The Blessing of Family

One of the hardest, most gut wrenching things about living abroad is leaving family behind.  I cringe to think of all the things I "miss" when I'm here at my China home.  I've missed celebrating many birthdays, I've missed our yearly family reunion on the River, I've missed "no reason" gatherings, I've missed many little one's monumental moments.  My heart aches to think of my whole family being together and missing one thing...me.  A familiar pain creeps in my soul when there are difficult or heartbreaking things that I really want to be there for and yet I find myself far, far away.  Its a really helpless feeling to be on the other side of the world when "life happens" and hard days come to those I love.  But its in these moments that I have to consciously offer my loved ones back to our Father and I trust that He is caring for them.  I have to trust that His timing is perfect and that He knew I wouldn't be present.  This is not a surprise to Him.  I also have to remind myself to be thankful.  With modern communication--email, skype, and international calling--I am able to talk with my family often.  I think of those who have gone before me who didn't have such conveniences.  The calling was the same, they still followed Jesus despite the hardships.  I am so thankful for modern technology!

I am also thankful that sweet Jesus has given me another family.  My "China family" is a group of people that I hold so dear to my heart.  He handpicked each of us from different walks of life.  He gave us each different passions and interests.  Our journeys to getting here are all unique.  But here we are, living in this big blue house in the middle of China.  A body of believers united for a common purpose.  It is truly beautiful.  Each Sunday morning we meet at the Martin's apartment for a time of fellowship with our Father and with each other.  This morning as we sat singing a capella hymns, reading Scripture, and praying together I thought to myself, "This is what Jesus meant by the body of Christ."

My mom isn't here to tend to me when I'm sick, but I have friends at my bedside the moment I come down with a simple cold.  My family isn't here to throw me a birthday party, yet I had gifts and a cake and a party from my China family.  We might not have have a biological family to pull together welcome-home parties, yet when one of our family members returns from a trip, they return to signs covering their door and a welcoming brigade waiting in the driveway.  We might miss out on our family gatherings at home, but we have family dinners and olympic-watching parties until the wee hours of the morning.  I am 7000 miles away from my family...and yet I have a family in this house.  I am forever thankful for this sweet blessing.  Family is a gift from God.  And because of Jesus, my family is not confined to genetic makeup.  Anywhere I go, if believers are present, I have family.  And that is an extreme comfort.

Dan, my fellow intern, is returning home to begin another year of college.  To commemorate our priceless summer as one big, happy family we decided to take some family photos.  I was inspired by an "Awkward Family Photo" book that we got my brother for Christmas last year.  I hope you enjoy looking at our photos as much as we enjoyed taking them.  But please don't take them too seriously ;)