Day 4 and 5

On our 4th day here we climbed the Great Wall. It was an amazing experience. We actually took a ski lift up the wall (oh my goodness, one of the scariest things I have done!) and then climbed the wall for 2 hours. When we got to the top of the tower, there was a sign that said "no admittance" but clearly no one had obeyed because there was a well worn path making a trail through the trees. We followed it and it led to an unrestored tower. It was SO COOL! The view was amazing, it felt like we were on top of the world. We hiked back down to the ski lift and then we took a tobaggon ride down the wall. It was AWESOME! We got to shop with vendors and had our first experience bartering with the locals. We had lunch at Subway and then headed into town to shop at the Pearl Market.

We had a blast shopping! Whatever price they tell you, you go for 1/4 of that. It was so fun trying to get things as cheap as possible. The other girls bought jewelry but I stuck to junk for my kids. We had dinner at McDonalds and then came back to SFCV. It was a fun, fun day. Althought we felt guilty for not seeing the kids, we had many meaningful conversations about adoption with the group we were touring with. I think a lot of hearts have been stirred on this trip!

Yesterday (day 5) we stayed in the morning to play with the kids. We went straight to the clinic. Today Vincent was not settled and wanted me to hold him. As long as I was holding him and rocking or swaying, he was happy. I put him down to take a picture and he cried. So, the ayi picked him up and put him in his bed. It was so sad. Isabella was feeling much better today. I even got her to LAUGH. I heard a giggle and I saw her teeth. As soon as I reacted to her laugh, she was back to the poker face. She still had her baby (although it took us several minutes to find it). After she ate, she let Jamie hold he. This is a huge step!!!! I tried and tried to steal her from Jamie, but she would not let me. Today was definitely the happiest I have seen Isabella. Our biggest concern at this point is Leah. She looks like she is starving to death. The ayis keep her in the bed because she is so tiny and fragile. Even when she gets a bottle, she is left in the bed and they lean over to feed it to her. Kyle and I held her for 2 hours. She has no known medical condition, but clearly needs food and love. It is heartbreaking.

We were kicked out of the houses early since it is the weekend. Sara called us a taxi and we went to the Forbidden City to meet up with the group. We did finally find them (thanks to a cell phone- don't know if I want to see that bill!) It was pouring rain so our moods were a little sour. It did clear up as we made the 2 hour walk through the City. We were all exhausted by the end. We had the Moody sons with us, Matthew and Josh and they both speak fluent Chinese. They bartered with some street men to get us Rickshaw rides through old Beijing (Hutong Tour). It was one of the most fun things I have ever done! The men were hilarious, they tried to explain things to us in broken English and complained about how heavy we were. At the end, I let my driver sit down and I pedaled the bike. Hilarious. We had an expensive (but yummy) dinner in ho-hi (spelled wrong, but this is how you say it) and then headed back home. It was a long yet fun day. We said good-bye to the Indy group, I will miss them!

A little steep, don't you think?

On top of the world! A very memorable experience at an unrestored watch tower on the Great Wall.

On the Great Wall (we had a blast!)

Rickshaw ride through old Beijing (Hutong Tour)

The Forbidden City

Our group trying to cross the road...YIKES!

Mitzi and our rickshaw driver

We were sure to hold sweet Leah as much as possible

Today begins our last day and I am so sad. A part of my heart will always be here. I had a friend remind me that Emma Grace was one of those tiny little babies and now she is a strong and healthy little girl. There is hope, but it comes through US. Please watch the Eric Ludy video on my sidebar.

Day 3

**Sorry: no pictures today. It is nearly impossible to get them uploaded with this connection!

Today we helped the team from Indianapolis with their VBS celebration. The children got to sing/dance, get faces painted, play with water balloons, sidewalk chalk and bubbles. Our team of 4 bought the kids ice cream and handed out goodie bags. The kids LOVED the ice cream. It is not something they get often. We had several that tried (and succeeded) in taking 2 ice creams. In the goodie bags, the kids had candy, a bouncy ball and a ring. It was a big hit! At dinner tonight the kids were wearing the rings and today while we were in the houses, the kids were playing with their balls. They certainly appreciate the little things. It was a fun morning watching these sweet children jump around and sing about how special they are and about how much Jesus loves them. The joy was all over their faces!

We spent the afternoon in the houses playing with the children. I went to the last 2 houses, so I have now been in all the houses and met all the children. Today I had the honor of meeting Melanie, a young girl born without arms or legs. She is amazing and beautiful. She can move (by crawling on her arm and leg stumps) and get anywhere she needs to go. Although I enjoyed my time in the houses, my heart was pulling me back to the clinic to see Isabella and the other babies there. Isabella still had her baby from yesterday so I was excited! She is not feeling well. She has been fighting a fever all week, which is concerning since she just got finished with a major surgery. Please pray for her healing! She does not like people and has been sick most of her life, so she is not messed with often. Every time I see her, she is laying on a mat in the hallway. She started crying (in my opinion because she didn’t feel well and was dripping in sweat) and the nanny put her in bed. A few minutes later another volunteer pulled her out. Now I know the way to Isabella’s heart is to rescue her from the bed! I am so sad to see her always laying and not up and moving. I am sure she feels awful, but after seeing the joy in her face on our walk, I can’t help but to think about the missed opportunities in her life.

We had dinner with the kids tonight. A team from Ohio fired up the grill and the kids enjoyed hot dogs, potato chips and fruit for dinner. I know the kids left with very full bellies tonight! Several of the kids had multiple hot dogs! It was fun to watch.

Singing VBS songs

Sweet Phillip... he has a family coming SOON!

This is Joseph. He is 13 and will age out in 11 months. Most 13 years want video games or ipads...this kid only wants a family. 

JJ (also has a family coming!)

Some of the kids enjoying their ice cream treat

It was another great day. Everyone on our team has shed tears for the children here. So many kids who just need a chance at life.  SFCV does an amazing job caring for them and meeting their basic needs, but nothing can replace the love of a family.

Day 2: Hard work brings a great reward!

After a much needed night of sleep, we were ready to love on some more children. After breakfast we went to the House of Peace. We had a great time playing with Clarissa, Teddy and Maya. My family sponsors Maya, so it was very sweet to hold her and spend time with her this morning. Clarissa loved to look at the pictures on our cameras. I decided to take a chance and try to communicate with the ayis, since this was the house where Emma lived. I went back to the Inn to grab my phone and a picture of Emma that is hanging on the wall in the inn. All I said was "JiaJia" (Emma's Chinese name) and the ayis face lit up. I showed her the picture of what she looked like then, and a video of her now. The excitement was SO amazing to watch. The ayi had a big smile on her face and they were talking (loudly) to each other. I caught the word "JiaJia" and "mama" and they kept smiling at me. It was a sweet moment that I will never forget!

After lunch we went to find Dr. Ana Moody to see what we could clean today. Her response.... "I don't turn down mothers who like to clean." We tackled the storage room in the clinic. We organized the bins and cleaned the shelves. Although that seems like an easy enough task, it took several hours (and many laughs). Dr. Ana is a hoot. We learned that she doesn't like to throw anything away and that she has many projects she would like to do. She also shared many personal stories about SFCV that I really needed to hear. She opened my eyes to the many wonderful parts of the village but shared some concerns that she asked us to pray about. Operating in a foreign country brings many challenges with the culture. They do their best, but some things are still a struggle.

During our 2 hour cleaning spree, we really got to know Dr. Ana. When we were finished I felt comfortable enough to ask if we could have a few of the babies from upstairs (the sickest children in the village) to walk in strollers. She said YES!!!! She called her son to come over and translate to the ayis that we were going to take 3 of the children on walks. We took Vincent, Heather and Isabella on a walk. Jamie also took Debbie outside to play.You would not believe the comments we got!

"How did you get the babies out of the clinic?"

"Oh my goodness, is that Vincent?"

"This is the first time I have seen Isabella outside!"

All 4 of the children clearly enjoyed themselves! Vincent was opening his hands and reaching towards the sky. We gave each child a toy (from our stash in the room) and that was a huge hit! Isabella carried a baby doll that she loved, Heather fell in love with a monkey and Vincent also had a monkey. When we passed by the clinic Dr. Ana said ..."I don't think you should come back yet, keep walking." We walked and then stopped to let the kids enjoy the air outside. We ended up staying outside for an hour and a half. Isabella clearly loved her baby and was trying to hide her from me so I wouldn't take it back. She did not want to come back in and started crying. Heather planted her body in the stroller and also refused to go in. Both girls took their new toys back to the room with them. Please pray that the ayis do not take the toys away from the girls. The ayis do not like a lot of toys around.

Yesterday, Jamie was not able to get Debbie to put weight on her feet. Today, she kept trying. While outside, Jamie was able to get her to stand with support... a huge change from yesterday!

Isabella does not like people, especially strangers. She loved going on a walk and responded to the flowers and the dogs she saw. I tried several times to hold her but she always told me NO! Jamie finally walked up to her and asked to hold her and she said YES! Jamie walked her around and sang "Jesus loves me" to her. She was not only happy, she wanted more. Our walk and time outside with the kids was a huge blessing. The changes we saw in the kids in that short time was amazing. We know that the hard work and bonding with Dr. Ana helped us to have this special time with the kids. It was a wonderful afternoon.

We went out to eat with Dr. Moody and his sons. Unfortunately, Dr. Ana was too tired from our day of cleaning! We had a wonderful authentic Chinese meal. The Moody sons are fluent in Chinese so we let him order everything. He did a great job with his meal choices! I was so proud of myself... I actually tried the pork and ate with chopsticks (OK, mostly my fingers...)

It was a great day full of meaningful work and conversations. I am excited to see what tomorrow will bring!

This is Maya, one of our sponsor children. She will never know the love of a family because she has been labeled as "unadoptable." Thankfully, she has SFCV to be her family and knows that she has a Father in Heaven! She was very responsive and smiled at us. She loved to be held.

This is baby Liam from the clinic. He is a sweet boy. He fell asleep in Kyle's arms

This is Mitzi with Clarissa. She is a smart and beautiful young lady. In a family, I have no doubt this young lady would blossom. She is a treasure!

I am having a hard time getting pictures to load, so I will try again later!

Day 1- SFCV

We had a busy today! We got a few hours of sleep and woke up just before 6 am wide awake and ready to go. We started out the morning with a tour of the Clinic. This is where the sickest babies are kept. Dr. Moody introduced us to some of the children and we spent time loving on the babies.

There is one baby in particular that really got our attention. Her name is Leah and she is NOT a newborn (age unknown- thought to be 6 months) but is so fragile. She is not thriving. You can see her bones through her skin and her skin hangs from her body. She takes short breaths and her eyes will roll back when she is falling asleep. I hate to say it, but it feels like she is dying. I have never held a child like this and it was a bit overwhelming. Please include her in your prayers.

After the clinic we went to the House of Blessings where we got to spend time with some more adorable children. I played games with Robert and Josiah (they are home from VBS with the chicken pox) and Mitzi, Kyle, and Jamie went upstairs to love on some babies. After lunch, we were given the task of cleaning the therapy room. We disinfected all of the toys and wiped down the floors, mats, and equipment. It was a big job, but it looked great when we were finished. (It smelled really clean, too!)

We were allowed back in the children's homes after nap, so we headed straight for the clinic. The babies there are all so precious, but in need of so much care. We loved, hugged and cuddled the babies for an hour. Kyle held Leah for an hour which was great! I have a feeling we will be at this house everyday.

 This is Isabella. She is 2 and half years old and needs a family. She has been through 4 or 5 major surgeries and it is a miracle she is still alive! She is a little firecracker and made sure to let me know exactly what she wanted (or didn't want!)

This is Leah.

We finished our evening with a trip to Agape house. It is amazing!!! Clay and Jewel Floch used to work at SFCV and left in the fall of 2011 to become house parents at Agape House. It is a foster home for children with Brittle Bone disease. It was such a joy to hear Clay speak about what they are doing and to tour the 5 houses. Please visit them on facebook or go to their website to see all the amazing things they are doing. They have 5 girls who are older and learning life skills to support themselves. They started a bakery and sell various goods. We bought 2 pizzas for dinner and loaded up on cookies and carrot cake. The pizza was delicious! We called Clay last minute and he was so kind to come and pick us up, give us a tour and bring us back to SFCV. It was a memorable trip, and I hope that we can raise awareness of Agape house and help them to find more sponsors for the children.

It was a wonderful day full of many sweet children. It was a reminder to me that no matter the special need, the greatest need of all is to know the love of a family.

**it is difficult to upload pictures, so I will try again tomorrow.

We made it!

We made it to Shepherd's Field Children's Village! We had a perfect travel schedule and made it without any hiccups along the way. We started out with a delay in Louisville, but we made our connecting flight OK in Detroit. Our flight landed about 20 minutes early in Beijing and since it was midnight, there were not many people. We got our baggage right away and found our drivers and made it out to the village in about an hour.

It is an overwhelming feeling to be back in the place where I met my daughter. It is a feeling I can't describe. I can't wait to get into the children's home today and love on the babies. I will post later tonight with pictures of our day!