Praying for China

Sometimes I have these deja-vu type moments and I remember. A smell, a sound, whatever it may be, brings me back to China and a flood of emotions overwhelm me.

Of course when we went to China 2 years ago, I was over the top excited to be meeting my daughter. After kissing pictures of her and rocking alone while crying because my arms ached to hold this little girl who captured my heart, I finally was able to feel her in my arms. To look into her little eyes and see her gaze back at me- as if she's seen me before. We prayed that the Lord would give her sweet dreams in the orphanage and I believe with all my heart, he showed her the mother that was coming. I'm telling you...that look...call me crazy- I don't care...she'd seen me before. Her eyes said to me- "it's you."

But I'm going to be brutally honest with you. Aside from the joy of receiving my daughter, I did not enjoy China. I did not have a love for her culture or many of the people there. The lack of respect for life, especially life that may not be "beautiful" or "normal," angered and saddened me.

A woman in the park (ie. a large concrete slab) smiled at Lauren until she saw her scar from the cleft lip, then quickly pulled her child away. It is common for children like Lauren to be kept in rooms "for the deformed" while in the orphanage.

The society is void of God as a whole because of the Communist government. They are so deceived. They still worship Chairman Mao decades after his death. His pictures hang everywhere, most notably in Tiananmen Square (as seen in the picture of us while in China). This man murdered 10's of millions of Chinese people with great satisfaction. The horrors he brought to this country are since forgotten by many and now they adore him, mostly due to the political campaign to keep Communism alive, for fear of the government losing control.

It has taken me some time to get to the point of hurting for these precious people. I know that most of them think the way that they do because it has been programmed into them since birth.

While I still am upset with the Chinese government, I know that our battle is not with flesh and blood, but with the evil forces behind the deception. I now feel a great love for these precious people.


I did share the Lord with our guide Jane while in China. She was very sweet and I pray that she opened her heart to Him.

During this Olympics, we have an incredible opportunity to reach people that don't know Him. I believe that many will come to know the Lord in China at this crucial time in history and our prayers are essential to their salvation.

Here is a headline from the Voice of the Martyrs:

Pastor Sentenced to Re-education Through Labor - China Aid Association

On July 4, Pastor Zhang Zhongxin was sentenced to two years re-education through labor in Jining city in Shangdong province. According to China Aid Association (CAA), "Shandong Re-education-Through-Labor Management Committee issued a written decision sentencing Zhang Zhongxin to two years re-education through labor.

Authorities accused him [Zhongxin] of cult participation in the ‘whole scope of the church' organized ‘Sunday school training courses, preaching the gospel to the northwest, Tibet and other places for missionaries and pioneers sermons.'" CAA added that in 2005, Zhongxin established The Rainbow Missions Fellowship and Timothy Bible Training School in Jining city, Shandong province, where Christian leaders are trained.

Zhongxin has appealed his sentence. Pray for Zhongxin and his family during this difficult time.
Ask God to give them courage as he appeals his sentence. Ask God to protect believers in China who face trying times as the government cracks down on believers ahead of the Olympics next month.

It is hard for me to believe that this happens even today.
Voice of the Martyrs is offering free bracelets to remind us to pray for China.
I encourage you to click on the link in my sidebar for your free bracelet and pray for the Chinese people. They desperately need it.



Also, I just want to say how thankful I am and always have been for Lauren's birth mother who 1st chose to give her life and then when realizing she could not care for a child with special needs (and I DO understand this- it would be terribly difficult given the expense and stigma) that she laid her on the steps of a very busy temple knowing that she would soon be found.
To her, I am eternally grateful.