Epilogue

As the plane rumbled down the runway and the wheels lifted off from China, I couldn’t help wondering if and when we would be back. Things have changed so much in 13 years, what would the next 13 years bring?  What would the world be like when the girls are my age? Thirteen years ago, I was driving north on I270 in St. Louis after visiting the doctor, with Linda next to me in tears.   We had been struggling to get pregnant and no one could tell us why we couldn’t.  We couldn’t help but feel we had done something wrong or were being punished.  In my desperation I said a simple prayer “Lord, I’m lost. Show me the way.”  It wasn’t very elegant, but it was sincere.  That prayer was answered, and Maggie is proof of that as are Becky and Ashley.  I had no idea of the adventure we would embark on and the incredibly special, gracious and loving people we would meet an entire world away on the other side of the globe.

 

This trip could not have been more special for us.  I hope it is an experience the girls will remember and cherish throughout their lives as it was a precious time together as a family, a chance to better understand the world in which we live and the goodness of God and to recognize all the blessing He has bestowed upon us.  China is a beautiful country full of amazing history and majesty, contradiction, human triumph as well as hardship and suffering.  The people we met who care for these orphaned children are true heroes.  What they do is amazing.  All the people we met were truly kind and gracious people.

 

In the brief history of our country, we have been given many lessons of brave men and women who gave their lives in conflict to preserve our way of life and freedom.   Last Spring we took the girls to Washington D.C, the monuments and the museums to better understand this history and sacrifices made to form and preserve our nation.    While I have understood our history of conflict and fighting for our freedoms, I am not sure I every fully comprehended it.  In our short visit to China, I believe I now have a more visceral understanding of what freedom is by getting to more closely know people who do not posses it fully.  I cannot imagine a world in which my children would live and not be able to completely choose what they want to be, where they want to live, where and when they want to travel, openly live their beliefs, pursue causes that move their hearts and chase their dreams.  I get it now…the men and women who fought and died for our freedom did so for their children, because knowing what true freedom means, they could not fathom their sons and daughters inheriting anything less.  And while our country has been criticized at times for fighting under the banner of freedom, and admittedly, certain actions in our nation’s history have been less than noble, our actions are often not understood because freedom cannot be understood unless it is experienced in its full measure.

 

The people of China are just like us.  They love their children; they have hopes and dreams of raising their families and building successful enterprises and happy lives. We are far more alike than we are different.  We are blessed to have true friends in China.  They are loving and kind people who looked after Maggie for the first four months of her life and continue to look after thousands of children who have been orphaned, not so much by an individual’s free will but by their difficult circumstances.

 

They all need our prayers…not just the orphans and their caretakers, but the people of China.  The good people like Lina, Abbey, Melody, and Simon who are pursuing their dreams in a country that is transforming to a world power and struggling with the myriad of social and political issues that go with it. 

 

We will always have a special bond with them and we will always consider them friends.  We will continue to endeavor to share our blessings and wealth to help these orphaned children find health and happiness and we will continue to thank God for his abundant blessings and for allowing us to live in the greatest country on earth.