So Far to Find You: Lost and Found, and Butterburgers

The week before Christmas, we sent Shen Yao a care package. We had been collecting things and thought we would let her know that she has a family that loves her and wants to come get her. We sent her a couple of outfits - one in size 2T and another in 3T so that we could determine what size clothing to bring when we came. (We were hoping that they might take pictures and email them to us.) We also sent along a lamb stuffed animal that we bought a year ago. It has a recorder in it with the accompaniment to "Jesus Loves Me". Brian and I recorded that song, so that she could hear our voices. We also found a little fuzzy lamb blanket. I also collected pictures from grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends and made a Shutterfly book called, Who Loves Shen Yao. We put in many pictures of Brian and I, as well as other significant people in her life.

We sent if Fed-Ex because our agency recommended that for ease of shipping and clearing customs. It was sent to our agency's representative in China. She takes the boxes when she receives them and then sends them on to the orphanage. Before Christmas, the box arrived in China and was signed for. We never heard from our agency what we owed for shipping in China. I decided I should ask a few weeks ago. When we inquired, we found out that it had never reached the lady we sent it to. Our agency said they would do some investigating, but they didn't know what had happened to it.

Of course, I was quite upset. We sent these gifts to our little girl to show her our love and so that she could be seeing our pictures and preparing to be adopted. And they never got to her!!! Someone else in China was looking at her book and wearing her clothes and snuggling with her lamb. I prayed about it, but I really didn't think that there was much hope of it reaching her, since it had been so long since it arrived in China. One of my friends told me that I should just pray that the little girl that got it would be blessed by it. So I did. I told my class about the missing box and they began praying that it would be found and sent to Shen Yao.

One of the outfits in the care package

On Wednesday, I received an email that the box had been delivered to our agency's representative and she had sent it on to Shen Yao in Tangshen. After two and a half months of sitting in a customs office, they must have finally decided that it was safe to send on. I was so excited to know that she might be looking at her book and snuggling her lamb. When I told my class, they cheered. We are all praising God because He has all the details under control!

And now for the Butterburgers...
Last Tuesday, we enjoyed a great evening of fellowship with family and friends at Culver's in Hartland. They donated 10% of all their sales to our adoption fund. We will be able to find out how much money was raised when we pick up the check this week! Here are a few pictures from that night. Thanks to everyone who came out!