A Perfect Day

If it's possible to have a perfect day, Tuesday was the closest I've come.  First, a friend of mine watched Miles for me most of the day so I could get a lot done around the house.  It was soooo nice to just work in silence, with no interruptions.  Then, I opened the envelope my friend gave me as she picked up Miles, and discovered $300 for our expenses fund!  Later, I discovered that the lady I buy raw milk from had donated $20, and that she wanted to give us two gallons of milk and a dozen eggs when we got back from China.  I was already feeling so good after all this, when I checked my email and another friend said she wanted to bring us some dinners for those first few weeks when we get back.  I could feel the presence of God, showing me He would take care of us through those around us.  What a wonderful day I was having!

And it got EVEN BETTER!  When I got home from picking up Miles, I checked the mailbox, and there sitting on top of the mail pile was a letter from China!!!  I had included a postage-paid envelope in the last care package I sent to Hannah, asking her foster mother to please write to me about Hannah.  I wasn't sure if I'd actually hear back from her, but there was the letter!  I opened it, expecting that it would be in Chinese, and that I would have to wait and find someone to translate it.  It was in Chinese, but as I looked through the pages, there was also an English translation of it!  I can't express how happy I was at that moment!!! 

The letter Hannah's foster mother wrote was straight from the heart.  This woman loves this little girl dearly, as if she is her own daughter.  She told me about Shi Lin when she first got her, how her physical developement progressed and how she learned to talk.  She told me of little moments she remembers that will always be precious to her.  At the end, she said she hopes we will be very fond of her and wished us the best.

If you've been in my situation, or are in it right now, you understand how precious this letter is to me.  It tells me of a time with my daughter that I will never get to experience.  Every word is a gift to me.  It tells me that my little Shi Lin has been loved as a daughter, and that she knows the meaning of family.  I can never thank her foster mother enough.  That letter will be among my most precious treasures in this life.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010, will be one of those days that stand out in the memories of my life.  Thank you to all of you who opened your hearts and made it such a special day!