Can't Sleep

Well we can't sleep.  It's 3:00am here in China and here we are wide-eyed chatty Cathys.  With this much excitement - sleeping is a hopeless cause.  I keep envisioning black pigtails, deep charcoal eyes, and chubby Grubbs cheeks (all our kids have them).  So we began our day early, packing our Gotcha Day gear, touching base with family, and praying for our Berachah family back home.  The evening is just a few short hours away and Howard will be preaching on Loving God with All Your Home: Myths About Marriage (see here - that's my shameful plug for the day)

Part of God's kindness through sleeplessness was receiving news that my Uncle David passed away yesterday morning.  His fight with cancer is now over and we are left with not only memories of an uncle, father, and son but also thoughts of the God who has made every person in His own image.  Whether we be in China or the States this much is clear - this world at present is not as God had originally created.  Today ailing bodies, the foe of cancer, and the plight of the orphan are all glaring reminders that we live in a broken world in need of Christ.

If you are reading this blog - we love you very much.  Please know that our greatest desire for you all is that you be reconciled back to the Creator of all.  He is a Holy God, Loving Father, and indeed Wonderful Friend to all who call on Him as Lord.  By His grace and through His power He has sent His Son Jesus Christ to do for us what we could not do ourselves.  And through the suffering of a cross and the shedding of His own blood - Christ laid down His life so that we could live.  Our thoughts today are filled with the joys of this redemption.  To date, our world has over 150 million orphans (over 90 million in China alone).  What a glorious thought - that because of faith in Christ - we can look forward to an eternity where the earth is made anew.  No more cancer, no more death, no more sin, and no more orphans.

1 Corinthians 15:55-56

55 y“O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and zthe power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, awho gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here are some pics of our little Ruthie.  And yes she's already keeping us up at night.  These pics are two months ago - our friends David and Leighann adopted their little girl Linnea (see here).  We had hoped to travel with them but God had other plans in mind.  The plus for us was that they got to hug our daughter, give her gifts from us, and take lots of pictures.

Ruthie's nickname in the orphanage is "Koala".  She likes to cling tight to those she knows.  This should make for an interesting Gotcha Day.

Yes we brought these exact suckers with us.

Leighann showing Ruthie pictures of her family.

Ruthie is pointing at a picture of Natalie (Mama)

Yesterday we received a document from the orphanage.  Rebecca translated it for us and informed us as to Ruthie's present schedule (even personality).  Outgoing, Active, Strong, likes to Walk and Run!