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!