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.