Hope

God has met us at our point of need again.  We had no tantrums today – a few times of whimpering where I held her until it was over.  She is doing very well using her baby signs of “please” and “more” so that has really helped.  Last night as I went to bed with her, I prayed and prayed and prayed.  I was overwhelmed with fears and worries, so I laid them before the Lord and asked Him to give me faith.  This morning He led me to Isaiah 41.  He spoke words of comfort and peace to me through it.  “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off.  Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand…..When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them.  I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys.  I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.  I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive.  I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

 

God has given me hope in this wilderness.  I feel his hand at work.  We met for lunch with a lovely Christian here that helped us before our trip with our Cantonese.  She was such a testimony to God’s grace.  Her words of encouragement were from the Spirit.  She said, “Jesus has to heal her heart.  You can do your best to parent her, but without Jesus, it will never be the same.”  It is so true.  We can and should do our best to care for her, but we must trust the God is in control of this entire journey.  He will heal her heart.  He will teach her to love.  He will show Himself to her.

 

New discoveries today:  She can fold clothes.  I don’t know whether to be happy or sad about that.  She picked up my nightshirt from our pile of clothes to launder, laid it on the floor and folded it quite well.  I guess I’ll have another little laundry helper, but how sad that she already knows how to do that at barely 3.  She also started to mimic a few English words:  uh oh, hello, bye bye, ball.  She has not yet said Mama, Mommy, Baba, or Daddy, but we know that will come in time.

 

We get her TB test read in the morning, but there is absolutely no sign of reaction.  Praise the Lord.  Many of you know that was a big concern of ours.  God has been merciful again.  We feel hope that the end of our trip is getting closer.  Just a few more days until we’ll be home.  Oh, I’m not sure I’ll ever want to leave home again!