Today Daddy and I sat across the table from a truly great man. I wrote about him a short while ago. Lu Ping, is a man who along with his wife, is raising 34 children. We were thrilled to receive the call that he was traveling from his countryside home, seven hours away, to pay us a visit. We were so pleased to meet his daughter, and a foster daughter, who help care for the 34 children. His face is so peaceful, so radiant, that I find myself so attracted to the Divine image he bears in his mortal flesh. Truly, He is an example that mankind was fashioned after the Creator.
We toured our school, talked about some future projects that we will undertake together, and spoke deeply about our shared heart for children in crisis. We listened as he told us more about his history. How he first became involved in the work of caring for children. As a single, young man, he was renting a room in a countryside village. There was a young boy he saw regularly, seemingly without anyone to care for him. After inquiring of some of the locals, he was told that the boy lived under the bridge on the outskirts of the village. One night he went looking for the boy, and he found him, living alone, under the bridge. He gave the young boy food, and the jacket off his back. The boy promptly followed him home and that was the start of a project that has already "graduated 30" children, and has just 34 more. Although, he is now in an expansion phase with the building of a new school and dormitory, so, more children might soon come in.
He is a slight man of build. His eyes are so kind. We talked about helping him get some care for a special needs boy in his home. We dreamed of future visits from us to them to help with teaching and training the children at his newly expanded compound. We considered partnering his school with ours, ours to support their learning and helping by training their teachers...perhaps ongoing humanitarian efforts. It appears to be a big, wide-open door of need, and I think we glimpsed some of His arrangement of these things. Please, lift us up as we attempt to understand the path we are to travel toward these projects.
On the adoption front, the boys continue to do well. We've had some really encouraging signs in terms of sensation for Mr. E. He is supposed to be without feeling below his torso. However, on several occasions now, in various ways, he has demonstrated that in fact, he has some sensation in his upper thighs! This could have many implications! We are believing, as we do for all our kids, for healing of the body, mind, and spirit!
Tomorrow is yet another field trip! I know....how can this keep up? We really don't know! But, we're off with our Elementary kids tomorrow to visit the self-same botanical gardens.(My second visit in as many weeks!) We have a six day work week next week, and then we're off to the South to complete the all-important visa portion of the adoption process! Parts of our tribe will be down South for one week...while others will return home with teammates to have a three-day school week!
Last night we were able to get back to our routine of individually "dating" our kids. We have a special evening, every-other week, when the other 8 kids stay home, and Daddy and I take out one kiddo on a date. I'm going to post a photo of Brownie on her date with us. She kept saying, "This is the best!" My heart was so grateful for His grace to allow us these special times with our precious ones!
Must run for now...will keep trying to write...especially as I have pictures to share!
Above: Brownie's date night.
Above: our Team with Lu Ping and his daughters, he is in the center of the photo, the shortest one there, in a gray shirt
Below: We were blessed by their agreement to stay and go out for "hot pot" with us! Though the lighting is bad, Lu Ping is in the center.
We are amazed by the work of His hands!
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