Visit to Loudi Foster Care

Returning "home" to Loudi .... yes home what a strange paradox that is for me but somehow it is part of my very soul?? Anyway on this return trip I got to spend 2 full and very active days in this city including a visit to the more rural areas (more on that in another blog!)

I was accompanied by a woman from Maine USA who too is a "Loudi mom". She brought with her the skills of Physical Therapy and I stood back and watched as she blended with the local PT team and together they worked on the children. I know she will tell you again of her amazing time. For now I'll focus on the Foster Care and the children there.

I met Quinn who for more than 2 years now has wormed a special place in my heart. Only 2 month younger than my Loudi girl I have watched him grow and sparkle. It was so good to be able to hug him again. I asked him if he remember my previous visit and it seems he did ... I certainly got a glow out of that! He is receiving some help also from LWB education and on receiving a little book sat down to fill in the Math questions. We sat in his foster home for near 1 hour and chatted about various items in the program and all the while I was conscious that just like a visiting Aunt I observed his activity and that of his foster sister swing from engaging a visitor, to play, to bringing me back into "his" play world. It was a special time where I was just one of the adults in his life ... not this stranger from across the world. It felt so good.

We also visited the smaller children in the program - having our PT there certainly helped all as we checked and worked out my particular physicals/medical needs. To have this privilege to visit with these families is something I always appreciate so much. The local "colour" is market life with eels and frog etc for sale. We also pass green vegetables salted and air drying - in fact even window boxes with veg growing. So much to look at and soak up! After the visits were over I was thrilled when we all met that lunchtime for a banquet. I had received many hugs from them in their homes and now we could eat together. Family joined around the table. Even our famous "Nana" was able to make it! Yes life is good!

Julie Flynn Coleman

Loudi Foster Care Coordinator

Foster Care Training

Last week I visited 2 LWB Foster Care Programs - 1 very new, and 1 of our oldest cooperations. I had some good fun with all the foster parents as I introduced and delivered our first Foster Care Training.

There were some heated discussions on bathing the children with I learning some new nifty ideas of how to bathe children in colder weather and the Mom's gaining from my "Attachment" training. The wonderful parents came from Huainan, Anhui and Loudi Hunan.

All those who attended received a certificate and we gathered for a group photo.

In Loudi where I have been foster care coordinator for several years, I was delighted to be able to treat all the foster parents to a banquet lunch with funds sent by the very grateful adoptive parents who also contributed to gift items for the children in the program.

To all those involved in the children's care I say xie xie ni men - thank you all!

Julie Flynn Coleman

Our Special Projects Program at Work

Dalian SWI in Liaoning Province just received a shipment of wonderful Physical Therapy equipment. These toys and PT items have already delighted the children and the ayis.

Look at this smile!

Math classes will not be a problem for these two!

I love the look of tenderness on the face of this ayi.

‘How do I turn this thing on?’ is what this little guy seems to be saying.

I would like to thank the donors who made this project possible. What a wonderful gift to give a child—FUN!! Thank you.

Kate Finco

Special Projects Director

Hercules Goes to School

An important milestone in a child's life is when they go off to school. This past week Samuel (a.k.a. Hercules) went to his very first day of kindergarten. Hercules is no stranger to LWB supporters as he has been a special boy that has received services from many LWB programs. His baby picture was provided by our nutrition program and we are happy today to share the picture of his first day of school.

I love the white sweater that his foster family sent him off in and I love even more the twinkle in his eye that he has continually shown us.


Samuel is fully sponsored to attend kindergarten, but he has pals that are waiting. Patrick, Benjamin, Timothy and Jared are all eager to attend too.


If you are interested in supporting a friend to Hercules, please visit our website at:

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/SponsorEducationChild.cfm



Missy Ridley
Education Director
Love Without Boundaries
www.lovewithoutboundaries.com

Humanity Is Blessed

I sit here in my Loudi bedroom with my children asleep and grab a few moments to myself and my thoughts. Lian my Loudi girl is tucked in bed asleep in the city she was born to. I tucked her in tonight in this her hometown .... I will again for the next 2 nights. I absorb the sounds and smells so foreign to my nostrils and wonder if she has any memory of this city these smells .... I wonder as always of the circumstances of my daughters birth family. Is "She" her Muquin awake now, has she any sense of a hair pricking the back of her neck or has a shiver run over her not due to the cooler night???

So many unanswered questions so close and sharp this night. They will fade again and ebbe and flow as they always do, like a contraction. I hope she is safe and well.


I think back to a wonderful event only 2 days ago - I went to visit a family who have a toddler daughter -Jia. This beautiful daughter was born to the 3rd generation living in that small, but loved filled apartment I had the privilege to sip tea in. Their one and only great-grandchild or grandchild or child was born VERY tiny and cleft affected. They explained to me how this might have been a reason to not will her on to survive or even a reason to abandon her. But no, the grandfather whose heart is full of love for his family spent hours upon hours feeding his too tiny gand-daughter by a spoon as she could not suck due to her cleft problems. He had been widowed when his own daughter was in her early teens and had raised her with the help of his mother and a very good aunt. This aunt saw the LWB Hefei cleft mission report on Anhui TV and rushed to their home to rally them to get a long distance bus to the hospital to plead with the LWB team to operate. I was there that day when Jia, her Mom and Granddad came to our operational office room. I saw so much love and cried that day. They were united. Jia was wearing a knitted jumper with Irish colours and even though too young for the cleft team to operate we vowed to help her. The Irish LWB supporters would find the funds. Arrangements were made that she come back just before the next Chinese New Year for her lip repairs.


Jia did and went on to celebrate Spring festival with a new smile and was welcomed by her extended family. A year later she received her palate surgery and is charming all who know her. She ran ahead of us and patted the chair for Lian to sit down. I sat on her Great-grandmothers bed and held the hand of a great woman who has reared a loving family. I held that hand for a long time. At 80 years old she is now paralizied on one side from stroke but still the neighbours and family have done their own PT and have got her semi mobile. The Grandfather similarly had a stroke and was nursed back to health by the neighbours. A hugely united community who gathered together to help and encourage their members, who helped them on their way that year and a half ago and sent a letter on commendation with them asking the hospital to look kindly on their kin.


I sat in that home on Great-grandmothers bed and thought ; this is what makes humanity great. Love.


So I go to bed now thinking that somehow my Lian's birthmom made a decission that was to help "our" daughter.

We send our love,

Julie

A Visit to Fuyang Foster Care

Our LWB China Director, Stephanie Wang, has been on the road this month visiting many of our foster care locations in Henan, Anhui, and Hunan province. We are so happy and proud to have Stephanie on our LWB Team. She truly knows what is involved in providing good foster care for the children and has wonderful insight to troubleshoot obstacles as they come up making sure the kids always come first.

On Wednesday, she visited our Fuyang foster care program which celebrated it's one year anniversary in January.

Here is what she had to say about this trip.

I visited Fuyang this morning and was able to spend some time with every child in our foster care program.


I LOVED the foster family of a little 4 1/2 year old boy named Joseph. The foster parents take care of two children. The grandparents are young, in good health, and live very close by. They also take care of two children. It is wonderful to see this big extended family together. They all really enjoy each other's company and all the children have a joyful spirit. The foster care grandpa has a special bike for taking the two boys to kindergarten as you can see. I like the bike so much! From the creation of this special bike, we can see how much they were loved by this family.


All our kids under this program seems happy and healthy.

I went with Yin Yan to the families this morning. She looks know the children well, even only meet them once.
I am sure we will have some great reports from her.

Tuan Yuan Adoption Assistance Grant Recipient!!

Love Without Boundaries is pleased to announce our latest Tuan Yuan Adoption Assistance Grant recipient! Min Feng is a wonderful little boy who was born on January 22, 2001 and is in the Sichuan Province.

Min Feng was chosen to receive the $3000 Tuan Yuan grant because his file was scheduled to be returned to the CCAA without a family. Heritage is holding his file a bit longer in the hopes that this grant will give him the boost he needs so that his forever family can find him. For more information about Min Feng, please visit our website at http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/projects_taunyuan.cfm or contact Vicki Paulson.

Thank you!!

Debbie Smith
Tuan Yuan Adoption Assistance Coordinator
Love Without Boundaries Foundation

A Special Gift, for a Special Girl

Two years ago, I met a special teenager from an orphanage in Guangdong. She was sweet and shy, and I remember her gentleness. Her name is Ling, and she is a girl that I have never forgotten.


Last year in March, I saw her again. During our visit, we took the group of teens from her orphanage out for dinner, and I sat at her table. Again, I was impressed by her sweetness. As we were eating, I kept seeing her look at me and then smile a large, beautiful smile. I told her how much I loved her smile and how beautiful it made her. She replied that she was ugly. I told her that I didn’t agree and that I thought that she was very pretty. As I said this, I felt that she didn’t believe me. Ling thought she was ugly because she had strabismus, or a lazy eye. She had been born this way and was very self-conscious of the way she looked.

We asked if we could do surgery to fix her eye as, just like me, many others who had met this incredibly sweet girl wanted to do something to make her feel good about herself. We sent her to the local eye hospital for an exam, and they told us that they could do the surgery. The surgery would correct the way she looked, but it would not be able to improve the vision in her eye. After a little discussion, she decided that she wanted to proceed with the surgery as she wanted her eye fixed. We funded her surgery immediately, because this young woman had not only touched my heart, but the hearts of so many who wanted to give her this special gift.


At the end of January, she was moved for her surgery. We received a photo of her, but it was a photo with her eyes covered by bandages. The doctor told her that she needed to wear these bandages for a month to protect her eyes from infection. This week, we received a very special treat. The new Ling!! I can’t believe the difference!!! I so hope that this will give this beautiful, young woman the confidence to know that she not only has the beauty and sweetness on the inside, but now on the outside too.

I asked our facilitator what Ling thought about her surgery and this is what she said, “She said she was surprised when she saw herself in the mirror, and think she become nicer than before, so she feel thankful for donator's help!”

Next time that I see her, I hope to let her know how beautiful she was and is and have her truly believe me!

Karen Maunu
Medical Director

Celebrating Books in China

This past week, my children's schools celebrated Dr. Suess's birthday with all kinds of literacy and book activities.
Love Without Boundaries celebrated in our own special way at our Believe In Me School--Jingzhou in Hubei Province.

Our lovely China Director of Education, Yvonne, arrived at school on Monday morning with a smile on her face and a big stack of new books for our students. The children just loved the new books full of bright colors, interesting illustrations and language.


Students at this school are speaking more clearly and with more description since school began in September, and so has their love of learning through books and printed material. We are thrilled to share some photos of the kids receiving and exploring their new books. Thank you to the sponsors and donors that have made these moments possible for these children.

Two of the wonderful children in our Believe In Me School, Jingzhou are in need of sponsors to keep them learning. Please take a peek at their needs at:

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/SponsorEducationChild.cfm

Touching lives one child at a time...this is our story of HOPE!

Linda Mitchell

Associate Education Director

Love Without Boundaries Foundation

W.I.L.L.I.A.M.

W onderful! Is what I think about my life now that


I live with my LWB foster family.


L earning in kindergarten is fun and exciting!


L ots of times when my grandpa picks me up from school


I tell him all about my lessons


A nd show him and mom and dad the everything I learned that day.


M y biggest wish is that I can keep going to school


William is in need of an education sponsor to support his enrollment in Kindergarten.

To sponsor him, please go to:

Sponsor William

Blue or Pink?

Do you have a preference? We at Love Without Boundaries would choose pink any day of the week.

There is nothing better than seeing beautiful pink lips on a baby who’s lips just days before were very blue. Enjoy looking at these pictures and see if you don’t agree that pink is the best!


In 2007 we were able to heal around 70 babies who were born with various heart defects. Approximately 16% of these surgeries were funded though our annual art auction. Thank you to each and every one of you who have helped these kids experience their own personal color change.



The 2008 Born in My Heart Art Auction is just around the corner. Go to http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/borninmyheart.cfm#auction and help us see lots more PINK in 2008!

Lori Dubbs
Medical Program Heart Coordinator

and

Wendy Petersen
Associate Medical Director

Xinyan, Henan on Women's Day

We visited the site of LWB's newest Foster Care program in Xinyang, Henan on Women’s Day which is a Chinese National Holiday. We got to met all their kids and fell in love. The staff there are very kind and Director Feng is so nice and so caring for the children.

We got to meet our foster care manager in Xinyang—Daisy, she is such a sweet young lady. We all think she will do a great job for our foster care program.



When we stepped into the preschool classroom, we saw all 6 children who will come into our program very soon. On taking out the snacks we brought for them, they all get together around us. Everyone of them get one bag of the snack and begun eating.


The funniest thing is you can see one child got 2 bags and while eating one bag he kept the other bag in his arm.


The other little boy who is in our foster care program is anxious to eat too, but he would rather have somebody else feed him instead of eat by himself. Nancy, the Associate Director of Foster Care was happy to lend a hand.


Another one of the foster care girls is shy upon on seeing us walk into their room. She ran back to the corner of the room. We noticed that she would not share the snacks until she finished 2 bags herself and decided she didn’t want the rest. Then she was very generous.

There is a beautiful little girl in our program who has vision problems and cannot see as well as the other kids. She liked the sound that was made when she crinkled the plastic bag. As soon as she finished one bag, she began play with the it. This little one touched our hearts. Although she cannot see very well, she tried very hard to use her eyes to make out our faces.


After all of them had finishing eating the snacks, one little girl saw the water in my hand and pointed it to me. Then I gave it to the teacher in this room to let them drink (most of them are cleft before palate surgery, so it might be dangerous for me to feed them water with no experience.) All of them are crazy about the water again. Yu is so anxious to drink that she kept pushing others out so that she can drink more.


The next day, we got meet all the HTS rocking nanny kids, of course they dance to us again. Nancy was so enjoying dancing with them you can tell.

We also got to visit the 3 families which might be the 6 kids foster care families very soon. All the 3 foster care moms have experience working in the SWI and they all live close to the SWI. During our visit to the families, our driver’s been so helpful carrying all of our purses. He is such a helper to us for the whole trip, even though he is more tired than us for driving the car.

Everyone of us kept saying he is such a "sweet guy". I told him the English version of praise. He didn't understand so we told him to ask his sister. His humor did gave us lots of laughter during our Xinyang trip.

Stephanie Wang
LWB China Foster Care Director