One of the hardest things to leave home was the thought of missing my nieces births while on the Race. Just in case you didn’t know, I LOVE my family. It truly is one of the most important things in my life, if you don’t believe me you can ask my team mates about it ; )
My brother and his wife and my cousin and his wife are pregnant. I have two little nieces to come home to and of course, spoil rotten! I remember having a conversation with the Lord and making it very clear that what he was asking of me, was no easy task. The silly part is that I know the Lord knows me better than I know myself. Reality is that I’m constantly working to posture my heart back to His and it’s the most beautiful struggle. There have been tears shed and I’m sure more to come, but every time I’m reminded that the Lord has given me something so beautiful that makes missing them so hard. It reminds my soul to truly lean on Him when everything is new, like my new family with six sisters that I now do life with. Oh and how to forget my 41 other siblings!
Guess what?! Now I have three nieces!
I want to share with you the story of an answered prayer written by my teammate Diana.
Pastor Gong has been a faithful disciple of the Lord for years. He has poured his heart into shepherding God’s flock here in Bangkok and has served wholeheartedly at Samaritan Creations for twelve years. He and his wife Sook live in the church building, above the sanctuary. They spend their days caring for the congregation, reaching out to women in distress and offering the love of God to all who need. They have been a crucial support system to the ministry since God has called Mike and Kay to begin Samaritan Creations. Kay, Pastor Gong’s sister, has joined them in prayer for God to answer their deepest desire.
For thirteen years, they have been waiting to have a child. Due to health complications, they were told they would not be able to have their own children. Quickly, their dream of being parents turned into a nightmare. Sook had to remove her womb to avoid any further health complications and Pastor Gong was devastated. Five years ago, he called Kay on the phone, crying; he held on tight to his dream and prayed fervently to God, “Please Father, keep your promise to us.”
Last week, Pastor Gong received a call from a man named Tiwa in the hospital. Tiwa explained that he was there with Ning, a bar worker. He told Pastor Gong that Ning had a full term pregnancy and was searching for a family to give her baby to. During her pregnancy Ning was thinking about giving her child to a Thai orphanage, but when she tried to travel to the orphanage, she realized she had no money. Tiwa explained how Ning had called him for money and he had sent her 200 baht (Thai currency). She decided to stop and visit Tiwa first, but stayed with him for a month. The day she planned to leave to the orphanage, she unexpectedly went into labor and had the baby at Tiwa’s house on October 10th, 2017. He quickly called the emergency van to pick them up and take them to the hospital.
“I’ve called to ask if you would come over and pray for the baby,” Tiwa said to pastor. Immediately, Pastor Gong brought his wife to pray for Ning and her little girl. The moment he saw the baby, Pastor Gong fell in love with her and as he looked at her, God asked him to adopt her. His heart was overjoyed because he has longed to be a father for thirteen years now. He had wondered how they would ever be able to have a child, but like Abraham, Pastor Gong believed against all hope and received what was promised to him.
God listens to His children. I was able to join them at the adoption office and witness the goodness of the Lord. Ning decided that she would give her baby to Pastor Gong and his wife to adopt as their very own. The baby is nine days old today and Pastor Gong is now a proud and loving father of a newborn baby girl. While he was signing, he shared with Kay that this surprise from God was the greatest gift in his life. His dream of having a child has been answered by his Heavenly Father, who takes even more pride and joy in Pastor Gong. Praise the Lord for His love, His faithfulness, and the fact that He always keeps His promises.
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations.
Romans 4:18
