Vitamin D

Ahhhh, spring is in the air. Sun, and a little rain, have spruced up the lawns to a beautiful green color and brought out a barrage of robins who signal the sign of warmer days to come. I will be the first to admit that dark, cold, and dreary days directly affect my mood (just ask Julie) and the passing of another winter season brings a smile to my face. I have always heard that the sun, although potentially harmful, does serve a very important function to the human body...vitamin D. Oh yes, count me in as a vitamin D junkie. I need it. I crave it. Intervention? Not there yet, but close!
The curtains and blinds that got little use during the cold months have been put to the test now that we open them daily to invite the sun into our home. Friends and family who haven't spoken for the past 180 days again ring the phone off the hook. Talks of get-togethers, cookouts, and reunions are now the main topics of conversation. Tall tales are being told once again and photo albums are dusted off and find themselves on tabletops throughout the house, to be looked at by all who enter here. This brings me to a sweet story that Julie told me about our 4-year old daughter, Sydney, from just yesterday.
Julie was showing her mother photos of our Bamboo Babies and Sydney huddled close by (she hates to miss a thing). As the pages were turned, one photo really caught Sydney's eye. It was the photo of a precious little girl with only one arm. Sydney's eyes grew wide as she sweetly asked, "Awww, that little girl only has one arm, why does she only have one arm?!" Julie explained that the little girl was born with only one arm and Sydney immediately commented in a sullen and sad way, "Oh no, how is she supposed to hug someone?!" Wow. She is 4. So sweet. So young, yet so concerned about others. Even children can teach us tremendous lessons in life, can't they?
Thank you for helping us help others. Thank you for helping us help beautiful little children all over China. Our Bamboo Babies are your Bamboo Babies. We are still in need of sponsors and those who are willing to donate to our general fund. Please spread the word! Ahhhh, spring: it delivers us from our cocoon of hibernation and begs for us to shake off the rust and get motivated! I will answer its call, how about you?
-Kurt

March 16, 2009

I knew when I was tagged by my cohorts to be in charge of writing the blog posts that I would never be able to hold up my end of the bargain. It is nice to know I didn't let them down! This whole blog thing is harder then it looks. I mean, c'mon, when am I supposed to find the time in between work, kids, work, kids, work, kids, work...well, you get the idea. I'd finally had enough and told myself that I would not let you, the reader, down any longer! Ahh, I can't lie. Julie threatened to throw away my favorite girl scout cookies and cancel the satellite TV. (OK, dear, you win again).
We want to thank those of you who have followed along with the blog and who have shown an interest in what we are doing. Many of you have spread the word about PRO, and we have gained some sponsors and donors within only a few weeks! The Mifan Mommy Club has exploded and we are thrilled at the possibilities of what we can do to aid the children of the Anhui Fu Yang Orphanage with nutritious rice! Please continue to pass the word along about what we do, and the love we have for helping children throughout China.
Many of you have also shown an interest in the PRO & Bamboo Babies buttons that Julie placed on the blog, and wished that you could advertise for Pearl River Outreach on your own websites and/or blogs by displaying the buttons. I can attest to the fact that Julie spent alot of time trying to design the buttons and place them on our blog (believe me, I am well aware - I couldn't chat on Facebook for hours). If you would like to have the buttons to use on your sites/blogs, please feel free to e-mail Julie @ julie@pearlriveroutreach.org and she will be happy to send you the "HTML code" so that you might use them at your leisure.
As we are so new to the blogging world, we have found ourselves taking baby steps as we explore possibilities that may be very obvious to some of you. Please know that we are excited about the new year that stands before us and we will do what we can to get current updates to you about PRO!
Thanks again for all that you have done, and what you have pledged to do in supporting our organization. From all of us here at Pearl River Outreach...we wish that warmer weather would HURRY UP AND GET HERE!!! Until the next post...........................

Our Team In Action

Training Team in Action

Many of you have been smitten by our Bamboo Babies and stepped forward to help by sponsoring a child or making a donation. Thank you!!! Along with initiating, and running, our Bamboo Babies Foster Care Programs, Pearl River Outreach also provides basic medical training to orphanages and foster parents throughout China. I wish I could report that Kevin and I are the brains behind the hands-on instruction that PRO provides, but I cannot. I must aim that spotlight onto the real heroins of our organization, Christina and Julie. Our wives have advanced medical backgrounds that is required to conduct such medical training within the orphanages and foster homes. Kevin and I are barely able to work a thermometer, so we decided that the women should take the lead on this one! This video is of the girls in action and, as it shows, they have a wonderful time sharing their knowledge with orphanage staff and foster parents. Providing professional, basic medical training is the foundation of Pearl River Outreach, and Christina and Julie cannot wait to again work with caregivers of China's orphaned children!