Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Fun day in Guangzhou
What a difference a day makes! Yesterday we had a very sad little boy, and today he seems happier than ever. The rest of our travel group (6 families) has joined us, and Mason loves the little girls in the group. I think he has really missed his younger foster sisters. Molly and Madelyn are going to have another great big brother! Mason is particularly fond of one little girl in our group. He pushed her stroller and made sure that she didn't run out of snacks and water during our morning tour. He is such a sweetie!
We were taken to the Buddhist temple this morning - always a reminder to us that China is very lost to the truth. Watching people burn incense and bow to golden idols is sad and unsettling. Many crippled people stand outside the temple gate and beg for money. Our guide told us not to give money to any of them because it might start a "stampede." Such a sad and lost place.
There are many shops around our hotel to buy gifts and clothing for little girls. One shop is a "friendship" store. All of the proceeds from that shop go to a Christian organization that sponsors special needs orphans in the poorest parts of China. Much of the clothing in the store is made by women with leprosy who would not be able to support themselves without this precious organization. They also have an online store at www.agiftfromchina.com
4 more days!!!!!
We were taken to the Buddhist temple this morning - always a reminder to us that China is very lost to the truth. Watching people burn incense and bow to golden idols is sad and unsettling. Many crippled people stand outside the temple gate and beg for money. Our guide told us not to give money to any of them because it might start a "stampede." Such a sad and lost place.
There are many shops around our hotel to buy gifts and clothing for little girls. One shop is a "friendship" store. All of the proceeds from that shop go to a Christian organization that sponsors special needs orphans in the poorest parts of China. Much of the clothing in the store is made by women with leprosy who would not be able to support themselves without this precious organization. They also have an online store at www.agiftfromchina.com
4 more days!!!!!
Monday, May 14, 2007
A dad's thoughts on Mother's Day in China
I really intended to post this yesterday (Mother's Day) but we had a busy day and I never got it done.
Let me begin by saying how thankful Mary and I both are for our mothers (and fathers too). We are so blessed to have parents who have always loved, encouraged us and taught us right principles to live by. Thank you Mom and Dad and Barbara and Lyle. We love you very much.
I also want to say how blessed I am to have Mary as my wife and as mother to our six children. She is an amazing woman. I thank God for her every day. I have never had any doubt from the day that I fell in love with her that she was the one that God intended to be my partner for life. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I love her more today than I ever have.
This is our third trip to China. Our hearts have grown to love the Chinese people. Since we have just spent Mother's Day in China, I really wanted to share my thoughts and feelings to defend Chinese mothers who give their babies up for adoption. This is our third adoption from China. We are often asked, "How can a mother abandon her baby?" I asked myself the same question may times before our first adoption.
God began to change my way of thinking during our first trip to China. I was sitting alone in a seat on the back of a bus. Mary, Missy and Molly were in the seat in front of me. We had just had Molly for four days. There were six other couples and their adopted baby girls in our travel group on the bus too. The bus was taking us to the sites where each of our babies was found before they were taken to the orphanage (the "finding site"). The bus was unusually quiet as each couple was allowed to get off the bus and spend a few minutes at the particular site where their baby was found. We were the last to go because Molly's finding site was the farthest from the orphanage.
As I sat there on the bus thinking about Molly and her birth mother, God gave me a picture that I will never forget. It was the picture that I had seen in a children's Bible of Mose's mother and sister as they placed baby Moses in a basket in the water so that he might be found and his life might be spared. It was as if God was saying that Molly's mother had done what she knew in her heart would be best for Molly.
Molly's finding site was on a street corner near a market area. Mary and I have often imagined that her mother brought her there early one morning before the markets opened. She probably wrapped her warmly in a blanket and left her in a place she knew Molly would be found quickly. We have even imagined that her mother might very possibly have hidden and waited to make sure she was found. Whatever the case, we know that Molly's mother's actions did not escape God's sight. As we stood there in that place that morning I was overwhelmed by God's presence. We huddled together as a family on that corner and prayed- thanking God for Molly and her birth parents- and praying that someday we will meet them in heaven.
Chinese mothers are no different than any other mothers. They love their children just like we love our children. We pray that each of our adopted children will always know that their birth mother loved them dearly.
Happy Mother's Day from China.
Let me begin by saying how thankful Mary and I both are for our mothers (and fathers too). We are so blessed to have parents who have always loved, encouraged us and taught us right principles to live by. Thank you Mom and Dad and Barbara and Lyle. We love you very much.
I also want to say how blessed I am to have Mary as my wife and as mother to our six children. She is an amazing woman. I thank God for her every day. I have never had any doubt from the day that I fell in love with her that she was the one that God intended to be my partner for life. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I love her more today than I ever have.
This is our third trip to China. Our hearts have grown to love the Chinese people. Since we have just spent Mother's Day in China, I really wanted to share my thoughts and feelings to defend Chinese mothers who give their babies up for adoption. This is our third adoption from China. We are often asked, "How can a mother abandon her baby?" I asked myself the same question may times before our first adoption.
God began to change my way of thinking during our first trip to China. I was sitting alone in a seat on the back of a bus. Mary, Missy and Molly were in the seat in front of me. We had just had Molly for four days. There were six other couples and their adopted baby girls in our travel group on the bus too. The bus was taking us to the sites where each of our babies was found before they were taken to the orphanage (the "finding site"). The bus was unusually quiet as each couple was allowed to get off the bus and spend a few minutes at the particular site where their baby was found. We were the last to go because Molly's finding site was the farthest from the orphanage.
As I sat there on the bus thinking about Molly and her birth mother, God gave me a picture that I will never forget. It was the picture that I had seen in a children's Bible of Mose's mother and sister as they placed baby Moses in a basket in the water so that he might be found and his life might be spared. It was as if God was saying that Molly's mother had done what she knew in her heart would be best for Molly.
Molly's finding site was on a street corner near a market area. Mary and I have often imagined that her mother brought her there early one morning before the markets opened. She probably wrapped her warmly in a blanket and left her in a place she knew Molly would be found quickly. We have even imagined that her mother might very possibly have hidden and waited to make sure she was found. Whatever the case, we know that Molly's mother's actions did not escape God's sight. As we stood there in that place that morning I was overwhelmed by God's presence. We huddled together as a family on that corner and prayed- thanking God for Molly and her birth parents- and praying that someday we will meet them in heaven.
Chinese mothers are no different than any other mothers. They love their children just like we love our children. We pray that each of our adopted children will always know that their birth mother loved them dearly.
Happy Mother's Day from China.
Dad's first "battle" with Mason
No, it's not what you might be thinking! Although there have been a number of battles of the will (Mason's will vs. mom and Dad's will), this "battle" was all in fun. Here is what happened.
A couple of nights ago we had gotten back to our room and were settling down for the night. We had given Mason a bath but had not put him to bed yet. I had gone into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Little did I know that a trap was being set for me. Mary says she had nothing to do with it but I'm not so sure. When I came out of the bathroom and turned the corner into the bedroom I was walloped up side of the head by a pillow. Mason was there jumping up and down on the bed, laughing and taunting me as if to say, "I got you good." Well, the battle was on! I picked up another pillow and playfully hit him with it, knocking him down on the bed. We then had a 'knock down, drag out" wrestling match on both beds. There was no blood shed but there was a whole lot of laughing.
When the action stopped Mason pointed to the bathroom indicating he wanted me to go back in there so he could hit me with the pillow again. I pretended I didn't understand what he was wanting so he began to pantomime actions that are done in the bathroom. He went through actions for washing your hands, brushing your teeth, washing your hair (and another one that we don't really need to describe on the blog- all of you who have had six year old boys will probably know what I'm talking about). After I picked myself up off of the floor from laughing so hard I went back to the bathroom and allowed myself to be pummeled with the pillow again.
Finally, I decided it was Mason's turn to be on the receiving end so I indicated that he should go into the bathroom. I stood on the bed ready to whack him with the pillow when he came out. There was a mirror just outside the bathroom so I could see him coming. When I saw him I fell over laughing. He didn't just come walking out of the bathroom, he came out strutting. I promise you he looked like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever! (I'm sorry for you younger readers who might not have ever seen Saturday Night Fever, it looked a lot like Peter Parker in Spiderman 3 when he begins to see himself as a real lady's man). It was hilarious. The "battle" was over. We all won.
A couple of nights ago we had gotten back to our room and were settling down for the night. We had given Mason a bath but had not put him to bed yet. I had gone into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Little did I know that a trap was being set for me. Mary says she had nothing to do with it but I'm not so sure. When I came out of the bathroom and turned the corner into the bedroom I was walloped up side of the head by a pillow. Mason was there jumping up and down on the bed, laughing and taunting me as if to say, "I got you good." Well, the battle was on! I picked up another pillow and playfully hit him with it, knocking him down on the bed. We then had a 'knock down, drag out" wrestling match on both beds. There was no blood shed but there was a whole lot of laughing.
When the action stopped Mason pointed to the bathroom indicating he wanted me to go back in there so he could hit me with the pillow again. I pretended I didn't understand what he was wanting so he began to pantomime actions that are done in the bathroom. He went through actions for washing your hands, brushing your teeth, washing your hair (and another one that we don't really need to describe on the blog- all of you who have had six year old boys will probably know what I'm talking about). After I picked myself up off of the floor from laughing so hard I went back to the bathroom and allowed myself to be pummeled with the pillow again.
Finally, I decided it was Mason's turn to be on the receiving end so I indicated that he should go into the bathroom. I stood on the bed ready to whack him with the pillow when he came out. There was a mirror just outside the bathroom so I could see him coming. When I saw him I fell over laughing. He didn't just come walking out of the bathroom, he came out strutting. I promise you he looked like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever! (I'm sorry for you younger readers who might not have ever seen Saturday Night Fever, it looked a lot like Peter Parker in Spiderman 3 when he begins to see himself as a real lady's man). It was hilarious. The "battle" was over. We all won.
Mason's day of grieving
Today was a hard day for sweet Mason. He was very worried when we packed our things this morning for the flight to Guangzhou. He sat motionless in the van on the way to the airport - this was the longest we have ever seen him sit still. The meltdown came when we buckled him in on the plane. He didn't like the seatbelt, and we think he realized that we were about to take him far away from his foster family. This funny looking mom and dad who have entertained him all week were not giving him back after a fun week in Chongqing. He cried big tears for nearly an hour on the plane and was inconsolable. This was his first big grieving episode. He was still angry at us when we landed in Guangzhou and was a toot in the airport. When we finally arrived at the White Swan Hotel, he was much better. He loves the bigger hotel room, and there is a lot to do and see here. We opened some playdoh, bought him some french fries, and became his buddies again. It will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings.
There are many adoptive families here in Guangzhou. We have even seen our friends from Amarillo, the Hiltons, and their new daughter! We will tour the city tomorrow which means we will go to several tourist "traps" in hopes that we will buy jade or pearls. The Stricklands are only interested in the DVD store! We are probably "dud" tourists :)
We are counting down the days until we arrive home (5), and can't wait to see all of our sweet family and friends again!
There are many adoptive families here in Guangzhou. We have even seen our friends from Amarillo, the Hiltons, and their new daughter! We will tour the city tomorrow which means we will go to several tourist "traps" in hopes that we will buy jade or pearls. The Stricklands are only interested in the DVD store! We are probably "dud" tourists :)
We are counting down the days until we arrive home (5), and can't wait to see all of our sweet family and friends again!
Saturday, May 12, 2007
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