The Story of the Earth Suit:

When I was preschool/early school age I was obsessed with space. With astronauts. With the space shuttle. With the stars. With all of it. In fact, at the height of NASA’s shuttle program, I remember being allowed to stay home and watch the televised shuttle launches. That was going to be ME. I was going to be an astronaut! TO THE MOON!!!

At the same time, there was a teenager in my church by the name of Danny. Danny was cognitively delayed and with his bad 70s haircut usually congregated with my age group… and scared the living daylights out of me. In hindsight, he was always very kind, trying to get my attention and be a part of my little social circle, but anytime I would see Danny in the church foyer, I remember running to hide behind any set of adult legs I could get to fastest. Danny was different, and scary, and I didn’t want to be anywhere near him… until, I was given The Story of the Earth Suit.

One Sunday, one of the church dads in the foyer saw me hiding from Danny; he also knew I was a 4 year old space freak. He bent down gently and looked me in the eye: “Desiree, when an astronaut goes into space and his space suit gets dirty or ripped, does that mean he is a bad astronaut?” I remember being absolutely shocked at the insinuation. “No. He is still an astronaut on the inside!” Duhhhh. (I’m sure I rolled my eyes.) He smiled & proceeded, “Well… Danny’s earth suit got dirty when he was born, but he is still Danny on the inside and we love him because God made him.”

He was my special helper to open up all my gifts too. 🙂

The light bulb went on that very moment. It was the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart a concept that ultimately would guide the course of my life. God does not look at the outward appearance; He is not hindered by a broken Earth Suit; He looks at the heart He so perfectly created with a plan and a purpose even as He was putting the stars in their place. (1 Sam 16:7, Ps 139:13-17, Ps 8:3).

FOUR Bamboo kids have found their forever families, and we are expecting the official match of a couple more very shortly. I can’t tell you what joy that brings my heart! By virtue of their outward appearance each one of these children are not with their birth families BUT I know God has seen their hearts and knows their future with their forever parents even as He knew Danny’s… and Isaac’s… and mine.

Please continue to pray for these sweet ones and their potential forever families. And continue to spread the word! The more that hear about these precious children, the sooner every one of them will be HOME!! Please contact china@bethany.org for more information.