Spending the New Year Apart

It’s J here. Sorry we’ve been so bad at blogging lately. We left the orphanage in November and it’s been a busy few months. We’re trying hard to soak it all in and in the midst of it; we accidentally took a break from blogging.

Happy 2009! It’s crazy to think that just about 6 months ago we journeyed into this far off land. Some of you are thinking, “What? It’s just C!”, but as we’ve spent the holidays here, we’ve noticed even more so how different the cultures really are. For example, on Christmas Eve people take to the streets with silly string and spray whosoever’s in sight.

We have to spend the New Year apart as there’s just so much to do in so little time. P’s headed into minority villages 3-4hours from here and I’m staying here to help out some local orphanages. P will be doing medical work and seeing patients. Most of these patients are too poor or sick to travel into the cities to seek medical help so as a result he’ll be trekking to these villages. It’s also a great way to build lasting relationships with the village people. Please keep P in your thoughts as he travels and lives in remote villages. It’s been tremendously cold and we’re living in a province with no central heating. In addition, the roads are icy from the snow and sleet.

It’s quite funny but in many ways, I’ve been spoiled here. Never in the states have I spent so much time with P and the best part about it is we are doing something together that we enjoy, serving Dad. The trip has been a blessing to our marriage and allowed us to have so many happy, heartfelt moments together. We’re thankful that we can use our skills to further Dad’s work and He’s allowed us to learn so much on the way.

We’re excited to see what this New Year brings! See you soon everybody!

Update on Gracie and heart baby

On November 24th Gracie had heart surgery. The two ½ hour surgery was successful and she has recovered very quickly. She has recovered so quickly that she was released early from the hospital !

We get updates from the foster home about her progress. This is what Gracie's nanny wrote: Coming to us recently from another orphanage, Gracie is a beautiful little girl with big eyes, porcelin skin, and a sweet smile. She suffers from a congenital heart disease, but her surgery on November 24 went very well, and we're confident that she will fully recover. Gracie has done so well since coming to the foster home. She gained 1.2 kg in a little over a month, and she's learned to roll over and hold her head up since coming to the foster home. She sucks her fingers in a very cute way, and she loves being held. She always coos and gives such beautiful big smiles. We're thrilled to see the progress she's made in just a few weeks, and we can't wait to see what she accomplishes in the future!

We also got an update from a friend at our orphanage that the heart baby in the previous post will transferred from the government orphanage this month! Her new home has central heating and advanced medical facilities close by that can help.

Praise our dad for how he heals and works so quickly!

Naming Our First Child

What is in a name?

In some cultures, everything. To the ancient Jews a name wasn't just what someone called you but it signifies who you are. So we thought long and hard before naming our first boy a few weeks ago. So I know what you are thinking- are you expecting or did you adopt someone?!

Let me start from the beginning...

We had an amazing priviledge to join the foster home's formula project in which they provide health and growth evaluations to government orphanages around the country. For children who are not growing we brought baby formula(non melamine) and cereal which is too expensive for them to buy.
This cute little girl is one of several children we saw. She was blue from lack of oxygen due to a severe congential heart defect. Please keep her in your thoughts that she survives through the cold winter and gets the surgery she needs. Families in many villages usually don't have any central heating during the winter. The children are bundled up at all times in order to keep warm like the picture below.

In addition to the formula project, many orphans are transferred to the foster home we work at so that they can get much needed surgeries at our hospitals. Many orphanages don't have adequate surrounding medical facilities or finances to perform these surgeries. So during this trip we got to bring back a little boy for his surgery and be "mom and dad" for a day.

Like all "new parents" we took hundreds of pictures. Here are some of his first:

First balloon animal.

First fast food bite.

First plane ride.

In addition, our orphanage gave us the honor of giving him an english name. We named him Ethan, which in Hebrew means strong and firm, in hopes that our father will be his strength and firm foundation throughout his life.

Girls!

These are some girls we really loved hanging out with.

Meet Emily- She had a severe congenital heart disease that required immediate surgery about a year ago. Now she is a happy little girl who loves to receive hugs and kisses. J got to teach her English 1on1 and she is a very smart cookie.

Meet Addison- She has a heart condition called tetrology of fallot and has already received one surgery but needs more. She is really small for her age but we can already tell she has quite a personality. Contrary to Nathan, her favorite word is "Baba" and uses it for everything!

Meet Gracie- She has a VSD(A hole in her heart) that requires surgery. When she first came she was very small and could hardly hold up her head at 8 months old. After a little over a month, she already gained 5 pounds and can now almost sit by herself. She is the MOST ADORABLE little girl and J's favorite. We've also never seen such an extremely happy baby, she seriously smiles all the time. Check out this video and see why.

Boys!

The orphanage has around 40 special needs kids. We are pretty busy everyday from 8-5. J would help teach preschool, teach English and take care of babies throughout the day. P does medical rounds on the kids during the day and follows up with the really sick ones.

First meet some of our favorite boys. Please keep them in your thoughts as they grow and get much needed surgeries.

Meet Adrian- He doesn't have too much wrong with him, just a hairy nevus. He is a favorite, among the nannies. After spending time with him, we know why. He is one of the first kids P checks on in the mornings and is always greeted with a big smile.

Meet Judson- He has an amazing and miraculous story. He was found alive in a ditch beside the railroad tracks 24 hours after his birth. His stomach and intestines were exposed, a congenital birth defect called gastroschisis. Not only that, he also suffered from the effects of hypothermia after his first night of life was spent outdoors in the cold. The doctors didn't think he would make it through the surgery but now he is a healthy 3 month year old boy. He is still small for his age, looks like a newborn. We really loved holding him as he smiles in his sleep and coos when he's held.

Meet Owen- Owen was diagnosed with anal atresia and had a temporary colostomy bag. Don't be fooled by his chunky cheeks, when he first came here, he looked like a little skinny man. He is not feeling too well right now and is the hospital. We love his "blue steel" expression!

Meet Nathan- He has a single ventricle and needs surgery in order to survive. His body is blue and his hands are cold due to a lack of oxygen. He is super cute and knows how to get attention. His favorite word is "Mama" and he uses it for everything!

Small Town...Big Hearts

This month we started at a special needs orphanage in a very remote village. Corn fields, grazing sheep, and a peaceful creek greet us each morning during our 1 mile walk from our apartment to this wonderful place of healing and love, which can only be brought about by Father's vision. To introduce our time here we thought you may like to hear from our coworker, Caroline, who has been here longer than us. We took this entry from her blog. It gave us a better understanding at the work being done here and the work that still needs to be done. It’s a long read, but trust us, its well worth it:

Today, this country broke my heart.

I know why I came to this nation. I know why I care so much about trying to make a small difference here. I know that I wanted to be used to touch a life or two. I know these things.

But somehow it’s different when the reason why I’m here becomes so very real.

Today was just like many other days. I spent most of it at my desk, answering emails and fixing spreadsheets. I snuck out a little early to play at the foster home. As I left our snug little environment, I waved at a group of students sitting on the steps outside our dining hall with a guitar and the chords to a couple American songs. My mind wandered to the list of fresh produce I hoped to find in the village on my way home and the items I needed to pack tonight for my upcoming trip back to America.

But just as I walked outside our front gate, my whole world stopped.

I heard a baby crying.

To my left, I saw a wriggling little bundle on the ground just beyond our main entrance. That bundle was a terrified, howling baby, wrapped in a dirty, navy blue man’s blazer.

I had no idea what to do. Stunned and more than a little shaken, I hurried back to find a co-worker who could help me figure out what to do, while our gate guard carried the baby into the guard house.

Soon, we contacted the police and the little one was whisked over to our foster home to be cared for until the authorities figured out what should be done. I sat on the floor in one of our nurseries, feeding him a bottle. He wouldn’t take his eyes off me. He looked about 4 months old and seemed relatively healthy, save a nasty cough and the mark indicating he’d recently had an IV. After his meal, we peeled off layers and layers of bundled clothing to give him a bath. Three layers down, I pulled out a small note that was tucked inside his little overalls. I can’t read characters very well, but I could recognize the characters for “no money.” (Later, I found out the note said they were very poor and had no money to pay for the surgery he needed.) A red string was tied around his chubby little wrist. In this country's culture, they believe an invisible red thread connects you to other important people in your life. This string can survive all kinds of twists and tangles through life, but it can never be broken. Tied to his wrist was just a bit of thread, but I knew it symbolized so much more. In a tiny way, maybe his parents wanted to communicate that they would always be connected to their son.

After his bath, I held him in that tiny nursery. I looked into his beautiful eyes. His tiny hand squeezed my finger. He smiled. I melted. I placed him in a crib. I walked home.

Did he know that in the last hour, his entire life had been turned upside down? Did his parents hide themselves somewhere near our front gate until we found him? Did they see us pick him up and carry him inside? How long did he lay there crying until I walked by? Are they wishing they hadn’t done it? Are their hearts breaking at this very minute? What will they tell friends and family when they inevitably ask what happened to their son?

I used to think that abandoning a child was one of the most heartless things a parent could do. But since then, I’ve learned that for many families it’s seen as a final hope. Here, you cannot get medical treatment until you can prove ahead of time that you have the funds to cover all expenses. Many, many children with physical needs are abandoned simply because their families are poor. I can’t imagine how heartbreaking it would be to love and care for your own child, realizing that they will eventually die without the surgery or medical treatment they need. For children with physical needs, parents so often choose abandonment as a final act of desperation and love.

Tonight, there is a little one sleeping in a crib in our foster home who was abandoned less than 3 hours ago. And somewhere nearby, his parents are grieving an unbelievable loss. But perhaps their grief is laced with hope - hope that the choice they made will save his life.

Maybe hope is that unbreakable, invisible red thread, connecting that precious little child to his past and to the future that only our Father knows.

I will never, ever forget this day.

Attack of the killer Ladybugs!?

We moved to a new place recently and we were greeted with 100+ unwelcome roommates! Our bedroom and bathroom were infested with ladybugs! I know, they can be cute with all their bright colors and spots, but when there are swarming in your room and while you shower, its disgusting!

We read up on these ladybugs and found that they are the dreaded Asian ladybugs. They come into the house during the winter and most of the sites say once they're in your house, its too late!! If you don't believe us, check out the link: link

I know they are the good bugs and you shouldn't kill them, but J couldn't stand it. She wanted them out! And don't worry there are many more outside our window sill.

On a better note, we are really liking our new place. Its a very small, rural village of mainly farmers. Life here is very quite and peaceful. While we walk to the village, we can even see a shepherd walking his herd of sheep. We are really looking forward to this month as we work with special needs orphans and in the local medical clinic.

Wo de hanyu bu hao (My Chinese is not good)

This past month we spent time mainly learning the language and meeting up with mentors and other individuals. We gained a lot of insight on how the work is being done here and how its a process. For many of the people out here, it has been a 10 year journey of listening, growing and preparing before even coming out long term. Not that they were idle during those years but actively taking steps towards the future. It has reinforced the wisdom that before you can truly be used to change the world you need to change yourself (actually He needs to change you). There is still a lot of refining that needs to be done in our lives and we are so glad that He is not done with us yet!

On a lighter note, this past month, we are thinking J's language has improved on the street. Here's a common scenario while we bargain for our winter clothes:
-P points out something he likes(without saying anything) and walks away. Then J goes into the store and bargains with the owner in only Chinese. After a good price is agreed upon, P comes in to try it on. Then the store owner always responds to J: "What? I didn't know you were bringing an American friend?! I would have given you a higher price!"

P's language has improved as well! He has gone from understanding 2% of a conversation to 30%.

Random Pictures

Before...
And After...

Maybe we can get a job correcting spelling and grammer mistakes!

Olympic Figures

Pineapple Fried Rice...

It's a Small World!

It's a small world after all!

In a country with 1.3 billion people, its odd that we would see anyone that we know. In the past month, we've randomly run into two people we know from Texas! Usually what happens is, we look across the room a few times with a puzzled face and then flash a UT longhorn sign to see if the other responds. Maybe the Texas, Chinese, C network is more powerful than we thought! Its great seeing people that we know out here and hearing stories of how Dad's moving in their lives and the people around them. We hope to see more Texans in the future! Yeehaw!

But Texas is a Foreign Place:
One question we are often asked is "How come you don't have a Texas accent??". We explained to them that most people in TX(at least the ones we know) don't have an accent but then they always go into a story about that one TX person they met with a drawl. An American here, even compared us not having a Texan accent to, an Australian not having an Australian accent. Apparently, Texas is as foreign as Australia.

Patience is a Virtue

We are learning everyday how to extend patience and grace to others. Dad teaches us this big lesson in small ways.

Here are some ways in daily life:
1) Forming lines and cutting in line does not matter. I can't count the number of times we've been cut in front of...
2) Hacking loogies and funny smells everywhere
3) The number of hours it takes to do a simple task- like paying for electricity
4) Asking others for directions. We don't get it. No one knows where anything is around here. Or are they just not willing to help? :/
5) Having to bargain for almost everything. We never know if we're getting a good price.

Through all of these things that would normally make us mad and annoyed, Dad has been teaching us to love others and their differences. We are learning to embrace the culture and forget our American way!

Train Riding

Train riding has been an adventure! A travel book called the train stations here "mayhem" and we sadly have to agree. Even though we already know C has 1/3 of the world's population, its not until you go to train stations that you really experience what that means.

This is only one waiting area out of many!We took our first overnight train! It was actually a very nice experience and a lot of fun. This train travels at 162km/h. Each person is provided with slippers and a personal tv. We had two strangers above us and luckily none of them snored.

Seeing Growth

The past two weeks have been a real treat. We got a chance to spend time with old friends. They spoiled us with their awesome cooking and hospitality. It was a great time of reconnecting and seeing the work at hand. We really respect them in how they live out their life. We learned a lot from them through the example of their marriage and how they're raising their son.





This post is called "Seeing Growth" for many reasons:

1) P came here when the work first started and J came the year after. Many years have passed since then and we got to see how dad's been working and the amazing fruit that has come about. We were overjoyed to see the blessings! We got a chance to meet with some people and also do some teaching.

2) There was a new addition to their family! The last time we saw him he was only a few days old and now he's over 4 months. He is by far the cutest boy!!

3) Personal Growth- "It is better to have travelled one thousand miles than to have read one thousand books."-a Chinese proverb?

You can only get so far in your walk by just reading. I don't think dad wants us to only read about him and the life he wants for us. But we need to mature past just knowing what we should do and actually begin living it out. Our lives can sometimes be so busy that we fill our time with many unnecessary things instead of with the right things. We have been learning to take daily steps of f_ _ t h in order to experience him daily. We are really glad in our choice to come out here.

Overall, it was really tough leaving our friends but we are really happy that we got a chance to spend precious time with them!

Fairwell Party

While we were there for a month, many short term teams stopped by. Usually they stayed for only 3-4 days. As each group leaves, they perform songs and dances for them. We've been the longest visitors ever so on our last day, they surprised us with a "fairwell party"! They performed songs, dances, a fashion show and funny skits. Some of the skits were even in English and were stories about how we met and our future. We were so impressed and felt so loved!


We didn't know it was possible to grow so close to 30+ people in a month, but we did! It was such a hard goodbye. There were many tears shed from us(well, J) and the kids. But we were so happy that our Dad gave us this opportunity to be with such a special group of people. Even though we were there to teach them, we felt like we've learned even more from them. We can't wait to see how Dad uses them in the future!

They really want us to come back and visit. If we can, we definitely want to and next time we want to bring some of you. Want to come with us?!?!

Olympics

We got to watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony. It was so awesome! All the kids were so proud.

Also, we had a few chances to catch some of the events. The guys were really looking forward to the game against the US basketball team. We couldn't get it on our TV but all things are possible with a little determination.

Yes, that is a video camera filming through our window to our neighbor's TV and being projected on the wall.

Interesting Facts

We leave here in 3 days for our next adventure. This past month has been such a joy. Amongst adjusting to the weather, bugs and food- we have had an amazing experience! We would not trade it for anything. We have already learned and experienced so much in one month that we can't wait for the next few months. But we have grown so close to everyone and we are so sad to say goodbye.

Interesting Facts about them:
- Most kids come from broken families. Either one or both parents have passed away or the dad is involved in illegal activities
- All kids came from rural villages where A/C and consistent electricity does not exist
- Before coming to the home, most only ate white rice and hot sauce. They didn't even know how to cook or what was soy sauce.
- None of them heard about Dad or knew anyone that knew about Dad
- Some of the college grads make about $130 USD a month and they have to provide for their wife and kid as well. In order to make more money, most have to work away from their families.
- Most people in their village cannot afford school so usually can only finish up to grade 4
- In their high school, the hours are from 7:30AM-11:00PM and every other weekend. They go home for meals and come back afterwards.
- Most of them have never seen the Olympics until this year

Some Quotes from them:
- What? You can't read?!?!
- Can you translate what P said?
- Take me home with you!
- Do you have to go? Can you live with us for a year? Or how about my whole life?
- I feel like you are my real mother when you play with me (She is 9 years old and her mom passed away when she was 2)
- I want to go back and share with my entire village

More Food

One night we cooked spaghetti and garlic bread one night for the kids. They finished it all! For some of them it was their first time to have spaghetti .
Our can opener here:

We also got to fill our craving at McDonald's. Its the only store with the best A/C and cleanest western bathrooms. Some of the foods have an Asian twist but it is very good!




One day a team brought us chicken and duck from the streets. The kids were thrilled with the chicken feet. J ate some duck and got food poisoning and ended up vomiting through the night. She has learned her lesson to not trust street food.


P's favorite are egg tarts. So every chance we get, we buy egg tarts for only 10cents(USD) each!

Survival Tactics

We are having a great time teaching and building close relationships. The people have been very receptive and they have been asking very good questions. We really feel a part of a huge family with 30+ brothers and sisters. It has been really good getting away from all the busyness back home and spending lots of time in thoughts, reading, and preparing talks. It has been a very rewarding time and I can't believe it has only been almost 3 weeks!

Thing have been great but a few comforts have made things even better:

Yummy...like we said before we eat a lot of vegetables compared to back home. Snacks, vitamins, and good old whey protein keeps us a little closer to the American diet.

A nightly ritual is standing in the corner of the room and killing the mosquitoes as they fly by before bed time with the electric "tennis racquet." Also a daily coating of OFF! has helped keep the little buggers from eating us alive. We used this can from home in about 1 1/2 weeks but luckily found a store that sells it here.

On our list of favorite people are the inventors of the fan and A/C. The climate is very close to home but no central A/C. The units get turned on and off during the day.

Food

So I bet you're wondering what we eat everyday...

Breakfast consists of last night's leftovers made into fried rice. Its actually pretty good. Lunch and dinner consists of soup and 4-5 dishes. The food is REALLY spicey. One thing we miss is MEAT! We get maybe an ounce a day of meat but its often suplemented with tofu.

We had a chance to make them an American breakfast. So we made banana pancakes! It was quite interesting buying the ingredients at the supermarket. We could not find any baking powder(since most people don't have ovens) so we used yeast. After a lot of experiementing we found a recipe that worked.

Cooking pancakes in a wok is actually pretty easy. They turn out perfectly circular.

In Country

We've made it safely. Here at the camp, everyday is packed with activities and we are still recovering from jet lag. Even though we've been here before there is still some culture shock.

The dreaded toilet/shower combo. P was dreading this! I guess it wouldn't be so bad if it was just us but there are 35 people sharing two "showers".



Fresh vegetable storage



Our view from the kitchen



But in a lot of ways we feel right at home. The humidity and heat is just as high, we are sweating throughout the day, and the mosquitos are rampant but sadly the A/C doesn't work as well.

Despite these things, we are really enjoying our time here and learning to live simply. Yesterday we got to share about ourselves and why we are here. Afterwards, we got asked a lot of good questions about dating, marriage and sp life. We look forward to more conversations and teaching opportunities.