In February, a team from Lifeline provided care for the sweet children in our foster care center in China. Their time at the center allowed for the foster staff to celebrate Chinese New Year with their families and to have some time of respite from the daily demands of caring for others. Hear how God worked in the life of one of our Lifeline staff members, Jessica Oetting, during her time serving these precious children at the China foster center.

Life at our partner foster center in China is filled with laughter, feeding time, learning, outdoor adventures and so much more!

I loved each moment that I was able to spend with these little ones over Chinese New Year, but one of my favorite times came each day as the evening wound to a close. The noise of the day died down as the children headed to bed, and the sounds of fireworks could be heard outside.  As the fireworks boomed and the wind blew, one little guy ventured out of his room each night seeking “protection” from the noises. His loving spirit and gentle smile as he fell asleep by my side each night reminded me of the loving, faithfulness of our God!

“For you formed my inward parts;

You knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

My soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in Your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 139:13-16

These verses ran through my head as I prayed for the little one by my side and the other children in the foster center.

Our God has known them before before their birth! He was aware of the heartache they would face and also the joys that would come. My heart swelled as I thought of the beautiful stories God is writing for each of them individually. A faithful worker at the foster center reminded me that God not only loves, cares for, and knows these little ones, but His unfailing love and faithfulness extends to everyone – the nannies at the Center, the children and the parents who lovingly placed their child in a home, hoping their little ones would have a future they could not provide.

The nannies, the children and their parents are all offered the same Hope of adoption through the provision given by God, who has known them before their lives began.

You may wonder how to pray for the Foster Center, and my encouragement to you is to pray for everyone involved. Pray that all will know the Hope that is offered through adoption by a faithful, all knowing God!

Jessica Oetting, Lifeline International Specialist

Check out this special video about the Lifeline Foster Center in China HERE.