. Accepting gifts is also difficult. It really puts into perspective the responsiblity that we have in this project. People are putting their trust and resources into us to come through for these children! It is only through Christ we are able. You are touching our hearts and so many Chinese Orphans!

"It made a difference to that one!"

The first picture was taken as Grace was being brought into the room where we were eagerly waiting to meet her for the first time. The second & third pictures were taken at the Gaozhou Social Welfare Institute, the orphanage where (Gao Shao Bin) Grace, spent the first 11.5 months of her life. The first time I saw their ankles tied to the cribs, my heart broke again, for not being able to be there in Grace's life since the very begininng. Survival meant learning skills to get what you need, thus our princesses strong-will and ability to manipulate. These images, although we were not able to see her orphanage first hand, and the experience of getting tiny child placed into our hands and seeing the lack of care she received, is the cause for our returning to China. The last picture, represents the close ties that our family will forever have with China.

Matthew 25:40
“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these... you did for me.”

"Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance he could see a person going back and forth between the surf's edge and and the beach. As the man approached he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide.
The man was stuck by the the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish. As he approached, the person continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf.
As he came up to the person he said, "You must be crazy. There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can't possibly make a difference." The person looked at the man. He then stooped down and pick up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. He turned back to the man and said, "It sure made a difference to that one!"

This story is the heart of our passion! I couldn't say it any better!

Supplies Needed in China at PHF

Tim Baker, Director/Founder, has put together a list of supplies that are current needs that our group of 24 will be taking with us when we travel. If it is laid upon your heart to donate any of these items, we will need them by the beginning of June.

• Powdered Soy Milk/Formula
  
• Diapers (sizes medium and large)


• Pull-ups (sizes small and medium)


• Wet wipes (refills)


• Kids toothpaste


• Single Bed-pads/waterproof


• Baby vitamin drops


• Scrapbooking paper (any size)


• Zithromax-antibotics - powdered for Children


• Shampoo's for Nannies


• Hand Towels

~If you would like your gift to be tax deductible, please contact us and we can let you know how to do it.

S-T-R-E-T-C-I-N-G

I spoke with the Pastor of our church, yesterday, and he was thrilled to hear about this endeavor, offered his support and resources and wondered if God was leading us to be Ambassador's for the many Chinese orphans, who still remain without families. I don't know what this opportunity will bring, but this connection with China is, hopefully, just the beginning. With the aid of what Valley Fourth Memorial is doing in their fundraising, we are able to participate in the auction they have planned for mid-April. We typed up our letter and found companies through the phone book and places that we frequent to send support letters to. I have no idea how successful this will be in obtaining donated items to auction and/or financial support, but we feel that this s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g in doing something new, will bring faith and allow God to work. I know that resources will most likely come from the least likely places and we want to be faithful in allowing God's hand.

We stuffed 26 letters to Corporations for donations of merchindise or services for the auction. God please go before and behind each letter and allow our hearts to affect those who read it. May the success be Yours.

~ The photo is from "Friday Movie Night." Each kids collected their pillow, blanket and favorite guys and piled on the shaggy-bag.