good morning!

happy thursday. last night was a big night for the "families" here so we are getting a late start on the morning. my boys are actually sleeping in! nice! peter brennan is turning into a new child. even in the middle of the night, he wakes up angry and irrational. last night it was bob's breath that caused the meltdown. i am beginning to think there is something in the food. but of course he is not eating it :) so i guess that huge life changes have dramatic effects on the little ones. everyone else is being a trooper but around dr. j & mr.h, we walk on egg shells and talk to the Father for endless patience and kindness. and he isn't even an orphan. thanks for joining us in speaking to Him on peter's behalf. sweet sad hysterical little boy. we are doing all that we can to simulate some home comforts and routines. but he is so fragile and really, almost delirious. i have NEVER seen anything like it. we are talking to the One who knows-- often. but it is causes me to feel very helpless and sad. sorry to share such bummer news but it is our reality right now. and since it is all in His plan, this is what we are being asked to handle in a glorifying manner. so we ask you to join us. he can be screaming and ranting hysterically one moment and then grinning with charm the next. one more new experience for our china adventure. 

on to happier news, the boys and i were resting in our room yesterday and there was a knock on the door. on the other side was a saint. holding in her hands a delightful treat for us! HOMEMADE potato soup. cathy bolt has been our patron saint and gift-giver extraordinaire. welcome signs, mosquitoes tents, gift baskets, toilet seat covers, chinese checkers, treats for our children...she is so generous. and she takes good care of us. she is an expert shopper after years of spending summers in china. cathy knows what to buy and where. and she drives a bargain on top of it. needless to say, we have been the beneficiaries of many special things since we arrived. but this pot full o' joy topped it all! you would have thought it was filled with gold! no leprechauns required...we enjoyed every last bite of the yummy comfort food. potatoes, carrots, celery--chunks of the stuff. samuel said, "mom, in america i don't think i would even eat this stuff. but it sure is good today!" he ate three bowls full. no tofu for us today. it did a body good. i can't quite explain the food here--it is wonderfully prepared, abundant, and tasty. it is just the "same". every day, every meal.

after waterpark and dinner, we had family time where we were asked to draw timelines of our lives for the children and ask them to share theirs with us. staff primed us that is could be emotional. i started by sharing the highs and lows of my 39 years. i tried to be authentic and shared sorrows as well as joys. when i told them that i asked J C into my heart when i was 16, harvey did not know how to translate since he said he did not know who that is. when i told him i follow G-'s Son, he STILL did not know what i was talking about. did not recognize the C-word that we are identified by either. it was a sobering moment for me.

next the orphan boys told us their stories. 

they are remarkably similar and both boys commented on that. they each came to the orphanage within two weeks of each other three years ago. 

stewart had a happy childhood until he was ten. he went to primary school at five and learned to ride a bike at 6. when he was ten, his mom died of disease. three years later his dad died. "society" has taken care of him since then and his happiness grows each day. right when they were beginning to share, their teacher walked in (smileless and formidable) and said something in chinese. then they shared the "society" is being good to me line. not sure what to make of it or the teacher and why he is here. 

jimmy was less interested in sharing. he is distracted by pretty nikki and her cell phone. sorta like a typical teenage boy. he too went to school and learned to ride a bike. his mom abandoned him at 5yrs old after "no responsibility of his father" and his dad died when he was 13. he has an older brother that he sees once a year at spring festival. he too says he is "happy" that "society" is caring for him.

harvey, our translator who is a rocket scientist (no joke!), extremely accomplished and highly educated and motivated, after admitting that he had no idea who the most important Persons in my life are (even i, and undereducated, ordinary american know who confucius and buddha are--as well as the basic ancient history of his country china), shared the highlights of his life. all but one of his additions to his timeline have to do with his educational accomplishments or failures. when we asked if the american media got it accurately that chinese students "hurt themselves" if they do not do well on exams-he heartily agreed. he said the entrance exams either make a life or destroy it. it was hard for me to not offer my commentary on that sad fact but i just spoke to Dad instead. it is an absolute FACT of their culture and all the students here as translators have successfully navigated through the requirements. they are the next leaders of their country. he said he came to BMH since he did not want to surf the internet all summer long. he wanted to do something meaningful. so i believe that these young people see that even all their educational accolades and accomplishments cannot fill up a life with purpose. 

nikki's story was remarkably similar to harvey's. so now you have some specifics to ask about. thanks for sharing in the burden. that is love, to carry one another's burdens. we are feeling heavy for the absolute void in their lives. here's hoping that they "see" some of our Father in us this week. i have not had a chance to talk with the rest of team china to hear their family's story. hopefully they will share specifics later. photos to follow when i get a chance. stay tuned. the one with kristen and bob battling it out at the top of the waterslide is worth the wait ;0