My Overthinking

Philly Area mom, Life forever changed by adoption

Archives for 2012

China’s Left Behind Children

I saw this image today and it made me catch my breath. The image is one in a series that has been titled “Little brother wants to sleep.” The image caused such a stir that the phrase “little brother wants to sleep” can no longer yield results in the major Chinese online search engines; discussions around the images got too political.

The little girl is Long Zhanghuan, a 10 year old girl from a small village in Fenghuang county in Central China’s Hunan Province. She is holding her 2 year old brother Zhang Junjie. Everyday, she somehow manages to walk for 40 minutes to go to school for the day with her baby brother in tow.

She and her brother and her cousins being raised by their grandparents are 8 of the 58 million children left behind in China, children left with relatives or left alone as their parents go look for work in cities so they can provide for their families.

58 million children like Zhanghuan. That’s 2/3 the number of total children in the United States.

I’m encouraged to read that some Chinese nationals have seen the need and are rising up to action. In some areas, migrant workers-turned leaders have developed grassroots worker-support centers in the heart of migrant worker neighborhoods that help workers maintain relationships with their children left behind in addition to serving them in other ways.

I just keep replaying the number in my head – 2/3 of the total number of children in all of the United States. I ache for them tonight. I wish I could pray for them each by name. Even if I could mention 25 names in prayer a minute and did that for 8 hours straight everyday, it would take about 13 years to pray for every child once. It’s that many children.

I just tucked my children into bed. Made sure their teeth were brushed. Heard about the book one chose from the school library today. Heard about the game they will play together tomorrow. Prayed with each one. Laid out their clothes for tomorrow morning. And packed their lunches and morning snacks.

58 million children left behind in China while their parents strive to do all they can to provide for them.

So thankful that He knows the name of every one of them and the parents who are giving everything to try to do right for them so they can have a future better than the one they had.

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Together for Adoption 2012

All cozied up in bed, it’s a little crazy to think that it was only earlier today (okay…way earlier since we woke at 5am to get to the airport) that we were in Atlanta.

2 full days at the Together for Adoption conference. And, I mean full. 
Breakout sessions rich with encouragement for families and a challenge for those who serve families. I’m still mulling over the session we went to on transracial adoption. 
Lots of connecting–meeting some new friends (like sweet Meredith with a heart bursting for orphans in China and Samantha with such a generous and willing servant heart), reconnecting with friends I’d like to meet for coffee once a week (Ashley and Stefanie, we could totally meet half way), and having the opportunity to talk ministry and how to serve and live out that love we got in so many different ways. I am amazed at how people can so creatively use their giftedness to serve. 
6 main sessions chock full of gospel truth. Hundreds of people in that sanctuary, and I’m convinced each one left that room after each session with a deeper understanding of what it means to be a son and daughter of God. They had to. They brought it on–gospel and more gospel. And, I’m so thankful that never gets old. 
We were there–in a suite, mind you–because of some serious cheerleaders and efforts to vote for us. And, as silly as those contests are, we’re so grateful because it was such a great weekend. Being there together as a couple…what a privilege.
I started to write out more about things I keep coming back to in my head and heart from the words shared these last few days, but I just deleted them all away. I don’t need to spell it out here in list form–it’s going to impact my life and what I choose to put out here publicly going forward. 
Until then, I’m surrendering to the Temperpedic.

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In case you’re looking

Loaded with Tylenol and tissues in hand (great timing, huh?), I’m checking off my to-do list and getting ready to head out to the airport soon to fly to Atlanta (Remember the crazy video voting race?). In case you’re looking for us, we’ll be at Together for Adoption‘s national conference for the next couple days–thanks to all of those who “clicked” for us.

Promise to do my best to share about it. I’ll be posting real time on Facebook if you want to get a glimpse of what it’s like.
And, in case you’re looking for a frazzled Grammy, there will be one right here with 4 kids who are happy to tire her out. 

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I remember

11 years ago today. September 11, 2001. I remember sleeping in. I did that whenever I could. I was pregnant with our first and took every opportunity for more rest. I remember Mark calling from work and waking me to tell me to turn on the television. I remember the disbelief and the horror of the images I saw over and over and over again.

13 years ago yesterday. September 10, 1999. I remember my new husband’s family gathered at his parents’ house. It was Mark’s birthday, but we didn’t celebrate. He lost his father that day. I remember trying to hold things together. I remember the sounds of grief. 
Yesterday and today, I am reminded–though I never really forget–of the fallenness of our world and how things are simply not the way they should be. 
And, today, I remember to thank God for His mercy in spite of us, in spite of me. And, I remember to pray for Him to redeem the broken things of this world. 

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