Extravagant Love

We are resting up, getting back to routines, and feeling more at home.  Our lives have been deeply touched by this experience — seeing God’s love transform relationships, and claiming a city for God’s kingdom!  In these two trips to HengFeng, the 2008 and 2009 teams have built a bridge to a precious group of people who will be forever in our hearts.  Many will tell you that a piece of our hearts will forever be at home in China.  We have been gripped by God’s love for the Chinese people.  Their warmth and their welcome will draw you in close, and you are forever changed.

Our work is not done.  Now we begin the sharing of photos and stories, and remembering these friends in our prayers.  We continue to be blessed by making connections with adoptive families. It is an incredible miracle to behold to see these stories come full circle, and find out what nation these babies will find their forever family.  We link hearts with the orphanage, and bridge stories for these adoptive families to know the roots of their daughter’s beginning chapter.  It is beyond words for me to attempt to describe what it is like to bridge time and nations.  The love pours out beyond the week that we are in China, and it covers the span of continued relationships and ongoing stories.

Many thanks to Lydia and Rebecca for posting our pictures to our website.  They are updated so that you can now see our final party with the orphanage, as well our final hours in China.  Check them out.

As you remember this journey in your hearts, we humbly ask for your prayers that God would show us how His plans continue to unfold for our ministry in HengFeng.  Pray that He would rise up the next team to carry on our relationship with them.  Pray that He would continue to translate His perfect love to their hearts.  I’m reminded once again of Jesus’ words in John 15 — Go and bear much fruit — fruit that will last.  Amen, Lord!  Let it be so!

We’re home!!!  What a huge and amazing trip!!! 

I think something that humbled me and filled me with such awe is that they are hungry for relationships with us.  They want to connect with us.  It was as if last year we came to bring God’s love to them, and this year they came forward in response to it.

This year it was almost more about their initiative than ours.  They came to us with their families and told us how much we meant to them.  It was Jiang who asked if she could bring her family to our hotel.  It was Cindy (the school teacher) who came to find us, and sought out more ways for us to build a friendship with them.  It was seeds planted for the future.

The message they made very clear was not only their welcome and gratitude, but also their desire for us to come back.  They are eager to see us again and keep the connection strong.  It was a crucial year for building a stronger bridge to them.  The time went so quickly and they are eager for our return.  So many words of encouragement along the way, and all of them are affirming keep it up, keep going, God is at work here!!!

We had such a sweet benediction over our team in our final hours in Beijing.  We circled up in prayer, and our hearts poured out to God for the nation of China and the work He is doing in hearts there.  I prayed blessings over each woman’s heart for stepping out in faith on such a huge endeavor, and blessed their obedience and courage.  And we acknowledged together what an incredible bond God gave this team of six, to knit our hearts together so sweetly.

The trip is huge and requires much of us.  We are drained, and yet renewed — made more alive in our hearts than before we came.  How incredible to join God in His work in this beautiful country He has placed in our hearts!!  What an honor, what a privilege, what an open door!!  Glory to God!!

Well we can’t say we are ready to fly again, but we can say that the time here has been so rich.  God has met us every step of the way, pouring out His presence and His faithfulness in every detail.  Our hearts overflow with gratitude and love.  Thank you for your prayers, dear ones who have sacrificed sleep when God wakes you to pray — who have kept us close in your hearts and remembered to pray us through moment by moment!!!  You have unleashed the power of God into the nation of China through your prayers!!!  You have empowered us by holding us up by name before our Creator God, our Daddy.  We are so grateful, and we covet your prayers for the flight home.  May it be swift and smooth and sweet, amen?

So today we head out from the hotel shortly, to a tea ceremony just to soak up a little more of the culture before we say goodbye.  We’ll go the Hard Rock Cafe and see if they have any fun t-shirts and then head to the airport.  And maybe one last squatty potty for good measure.  We’re in China afterall!  No other place on earth quite like it.  Don’t ya love it?  Each culture, each heart, so unique, so distinct…

Before I break into more deep reflections, which are many, I’ll close by saying we will miss this special place.  We will carry it in our hearts until God brings us back again. 

Psalm 126 is such an appropriate benediction.  Our mouths are filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.  Then it is said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!”  Come home laughing, with armloads of blessings….MSG

Just to let you know, we will post again from the U.S. with some additional reflections in the coming days, and we will get caught up on photos too.  So if you’re still interested in the journey, we’re happy to have you along!!!  Blessings and lots of LOVE from China……..