Merry Christmas

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7
We pray that your year has been filled with growth, your holiday season is filled with Him, and this next year is the most blessed one yet!
Merry Christmas to you all from Bring Me Hope and all the children of China who we love and represent!

These Three- perfect Christmas gift!

To all of you who are looking for the perfect Christmas gift…look no further! Come and check out Bring Me Hope’s store located on our website. Today I would like to draw special attention to our latest book “These Three”. It is based on true stories of orphans, volunteers and translators who have come to camp. “No one is unimportant and no one will leave unchanged”. Check it out at http://www.bringmehope.org/store.html

Sweet letter from a former camper who has since been adopted!!

Here is a letter written from a former camper. She came to camp in Jing Gan Shan, Jiangxi in 2006. She has since been adopted and lives here in the States. What a happy new beginning for this beautiful little girl. It is such a blessing that we were able to be a part of her amazing journey. Thank you Danielle for sharing your heart with us.

Bring Me Hope means a lot to me!
When I was in China, they brought us hope and took us out to play and see a different world. We spent one week at camp, and it was so fun! The first day we arrived there they put us kids into a group so we had a group game that we could play. They also gave me an English name, and my first English name given to me was Joy. They gave it to me because I love to smile and laugh a lot.
More days passed by and we went to so many places! We went swimming, bowling, ping pong, etc. It was so fun to be with them. We had a blast time together, and they changed my life.
When I was little my parents abandoned me in a street. Then I thought no one would love me and all I did is hate people. So when I spent a week with Bring Me Hope, I finally knew outside the world there are a lot of people who love us, and also God. Even though we are orphans, they are always there for us and loved us.
The day we went back home, I treasured all these memories. I love them all so much and want to say thank you for all the time you spent with us! We would never forget it! Always in my heart!
Danielle

Good ideas for Christmas gifts from Bring Me Hope

Have anyone musical in your family?? Check out Sound Delivery- a CD produced by BMH that features real artists writing songs based on the stories of Chinese orphans. You will listen to it over and over again... it's really that good!!! And it makes a great stocking stuffer!
visit http://www.bringmehope.org/sounddelivery.html to preview and purchase the CD!

November Newsletter from the Hedden Family- also an opportunity to give shoes to needy children this Christmas!

Xiao Hu and YaYa
We had another opportunity to have two of the orphans from the De Xing School spend a day with our family. As brother and sister, Xiao Hu (Little Tiger), and his sister YaYa entered our home with wide eyes, we were amazed at what
unfolded before us. After showing them around the house and giving YaYa a bath (Xiao Hu would have nothing to do with a bath), we let them sort of gravitate towards whatever they wanted to do. It's hard to know exactly what will hold their interest ahead of time. We have a tendency to think that they might not have a natural sense of “play” because they don't have toys and play in general isn't encouraged in their culture. But we were pleasantly surprised as we watched and played with them. Xiao Hu went immediately to the trucks, blocks, and cars to play with the boy stuff; while YaYa sought out Natalie's little dollies. Xiao Hu played rough, loud, and hard, while YaYa gently and lovingly dressed, “fed”, and coddled the babies,making sure each had a blanket and pillow, as though she was really their mommy. It's amazing how these two little ones with no real direction, guidance or nurturing, already have an innate sense of what their roles are. We were so pleased to see that in the midst of an obvious lack of parental affection, YaYa
especially has a God-given capacity to show love and affection to others. Her bright little eyes sparkled as she played with those babies, while her brother “conquered” our house with a vibrance that only God could have put inside of
him. Our hope is that as we model appropriate love, affection, and play, they will grow into loving, caring mommies and daddies themselves!

32 Feet
This Christmas we would like to provide the orphans at the school with new shoes. While spending time with them, we've noticed that every single one of them is wearing shoes that are old, broken, and worn down to the last string. Our plan is to take them to a nearby shoe store where we have already bargained a discounted price and buy them each a brand new pair. The cost is about $7.50 per pair, and there are about 16 kids to buy for. If you'd like to pitch in on the “32 Feet” project, you can send your gifts to the address below and mark your checks “32 Feet”.

To support our work financially, you can give with a check, Visa, Mastercard, or via Bill Pay. Please make checks payable to
Bring Me Hope and send them to:
Bring Me Hope
P.O. Box 164
Big Lake, MN 55309

Quote from former volunteer

This is a quote from a former volunteer about the last day of camp.
"Saying goodbye to the girls that day was the hardest day of my life...and I've buried two husbands."
One week of camp can change lives. Not yours alone, but each child and translator that comes. Come be a part of the change that is going on each summer in China. When we give of ourselves it will never be in vain.

Help us help two great kids!

Here is an update about two very special kids from camp who stole our hearts. Julie Vidler says there is a way we can reach out and help them! Please read below and share with anyone who may be interested. Thanks everyone.

Hi all,
Wei Wei and Kao Kao who we met (and loved! ) at the BMH summer camp may be able to go to Bethel!
I am still working on paving the way and hope and pr that they can go - what a blessing for them to be in such a great environment made especially for them!
Jeff Knipe has kindly offered to help towards their cost of living but we need to be able to pay for their transport there and some living costs !
IF they do go, is there anyone happy to donate/fund raise to help these precious kids? Please forward this on to anyone who may be interested.
Love Julie

Here's an update from the Vidlers on Lucy in Xian, one of the Elim kids who came to camp. Thank you so much Vidler family for all you are doing in China. You bless us so much!

Hi to everyone who knows and loves little Lucy – I know you have been wondering what is happening lately.

She did go to school for one day last week but after that the local people complained so much that she is not allowed to go anymore.

So we decided to home school her and are paying a lady (sarah ) to teach her. Poor Lucy is 8 and has never been to school and is so keen to learn. Today (day 1) she learnt to write to 20 and about seasons !



We have been over to her house and spent a lot of time cleaning and making a special “school room” for her.



Thanks to some amazing fundraising from some school students in Western Australia we had enough $$ to buy a curtain and lots of pink decorations for her. She is so happy and proud of the room that she has even started making decorations herself.

It was nice to see her today and that she has a special place in the house that she can call her own.

I hope you enjoy the “before” and “after” photos and our renovation rescue team.



Love Julie and Sam.

Update from the Hedden family in China

Here's an update from the Hedden family- friends and camp directors of BMH summer camps. Enjoy!

The Headmaster of the De Xing Primary School in north Kunming has recently given us special permission to bring some of the orphans to our home when they have time off. We feel especially grateful for this opportunity. Our goal is to visit the kids who have been to Bring Me Hope’s summer camp here in Kunming once a week as our target ministry group because these children are in a very unique predicament. These orphans were abandoned by their parents to the care of the school, and were “adopted” by the school’s headmaster. As his wards, they are no longer eligible to be adopted into a normal family structure; so ours is essentially the only traditional family that they are able to associate with. Every holiday, as all the other boarding students head home, they are cruelly reminded that they have no families of their own. Our hope is that we can help fill that void in their lives so that they will ultimately see that G was watching out for them.
So early one morning about two weeks ago, we went to the school to get two of the kids. After visiting with all of them for a little while, we collected Li Deng Qing (Jaimie) and Li Deng Feng (Ruby), and started the ride home. Their wide smiles soon gave way to happy giggles in the back seat of the van as Amy handed them some fruit and yogurt. At the house we showed them around, gave them a long hot bath, and dressed them in 2 beautiful dresses while Amy washed and dried their clothes. After that, we played with them, took them out to eat, fed pigeons at the park, chased fish in the pond, and chatted with them. They were so happy to be in a place where they could just relax and play with toys. Our expectations for them were that they would find our home a place where they felt content, safe, and loved .
Last week we had another opportunity to spend a day with 2 of the older girls from the school. Both 13 years old, Guan Xiu Mei (May), and Wu Yan Qiong (Lisa), were delighted to come along with us for the day. Our kids sat and colored with them for almost 2 whole hours. Then we went downtown to eat and window shop with them. They played tag, chased the fish, climbed on the park equipment, played Uno, and talked with us. We had a wonderful time with them, and I think they had a good time as well. They are such a blessing to us, and we look forward to spending time with more of the children from the school. Our time with these orphans is precious. The hardest part of the day is taking them back to the school, but we assure them each time with a hug and a kiss on the top of the head that we will be back, and that we love them! Thanks to each of you who make it possible for us to be part of these kids’ lives.

Learning From a Shepherd
In addition to my regular university language study, we have recently hired a special language teacher who comes to our house once a week and tutors me. But he isn’t an ordinary teacher. My tutor is a local “shepherd” who has 5 “flocks” of sheep in our local area and who supports his family by being a Chinese tutor. He teaches me the language of the “Shepherd’s Manual” so that together we can introduce others to “The Shepherd”. Our time together each week is exhilarating both because of the content of our study and because we spend 2 hours of uninterrupted conversation completely in Chinese.

Visiting our Kids from Camp!

Today I had the opportunity to go and visit the lovely kids from a local private orphanage who we met at camp.

My Aussie friend, Hollie and I packed our vegemite sandwiches and boarded the jeep for a China day of many varied experiences.

We were met with big smiles and cuddles from Lily – 4 year old Down’s syndrome girl who is also deaf. She seems really happy and as bubbly as ever.


The highlight of the day was seeing Wei Wei and presenting him with a “stimulation tent” and a piano. As you may remember he is the blind boy who at 5 years old still weighs less than the average 1 year old.(but still managed to steal the hearts of BMH volunteers and staff.


He laughed and smiled when we presented him with his piano and all the children loved the tent that Hollie made them.

We treated Wei Wei at camp for worms and his terrible diarrhea has stopped and he looks like he has gained some weight!

We also got to see the little cleft palate/lip baby who was found in July. He was abandoned at a few days old in this box but is now a happy, chubby baby boy who loves his “grandpa”.

On a sadder note we got to meet another newcomer...

He is a little boy between 2 and 3 who was left at the door at 11PM a few nights ago. His legs were tied together so he couldn’t follow his parents after they left him ! Because he has had spina bifida he is incontinent of urine which must have become too much for his parents.

Thanks for your continued interest in these children – hopefully they will return to camp next year.

Currently we continue to pray for them and their carers – an elderly couple who now look after over ten kids.

Love, Julie Vidler in Xi'an

Team from "A Mother's Love" helps with BMH Camp!

"A Mother's Love’s” own Jeff Knipe brought a team from Florida to Bring Me Hope's Camp in Xi'an this summer!


(Jeff Knipe with FangFang (above), WenWen (below) and translator at camp in Xian!)

Here is an excerpt from their newsletter:

Bring Me Hope Camp

From July 12-16, the AML team volunteered at Bring Me Hope camp in Xi'an. Each volunteer was assigned one to two children from nearby orphanages in Ankang or Fuping along with a Chinese / English translator. In total, there were 20 orphans, 18 volunteers, and 15 translators who bonded quickly and had an incredible 5 days together.

We visited museums, played in fountains, made crafts, ate meals together, and even had a talent show! Words cannot express the impact this 5-day camp had on all of us and our translators. One of our immediate projects is to get medical help for Wen Wen here in the United States. She's a beautiful 20-yr-old girl from Ankang (Karly Knipe's orphanage) who has never walked and we are committed to helping her in any way we can!

Our Current Needs:

Surgery for Wen Wen - We are working hard to obtain a medical visa to bring Wen Wen to the U.S. for surgery. Wen Wen is 20 years old and has never been able to stand up or walk! Please pray for this difficult process. You can see a video of Wen Wen on our website.

Adoptive Families for Si Jie and Fang Fang- We are praying that we can find families for these two precious girls. Si Jie is an adorable five-year old with club feet and Fang Fang is a happy and smart 14-year old with Hepatitis B.


(Sie Jie waits for a family.)

For more information about A Mother's Love, please visit our website: www.amotherslovechina.com

Donations can be done through PayPal on our website or mail to:
A Mother's Love 224 Chestnut Ridge Street Winter Springs, Florida 32708

Bring Me Hope featured on Rising Voice!

Bring Me Hope was included on the "Rising Voice" website!

Check it out HERE!

You can change two BMH campers lives...

Bringing Hope to Lena

Remember Lena? She was with us during 2007 Summer Camp in Beijing!

Check out this video of others who are continuing to help her!

Bringing Hope To Lina

Words from a Volunteer...

"It is my birthday today and many ask me what have I gotten today, I can’t help replying I have had the most precious of gifts already two weeks with Daniel, Giles, Liily and Jin Rong and all the wonderful friends at BMH. That blessing keeps on giving!"
~ Beth Bailey, Australian Volunteer

BMH Volunteers Return to China to Visit Camp Buddies!

My name is Susan. My daughter Alexis and I went to one of the BMH summer camps last year--what a great time that was! Perhaps because they were older and I am a Mom, I bonded especially with my two campers ZhangYan (16) and Qingqing (20), and it broke my heart to watch the vans drive away that last day. Lily, my translator, spent an extra day after the camp before we all parted ways...and we solidified a friendship that had been growing that week as God broke both our hearts for these orphans.

Both Lily and I had signed up for Becca Bolt's email after-camp course (for campers & translators) on Relationships; I think it's purpose is to encourage growth in friendships begun at the camp, but Lily and I didn't need a reason to email...by that time we were emailing each other a couple of times a week. ZhangYan and Qingqing were continually on my heart, and--although she is not yet a Christian--I could see that God had put the girls on Lily's heart, too. We talked a lot about them, and I told Lily that I felt I would be back in a year so that we could all be together again.

As the months went by, God provided money for my "China Fund" again and again. Although I was dismayed at how the cost to return to China more than doubled, still God brought the money necessary to make it happen for Alexis and me. Lily explained to me that she had told her family so much about the girls & her experience at Camp that her Father was interested in meeting these orphans and the Americans who seemed to care about them so much. I asked her to call the girls' orphanage and ask if it was possible for us to travel with them; Lily called and the Grandfather agreed!

The most important part of our time together was spent at Lily's home. I don't believe her family had ever met a Westerner...but they welcomed us into their lives and treated us as Honored Guests. By the end of the first day together, God had grafted us into this wonderful and caring family. My greatest desire was to see God bond ZhangYan and Qingqing's hearts to the hearts of Lily's family--and that is exactly what He did! Lily's Father announced that the girls must come and spend their future school vacations with the family from now on, and every one of the apx. 20 of us was crying on the day that we left Lily's home. My heart longs for the day when Alexis and I can return to China, but I know that, should this not happen, ZhangYan and Qingqing now have family who love them.

In an email that I just received from Lily's sister Violin (who, along with Lily and her best friend Nancy were translators at one of the BMH camps this summer), she wrote, "Your coming have changed my whole famlies a lot! We were curious ,joyful, my families have understood love deeper...Dad and mum often talk about you. There is no difference between Chinese and Americans to some degree! We love you all and hope for another wonderful together-meeting !" GOD is SO good!

When we returned to the Orphanage--through God's miraculous timing--both Tim and William (Alexis' two buddies from last year) were there to meet us! Alexis brought gifts for the boys, and we spent the day with them before reluctantly returning home. Lily and I have decided that next time, we need to bring TIM 'home', too.....is God awesome, or what??


Alexis, with her translator Yang,& buddies Tim and William, last year at camp.


We held a surprise Birthday Party for ZhangYan, Qingqing and Lily's Father the last night we were at their home, complete with party hats, gifts and birthday cake. I've never seen the girls smile so much!


Qingqing, ZhangYan and Lily's Father with the birthday cake.


At Grandfather's Orphanage (L-R) Qingqing's brother, Tim, William, Alexis, Qingqing, Susan & ZhangYan.

Hannah's Story Continues...

“Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord o my soul.” Psalm 103:22

“ Then I think, ‘oh how complicated to love a person.’ I did not know this until now.” –Angela

So I have to say that as Angela and I made the four hour bus ride to Hannah’s village I was filled with many emotions. Would she still remember the anger she had towards us at times last summer? Would her joy in seeing us be crushed, as we had to leave two days later? Is she scared for her father? Is she wondering why he is still sick? So many thoughts and emotions rolled around in my mind. But I was so thankful to be going to see her and I was so thankful to have Angela by my side!

The orphanage where Hannah and her family had previously been living shut its doors about a month ago. Hannah’s family was now living at an old folks home a few miles away from where the orphanage was. As we pulled up in the taxi; there were many old folks laying in the shade at the entrance gate, as well as a few children playing amidst them. I saw Hannah right away and joy filled my heart. I rushed up and gave her a big hug. She hugged me back so I was happy. She looked so much older. She grew taller, her hair was long, her face had matured- she was more of a little woman now. Her brother was standing beside her and he too gave me a warm embrace! They (along with half the people in the old folks home) walked us through the gates and to Hannah’s family’s room. It is very primitive there; no running water, select times for electricity use, a well, and a garden that grew many vegetables. They have two adjoining rooms where there are three beds, a table, a rotating fan (which works where there is electricity), a television, and that about sums it up.

We greeted Hannah’s father and talked with him about his health. We were able to explain to him he process of sending his test results and such to different specialist. We also talked with him about their current living situation and finding him someone to care for him while the children are at school (since they go back in September). He allowed me to get the history of his illness and his family history, as well as do a little physical assessment. We were also able to take him back to the hospital and get a physical assessment done in Chinese (this was done because the specialist that is looking at his test results now really needs a clearer picture of the man he is trying to treat from afar). I am in the midst of getting all of this information off to the doctor, as we understand that it has been a year since we started this journey with him and would really love to give him some answers.
I asked Angela if we could take the children back to our hotel for a sleep over, shower, and some shopping. She thought it was a great idea and the father agreed to let them come with us. It was so fun to be with them, to have Hannah grab my hand, want to sit with me, and just to see her smile. While we were shopping for clothes she asked for my help to try on different things and she even wanted me to do her hair- it was like she had a mother for a couple days. It blessed my heart so much. She has really matured a lot. She is still a young girl in many ways, but she did not have any temper tantrums or arguments with us. She willingly allowed us to love her and loved us back. This was probably the greatest blessing.

We were able to get these kids showered (which they had not done in a few weeks. They were sooo dirty!), get some new clothes (the only pair of pants Hannah had were the little pink ones that we had bought for her last summer), stock up on soap and bathroom supplies, get some good food into their tummies, and love on them so much. Angela and I even went to the new school that Hannah and her brother will be attending the fall and talked with the head master. We wanted to tell him that if the kids need anything for school to let us know. Angela left her phone number with them and got theirs in return. I cannot tell you what a blessing it was to have Angela with me. I was just going to try and find a random translator to come, but the Father provided so much more than a translator in Angela. She cares so much for the kids too and is right there with us thinking up ideas and wanting the best for the children. She was sent straight from Above.

I know that some of Angela and my favorite times were the moments where we would just take some time and pray with the family. It was truly a blessing to get to encourage them in their faith. It is so exciting to see how the Father has placed different believers in their lives. I know this will help them as they journey on.

So Hannah’s story is still in progress. We are talking with doctors and trying to find someone to help out Hannah’s dad while the kids are at school. Though the old folks home is primitive, it is such a blessing to have them in a place where people surround them and they are getting as much help as the staff there can provide. We will be keeping up with Hannah’s schooling and any needs that her and her brother might have there.

Saying goodbye to them broke my heart. You never want to leave them when life seemed so much better when you were there with them. But this is where I get to grow more and more, knowing that He cares for them more than I ever could. And though we had to leave, He did not. He is there with them now. I am glad she knows that we love her and I am confident we will see her again soon.

~rose

Yantai Camp Update (4) - Dead fish for lunch?

Our final week in Yantai we were blessed to have 38 kids! We had toddlers, teenagers, and for the first time at Yantai we had a nearly even spread of boys and girls, which made many of the ladies happy to finally be paired with girls! We also threw in a few surprises for the finale of camp, including our very own version of a rock show!

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. On Monday we had kids from three orphanages arrive and we knew right away this was a rowdy group. We had kids of all shapes and sizes running around and none of them were worried about being shy. Right off the bat we had craft time and then due to a continuing difficulty with the pool we went straight to the waterpark. Unlike weeks past, these kids took to the water like…well, like fish to water, and without any hesitation they took control of the waterslide.

Tuesday was a day of crafts, games and the lasts scavenger hunt, which was finished in record time by Shiloh, Finwake and their volunteer, Willie, not to mention their two boys. After an afternoon of ice cream at KFC we were back to camp for an assembly and discovered that Mary, a girl from the Yantai orphanage, was a very accomplished singer who treated us to a Chinese pop song that finished to a standing ovation!

But that was not the end of the musical talent from this group. On Wednesday we had an impromptu music recital as one little girl brought out a violin and played through Aul Lang Syne, and then was joined by Mary on Piano, and after they were finished one of our rowdier boys, Daniel, took a turn at the mic to sing his little heart out.

We were also finally able to return to the pool and the kids loved it! Most every kid mentioned swimming in their letters to their volunteers and despite the water still having a somewhat green tinge to it, we were all thrilled to be back underwater and out of the hot hot heat! It was also a chance to continue teaching some of the translators to swim, and while none of them are interested in trying out for the Olympics yet, they will be able to get themselves across to the deep end and back again.

Thanks to the return of the sun and all the heat that came with it we were also able to get back to the beach. It was a great day of sun, small surf and rides on the jet skis. It was also great for the kids to catch some of the wildlife swimming through the Chinese beach. It was a highlight moment when one of the kids brought a flat fish up to the sitting area and tried to feed some algae to the little guy, all the while saying “Hungry fish eat” in Chinese. It was even better when the boy searched around for a plastic bag and dumped the fish and some salt water into the bag to bring him home. Luckily we were able to convince him that fish are better off in the ocean.

Thursday night assembly came up and the rock show was on. The Mahoney family returned to camp for the final week and while they once again forgot their instruments, they remembered to rock! They put on a show for the kids, singing and dancing to one of the songs from their album “Do Make Room” and then went on to sing some of the camps songs the kids had learned during the week. The finale of their show was a new song they wrote specifically for camp, “Shout for Joy”, which everyone has been singing since. Then as a prelude to the slumber party we took the kids out and put on our very own fireworks show complete with rockets, spark showers and even a few mortar shells blasting high into the sky!

Friday was goodbye day and we were given a short reprieve with the kids to just hang out, take pictures and talk when a misunderstanding brought one small van to carry eighteen kids and two volunteers. There were long hugs and tearful goodbyes that would continue even after the kids were gone. After the kids were gone, it was time for the translators, volunteers and staff members to go their separate ways. Some are returning home, others are heading to further travels and a few are remaining for the first ever Chinese run camps. It was four weeks of love, friendship, laughter, big smiles and a few sad moments sprinkled in, but from all of us at Yantai we want to thank everyone for their prayers and support, and especially our volunteers and translators for all their hard work!
　
Other stories from week 4:

Dennis is a former staff member who returned for the last week of camp to translate and he was paired with two boys. During the week his boys looked after two boys from another orphanage, both of whom were developmentally disabled. Despite these boys never meeting before camp and being from completely different orphanages, they formed their own brotherhood and looked out for each other the entire week. One day Dennis’s boys even made sure to keep some food on the table when Bekah and her boys were late to dinner.

During family time on afternoon Lindsay took her boys to the local market to buy some snacks. The boys had never seen an escalator before and took turns riding it up and down, thinking it was a ride instead of a convenient way to travel between floors! The boys, who began the week sitting quietly during assembly, ended the week by jumping up during the assemblies and dancing and singing loudly.

Matthew, a volunteer, speaks no Chinese and his boy spoke no English. Despite the differences in their language Matt’s boy was determined to communicate without a translator, and by the end of the week he had developed a complicated series of gestures and hand signals, his own version of charades, that allowed him and Matt to communicate!

Kaisha was paired with two very difficult girls this week, both whom suffered from severe attachment disorder. After a frustrating week where the girls avoided her, Kaisha did her best to remain close to them without trying to smother them. During an elevator ride Wednesday night one of the girls was having a snack and shared it with the other girl. The girl took the shared snack, looked up at Kaisha and offered to share the snack, and the three of them ate together.

During the week Amy and her little girl Molly were in their room having family time. Molly looked up at Amy and said in practiced English “You are my friend and I love you very much.”

Xian Camp Update (4) - Newly Abandoned Child comes to Camp!

Just a few days after being abandoned, “Sean” found himself at Bring Me Hope’s camp in Xi’an. For an eight year old, Sean was extremely withdrawn and quiet. He didn’t smile, respond to our questions or keep eye-contact with anyone for long.

Though half-way through the week of camp Sean really started to come out of his shell. He began smiling at us, playing along with games, and went down the huge water slide at the pool. We even began having to chase after him because he was so excited to explore and experience things at camp!

At the end of the week we were amazed at the change in Sean’s heart, seeing that he began to trust us and enjoy his week at camp. We see God’s provision for His life that at just the time he was abandoned, he was ushered into his new orphanage family with other children during a fun camp where he was told how loved and special he is.

Our translators all deserve gold stars as well. In tears, one translator read the following letter to his orphan buddy:

“I’m glad I know you in the camp. Although you couldn’t tell me “I love you” like other kids, I know you love me deeply. Because while we’re walking together, you hold my hand tightly. That’s enough!

I hope you can have a heart of love forever. Firstly, you have to learn to love yourself. Next, you must know how to love others. The power of love is limitless.

Maybe it’s above your ability to understand what I’m saying, although I’m sure you will know all one day.”

THANK YOU for praying for us! We know we have a big support system of friends and loved ones back home. Your heart has been with us the whole time.

Love,
The Xian Team

Charlie: The Story So Far…

Four years ago Charlie came to a Bring Me Hope camp for the first time and spent a week with a family group. During that week Charlie told his life story and it was one that shocked all who heard it.

When Charlie was around 3 years old, his mother had a love affair and left her family for another man and Charlie was left in the care of his father, who was very poor. Charlie’s father managed to remarry with a woman who treated Charlie alright and she also bore a new baby sister for Charlie. But there was no love in his life. When the stepmother also left, Charlie’s family was destitute.

One night after eating in a restaurant Charlie’s father was unable to afford the bill, so he left Charlie’s infant sister as payment. Charlie didn’t understand until later that night that his father was not playing a joke but had really left behind his sister behind.

Soon after his father was at another hotel with Charlie and once again could not afford to pay his debt and planned to use Charlie as payment. This time the manager of the hotel called the police and Charlie’s father was taken into police custody while Charlie was sent to his orphanage. He was eight years old.

In the years after his abandonment Charlie suffered many disheartening events in his life including being teased because he was put in Kindergarten despite being such an advanced age. He was also mistakenly identified as mentally handicapped due to his mistaken placement in such younger classes.

In 2006 Charlie came to Bring Me Hope after being spotted by one of our workers who was visiting his orphanage. Since then he has become a repeat visitor and this year we were lucky enough to have Charlie visit us here in Yantai for a week. He was placed in a family group with Logan, another boy from his school, Crystal his translator and Marina, a volunteer from Canada.

While Charlie is shy to start, he is also very obviously curious about what is going on around him and there is no concealing the brightness in his eyes. The very first day he was one of the last of the kids to join in on the water-park, but once he got on and began to enjoy himself he was also the last to leave. During our trip to the indoor water-park Charlie was swimming and playing with all the kids and even picked a few different volunteers and translators to take turns riding down the inner tube slide with him.

Tuesday night the family groups were asked to answer a few simple questions: What do you hope for, what do you want to be when you grow up, and what do you worry about. Charlie’s biggest worry is much the same as any child his age: his future and his education. While most kids wonder about how they will succeed once they reach adulthood, Charlie’s worries are more close to his heart due to the fact that he was placed so far back in school and as a result he has fallen so far behind in his studies.

His idea of what he wants to be in the future reinforce the fear of his eventual ascension to manhood: he has no clear idea of what he wants to be, only that he wants to be rich and successfully. He does know that he does NOT want to be a beggar or a cleaner.

Despite these harsh realities that face him, Charlie’s heart is never far from others and that is part of what makes him so astounding. Despite the life he has led and the evil he has witnessed and suffered, he is a boy full of love. When asked about what he hoped for, his answer was simple: For the Bring Me Hope camps to get better and better.” When Marina asked him why, he said “So more kids can come and enjoy the camps and experience love!”

One of Marina’s highlights for the week was the trip to KFC on Thursday. The boys had ice cream and then got to have some chicken sandwiches and while they were eating Marina went shopping for some snacks and goodies for the boys to share. As everyone was leaving the KFC Charlie took Marina’s hand, looked up at her and said “I am very happy.” On the bus ride back to camp the other orphan in his family group, Logan, lost one of his treats and without hesitation Charlie shared his treats with Logan.

Charlie’s story is ongoing, as are the stories of the other hundreds of kids that have come through our camps. Their lives are hard and their needs are great, but hope is out there for them, as it is for everyone. Here is just a sampling of Charlie’s goodbye letter to Marina, a glimpse into the heart of a very strong and joyful young man.

“I know there is a long distance between Canada and China. I am very happy we are in a family.”

“It’s hard for me to say goodbye, I hope time can be frozen.”

“You are like my mother that love and care me. This is the most beautiful memory that I have ever had. What’s more, thank you sharing your story. I was inspired a lot. I believe on day I will be a Christian.”

Kunming Camp Update (3) - Keep Lifting Us Up!

Hi Friends and Family,

On a personal level, we have not had the best of weeks. So many lows – Luke’s camera and much of his equipment was stolen, and as you already know, Bryn’s file will not be released to us. Finally, Amy’s mom was moved to a nursing home on Friday. We feel as though we are under severe spiritual attack!

We have been amazed though that despite all this, by God’s grace, Camp has gone on very successfully. Translators’ lives have been changed in eternal ways, our volunteers are so kind and loving, and the children have been showered with a love they so desperately long for and eat up! One little guy wrote to his volunteer,

“When I get big, I will come and find you!”

One little girl who was at our camp last year as well, saw Tim walk in, jumped up from her place at the table, grabbed his hand and said,

“You come and sit by me!”

We are so blessed to witness and be a part of this whole wonderful process!

Thank you all!
Amy and Tim for all the Heddens

Xi'an Camp Update (3) - Like Family Dinner-time...

What happens when you have a group of willing volunteers, helpful translators, agreeable orphans and a big God? We found that it leaves you with a pretty seamless week of camp!

The children loved making pottery, running through the city fountains, and going to the pool with giant water slides, but sometimes our more meaningful camp moments happened when we were simply hanging out together.

The more intimate times of making bracelets for one another, reading bedtime stories together, and watching people perform in the camp talent show are precious moments. Like spending time with family around the dinner table, we didn't need anything fancy to enjoy one another.

One family group especially enjoyed a two-hour conversation about their life-stories. After the kids heard their volunteer’s story, one little boy asked, “Can you tell me more about Jesus?”

The Lord is opening hearts around here, young and old. We praise Him for all He is doing here in Xi’an.

Love, us.

Yantai Camp Update (3) - Lots of RAIN!

In Yantai the word for week 3 was FLEXIBILITY! It seemed like a comedy of errors, as not only did we lose access to the swimming pool for the entire week, it also rained with some lightning and thunder thrown in for good measure, enough to throw out any plans we had for outdoor activities and disrupt the schedule of assemblies and meetings. Despite these obstacles to our plans, the staff, volunteers, translators and kids came together to have a blast of a week where we even managed to throw in a few surprises!

The kids arrived Monday afternoon and as we ushered them into the pool we were greeted with a shocking sight: the pool had gone from crystal blue to algae green! Not to be dissuaded from enjoying their time with us, the kids jumped into craft time while some of the staff rushed to set up the water-park.

he kids were hesitant to be the first to try the water-park, but after seeing some of the volunteers and translators give the waterslide a try, the kids jumped in line and all too soon it was pandemonium with jumps, somersaults and more than a few water-soaked king-of-the-hills.

Tuesday came in with a roar that would make any lion proud. Rain, lightning, thunder and the staff at the hotel telling us we would have to turn of the electric equipment before anything nearby struck us with lightning. While we had to shorten our assembly, we were able to lengthen family time and give an extra night for the kids to contemplate some questions about what they wanted to be in the future and what they thought it meant to be a man or a woman.

The storm didn’t disrupt all of our plans. In fact for the scavenger hunt it made things more interesting, as we extended the hunt between the two largest buildings of the resort, two buildings that are about 100 yards apart. In the rain that can be quite a run! The kids and their family groups disrupted a few massages and oxygen treatments as they searched for eight staff members hidden throughout the buildings, and after nearly an hour and a half of searching a winner was crowned!

Also as a result of the storm we got to try a new event. By midweek the skies were still dark and stormy so instead of risking a trip to the beach we found an indoor Waterpark. It had two huge tube-slides, one smaller tube and a huge rafting slide, plus a gigantic pool complete with hidden tunnel, a large fountain to run through and a smaller kiddie area for the younger campers to enjoy.

While the tube slides were somewhat troublesome to get through, especially for some of the larger staff members who kept getting stuck halfway down, the large raft slide became a hit both for those daring enough to ride down it and for the spectators who got to watch.

Many of our volunteers this week were Canadian citizens and they were very proud of where they come from! Thursday night they treated the kids to a song they had practiced both in English and in Chinese, and then gave a lesson on the differences between Canada and the rest of the world. The finale of this lesson was introducing the kids to hockey! The demonstration was well received, but the American volunteers got to stand up and challenge the Canadians to a quick match, and the Americans came out ahead, 1-0! But more exciting than any competition was seeing the kids in the hallways the next morning practicing hockey with their very own authentic Canadian hockey sticks!
So while the best plans may be changed or disrupted, we learned this week that love really does conquer all, and you don’t need sunshine or a swimming pool to be a family!


Other stories from Camp:

On Tuesday night we had to announce that television time needed to be limited because we were developing a severe couch potato problem with all the rain and so much time spent indoors. One translator explained that time with the TV. off could be spent in family groups talking, playing or sharing, one of Bekah’s boys reached for her hand and told her in Chinese “This makes so much sense! With the TV off I can spend more time with you!”

Teresa was having a rough week with one of her boys, Xia Dao, who liked to run around and cause trouble, always with a small grin on his face. On Wednesday during assembly they were singing together and for the first time he reached over on his own and took her hand. When she looked down at him, he looked back up and smiled at her.

During our weekly trip to the local KFC Lydia was having ice cream with her boys, both of whom were taller than her by over a foot. Lydia asked the boys if they had a highlight from the week so far and her biggest boy Tim answered immediately: “Right now, because we are all eating like a family.” and her other boy, John, agreed.

The first day of camp we had water-park for the kids and at first Patti’s two boys, both around the age of ten, were hesitant to climb on board. Patti showed them by getting on the slide herself and after watching her have fun, the two boys jumped in line with her. After a few minutes together on the slide she had bonded with the boys and they would be inseparable the remainder of the week.

This week the scavenger hunt was extended to include two entire buildings and eight separate items, and to add even more difficulty it was pouring rain the entire time. Becca and her family group jumped at the opportunity and found all the items first and won together. Not only did they enjoy winning together, they were also able to enjoy their favorite ice creams at KFC as a family.

During the slumber party on Thursday night the boys were doing card tricks, having arm-wrestling contests and eating all kinds of junk food. In the midst of all this noise and revelry I heard a couple of the biggest boys in the group wandering around the room singing softly: “Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful day!”

One of the character lessons we have been teaching this year is the story of Joseph, a young man who is abandoned by his family in a faraway land and there comes to great power and responsibility. At camp we had our very own Joseph this week, a young man named Steve. At the age of six Steve was told to wait on a train while his parents took his sister to the restroom. Hours later and miles away Steven was still on the train, but his family never returned for him and he ended up in an orphanage. Now Steve is 17 and has been trained as a design artist. One of the camp sponsors, Terry, a manufacturer who also produces our t-shirts, visited camp and one of our Canadian volunteers, Michael, introduced Terry to Steve. After hearing his story and hearing from Michael what a good man Steve is striving to become, Terry offered Steve a job in one of his factories!

Xi'an Camp Update (2) - Adoptive Family Volunteers!

Like a refreshing summer rain storm, week two of camp has come and gone in Xi'an.

We were yet again blessed with a group of volunteers from all over the world. The Knipe family of Florida were especially excited to spend the week with children from their adopted daughter's orphanage!

A six year old boy named Wei Wei grabbed all of our hearts. He was blind and very small, but reminded us that no child is insignificant.

We're grateful for another fantastic week! Thank you for lifting us up!

With love,
The Xi'an team

Kunming Camp Update (2) - "The happiest time of my life..."

Dear Friends and Family,

We can say "Hurray!" for week 2 - not that it's over (hah!), but very successful and fun! We had another amazing group of 16 beautiful children. Everyone connected well with their kids and played hard. Our goodbye party, complete with a beautiful cake for eating (not throwing, a typical Chinese tradition) was filled with many heart-felt words of love, affection, and disappointment at having to leave. Here a a couple of quotes from the kids to their foreign volunteers:

"When you said, 'I love you' to me, although I didn't have enough courage to speak out, I did say it in my heart."

"Hello, beautiful like flowers, my sister. This week is the happiest time in my life."

"Every day you take me to eat ice cream. That's a happy memory in my life. Every day in the camp, I was so happy."

The kids definitely say it the very best!

Blessings,
The Hedden family

Yantai Camp Update (2) - Lots of Teenagers!

This week the Yantai camp went from a preschool to a high school! While we still had a couple of younger kids, the majority were teenagers! We were also once again blessed with an abundance of boys, which made things more complicated for our female volunteers and translators. But they stepped up and loved their boys like the sons, nephews, or in some cases bigger brothers they might have been.

We had one minor visit to the hospital, but thankfully it turned out to be a precautionary step rather than a necessary one. A young boy who had a small lump on his cheek that was at first feared to be mumps turned out to have a single cavity! He was able to return the same day with a smile and a clean bill of health for the week.

Since we had so many larger boys pool time was a much more active endeavor than the previous week, and the small ball games and swimming lessons were overtaken by water fights, splash wars and a game of keep-away that eventually devolved into a full contact game of “tackle the guy with the ball!” Speaking of water-based events, we were able to get our waterpark up and running and it was a big hit. A giant waterslide led to flips, slips, jumps, push wars, water hose battles ad a few accidental trips downward. The kids had good times pushing their buddies down the slides, and the buddies had fun chasing their kids back up to ride again.

Unfortunately the trip to the amusement park was cancelled for logistical reasons, but it was replaced with a new game for the camp, a scavenger hunt through the dorms that turned out to be really popular with the kids and the adults.

Staff members on different floors were holding candy and glowsticks, and three rice crispy treats for three lucky and quick scavenger hunters. Despite having so many big kids at the camp, it turned out to be the youngest team that was fastest as Carm, Spring, Casey and their two buddies Ya Ya, who is eight and Bai Bai who is six gathered up all six items and returned to win the prize: sodas for their next two meals.

A big event for the camp this week was the beach. We tried out a different one and found not only a better spot for swimming, but also a place to take rides on jet skis and power boats! Most of the kids had never been to the ocean and now we didn’t just get them into the sea, we took them speed along on top of it! A big highlight for everyone was a powerboat tour along the coast of Yantai that included views of cliffsides, cliff top temples and lots of dips and turns along the way.

There were the usual moments of tears and close calls, but also lots of joys and excitement as the kids just got to be kids. We learned a lot from hearing the stories of the children, and were astounded by the strength and optimism they showed even in the face of such hardships as they have all faced. We learned through life charts that some of the children had lost parents, others had been abandoned, but all came to us with open hearts and left with smiling faces.

Camp Stories:

Bai Bai was the youngest camper this week at about 5 years old, and despite being the smallest and youngest by leaps and bounds, she was also the most sassy. Her favorite word was “boo,” which means No. All week Carm and her translator have been telling Bai Bai “Wo Ai Ni” with little response. On the last night of camp Carm went in to say goodnight and gave Bai Bai a hug and said “Wo AI Ni.” Bai Bai looked up nonchalantly and replied simply “I know!” and smiled.

This week at camp there was a conference so our breakfasts were delivered to our rooms by staff members. The breakfasts consisted of meat buns, sweet pies and eggs that needed to be boiled in teapots. Suzanne did not know the eggs were raw when she went to have breakfast in her boys room. Lu Kai, the older boy, tried to warn her by saying “Sheng Da” which means “raw.” Suzanne thought he said eggs and cracked them open since she thought they were already hardboiled. She and her boys got a big shock and a good laugh when raw yolk splashed out of the eggs she had smashed together.

After craft time on Tuesday Bethany was walking with her buddy Donna and also with her younger sister, Riley. Donna was holding both of their hands and looked at them happily and said “You are my best friends.”

Patti is on her first trip to China and has never spoken Chinese, and her buddy Boi doesn’t speak any English. Patti was teaching Bo to play “go fish” and in the middle of the game he stopped her and taught her Chinese sign language for 1-10. Patti than taught him English sign Language for K, Q, and J ( King, Queen and Jack) and using sign language they were able to communicate and play together.

This week volunteer Vicky was assigned two boys of sixteen as her buddies and a translator who was so small the two boys considered her a little sister, even though she was six years older than they were! On the last day of camp as the boys were loading into the bus to go home Vicky signed “Wo AI Ni” to them, and was shocked and elated when both of the boys, who had been somewhat distant during the week, signed it back to her.

Xian Camp Update -Orphan and Volunteer bring cheer all over Xian

We were blessed to have 24 orphans and 12 volunteers take part in our first week of camp.

Our volunteers and staff teams are made up of people from Australia, Ireland, England, America, and China. We've had continuing jokes about not being able to understand each other, especially the Americans with the Aussie lingo. ;) But in all seriously (which is a rare thing of us,) we have loved our joined unity over our common goal of helping the children.

We had two groups of precious orphans with us this past week, most of which were energetic boys. They had a blast visiting Ocean World, running through the Xian fountain show, and swimming, of course.

One 15-year-old boy named Loren made an impression on us all; he has CP, though that sure doesn't inhibit his joy. He was constantly laughing at his silly 70-year-old English volunteer who sported goofy hats every morning.

Alan and Loren were quite a sight walking around the city of Xian together; with huge smiles on their faces, they would greet every (and I mean every) passerby with a big wave and a loud "NI HAO!" which means HELLO! They continued greeting people until they broke into a smile and give a little wave. The pair brought so much happiness to literally hundreds of city folk in Xian this week, but also to the rest of our camp and also to each other.

Memories and laughter characterize our week, and we are really grateful to the Lord for His provision and care to us.

With love,
The Xi'an Team

Kunming Camp Update - Water-park thrill!

Dear Friends and Family,

We are off to an amazing start! It was an awesome, fun-filled, life-changing, blessing beyond words time. The children are always quiet when they first arrive, but in a matter of hours are laughing, playing, and enjoying being loved. When it was time to go, every single child, translator, and volunteer, was crying. We always go away each week blessed by what we (our WHOLE FAMILY) have experienced and witnessed, and wishing we had a huge house with lots of rooms.

Eight-year-old Annie was the one who captured us the most this week. She sobbed when she told her volunteer about her mom dying. And she later asked her volunteer if she could kiss her on the cheek. Another highlight was when 3 of the little boys walked into the water park. First their eyes bugged out, they threw their arms into the air, and then they screamed in excitement! What a thrill to witness this.

Next week we will double our numbers and our blessings. We have an amazing group all around - all so willing to love and be loved. We wish you all were here!

Love from China!

The Heddens

Yantai Camp Update - Pre-schoolers and Hospital runs

Our first week of camp is nearly over and yet the adventures are just beginning! Our children arrived and we were surprised to find that they were almost all toddlers or pre-school age. We were expecting a few kids around five and ranging up to twelve, but the oldest we got was about nine and we had more than a couple under four years old! The kids were mostly excited to jump into the activities of camp, and even the most reluctant children were excited when it came to pool time.

On the second day we had two boys who needed medical attention for pre-existing conditions.

Fu Ai Jhong, who is about 5 years old and called Eli by his American, Lydia, was suffering from eye inflammation that at first everyone thought was pinkeye. Teresa took him to the hospital to be treated and they found the eye was inflamed because Eli’s eyelid is inverted and his eyelashes grow upward into his eye, causing scratches that will eventually blind the boy. He will need surgery to correct the eylids, but in the meantime the doctors taped the eyelid down so that the eyelashes would no longer bother his eye. Eli was undaunted by his time in the hospital. He was so excited with the makeshift eye patch that the doctors have him that he dragged Lydia around by the hand so he could show everyone the tape holding down his eyelid.

Teresa also had to take Jing Chun to the hospital due to a severe cough. The doctors diagnosed him with a form of pneumonia and he would need daily I.V. treatments. During the treatments Jing Chun, who is also missing his right hand, bonded strongly with Teresa and took his treatments like a chamo, needles and all. During the group photo on Wednesday Teresa was showing him how to wave at the camera and Jing stopped her from waving and began to push some of her fingers out and others in. He showed her the sign for “I love you” in Chinese and began to tap each of her fingers and saying Wo Ai Ni, over and over. Wo AI Ni is Chinese for I love you.

Other stories from the first week of camp:

On a shopping trip to the local town Elizabeth bought her boys brand new shoes. An An was so excited by his shoes that he didn’t want to wear them, he held them out and showed them to people passing by while yelling “Xin de xie, xin de xie”…New shoes!

During most of the week Fu Xinhai has been closed off from his family group, partially because he is both deaf and mute. During dinner last night he surprised his translator, Michael, by sharing food not only with Michael but also another little boy at their table. After dinner was over Michael began to walk away, leaving some uneaten food on his plate. Fu collected the food from Michael’s plate into a bowl and followed Michael to make sure he finished his dinner.

Fu Au Chau is an autistic little boy who is very sensitive and was said to have a very difficult time connecting with anyone at his orphanage. At the beginning of the week his American volunteer Kim was having a hard time getting Chau to look at her or even acknowledge her presence even if she was right in front of him. Now at the end of the week Chau has come way out of his shell. He is affectionate and loving, always hugging and kissing Kim, calling her Momma and even telling her “Wo Ai Ni:”

During her first night with her baby Huan Huan Emma was woken up in the middle of the night because Huan Huan had fallen off the bed. The baby was getting close to crying when she saw that Emma had woken up. When Emma reached down to pick the baby up, the sadness left her face and Huan Huan smiled and reached up for Emma.

Lydia has had a very rough week with two little boys who were very energetic but nto very interested in connecting with her, they preferred just randomly picking buddies and randomly switching at any time. Last night, the last night before the kids return home, Lydia was putting her boys to sleep after spending some time coloring and watching them show off their artwork and she signed I love you to Eli, her deaf/mute boy and was amazed and excited when he smiled up at her and signed back I love you.

We had many firsts for the kids and also for BringMeHope. We took the kids swimming, which is always a highlight for them and for us and this year we even had an inflatable raft that they took rowing all throughout the swimming pool. We took them to a local amusement park and got to ride bumper cars, spinning dolphins and even a flying elephant ride. We even had a beach day full of sand and surf and all the crabs, clams and tiny little fish the kids could find. It is really amazing how much life there is in the beaches here!

Camp Kick-off!

Xi'an, Yantai, and Kunming teams have kicked off camp for the summer! There have already been many joys and memories, so please keep lifting us up! Check out our facebook for pictures!

Kunming Staff Summit Game

We sure have had a lot of meetings but even more fun! :)

Night Walk 2010 Recap

Click on the link below to check out some of the amazing stories from our 2010 Night Walk. We had over 1,000 participants, which sponsored over 200 kids to come to camp this summer!!!

Thank you to all who joined us in body and spirit.

Click here for the Night Walk Recap

Off to a great start in Kunming!

BMH’s 2010 staff just finished a wonderful week in Kunming, China. We were able to connect, plan, and really bond as a group before heading to our three separate camp locations for the summer. Now we are all awaiting the arrival of our first campers come Monday! Keep us in your prayers! We cannot wait to see what God has in store for this summer.

Daisy Girl Scouts Raise Money for Orphans in China

You don’t have to be a grown up with a job to raise money for the little orphans! Check out these girls in Daisy Girl Scout Troop 944 who raised $21.30 to bring kids to camp in China this summer!

They also colored pictures to brighten the children’s lives.

Thanks girls! You’re an inspiration!

Oregon Family's Foster Care Story

Lacey Scott's family has volunteered with Bring Me Hope's Summer Camps in China. Yet their extention of love touches little ones in their home community as well...

"My family started doing community foster care three years ago after realizing the potential our family had for doing good.

As my dad said, “so many families have so much to give, they only need opportunities to do so.”

We saw our opportunity in foster care, and once the decision was made it took less than four months to get our first foster child. He was a three month old baby boy named Aiden.

We instantly fell in love with his deep blue eyes and adorable belly laugh. As we bought new clothes for him and hauled him around to all our social events, he became a part of our family; he was our newest little brother.

And yet he didn't belong to us, and we were continually reminded of this as we met his mom and grandma at their twice weekly visits with him.

One of the hardest challenges we found in doing foster care was this paradox: You love the kids like they are your own, knowing full well they will someday leave. But should that knowledge keep you from loving them while you have the opportunity? We decided that it didn't, even after Aiden left seven months later.

Together my family grieved and cried over his departure and then found we still had more than enough love to offer another child. Since we became a foster family we have opened our home to seven different children, discovering that loving these kids is a difficult task but one that brings many rewards.

Now my family is embarking on another adventure together: adoption. Two of our little boys have no home to return to, so we are blessed to become their forever family.

Foster care has revealed many things about the nature of our family. My mum often says, "it's brought out the best and the worst in each of us.” We've gotten overwhelmed at times and struggled to see how the sacrifices are worth it. But we've stuck together and gotten though.

Looking back, I am grateful for the work God has given us. And when my soon-to-be-adopted brother's come running out of the house screaming "Lay-lay!!" when I come home, or when they fall asleep on my lap at night, I wonder whether they aren't the ones blessing us."

* Bring Me Hope applauds and encourages families like the Scotts, who find practical ways to care for hurting children in their own communities. If you’d like more information on foster care, please write to: info@bringmehope.org *

Elim Kids - A home for HIV kids in China

It has been a big week for Chloe and Peter – a week of new beginnings...



A new house !
They moved into their new house a week ago and have settled in well. They are in the next building to us so we can visit every day and play with them in the playground.

We have been busy decorating with rainbow colours and butterflies and filling the house with toys and books.





A new “Auntie”.
We are so excited about the new lady who has taken on the job of caring for the kids. She is 28 years old and really loves G and the kids. They also love her and are enjoying playing with her. And we are also employing another lady during the days to help with shopping, cooking and cleaning and “toddler entertainment”. I came home one day this week to much screaming and laughter as they all pranced around the house singing “J loves me “ at the top of their voices.



A new name.
We are going to call our venture “Elim Kids”. The name was given to us by a Chinese co worker and represents the “sweet waters”of life in a family compared to the “bitter waters”of life in an institution. (see Exodus 15 :27).



A new vehicle.
The kids are delighted with their new mode of transport – one of the few double prams in China. Maggie has been suffering a bit of “pram envy “ but is happy to have a ride every now and then. This means we and other can take them out to the park to play and for walks. (when it finally warms up ).

New friends.
Peter and Chloe will soon need to employ a secretary as there are so many people to take them for a walk , play with them and even have them for a sleep over. This has been great as gives their carer a much needed rest from being a single mother to 2 toddlers.

This week they were happy to play with hair clips and face paint with some English volunteers who came to help.



New rules.
Peter and Chloe (and Maggie ) are gradually learning what it is like to live in a family. Lots of love, food and cuddles, toys and books but you also have to share ! Some days it is a hard lesson to learn but it is good to see that these days they actually have things that they can share!

A new website.
Soon they will have their own web site so you can keep up to date . It will be www.elimkids.com

Thanks again for amazing support with finances, prayers, sewing, fundraising and more. We really appreciate it and have enjoyed seeing first hand how “He sets the lonely in families".

I am also excited to say that a good Aussie friend of ours is looking at setting up a similar house for those with special medical needs. We hope to transport them to a new house a block away and be able to support her and these very sick kids in a similar way.

Love, Julie and Sam Vidler

Michigan Siblings Shoveled Snow to Raise Camp Sponsorships!

It is a long standing practice in my family to shovel snowy sidewalks for the shut-ins and elderly of our neighborhood. So it was no surprise when this past winter, my three youngest siblings were out any chance they got helping those who could not do it themselves.

Unlike many of the other kids around our area, the help given by my brother and sisters is given freely, as they do it for the Lord and not for pay. However, there are many kind and generous neighbors who appreciate the attitude displayed by the kids and the work done, and pay them nicely.

In the past, the kids have used a portion of this money for projects such as supplying a cow or a few chickens for a poor family in India, or have financed a well-dig in some far off country. This year, Katren (14), Caeley (12) and Samuel (10) set one of their biggest goals yet.

The three of them came to me with an envelope and big smiles one night and said, “We are going to send an orphan to camp to meet you!” They excitedly explained while showing me they had saved the money to sponsor a child for a full week of Bring Me Hope Camp. Further heart-warming, they did not even want the sponsorship to be in their name!

Last year, my brother Sammy had come to me with tear filled eyes and said that he felt sure I needed to go be a big sister to some little kids over in China. This year he helped make that possible. I am one proud big sister, let me tell you!

Carmella Hepworth

The Invision Project: Orphans & Cameras

Bring Me Hope staff member Kristen Chase is tying together two passions of hers this summer: Orphans and Photography.

Alongside of Chinese friends, Kristen will be teaching a group of orphaned youth photography in what she's calling "The Invision Project."

"Many of the kids love taking pictures during camp, and I wanted to give them an opportunity to have a hands-on experience with it," Kristen said.

"They have been through some really hard things, and I hope this will be a time of self-expression and healing for them. Plus I love seeing what they come out with when they're given the attention and chance to succeed at something they're interested in," she adds.

Providing each of her students with a digital camera, the children will learn the basics of photography and then go out "on the field" to practice.

"We have some fun outings planned. I'm going to take them to parks, up to the mountains, and maybe even a zoo...if we can find a zoo in Nanchang," Kristen said.

The Invision Project is looking for people to donate gently used digital cameras, SD cards, and rechargeable AA batteries.

If you have any of those items to donate or want to get in touch with Kristen, you can send an email to: kristen@bringmehope.org

You can follow the story here: The Invision Project