But I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that
2 years ago today (March 29, 2011)
Love Without Boundaries made a decision to move forward and rescue a little baby girl.
She was six weeks old at the time
She had a severe pneumonia
Found to have ASD, VSD, and PS which required open heart surgery once stable enough from pneumonia
She was severely malnourished and dehydrated, weighing only 6 lbs even after discharge (nearly 3 months old)
those little legs still bring tears to my eyes...
I don't know exactly how LWB found her. The orphanage director said a group was doing research in their area (she is from the poorest province in China we have been told), and that is when LWB took over her care.
If they had not - she would have surely died...
Love Without Boundaries (LWB) lives up to their name.
She had such a rough start and many times in those first few months they weren't sure she'd make it...but they didn't give up...they didn't quit loving her, they didn't quit providing food or medical care or shelter, her supporters didn't quit sending money or prayers... Had they given up, her life would not have been saved. She would not have been rescued. Thank you Jesus for love...Never stopping. Never giving up. Unbreaking love.. "Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13
LWB saw her beauty and rightly gave her the identifier, "Delyth" which means "pretty" in Welsh.
"Delyth" spend time back and forth in the hospital for her malnourishment and recurrent pneumonia. She was cared for at Anhui Healing Home for a time in between hospital stays. At one point LWB hired, yes hired nurses to take care of her while she was in the hospital. The hospital was really crowded and they had already sent her back to AHH once even though still very sick. We visited AHH while in China and you can feel the love when you enter the doors...
In June she was admitted to Heartbridge Healing Home located in New Hope Foundation in Beijing. This is where more fragile LWB babies are taken. There LWB staff continued to love on her and care for her. New Hope and Heartbridge is truly an amazing place.
She finally turned a corner. This is a monthly progression from June 2011 through December 2011. Prepare yourself for an amazing transformation...
The pictures go on and on with improvements, growth, chubbier cheeks, big open mouth laughs...
On August 22, 2012 "Delyth's" file had finally been completed and was released to GWCA for adoption (she was in one of their partnership orphanages).
That same day, GW called us to tell us they had a file they thought was a perfect match for us. Kimberly at GW could not have been more right. We had been praying for her to have discernment and wisdom when looking at files for us. We had been praying for God to let us know without question that when we open a file, whether or not that was our child, whether we were his or her family.
We knew she was ours... and we were hers... from the moment we saw her picture.
Can't explain it, but loved her and longed for her from that moment...
Never NEVER dreamt that 6 months later we'd have the easiest, sweetest, most beautiful, precious little girl ever. She is definitely ours - eats anything, laughs often, loves lots, makes silly faces, enjoys just hanging out, dances all the time (even when music isn't playing), loves singing songs with motions in the sweetest little voice.. WE love her more than words can explain. We all do. Aili and Ian ADORE her... Her smile - lights up a room - and even brings joy to others. Hard to not smile when you see her smile.. Her laughter melts my heart... But her kisses - she just turns around and gives hugs and kisses now without anyone asking... no words to describe these..
As for her health now- pediatrician says all looks good...we are going to start some allergy testing for a rash, but so far all labs have come back great!
Cardiologist said, "She looks great, her repair was done beautifully and will only need follow-up every 1-2 years." :) Isn't God amazing?? This was Meisi's thought on the matter (taken right after cardio visit). Smiling just looking at her sweet smile. :)
Love Without Boundaries - we are forever and eternally grateful.
We are so thankful that we followed that still small voice to adopt - just as He adopted us into His family...
It wasn't easy and did require sacrifices - personal, social and emotional....but the joy we have now...
There couldn't be a more perfect day (Good Friday) to look back on this amazing gift of love.....love without end....love for the sake of love... a love that required more than sacrificing financially, required more than just not getting a new car, new house, new clothes or not eating out...
2000 years ago... (taken without permission from my favorite children's book, "the Jesus Storybook Bible"):
They nailed Jesus to a cross.
"Father, forgive them." Jesus gasped. "They don't understand what they're doing."
"You say you've come to rescue us!" people shouted. "But you can't even rescue yourself!"
But they were wrong. Jesus could have rescued himself. A legion of angels would have flown to his side - IF he'd called.
"If you are really the Son of God, you could just climb down off that cross!" they said.
And of course, they were right. Jesus could have just climbed down. Actually, he could have just said a word and made it all stop. Like when he healed that little girl. And stilled the storm. And fed 5,000 people.
But Jesus stayed.
You see, they didn't understand. It wasn't the nails that kept Jesus there. It was love.
"Papa?" Jesus cried, frantically searching the sky, "Papa? Where are you? Don't leave me!"
And for the first time - and the last - when he spoke, nothing happened. Just a horrible, endless silence. God didn't answer. He turned away from his Boy.
Tears rolled down Jeuss' face. The face of the One who would wipe away every tear from every eye.
Even though it was middday, a dreadful darkness covered the face of the world. The sun could not shine. The earth trembled and quaked. The great mountains shook. Rocks split in two. Until it seemed that the whole world would break. That creation itself would tear apart.
The full force of the storm of God's fierce anger at sin was coming down. On his own Son. Instead of his people. It was the only way God could destroy sin, and not destroy his children whose hearts were filled with sin.
Then Jesus shouted in a loud voice, "it is finished!"
And it was. He had done it. Jesus had rescued the whole world.
"Father!" Jesus cried. "I give you my life." And with a great sigh he let himself die.
Strange clouds and shadows filled the sky. Purple, orange, black. Like a bruise.
Jesus' friends gently carried Jesus. They laid Jesus in a new tomb carved out of rock....
Of course, Jesus didn't stay dead - He is alive! He rose from the dead! Praise the Lord! Sunday is coming!
God's love is wonderful, Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.
Do you know His love? Have you been adopted into God's family?
If not, I pray you seek Him...
Open up His word, the Bible, and get to know Him.
Talk to Him through prayer - just like you'd talk to anyone else...then stop and listen....
As a follower of Christ - have you heard that same still small voice we heard to adopt?
Trust Him, Move forward, "Lean not on your own understanding."
I have lists and lists with pictures of children waiting for their family...
I've cried over them,
I've prayed over them,
Prayed for their families to move forward...
Are you the family they are waiting for?
I pray you are seeking Him,
Open up His word and see what He says about adoption,
how He will provide the way if you will just take that step of faith,
Present all your requests and concern to Him in prayer - He WILL give you peace.
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