Please pray for the Christians in China. Persecution has been greatly increased recently because of the upcoming 2008 Olympics. They have begun to deport many Christian missionaries from the country, simply because the Chinese government does not want "incidents," as they call them, to happen during this time of international coverage. None of it makes sense, but it definitely paints a picture of the revealed evil intentions of the Chinese government against all Christians in this nation.

My parents, sister, and I took a trip to China late last year with our church. During our time there we met with a few different missionaries and had an amazing time visiting an orphanage for children with disabilities and handicaps, both physical and mental. We just received word through a closed source that the Chinese government shut down the orphanage and took all those children away. The reason? They want people all over the world to see China as a pure nation. One without disabilities, without handicaps. A perfect nation.

So where did these children go? What did the government do with them? Did they throw them on the street to fend for themselves? Are they simply hiding them until the 2008 Olympics are over? Or have they done even worse to these precious children, these beautiful, lively, innocent faces that I fell in love with nearly a year ago? My family and I, along with the people of our church, can only guess and agonize over this. I can only imagine, and in my heart I fear the worst, but yet I know that God is in control and is watching over those who are being persecuted, abandoned, and heartlessly made to "disappear."