Last Year- Easter in China

Yes, it's been almost a year since I've had Ella and last year my mom and I spent Easter in China.  I'll have some more things to say about this past year, but today I thought I'd repost what I wrote on Easter last year.  It kind of explains the name and verse that I decided to use for my blog.  From times of deep sorrow to times of great joy and everything in between, God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine...

"Everyone needs compassion, love that's never failing

Let mercy fall on me

Everyone needs forgiveness, the kindness of a Saviour

The hope of nations

Saviour, He can move the mountains

My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save

Forever, Author of salvation

He rose and conquered the grave

Jesus conquered the grave."

- Michael W. Smith

It certainly doesn't seem like Easter in China! Most of the day was free but our group went to an acrobatic show in the afternoon which was pretty amazing. One of the couples is leaving for their daughter's province tomorrow so Joy and Shiyan wanted all of us to exchange our money today for the orphanage donation (which was fine with me since we're going alone to Ella's province). We went to the Bank of China and that was an interesting experience to say the least! We had to take a number and wait for an hour for our turn and also witnessed a frightening confrontation between an angry client who refused to leave and the bank employees and security.

At breakfast our group talked about how it didn't feel like Easter today, so we decided to meet together in the afternoon as a group to celebrate Easter. There happens to be a pastor in our group so we met in their room and he read the Easter Story and we shared what we usually do with our familes at home for Easter. We had a prayer at the end and the prayers were offered to give thanks for the seeds of adoption planted in all of our hearts that led to everyone's different journeys, as well as for each child that God is bringing into our familes. It's our prayer that they will one day know and accept Jesus into their heart and lives. They were powerful prayers lifted up in a hotel room in a nation that for the most part, does not believe.

On the other side of the world, there is a tulip placed in memory of my dad at our Easter service at my church, DeMotte 1st CRC. I've thought about my dad a lot in the days before I left, in these days here in China, and of course I'm remembering him on Easter. I wonder what he would think of all of this! :) Up to this point, his death has been the most life changing event in my life, killed by an impaired driver in 2003. I now believe that that the things God was teaching me through that experience led me closer to this journey to Ella. As many of you know, he left a church bulletin for his "funeral material" just in case something like that ever happened. The scripture in the bulletin was his prayer for our family. I know this would be his prayer for Ella. It has meant a lot to me and it is my prayer for Ella too on this Easter day:

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strenghten you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that ia at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Ephesians 3:14-21

With love to all,

Jill