Day 4
First one to get there has the right of way. Car, truck, woman with child, doesn't matter. Right of way comes down to the last inch. First there, gets right of way. Second, waits.
So much these boys are going through today. Yesterday, saying goodbye to a temporary life only to find themselves in an uncertain life today. What have they done? Have they made a mistake?
They have no idea that the sweetest and most loving brothers and sister await their return. They have no idea that when the name calling and exclusion begins in America, they have brothers and a sister that will fight for them; who will stand up for them. And they now have parents who will go to the ends of the earth for them, and will unconditionally love them. Bethany and I would do anything for these boys; any of our kids. But these guys don't know that yet. They do not fully understand, nor may they ever fully understand, to what extent they have been pursued.
Such is the life of His own. And it is awesome!
We too have been pursued to an extent we cannot comprehend. We just know that someone loves us, but not really sure why. We understand it is for his glory, but me? He must not know all of what I have done. I come with as much baggage as a girl traveling for three days, or a dad traveling to China for ten.
But He says, "here, I'll take all of that. I'm just glad to see you. You are mine. We'll deal with the baggage, but you...you are who I came for. You are what I desire most."
That is crazy. That doesn't make sense! Until I adopt two teens from China who have seen and experienced more than I would like to know or mention. But it doesn't disqualify you. If anything, it over qualifies you. We'll deal with the baggage. Just give it to me. You are who I want. You are who I desire.
And the love is poured out. Immensely and overflowing. It is overwhelming and insatiable. A light truly does come in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it. And it is lovely.
The most beautiful thing happened yesterday. Gary had surrendered his life to Christ back in February. Willy has not.
I opened the Mandarin bible yesterday to John 3:16 and John 14:18. I showed them to Gary and pointed to my heart and then to him. I asked him if he remembers...and he does. He said, "I remember".
Joe, the assistant director of the orphanage also surrendered his life to Jesus when he came to America in July.
He is on fire. You can see it, and he can see it in me. Praise God. Isaiah ran to the mountain and met God there. He said, " I am the only one left!!" And God said, "No you're not!!" " I have preserved 7000 more just like you for my name!
Whoa! I just passed the Arch De' Trione (spelling) Full scale. Said made in China. That was weird. Sorry.... Squirrel!
Anyway, Joe is not alone. Neither are the American "English teachers" in the orphanage, or neither is Gary alone. Peter, who surrendered his life to Christ in our home is not alone. Please pray that they be comforted now by the Comforter himself. Please pray that they be filled with power and further allow the conquering of their lives by the Father.
There is an emptiness here. Much like in America, but these people do not have nearly as much to substitute for the void.
Our driver and translator are not Christians. As a matter if fact, our driver is....Hui! I have been praying for these people and knew that I would not be able to reach any while I was here. How wrong am I. I must decrease, but He must increase.
Haha!! I love this part.
In arrogance, just calling it what it is, I decided to study Mandarin before I came to China. I have had several people compliment my chinese I might add :). But in honesty, I am terrible. Very terrible at Mandarin. While in America, I learned two verses in Mandarin. John 3:16 and Luke 9:23.
Confident, over confident, I recited these two verses to the boys with the driver and my translator in the car. They all laughed! They thought it was hysterical! They almost couldn't even understand what I was trying to say!
And then the Holy Spirit showed up!! Haha!!! Yes! Enter Holy Spirit :)
The translator said, "let me see what you are trying to say." I watched as the driver and the translator went through each word of John 3:16 correcting, translating, and unknowingly allowing the Holy Spirit to impress through their eyes and their mouths, through their minds, and prayerfully into their hearts the words that reveal that not all is lost. A savior has come and he is in love with you. You do not have to perish in your sin and emptiness. There is a way. There is only one way. They call "the way" the Dao, but they don't even know what the Dao is. And they just read it!! The Son is the way to everlasting life! There! Problem solved! You do not need to go to some Shaolin temple in the remote mountain tops of China, or recite the Dou Te Ching daily to pursue what you don't even know to exist.
He is here, he comes for you, but you must believe.
*Sigh*... I sat back and watched how in my weakness, He becomes strong. I am just a broken vessel meant to carry water so far, and then pour out into another life.
Yet, in spite of me, He loves me, and again I'm reminding of my place at his feet. And I worship.
We visited the Shao Lin temple today, where Kung Fu began! I was like Po walking around just waiting for Tae Leng to come bounding at me over the roof tops. It was awesome! The boys loved it, but they got tired of all the walking.
The mountains are right out of every Kung Fu movie you've seen. They are astonishing. Our God is so big to make these kinds of mountains.
The history was everywhere. Monks were everywhere. I think Gary enjoyed it the most as he was so enamored by everything.
As we walked, our translator asked me, "how do you know the Tou Te Ching"? I told her that I had read it. She said that she never had and thought that was interesting. We walked into the temple and all the idols from 1500 years ago had swastika on their chest. Immediately I asked about the symbol, and she said it means never ending, everlasting. We then walked to a picture of Sheva and Vishnu (hindu names) but called something different in Mandarin. They had the same symbol and she couldnt remember the name. I said, "yongsheng"? She was surprised and said, yes!"
She then asked, "how do you know about Buddhism".
I told her that I study Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism. How I have read the Tao Te Ching, Bhagavad Gita, and how I have also been reading the Quran. I told her that Buddha was originally a Hindu. He found emptiness still in Hinduism and sought after Zen, which Taoism helps point to.
Then the mother of all questions wa next.
"What do you think, believe?", she asked.
I believe that Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism are all trying to find something, the way, but have not found it. Then I told her that Jesus said, "I AM THE WAY!! , the truth and the life. No man comes to the father but through me."
She asked what dharma was and how it relates to karma. I am not a Hindu or Buddhist, so I only spoke on what I knew, and explained the relationship as I understand it.
We walked, I played with the boys, we desecrated the temple by sliding down the granite and marble rails, over and over again. We had a good time!
At the end if it all, as we walked back up to our driver, Danielle turned around, literally out of nowhere, and said, "our driver is Muslim. He is Hui."
Assuming he lives in the Hui district, who is 98% Muslim, I asked if he lives there.
"No", she said.
"I live in the Hui district, and I'm not even Hui. I'm Han!"
The most successful attacks come in waves. Please pray that families who are adopting will continue to speak with Danielle and our driver. They need their savior and time is quickly slipping away.
What a successful and Spirit filled trip so far.
I have prayed and prayed for the Hui and knew in my finite wisdom that I would not be able to meet them.
How wrong was I?
The seed has been planted.
I may not have scored the goal, but I'll count it as an assist.
The entire fruit is already present in the seed.
-Tertullian
Pray, pray, pray, and water the seed!
Doulos
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