We are Home---the "re-entry" process

We are back! We came home late on the 30th, almost missing our flight in Chicago. But, after much stress and a few tears (and the grace of God and a really nice supervisor at American!), we made it onto the plane! I was so excited to see my boys. Ben and Alex ran under the security measures to hug me, while Jack (my little guy) hung back and just kept saying, "You're home, you're home!" After a late night Monday night, the last two days have been a bit crazed as we all try to get back on "central" time. No napping=not much patience. But, everyday it gets a little better and it is nice to be back at home. I have dreams at night of the children we encountered--their faces, the what-ifs, the why-nots.....it is very difficult to process all we experienced. Today's devotion speaks to the main idea we learned on our trip "IT IS NOT IN OUR (or MY) CONTROL." Trust Him, and His will be done. Not mine, but his. We saw this in Xi'an. William gave me a beautiful cross for my birthday/anniversary. I wore it everyday in China. When we arrived in Xi'an, we were staying at a high rise with 2 elevators. We unloaded our things, and then I looked down and saw something on the ground. When I picked it up, I discovered it was my chain that had been broken. The cross was no where in sight--not on the floor, in my clothes, no where!! Kristen went to check the hall--not there. She then checked the elevator, and it was still there, on the floor of the elevator, sparkling away. No one had touched it. We saw his will up to the last flight that we barely made--He wanted us home...His will be done.
One of my difficulties with this trip is how to answer the casual question "How was your trip?" I think we talked about this on an early post, but I still do not have a good answer. Challenging? Devastating? Wonderful? How to explain to others the love, the pain, the smells, the joy, the fear that we all saw and experienced? As I attempt to process in my mind what I am to do with these emotions, I feel my answer to this question will become clearer. I am very excited about what this trip did open for Our Covenant's Call ministry. We now have new, fresh ideas of how to REALLY help both in Hohhot and the Starfish Home. We want to work on a medical mission to reach many children in need of medical attention, and to help more children become adopted. We are meeting some in the next few weeks to discuss and sort out ideas, and will be presenting about our trip and new ideas at a Sunday school class July 20.
Now, my smallest "helper" is ready for attention...and I am so blessed to be able to give it to him!
Love,
Eve