Greetings with great joy dear Christian supporters and faithful prayer partners,
Today we received a phone call from the authorities and they told Maggie that there have been many meetings about the 10 children and how uncle Ray is family to them. They recognize that the kids want to be with me, and they have been raised for over 10 years by me, and they are discussing what they are going to do. They told us that the kids will be sent to an orphanage to process paper work. As for their future, the authorities will get back to us. Maggie asked them if they received the letter and they said they had not received it yet. Please pray they will read it and consider the best option is to allow the kids to leave China and grandma Guo will go with them. I don't want to go through the details of my letter but I believe it details why it is best for all of us to have me and the children leave for the US. Knowing how "sensitive" the entire situation is and how well known we all are, it is better to keep it "low key", as it has been now for almost a year.
Knowing they have been working on just how they will allow me to remain family with the 10 kids, I see why they could not allow me to continue to care for the "Gold kids". Think of it this way, the 10, plus the now the 4 Gold kids, are extremely high profile stories and it would be a "loss of face" to have me be the one that Mr.Cheng trusted to foster care his kids. Yes, it is true Melody may have been involved too but ultimately the Civil government probably could not live with the fact I had legal documents and it would probably be too much for them to then allow me to care for the 10 again. All this stuff must drive them crazy but then again, we are the ones suffering. Isn't it nice to be innocent? I will say though it looks like they are actually dealing with me in "fairness". We need to pray though, there are just too many variables still.
I was crying out this morning and just weeping thinking about how all the kids are having a really hard time not knowing anything of substance. I have enough information at times to know bits and pieces but the kids are kept pretty much in the dark. I do "trust" in people here not really "keeping things under wrap" and the "leaks" should have gotten some information to the kids. This is important for them to "stay the course".
My MP3 player went bad yesterday and God steered me to study chapters 1 and 2 of 1st Thessalonians. What a blessing to read the first two chapters and see my kids in every verse! I share a few thoughts.
Today we received a phone call from the authorities and they told Maggie that there have been many meetings about the 10 children and how uncle Ray is family to them. They recognize that the kids want to be with me, and they have been raised for over 10 years by me, and they are discussing what they are going to do. They told us that the kids will be sent to an orphanage to process paper work. As for their future, the authorities will get back to us. Maggie asked them if they received the letter and they said they had not received it yet. Please pray they will read it and consider the best option is to allow the kids to leave China and grandma Guo will go with them. I don't want to go through the details of my letter but I believe it details why it is best for all of us to have me and the children leave for the US. Knowing how "sensitive" the entire situation is and how well known we all are, it is better to keep it "low key", as it has been now for almost a year.
Knowing they have been working on just how they will allow me to remain family with the 10 kids, I see why they could not allow me to continue to care for the "Gold kids". Think of it this way, the 10, plus the now the 4 Gold kids, are extremely high profile stories and it would be a "loss of face" to have me be the one that Mr.Cheng trusted to foster care his kids. Yes, it is true Melody may have been involved too but ultimately the Civil government probably could not live with the fact I had legal documents and it would probably be too much for them to then allow me to care for the 10 again. All this stuff must drive them crazy but then again, we are the ones suffering. Isn't it nice to be innocent? I will say though it looks like they are actually dealing with me in "fairness". We need to pray though, there are just too many variables still.
I was crying out this morning and just weeping thinking about how all the kids are having a really hard time not knowing anything of substance. I have enough information at times to know bits and pieces but the kids are kept pretty much in the dark. I do "trust" in people here not really "keeping things under wrap" and the "leaks" should have gotten some information to the kids. This is important for them to "stay the course".
My MP3 player went bad yesterday and God steered me to study chapters 1 and 2 of 1st Thessalonians. What a blessing to read the first two chapters and see my kids in every verse! I share a few thoughts.
"We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia." 1 Thessalonians 1:2-7
These children have been in our prayers for so long and their steadfastness is very moving to all of us. They have held strong to the gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of very trying circumstances. I praise God He has helped me to be an example to them and they are excellent imitators of me and of the Lord. I know they have also been a great example to all of you too.
"But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. 8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.9 For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God." 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9
I really love this section because as each dear child knows how hard I worked night and day to care for them for years, they are doing the same for Joseph and Deborah and showing great love for each other. I like the way single Paul mentions himself as "a nursing mother" and it brings me to tears as I think back on hundreds and hundreds of times getting up in the middle of the night for any one of the newborns and feeding, changing, being patient to let their baby formula settle and loving them for a while and putting them gently down peacefully to sleep. You mothers know how beautiful that is and you also know they can wake up again in less than an hour for more. :) I can't tell you how much I miss that. I praise God Rebekah and Hannah have "covered for me" and I know they have done a stellar job. Trust me, they would have had to really fight "for the rights" to care for the newborn in that facility knowing they have a staff trained for little ones. The best part of this section is the highlight of my work, "proclaimed to you the gospel of God". Amen? and Amen!
It is now Friday and we will have to wait until early next week to find out more. Keep all this in prayer and let us all rejoice we are seeing a "breakthrough". I told Maggie to tell the authorities that I will need to see them before they get moved to a new facility. I know that if they try to move them without letting me know, the kids will freak out and rebel. Maggie said they will be notifying the protection center about possibly letting me see the kids. Pray about that meeting and decision. This stuff all looks extremely exciting but we must pray for fruit and that Satan will not wreak havoc on the "party".
In closing, I have some other exciting news I have held off to tell you. Recently I met an Israeli business man who works in Sierra Leone and wants to help me to start a work helping orphans who lost their parents from the Ebola virus. Some of you may already know that with the foundation, I want to reach out to African nations to help orphans and children too. Pray about this. I am putting together a plan but it will follow the same pattern as I have done. NOT an orphanage facility but rather a "Children's Village" where couples will care for orphans in a family setting. I have seen great success with this even as a single man, imagine what couples will be able to do. I realize this looks like "foster care" but I want all the orphans we care for to feel they are a family member in a true family not just a numbered kid in a facility. I will share more in a later email update.
Praising the Lord for good news, Ray and Blaza, Hannah, David, James, Rebekah, John John, Joanna, Sarah, Joseph and little Deborah, as well as many more.
PS. Pray about expenses for all this. I also may need to change my flights to stay longer, and don't forget Jiang Jia Yi and the boys doing well from heart surgery. I will see them tomorrow with yet another gospel message.
These children have been in our prayers for so long and their steadfastness is very moving to all of us. They have held strong to the gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of very trying circumstances. I praise God He has helped me to be an example to them and they are excellent imitators of me and of the Lord. I know they have also been a great example to all of you too.
"But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. 8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.9 For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God." 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9
I really love this section because as each dear child knows how hard I worked night and day to care for them for years, they are doing the same for Joseph and Deborah and showing great love for each other. I like the way single Paul mentions himself as "a nursing mother" and it brings me to tears as I think back on hundreds and hundreds of times getting up in the middle of the night for any one of the newborns and feeding, changing, being patient to let their baby formula settle and loving them for a while and putting them gently down peacefully to sleep. You mothers know how beautiful that is and you also know they can wake up again in less than an hour for more. :) I can't tell you how much I miss that. I praise God Rebekah and Hannah have "covered for me" and I know they have done a stellar job. Trust me, they would have had to really fight "for the rights" to care for the newborn in that facility knowing they have a staff trained for little ones. The best part of this section is the highlight of my work, "proclaimed to you the gospel of God". Amen? and Amen!
It is now Friday and we will have to wait until early next week to find out more. Keep all this in prayer and let us all rejoice we are seeing a "breakthrough". I told Maggie to tell the authorities that I will need to see them before they get moved to a new facility. I know that if they try to move them without letting me know, the kids will freak out and rebel. Maggie said they will be notifying the protection center about possibly letting me see the kids. Pray about that meeting and decision. This stuff all looks extremely exciting but we must pray for fruit and that Satan will not wreak havoc on the "party".
In closing, I have some other exciting news I have held off to tell you. Recently I met an Israeli business man who works in Sierra Leone and wants to help me to start a work helping orphans who lost their parents from the Ebola virus. Some of you may already know that with the foundation, I want to reach out to African nations to help orphans and children too. Pray about this. I am putting together a plan but it will follow the same pattern as I have done. NOT an orphanage facility but rather a "Children's Village" where couples will care for orphans in a family setting. I have seen great success with this even as a single man, imagine what couples will be able to do. I realize this looks like "foster care" but I want all the orphans we care for to feel they are a family member in a true family not just a numbered kid in a facility. I will share more in a later email update.
Praising the Lord for good news, Ray and Blaza, Hannah, David, James, Rebekah, John John, Joanna, Sarah, Joseph and little Deborah, as well as many more.
PS. Pray about expenses for all this. I also may need to change my flights to stay longer, and don't forget Jiang Jia Yi and the boys doing well from heart surgery. I will see them tomorrow with yet another gospel message.