Countdown for trip to China

We have five days left to catch up our work, get the yard in good shape and pack our luggage. Sounds workable but I know it will be very busy trying to leave Thursday morning. There is always a lot to do and it seems to be magnified into a huge amount of things that need to be done when we know we will be away for a month. I will still be emptying garbage cans and thinking of things I need to do as we go out the door for the airport! I am that way before every trip because I think..."If I don't make it back again, I don't want people to see my house in a mess!"

Ron and I made very successful trips to Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Ohio recently. Ron reported to churches that have supported our work for many years as well as a couple of new churches that had not previously heard about our work in China. We signed up some new orphan sponsors and collected a large amount of money to help with the work.

Our trip from Atlanta to Shanghai is about 15-l/2 hours. It seems that it will last forever. As Ron says, "When you get on a plane for China, it seems that time stands still." From Shanghai, we will travel to Nanchang to investigate the possibility of building an orphanage there. We will arrive in Changde several days before the medical team will arrive for the cleft palate medical mission. After it is underway, we plan to travel to Zigong where the new Jackson Family Foundation Christian Care Center orphanage is under construction. There we will meet up with Mr. & Mrs. Chad Jackson and sponsors LeEllen Smith and her son, and Carol Mitchell.

Our son, Ronald, is going with us to China. His destination is Zigong. He will help with the completion of the JFFCCC. This facility is a four-story building and the final floor should be completed by the time we get there. A big effort will be put forth to get the inside work done and have things cleaned up and ready to bring the new children in to live there by the time school begins.

We also have funds to complete two floors of the school building across the playground from Wesley's house. It will be remodeled and turned into dormitory rooms to house more orphans.

After our visit to Zigong, we will return to Changde to finish up the cleft palate medical mission. We will travel to Beijing for a few days for some meetings and then back to Shanghai to catch our flight home. We hope to return home by August 24th.

We would appreciate your prayers on our behalf as well as others that will be traveling to make things possible for the poor children of China. Also, pray for the little children having cleft palate surgery. You may think of that as minor surgery but we have had children stop breathing during this operation. We hope to save the life of every child without complications.