"Celebrating Joan's Birthday"

"He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.  All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant."  Psalm 25: 9-10

"On Eagle Valley Lane"

"At Rays of Hope"

Today is Joan's birthday.  We are celebrating her 6th birthday.  Is she really 6?  Only her Father knows.  We have tried to make an educated guess but we really don't know.  Her birth certificate says she's 8.  Her shot records say she's 7.  Her "dental records" say she's 7.  Her momma says she's turning 6 today.  This is just one of the details in her life that I have had to let go and say "Ok Lord, she's really not mine, she's yours."  He keeps reminding me of this with her.  "How can I glorify you?"  That's all HE wants me to do with her, glorify HIM.  He will show me, in HIS time.  If you say "Happy Birthday" to Joan today, she will smile and say "Happy Birthday" back to you.  She has no idea what this means.  If you ask her "how old are you?"  She will have no idea.  She will smile back at you and probably find a way to love you back.  It's not because she's not smart because if you've had the opportunity to meet her, you know she's very bright.  She doesn't know because she's not had anyone to celebrate her "day" with her.  I do not believe the people that brought her into this world were bad people.  In fact, I know for sure that God loves them as much as He loves me.  That is what is so beautiful to me...God loves us the same.  He hates my sin of pride as much as there sins.  The burden that I am carring is that I know how HE loves me and I know I am forgiven and they don't.  That is what has broken me about my time in Uganda.  It's not what they don't have that saddens me.  It's that many, not all, don't know the love of Jesus.  It's that they don't have the hope of their salvation in Jesus Christ.  Where we were, I actually saw a lot of food.  I saw people with very little but they took care of what they had.  They didn't want "more".  They looked at "Mazunga" and they saw "hope".  Unfortunately, that is a false hope because as white as my skin is, I am powerless to help them.  I pray for them that someway, they put their hope in the LORD.  If they can come to know the Lord beyond my white skin, praise be to God!  How does this relate to Joan's birthday?  I don't know yet.  I will know by the end of this blog, God will show me.  Last night, I took her to the grocery store to get milk and eggs.  This is the second trip for milk and eggs this week.  These children can't get enough.  Anyway, I let her pick out some flowers and I told her they were for her.  She loves yellow and she picked out yellow daisy's.  She was so excited!  We got the things we went for and she was riding inside the buggy.  I have to say, I notice a lot of people glancing at us when we are in public.  I think there is a curiosity of our "transracial family".  I think if we had adopted two "white" children, outsiders wouldn't notice us.  I think God is using the color of our skin to glorify HIM...anyway, that's a different blog.  We got pineapple juice for Derrick (Joan reminded me to get this for him).  A man named Rich...I think that's what he said...came up to us and said to Joan, "Hello.  How are you?".   She smiled at him and shook his hand.  Then he said, "what's your name?"  She didn't answer because she didn't hear him.  He was drawn to her  for some reason.  She does that to people.  Many of you already have experienced Joan...she is an experience.  Anyway, I gave him the news, she is deaf.  He was immediately sad and even more intrigued with her.  I told her to tell him her name.  She signed to him "JOAN".  I translated...good enough for Joan but no other deaf person would have had a clue what I had said.  He said to me, "can you tell her my name is Rich and I love her."  I signed this to Joan and she signed back to him, "I love you".  I think Rich had tears in his eyes.  He didn't want to stop looking at her.  It was not a scary feeling.  It was God once again using Joan in a mighty way, with the color of her skin and with the deafness that I am praying HE will heal her from, to glorify HIS kingdom.  If I had adopted a white child, God could still use it to glorify HIM, but He gave me Joan so that he would not whisper, "He is mighty to save".  He gave me Joan so that HE can shout, "HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE!!!!".  I have tears as I type this.  I have many emotions and I'm trying to share with you on Joan's "birthday" how blessed I am to celebrate this child's life.  This time next year I am praying that she is typing to you how God has worked in her life.  I'm praying that she will hear my voice say, "God loves you and so do I."   Until then, I will so my best to keep God at the focus of this journey with Joan and glorify HIS name.  Joan is humble and so I know that before we were in her life, HE has taught her HIS ways.  She is faithful!  She makes HIM smile.  HE is enlarging her territory and she will lead others to HIS kingdom.  She "gets it"...faith.  It's not because she speaks English, Luganda, ASL...whatever.  It's because HE has loved her, met her needs, and HE has been her Alpha and Omega.  He has carried her through the silence of her deafness and the darkness of the nights in Uganda.  He will do the same for me if I will ask HIM.  He will not fail me.  He hasn't failed her.  He has loved her with an unfailing love.  If you don't believe me, ask her.  She radiates the love of Christ.  If you don't see that, you are blind.  I'm not trying to be critical but that's the way God made her.  I am living with one of God's greatest creations.  HE wants me to share her, embrace her, learn from her and love her.  How much HE loves me!  Oh my goodness!  Thank you Father for humbling me though Joan.  Happy Birthday Joan!

All my love,

Mom :)

p.s. Please be praying if you would like to join us, "Reeves party of Six" on our next trip to Uganda...yes, I've been home 12 days and I'm ready to go back!  Oh my goodness, I can't believe I just said that ...:)  LOVE TO ALL!