I often refer to my Gianna as the “tiniest missionary who ever walked this earth“… because that is exactly who she was and we have the honor to call her our forever daughter because God gave us the faith to step out into unsure, deep waters and run to a sick baby in China with a very broken heart. He told us, without a doubt, that she was our daughter.
We are no heroes.
“We” were the saved ones.
We were saved by God from our idol of comfort.
We were saved from our own “doubts and fears” when God unbolted US to run to her when she was only 2, waiting in a foster home in China. We were saved from missing out on so much joy and life.
Her life is grace to our lives. You can read her story of miracles here
Through being her forever family, we discovered that true love is a love that is worth a radical step into the unknown where you are not promised comfort or safety or even tomorrow, but rather a Joy that is immeasurable and eternal that outweighs all. To imagine how fear almost made us miss the greatest blessing of our lives sobers me and humbles me all at the same time.
She has forever changed our lives.
Though she walked around with a failing heart physically, her soul’s heart continued to grow with abounding love for God, His beautiful world and His beautiful people all over the globe. She wanted to travel the world and bring light everywhere. She lived each day BIG and brave and BOLDLY as she fought hard with CHD. In her short powerful life, she survived 6 open heart surgeries, bacterial meningitis and a massive brain bleed and let me tell you, none of this stopped her from LOVING and LIVING BIG. She was and IS a force to reckon with and she continues to change the world from heaven with her legacy of BRAVE, and her love for Jesus and love for others. She teaches us that each day is a gift to invest into eternity.
Here is our baby girl serving in one of our most beloved lands, our dear Nicaragua. She fell in love with Nica and the people there, and they fell in love with her as she brought so much light that she even drew sunshines wherever she went! Gianna draws people in and points them straight up to the Father of love. Gianna’s light and legacy continue to shine.
We deeply grieve and ache for her to be in our arms as her life here was cut too short and without warning. While in a season where she was seemingly stable and thriving, she suddenly became a victim of an acute blocked prosthetic mechanical valve.
We were gut-punched.
She courageously fought for 3 weeks in the hospital to overcome such a violent cardiac arrest, but her lungs and brain and heart took hits that were irreversible. While on our knees, we cried and prayed desperately next to her hospital bed for God to save her and give us more time with her to watch her GROW and LIVE!
For reasons we will never understand, or will ever be good enough, God chose, instead, to give her an even greater miracle:
VICTORY OVER DEATH and He healed her heart in a way that Earth never could.
And, now we are the ones who live with the broken hearts.
And, the only hope-filled, abundant way forward is to live the way she taught us.
To let our broken heart be poured out for others in love and hope and more life!
Though we flounder, stumble and fail more often then we would like to admit, we desire to live in such a way that honors her and our Jesus who gave us the gift of her and the gift of eternity with her. To forever shine her light, and to let her life Grow our lives for the things that truly matter: Loving others and sharing God’s love through the gift of HOPE!
To live and Grow forever in a radical way that brings more LIFE and love.
It’s my birthday on February 14, and my only desire is to see The Live Gia Grow Forever Legacy fund GROW so we can bring Hope to others through adoption grants to adopting families and through financially supporting the children at Lilyshouse.net (the foster home started in China by Gianna’s foster mama). You can read about this incredible Foundation and it’s growing miracles here and here!
Will you please consider praying for us in this mission of HOPE and possibly donating just $10 to this fundraiser.
Your 10 dollar gift (when joined with others’ seeds of love) will be multiplied into a blooming wildflower garden of HOPE for others!
I promise you that your gift will be stewarded with the utmost integrity and care as we send it right back out to become hope for others.
Our Gianna’s life changing the world for others who need HOPE!
THANK YOU for your help in this sacred legacy mission to shine Gianna’s light!
You can donate your gift here: to our live fundraiser!
We are forever grateful!
https://www.facebook.com/donate/841761942936024/
