I'm a little conflicted. I'm going to be honest. The trip was coming together so fast that I felt anxious and overwhelmed with the details. We were so busy putting everything together that I began to feel guilty about not spending enough time with the boys. I was going to have to drop a lot of responsibilities on grandparents and miss out on getting them ready for school.
The delay means more waiting for Esther. But, it also means more one-on-one with the kids here. I'm hoping the delay will translate into a more relaxed exodus from our home in a few weeks.
However, looking at this reminds me that we are getting close to travel! Look at the PINK! and the DOLLS!!! :)
And then I start thinking about a little girl that was given a name by an official. She is alone in the world...no family. But then God collides the lives of the lonely and the family. And the result is a picture of His redemption. She has a family! She has a name! And not just ANY name. Her name is Esther. She is named after a woman in the Bible that was also an orphan. Her namesake was grafted into a family (ummm,, the KING'S family) and God used her to save her people. We're not royalty and we're certainly not thinking that our Esther will save the Jews. :) But...what does God have in store for her? Her story will be different...but no less amazing. Will he use her here in our town? Or will He someday take her back to her homeland to make a difference for Him? We have no way of knowing how her story will play out. But we are incredibly grateful to be able to watch it unfold. We pray daily for her heart to be open to our family. We pray daily for her safety and health. We pray daily that God will equip us to be her parents. And we pray daily that He will guide us through the next few weeks.
She has a name...lovingly chosen!!!
And she has a room! :)
lol...are you taking ALL that luggage??? You ARE taking a guy with you...right??? Our goal is ONE suitcase each and one backpack each. We had more last trip but we aren't this time. We had a couple in our group that had ONE suitcase between them and each had a backpack. We thought they were nuts. They are our role models this trip :) Of course I haven't started to pack....so we'll see how this all shakes out!!
ReplyDeleteHey wait. I thought she was named after Esther Landis??!?!?!?!?!? (BTW, I called you! I miss you. I want you to be close to me.)
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ReplyDeleteLove the room! I know you have waited so long and had so many setbacks and you are probably so tired of hearing it...but almost there! Esther will be in your arms so soon! I pray this is the last setback you will have in your journey. Much love to you.
ReplyDeleteJill, I know how frustrated you must feel about the delay. Trusting that Father has his perfect timing. OK, I'll admit I'm selfishly still hoping that the "next" trip plays out to give you a chance to come see us in Shanghai! :-) Would love to let Hannah and Esther meet sooner than later!
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