Mei woke to the sound of birds chirping outside her cracked window. She had no way of telling the time. The only things she possessed were the clothes on her back and a blue, velvet box containing a locket with her only picture of her infant daughter. The box was hidden in the closet. Looking at it caused her pain.

She lived in an abandoned, pale yellow house, with paint coming off the siding.  She had found the house recently. It was like her: hopeless, broken, and empty. It was, however, better than living on the street, constantly watching her back to make sure she wasn’t kidnapped like so many other women.

She didn’t have much reason to get up.  She had no family to feed.  Her husband died sixteen years ago, leaving her and her newborn baby struggling on their own. Her daughter was also gone now because she had been forced to abandon her baby. She still hoped with all her heart that someone would find and love her baby girl. Someone who could actually care for her. Every thought of her child was a steel vise around her heart. She had to remind herself to get up in the mornings when her thoughts drifted to her husband and daughter. “No use thinking about them now; they are gone.”

      Mei was twenty-one when her baby girl was brought  into the world. She remembered lying in the sparsely furnished  hospital room with her baby in her arms when the woman who had delivered the child said, “Your baby is lucky to be alive, she has major heart problems.  Most of these children die. She will  probably not make it.” That statement was a beginning of an end for Mei. Two months later her husband was hit by a car and died. She was left to care for a dying child alone. Her baby was not well. Her lips were not the right pink color, but rather a purplish blue color that matched her fingers and toes. Their world turned gray.

      Time marched on.  For 16 years everyday felt the same. She had no job, no money, no real home, and no family. She had a few friends she didn’t see that often. Hunger clawed at her stomach. Today she must remember to find food.  Reluctantly she headed to the busy city. 

      People pushed by, drawn to their own destinations. She was invisible to them. Mei was trying to figure out which direction she should go first when she spotted someone she knew.  She made her way toward her friend who was talking with others about a book they were reading.  She didn’t feel like chatting.  

     “Hi Lu,” she greeted her friend.
      “Hey Mei, how are you? This is pretty interesting isn’t it?” Lu asked.
      But Mei didn't give it a second glance. Her stomach called. “I really need to find something to eat” she told Lu. She felt light headed and out of sorts. 

      She didn’t get far before she was stopped. “Excuse me,” said a soft voice behind her. She turned around and there stood one of the girls from the group. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked in broken Mandarin Chinese. Mei was uneasy, why didn’t this girl speak Chinese well? She was obviously a foreigner, but she looked Chinese. In fact, her face looked a little familiar. She was in her middle teens, and had straight black hair. She wore Nike shoes that looked authentic and she smelled like shampoo.

      “Sure,” Mei replied.
      Though uneasy, Mei was also curious. So, she followed the girl to a small restaurant on the corner.  The teen introduced herself as Sara.  Sara bought noodles for both of them and she began to tell her story. By the end Mei felt tears in her eyes.

      Sara was adopted to the United States  when she was 2 years old. She  had spent the first 2 years of her life in an orphanage.  She was currently in China on a missions trip with her parents.  Mei felt her heart miss a beat. Could this be her daughter?

      “Do you have a heart problem?” Mei asked quietly.
       “No,” Sara replied. “Why?’
      Mei’s heart sank. 
      “Because I had a daughter that I couldn't take care of and I left her when she was four months old. She would be sixteen now,” Mei said sadly. “You are a beautiful girl,” she added.  “I would be proud to have you as a daughter.”

      “I think I know your daughter,” Sara said softly. “She is one of my best friends, and I think God led me to you today.”

      The two stayed in the restaurant for a long while talking about Mei’s daughter.  Mei wanted to know every detail. They also talked about God and the bible because Sara and Mei’s daughter, Ida, were both Christians. The book the couple were reading in the street was the Bible. Sara shared with Mei how God loved the world so much that he sent his only son to die for all people.

      It got late too quickly. Sara had to go back to her parents but she promised Mei that she would tell her daughter about her. Mei was reluctant to let Sara go, but grateful for this glimpse into her daughter’s life. That night, alone beside her bed Mei invited Jesus to be her personal savior. A wonderful peace she had never felt before flooded her. She knew her daughter was safe and even though nothing in her life changed, she felt that everything had changed. She felt hope for the first time in a long time. Tonight for the first time in 16 years, she felt safe, and her heart was full of something new she didn’t understand or recognize, but it felt good.