This post has been a week in the making, i had wanted to write this a week ago but a lack of time and a feeling that today might be the better day to post has seen this turning over in my head for 7 more days.
Why today? What is “Everyone´s Birthday”?
Well, as you know, today in the 14th of February, traditionally celebrated in most places as St. Valentine´Day. So a Happy Valentine´Day to you. (btw, here´s a read of the interesting history behind St. Valentine.)
Today, for 2016, is also the 7th day of the Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year), which is also known as “Everyone´s Birthday”. Another big day in what is a traditionally a 14-day celebration, which began a week again with the big family reunion dinner, where family gather, usually in the grandmother´s home, and everyone who has been away from home (working or studying) makes the journey home and into the warm embrace of family. Chinese New Year is a time when families gather together and celebrate the coming new year, giving blessings and red packets, exchanging hopes and good wishes for the year ahead.
All these has made me think of DEAN, the special needs orphan whom my boy and i pray for. We pray almost daily for a forever family to step up for him as soon as possible. This festive season makes me wonder how he is spending the Chinese New Year. Did he get to celebrate where he is? Did he get new clothes, like other children who have loving parents? Is he given the traditional red packet with a little money? Or was it just another day at the institute or orphanage he is at?
i do hope and pray he did get to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
BUT my big hope and PRAYER is that DEAN will get to celebrate the next Lunar New Year with his forever family.
Caroline, the other orphan we pray, has a family coming for her. Praise the Lord! So i know the Lord does hear us and will answer us.
i ask you on this Valentine´s Day, on Everybody´s Birthday 2016, would you show a little love and please join me in praying for a family for DEAN?
He has just a little over a year before he ages out of the adoption system in his home country and it would be a sad time for him come September 2017 if his forever family does not come for him asap.
Listen to what one adoptive parent says on her Facebook about some older orphans she has met in DEAN´s home country…
“Tears from Jenny, who broke down on her 14th birthday when she realized that she had aged out of the adoption system without being chosen. The final realization that she would never know what it meant to have a mom or dad of her own caused her to fall into a deep depression. Tears from Lily, a 17-year-old girl whom I had given my jacket after she admired it. When she refused to accept it initially, I put my hand on her shoulder and said, “But of course you have to take it because you are like family to me.” And it was at that one word, “family,” that this normally stoic young lady broke down and sobbed uncontrollably, as it is the one thing that she longed for.
By far, however, the most emotional moment of my time in China came one night when I was able to meet with a group of older orphaned teens I had watched grow up over a five year period. Every time I would visit their orphanage, I would enjoy getting to know them more. They all seemed so close, such good friends, and they always had smiles for me when I arrived. That night, however, was a night when the kids finally let their guard down. It was a night of real conversation and sharing what it means to grow up as an orphan. Toward the end of the evening we were all in tears. Afterwards, one of the older boys stayed to talk with me privately. I am hesitant to even write of it now as it was such a deeply personal and emotionally raw conversation.I will share, however, that he told me that growing up without a mother or father “hurts more than death.” “
i hope and pray hard that DEAN WILL KNOW the love of a mother and a father.
i ask you to pray along with me. And to also pray for other orphans you know who are in need of a family. Reece´s Rainbow has a list of aging out orphans you can pray over and help give a voice to. Please see here. Please do pick one of them to pray for, along with praying for DEAN.
If you do pray for DEAN, even if it is just for a day, please comment below and let me know. It would be most encouraging to me and my boy to know that others are joining us in prayer for DEAN.
If you do pray for DEAN and another orphan, please also comment below with the name of the other child, so that we may stand with you in prayer as well.
Just one more thing before i sign off, the month of February is when Reece´s Rainbow has their Love Notes campaign, where you can buy love notes and give them as a gift to someone who can then pick an orphan to receive the love notes amount into their adoption grant. Find out more here. May i be so bold as to ask you and your loved one to consider giving Love Notes to grow DEAN´s adoption grant?
You can click on DEAN´s picture or name to go to his profile page on Reece´s Rainbow.
Thank you very much!
syc
trippingdifferently 