Speechless!!!

Wheelchairs to China!

I'm part of a ministry at our church known as Forever Families Adoption Ministry/Orphan Care Outreach. We have had a project that I am just celebrating. Here is the story:
Tom and I had the opportunity to take Grace(Director of a private orphanage in China) to Forest Rose School here in Lancaster to tour the facility. You could see the wheels turning in Grace’s head as she looked in awe at all of the equipment. Grace communicated that she would love to have chairs for the five children at the orphanage that have cerebral palsy. These chairs are impossible to find in China. I googled Columbus Medical Supplies and found the website for Columbus Medical Company. I called in hopes of finding some used equipment to purchase for Grace and these five children. Grace and I drove to Columbus to meet with Carl Mulberry at Columbus Medical Company about the needs of these five children. Carl’s generosity resulted in five wheelchairs specially fitted for these five children at no expense to Grace or to Forever Families Adoption Ministry/Orphan Care of Fairfield Christian Church! I was then faced with the challenge of getting the chairs to China. I hit a few walls as I was told that customs would not accept used equipment and would likely throw out the chairs upon their arrival. I then had a generous family out of Indiana offer to help with the finances in getting the chairs to China. With the Olympics around the corner, I didn’t think we could make it happen any time soon. I then contacted an American working in Henan for advice. She gave me the contact information for a man at large Foster Home in the Beijing area. I was told by this gentleman that the best way to get them to Home of Joy was through individuals who would travel to China and take them as their personal items. He then offered to meet the individuals at the airport and see that they were shipped to the city where this orphanage is. A good friend asked me if I had asked Bring Me Hope to help get the chairs to Beijing. I emailed David Bolt at Bring Me Hope and he gave me a list of names of people who were traveling to China to serve at the BMH camps this summer. David then made a connection for me with a man in Minneapolis that was willing to take them along with his crew to China. We then had a family within the life of Fairfield Christian Church offer to crate and ship the chairs to Minneapolis! This other family from Indiana paid the expense from the airline. The chairs arrived in Beijing last week! It turns out that this man near Beijing that picked the chairs up at the airport had his staff make the drive and deliver the chairs personally….at no expense!!!! I just received word in the last hour that the chairs have successfully been delivered!

I shouldn't be amazed at what God can do...He has shown Himself in mighty ways many times in my life! It is just an awesome thing that what started with a google search resulted in this! God is good!

Boys Only!

No, it isn't Tom and the beanstalk! Tom found this weed growing up through one of the bushes in our front yard! I'm sure there is a sermon illustration in this photo!

Well, here it is.........TJ and his first car!

This was the last day of Tyler in braces!!! I meant to get an "after" photo...maybe next time!

Dane is part of a local violin group that plays at different places in the community. We love Mrs. Thellar, his teacher! She scheduled them to play at one of the local shelters in town. They played all of their fiddle music...what a hoot!

Dane playing the violin at the local shelter in town!






Sorry, I still don't have the backcountry hiking photos! We are spoiled with digital cameras! I still have to have someone scan and email the photos to me to post. I added a few videos from a recent 7 on 7 football tournament that TJ was in at Akron University. He did a great job and is looking forward to football season starting. Enjoy a boy posting!