bodner003

As I get closer to travel, I have begun seeking advice from other families who have traveled to the same orphanage to pick up their little ones. Over the past week, I've been in touch with many people who have offered information and pictures about Samuel's orphanage. We were thrilled to get those 3 pictures of our son smiling. But the realities about his "home" are very hard to digest. The fact is, he lives in an overcrowded institution run by a Communist government. This is not news to us. We are well aware of the reality that exists in China for the millions of children who have been left to fend for themselves. In some ways, we didn't have to face it as much with our adoption of Emily over a year ago, because she lived in a foster orphanage (Harmony House) where they truly did their best to care for her. Here are a few things we've learned this week, none of which are surprising but all of which deeply pain my heart. Most of the children at this orphanage ...

We recently received an update from Samuel's orphanage. It included an email with a small amount of information and some precious pictures. We were given growth data and some answers to other questions. We may or may not be able to trust the validity of these answers but we were happy to hear, nonetheless. The pictures though... they were game changers. I have to be honest. I've loved Samuel since the moment we saw him. I loved him right away because I knew God called him to be our son. But I never felt an emotional connection to his first pictures. So often, the pictures included in these kids' files look like mug shots. The children tend to look empty and stoic. It usually isn't until these children come home that an amazing transformation takes place. It's true that real love changes a person physically. Whether or not he's receiving proper care, we'll never know. But these recent pictures show life in our boy's eyes. To see that smile, th...

Fear. What an ugly word. What a disgusting power it has over our lives. It is the devil's stronghold, his darkest lie. He loves to use it to the detriment of God's plan. Anyone else lie awake at night, head spinning, thinking about all the things that could go wrong tomorrow? I do. And ya' know what? It's sinful. God detests my fear. It takes my focus off of Him. It says my faith is weak. Fear blinds me from truth. I know pride is at the center of every sin but I'd like you to consider for a minute that fear always accompanies pride. Fear is powerful. Adam and Eve made a choice to be their own gods. They believed the lie that God wasn't enough. I'm certain that without fear, they would have completely trusted their God. That slimy serpent snuck into Eve's innermost, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God." (Gen.3:4-5) I can hear Eve thinking to herself after she's ...