Treasures Of Taiwan : Back Home Again

你好
Nǐ hǎo

Hello everyone!

My mom and I are back home again. Adjusting to life at home will be quite a challenge. Leaving was definitely the hardest part of the whole trip.

We have been reflecting on our last Saturday church. It was amazing to worship with the new families for the first time. We talked about Luke 22 when Jesus was in human form and was feeling the human emotion of being scared and overwhelmed. When he was going to be sacrificed he asked many times if he could have this cup taken from him. However, when we was given a sure sign from the Father this was the way it was going to be done, he said, "Arise, let us go!" He said it with confidence, with an exclamation point! We know this message can be used in every aspect of our lives. With my mom and I at home, we can be motivated and willing to do the work the Lord has us to do here. The families who are adopting can apply it to their everyday lives, while waiting for this process and after they have taken their child home.

Within the month, we experienced the Lord in so many different ways. We learned through our faith all things are for a reason and God has a plan. We experienced amazing growth with the babies and watching them develop brought so much joy.

I am just overwhelmed and grateful for the friendships and memories that were made in four short weeks. Our new friends were so generous and some gave us gifts. I love having these friendships. Not a day will go by that I won't think about all the amazing friends and memories.

Although it is extremely hard leaving a place like The Home Of God's Love and leaving the lifestyle we lived for a month, we have a purpose and love having faces to pray for and friendships all the way across the world.

A previous blog post my mom found put the emotions we immediately felt upon leaving into great words:

Post-Taiwan Syndrome

I heard about this phenomenon from past volunteers at The Home of God’s Love: a sense of a newly emptiness/confusion/worthlessness upon returning home. I miss that life. And it’s hitting me hard right now. Reading the blog of a woman volunteering at a South African orphanage did it.

Reading her words was as if I was reading my thoughts rehashed from my time in Taiwan.

It has been a daily routine of the simplest tasks- hours of dishes,

hours of washing laundry, sorting laundry, folding laundry, where’s the laundry?

hours of washing faces, scrubbing bodies, blowing noses.

hours of spoon feeding little ones, and hours of bottle feeding littler ones.

there have been hours of rocking and humming and kissing and cheek squeezing.

and all through these hours of simple tasks, I’ve been living life here with no hands.

I’ve been living life here with a baby settled snugly against my chest wherever I go, doing whatever I do.

I have a baby on me when I wash the dishes.

I have a baby on me when I do the laundry.

I have a baby on me when I walk across the grounds.

I miss that simple yet complicated, purposeful, unselfish life.

littlethingsbigstuff.com/category/taiwan (used with permission)

We both felt a little crazy on the way home when we would just hear babies all the time and we would catch ourselves rocking like we did with the babies. Going from 22 babies all day, everyday for a month to not holding one baby in a day was very challenging.

I, Debbie, don't know if I would call these past four weeks life changing, but my life was definitely enriched. To be able to see first hand the mission of The Home of God's Love was an incredible experience. The light they are in this spiritually dark part of the world is ongoing.

When we ate our delicious meals, we joined the older kids. The hugs and smiles from them were just as rewarding as from the babies we cared for. Getting to know the babies and then having the wonderful opportunity to meet a few of the parents and listening to their stories showed how God was/is at work in their lives.

I will forever be humbled that I was a small part of his glorious plan in Lotung, T'Ai-Wan, Taiwan. I pray that God will make a way to return, but if not, I am very thankful to have shared this experience with Kimberly.

We hope you enjoyed some of the experiences with us and thank you for reading, supporting us with your donations, and praying for our journey.

我们爱你

Wǒmen ài nǐ

We love you!