The Orphanage 2012
I was so blessed to be able to visit the precious kids at the orphanage again this year. I also got to be a part of the second orphan camp. I was here for the first one in 2010. We took all the kids to a retreat center where they got to enjoy a day outside of the confines of the orphanage. It was pretty crazy to try to keep track of all the kids, since they outnumbered us. I spent most of my day walking with a non-verbal boy named NanNan. Though he couldn't tell me how he felt, I could tell he enjoyed walking around the lush grounds instead of the five tiny rooms of the orphanage. I love all the kids, but I am a sucker for the kids with Down Syndrome. I had my best orphanage moment on my last day there. A few of the kids were playing with a colorful parachute. I was having fun watching them play and then they invited me in to play with them. It was like they were inviting me into their club! What a privilege! Please pray for these precious kids.
Joy, the woman who works with these kids regularly, has a blog about them. She has been given permission to be more open on the internet about these kids. Follow her blog for updates and stories about these kids: http://www.pearlriverdiaries.com/advocacy
Joy, the woman who works with these kids regularly, has a blog about them. She has been given permission to be more open on the internet about these kids. Follow her blog for updates and stories about these kids: http://www.pearlriverdiaries.com/advocacy
The Orphanage 2011
It was so great to be able to visit the orphanage on this last trip. The place looked nicer since the last team painted the walls in bright colors. Some of the kids looked better: happier and healthier. Some kids were missing because they had passed away. So sad. But some were also missing because they had been adopted or fostered. Praise God! It was even harder for me to resist taking one of the kids home. They are just so precious! If you know anyone who wants to adopt a special needs Chinese orphan, let me know. There are some really great kids with problems ranging from mild and fixable to severe and permanent. Every child deserves a family that loves them. Please pray for these kids!