If you're the praying type

Or, even if you're not, we could sure use some prayers for our upcoming trip.

Here are a list of our most pressing concerns:

1. For Grace's little heart and her adjustment. We know this is going to be a traumatic time for our little girl (lots of grieving) as she is transplanted out of the only family she knows and forced into the arms of strangers. Please pray that we will have wisdom in dealing with Grace's grief, and please pray that Grace can trust us wholly.

2. For Grace's foster parents. Not matter how you cut it, this has to be difficult for them. Please pray that they will feel the God of all comfort working to ease their pain.

3. For our safety as we travel. We have a lot of travel in China: trains, planes, subways, taxis and buses. Please pray for our safety.

3. For Grant. It's very difficult to leave our little guy for so long, but it's doubly hard to think about being half way around the world should something happen to him. Please pray for Grant's safety and his adjustment upon our return.

We are so thankful for you, our friends and family; we covet your prayers. I was reading a excerpt from Corrie ten Boom, a Christian German who hid Jews in her home during WWII. She had a quote that has been a huge source of comfort to me (paraphrased): "It should be easy to trust an unknown future to a known God."

Above all, I am thankful to our God, who knows and loves us intimately. I know these prayers do not fall on deaf ears.

And just because he's the cutest boy in the whole world, a few parting pictures of Grant being his super silly self: