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Special Report from China!
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Our 30th Wedding Anniversary China Outreach |
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What greater way could we celebrate a life of service to the King! CLICK HERE |
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Some of the older children, (like the sweetie-pie next to the old guy), are classified as "special needs" children, with mild retardation, Downs syndrome, and learning disabilities. They were so full of love and went totally wild with joy when we played with them. |
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We volunteered briefly in the nursery holding the little girls and giving them their formulae during feeding times. This was the very room where Hannah spent the first months of her life, and it was clear that being here again and helping with the other children just like her made a huge impact on her. |
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It was hard at times to not weep over these little ones... some of them have medical conditions that may cut short their lives without a miracle. We prayed softly over each child while we held and rocked them. Every person on earth is here for a purpose, and the Lord is well-aware of each of them. They will fulfill their destiny in God's mighty Providence. We were honored to pray for them, comfort them briefly, and let their tiny souls touch our own. |
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The toddlers desperately wanted to be held by us, and would reach up their little arms when we walked into their room. Of course, we couldn't refuse them, and all of us were deeply moved as they smiled and played with us. These children are so starved for love and attention. When they saw us, the older ones seemed to immediately recognize that we were foreigners, and could potentially adopt and give them a real home. It was heartbreaking for us to realize that we couldn't just scoop them up and take them home. |
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At the entrance of the children's home, the staff put up a big banner in honor of Hannah. It reads in Chinese... Hong Guolan is her Chinese name, and the director and staff members told us that we were the very first CCAI (Chinese Children's Adoption International) family to return to this particular orphanage with an adoptive child to visit. It was quite an event! If you are interested in Chinese adoption with CCAI, (Highly recommended) CLICK HERE. |
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It was an inspiration to watch Hannah tenderly pick up the little girls out of their cribs and hold them. The love in her face and eyes shone as she stroked their tiny faces and spoke softly to them. She was once one of these precious ones, and she was well-aware of it. These children so desperately need to be held and loved. There are only two caretakers to work with nearly 20 babies. |
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Hannah's "Finding Place" These photos show the very place where our Hannah was found, tenderly wrapped in a little blanket at the entrance of a government building about an hour's drive outside of Nanchang City. Children are often left here in the hope that they will be found, taken to a children's home, and find a better life. Her journey into our lives and hearts began on the pavement of this curb. We believe however, that she was never alone, even for a moment, for God's holy angels watched over her. A passerby finally saw her, and took her to the authorities. |
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Hannah is pictured here with her mom and sister over the very area she was found. Hannah seemed to take the whole thing in stride. She seems to be secure in the knowledge that God has a plan for her life, and she is well-loved by her family. As she grows older, we hope she will get a revelation of how much grace was poured out into her life! The "rollover" picture shows Hannah and the present director of the orphanage where Hannah was cared for during her first year until we could come over and bring her into our hearts and home. We are forever grateful for the wonderful gift of Hannah Meilan Porter, a rare jewel who has so blessed and enriched our lives. |
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We had the honor of bringing 437 loaves of Bread to dear family members in China. We all receive such vital nourishment from this luscious, completely satisfying Bread, and a single day without generous portions of it is a day of joyless yearning. There had been a season of disrupted deliveries, and our family in China was very hungry, with many new mouths to feed. We were told that our timely delivery of this precious nourishment would go a long way in raising up strong family members to continue having many new babies! |
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Our son Jesse and daughter-in-law Aubri fulfilled our original team itinerary since we couldn't go because of bad weather in December. Following is their report. |
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Jesse and Aubri Riding in a Rickshaw Dear Friends and Family, After about 30 some-odd hours of travel, we arrived in Hong Kong. We were met by a van to take us to our small but comfortable hostel at a vocational school dormitory. The next morning we were met by a woman who brought us by bus to the office where we filled out paperwork and collected two bags of Bread, (about 100). Afterward, we spent the rest of the day wandering around the busy, yet beautiful city.Hong Kong is a vast hub of culture and economics in the Far East. After a pleasant afternoon, we got some rest and prepared for our journey into mainland China the next day. Boarding our train in the early afternoon, we took our seats for the two hour ride to Guangzhou; A sprawling jungle of high-rise apartments, skyscrapers and various other buildings. The Pearl River Delta is home to approximately 15 million people. Upon arrival, we proceeded through customs and went straight through without much scrutiny. To be honest it was much easier than I had expected. We thanked God that this part was completed and went outside to meet our contacts. R. T. was born in Pakistan although he is the son of American missionaries. He has spent most of his life in Asia, coming and going as God has called him. He is fluent in Mandarin, and is married to a native Chinese woman named D. They have been living in Guangzhou for many years, and have been integral in the encouragement of a vast number of the members of our family. We were welcomed into their home in a high-rise. They have a beautiful garden on the roof as they live on the top floor. We spent the next two days with them; eating together, talking about the work they have been doing, and seeing the local area. We attended a Christmas Eve service at a local house gathering. Even though we couldn’t understand much of what was said, it was still a pleasure to listen to the songs and watch the faces of these our brothers and sisters, (especially one older woman who constantly gave us fruit and peanuts-enough to survive for a week). After our stay in Guangzhou, We went with D by train to her hometown. It was also here where she began her personal work as the founder of _____. It is not a typical orphanage. The seven kids who live here come from some of the worst places in life. One 9-year-old boy came from the mountains where he lived with his handicapped dad. Being that his dad couldn’t work, the government gives them $10 a month. |
They would have starved if our Father hadn’t brought them D. She takes the children in, feeds and clothes them, sends them to school and more importantly, teaches them about our Older Brother. They memorize our Father’s greetings, teachings and messages, and have their own family home meeting. D hopes to send these kids back to their families and villages as messengers for our Father. It was truly amazing to see the transformation that has occurred in just a year in all 7 of these kids. Another boy who, a year ago, never saw a colored pencil, now draws from picture books with amazing talent. We were able to relate to all the kids through reading, drawing, English learning, and just spending time with them. During our 3-day stay in the mountains, we were able to have a full-on Chinese dinner with D’s mother and relatives, who live in _____. (I recommend the fish-tails.) We also visited a huge local cave discovered in 1976 by a farmer whose sheep fell through a sink hole. It is a rare beauty with caverns as high as 600 ft and stretching underneath 6 mountain peaks. On our last day in _______, D, Aubri, 2 other workers and I climbed a mountain overlooking the town. It was a former radio tower so there were steps (1150 to be exact thank you Aubri) leading all the way to the top. The view was amazing. While on top of the mountain, we had a "heart to heart" talk with our Father regarding the town, the orphanage, and the work that is being done there. It was such an amazing experience to be there with these people and to observe the things our Father is doing in China.
After another 12 hour train ride, we arrived back in Guangzhou just in time to meet R and to say goodbye and catch our train back to Hong Kong. Once in Hong Kong, we repacked our bags and relaxed for a bit before going out to see what the New Year’s festivities in Hong Kong were like. There were people EVERYWHERE! The whole city centre was barricaded so that masses of people were all moving the same direction at once. There was more than one cattle joke told that night. We spent a few hours in the chaos, then from the safety of our room we rang in the New Year while traffic all over the town honked their horns. With little sleep, we boarded our first of many planes to begin our journey home. Today is the 5th of January, the jet-lag has subsided and thinking back, we realize how privileged we are here in our house with our bed and our car and our heat. We were truly humbled by the amazing commitment and steadfast love of the Chinese Family members we were honored to come in contact with. It is as reminder of what is really important; people and Father’s unending love for them. We would like to thank all who supported us through conversations with our Father and finances. We were really able to encourage D and her family and the kids at the orphanage. We hope to return again someday to see the effects that those 100 loaves of our Father’s yummy Bread have had on China. We thank Father for the opportunity to go on this trip and even though the rest of our family couldn’t make it. We had an awesome time! Thanks again, we love you all.
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Why do we do this? People ask us sometimes why we go to the risk, expense, and effort to bring "Living Bread" into China. Well, here's why...
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Although China is rapidly transforming into a modern society, there remains strict controls on Christians, and their ability to freely share the gospel. PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM! |
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Your support for this effort--and all the others we do--is deeply appreciated! Without our faithful partners, none of this would be possible. |
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Thank You! |
