Straight from the mouths of babes

This year, we have decided to sponsor a baby through Half the Sky in my brother's name. My brother died 14 years ago this month to cancer.

While we waited to adopt both La Nina and the Magster, we would pray for Uncle Mike to be sent to China on special duty. Our request was that he would wrap our girls in his angel wings and keep them safe until we could hold them ourselves. We also laughed that if the girls came home loving the Raiders and Screaming Yellow Zonkers, then we would know who to blame. (Thankfully, no signs of a Raider Fan..yet, but the Magster's sweet tooth is only rivaled by my brother's, so we're worried.)

A couple of days ago, we received a picture and profile of the child we are sponsoring. Because I sincerely hope he is adopted some day, I will leave out further details on him.

Tonight over dinner, I offered a special prayer for the child we are sponsoring. La Nina immediately wanted details. I had showed her his picture when it arrived, but she wasn't interested at that point. But tonight she wanted details. To the best of my memory, here is our conversation.

"But Mom, who is he?" she asked.

I grabbed the picture from the counter, handed it to her and explained. "His name is XXXX. He is a little boy who is waiting for her forever family in China."

"I was born in China. And you had striped blanket and daddy had bunny when you got me," she said as she looked at our buddy's picture.

Kind of amazed she noted that in our pictures of the big moment, I explained, "That's right. They told us your favorite toy was a bunny, so we brought you the softest bunny we could find. This little boy is still waiting. That is why we are helping him."

"Will we get to meet him?" she asked.

"No, probably not. We are just going to make sure he has food, and clothes, and medicine until he meets his forever family."

"He doesn't have a family?" she asked.

"No, not yet," the Dad answered.

With the utmost sincerity in her voice, she answered, "How sad".

"It is sad, but we will make sure he is taken care of until he find them," I offered.

Then, spontaneously, with no prompting from us and still looking at this little boy's picture, she bursts into one of her Sunday School Songs. "Jesus' love is bubbling over, Jesus' love is bubbling over," etc.

Boy, did she have that right.