The Zoo Kids

The Zoo Kids
Finally Together

Monday, November 23, 2009

My Guys & Their Sacrifice

We work with some great students here at MGC. Let me tell you about a few of them. We recently did a penny war fundraiser for summer missions. One of my had the idea to go to the local grocery store and bag groceries to collect money. Little did I know that they decided ahead of time to use half of the money raised bagging groceries to help bring Mei home. What made this even more incredible was the fact that they knew by doing this they could lose the challenge with the girls and would end up being caked. That means they would have each ingredient you would normally put in a bowl for a cake dumped on their head one at a time in mass quantity (see pic below). In the end the guys did lose and had they not put half the money in they would have won by a large margin. They ended up giving us $300 to help bring Mei home and sacrificed a little egg, flour, oil, icing, etc... on their face (literally).

Thanks, guys, for helping bring Mei home and for raising money to send students around the world with the Good News!!!








Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Lord Adopts

Ezekiel 16:1-8 – The Lord describes Jerusalem like a child who was abandoned at birth – unwanted and despised – left to die. He came along, saw her helplessness, had compassion for her, gave her life, helped her thrive, made an everlasting covenant with her, and made her His forever!


Reflection – I cannot help but think of Mei as I read through this. Even v. 7 says, “You grew up and became a beautiful jewel” (NLT). Mei means beautiful!!! Even though his parents took one look at him when he was born and despised him the Lord looked at him and gave him the name Beautiful! Even though his family forsook him the Lord has been with him all along and will never leave or abandon him!

In the same way the Lord has adopted me and made me His. He adopted me – not because I was pretty or because He saw some great potential in me. He adopted me simply because He loves me so deeply and He gave everything to bring me home.

Before I read this morning I prayed and thanked my Lord for choosing me by His great grace and mercy. I also prayed about Mei. I prayed, “Lord, as much as it would break my heart not to be able to bring Mei home, not my will buy yours be done. I submit to your will.” Not that I am losing hope or anything by praying this. I just don’t want to do anything – not even something so right – out of selfishness or out of His will. Then I read this section of scripture from the One Year Bible reading plan and I feel my Father saying, “You will bring Mei home! I have already accomplished it!”

Prayer – Lord, thank you for not only finding me in my helplessness, but for saving me and then making me yours! You amaze me! I praise you! Thank you for giving me hope that you are going to bring Mei home. Thank you for letting us be a part of his story. You are going to touch many lives through his life. Thank you for all our children – the blessings we have been given to be a part of the stories you are writing through all their lives. They are all beautiful! Thank you! I praise you! Amen.

The Lord Continues to Provide

This morning a man approached me after church. He asked me how the adoption process was going and I began to fill him in. He then asked how the adoption was funded and how that was going. I told him we were still in the process of trying to get the money together and that since it looked like the Lord was trying to expedite this process we were going to have to see how the Lord provided beyond what we could do ourselves. It was at that moment he began to get a little emotional as he began to share what he shared next…


He told me that over the weekend he could not get our family and the adoption off his mind. With his wife standing there he said they had never been led to adopt a child and wanted to do something to help. He said, “You hear people talking all the time about how the Lord spoke to them and led them to do this or that, but that sort of thing does not happen to me often. Yet this weekend I truly felt the Lord speaking to my heart and leading us to do something to help. So here is a little something – it’s not much, but I hope it will help.”

He handed me a check and I thanked him with a tear in my eye. The crazy thing is that I don’t think they knew the whole situation and how desperate we are for money at this time since the process seems to be going so fast. The Lord just laid it on his heart to give to help us financially because HE knew we needed it. Isn’t that so cool! My God is an awesome God.

By the way – the little something this family gave to help – the little something that wasn’t much – was $2000.00. I am simply blown away with the Lord and His ability to provide. Sure – I know He is my provider, but it is a totally different thing to experience it in such a real way. He always comes through!

Prayer – Tomorrow the guy who works for the agency will be in the city and our prayer is that at that point he will be able to secure Mei’s paperwork and have it in hand so when our paperwork is complete we will be able to get him and bring him home. We are also praying for this guy to be able to get a picture or two for us of Mei – Shannon still has not seen a picture of him at all and our kids are dying to get a look at him.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The First Time I Met Mei

Here is my journal entry from the first time I met Mei this summer:

7/11/2009

This morning we went for a hike here in the city. After the hike we went and visited an orphanage. The children in this place were all special needs and ranged in age from 2 weeks and up. I held the 2 week old – he was crying in his crib and I picked him up. He stopped crying and just sat there staring at me. One child had to be 18-24 months and Catfish (Justin Peterson) said he probably had a hole in his heart that could be easily repaired in the states. He lay in his crib writhing in pain. At one point he lay there with his hand on his heart. I began to rub his chest with my hand, he stopped writhing in pain, and lay there looking into my eyes. One little boy had 3 toes on each foot and no fingers on his hands. He smiled at me while I tickled his tummy. One child had a very large head – larger than mine – and was no more than 18-24 months old. It was a heart breaking place to be. One little girl was downs and she was very funny playing with her towel. She was making the little boy next to her laugh. Another near 6 month old was very cute and she smiled a lot.

While we were there they were getting their baths. The workers came around with a flatbed dolly and would lay 4-5 children in it at a time, wheel them in the next room, and pick them off the dolly, put them in a large sink-like tub, and quickly wash them and change their clothes. This was a heart breaking place to visit. We played with and held as many of the kids as we could. Kevin, Trinity, Kelly, MK, and Gillian are all such servant hearted people who genuinely love others. At one point Kevin grabbed a mop and mopped the entire two rooms without being asked. These brothers and sisters here are truly special people.

I have been telling Shannon that if we were going to adopt we needed to adopt a special needs child. I find it quite funny that the orphanage we went to was a special needs orphanage. Maybe that was providential. If I could have I would have taken the little boy with no hands and 6 toes with me today – in a heart beat!

Lord, if it be your will, I am willing and I know Shannon would be too. Make a way! You can move mountains, part seas, and create everything out of nothing. This little thing would be nothing for you. Move mountains for me Lord! Move mountains! In the name of Jesus my Christ I pray. Amen!

Psalm 9:12 – My God does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. We heard so many cries from children today who are afflicted. It is encouraging to know that my God does not ignore their cries. Neither should I!