Guest Blog: “The China Sessions – A Ladybug”
The following writing and photos were provided to us by Jean Marie, who joined us on a Storyteller Missions trip to China. Her touching words and photos remind us that God has a plan for each of us and that He is involved in every aspect of our lives. Thank you for sharing, Jean Marie!
This afternoon I was spring trimming one of our young oak trees; I'd just manually sawed off a limb about 3″ thick, and was dragging it down to the street when I felt something tickling my left arm.
I looked down, expecting to see a giant carpenter ant (that love dropping out of trees onto me – subtropics life)…. but instead it was a ladybug.
I immediately smiled, because ladybugs are so associated with adoption. When my dear friend Laurie was adopting their 2 little boys from China, the sight of a ladybug was enough to bring happy tears. Worth photographing. Worth calling her up to tell her I saw one and had just been praying for her boys.
I smiled and reached for it, but it fluttered its tiny wings and flew away. As I walked back up the driveway, I thought about that little ladybug's visit.
I thought how I'd flown in for a quick little visit to the orphanage, and only stayed for a very little while, yet brought so much love with me when I came. I thought of why that ladybug had been “sent” to me, and why I'd been sent to China.
And how we both bear the name of the King upon us.
That ladybug was made by God to visit me for a little while and remind me Jesus loves me. I was made by God to live much longer, but also visit many people and to remind them that Jesus loves them.
A love so strong that you almost didn't believe it existed or could be true. But it IS. Undeniable LOVE.
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”
~ 1 John 3:1 ~
It was hard to fly away from our little orphans. It was not the cheery flight of the ladybug. There were tears. There was an ache that was unexplainable, but we all knew it and bore it quietly. We spent a lot of time journaling. Scrolling through our photos again and again.
But we knew why we crossed oceans in His name, and it was because He called us to.
Going was one of the hardest and best things I've ever done with my life. I cannot speak enough to listening to a calling God has placed on your heart.
It's there for a reason, and that is because He intends to show you Himself.
and We saw Him. In every face. We saw Him.
and We saw Him. In every face. We saw Him.
With love,
Jean Marie
If you are interesting in joining a Storyteller Missions trip in 2016 and helping us advocate for many of these precious children, email missions@awaa.org and our Storyteller staff will be happy to connect you to a team that best fits your interests and skills.
If you are looking to adopt from China, now is a great time to apply! Our wait times for both boys and girls in our waiting child program are at their lowest in years. The current timeframe through our program to bring home a boy with needs commonly seen in China from application to travel is 10-16 months! What better time than now to get started on your adoption process!
Contact our China team at china@awaa.org or by phone at 800.429.3369.