New Plan of Action

I am still praying about what I am supposed to do in regards to going to Africa this summer. For months my entire life, all of my decisions in work and school, was based on going to Ghana this summer. Taiger was so excited, too. Now, it is just...gone...all of the planning and dreaming...over. Nothing. It has been difficult to adjust my thoughts off of going to Ghana. At the same time, I am actually aware that God has a plan. That He has a plan for Taiger and me. I believe there is MUCH work He has planned for Taiger and I to do. I believe I WAS inspired to go to Ghana this summer! Although at this time, I don't know why I felt that prompting. Again, I am still praying over that. As I have gone through the process of changing my focus from Ghana, I have found myself focusing on our work in China. I thought China was coming to mind as a distraction from thinking of Ghana. However, yesterday my Mother and I had a short discussion about my efforts in China, and I felt a renewed drive to reach my goal of starting my orphan home. Although I never lost my passion to do this, I had thought it was something that would not happen for several years, because I need to finish school first, and because I don't as of yet have all of the money to build Small Stones Orphan Home. However, the other day it occurred to me that I don't actually need a new building! I could simply use an apartment! A woman whose website I follow and whose newsletters I pour over has opened a home just like the one I wish to open! Hers is in Xi'An and I want to open mine in JingMen. Anyway, she does it out of her own appartment! She lives there with several children. She has just started a second "orphan home" on the first floor of her building. She is doing so much work there and serving so many! I realized, I could do that! I don't need a building right away...At least to begin, I could just bring a few little ones into my own home. The other obstacle is my schooling. I have ALWAYS placed HIGH importance on my education. It is absolutely important that I complete my college schooling and earn a degree. However, I only have once class left in Chinese if I switch that from a major to a minor, and I could get a major in something else via on-line college!! Thus, I could finish that one last class here in the US and complete the rest from China!! I can work at "my" middle school (where I worked the last two times I was living in China...I love you, HaiHui!), living for free and getting a salary on which I could support Taiger and I while I get my orphan home going. Then, I can either stay working there AND living in the housing provided, OR I can continue working there but rent my own (BIGGER) apartment, and begin bringing in children. I would hire a girl to work with me and stay at home while I teach my classes. Taiger would be in Primary school at Si Yen (the primary school where I also taught...it is a sister school to the middle school) and he could even go half day and then come to my classes with me while I teach. Depending on the ages of the other children, the children I take in could also go to school...That is another thing very important to me! That I find sponsors for the children to go to school OR I "home school" them. Education is SO important. Having said that, I THINK at least MOST of the children that I find the orphanage wants me to take will probably be babies and young toddlers...I bet. Well, that is a rundown of the latest plan. Thank you for reading my blog!