China team update: Bubbles, Birthdays and Goodbyes

Day 4

Today was one of the best days we have had all week. We were allowed to take the children outside for a good bit of time and blow bubbles which is definitely one of their favorite activities.

Today we gave each child a stuffed bunny. This was so fun to watch! Each child reacted differently. They seemed so happy to have something of their own to keep with them throughout the day. The nannies also enjoyed them and told us that they were very cute. Thank you very much to Susan Rice for putting in so much time and effort in making the stuffed bunnies because it was so worth it.

We can't believe that tomorrow is our last day with these sweet kids. We will all miss them so much and think about them throughout the entire year until we see them again.

Day 5

Today was sadly the last day at the orphanage. This week has gone by extremely fast and although we miss our families, we don not want to leave our little friends.

To kick off the day, we brought some of the kids outside. We played soccer with the older boys. This was a perfect way for them to spend their energy and just play. Blowing bubbles was a good activity for the younger kids.

We planned to make our last day special by having birthday party for them. Many of the the children have never experienced a birthday party before.

We bought bikes, shaky cars, and huge cakes to celebrate this group of amazing children. It was a huge success and we feel confident that each child felt celebrated and loved today.

We are all very physically and mentally exhausted. We can't wait to see everyone when we get home and tell all of our stories. This trip has seemed to really pay off for the children and it has also given us the chance to see and visit the kids we met and loved last year. 

As always, we know this trip is only the beginning. The advocacy and story telling will continue on as we share the need for adoptive families, resources and prayer support.

 

One Orphan Storytellers serve in Haiti, Uganda, Ethiopia and China. If you are interested in joining our advocacy efforts check out the opportunities page here.