Answered "Thoughts"!

We finally have first-hand news for all of you! We're sorry it's been about a month in coming, but we've been just as anxious as some of you to find out the end to this amazing story. Last Friday night we were invited over to our friends' house, the ones that we told you about last month, and we got the entire scoop - plus some. First, let me tell you the story from their side. About three weeks ago they were awakened in the middle of the night by piercing screams from their newborn son - we're not talking your normal "I'm hungry" cries, but painful and disturbing screams. As any parents would, they took their son to the local hospital the next morning and received what I consider to be the opinion of a very unsympathetic doctor. He said, I kid you not, "Your baby is going to die any moment now and we can't do anything about it". Wow. If that wouldn't send you into a parental frenzy, I don't know what would.

Sam's company graciously loaned him a car and a driver on the spot, also accompanied by a person with connections in Urumqi, the capital of our province. The man with connections proved to be their most gracious gift as getting a bed in this well-known hospital is supposedly next to impossible without one. As I explained in the previous post they of course turned off their phones from that moment until about a week later. Upon arrival at the big hospital in Urumqi the doctor treated their son for what we suspected - a vitamin K deficiency. They began treatment but wouldn't know if it was successful unless he survived the next three days. I'm sure those were three happy days for them, but thanks be to Him that their young son has survived and after some cautionary extra time in the hospital they are now back at home. His piercing screams that night had been pain caused by the build-up of blood in his cranial cavity. In Sam's own words, "When my baby scream so loud that night, I get mad at him and say to him if he do not be quiet I will throw him out the window. Now, when my baby cries, I will never be mad, I am always scared. I love my baby much much more now". Coming from Sam that is such a precious statement.

During our dinner Friday night we were able to share with them how people all over the world had been "thinking" about them and their son and it was such a beautiful conversation. Once they understood exactly what we were saying they asked me to express to all of you their heart-felt thanks for caring about them in the least, along with their guarantee that when their son grows old enough to understand what happened to him, they want to tell him that even people in America were thinking about him at that time. If you think that is a blessing, we wish you could have been there for the conversation that came next!! The "thoughts" concerning the opportunities we hoped to stem from this incident were answered in the next hour and a half that we sat with them answering questions. Both Tiff and I also want to thank all of you for your faithful support - you wouldn't believe how much it is felt at times like that.

Needless to say we have been riding high this last week, but unbelievably it's not just because of what happened Friday night. Oh, if we could only take a week off to fly home and explain to you all that has occurred in the past week! It is impossible to deny that He is at work, and we're just excited to be a part of it. We appreciate all of your continued support and hope you all know that we haven't forgotten any of you. Enjoy the beginnings of the Christmas season!