Help the kids @ SFCV stay warm this winter

A message from Tim Baker,

IT’S AUTUMN IN CHINA, and, once again we have an urgent need regarding heat for the children of Shepherd’s Field. As a friend and supporter of our kids, I know you want to know how you can help.

Just like every year in China, we need to prepay our winter heat bill before the government will turn on the heat. The Chinese government controls the flow of heat throughout the country, turning on the heat Nov. 15 and shutting it off on March 15. They will not activate our heat unless full payment is made in advance, and the heat fee for Shepherd’s Field this year is US$28,125.00 (¥180,000 RMB). Our deadline is October 31.

JUST THINK ABOUT THIS: You can sponsor the heat for the entire winter for one of our 11 buildings – children’s homes, the school, clinic or the outreach center – with a donation of US$2,160. A gift of $540 supplies one month’s worth of heat for each building; $135 covers one week’s heat; and just $18 will keep an entire home warm for one day. What will you do?

Please help us keep our children warm and healthy this winter by sending a generous donation today. You have done so much already to help the children here, and we are all very grateful, but I’m asking you to consider helping with this pressing need with a gift, no matter how small. Anything you can do is greatly appreciated. Click this link now to show your support http://chinaorphans.org/donate.html Thank you!

Indescribable

Nothing can really describe what my experience was like at Shepherd’s Field Orphanage. The lessons I learned and the stories I’ve brought back to share are surely going to be a part of me for the rest of my life. The kids there are so sweet. They know the concept of sharing with their fellow siblings even if they only have a little bit themselves. It was the cutest thing when there was one bottle of water and all the kids would take turns taking sips and passing it around. They all definitely know how to work their charm into making you carry them around and treating you as their own personal pony. Especially Jackson, a buff little 4 year old, always knew exactly how he would get me to give him exactly what he wanted. If I needed him to wash his hands, I would have to give him a piggyback ride from the classroom to the sink and if I didn’t run fast enough he would make me start over. This was the price I had to pay if I wanted the little Jackson to wash his hands. After a couple days of hanging out with him, the cutest thing happened. When other little kids wanted attention from me, Jackson would say: Stop it! She’s mine! From that moment on it was as if Jackson was really my little brother and I was his big sister.

Jackson

August 14th snuck up behind us so quickly and before we knew it, it was time to tell the kids we were leaving. When Nina & I told Jackson we were going back to the States, he ran into a little corner and started crying. We held him till he stopped crying and told him we would come back soon and play with him. Walking out the door was so difficult.

Josiah

Mikey

It’s been two weeks since I've been back and all those memories are so vivid in my mind. I miss those kids so much. Almost everyday I am on Shepherd’s Field Orphanage’s facebook page looking at all the pictures of the little kids. I am determined to keep my promise and go back to Shepherd’s Field next summer to play with Jackson. Until then, I pray that God continues to remind the kids that they are loved and that they are His children.

~ Patricia

Leaving...

Today was difficult for all of us because it was time to leave.  After our prayer walk, we got to play with the Samaritan Kids one last time.  Every morning we would see these children in the Inn’s court yard. They would swarm around us as soon as they saw us. They wanted hugs and to just love on us.  It is the best way to start any morning.  We will never forget their beautiful faces...

Shane & Luke

Shanna

Heather

Nathalie & Vincent

 Vincent & Grace

Sharon

Luke & Adrian

P&S- There was another black out this morning.  Hmm…wondering what this means?         

~ Mary

Agape Family Life House

For some reason, I had a picture of a pizza pie on my mind Friday night.  I asked whether there was a pizzeria nearby for lunch Saturday and Jewel told me about the Bread of Life Bakery at the Agape Family Life House. Before you know it, we were at the Bread of Life Bakery talking to Keith and Cheryl Wyse.  Together they shared their testimonies and hope for the children they care for.  The devotion and love they have for the children are inspirational.  We learned that the Agape Family Life House is a foster home offering special needs children, most with Osteogenesis Imperfecta or better known as Brittle Bones, a place/family to call their own. The older children run and operate the Bread of Life Bakery from baking to management.  The pizza that we had was definitely the BEST we ever tasted.  As a special treat, the children sang us a song, which led to encore after encore.  There was not a dry eye in the room.  I left Agape Family Life House in awe, thanking God for His favor in this place and praising Him for having workers such as Keith and Cheryl who carry out His will so faithfully.

Nathalie, Kathy & Esther at the Bread of Life Bakery

Patricia & Lydia

Cathy & Kathy

Left to right - Cathy, Deborah, Joy, Stephen, Kelly & Geno

PIZZA!

“How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.” Psalm 31:19

~ Mary

Picture of the Day

Beautiful Joy (Ting Ting)

Team Photo

Picture of the Day

Benjamin enjoying his drink

Finding Joy in God's Work

Hi everyone, 

Esther blogging here, and praise the Lord for everything He is doing at Shepherd’s Field! Today was dedicated to the numerous chores bestowed upon us – sounds boring, right? But even in performing the tiresome and unpleasant jobs, I felt the will of God working through each one of us.

We started the day off by washing the lawn chairs and tables behind the inn. They had been covered by various substances left behind by babies and spiders and mud-splattered by the crazy thunderstorm the night before.  All in all, those chairs and tables did not look pretty. So, we got down and started soaking, scrubbing and spraying everything down. Kathy and I worked up a frenzy – such a frenzy that we were cut by the plastic several times. The boys, on the other hand, had a great time making up songs about suds with Disney tunes (crazy, I know).

 It was hot, but after we finally finished washing all the chairs and tables, most of them looked sparkling new.  I felt great joy in knowing that the babies and ayis could now sit and eat at clean tables. Well, at least for a week or so …

Strong and able men carrying the tables back …

The lawn chairs were dirty, but nothing could’ve prepared us for the bathroom in the House of Blessings. “Us” consisted of Mary, Nathalie, Kathy, and me – the boys had been assigned to clean the gym, and the other girls had left to clean the House of Peace. We were informed we were cleaning the bathroom for the first time this year, and the results were apparent as soon as we entered the steamy room. Hair, dirt, and dust were mixed in chunks of black grime which caked every corner … I didn’t even know where to begin. Even after we emptied all the cleaning products we were provided, the bathroom was still nowhere close to clean.

I was saddened by the fact that the children were living in such dirty conditions, but the Lord was still able to encourage us with His perfect timing. Right before we started to clean the bathroom, one of the ayi’s recognized Mary from her previous trips to SFCV. The ayi had been the caretaker of Malachi, who was adopted by a couple from the U.S.A. She immediately asked Mary if Malachi was doing well. Mary began to tell the ayi about all the new things Malachi was learning, and we could all see how much the ayi missed him. She even started to cry after Mary was done (which started a waterworks festival, of course), and we were touched by how much she cared for Malachi. With this occurrence, God was able to reassure us that these children are in good hands.

Well, the bathroom was still dirty, so we visited Walmart and picked up nine carts of supplies for round two. Yup, nine carts…

Actually, only some of the supplies were for cleaning. We also picked up a whole of bunch of other stuff, and when we returned to SFCV, we moved everything – including the things we brought from New York – to the administration building. It was amazing to see all the donations we’d gotten laid out on the huge table.

                 

We even bought some things for Stevie and gave her a greatly needed bath!

               

In fact, Stevie enjoyed the bath so much that she began to fall asleep …

In conclusion, this day has reminded me of Matthew 9:37: “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.’” There is so much to be done here at SFCV, yet not enough hands to do it all. But praise God because He is a God who provides and works through us. Though I was unable to play with the children today, I still have made a difference in their lives. The bathroom was not favorable, but it is a place of daily use. We were able to create a better environment for the precious children, and that brings great joy to my heart. Our God is truly an amazing God.

Support us supporting babies,
Esther

Hot, Sweaty Adventure at the Zoo!

Why hello friends! 

Neens here writing from super hot and sweaty Tianjin, China! So how shall I begin this blog ... let ... us ... see ... shall I start with stories about spicy scorpion skewer sticks? Amazingly delicious meals for ridiculously low prices? How 'bout the beautiful wonder of the world that is The Great Wall? Psshh naaaah. You came here to read about what we've been up to while visiting the children at Shepherd's Field Children's Village!

So, Mom and I arrived in China Sunday afternoon and on Monday, we were off on our first excursion with the kids to the Beijing Wildlife Park. Now, if you can remember your excitement as a little boy or girl heading to the zoo, just picture the anticipation and excitement as these little ones stood outside a giant bus for the animal kingdom adventure that awaited them. And BOY, was it an adventure. A huge sweaty adventure! (It was like a million degrees Celsius!)

First we were paired off with one child. It was super cute because this one little boy Connor immediately picked my mom to pair up with, grabbing her hand and holding on for dear life. Eventually they paired him up with someone else and she got paired with a spunky kid named Eric who serenaded her a couple of times.

Mom with Connor

Mom with Eric.
Doesn't he look like an old man with wise tales?

Anyhow, I got paired with this four-year-old boy named Jackson whose special need, according to Mary, is that he's "too strong" aka BW Syndrome. He was so funny and bossy. At the beginning of our journey, he hardly noticed me. I think I was more a means to an end. I was the Jiejie he had to stick to in order to get to the animals as well as a useful travel companion. We walked the entire zoo holding hands (a rule) and him ordering me to walk faster, walk slower, fix his bandaid, hold his water, give him his water, feed him, fix his bandaid again. Meanwhile, I was trying my darndest to film whatever I could -- one of my goals on this trip. If you see some of the clips I took, you'll see a steady shot for about five seconds and then a sudden jerk. That was him pulling me away and yelling "Let's go!" in Chinese. It was awesome! 

Meet Jackson!

Yes, he was a bossy one, but he was also smart and sweet. Every time I said the name of an animal in English he repeated it perfectly. Lion! Tiger! Bear! And every time we were on our way to a different part of the zoo he would yell "Yay!" (I didn't know Chinese kids yelled "yay," too. Yay!). At one point he even shot me an adorable smile. I don't know how that happened, but I caught in on camera. See?

After the park, we went to a nearby restaurant and had a serious feast! It was a 12-course DE-licious meal. Though I do admit, I was slightly anxious as I watched Jackson INHALE his food. But, he made it out alright. Yeah, he had sauce all over his mouth and hands, which I diligently wet-wiped like the OCD parent I have a feeling I'll be, but by the end of our meal, he was one satisfied-looking little boy. Yay!  

Also readers, let me pause to give a special shout-out to Jose, who sponsored this sweaty adventure. From the cost of the giant bus to the admission at the park for 49 people (26 adults, 23 kids) to the feast -- it all came out to about 5000 RMB, about $780. Sure it's easy to think, "Hey, that's a pretty good deal!" But it's also a priceless memory I know these children will treasure for a lifetime and a simple act that demonstrates the love of God for these little ones. So thank you, Jose! 

When we were finally on our way back to campus, I was out. Too bad this little rascal wasn't. I had to fight the heat exhaustion and food coma to try to get him to sit like a proper gentleman. He eventually did (I think? I was in and out) and we eventually pulled up to Shepherd's Field's gates at which point he yelled, "We're home, we're home!" in Chinese. I was happy to be home, too, but a little sad he was no longer obligated to hold my hand. So, once we were off the bus, I pulled him into a tight hug. And can you believe it? He hugged me back. Picture my heart breaking into a million pieces and then reforming and then breaking and then reforming and then repeating. Yeah, I don't know what that image is supposed to invoke besides surprised joy. 

Alright, thank you for reading and supporting us! Be back later with some more tales from our trip!  

Nina out! 

P.s. Don't forget to call Tsuei and Ugz!

Field Trip

Today, we went to the Wildlife Park.  Some of the highlights were:

·         Patricia lost Jerack during a bathroom break (no worries, we found him quickly.  It turned out that one of the adults took him over to the pond to watch the swans).

Patricia & Jerack before his disappearance act

·         Benjamin had two bathroom accidents which scared Josh.  Later the two formed a closed bond.

Josh & Benjamin - Best Friends!

·         Watching the children enjoying their day, especially the smiles on the little ones who were on their first field trip adventure.

One happy family!

Stan & Connor, Cherona & Grayson

Perry, April & Esther

Josiah & Joy (Ling Ling)

Lunch!

~ Mary

Picture of the Day

Grayson wearing Josh's glasses

Furious Love

Cooling off with a Kat-sicle

Today at Shepherd’s Field, we spent more time getting to know the kids and interacting with them. Although I wasn’t too sure at first what to expect during this visit, coming to Shepherd’s Field was like stepping back into the past for me. As a child, everyone was your friend and you all shared a common language: fun. When I saw all these kids all running around and playing, I saw beyond their physical disabilities and knew they were fearfully and wonderfully made, God’s perfect creations.

Ballin'

These past two days have been very physically draining. Going around from house to house and seeing, playing and just plain loving these children have been very tiring. They never seem to let go of you and it always tugs at my heartstrings to have to set them down and leave. Being with the kids has shown me how blessed my life has been and how much more of a blessing I could be to others around me. To break it down to one word, these first two days have been amazing.

Baby, please don't go...

But I’ll admit, spending time with these kids has tested me as well. There were times when I felt like my own love might not have been enough for the kids, but God showed me time and time again that I was not to love the kids with my own love, but with His plentiful and boundless love. Oh man, I don’t know if that last sentence made any sense…

All aboard the Josh Express!

I know that in the days to come, I’ll continue to learn and grow. I can’t wait!

Rob be rollin'.

~ Josh

Playtime

We spent the morning going from house to house; giving piggyback rides, singing and reading books.  The children were really excited to see us.  It was joyful to walk into each house and feel the unconditional love that these children had to offer.  A few of the children remembered me from my last trip with Julia and Elissa.  For example, Henry could not see me (he has only one eye and his eyesight is poor) but recognized my voice.  He shouted “Mary from America” from across the room. It made me all teary eyed.

Sol, Lucas, JZ & Cody

Sol & Jackson

Henry!  <3 

Stan & Gunner

In the afternoon, Patricia and Cherona joined the team as they arrived from Tianjin Airport.  We played with the children outdoor pushing them and their vehicles around. We were exhausted but happy to be a part of their fun day.

Cherona & Robert

Esther & Connor

Kathy & Mikey

~ Mary