April 4, 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

If you’ve never been licked by a cow then you won’t know the texture of eating cow stomach. If you have then you might get it, imagine chewing wet sandpaper, now you’re with me! Pretty tasteless, but even for a person who isn’t bothered much by texture, stomach is stretching it. Don’t bother trying this dish, being licked by a cow is more preferable. Some of you know what we are talking about, you others, find yourself a cattleman with a cow. We are sometimes humbled by a country that wastes nothing, but this wasn’t one of those times!

In February after the Chinese New Year they celebrate the Lantern Festival. About 26 kids were able to go on this field trip and see all the decorations and watch Chinese dancers. It is kind of a carnival atmosphere without rides. When were about to leave, Grady and the person with him for the day came up with a baby bunny in Grady’s lap! We’re looking at this bunny thinking, “How cute. What on earth are we going to do with this thing?!” Well, the Ayi’s didn’t let it “visit” too long in his house before they were convincing Chris, our intern, that bunnies are for eating and it couldn’t stay in the house. So Chris became the interim caregiver while we tried to find Xiao Piao a home. Two days before Xiao Piao was to go to his new home (his English name was Brady) he went to his heavenly home. Chris is devastated, wondering how she is going to tell Grady his beloved “adopted son” Brady has died. So we decided to have a funeral, knowing it is much easier to accept an animal’s death and to learn the life lesson that everything has a time to be born and a time to die. Fortunately none of the kids was too upset and the funeral was held with reverence and was a life learning experience. We shared special memories, talked about heaven, sang J*sus Loves Me and then prayed and buried Xiao Piao. What has been impactful to us recently is being reminded that when we share with the children, anyone else in the room also gets to hear what is being shared. They hear the Easter story and any Bib≤ stories as they are used as “English” lessons. Pr&y the Father will continue to bring other Ayi’s into the rooms as the Bi&ble is shared so they will hear. Watching the Ayi as we sang and prayed for Xiao Piao as she participated showed us that more lives are touched than those of the 8 primary class children.

Friday before Easter Stacey and Wendy helped prepare dinner of pizza, cucumbers and jello for the Primary class. We wanted to have one more meal with them before we take our trip home. The pizza was a hit with everyone except Joseph who thought he was sick because of the one piece of pizza but it was probably the 5 cups of jello he ate! Lingling liked the jello if she could put ranch dressing on it and Wendy smothered the pizza in ranch. A few others had a contest to see who could eat the most pizza with Stacey and Phillip winning at 5 pieces each! Thursday afternoon we had the teachers, office staff and a couple of guests for a lunch of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, French bread and salad. They loved the meatloaf and of course they loved the brownies our intern Chris made! We are so blessed to be a part of their lives. Honoring the work they do here is a way to show them we notice the love they have for the children. This isn’t a great paying job, it is also a service.

Wendy and Stacey with Burns' Twins

Easter is celebrated here at SFCV! Much excitement was found at the school on Thursday as everyone in the school decorated eggs. The primary class dyed the eggs while everyone else used colors, marker and stickers. What a busy, happy time as they decorated 400 eggs. Friday, the hunt began at 9:30am. The kids were divided by house and the plan was for them to each find 6 eggs, without the help of Ayi’s (who are “over” helpful!) The office and foreign staff helped those kids who weren’t able to pick up the eggs themselves or reach down for them. For English class, the primary and kindergarten classes have been hearing about the Easter story and trying to explain why easter eggs!

Phillip and Clay

A Most Important Egg

Tristan Playing in Cupboard

Thank you for your thoughts for us as we plan our trip home. We are leaving April 8 to 17 with Steve Allen and traveling to 3 different areas in country, visiting works like ours and several state run orphanages. April 18 we will be heading to Spokane, arriving at 6:56pm that evening. While in the US we will be speaking at Valley Fourth on April 25th, Valleyford Community Ch*rch on May 2nd and Heritage Ch&rch in Odessa the evening of May 16th. Rockford Auto will have an open house April 30th from 1 to 5pm. We then leave for our China home on May 20th early in the morning. We hope to see many of you and look forward to sharing about our time in China at Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village and hearing what has been going on in your lives. We are pr&ying the Father will “Lead us in the right path…and make His path plain for us to follow.” Ps 5:8.

If you would like to continue your support for us during this journey to China please let us know. You have been a blessing to us as we show Je*sus to these people and these children and we appreciate your pr*yers, support and encouragement. We pr&y the “Father surrounds you with His shield of love.” Ps 5:12. It is sometimes frustrating that we cannot be more direct with these people we care for and love.

One of the children we asked you to pr&y for last month was Lily Diana. Her orphanage requested she return home to them for this last little while in her life. Please pray for them as they give her the comfort care she needs. Another child whose life is very fragile is Stephanie. She isn’t eating well right now and struggles because of her shunt. Please pray she will be comforted and will not be in pain.

Lily Diana and her Ayi

Stephanie

Please be on your knees for:

• Grady’s visa procurement to be easy!
• That we will be His hands and feet as we travel in country.
• Funds for Lucas’ cochlear implant.
• Lily Diana and Stephanie. For their “grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our L&rd and Savi∨ Je&sus Ch&ist.”
• Safety and guidance for our travels from April 8th to May 20th.
• For the adoption of our special children. Tristan and Zechariah’s paperwork is in the international adoption files now!

Big thanks for:

• Grady’s passport came!
• $6105 towards Lucas’ cochlear implant!
• Wendy’s shower chair should be here April 3rd!
• For His continued guidance.
• For faithful supporters and faithful pr**yers!

“..Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we ask or hope. May He be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.” Eph 3:20 to21



With our love and our prayers,



Clay and Jewel

PS: Stephanie passed away this afternoon. “There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, no more fears” is on the PLR right now as we finish this letter (by Third Day). This is Stephanie’s “day”, no more tears, no more pain, no more fears. In the Father’s arms released from her fragile body. Thank you for remembering her and her Ayi’s.