A New Home

Not a new home for us, but a new home for our sweet ducks.  It is crazy how attached we have become to Cole, Sam, and Ducky Duck.  (Turns out Cole is not really an appropriate name seeing as he is really a she.)  Hunter has been their primary care giver, so when he got sick, we knew it was time for the ducks to move to a new location.  So last night after the girls first day of school, we took the ducks to our friends house.  Mr. Ernest graciously offered to let our ducks live on his lake.

Hunter one by one got them out of the storage container, and helped them find their way to the water.

All the kids seemed a little sad, but the good news is, we will get to visit them often.

We pray that our ducks blend well with the six ducks that already call this pond their home.  Our weakest duck was being picked on when we left, but we got a sweet call to the children letting them know that all the ducks were doing well.

Back to School-2011

The anticipation and excitement has been at an all time high in our house for the first day of school.  Our back to school shopping was done, book bags have been lining the hall for days, and lunch items had been purchased.  The girls were just missing one thing, first day of school outfits.  As always, I left it until the last minute, so as they ventured off into dream land, I got to sewing.  So, they woke up to three brand new outfits for the first day.....that gave me the smiles I love to see, and I even got hugs!

What was even better, is that they all fit.  Trying to adjust sizes on sleeping children is not easy.

Can I just say, that I love that they LOVE to match?  I would make them all something different, but they love to dress alike.  This is one of the things that makes my mommy heart smile, because they truly see each other as sisters.  We had even bought three different types of tennis shoes, and I could sense that  none of them were overly happy with theirs, but then we found these, and they all loved them.  So even their shoes for the year match (we returned the others).

One of my hardest decisions as a parent has been whether or not to send Hope to school, and if we did, what grade we should put her in.  She should be in second, but of course is so far behind.  We decided to send her to first, so I am praying that the Lord will bless this decision.  On meet your teacher night, her sweet teacher came to her and said, "I'm Miss Gorman."  Hope shook her hand, looked directly at her, and said, "I'm Miss Hope."

 This is Noelle's last year at Dean Road.  It is tough for me to swallow that I have a 5th grader.  She is such a mature young lady, and I know that she will blossom at school as she always does.

Then, there is LeeLee.  What can I say about her?  I was fine about school starting for everyone but her.  Even though my LeeLee is firecracker, and keeps me on my toes, she is also my baby.  I figure she will be teaching the class soon.  It won't take her long to figure out how to manipulate every situation to her advantage.  I pray her young teacher is on her toes, or she won't even see it coming.

Look at the smiles....it is if they are excited to leave me or something.  I did some last minute begging for them to stay home with me another year, but it wasn't received to well.

We took Hope to her class first.  She unpacked her backpack, and put up her lunch box.  Then on the way to her seat, she panicked  because she couldn't remember what she had done with her lunchbox.  We reminded her that she had put it in her cubby, then all was well in her world.

LeeLee walked into her room like she was already in charge.  The other kids looked terrified, and LeeLee was already working her teacher over.  Paul and I sat at the door and just laughed about it.  I'm just hoping she can at least make it through the first day without getting into trouble.

Did you figure out yet that someone was missing?  My boy obviously needed some alone time with his momma, because he decided to catch the Chinese crud that Noelle brought back from our trip.  It has made its way through all the kids.  Our little Pippa has loved that we have had sick kids for over two weeks now, she has had a constant companion to snuggle with.  We are praying that she won't have this bed mate for long!

Envy!

Envy isn't something I am very familiar with.  I have generally been a content person.  I don't really want much stuff. I have always been content with who God made me to be, not ever really wanting to be someone else, or even feeling like I needed to try and fit in. So, envy seldom creeps its way into my life. So, I was surprised when the envy bug caught me right after my return from China.

When Paul picked us up from the airport, he took us to IKEA so I could pick up some more of my favorite towels.  While in IKEA, I saw a lady walking around with her dog, a little Pomeranian, in a papoose.  I had already been missing my little Pippa, so I really was wishing at that moment that I had a papoose, and that my sweet Pippa was with me.  So, I decided to make one.

 Noelle picked out the fabric.  She went through our whole fabric stash, and pulled out these two.  I agreed, so I sat down and designed and then sewed up our very own papoose for Pippa.

She loves the thing.  She will ride around in there all day.  She likes to keep her head and one leg out.  So, my envy bug is gone, it has been satisfied.  However, now Noelle has caught the bug.  She wants me to make one for her bunny.  So this weekend, we will make Oreo his very own papoose. Then, I am hoping the envy bug doesn't creep it's way back into our lives.  I like living my life of contentment, and now that my princess has a papoose, I am back to being content.

The Weight Is Lifted (literally)

But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given to her for a covering. 1 Corinthians 11:15

Oh how I laugh when I read that verse.  Long hair for me is a curse.  It is hot, it is heavy, it is tangled, and it is a ton of trouble. Not only do I have long hair, but when the Lord counts the number of hairs on my head, he has to count higher than he does for most people. It is so thick. So, long and thick hair in the amazing summer heat!  My husband loves it, I on the other hand hate it.  When I made the decision to go to China this summer, I committed to continuing the let it grow until we returned.  I knew that in China, it would be easiest to wash it and pull it up since I wouldn't have access to a hair dryer.  But while in China, I couldn't wait for the day to cut it all off.  So, today was the day.  I headed out with my "glorious" hair, a plastic baggy, a measuring tape, and some pony tail holders.  As soon as my hairstylist cut off my pony tail, the weight was finally lifted.  Now, my hair will truly become a blessing for someone else who needs it.

Three of my four children where not happy when I walked in with my new do.  They said they liked it better long.  However, my sweet Hope was precious when I walked in.  She said, "Seriously mom!  Oh my you look so cute.  I like it your hair short."  I love my sweet girl.  She knows how to make me smile. And of course, my precious Pippa still loves me too!  

Home and Final Thoughts

We made it home safe and sound.  Our flight from Beijing to Chicago was rather bumpy, but nothing that made me worry.  We were able to get some sleep.  We made it into Chicago at 7:30 in the morning.  We actually made it there 15 minutes before we left Beijing.  Try and wrap your head around that one.  So, we felt like we were living the day all over again that we had already lived.  Our flight out of Chicago to Atlanta was delayed due to a storm, so we waited an extra hour and a half to leave.  During that time, the jet lag began to settle in.  We were so exhausted, and trying to come up with interesting things to do to keep ourselves awake.  We were relieved when we finally got to board the plane.  It was wonderful on the Atlanta side to see my precious LeeLee's tears replaced with a huge smile and hugs.  Being reunited with the kids was wonderful.  Before we were even out of the airport parking lot, Hunter came out with this statement.....So, now Noelle has been to China, both the little girls have been to China, Dad has been to China, the only person that hasn't been to China is THIS GUY!.....So, I guess I will have to take my little man to China one day (I can't wait!!)

I wanted to take some time and update you all on all the things I couldn't say on my blog while in China....Our camp came under intense scrutiny by the local police.  There presence was felt all week, and it was like Satan was bearing down on our backs.  We had to be extra cautious about the things we said, and the things we did.  There are plenty of Chinese volunteers that help run these camps, and we were especially fearful for them.  We didn't want any alerts set up for them that would make their lives harder in China because they are Chinese Christians.  I kept reminding myself of the scene in the Bible where Jesus is on the mountain and Satan comes by and tell him to jump just so Jesus can show him his power.  Jesus looks at Satan and says, "Get behind me Satan!"  I just kept saying that out loud as our week progressed.  All in all, I felt that Satan did step down, because our mission was completed.  Seeds were planted, some lives will be changed.

There were some neat things that happened where we got to see God's mighty hand at work.  We had three translators come to camp who were already strong Christians.  These translators had a great impact on the other translators, maybe even more so, then the volunteers did.  There faith was amazing, encouraging, and humbling for me to watch.  They live in a place where the persecution in so alive and hard, yet their enduring faith shines in what they do.

All of the translators are only children due to China's one child policy, so none of them have ever really been around children.  Furthermore, they have never really been exposed to people with special needs since traditionally, the Chinese society looks at children with special needs as unlucky, so they become the outcasts, shunned by society as a whole.  I watched the translators squirm as the bus unloaded, and children in wheel chairs, kids with major cerebral palsy, and kids with downs syndrome came off of those buses.  As the week went on, it was neat to see the layers of fear peel off and be replaced with such love and affection for these kids.  They all of sudden realized that within each of these distorted bodies there was a child who more than anything just wanted to feel loved, feel excepted, and wanted to be a part of things just as any child would.  At the end of the week, I was walking back to the rooms with some of the translators, and they were talking about how the kids had moved their hearts, and I said,   "maybe you all should think about adoption one day" and to my surprise, one of them looked back at me and said, "I was just thinking the same thing.  I would love to adopt a child just like one of these one day."  I thought that was a beautiful statement coming from a 19 year old male who had just encountered special needs children for the first time.  How beautiful would that be if Chinese families started stepping out on faith to adopt these precious children with special needs.

We had an amazing camper this week named Albert.  Albert was 17 years old and was in a wheel chair. We had a talent show, and Albert got the microphone and said, "Let now give all our praise and attention to our heavenly father!"  He then began to sing worship song in Chinese.  I couldn't hold back the tears while he sang.  It was the most beautiful song I have ever heard. God used this precious orphan boy to deliver his message even we had to refrain from doing anything like that.  He had a captive audience of orphans and translators, so yet again, more seeds were planted.

There are so many other great things I could tell you about, but just know that God was at work...he was moving even though Satan was trying to stop him.  I covet each one of your prayers.  I would ask that you continue to pray for the camp.  God will reign victorious in the end.

The Journey Home Begins

We left Xi'an around 9 in the morning to start our journey home.  Because of the way our flight times worked, it meant that we would have to spend one more day in Beijing.  Noelle was excited about this because I told her we would venture out to Wanfujing for dinner and shopping.

When we got down there, the street vendors were just getting their food prepared.  Noelle looked a little worried when I showed her the scorpions on a stick and told her that is what we would be having for dinner.  It is amazing how many of these things are actually sold and eaten.

Instead of the street food, we headed to my favorite pizza in the world, Pizza Hut in China!!  Noelle didn't quite believe me that Pizza Hut in China was so good, but now she is a believer.  I don't know what it is about that pizza, but it is the best I have ever tasted. Or could it be, that I was just so starved for American food that anything would have tasted fabulous?

While we were eating, I saw tons of people taking their picture with this little monster.  Noelle laughed as each adult and child did the peace sign as they had the picture taken, so of course she had to do the traditional picture too.

In fact, it becomes habit to do the peace sign after you see so many kids and adults do it.  Hopefully we will both remember in the future to drop the hands.  We have had a marvelous time here with our Chinese friends.  We have made memories that will last a lifetime, friendships that will last into eternity, and seeds that have been planted, that will hopefully bloom. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we head for the long journey home to America.  We thank you all for your prayers and for your support.

Please pray for our safe journey home. Pray for Xi'an Camp.  They have two more weeks of campers coming.  Pray for the other camp locations around China.  Pray for the new set of translators arriving today.  Praise him for a successful week here in China.

And the Party Ends

I can tell you that sleeping last night wasn't easy.  It was hard knowing that we would wake up and soon have to send our orphans back to the orphanage.  We have showered them with love, affection, attention, and gifts all week, yet we would have to put them back on a bus, knowing the situation that they were headed into.  My heart was heavy at breakfast already, because we found out that sweet Zhu Zhu could not be adopted after all.  We had a family for her and everything, but she has a living grandfather, and even though he does not care for her, he will not allow her to be adopted, which is what she desperately wants.  Diana, sensing the heaviness in the room decided to try and put a smile on all our faces.

After breakfast we went back to the room and the girls did make-up one final time.  I did Zhu Zhu's hair in french braids which has become her favorite hairstyle.

Everyone started taking lots of pictures knowing we would all be saying good bye soon.  This is Phoebe, with the girls.  She is on of our new Aussie friends.

We captured one last family photo before heading off to our last assembly.  This assembly is really hard to endure, because the kids write letters to us, and we write letters to the kids.  They are read at assembly, and as they are read, the tears start flowing.  It was so heart wrenching to see the faces of these children as they heard the words that they have so longed to hear, wo ai ni, or I love you.  

I want to take a minute to tell you about this precious boy.  His name is Lee.  He has cerebral palsy, a mild case.  However, because of that Lee was abandoned.  He has lived his whole life wanting a family.  He has had the best attitude at camp, and has really impressed us all.  When it came to letter reading time, he was already sobbing when it was his turn to have a letter read to him.  However, he didn't want to go up there to have his letter read.  He sat on the floor near me shaking from the tears that couldn't stop flowing.  His letter was read, and he never looked up.  Then when the end of the assembly came, and they dismissed us, finally his voice broke through the tears, and he asked if he could say something.  He got the microphone, and in Chinese he said, I really hope that a family will adopt me.  I want to be adopted.  Every volunteer in the room broke into a sobbing cry.  You know what is saddest about his request, he is 15, so the Chinese government will not allow him to be adopted.  All he wants is a family, and for him it will never happen.  He doesn't know he can't be adopted, so he waits everyday wondering if he will be chosen.   This is the reality of these kids lives, and it stinks.  My heart is broken for him, but I will pray that one day he finds the bigger family that I am a part of, and that he feels loved.

 Hugging their necks, and loading the buses was not easy.  Diana was very bull headed about the whole good bye thing.  She charged off almost emotionless, but once she was on the bus, she didn't want to break eye contact with me.

 Zhu Zhu on the other hand fell apart.  I know it is hard to tell from the picture, but she has tears streaming down her cheeks.  It was hard to let her go.  I had dreamed of the adoption possibilities for her, that it was hard to know that I was sending her back, and soon she would be just like Lee dreaming of a family that is never coming.  With as tough as today was, I would do it all over again.  I again am leaving a huge chunk of my heart right here in China.

 To lift some of the heavy load, some of the volunteers headed up to the "spa."  At the spa, they have some fish imported from Turkey that eat the dead skin off your feet.  What a strange feeling it was!!  It tickled at first, but then it was very relaxing once we got used to it.

Noelle deserved this reward too!  She has been an excellent servant to these kids this week.  Nothing about this week has been about her and seeing her heart in action has been a reward to me. 

We leave Xi'an in the morning to head back to Beijing. 

Please pray for safe travel for all of us as we head back.  Pray for these kids that lives are changed.  Pray for the translators, that seeds have been planted.  Also, pray for this camp.  They have two more weeks here.  I will explain more when I am home, but just pray that Satan would stand back.