Oh friends. I'm a bit dismayed today. Things are not going well with Pence's aunt. It's not over yet, of course, but it has been hard for me today to keep my hope high. Nothing is impossible for our God, but the setbacks are discouraging. Pray that I will find my hope in God alone and that I may look past my circumstances to see the Father's loving face.

I was just about to ask that you pray for my faith to be supernaturally strengthened, but then, I thought twice. Faith isn't strenthened by the asking. It's strengthened by the using. And that's on me. I guess I just reminded myself to engage my faith.

Other than that, today was an amazing day. We got to tour some of the new properties where even more humanitarian aid will be happening in coming years. It was amazing to broaden our perspective so far beyond our own adoptions...to gaze for a moment into the future. Our future, as staff of AOH. The future of AOH opening into new adventures. The future of Liberian children, and the future of Liberia herself. It was uplifting and joyous to contemplate what will be occuring on those lands in just a few years.

We also witnessed the uniting of two families who received their adopted children this evening. They were not expecting this to happen tonight! In one case, the parents looked just like birth parents in the labor room being handed their newborn. They adopted a 10 mo old baby boy. What a blessed moment. In the other case, the mama was just stunned and received her new son, a 9 yr old, with joy and trepidation. It was precious to see these two approach each other with mingled love and fears, joy and wonder.

We're hoping to visit the Os again tomorrow. Which means we will get to love on Pea a bit more. I'm looking forward to that, very much! :) And, on that note, I think I better tuck myself in to pray and sleep.