This is a picture of Will. Of course, Will is not his real name, but it is the name I was privileged to give to him as his sponsor. Will was born in August in the same province as our Hudson Dean, but because he was born with Down Syndrome and an imperforate anus he moved to the wonderful Hope Healing Home in Beijing...the same orphanage that is in charge of Hudson Dean's foster care. I'm sure it's obvious why I would choose to sponsor a little boy with Down Syndrome. As his sponsor, I would get pictures and a report every quarter, and when we go to China next year for our adoption, I would get to see Will at the orphanage.

Just last night, as I was driving to a Christmas party, I was thinking of that future moment when I could hold him, and I started praying for the day when he would get his forever family. I prayed God would open the hearts of the Chinese officials and they would decide he could be adopted.

This morning, the first email that caught my eye was one from the lady at Hope who is in charge of the sponsors, and it was labelled "Will." Delighted that I might be getting more pictures, I eagerly opened it up and found that my prayers of last night had been answered, although not in the way I had prayed them: Will is home in the arms of his heavenly Father. With absolutely no warning, he had simply stopped breathing.

I named him Will in honor of my father, and because I knew he needed a strong will to live and thrive until he could have more surgery. On the surface it might seem that my prayers for him failed, and yet I think that perhaps he simply exercised his will to be out of pain and suffering, and the Lord was gracious to grant it to him.

Welcome home, precious Will!