Joy and Grief

The last few days have been a mixture of happiness and sadness for me.  Happiness of course is light-hearted and soon passes, but joy is deeper and long-lasting.  So even in the midst of my sadness there is joy.  This is what has been happening...

One of the surprising outcomes of my trip to the U.S. some weeks ago is that an article about CA's work has appeared in the women's blog: Her.meneutics.  This is Christianity Today's women's blog.  According to Wikipedia, Christianity Today has a readership internationally of 290,000 people, and Hermeneutics is linked to it.  Adam Voysey, CA's Director of Development in the U.S, took me to see the writer of the article, who interviewed me, hoping to get her article published.  Read it here.

Happily, they have just connected Anna Ruberti’s recent article about her New York City Marathon run with their Twitter feed: @ctwomensblog

We are truly grateful to God because it is extremely difficult to get an article into a magazine like this.  It is the goal of every Christian organisation to be heard through this magazine, yet God has opened the door for word of CA's work with orphans to spread in this way. Amazing!

On the sad side, two of our children in Xining Children’s Home have left us over the last couple of days: Xu Shuang Wu and Lin Li Ping. Elfy Wong wrote in an email to me:

'Our care-givers all cried because we have looked after Xu Shuang Wu for ten years.  He loved hearing us sing to him, but I can't hold him or sing songs to him anymore. Li Ping was with us for only two years. When I sang to her she smiled and the response was so good. I really miss her smile and my heart is aching now.'

Our joy now is in knowing that little children like these who were so welcomed by Jesus when He was among us, are now held forever by Him.  And our joy is also in having the privilege of loving them and caring for these helpless little orphans while they are in this world.  

Thank you all for your support – we couldn’t do it without you.