I wanted to bring your attention to this article written about, what they term as "gendercide" in China. My nieces are from China and this pains my heart so much. They are so incredibly precious to my heart. Since China has encouraged and enforced a one child policy for every famiy in China as population control and because girls are so devalued in China, and boys so esteemed, by the year 2020 men will outnumber women by 30 million.
This is why we send mission teams to China...to minister to all the children whose mothers were brave enough to risk giving them life. However, their "lives" are greatly diminished behind four walls where they lanquish with very little love. Our teams go in to breathe life into their desperate souls. We have 4 trips to China this Summer. Each team returns changed forever and even our travel agent, Mike Snyder, tells me that his adopted son, Liu remembers not only our Visiting Orphans team who came to visit him in his orphanage, but also the team member's name who loved on him so much: Zach. Short term mission trips to orphans DO make a difference in an orphan's life. His is living proof. (his picture with Zach is above.)
Here is an article which tells of this awful gendercide in China: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1265068/China-The-worlds-new-superpower-beginning-century-supremacy-alarming-surplus-males.html
We have a team in Chifeng, China right now. My co-worker Autumn Kerr, is there with them. You can read about her time in China here.
Our future teams to China include:
Heng Feng: June 4 - June 14
Chaoyang: June 22 - July 3
Chen Zhou & Yongzhou (Hunan Region): July 7 - July 17
Chen Zhou: Sept 8 - Sept 18.
You can sign up here for theses trips.
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Amanda, they do make a difference. It is not just the trips, but the prayers that go up for the children. I sent an email to our FC at AW, and I hope she forwarded it to you. If not, let me know and I'll pass it on to you. It is a story that I think would greatly encourage you. A story that has been many years in the making and the Visiting Orphans teams that went to our waiting son's SWI went in 2006 and 2007 … nearly 3 and 4 years ago. I know the members from the 2007 team have never given up praying for a Christian family for our son because they've shared this with me recently—it is very humbling to see God's hand at work.
ReplyDeleteDon't give up on this Amanda!!! It is too eternally important. You may not see it all unfold but God is working. I'd love to share more if you wanted. BTW, we live close enough to share in person over a cup of coffee maybe or whatever. I love your heart and I know God does too!
Email me if you want at cljjs (at) yahoo (dot) com.
You can also visit our blog at roomforatleastonemore (dot) wordpress (dot) com to see who I am!
In Christ,
Leslie
P.S. If I am ever not in the process to bring another one from China, I am going to sign up. I actually cannot wait to go back to China on one of your teams. God willing … positively praying for 2011. I don't care where … just hopeful it is China!!!
A few other thoughts on the impact I believe VO has had on one church, one orphanage -- and one son.
ReplyDelete* VO encouraged repeat visits from the church - who ultimately developed a long-term relationship with the orphanage in Siping City.
* This approach of encouraging a long-term vision into the use of short term teams --- began to build a vision that went beyond simply participating in a two week 'trip'.
* On their return --- those who had gone -- became those who would send others. Recruiting became personal -- instead of just general.
* Because vision grew for the entire community -- this church began looking for ways to affect the entire community, including helping with the facility, the nannies, and those children who were 'in danger' of never being adopted due to their age, or medical condition.
* From my (limited) interaction with the team --- one of the most exciting things i saw (even with my son) -- was the emotional bond that the Lord allowed to develop between these 'short termers' and those they were seeking to serve. Prayer increased --- giving increased, and impact ... was multiplied.
The long term relationship that this church developed -- in addition to the regular contact that the ELIC team had with my son --- HAS had an impact on his life and development.
What difference would it have made if we were the first 'visitors' Liu had ever seen come in to his orphanage? What IF Lius' orphanage had not benefitted (both relationally and to a degree financially) from the involvment of the Visiting Orphans initiated relationship?
At the orphanage -- Liu's reputation (other than being creative at getting in to mischief and inventing new ways to play with old toys) -- was friendly and outgoing. I'm not a expert in social development....but in my mind -- having regular visitors MUST have had an impact on his social development. The thought of Liu spending his first two years with interaction only with those in similar situations, and with a staff that, although loving -- was severely lacking in numbers -- is one I'm sure would have been heart breaking.
So ----- is VO's mission a worthy one?
Ask my son. :)
Mike