Our NEW Program in ZhuZhou!!

Thanks to the faithful support of our sponsors, and to events like "Fill Their Stockings With Hope" we are taking a leap of faith, and partnering with an orphanage in ZhuZhou, Hunan to start a small foster program there.  They have given us six children to love and protect while they wait for their forever families!  From the minute we stepped off the train in ZhuZhou we could sense this was going to be a special partnership!

We were greeted at the train station by two assistant Directors at the orphanage.  They were kind and impressive!  They were excited to take us on a tour of their beautiful facility!  They have almost 400 children at the ZhuZhou Social Welfare Institute.   They told us that approximate 4% of them are considered "healthy."  The ZhuZhou Social Welfare Institute is beautiful..  It covers a lot of ground with multiple buildings..  They have rooms for Physical Therapy, Water Therapy, Piano Lessons, School, Foster care, a great outdoor play area, etc..  We saw quite a bit of the main building and we were amazed at how clean and spacious it was.  Don't get me wrong it is still an orphanage, and not one child should have to spend one day here..  But, in the big picture this is a top notch facility for children in China.

They invited us to visit a few rooms with children busy in activities.  The first room was for older children.  Some with severe disabilities.  They were so excited to meet us!  I love this photo of Paige being loved on by one of the ZhuZhou residents!

Next the Assistant Director took us to the Baby Room where they allowed us to snuggle some sweet babies.  It's hard not to be moved when you are with these children who so desperately need to be loved.  Thankfully there were quite a few care givers with these kids.  The ratio was very high of adults to children!  I was drawn over to a little boy crying in his walker.  I asked if I could pick him up and they were so willing to have me help.  It turns out this precious little guy has Thalassemia.  Since one of my daughters has this blood dis-order I was able to talk about how manageable it is with the Director..  I was able to encourage them to consider getting him paper ready as soon as possible.  I will be following up on the progress of that.  He was so sweet and snuggly!  I asked if I could just take him home with me!!  :)

Here are some of the other sweet faces that left us filled up, and broken all at the same time as we said goodbye...

This little girl broke our hearts..   She is actually in one of the foster care rooms they have in the Orphanage.  This is a great set up... It's actually created to live like a family within the Social Welfare Institute.  They have a large living area, bedrooms, and a kitchen.  There are 6-8 children with one set of parents in these "apartments."  This little girl had just lost her best friend a few days before we arrived.  She had been adopted that week..  And, she was sooooo sad.  It just broke our hearts to see her stare at the tv in their room.  It sounded like she is a non-special needs little girl, just waiting for her turn...

Our afternoon was not over at the orphanage..  Next we set out in the SWI van to four wheel through the hilly country roads to see our six new foster children and their families.  It was quite the adventure as we found them all...  We had time to say "hello", and to deliver clothes, shoes, new toothbrushes and toys all donated by generous friends of Pearl River!  We loved giving out the Leigh's Blankies and suckers to all of the children too.  These children are precious!!!    It is my pleasure to introduce you to our newest Bamboo Babies!

Caitlin

Tyler

Madeline

Tinsley

Hank

Jack

*I will do a formal post soon about sponsorship.  If you are interested in sponsoring a ZhuZhou Bamboo Baby please let me know.  And, if you have any contacts that have adopted ZhuZhou children already I would love to connect with them.   You can email be at diana@pearlriveroutreach.org

A few last shots from special ZhuZhou!

More soon on our new partnership in Hunan!

Our Visit to Hengshan!

We left for Hengshan early on Wednesday, April 24th.    We had a short one hour train ride to the countryside...    Like Changsha, Hengshan is in the Hunan Province.  It is a quiet rural town surrounded by rolling hills and mountains. Our Pearl River program here is very small..  Currently we just have 3 children.  They all live in the same community...  The theme of "It takes a village to raise a child" resonates here..  It was clear that the families that take care of our PRO babies have the support and love of their neighbors and friends.  By U.S. standards this is a very poor area..  But, in the faces of the people I met, was a humble joy...  They are so proud of their children..  We were blessed to see families that have seen some of our Bamboo Babies leave their nests..  They were so excited to hear how they are doing now.  This includes my daughter Sienna.  She spent 4 years with her foster parents in Hengshan..  It was a special morning for all of us to spend time together.

Here are a few pictures from our morning with our Hengshan Families....

These two "Partners in Crime" have such a special friendship.  Joseph (on the right) joined PRO after losing both of his parents in a tragic way.  He was so sad for a very long time..  With the love of his foster family and his buddy Jamison he has come a long way.  Joseph's file is being prepared for adoption.  We pray that an amazing family comes forward to love him forever! 

Jamison has been a PRO baby for a long time...  He has seen a lot of his friends come and go over the past three years..  Our prayer is that it will be his turn soon too!  We worked with the orphanage to get him placed into a new school.  The reports are that he is doing well in this new situation.  We are so thankful for that!  This little guy is personality plus..  It was so fun to finally meet him!!

Zoe did not know what to think of us at first...  She is precious...  Once she let her gaurd down, Miss Jennifer had her laughing hysterically.  It was obvious she is very loved by her foster parents.

This is Miss Chen..  She was my daughter, Sienna's, Foster Mother for 4 years..  It was an amazing opportunity to spend time with her..  She loved my daughter very much..  Since Sienna left Miss Chen, she and her husband, have seen one more Bamboo Baby adopted.  Currently they are the foster parents of sweet little Zoe.

This is the Foster Grandmother and Foster Father of another little girl in our program, "Lina".  "Lina" was adopted in 2010.  Their request was for us to reach out to "Lina's" family for an update and pictures..  What a blessing it was for them when we were able to tell them about her family..  They are Pearl River Sponsors now.  Paige actually traveled with them on their first adoption..  We were able to email this photo to "Lina's" Forever Mom when we got back to the hotel!

These parents took care of "Olivia" for a long time.  She was recently adopted and is living in the U.S.  It was clear they miss her very much..  Same message was sent to "Olivia's" Forever Mama who also is a PRO Sponsor.  I think it is wonderful that our foster parents want to receive pictures and updates on the children they have fostered.  It says a lot about the care they receive while they are with them.

Meeting this sweet woman was very special for me too.    This was my God Daughter's Foster Mama while she was in Hengshan.  I couldn't wait to share an album that I brought with me of precious Zhi Lan.  Her Foster Dad was there too.  They were so excited to hear about their precious girl!  Since Zhi Lan left they have become grandparents of twin boys.  They couldn't wait to introduce me..  When you are in Hengshan you definitely feel welcome!

We had a very special morning in Hengshan..  We are so thankful for our families here!  They are working together to create a loving home for our Bamboo Babies while they wait for their forevers!!

A Sweet Afternoon.........

I can't believe it's Thursday night in China already...  There are no words to tell you how AMAZING this trip has been thus far.   What a blessing to see our program in action and the difference it is making in the lives of our Bamboo Babies..  For our sponsors reading this post, THANK YOU!!!!!  You are making a difference.  I have felt it, touched it, loved it...  It just makes me smile thinking about what we have witnessed in the past few days!!   We just arrived in Zhanjiag in the Guangdong Province.  I have so much to blog about, but I need to catch up on Changsha first.... Since my last post we have been in Hengshan and ZhuZhou..  And trust me when I say I have some sweet faces to introduce to you...  But for now, a glimpse into our precious afternoon on Tuesday at Changsha #1....  More soon!!!!

The Best Play Date Ever!

Today is truly beyond words..  Pictures will tell you more than I can eloquently write..   But, I can't go to sleep without sharing this special day with you.  We were invited to meet the Pearl River Babies and foster parents from Changsha #1 at a local park.  When we arrived 12 precious children were there waiting for us..  In many of their hands were flowers to greet us with..   My job today was to take pictures, along with stealing some smiles, playing a little peek-a-boo, making silly faces, and having my heart filled up in a big way..  There was one forever memory that melted my heart..  I will never be the same after this special day!

Precious Leighton

Ridiculously Cute Kade

Shy and special Hannah


Sweet Sawyer

Faith and her Foster Mama


Kellan and his Foster Mama

Handsome and Lovable Grayson

Smart and precious Faith

Christina with the kiddos

Incredible Charlotte

Aislinn and Riley

Gorgeous Noah

Beyond Adorable Riley


Happy (and hilarious) Quinn


Janie's Foster Mama with Paige

Darling and FUN Kellan


Sweet Baby Rose

 I made some new friends at this play date that I will never forget...  There were some precious moments that involved the foster parents too...  It was clear to me and anyone else witnessing this party that these children are well taken care of and loved...   A few extra priveleges that we were blessed with today at the park...  Jennifer and Paige were able to meet the foster mothers that took care of their girls until they were adopted.  And, I was able to share some pictures with some families back home who are waiting for a couple of amazing little boys to join their families..  Blessed is the only adjective I can come up with on this late night in China!

The Sweetest Firecracker you will ever meet.... Ms. Meng

Like a child, I never wanted this play date to end...  I hated saying goodbye...  Thankfully after nap time we met up with the babies at the orphanage for a final goodbye.. But, that will have to wait for another post!  Until then, here are the precious faces from Changsha #1!  

Enjoy!

We Are In Changsha!!!

Your PRO Team has safely made it to Changsha, Hunan!  We are thrilled to be here!

We were greeted at the airport by the amazing Ms. Meng!  She is our tiny little Firecracker that runs the show in Changsha and Hengshan.  She is the one that oversees both programs, and checks on each child and family with her loving yet in complete control style!  She runs a tight ship, and wow do we love her!  She greeted us with her bright happy smile, and four gorgeous boquets of flowers.

In just a few minutes we get in our car to go to meet up with all the children and foster families from Changsha #1.  After that we will head to lunch with them and then on to the orphanage.  We will also be spending some times in the homes of our kids.

The next post should have some precious faces to share with all of you!

Thank you for your prayers..  We are grateful!

~Diana, Christina, Jennifer, Paige, Aislinn

Xi'an!

Five weary but excited travelers made it to our hotel in Xi'an in the Shanxi Privince last night, (Saturday evening China time.)  Thank you for your prayers!!!  We met our wonderful friend and PRO liasion, Julie Ma...  Julie runs the show over here, and we are so thankful that she is holding our hands on this trip.  She planned a very special day for us today to help us get over our jetlag quickly..  We started our day at the museum of The Teracotta Warriors.  It was incredible to see this historical site in person.  Pictures do not do it justice..  It is vast, and the attention to detail leaves you in awe of the craftsmen involved.  After lunch, Julie took us to the wall that surrounds the beautiful city of Xi'an.  We rode bikes 7 miles around the city.  It was such a fun way to see Xi'an.  After our adventure we headed to dinner for what Xi'an is known for, their dumplings.  Not only are their dumplings delicious, they are a work of art.  

Tomorrow we head to the Hunan Province.   Changsha holds a special  place in all of our hearts..  We are very excited to be with the Bamboo Babies..  We will meet up with the kids and their foster families on Tuesday.

More soon from the PRO team!

Made With Love........

I can't really recall when I met these women..  Somewhere in time along the paths of my journeys to China.  The three of us have one thing in common..  A heart for orphans.   This story is like an awesome God-made spider web..   It's about how God brings people into our lives and works it for His glory..  How he allows us to connect, share our gifts, give and go...

Not too long ago I heard about a beautiful non-profit called Leigh's Blankies.   This organization was started in memory of Leigh Ann Tonkinson to "Show God's love to children, one blankie at a time!"

My sweet friend, and Pearl River Sponsor, Julie was blessed to be one of Leigh's dearest friends.  I learned about these precious blankets during a visit last summer with Julie and her family.  In November Julie and her husband were in China adopting their precious baby girl and they had the opportunity to share blankets during their visit there....  She posted about it that day, here!  Julie's incredible pictures from that special day tell their own story! Later my little girls would be recipients too of these beautiful blankets..  On them, one simple tag..  It reads, on one side, "Let your Light Shine before men..."  On the other, "Leigh's Blankies."  Such a beautiful way of spreading God's Love, one blankie at a time!~   

Next, my sweet friend Lori, also a Pearl River Sponsor, read Julie's poignant post..  This inspired Lori to reach out to Leigh's Blankies..  Lori, an amazing seamstress, decided this was something she could do...  So, she signed up to sew 50 blankies for  Leigh's Blankies for our China Trip!....  Yesterday I received Lori's amazing gift for the Bamboo Babies!  50 beautiful, soft flannel cotton blankets all sewn by her personally.  Thank you Lori for your gift of time, and love.  We can't wait to bless the children we meet with your gifts! We promise to wrap up as many babies as possible with your incredible blessings.  

The blankies are packed and ready to go...  

I am ready too..  Ready to love on some very special children who are waiting for their forevers!

We leave April 19th.  More soon on the details of our trip!!

"Let your light shine before men..."

Matthew 5:16