Laiya's Baptism and Profession of Faith

Today was a very special day - a day that parents dream about and pray for. Laiya has been attending a class at church for a few months and this morning she was baptized and made public profession of her faith. It was a very special morning!! Her good friend, Jennie, also made profession of faith, so after the service we had a coffee time for the two girls. There were lots of friends and family there to help us celebrate this special occasion.
Laiya being baptized
Laiya making profession of her faith
Laiya and Jennie Post
Since the first Sunday of the month is our family dinner day, we stayed right at church for lunch too. The kids loved all the room they had to run (as compared to our crowded house!).
Some of the kids making up a game.

lunch time
Yum, Jacob and Evan enjoying some cake!
The 'three big kids' wanting to know who's the tallest.
Lyvia and Papa - there's nothing like the love of a grandchild!

I would like to share Laiya's personal testimony with you . . . It will give you a little better insight into the path she has traveled to reach this point.

'On April 3, 1993, I was born to Mr. and Mrs. Suen in Tai Po, Hong Kong. When I was 6 years old, I went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Lau and their son Michael, because my birth parents were unable to take care of me. Living with the Laus was fine. They always gave me the things that I needed, but I never felt like I had a family. I desperately wanted a family to love me, but nobody seemed to want to adopt me.
I went to a Christian school when I was 12 years old. I had never heard of the Christian God before the teacher at this school told me. Mrs. Lau had taught me to worship the temple, so I was surprised and confused to hear that there was the God I couldn’t see. Each night before I went to sleep, I would pray to the God I couldn’t see. I would ask him to give me a real family. I never believed that it would happen to me because I wasn’t a strong Christian. I was also told that because I was older, the chance of being adopted was small.
One day, Mrs. Lau got a phone call saying that a family in America was interested in adopting me. Trying to cover her sadness and disappointment, she acted like it was not a big deal. Later on, she looked very angry. When she told me, I was surprised and scared at the same time. I wondered why this family would choose me and whether this was God’s answer to my prayers. I knew that must be a miracle from God. All of those years that I had prayed to the temple, nothing had happened. Now that I had been praying to God, He had given me a family.
After waiting for a year, my new parents finally came to take me home to America. While I was excited to live with my forever family, it was hard to leave all the things that I had known.
Now that I have lived with my forever family for a year, I have learned more about God and His word. There have been a lot of people helping me in my faith. Every other week, I meet with Mr. Tiemeyer and he talks with me about God’s word. My mom and dad also help me to live a good Christian life.
Through the events of the last couple years, I have seen God work in my life. In the people He has sent to me, I have felt His hand. My new forever family didn’t just give me the things I need, they also gave me the love of a family.' by Laiya Joy Lubben

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer. 29:11

Yes, before Laiya was even born, the Lord knew she would become our daughter and would eventually become a follower of Him. We are so thankful to the teachers in her school in Hong Kong and at Dutton Chr. and South Chr., Mr. Al Tiemeyer, the evangelist from our church who met with her every week for several months, Rev. Buwalda, who led the Profession of Faith class at church, and many other people that God put in her path.

God is SO good!!