Praise the LORD!!!!!

My soul is overflowing with joy and overwhelmed with the goodness and mercy of our Great Savior. He has answered a 4-year prayer in a way that only HE could.

I've asked you to pray for this little man!


His mama is special to me. She was a youth in the Sunday School class when I was the teacher. I prayed her through her rebellion years. I rejoiced when she came back to Jesus. I rejoiced with her when she learned she was pregnant, following fertility problems. I rejoiced when she found out she was expecting twins.

And, next Tuesday, he will receive the kidney we've been praying for. Riley will finally for the first time learn to enjoy food at birthday parties. With his kidney failure, he has a feeding tube, and he rarely eats anything. He has no appetite. He sat at Ellie's birthday party, just months ago, not interested in cake and ice cream.


And, he will soon be able to take baths with his sister.

He has been driving with his mom, and other friends and family to JAX 3 times each week to receive dialysis. The shunt for his dialysis has made it impossible for him to take tub baths and even go swimming. He spends 4 hours on the road and nearly 4 hours in dialysis. He will soon be able to stay home and just be a kid!!!!!

But you have to listen to Paul Harvey, I mean ME, tell you the rest of the story.

When I shared with my children about Riley's upcoming kidney transplant and told them WHO was donating a kidney....I get teary eyed just typing it now. You see we've been praying since before Riley was born four years ago. We knew he had special needs before he was born, and we've know for years now that his only hope for a "normal" life was a kidney transplant.

We've prayed and prayed.

And, his live donor is my dear friend JOLI! I am amazed at the tapestry God is creating when he weaves our lives together. Those in the Chinese adoption community call is a red thread. I call it God-ordained paths. I told the girls, "Can you believe it? The kidney we've been praying for has been in and out of our house all of these years." Joli, who might not even have known Theresa and Riley, had she not been my friend, who God gave sweet peace and direction about testing for the possibility of a match, followed HIS path.

Joli and I first met when we were waiting on our first adoptions. She was with me the day before we left for China to adopt Josie-Tatum, when she was still waiting for Elisabeth.


And, she was waiting for us at the airport when we flew home, taking pictures I wouldn't have had she not taken them.


Before Riley and Regan were even born, she was with Josie-Tatum at her first visit to the zoo.



We rejoiced when our daughters met for the first time!


And, we've celebrated Chinese New Year together now for 7 years in row!


This dear friend who has grown more special to me over the years is now giving LIFE to the child of another friend.

How honored I am to know her, and to know the JESUS who works in her, and to know that He has allowed me to witness this miracle He has provided! How weak my faith can be, but how strengthened it is when we see His work in the lives of the faithful. Surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday. Please join me in prayer and thanksgiving!!!