China on Monday

Hi :)
> I can't post here in China, but I'm having Gary post for me.
> I can tell your prayers are with me! I haven't been too overwhelmed or emotional. God is definitely giving me a calmness that I don't normally have.
> After 36 hrs of travel, we arrived at our hotel, to get five hrs of sleep, then to drive four more hrs to the orphanage. We (the doctor, translator, nanny, and I) assessed 16 kids today. We are given 20 mins each. My head is overflowing with medical info and teams that I never heard of. A few times I wanted to throw my hands in the air, I am to be typing the info into a iPad. And if I was to pick out my worse weakness, it would be spelling. The doctor was the only one that I didn't "bond" with in our traveling and was very nervous. But he was amazing today, he was so patient!! He wrote out words and abbreviations to make it easier, than before we would start on the next child, he goes over the info and touches up.
> The kids are heartbreaking and you just want to squeeze them tight. So precious!! (There is so much to tell you but not enough time)
> Last night afterwards, we went out to eat with the orphanage directors, translators, In-country trip coordinator, and our team. We got put in the VIP room;). It was just a separate room with no air conditioner. I just thought it funny that we were VIP. A few of us were struggling with dizziness. I don't know if it was jet lag and mental exhaustion but you could look around the room and see that we were closing down.
> We are working at the same orphanage tomorrow and will be see 32 kids.
>
> A few funny things--
> first time for squatter potty. Lol. Half way into the stall and then I saw it.... No backing out now. (and you can't flush your toilet paper).
> Scaring the girls working at KFC because this big group of white people needed to order (we pointed at pics:)
> The team discussing if you would rather wear someone else's hat or use their toothbrush. (Which one has the longest lasting effects.
> Women wearing high heels on their mopeds. Hilarious. It's everywhere.
> The little boy that couldn't stop giggling while we were doing his exam.
>
> The Lord blessed me with the sweetest older roommate. It amazes me that God knew who I needed.
>
> Did you know that just to check into the hotel, they need your passport. "They" are tracking us :).
>
> Well, it's in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep but I should go back to trying. Love you all and please continue to pray. We will need the strength to push through.
>
>
> Paula

Having Soul Sisters

Its only for a week, only Sat to Sat.  But my girls wanted to go out to eat for girls night anyways.  I say its ridiculous.  You will not even  miss me, I barely see you once a week. 

But my heart knows why.... it's support for my adoption/China dream, it's prayers for God's plan for my life and safety... it's straight up love! (and we all need to laugh and get out :)  These are a special kind of special, no pun attended.  Ones that love you enough to get you heart cards, Chinese symbol crafts, anti-runnybutt meds, and even their kiddos draw Asian pictures and notes. 

Family that just want to help...even to do laundry. anything.  Just because they love

On Sunday, the ladies Sunday school had prayer and laying on hands, surrounding me with warmth and love. Caught me off guard and made me cry like a baby.  Totally overwhelms my heart having so many people praying for my journey.


I was sad on Monday thinking about it would be perfect, if I JUST knew ONE person.  Then maybe I wouldn't be soooo scared.  But God knows best... I think He has a better plan.  Dependance on Him.  Total dependance.  Yes, God has a better plan!

Feeling Loved

I really don't have a close relationship with my Grandma.  But just in the small times I'm with her, she never ceases to bless me.

I stopped in today and she wanted to know about my China trip and to tell me that she is praying for me.  She wanted to know when I was leaving.  I told her, "I leave on Saturday and it's only for a week, and I'll be back before you know it".  Her eyes watered up and started patting me on my shoulder and she told me that she was soo happy and that she feels so much better knowing that I will be back in a week.  She said "I thought you were going for months and months".... :)

Oh, my heart swelling, she will always win Best Grandma Award in my life!

Lift My Life Up

You brought me this far, So why would I question You now?
You have provided, So why would I start to doubt?

I repeat, I repeat to myself.
This is a God  trip.  He is guiding. 

I just had a hr and half conference call.  I couldn't ask question due to a bad connection which was very frustrating.  I feel scared!  But I kinda know what we will be doing now.  Before the unknown scared me, now I wish it was still unknown.  Now I feel like a fish out of water. 
I would consider myself a social person.  But throw me in a new culture not knowing ANYONE..... for a week and surrounded with serious accents. 

Basically we are accessing the kids and doing exams on them.  I am to record what the doc finds in the computer.  Each child is assigned a number and this is our coding for later.  These files are used to find families for each child.  Our team will see about hundred kids within the week.  We have each one for about a hr (the doc and I have 20 mins). 
We want to see each child adopted but our main goal is to love on the children (show them God's love). 


http://www.youtube.com/v/6UveOPq_iao?autohide=1&version=3&showinfo=1&feature=share&autohide=1&attribution_tag=zWKglT4-w5dmSHnTXYsK0g&autoplay=1

Divine Appointment

I believe this China trip is a Divine appointment.  God canceled the other one, so that I would get to go to this one.  There is someone or something that I need to meet or see.  I'm positive. 

I'm praying for emotional calmness.  I'm very afraid that I'm going to be a emotional mess.
I'm told that a mess is a given, but  that I need to hold it together until I get back to my room (say some prayers for me? please!).

I was asking/telling Gary that, why do I feel like this is God's leading, why is this trip so special?   I should look at very day as "a God moment", "a God appointment".  I head to work just as excited, that God has something special for me today. 

I aimed high today... Started the day with lots of prayer.  Today was going to be a GREAT day.  blah.  Why do those days turn, I was short in patience, had to apologize.

Our Great God has a wonderful character, forgiveness.  He allows me to start over again. Thank God.  As I drove home, I decided I needed a restart.  (ps, I really dislike cooking).  So somewhere in my crazy mind, I headed to the grocery store, so I could cook something for my dearest husband.

Two hrs later, I realized that I actually just enjoyed cooking (happens like never).  Did someone say God moment?

I was lost, I was falling apart
But You came along and hit the RESTART.

I'm GOING

I just got my flight and hotel confirmation!!  It's really happening!  I'm really going to China.  I did have to do a victory dance.  Yup, I did. 

G is trying to help me through the visa process.  I don't like the paperwork.  Period!  I was so confused so, I handed the instruction paperwork to G to look at and then left for a half an hr.  As soon as I came back, he said "this is NO walk in the park!"  lol. 
Sometimes I wonder how in the world, I got through all the dossier stuff.  I'm not very good at branching out.  But one paper at a time.  Jesus will get me through. 

Being Me

I tried to cover my shine

I've tried staying in the lines

You want me to take my light
Fit it in your box right

But this is who I am
I won't hide it


God made us all different. He doesn't expect us to be like the next guy or to stay inside the lines of another's ideal shape. If He did...

He would have build unisex robots. All with same skin tone, same eye color, same nose shape, same height, same dreams, and same beliefs. We would all sleep in the same position, get hungry at the same time, sweat the same, laugh the same, cry at the exact same time, and all die the same way. 
 

It would be like looking in a mirror, all the time.  I'm bored just thinking about it. So bored I could die, or wait I'm not allowed to yet, we must all die together.

 

No, No

No, God made. Us. Unique.  God made us all colors. A gorgeous rainbow. We will have some beautiful characteristics the same if we follow Christ. We may look like "crayons". 

Some will be bright, some dull, but ALL unique. 

Don't apologize for it. 

Be YOU tiful!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fccqaKTz3Ko&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DfccqaKTz3Ko#