Birthday Fun

Zara turned 15 a few days ago! What a special celebration for her to be in China. We made signs for the doors and had several celebration meals for her with different friends coming and going! The preschool children enjoyed celebrating her birthday in class!

Thanks to so many who sent her wishes and for the special gift that arrived from the McKeeby family!

The 15 year old riding in the village!

Five Day Market

Every five days there is a market in the village. Think Nashville Flea Market with even more vendors and everything available you can imagine! We have bought fish and a fish bowl for the preschool students to enjoy, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, shoes, clothes, cooking pans, and more.....all at a fraction of what we would pay at home.

Last time we went, we rode three bikes. Mom and Zo got a "cab" ride back to Hope.

Playtime!

It is difficult to get pictures some days with the children as they all want to grab the phone and swipe the screen! Sometimes the photos are a great sequence of just trying to get a photo that isn't blurry! This week we haven't gotten as many photos as so many are blurred action!

Preschool fun continues with all kinds of fun projects and activities.

Sweet babies! Pray for their healing and for families to adopt and love all these children! It is wonderful that several have adoptive families in process currently.

Hope in the Village

New Hope is located in the Bei Wu village about 30 minutes from Beijing Airport out in the country. This is an agriculture community. Here are our surroundings.

Yurt Time

There are three yurts on-site that are used for groups that come to New Hope. These yurts house up to 10 beds and are a comfortable and unique place to stay.

Last week we three girls, Aubrey (nurse from US) and Emma (volunteer preschool teacher from England) slept two nights in the yurts. It was so much fun! We are blessed to get to know people that serve here and share our love for this place and the babies here.

Sharing the Hope

Last Sunday our family and Pamela, who is a volunteer from CA, represented New Hope at a big fundraiser in Beijing hosted by an international school. Dr. Joyce and Robin Hill, founders of New Hope, were with us at the kick-off. There are so many companies, individual, schools, civic groups and more locally and around the world who support New Hope in the care of medically-fragile orphans. New Hope is a privately run home and does not receive government assistance. The care provided for the children is amazing and while costly to provide, is life-changing for so many sick little ones. Many will have better health and be adopted. Some children will return to the orphanage with the hope of being adopted, and others will pass away from their condition in caring arms.

Read more at www.hopefosterhome.com

Playtime!

These children are so special and such happy little ones. I believe that God watches over these little ones in ways we cannot fathom. I often sing "Angels Watching Over You" to the children and know they are surrounded with physical angels (nannies, doctor, nurse, volunteers) and spiritual angels. We say prayers over the children, tell them they are loved, and sing songs of affirmation and praise.

It is so sweet to hear some of the children call our girls' names every time they see them. Because of them helping in preschool and playing often with the children, they know the girls and love getting to be with them.

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 68:5

Birthday Celebrations

Every month there is a birthday party to celebrate the children who have a birthday that month. On Wednesday the celebration was held for three children who had a birthday in May.

It is a special time to focus on the little ones with birthdays that month and the children get so excited to have cake! Large birthday hats are worn by the children being honored that month.

On the day of a child's birthday, there is also a celebration if they are in a preschool class. They are given a gift bag with a few gifts. The preschool teacher does an amazing job of making it a special day for the child. They have cupcakes on their birthday in preschool class. We celebrated two birthdays in preschool this week.