Happy Birthday!

Today marks Ellie's first birthday! We ended up having the day off to visit shops, do some sightseeing, and relax. Eliana is improving daily...she is finally beginning to eat solids and is willing to try almost anything I offer. Of all things, this morning she ate a small hot dog, ritz bits, cheerios, and tater tots. So much for the healthy eating I had envisioned. At this point with her being so small, I will give her anything she wants if it means that she will eat...later on we can begin to worry about better habits (I hope)

Tonight we went out as a group for a Cantonese dinner...Ellie devoured Dim Sum, which I had never tried prior to this trip...she ate two of those, broccoli, and rice--if offered on chopsticks (no small feat)..so it appears her aversion to food may also be linked to a spoon because she eats anything offered on chopsticks! Thank goodness I can manage chopsticks, though I am no expert...sooo, after dinner we went out and bought chopsticks, along with a picture book in Chinese and English for her birthday..

We are nearing the end of our trip..tomorrow marks our last day in Guangzhou and we will leave for Shanghai in the evening...praise God at how He has sustained us during this trip! Has it all been easy? Heavens no...we have had fears, doubts, stress, fatigue, sickness, and anger all at differing points during this trip; but our Lord continues to sustain...He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow..and I pray that I remember this on a day to day basis..!

I pray the same for all who read this...who may be encountering trials now or will be in the future..that you feel the sustaining power of the God who loves you..and when you cannot feel Him, recognize that He has not moved, that your feelings are not always trustworthy, and that you can recall all the times when He has sustained you in spite of where you are at now...He will always remain..

That is my birthday prayer for my beautiful daughter as well...that the God of the universe, who has created her, will call her as His own...that we will be faithful to raise her to love the Lord and that she too will call on the One who will always sustain her as He has so far..

Happy 1st Birthday my sweet girl!