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*This post was written a few days after I got home which was about a month ago.  A lot of life has happened in a short period of time but I don't want to neglect or leave out stories from my time at Shepherd's Field.  Red will indicate updates since the post was written and more posts will follow. * 

I landed at DFW Saturday evening and it's been a whirlwind since then.  After doing a 180 twist on my sleep and diet, my body was confused to say the least.  Lots of water (my cure for everything) and some melatonin have helped push me in the right direction.

It took me two full weeks to get my body turned around.  

My last day at Shepherd's Field was perfect.  

The morning began with a special ceremony at the school.  All of the children were gathered and Grady was called to the front.  The "Grady-ometer" was there with a pallet and brush and it was announced that the remaining funds had been raised!! The whole class clapped with excitement and the teacher's jaws dropped.  Soon, he will be on a fast train to Nanjing to receive corrective surgery for his severe scoliosis.  PTL!

Update: Grady is in Nanjing! 

inn-mates ;) 

Howard greeted me enthusiastically as always and handed me a gift.  He was so excited for me to open it and said he wanted to thank me for being his teacher and helping him with his English.  I opened the box to find a beautiful frame.  There was some Chinese written on it and then across the bottom it said "Grandma"..... Yes, in English.  I tried so hard to stifle my laughter as he waited with anticipation to see if I liked it.  I assured him it was wonderful and thanked him profusely. Part of me felt I had clearly failed as his teacher yet the other part of me could not get over how "China" this really was.

Lunch: Chao Bing
Grady told me the cook must have known it was my last day since he made my favorite dish.

Instead of English class we had a party in the inn.   We ate brownies, watched Philip sing silly songs, laughed and took pictures. It was perfect and wonderful!

My English class

All the girls living in the inn

Thank you for faithfully lifting me up while I was in China.  Please continue to lift up the children, staff, volunteers, and waiting families of Shepherd's Field.  




"Now that I have seen, 
I am responsible
Fa!th without deeds is dead
Now that I have held you in my own arms, 
I cannot let go 'til you are


I am on a plane across a distant sea
But I carry you in me
And the dust on, the dust on
the dust on my feet


I will tell the world, 
I will tell them where I've been 
I will keep my word
I will tell them Albertine" 
- Brooke Fraser "Albertine" 

Gotcha Perry!

"Blessed be the G0d and Father of our L0rd Je$us Chr!st, who has blessed us in Chr!st with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Je$us Chr!st, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Chr!st  as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth."

Ephesians 1:3-10 

(Written on Thursday, Posted on Friday due to computer problems) 


Last night, I couldn't sleep.  I lay in bed with my mind racing a thousand miles per hour with the anticipation of what was to come in the morning.  Perry's family had arrived and would be meeting their son for the first time!

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" 

Romans 8:15 

Excitement filled the room this morning, as they anxiously waited.  Sara went to get Perry from his house, Tim had his iphone poised to video capture the moment, and Jamie and I were on picture duty.  Months of paperwork, waiting, and pr@ying, had all culminated to this one moment.

First glimpse in person, out the window!

Will, meet your MaMa and BaBa!

It was evident that what I was witnessing, was a miracle.  An earthly picture of a spiritual truth.  Just as He predestined us to be adopted into His family, He knew from the beginning of time that Perry would one day be will Will A.

My eyes were filled with tears of joy as I watched this scene unfold before me.  I tried desperately to hold it together and snap pictures furiously.  It wasn't until I was sitting alone and reading in Ephesians that it hit me.  Overwhelmed with emotion, I began to weep.  Tears of gratefulness, fell hard and fast, at the reality of His love for me, displayed through the beauty of adoption.  

This day will forever be etched in my memory.

First Family Picture!

Congratulations Will and welcome to your forever family! 

You can continue to follow their family's journey HERE!

Praise G0d from whom ALL blessings flow! 

Forever changed, 

Mollie 

Comings & Goings

The past few weeks in English class, we have been reading a book about Helen Keller.  I chose this story because I knew it would be one they could relate to and the vocabulary they would gain would be useful to their lives here at Shepherd's Field.  We finished the book yesterday and Stacey sat there for a minute pondering.  She got out her phone to translate something (something I only let her do if I am at a loss for how to explain/draw/act out something) and said "Strong.  Helen Keller was a strong woman.  She no see, no hear, help many many people." Melt my heart. It was such a blessing to hear that the story inspired and encouraged her.

Shepherd's Field Rummage Sale

Last Friday we held the first ever "Shepherd's Field Rummage Sale".  The ayis (nannies) buzzed with excitement the whole week in anticipation of sorting through the goods and finding a good deal! Tables filled with books, toys, and used clothes lined the front entrance by the gates.  Word had spread through the villages and there were people lined up at the gates.  I was stationed at one end of the clothes table.  It was fun to use the little bit of Chinese I have learned! The morning was spent yelling "Wu Kuai!" meaning "5 RMB" (a little less than $1).  In the end we made $474 (almost 3,000 RMB!) which was a huge blessing and much needed!

Perry turned 3 just last week!

"Gotcha Day" is a term used in the adoption world for the day the family gets their child.  I keep seeming to miss these, as there were some right after I left this summer and right before I came back.  I have been asking Him to pretty please let me witness one before I leave.  With only two and a half weeks until I am back in the States, and no word of travel approval from the waiting families, my hopes began to dwindle.  That is, until yesterday... The cyber world of SFCV is a pretty tight knit community of families, supporters, and volunteers.  Throughout my time, I have become facebook friends with several waiting families who scour through pictures hoping to see their precious waiting one.  A status popped up yesterday from a mom that said "TA! TA!! TA!!! SO close now!!!".  My heart leapt, could it be? It was soon confirmed that Perry's (soon to be Will!) family will be here next Wednesday!!! I am so overwhelmed with gratefulness that He would grant me the opportunity to witness this miracle! You can follow his family's journey HERE !

Meet George! 

Due to hard financial times, SFCV had been unable to accept any new children for some time but that is beginning to change.  A new little boy arrived just this week! He is the fourth new arrival of the year (PTL!). We call him George and he is quite handsome and precious! George is just under a year old and has an ear malformation of his right ear.  He is now living in Zachry House and is adjusting quite well! New friends, like Ethan, are helping him feel right at home!

George & Ethan

For those that have been asking, yes, it is cold here.  Like you can see your breath inside the house kind of cold.  The heat comes on November 15 (3 days after I leave) so until then, we are staying warm with lots of layers and hot water.  The Chinese drink straight hot water as a remedy to most ailments and to help stay warm in the winter.  I began using my water bottle as a hand warmer and can now drink the hot water as well.  I was quite proud of myself for this accomplishment and it really does warm you up!

Time is flying by and I am trying to savor every hug, giggle, and moment here!

Check back next week to hear about my first "Gotcha Day" experience!

Grace & Peace,

Mollie

Cooking Cake

aka Baking Brownies...

Yesterday was May's last day at SFCV.  She is a university student in Beijing and has to go back to school.  May, on top of helping in the clinic, has been teaching us Chinese each afternoon.  She is so kind and patient with our horrible tone pronunciations and million cultural questions.  One evening a while back, we had baked a batch of brownies (the mix was a very exciting find in Beijing) and offered some to May.  She was SO excited to try them because she had heard that "American cake" was very good (the culture here does not consume a lot of sweets and their cakes are a lot less sweet than ours).  Needless to say, she LOVED the brownies and would frequently talk about them after that night.  We decided that we would make them again as a surprise during our last Chinese lesson with her.

Wendy was hanging out in the Inn so I invited her to help me.  She agreed and wanted to know if "cooking cake" was hard.  I chuckled and explained the difference between cooking and baking and different names for desserts (they call all sweets 'cake' ).  After a quick trip to a vendor across the street for some eggs, we got started in the kitchen.

Adding the mix

"hey, this is fun" 

mmmm... thank you Betty Crocker!

Ready for the oven!

Wendy did all the work, from cracking the eggs to pouring the batter, and in the end decided that "baking brownies" (we learned some English along the way) was really quite easy!

Our baked goods, turned out delicious and May was thrilled with her farewell surprise! (we took a picture with someone's camera which I will post when I get a copy)

Today some visitors arrived from Australia! 3 Teachers are chaperoning 9 high school students on a history trip across China for 10 days.  They are staying the night and I am so excited to talk with them some more.  I have already learned that a "jumper" is a sweatshirt and I am only mildly obsessed with their accents!

Although it's Saturday, today is considered a normal working day in China because of this week being a holiday.  The children are in school and everyone is back to work as if it is a weekday.

Grace & Peace,
Mollie

Those Golden Arches

Last Friday the primary class took a field trip to visit the golden arches.

That's right; McDonalds.

      9 kids
     4 wheel chairs
     3 Baker boys
     8 adults
  + 2 vans                        
     1 crazy fun adventure


Upon arrival, we realized that there is a flight of stairs to get in the restaurant.  With no accessible entrance, we ditched unloading the chairs and instead carried them up the stairs and to a table.  The combination of foreigners and kids with disabilities created quite an attraction to the locals.  It was seriously a blast and one of my favorite memories so far!

Elizabeth, Blossom, Me, & LingLing

Grady 

*Precious moment: Grady paused to bow his head and silently thank Him for his food prior to eating.  Oh my goodness, how these kids daily bless me! (there is a video here)

Elizabeth

Seth

Cheers and applause erupted from the gleeful faces of the children when the food came out.  All of the boys ate 2 whole meals and everyone got to enjoy a mini ice cream cone for dessert.  Now, I'm not the biggest fan of MickeyD's back home but for some reason it tastes SO much better here! 

The first week in October is a holiday here to celebrate National Day.  All of the local staff is off work (minus the nannies of course) so things have been pretty quiet around here.   

Tuesday marked the half way point of being here which is really bittersweet, 40 days in to this 80 day journey! 

I apologize the updates have been sparse, the internet is slow and unstable.  Check my facebook or the SFCV page for more pictures.  

Grace & Peace, 

Mollie 

Daily Life

Unfortunately, technical difficulties have left me out of contact for the past two weeks but I'm back in business now! 

The seasons are changing here and cool morning meet perfect days as the leaves turn to bright beautiful colors of autumn.

We've had the a/c off for a few weeks and leave our windows open to let the night breeze in.  Minus the stray dogs that make quite a ruckus, it's really quite nice.  

Daily life has fallen into place, as this week marks a month of being here.  A typical day consists of speech therapy with the boys, English class with the oldest children and some of the staff, Chinese survival class, working on grants for SFCV, and lots of hugs with the little ones.  Of course, most days here are anything but typical.  When we wake up and find the water off or when the internet goes out right after you type a long email or blog post, we just laugh and say "Oh China".  

Things of lately: 

Making Jaiozi

from left: Chrissy, me, May
September 12 was the Mid-Autumn Festival (aka Mooncake Festival).  The Moody's invited us over to their house to celebrate and toast the moon.  We learned how to make jaiozi, ate delicious Chinese food, and sat outside toasting the moon (although it was nowhere to be found on this cloudy evening) with our mooncakes.  Dr. Ana asked us if we would like to stay and watch "a silly movie" with her and we readily agreed.  Love Birds (a New Zealand film where Queen is as ABBA is to Mamma Mia) was interesting to say the least and we now affectionately refer to it as "the duck movie".

"The Girls" in Beijing

from left: me, Chrissy, Marissa
Each Sunday we venture in to Beijing to attend BICF, get our Western food fix, and do a little exploring.   Chrissy, Marissa, and myself have been nicknamed "the girls" and we finally got a picture of the three of us! 

In case you were previously unaware of the awesomeness that is Texas A&M and its networking, I have run in to three fellow Aggies since being in China.  

1. The Baker's son-in-law, Taylor 

2. While at a mall in Beijing, I saw a man wearing an A&M hat and got SO excited! After exchanging "Howdy" and class years, I found out he lives in Beijing with his wife and two kids because he works for an oil company there.  

3. There was a physical therapist visiting Shepherd's Field from Beijing and I was told I needed to meet her because she was a fellow Texan.  Not only is she a Texan, she's an Aggie who studied special education! Her husband's job landed her in Beijing, where she has now started her own hippotherapy (physical therapy using horses) program.  

Chrissy and Marissa are both amazed because they had never heard of A&M before me. Moral of the story, I love Texas A&M and am so very proud to be an Aggie! 

More pictures and stories to come soon! If you haven't already, please GO HERE and read Macy's story. Spread the word, tell others, and become a part of Macy's Miracle! 

Macy's Miracle

     Macy arrived at Shepherd's Field in June 2010 when she was only 8 months old.  She was born with multiple disabilities including a serious heart condition, cleft lip, and cleft palate.  Thanks to Shepherd's Field and the people who give to the medical fund, Macy was able to receive a life saving operation on her heart in April 2011.


     Only, due to a complication, this life saving operation almost took her life.  Five days later, she underwent a second open heart surgery.  With her heart finally repaired, she faced a long road to recovery.  Since she was so weak prior to surgery and struggled to get enough nutrition with her open palate, the doctors feared the worst.  The cards were stacked against her, yet He was watching over her and gave her the strength to fight.  In June 2011, Macy was finally discharged after almost three full months in the hospital, including a touch and go month in ICU. 

     Throughout her two open heart surgeries and three month stay in the hospital, Macy accrued a medical bill of 130,000 RMB (over $19,000). 

     Today, Macy is two years old, four months post-op, and getting stronger every day.  Once she is fully recovered, they will schedule to have her cleft lip and palate repaired. She is a testimony of His unconditional love to the people here. The local doctors are baffled by why someone would put so much time, money, and effort into saving such a sick little girl.

On paper, she is: developmentally delayed, physically imperfect, weak, and orphaned

To me, she is: fearfully and wonderfully made, beautiful, a fighter, and a daughter of the King

 

   
    Join me in becoming a part of Macy's Miracle by giving to Shepherd's Field Children's Village.  Every dollar counts and allows Shepherd's Field to continue to care for "the least of these" (Matthew 25:40) in China. 

There are four easy ways to give and all are tax deductible.

1. Check to: Philip Hayden Foundation
   40335 Winchester Rd, #E-115
   Temecula, CA 92591 USA
   1.866.JAMES127 (1.866.5263.7127)
2. Online through Facebook Causes
3. Online through Paypal
4. Online through Network for Good

Please write "Macy's Miracle" in the memo section.   

 
     Above all, please continue to lift up Macy and all the children here.

Grace & Peace,
Mollie

Howdy Beijing!

Peter's Tex Mex

Yesterday we went to Beijing to go to BICF with Dr. Ana, Josh, and two visitors from Canada.  Afterward, we got our western food fix at Peter's Tex Mex! Being the only one from this great state among the group, they insisted we stop for a picture.  The food was amazing and I think we all got something with cheese in it! The afternoon was spent bargain hunting at Hangzhou.  Since Dr. Ana has a relationship with many of the vendors, they give her good deals without the hassle of bartering!

My family (especially Sam) would be proud to know I have been eating spicy food.  A native intern here loves to cook and the part of the country he is from likes their dishes especially hot.  I try to avoid the flakes of red pepper, drink lots of water, and usually wash it down with a creamy Magnum bar.  I guess you could say, I'm broadening my horizons.  PTL that my stomach is somehow surviving. 

Speaking of food... today at lunch, Wendy was passing around some kind of dark goop that she insisted we try.  Jewel explained to me that it was a delicacy and she had bought it as a birthday gift for Clay.  I am not an adventurous eater at all and was ready to flee the table yet out of cultural respect, I took a small sample.  It wasn't too awful but I tried not to smell it. Wendy and Stacey did not know how to say it in English so I decided to look it up online but maybe it would have been better not to know... thanks to google, I found out I had eaten THIS.  Oh my, just another day at Shepherd's Field. 

A while back I said to stay tuned for ways in which you can be a part of what I am doing here at Shepherd's Field.  Well, I met with Tim and am super excited to share an opportunity with you soon!

Nap time is over in the houses so I'm off to see the kids!

Macy- my cuddle bug

Zai Jian!

Though We are Many, We are One Body

Now that we are finally awake during the day and sleeping through the night, it's time for a quick update!

On Sunday we went with the Bakers to BICF.  I had the privilege of going twice when I was here this summer and was so excited to go back.  The message was on Matthew 17 talking about unity.  Due to regulations, only foreigners are allowed to attend but over 70 nations are represented in the congregation.  It is the absolute neatest place to see so much diversity and culture all worshiping together!

The Bakers have a tradition of eating Western food on Sundays, so we went to a delicious Italian restaurant in Beijing.  After lunch they showed us where we could find some slices of home (like Jenny Wang's- the Western grocery store, and Starbucks!.

Monday and Tuesday we set up the boys classrooms and mapped out the curriculum for the year.  The afternoons of course were spent in the houses loving on the little ones!

Monday night was one of the summer intern's last night so we went out for BBQ.  I was very tentative about consuming street food but my stomach approved and it tasted amazing!

Marissa & Me at the BBQ place

Wednesday, ready or not, we dove in to school with boys.  The twins acted "too cool for school" at first but we had them laughing to the point of tears during a game in which the object is to not smile.

One of the neatest things being back here, has been to see how much some of the kids changed in just two months! Take a look at Vincent:

June 2011

August 2011

This summer, he was too weak to hold his head up and his cry was barely audible.  Today, he has big plump cheeks, nice strong lungs, and is rolling over independently! PTL!

Just last week, a new baby girl arrived.  Her name is Anabel Lee and she is absolutely beautiful!

Anabel Lee

Precious Moment: This morning we asked one of the boys to start our day by lifting things up to Him.  Philip prayed "Dear G0d, Thank you for sending 3 awesome and kind teachers.  Thank you for my brothers.  Thank you for Shepherd's Field.  Please help us have a good day. A*men" AFLAC (a faith like a child)

Hard at work

Tonight we had fellowship at the Baker's house with the other staff.  Pam had been saving up cheese (hard to find here) and made some amazing enchiladas! It was such a powerful time spent in lifting up requests to our Father. The trials they face everyday from financial burdens to the govt. to very sick children, yet for 16 years they have watched Him provide day by day! Please continue to lift up SFCV and ask that He would grant wisdom and discernment to the staff as they make weighty decisions. 

I'll leave you with this picture of Ethan:

Ethan

In His grip,
Mollie

Ni Hao!

*blogging from Ch1na, you will notice a change in language in order to protect Shepherd’s Field and their work*

Father was definitely looking out for me as the trip could not have gone smoother! You may recall when I came this summer, that was not exactly the case.  The trip was great, the flights were on time, and ALL my luggage arrived! PTL!

Today is Saturday and all is pretty quiet here at Shepherd’s Field.  I met my roommates, Marissa and Chrissy, who will be here for a year teaching the Baker boys. Marissa is a fellow red head and recent college grad from Virginia and Chrissy has traveled all over the world with YWAM! I'm really looking forward to getting to know them!

During lunch I got to see some of the older kids and Grady gasped “I remember you!” when I walked in the dining hall! It is such a blessing to be back and I look forward to all He is going to do over the next 2 ½ months!

Lots of love and blessings! Thank you for continuing to lift me up!

So long stateside!

The day has finally arrived! It feels as if I've been anticipating today for so long that it would never come.  I board to Detroit at 3:00pm 3:34pm (first delay) today and from there will fly to Beijing.  I should arrive in Beijing late Friday night (which is Friday morning stateside). 

Please be lifting up (praying) for these things:

• His name to be known 
• Against the evil one's schemes
• Travel Mercies- no delays and full luggage arrival
• Luggage to be within weight limits 49 & 50 lbs- PTL!
• A quick adjustment to the time change and jet lag (School starts Monday!)

Next update will be from Shepherd's Field!
Thank you Father for paving the way for me to return. Please continue to go before me on this crazy adventure!

What Now?

The Great Wall

The question stands, what now?

Through my time at Shepherd's Field in June, the Lord made it very clear that I should come back.  Although I had originally planned to be in India this fall, that door began to shut about a month prior to leaving for China.  I would still love to visit Sarah's Covenant Homes one day and India still holds a very special place in my heart. 

After talking with the staff and my parents, reapplying for a new extended visa, and much prayer, I will be headed back to Shepherd's Field on August 25.  This time around I will be serving as an intern and my stay will span 3 months.  I am SO thrilled, humbled, and blessed to have the opportunity to return and will covet your prayers in the coming months. 

Some general information:

How long will I be gone?
August 25- November 12 (80 days to be exact)

Where will I be living? 
At the Inn of 8 Happinesses- located on property for interns and volunteers.  Shepherd's Field is located in an industrial development zone in Tianjin, about an hour south of Beijing. 


What will I be doing?
The exact details will be worked out once I get there. I will be helping teach the founder's sons (all are adopted from China with special needs), loving on the kids, and any other projects or assignments they need done.

Will I have communication? 
Yes! There is internet where I will be staying! So I plan to keep this blog updated and will have access to skype, email, and possibly facebook. 

How can you be a part of my journey? 
Most importantly, through prayer! Pray for the staff, children, and families that will one day bring them home.  While the cost of my journey is covered, stay tuned for a way you can help this incredible organization.

It's hard to believe that in less than a month, I'll be back holding these dear little ones who have captured my heart!

Shepherd's Field Children's Village

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers, support, and encouragement.  

So, this is long overdue, seeing as I have been back for a little over a month now.  I have sat down and tried to write several times but didn’t even know where to start and had so many unanswered questions.  This past month has been spent praying, trusting, and processing.  With answers and clarity, I am thrilled to finally update you! 

If you were to ask me about China, my face would light up, my heart would quicken, and my mind would be filled with the faces and giggles of the children there.  I would begin to tell you how our Father is doing BIG things over there, and how He is using the least of these, the vulnerable, and the oppressed to bring His name glory and let His light be shone.  

This post will be filled with pictures and the stories that stem from them. 

 Upon landing in China after our 13 hour flight, we were informed we were NOT in Beijing (?!?)... after getting more fuel and sitting on the tarmac for 5 hours, we finally took back off and after an hour in the air, finally landed in Beijing.  A whopping 19 hours spent in these seats, it was a special bonding experience for all.  One flight attendant asked "Do you feel like we should be exchanging holiday cards since we've been together so long?".

Joni and Friends Team

These 6 women incredibly blessed my life.  It was such a joy to serve alongside of them and share the same passion for disabilities and adoption! 

From left: 

Lindsay- my dear friend from A&M who was in the Special Education program with me

Kelly- special ed teacher from Chicago and our fearless leader

Hanna- recent Baylor grad whose heart for disabilities fills me with joy

Anita- OTA (occupational therapy assistant) from Alabama

Cathy- Anita's friend who was able to teach ASL

Becca- Speech Pathologist from Pennsylvania, she was visiting SFCV alone so she became an honorary member of our team

Children come to Shepherd's Field Children's Village from government run orphanages all over the country.  At SFCV they receive care, love, nourishment, therapy, surgeries (as needed), and education.  Since 1999, SFCV has cared for over 4,000 orphans, provided more than 3,000 surgeries, and helped place over 800 children in forever families.

Below are just a few of the faces that fill this special place. 

Preston

Leonard

Melissa

JoElle

Asa

Tess

Maya

Enjoy this clip of Asa's contagious laughter.

I really am going to strive to keep this updated more frequently.  Keep checking back for what's next! 

China

In less than 48 hours, I will be boarding a plane and headed to China!! I can’t believe it is finally here.  I am going through Joni and Friends’ ministry called Cause 4 Life Global Missions and Internships. “Cause 4 Life internships equip interns by educating on the biblical view of disability; training for church, community, and global outreach; mentoring interns in Christian leadership and ministry; and empowering interns to move forward in their life’s calling.” (taken from their webpage). As soon as I read the description, I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of!  My team will be traveling to Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village, a special needs orphanage where we will get to love on His precious little ones and train the caregivers in therapy and education. Bah, I wish I could convey how beyond excited I am for this!

            My team consists of 6 females, ranging in all ages, from all over the country, united with a heart to serve the least of these.  We will be there for two weeks, doing evaluations, trainings, and of course playing with and loving on the kiddos!

            How can you help be a part of my journey? PRAY!!!

            Pray specifically for:

·      Protection, Health, & Safety- during travel to and from, and throughout the trip

·      Unity- for our team of strangers to unite for the common cause

·      Love- that the people we serve and encounter would feel God’s love through us

·      Communication- that clear communication would be conveyed through the use of translators

·      Flexibility- that each of us would be open to any changes that may occur along the way

·      Wisdom- as we do evaluations and give recommendations to the staff

           

Welcome

Welcome!

This blog has been a long time coming and a dream of mine for some time now.  Those who know me are aware of my passion for children with disabilities but let me back up and explain how this all began. 

From an early age, my mom has told me that I took an interest in caring for and befriending those different than myself.  When I heard about a Christian camp for families who have a member with a disability, I jumped at the opportunity to go.  It was that one week, the summer I was 14, which ignited a spark of interest and turned it into a burning passion.  Joni and Friends Family Retreats (it will get its own post soon), taught me compassion, unconditional love, and has captured my heart for the past 8 summers.  After my first year of JAF (Joni and Friends) camp, I began to volunteer in Bent Tree’s Lifeguard Program (my church’s special needs ministry).  With this passion growing ever stronger, I felt the Lord calling me to a career in the field of disabilities.  Texas A&M allowed me the incredible opportunity to study special education, grow deeper in my relationship with the Lord, develop leadership skills, and make the greatest friends in the world.  Organizations like Project Sunshine, weekend retreats through Camp LIFE, and student teaching in an elementary life skills class, all contributed to my experience in the field while in college. 

            Above all, my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is the most important thing in my life.  I have always desired to share His love specifically to those with disabilities.  Over the past two years, the Lord began to lay international disability ministry on my heart.  I have dreamed of adopting from Asia since I was a young girl and my Compassion child, Sujata, is from India, both of which pointed me to the East.  Through missions’ conferences and research, it became clear how desperate the need is.  While the U.S. has come so far in integrating and accepting people with disabilities into society, most other countries still view disability as a curse and consider them to be outcasts.  I began pursuing opportunities to combine my heart for special needs and the East in order to be His hands and feet.  

            This summer is about to begin a crazy adventure as I voyage into this new phase of life.  Keep checking back to see where the Lord is taking me and how you can be praying!

Up Next: China in 2 days!