Wheelchair Distribution

We partnered with Wheels for the World (Joni & Friends) to distribute 100 wheelchairs at a primary school at the outskirts of a neighboring city. Aided by family members, all of the recipients came to us to receive the chair donated by Joni & Friends.

These two young adults with cerebral palsy were the initial reason we approached leaders in this area to distribute wheelchairs. 

Every year, the Wheels for the World team combines compassion and professional focus to offer the best to each recipient. It is quite an honor to be involved with this team.

Halfway through our distribution week, the school (where we distributed the wheelchairs) invited me to teach the 6th graders about charitable work and the concept of receiving and giving. The students were very, very attentive.

They gave me thank you notes the next day. The notes themselves were written in Chinese, but the students had a fairly good use of English.

During recess time, many students were eager to see us. For the far majority of students, we were the first people they had ever encountered who were not Chinese.

~ Kevin

New School Adventure

Welcome to a new school year! While North America was celebrating Labor Day on September 1, China's students were heading back to class. Molly is in first grade and Hudson is in pre-k at a wonderful private school that combines the best of the American and Chinese education systems.

I set my alarm for 6:15, and when I stumbled out of our room in the morning, Molly greeted me entirely dressed for school. I'm not sure what time they got up, but they were excited! (Pieces of the school uniform are still being ordered. For the first day, Molly had the skirt and knee socks and Hudson had his long-sleeved shirt.)

Molly's teacher is Cici, and Hudson's is Amy. His classroom is on the second floor, directly above Molly's. Hudson is most looking forward to violin class, which takes place every Friday.

Hudson's class doesn't begin until 8:30 so the students who arrived early chose books to read. (Hudson found "Clifford the Big Red Dog.") The books are a mix of Chinese, English and bilingual.

The school is a little far from our home and not accessible by subway. We figured out the bus routes, and that's the way I'll travel home from school in the mornings and back again in the afternoons. But the neighbor of a friend of a friend is a taxi driver, and his wife is able to pick us up at our door in the morning at 7:40 and meet us at the school door at 4:00 to drive us home. (Isn't it amazing how relationships work in China?) She is only charging us $5/day to do that, and the time and effort it saves is remarkable.

Taking the bus requires waiting 10-20 minutes at the stop, riding about 30 minutes, and then a 10-15 minute walk to the school. This is the path: First, up and over the road via pedestrian bridge. Then down through a tunnel under the train tracks. (See the train going by in the photo below?)

Coming out of the tunnel, you cross another set of train tracks. The first time we did this, we had to wait for the train to pass, and there's no guard rail of any kind at the crossing.

Then there's a few more blocks to walk through a residential area before crossing one more street in front of the school. When the kids and I first navigated it a week before school started, it was raining and it couldn't have felt any more like an adventurous exploration. They had so much fun! But they are also very grateful to be driven because they recognize the difficulty of doing that every day. (Not to mention how cold it will be outside before long!)

They were very happy this morning to head back for Day 2!

Bonus pic: Kids posing in front of the cutest foliage sculpture in front of a department store near where our international fellowship meets.
~Dayna

Blueprints

On Saturday, March 24, we were able to go to a potential site for a school/rehab center for children with special needs.

Here is a closer view of the white building, which is one of the three buildings on the property. If we are able to purchase the property, the buildings will need to be remodeled to accommodate kids with disabilities. A team of engineers has provided blueprints.

The property is near a seminary, so we hope we'd have many volunteers help us. The building below is another one on the property; we were unable to get a photo of the third building.

Since this property is located within a resort district, we were able to enjoy lunch at a fabulous restaurant. You can tell by the crosses and stained glass images behind us that the owner of the restaurant shares our beliefs.Thankfully, the restaurant staff graciously allowed Molly and Hudson to dance and sing when they weren't eating.

The snow fell gently all morning, adding an extra beauty to our outing. Molly and Hudson enjoyed the snow, although the powder wasn't wet enough for snowballs.

Hopefully, we'll be able to return soon.

Our Vision

We are eager to begin what God has called us to do. Our ministry in China will involve many different responsibilities, sharing Christ’s love with those in the hospital, orphanage, churches and community at large. Our primary focus is to start a school for children with disabilities. (Currently, children with disabilities have no access to education unless their families are willing to carry them up and down stairs, take them to the restroom, serve as their aides, stay with them all day ...)

Initially, we will start small with a few conversational English classes for children already connected to the nondenominational Christian humanitarian group we are joining.

Later, we will begin a formal elementary school/training center. We pray that we’ll be able staff the private school with Christian professionals (i.e., teachers, aides, a nurse and a therapist), and the building should be wheelchair friendly.

We plan to provide classes in both Chinese and English, focusing on key subjects like math, science, literature and computers.

When Molly and Hudson are old enough, they will also attend this school because it is intended to be inclusive – where kids with disabilities can learn together with kids from other countries. As the foreign kids (i.e., American or European kids) mature and develop, they can buddy up with their classmates in acts of love and service. What better way to teach our kids about the love of Jesus?

Not only will this school open doors to share the Good News with the students and their families, but also, it will allow others to come to China who otherwise couldn’t – teachers who themselves have a disability or parents who have children affected by disabilities. It is amazing for us to join God in what he is doing.