Once Upon A Prayer

Monday, March 4, 2013

Mackenzie Ty turns 4!

Four years ago today, a little girl was born in China.  
This little girl had two things going against her from day one.  
First, she was born a girl.  
Second, she was sick.


Her birth mother bundled this precious little girl up in a yellow baby outfit, and wrapped her in a light colored blanket/quilt.  She had no choice but to leave her newborn baby girl on a bench in the emergency treatment center of a hospital in Shanghai, China.  On the bench next to her baby she left a bottle, formula, two sets of cotton padded clothes, and two sweatshirts.  Perhaps the most precious gift she could have left for Jacques and I was this note:


 English Translation:

This is a girl born on February 8, 2009 (Lunar calendar) at 7 am.  Because our family is poor and cannot afford to seek medical treatment, I have no choice but to leave her here. Someone with a good heart please take care of her, my family and I will be extremely grateful.  Because her illness may threaten her life, please do not delay.  From, A Helpless Person

Today, as we celebrate Mackenzie's fourth year of life, Jacques and I are well aware that a woman in China will be wondering if her baby girl is still alive, and if someone with a good heart is taking care of her.  My prayer today is that God will whisper into this woman's ear that not only is her little girl alive, but that she is absolutely thriving, treasured, and loved beyond what words can adequately express.

 After languishing in the Shanghai orphanage for three years and two months, I remember that sinking feeling I felt the moment Mackenzie's 18 lbs of skin and bones were placed in my arms on May 7th, 2012.  Her eyes were vacant of emotion, and her body was rigid from the unfamiliarity of a mother's touch.  I kept wondering...could we ever break through to this little girl?


Almost 10 months later, and 8 pounds pounds heavier,
Mackenzie is still tiny but mighty!  
Her joy and loving spirit leaks out of her all day long. 

Happy 4th Birthday Mighty Mack!
We love you to China and back.




Thanking God for setting this precious treasure in our family!

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, 
is God in his holy dwelling. 
God sets the lonely in families." 
Psalm 68:5-6a



8 comments:

  1. What a beautiful post about a beautiful girl! Mighty Mack is so inspiring, and we will have her in our prayers today as she celebrates her first birthday at home =) The letter from her birth mother had me in tears. I too pray that she can know in her heart that the little baby girl she left at the hospital has more love than she ever imagined.

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  2. the pictures remind me of her Papa, it seems she has absorbed some of his energy and zest for life. Thank you for sharing your family with us!

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    1. I am not exaggerating when I say that ALL of her facial expressions and over the top gestures come straight from her Papa!!! God hand-picked this little treasure to be a Rancourt for sure <3

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  3. Happy Birthday Might Mac! We love you!

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  4. What a huge change, and such a beautiful girl!

    I'm not sure that you should assume that her being a girl would have had any impact on their decision. Boys and girls with special needs are abandoned at the same rate in China, and the abandonment of girls is down overall. I think the Chinese love their girls as much as we do, but parents sometimes chose to abandon a girl to try for a boy because boys will help their economic situation due to various government policies.

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  5. LVOE all this - thanks for sharing her note what an amazing gift that she will know as she grows she was loved not once but twice!!

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  6. Wouldn't it be awesome if her birth mother could somehow see how great Mackenzie is doing? I'm sure your family is everything she could have wished for, for her baby!

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  7. This is just so precious and touching. So glad you have a little bit of information for your sweet daughter one day. And so glad she now has a family with a BIG HEART! Just like her mother wanted. Happy Birthday!

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