Xiamen - June 28 - A Very Special Day for My Hannah

Well, Gerda and I can't believe it - Hannah turns 13 - in Xiamen, China.

We are VERY BLESSED to have her. We thank God she is part of our family.

Yes, capitalism is alive and well here - Walmart Supercenter. Here they sell live seafood of all kinds, and glazed donuts as well! A family traditional for us is enjoying fresh donuts in bed on the morning of one's birthday. With Hannah's birthday coming up, Gerda looked unsuccessfully for donuts. An unexpected trip to Walmart with a friend produced the elusive treats. Now all Gerda had to do was sneek those donuts past Hannah so she would indeed be surprised on her birthday.

Very nice photo of Hannah wearing a traditional Vietnamese hat (taken at Ho Chi Minh Post Office, built by the French in colonial Vietnam).

She is certainly maturing and officially a teenager. Yet Hannah is also caring, astute, sociable, easy to get along with, blessed with a sharp palette (a budding food critic), adventurous when it comes to eating food of all kinds, loves to travel and see places, has a tender heart for little children and animals, especially for horses, is an accomplished and strong rider and swims like a fish.

Like fish to water

She gets along so well with her younger brother - they both share a love for nature and the outdoors - both of them spend hours exploring the woods and the streams in Montreat.

Sweet Wisconsin corn - enjoying it with lots of butter when she was 2 years oldan
But above all, we pray that she will grow up to be a woman after God's own heart. As it is written in Samuel 13:13-14: "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will." As parents, we desire that she live her life to the fullest, using the talents God gave her to glorify His Name. So we give thanks as we journey with her, guide and comfort her, and act as stewards of this precious resource - her childhood - as we pray her into maturity.