So, I'm pleased to introduce you to Betty (aka...."my mom")
I am a mother of 3 adult children, grandmother to 9 growing grandchildren and great grandmother to one little baby. Especially significant is that I am Gretchen’s mother. My husband and I moved to Missouri from central New York 9 years ago. Our goal was to be closer to our children and grandchildren. At that time, I retired from my position at a hospital. My “retirement job” is doing hospice nurse visits on a per diem basis. It keeps me in healthcare but gives me a retired lifestyle – seems the best of both worlds! !
I was very fortunate to have been raised in a loving Christian home where my parents lived what they believed and taught their children accordingly. I received Christ as my savior as a small child and was nurtured through the years by many faithful mentors. I cannot imagine a childhood without those supports and loving care and I feel a desire (and responsibility) to do what I can to touch the lives of those who lack this framework. Through the years, I have taught children’s Sunday school classes and been involved in other programs whose goal was to show God’s love to all children. I also work in a mentoring program that seeks to provide supports to adults who have known a chaotic childhood and lack skills to move themselves out of a negative lifestyle.
I was introduced to the needs of the children in China through my daughter, Gretchen, and her husband, Perry. When they decided to adopt a child from China about 13 years ago, we followed their pathway and tried to learn all we could about the process they were involved in. When we saw the first picture of our new granddaughter, we fell in love with her. She was immediately sealed as our granddaughter and I wanted her to know our love for her. I also learned more about the other children who were left behind in orphanages and their many needs. I followed Gretchen’s ACT trip to China this year and saw how much it affected her. When she felt led to lead another group over, I felt that it was a good time for me to get involved. I know that there are children with great needs here in our neighborhoods and in all countries across the world. No one can begin to help them all but if we all do our own part, more children will benefit and be able to feel God’s love. I feel that God has put this chance in front of me to touch some particular children in China and I want to be obedient to His call.
I do have several concerns about the trip. The flight is long and I know that I can’t get off the plane if I panic about the closeness of the airline cabin! I am not as young as I used to be and my joints and muscles can complain about too much bending, kneeling, etc. I won’t know the language around me so I think about offending anyone with an undesirable response to a situation. Of course, the money is a big hurdle but I am looking forward to seeing how God accomplishes that need! I have tried to let Jeremiah 29:11 guide all my ways. I do believe that God has a path for us – one that we often can’t even imagine. If we want to allow God to accomplish His goals through our life, we need to be willing to step out when He instructs and trust Him to take us through each step.
Through this trip, I hope to be reminded that God can do great and mighty things through us if we will only let Him. I tend to want to do things that I can handle and control but I feel God wants me to stretch beyond my “comfort zone” and watch Him work. I hope to be able to touch the lives of children and their caretakers to show them Christ’s love.
I am a mother of 3 adult children, grandmother to 9 growing grandchildren and great grandmother to one little baby. Especially significant is that I am Gretchen’s mother. My husband and I moved to Missouri from central New York 9 years ago. Our goal was to be closer to our children and grandchildren. At that time, I retired from my position at a hospital. My “retirement job” is doing hospice nurse visits on a per diem basis. It keeps me in healthcare but gives me a retired lifestyle – seems the best of both worlds! !
I was very fortunate to have been raised in a loving Christian home where my parents lived what they believed and taught their children accordingly. I received Christ as my savior as a small child and was nurtured through the years by many faithful mentors. I cannot imagine a childhood without those supports and loving care and I feel a desire (and responsibility) to do what I can to touch the lives of those who lack this framework. Through the years, I have taught children’s Sunday school classes and been involved in other programs whose goal was to show God’s love to all children. I also work in a mentoring program that seeks to provide supports to adults who have known a chaotic childhood and lack skills to move themselves out of a negative lifestyle.
I was introduced to the needs of the children in China through my daughter, Gretchen, and her husband, Perry. When they decided to adopt a child from China about 13 years ago, we followed their pathway and tried to learn all we could about the process they were involved in. When we saw the first picture of our new granddaughter, we fell in love with her. She was immediately sealed as our granddaughter and I wanted her to know our love for her. I also learned more about the other children who were left behind in orphanages and their many needs. I followed Gretchen’s ACT trip to China this year and saw how much it affected her. When she felt led to lead another group over, I felt that it was a good time for me to get involved. I know that there are children with great needs here in our neighborhoods and in all countries across the world. No one can begin to help them all but if we all do our own part, more children will benefit and be able to feel God’s love. I feel that God has put this chance in front of me to touch some particular children in China and I want to be obedient to His call.
I do have several concerns about the trip. The flight is long and I know that I can’t get off the plane if I panic about the closeness of the airline cabin! I am not as young as I used to be and my joints and muscles can complain about too much bending, kneeling, etc. I won’t know the language around me so I think about offending anyone with an undesirable response to a situation. Of course, the money is a big hurdle but I am looking forward to seeing how God accomplishes that need! I have tried to let Jeremiah 29:11 guide all my ways. I do believe that God has a path for us – one that we often can’t even imagine. If we want to allow God to accomplish His goals through our life, we need to be willing to step out when He instructs and trust Him to take us through each step.
Through this trip, I hope to be reminded that God can do great and mighty things through us if we will only let Him. I tend to want to do things that I can handle and control but I feel God wants me to stretch beyond my “comfort zone” and watch Him work. I hope to be able to touch the lives of children and their caretakers to show them Christ’s love.
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