Tuesday 7/21/15

I think I finally found a name for the sweet little baby girl. "Emma" she just looked like an Emma.

After the morning with the babies we went back to the hotel and had our devotion and worship time with each other. This is such a refresher for the day, and it makes my day every day. Singing and worshiping to God is when I feel closest to him, so that is such a special time for me. We sang "oceans" again (we love that song) and I encourage everyone to go listen to it. It is an amazing song, and kind of a theme song for this trip.

Jenny got the kids watermelon today. As soon as we left the hotel it started pouring down rain. We had to stop in front of some stores to wait the rain out. We go to the orphanage and played and sang songs like head and shoulders, ABCs, itsy bitsy spider, London bridge etc. with about 12 kids who are capable of going to school/learning more than the others. (even that is only preschool level learning). While the other group had some kids in the sensory playroom. We put diapers on the kids (that normally wear split pants and sit on potty chairs the majority of the time) and let them roll around and explore in the sensory room, and then the kids who were learning English and the songs did crafts as well.

Today was a good day.

God is love.

I am amazed at how different this trip is than two years ago. I feel so much more relaxed and at home here. God is doing amazing things in the city of Chenzhou and I am so excited that he called me to be a part of it. Tonight we had dinner with the pastor of the church we have gone to, and another pastor of a sister church. Then we went to the church we had not been to before, for worship and fellowship. You could feel Gods love pouring out of these people. I felt him surrounding us, and it was incredible to listen to their worship and feel his holy presence.

The pastor preached about Love. About showing God's love by using our love. From 1 John 4:7-12. It was an amazing sermon, (that was translated by Jenny). And basically the theme for our time here. Its something that we have talked a lot about and tried to focus on. We then shared testimonies and they asked us a lot of questions about our churches at home, and how that all works and also our work with the orphanage. We encouraged them to go and love on the kids when we are gone, and asked if any would like to join us the rest of the week, because they asked us to show them how we care for the kids. There were quite a few people who jumped up! Ready and willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus and love on the precious children of their own city.

I believe that we have come so far here in Chenzhou, it took quite a few years to dig our base, but God is doing miraculous things, and it seems to be coming together. We have connected with the church, we have witnessed to people on the street, we have gained the trust of most of the nannies and the director seems willing to be open to us. So much ground has been gained, and I am ever grateful to our merciful God.

I don’t update my blog enough for how much I think about Chenzhou this precious city and country that have my heart. A part of my heart a part of me stays with them, I don’t forget when I go home. I hope that never goes away. I do not want the fire that is in within me to burn out when I go home. I do not want the desire to help and do more to ever diminish.

Pray for us as we pray and try to figure out the best things to buy and donate to the orphanage. We are buying two washers, but we are praying about what else they need, what would be best for the kids.