bon fet, gretchen!

my dear friend, i want to write to you today and thank you for . . . everything! you have been wonderful to me for the past 25 months of my life and i want you to know i appreciate you beyond words. thank you for giving so much of yourself! thank you for extending such grace to me! thank you for caring and for acting upon what you know is right. thank you for loving the Lord with your whole heart and wanting to give back to Him. thank you for seeing a need and trying to meet it . . . EVERY DAY for over five years now. thank you, gretchen! i don't know fully, but i have an idea of how taxing this job is on you. but i also know that your love for these children outweighs the burden of the job. thank you for everything you do for each one of these children and their families.

"her children arise and call her blessed . . ." proverbs 31:28a.

these are your children, gretchen. you have provided a home, food, schooling and health care for them in Jesus' Name. wherever they live now, be it in the states, at the "o", with their birth parents . . . their lives have been touched by three angels; they will arise and called you blessed. keep it up! we're so thankful to have you.

i know, i truly know, that some days are hard. i know that you sacrifice so much. take some time for yourself and your family. spend your birthday with them. love on them and let them love on you. get refreshed. we love you. i am praying for you and i hope this is a wonderful year of life.