A Girl Called Sara

Before she was Macy our daughter was called by several different names.

The orphanage director (we think) officially named her Fu Li Ping, ("Fu" being a made up surname to indicate her status as an orphan).

Later her Chinese foster mother called her Ping Mei.

Did her birth mother name her?  We may never know.


We do know that shortly after she was born she was lovingly called Sara.

We do not know everything about the day our daughter was born but we do know that within hours of her birth a young American girl whose family had worked tirelessly to minister to the needs of orphans in China was walking by the orphanage just as a police car drove away.


The girl knew immediately why a police car would be at the orphanage.

first photo/only hours old

A new baby.


So she went in and found the newborn girl just hours old, her hair still matted from birth.  The tiny baby was still dressed in the printed sleeper she was found in and she had a very wide cleft lip.

The girl took her to her family's home that day and Praise God the baby never spent even one night without the love of family.

And they named her Sara



Over the next few months the girl and her family provided Sara with love, food, medicine, prayer.

The family lobbied the Chinese officials to provide for her surgery as soon as possible. (They understood that the sooner a cleft affected child has surgery the better they do.) They were granted their request and they saw Sara through the surgeries to repair her lip and palate.

Sara was blessed.

Hannah with "Sara" just prior to surgery

There is no doubt that "Sara" was already a happy baby and that she loved Hannah.

Years later Sara has become our vivacious Macy Bel.

In fact it is already the only name she remembers.

But yesterday once again she was lovingly called Sara.


Because THE GIRL...

the one who will always hold a special place in our dear daughter's life,

the one who God led to the orphanage that day,

Came all the way from China to visit the girl she once called "Sara" .


And we were all blessed.

The seeds of Macy's sweet personalty were planted by this gentle woman.

Somehow Macy understood that Hannah was someone special to her.

Macy looks on as Hannah shares photos and video of her as a baby.

Both girls were drawn to Hannah who has a genuine gift with children.  Macy was very sad that her
"China friend" had to go home.

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