Hello sweet friends!
I made it to my destination! Can I get a hallelujah?! I don’t even know where to begin in trying to capture the last few days of my life. Let me just say…I serve the sweetest, most gracious God possible. He has been so good. The airport good-byes were just as hard as I thought they would be. I won’t even try to sugar coat it. I literally felt like my heart had been ripped out layer by layer. I think the people in the security line probably thought I had just attended a funeral. I clung to my mama as long as possible and never wanted to let go. I kept thinking, “I can’t do this. I can’t walk away. I can’t put one step in front of the other.” I didn’t have to. Jesus carried me. When I got past security, I looked down and had a text message from a sweet friend that said, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow (and today), because He lives, all fear is GONE.” Only one of my favorite hymns of all time. And so fitting. My flight to New York was uneventful, and Jesus even kept the seat next to me empty so that He could sit beside me. The New York airport was a circus, but I eventually made it to my gate. There, I met another girl from Georgia who was also traveling to China alone. We ended up sitting 2 seats away from each other and were able to go through baggage and customs together in Beijing. I’m telling you, He takes care of every detail. The long flight was uneventful as well. And guess what? Jesus left the seat next to me empty so that He could sit beside me. I did lots of reading, journaling and sleeping. It was actually kind of nice…if a 14 hour flight can be! I arrived in Beijing and was welcomed by a group of wonderful faces…some of them being familiar faces from Nashville. What a relief! We loaded up and went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant (go figure!). I arrived at Hope Healing Home around 10:30. I cannot begin to put into words what a sweet relief it was to walk into a home filled with sleeping babies. My heart was skipping for joy. I slept pretty well, the jet lag is noticeable, but not unbearable (Thank Jesus!). This morning, we went to a wonderful, anointed, refreshing church service and then headed to the airport. (By the way, the seat next to me was empty so that Jesus could sit next to me…am I sensing a pattern?!) We arrived at Marias Big House this afternoon around 3 pm. This place is magical. It’s like a big treasure chest with lots of hidden treasures behind each door. This is a taste of Heaven on earth. My heart is bursting at the seams, and my cup is running over. There is so much joy in this place, even amidst the sadness. Our Jesus is the healer and He restores all things. His heart beats for these little ones. May my heart beat for them too. Thank you for your support and encouragement. You never know how much it means to me, dear ones! More to come soon!
