Visiting sweet XiuLi

Our journey to XiuLi would turn out to be 7 hours in a van. The kids did sooooo well, better than the adults I think!

When we arrived, we found a celebration! It seemed fitting for being reunited with XiuLi.



XiuLi was waiting for us with her friend, also from the same town where her orphanage was. Her friend has been a huge support for her, and we were so glad they are together.



XiuLi told us that she and her friend stay together all of the time. They live and work together. They are both working in a restaurant now.

The first thing XiuLi said to me before I could even give her a hug was "I love you" in English. We told her how much we, and so many others, love her. How she is thought of, and prayed for every day. She smiled.



She liked seeing the kids, and I thought of how many kids she must have played with from her orphanage before running away...



She assured us she is doing ok.







We gave her some gifts prepared from friends, and asked her to come with us to our next destination. She thought about it, but in the end decided to stay where she was for work. The sparkle was never gone from her eyes, as I feared it might be.





We asked her if she needed anything. Her response was "pray for me". So, please keep sweet XiuLi in your prayers. This is her wish at 16 years old.



Our hope is that she will know some hope, some peace, and the love of so many who have come to know her story.

Training day in photos

The second day of work for us was to return to the same orphanage where we were the first day (meeting and treatment planning for the kids) to provide the workshops for orphanage staff and directors. They came from around the province, including many orphanage staff we had never met before. It seemed surreal to be with about 80 people all looking for ways to help the children in their care.











As I taught, the kids played and made new friends







Felipe made a new friend





We saw old friends and made new ones











And we received the offical invitation to come back next year...we'll be back!!!

Pictures say 1000 words...

We have left Guangxi which is always so bittersweet. I love this part of China with all of my heart, and each time I go, another part of me stays. This time was no different. But, it is time to get back home, get the girls ready for school, and get back to work. The hands-on work for this trip is finished, with alot of needs to be met once we are home and do some brainstorming!

We've arrived safely in Hong Kong to make our trek back. I am hearing that we might fly into the path of Hurricane Earl, so am praying that it will not be the case!
Now that we are in Hong Kong, both blogger and facebook are accessible. I think photos can often say what words cannot. And so, here are some photos to help share the journey of Knowing Hope.

Here is our team:

Cindy, Katelyn, Lianna, and Lucy all with the amazing Matthew

And:


Felipe, Sebastian, Sofia, and Lisa also with the amazing Matthew

We came with ALOT of donations.



So much so that in Beijing we were stopped by the airlines and given a "pink slip". Luckily, the power of prayers helped and we did not have to pay any fee! We also needed two vehicles to get to where we needed to go from the airport, one for baggage and another for people!

All of it was well worth it as we started meeting kids on the next day.












Kids were both young and older, some with mild developmental delays and others with more complex needs.







We problem solved with caregivers


One little one will need more diagnostic information,
but we were able to provide her some soft orthotics
to support her ankles when she walks..










We met an amazing mother with her son who suffered cerebral palsy after a sudden, high fever. What a joy she is for those around her, especially her sweet son.

All too soon, the day was finished, with more work ahead :)

Contrasts

Our time in China is quickly coming to an end. One thing that has struck us all is the contrast between those who have and those who don't. We've seen some luxury cars everywhere, such as Cadillacs, Mercedes, Acuras, BMW's...all driving along roads without proper sewerage.
Yesterday was the first day of school for all kids in China. In many ways it seemed similar to the first day of school for kids in the US...parents bringing their kids to school, kids in pressed uniforms, excitement in the air. Then, I thought of the village kids we've met who might not be able to continue with schooling due to family responsibilities...at age 12 and 13. At these tender ages, the young girls might need to drop school and be the wage earners for their families. This is a reality which happens much too often in the poorer villages.
Yesterday I met with a young couple who has a 3.5 year old son with autism. Services for kids with autism are basically non existant. Both parents are doctors in China. They thirst for every opportunity to know more about their son and how to best help him. We had a great discussion about strategies and possible ideas which could be helpful for him.
Much of the time here is a bit of a blur. We've seen so, so much. Experienced and heard such heartache and hope. It's almost time to begin processing what all of it means for the future.

A day in Chongzuo with some very special girls

Yesterday morning we set out early to head south of Nanning to Chongzuo City. It was a 2 hour drive to get to Banli village where we would arrive at a school and meet with some very special girls who are sponsored by GGEF (www.ggef.org) where I am the US volunteer to help run the program. The drive was spectacular...green sugarcane growing, rice paddies, water buffalo pulling people riding behind on carts, the enormous karsts popping up out of the ground. When we arrived at the village, a leader greeted us and brought us into the classroom where 10 of the girls were waiting. There were huge smiles and wide eyes as they had never seen foreigners before. But soon, they were singing a Chinese song and we sang "twinkle twinkle little star" and the laughter began. We spent the day eating with them, sharing stories with them, and playing with them. The favorite activity for everyone, including adults, was balloon toss. The girls loved blowing them up and trying to juggle with them. Lucy started a game of balloon volleyball, and soon there was not just one balloon, but 5 going back and forth. The girls also loved making friendship bracelets with some embroidery floss and Lucy's teaching talent. Word got out into the village that we were there, and young and old came out to have a peak at us. The day went much too fast and soon it was time to head back to Nanning....and to think about what we could do with them when we are here again next year :)

Leo smiles

We are back in Nanning now after visiting the orphanage yesterday. The baby room of this orphanage is now closed, and the children are all living in a "group home" environment...meaning that a set of foster parents care for about 5 kids. They live in a small living quarter with several bedrooms, living space, and kitchen. There is a large courtyard in the middle of all of the small living quarters.
It was a day filled with so many emotions. Two babies were so, so skinny that their skin just hung on their limp bodies. One baby had HIV. Two kids were strapped down to seats. Yet, the director did not hide anything from us and begged for help. Evaluations were done on their most challenging children. We gave ideas for things to focus on with these children. We shared that every child has potential, something that they were unaware of. There are so many needs for this orphanage, which we hope to be able to help on a longer term basis. We'd love to be able to hire someone to go in to stimulate the children and oversee some therapy ideas. We'd like to purchase some developmentally stimulating toys. They need a non-breakable mirror in the room they hope to use for therapy. They need more formula and high calorie duocal powder. We'll need more partnership to help this orphanage whose director is deeply committed to trying to do better.

Today we spent the day visiting with 4 of 10 special needs orphans from a nearby orphanage who are living in foster care. The 4 kids live with a trio of sisters who provide the care. They are very special ladies who watched intently as we worked with our dear friend Helen to provide some therapy ideas. They easily jumped in to try what we modeled and suggested. One of my favorite memories was watching the foster mothers put a child into a tumbleform feeder seat and hoist her onto her back (seat and all), which is a traditional way the Chinese carry children. She seemed so excited about this. We helped a little one born without eyes to do some standing and slowly but surely take some steps to her right along the wall while holding onto a toy. We gave supplies, shared ideas, laughed, and played.
Another favorite memory from today is of a little boy nicknamed "Leo". This little guy resists all movement and positioning. He spends much of the time in tears. He is never quite comfortable. Helen and the foster mother were told by an "expert" MD that there is no hope for him. For him, we tried a beanbag chair which made its way last minute as we left home. As we sat him in it, he paused. We tried a surgical scrub brush to gently massage his foot and arms. He relaxed. We put a sensory toy which has metal beads and plays music when touched. He slowly reached both arms towards it, and grasped it with two of his right fingers. We all held our breath. Helen said how he has NEVER reached towards anything. And then, he smiled. Not just once, but several times. We cried. Little Leo shows us that ALL children have potential. There is hope for ALL children. I can't wait to get to Hong Kong to post some photos. This little one will always remind me of Knowing Hope and what our purpose is...

Incredible two days!

The past two days have been absolutely incredible. I won't have the words to do justice to all we experienced, but will try to give a glimpse.
On Wednesday, we headed to the place where my younger daughter was born to walk around. It is a smaller town with many villages around it. We were able to drive and walk around, and stopped many people in their paths. So many people were so happy to know that my little one was from there, and is now happy in a family. Soon, we were off to the city where XiuLi is living to meet with her. We had hopes that she was going to come with us for an overnight, but it was not meant to be. When we arrived, the same young girl eyes were behind her grown exterior. We were able to speak with her, and her friend who is also from the same school she dropped out of (they have been together now, living and working). She is doing ok. We gave her gifts from people around the world. We hugged and kissed her. We told her we loved her. When asked what she needed, she said "to pray for me". I told her that is already done, and will continue...
On Thursday we headed to Qianhe village to see some very special girls. These girls are part of GGEF, a non profit organization which helps girls to go to school and stay in school. This is sometimes a difficult thing in rural areas of China, where life is so hard and girls are sometimes needed to work to support the family. We visited one girl who was working out in the fields tending to rice paddies. She was not told we were coming, and was a bit shocked to see so many faces making their way out to her in the fields. She walked us out to where she was working, and told a bit about what she does. We then walked back to her home, and saw the home of another girl. We sat together, ate fresh fruit from village trees, hugged, and held hands. No words are necessary to communicate languages of love.
Today we are off to another orphanage to meet more special needs kids. This orphanage is a bit smaller than the other one. There are 29 special needs kids. The orphanage director has expressed a desire to want to do more for kids in his care, and also to outreach to special needs kids in the community. I am very excited about another chance to partner with people who care so deeply for some of these amazing kids!!