The most perfect day I can remember recently was a few weeks ago. It was a Sunday, and in our Connect Group (Sunday School), we had an african pastor and his wife as our special guests. They had their little girl with them who wasn't supposed to make it to her first birthday. Baby Grace was born with her intestines outside her body. Her parents were told to throw her away. They had no $, no transportation to the closest hospital in Monrovia, Liberia. Yet God made a way for them to get there, and a Chinese doctor just happened to be there visiting. He was able to do the initial surgery but told them she wouldn't live to her first birthday without a second surgery. Enter our Connect Group. Lorie Newman in our class had planned a mission trip to Liberia to do women's ministry there. (Lorie has adopted from Liberia and Haiti, and is waiting to adopt 2 more from Liberia. We are adopting sisters. YES, we were matched with a 6 year old from Liberia about 18 months ago named Rebecca, but the country is letting very few of these children out. We don't know if we will ever get them. Hope so. The poverty these children are living in is indescribable, and I so want Collins to have Rebecca as her sister.) Anyway...Lorie planned the trip but couldn't go because of a pregnancy. Enter Leah Gillen from our class who went on the trip, and met this pastor and his wife. That led to Leah and another woman getting Vanderbilt Hospital to offer to do the surgery for free. Another friend in our class, Rebecca Norton was able to get Delta to donate the flights. This baby came, had the surgery and then came to our class to celebrate her first birthday! As the father spoke to our class about his life's story, my mouth was hanging open. The atrocities of living in a war-torn country ! It's mind boggling to think of the orphans and the broken and the poor in Africa. And yet...God saved this baby's life and used these 3 women to help in that. At the end of the class I saw Baby Grace's mom go over to meet Rebecca for the first time. This was a serious hug with many, many tears! Can you imagine, coming over to meet someone who had gone out of their way to help save your baby's life on the other side of the country? I'm telling you...a perfect day. It doesn't get better than that. After church we rushed down to South Carolina for a wedding. Our friend Cheryl was getting married. Her husband Andy died suddenly 18 months ago leaving her with 2 sons, 15 and 7. Andy was such a fun person and its been so hard to lose him. We were rejoicing with Cheryl that there would be joy after so much pain. It was one of the most beautiful weddings I've been to. It was on top of a mountain in a chapel with gorgeous views. They had Michael O'Brien as their singer, which was over the top amazing! At the reception Collins went right to the microphone, climbed in his lap and sang. Everyone stopped to listen and gave her a big applause! So that was even more perfection to add to the day. We raced home, and Carl kept Collins in the lobby so I could go to our church service since I had missed the message that morning. As a pastor's wife for almost 23 years I have spent alot of time in church. But I can honestly say, I have never loved being there as much as I do now. Our church is just so alive. I'm just so grateful that we are in a church like that since we don't have a choice like most people! It's like this feast has been prepared for me each week. But that night it was just the perfect message for somebody I love, someone I had been praying for, and they were there that night. I LOVE it when God does that. He met this person and gave them the answers they needed. It changed everything for them! The perfect ending to a perfect day. Here are some photos of Collins and Michael O'Brien, Baby Grace and her parents with Lorie, Leah and Rebecca.
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