Saying Goodbye...

The day has come to say goodbye... and it's always hard. We had 'Zai Jian Ceremony' tonight after our assembly. The letters our kids wrote for us and the ones we wrote for them were read aloud. I didn't want to cry as much as I did last year... but my courage quickly faded when I heard the words they wrote:

"I am very happy this week because you two with me. I hope we can be together forever! Actually, I don't want to go, this wonderful week made me feel our relationship is just fish and water, we cannot depart..."

"Nina Jie Jie; When I play with you at the first time, I feel very happy, and when my small hand put in your big hand, I feel warm..."

"I had fun in swimming pool, ping pong room with you two, and we can dancing together. All of these things made my heart warm inside. I will remember the wonderful days we spent together..."

"Although we spent only one week together, I've gained a lot in this short time..."

This afternoon when we told each other our life stories, we learned so much about each of our girls' lives... things that hurt to know. Things like the fact that most of the girls were orphaned because their parents killed each other. When they started telling, it was like a water fountain broke loose... they were almost sobbing so hard they couldn't talk. How can you comfort an eleven girl who lost her parents only four years before? We listened and I told them that I was so sorry, but that we love them so much. We held hands. We cried. I wanted to pr so bad... I am so thankful that our Father can see their little broken hearts and He cares for them so much more than we ever could. But what an honor to be J. with skin on to them.

I will never understand how much love can hurt, and how you can grow to love someone in such a short time. It's amazing how much love can do for a person. And we have the privilege of watching that happen each week of camp. Even though the kids will leave tomorrow morning at 4:30am and we will be there to see them off, I will never forget.

I will never forget their childlike voices singing out "Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful day!" I will never forget hearing them calling me 'Nina Jie Jie'. (Big sister) I will never forget their little hands slipping into mine. I will never forget them waving the 'I love you' sign to me. I will never forget their stories... and all the other thousands just like them.

So even though it makes us sad to say goodbye, this is how we will always remember each other...

Another part of my heart has been taken by four little girls in China.

And I will never be the same.

* * *

"Cast thy bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days..."

Ecclesistes 11:1