Happy 19th Birthday David!

Nineteen years ago today I gave birth to an amazing little boy. It was a scary moment. The doctors had done an amnio to make sure his lungs were developed, but apparently the tests were wrong. When they removed him via c-section, he didn't cry or make a sound. He wasn't breathing. They whisked him away and thankfully David recovered quickly from that little bump in the road. He has been an amazing joy to parent and has grown into an incredible young man.

David speaks Mandarin Chinese and plans to move to China next year. He has a heart for China and in many ways is following in his great-grandparents' footsteps who were missionaries in China and throughout Asia for the bulk of their lives. He spent last summer living in China. When he was 4 years old, he traveled to China and stunned many people with his language abilities. He is an avid reader and is often seen reading with his younger siblings. He's a pet lover and is shown below with our dog Thor.

Although he only has 6-8 more classes to take at Portland State in order to graduate, his remaining classes are not offered online and are spread throughout the year. Therefore, he is in the process of transferring to another college where he can finish his final classes online for his bachelor's degree in international studies, business, and Chinese. He plans to travel with us to Haiti and serve on the field teaching at Mountain Top's school for the year. He hopes to become fluent in French, Haitian Creole, and Spanish one day. He will be a big help with his knack for languages and his teaching abilities. He currently teaches English online into China.

David is an amazing big brother. He is shown above with many of his siblings at Focus on the Family in Colorado holding baby Naomi. David loves to play the piano, volunteer with rod building and fishing with Irvington Covenant Fish Club, practice languages, play basketball with his siblings, read, and go to the movies with friends.  He also has the patience to run with me and train for various events.

David has a kind heart and loves the Lord. There is one moment that stands out in my mind when I think about describing David's heart. Many years ago as we were leaving church, David mentioned that someone from youth group asked him what was wrong with his sister. One of the teens was simply curious regarding the disability (global developmental delay, autism, and mild CP) of one of our children. I asked David what his response was and his answer was, "I said there's nothing wrong with her. She's just Phuong".  It was as simple as that.

David has always had the ability to see beyond challenges that may be presented and see the person underneath. It is a completely true statement to David. There is nothing "wrong" with his sister. She simply is the person God made her to be. Thank you David for being who you are and seeing the world  and people the way you do. Happy Birthday! We love you!