Matt and I mulled over all the M names, AGAIN!! We never had a 4th M name for a boy...we searched the baby name sites and broke them down...and eventually came up with Michael, which is derived from the Hebrew question, "Who is like God?" The Archangel Michael is referred to later in the Bible in Daniel 12:1 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered."
Michael is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. September 29th is the feast day of the three archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. (If you recall from an earlier post, September 29th holds special meaning for our family, Matt's dad's birthday is September 29th and Morgan was baptized on September 29th.
We knew Stephen would be his middle name...Steven with a v, was who he was always referred to on different advocating sites and also from his file that I received back in MARCH...Steven was who I always knew him to be, how I connected with him, through some amazing, Godly women and the internet...sometimes the Chinese children are given an American name if they are going to be adopted or are learning English...I asked if he was being called Steven, and they said he was not, but I couldn't shake that name, changed it to the "ph" version...Stephen is from the Greek word "στέφανος", meaning "wreath, crown, honour, reward", literally "that which surrounds or encompasses". The name is significant to Christians: according to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death and is regarded as the first Christian martyr.
Wu, XueFa, this is the name given by the orphanage...he didn't have a note attached to him as some abandoned children do...Wu, is for the city, and Xue is the middle name for children that came to the orphanage that month, and Fa "conveys their wish for him to research and innovate on his life road, become a useful person to the society." Upon our "Gotcha Day," (the day we receive him) the only things he will bring with him are the clothes on his back and items that we will send to him...wouldn't you agree that he should, at the very least, be able to keep his name...
I know that with God's help he can and will become all that he wants to be!! We are overjoyed beyond words to be given this gift of opportunity to show others the love of Jesus. "I want to walk as a child of the Light, I want to follow Jesus." AMEN!
