This is it - we leave TOMORROW

So much to do, so little time left. What a huge experience we will have. As and when we can blog, we will. Thank you so much to all those who have prayed with us and for us, those who have sent well-wishes, those who have sent gifts for the children who have nothing, those who have cared every step of the way. You are all wing-sharers and make our worlds a brighter place.
Here we gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Three Quotes Keep Me Going

We've reached the stage now where sleep is not coming easily. So much to do in order to be gone for so long. Customers and clients to not feel one worry about their files being handled. Animals to behave themselves for our amazing volunteers. Getting all the laundry done. Making sure the house is clean (I love coming home to a clean house and since there'll be others coming in, I'd just as soon not have them see this mess!), making sure we have all the appropriate schoolwork to take along so the kids aren't overwhelmed when we return, bills to pay now and in advance. It's just a LOT all of a sudden. In my mailbox in the last 2 days have come 3 quotes. I love them:


Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Lao-Tzu


The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.
William Wordsworth


God gave us a distinct fingerprint to make a distinct imprint.
Keith A. Craft

Keeping Up With The Big Kids

The Bouncing Bulldogs were again invited to perform at a Chinese New Year celebration as everyone welcomed the year of the Rat. This one, 2008, was less formal and a lot more fun than last year's. Here's Molly keeping up with the big kids. Our church families have donated money for jumpropes for the children and Molly's coach has given us 56 T-shirts and some double dutch ropes to take for them too. What a wonderful thing to do. Thank you so much everyone! We hope we can share the fun of the sport in the orphanage courtyard so that the kids can shine in their own way, just like Molly did when she learned how to jump. Coach gave Molly the high-five and told her to 'go change lives' and wear your Bulldog shirt with pride. She'll do just that.

Can You Train A Fish? You Can in China.

I am truly impressed with this man from China. He has trained fish. What fun!

Music For Our Eyes

One of Ai Li's friends just got her Mom and Dad - empty nesters with 11 grandchildren. They, like so many of us, have been 'called' to walk this wonderful path where the gift we receive is so much bigger than the gift we give. Well, they got to visit the orphanage. Their daughter, Alison, is the child in the fuschia pink jacket next to her mom.

Some of the kids who are waiting for families came to the office to check out her new family and of course, to see and touch their friend that they are missing so much. What a treat for all. We got a treat too!! A photo was taken and our little one is in it. She's wearing the red jacket with black dots on the collar. Talk about a gift!! An up-todate photo. Music for our eyes and hearts. If you click on the photo, it'll enlarge.

How brave these children are. How brave they will have to be, and they don't even know the huge turnaround that's about to happen to them. Looking at our daughter's face here, we can only imagine what's going through her mind.

Let's take a look at some of it:

In December 2006 she's lined up for some photos, has a medical and is apparently told she's now eligible for adoption. I think she understands partially what that might mean.

It's December 2007 and she's heard nothing. Did they forget all about me? My friend Jen got to be adopted - she left this month. They told me I was going to have a family too. Where are they? Is it today?

January 2008 - somebody does want me!! They sent me a care package! This is what they look like! OK - now I sort of understand. They wrote me a letter that says they're coming as soon as they can. Is it today? I have 4 friends that just left the orphanage last week. Not many of us big kids left. What is happening??? I'm scared. I miss my group.

Brenda made sure that the girls in this picture know that families are coming - just as quickly as we are allowed to. Thank you Brenda and Lynn for comforting our children and for this photo. What a treasure.