China Part 3

In the middle of the ministry we took a couple of fun days to go shopping and visit the Great Wall. The Great Wall was amazing and I am so glad I got to experience it in person. The day we chose to visit was a clear, hot day. It was nice to have it clear since many days there are smoggy.

I took this picture on top of one of the towers. Once Blaine, Brian and I saw that we had not reached the highest point we just had to get there. The rest of the group stayed back as we had to reach the top. Yes, my competitive spirit came shining through as I really wanted to keep up with the boys. This is us after reaching the top.

The shopping was definitely a unique experience. I had never bartered before in all my shopping experiences. At first I had to have someone do it for me, but by the end of the day I became more accustomed to the whole process.

I had been told before going over that you can get pearls for very cheap. I wasn't sure if very cheap was also my idea of very cheap, but I went hoping to get a pearl necklace and earrings that I can give Haven on her wedding day. Thanks to Brian and his incredible ability to barter I got a real pearl necklace and earring set for $5.50 American dollars. I consider that very cheap. The Pearl Market where we got our pearls and other goodies.

I also enjoyed some very unique eating experiences. We were fed lunch at the Village everyday, but for evening meals we had to go off site to eat. We did have McDonald's a couple of times and yes it tasted exactly like McDonald's in the States, but we also experienced some local dining.

This place was called Hot Pot and everything was brought out raw and we all had a fondue bowl with seasoned water that we cooked everything in. When the brought out the shrimp our interpreter instructions were to cook the shrimp until the eyes bug out.

China Part 2

Phillip Hayden Foundation (PHF) is a foster home for orphans. It began years ago when Tim Baker and his wife met another man named Phillip Hayden while they were English as second language teachers in China. Phillip had a heart for orphans and in their free time they worked with the orphanages in China. When Phillip was in his late 20's he died suddenly from a heart condition he had. To continue his passion and honor him the Bakers founded the Phillip Hayden Foundation. It started in their home and they took in as many orphans as they could.

Through God guiding them and blessing them they now have Shepherd's Field Children's Village. The land they now have they actually bought for the equivalent of 1 American dollar, through God's guidance and much prayer.

PHF is actually a business in China, they make banners and sell them in their store. The Baker's through a local business man found that if they made the foster home a business they would have more freedoms in the Chinese government. They did some checking and sure enough becoming a business gave them more rights under the law. This began the arts and crafts factory, that houses special needs orphans.

It is amazing to hear all that God has done through this place. They are literally tearing down walls in China concerning Christianity. They have had business men and government officials come to the Village to see what is going on and hear the children singing "Jesus Loves Me".

The government knows the Bakers and the volunteers they have are Christians and they teach the children about Jesus. The government overlooks this because they do such good work and they play by the rules. I am amazed at what God is doing through a few people as they love on orphans and all the Chinese workers they employee.

There are Nannies that take care of the children, chefs that cook the food for the children, the ladies that make the banners, men who make by hand all the furniture in the village, men hired to drive around volunteers. They have been able to see many of these employees come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. How exciting is that.

They are in the process of building a boarding house where they will house those children who do not get adopted. They see about 80% of the orphans adopted, but for the ones that do not get adopted they are just put out to either sink or swim. In China once a child reaches 14 they are no longer adoptable. So, by the time they turn 15 or 16 they are pushed out. PHF wants to provide a way for these children to thrive by teaching them life skills before sending them out into the world. Their hope is that they can take this approach to the Chinese government and they will implement this into their government run orphanages.

I love PHF and their vision. They are looking at the big picture and reaching China through very practical means. There is a huge orphanage rate in China. In the United States we have about 500,000 in foster care; in China they have conservatively 13 million orphans.

What a huge task PHF has, but they make it seem small by the way they do it.

China Part 1

I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and write about the wonderful experience I had ministering to orphans in China. I have been trying to lay out how I want document my trip. I have so much to tell that I don't think I can do it all in one post. So, I'm going to break it into 3 separate posts.

I will start off with the process God took me through as I prayed about going. Last September a group of ladies from Springhill went to the minister to children who stay in the Phillip Hayden Foundation Foster Homes. I had not heard of PHF until then and it really tugged at my heart as I learned the trip would be loving on orphans. The commitment for going on this trip had to be made several months in advance and I was very pregnant with Jude and knew going on the trip would not be an option, he would be 7 months old at the time of the trip.

Since I couldn't go on the trip I prayed for the ladies and kept up with them through a blog they had set up specifically for the trip. I loved waking up every morning to check and see what they had done with the kids that day.

Shortly after the team arrived back it was announced that Springhill would send out another team in the summer. I started praying about that team and the trip and as I prayed the thought of me going kept coming to the forefront. In December I went to Todd to ask him his opinion. When I mentioned it he was so excited for me and really encouraged me to go. I kept asking the "what about this" questions and he kept encouraging me. After that I spoke with my mom and Donna and they were both very supportive. I then sat down with Jadon and Haven to talk to them about it. Haven didn't fully understand what it all meant, but Jadon loved it. It really blessed my heart to hear him talk and ask questions about what I was going to do. He often would say, "Mom, you're going to help kids who don't have a mommy or daddy." I would sit down with him and we would talk about it and every time he would end with the words, "that is so sad." He often told me he was glad I was going to help other kids who don't have mommies or daddies. I really got to see his compassion for others through the preparation of this trip.

This started a 6 month process of God teaching me about faith and seeing more of who He is. God showed me that when you are walking the path He has planned things will work out. I don't know how many times I said to myself or Todd, "maybe I shouldn't go". Each time I would commit to follow God and go, He then would show me I was doing the right thing.

I prepared through team meetings to go over and love on sweet orphans with disabilities. No matter how many times we talked about being there, I couldn't have prepared for the actual emotion of being there and hearing the children's voices and seeing their smiles and laughter.

We went over there with crafts in hand and not knowing what to expect. While there we did crafts, played and loved on some very precious children. I learned their stories, prayed for them and cried for them. I can still hear their little voices singing "Jesus Loves Me" in English. I am so glad I got to have the opportunity to go over to China.

Some of the sweet faces.The kids wearing their animals masks they made and singing "Jesus Loves Me".Oh man did they love playing ring around the rosy with Brian and Ruth.
Enjoying the pool party.

This is Henry and he greeted me every morning with his arms wide and with either the song, "Jesus Loves Me" or "Happy Birthday." The funny thing is I did celebrate my birthday while in China and that morning he sang "Happy Birthday" to me, he didn't know it was my birthday.