tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41093992006263346352024-03-13T20:40:42.097-04:00Grace & Hope for ChildrenGrace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-2453015746940427822014-04-20T18:23:00.001-04:002014-04-20T18:23:42.813-04:00Happy Easter<br />
How sweet to hold a (precious) baby <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizopY3CqpssDnfguh_HERq9lq8E5xlvqqEkgduxrEaTbxLWFvYi_FU2RqpXLe2lqDn8IbAOnRITqZho_Fm0ntkegkxDhYE1lvkHnv6Su2Gg1gSeIIi4oGOVIHj1K05H4xImhflRMlPLNFN/s1600/ghc+board+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizopY3CqpssDnfguh_HERq9lq8E5xlvqqEkgduxrEaTbxLWFvYi_FU2RqpXLe2lqDn8IbAOnRITqZho_Fm0ntkegkxDhYE1lvkHnv6Su2Gg1gSeIIi4oGOVIHj1K05H4xImhflRMlPLNFN/s400/ghc+board+3.jpg" /></a></div>And feel the pride and joy she gives.<br />
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The calm assurance:<br />
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This child can face uncertain days because He lives.<br />
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Grace & Hope for Children wishes each of you a blessed Easter season.Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-85785808433151511862013-11-17T07:47:00.000-05:002013-11-17T07:52:48.515-05:00Announcing Coats and Christmas for Kids 2013!Last year, we worked with our awesome China staff and even more awesome donors to purchase a new coat for every child in a Grace & Hope Foster Care Program. <br />
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For $15 per child, Grace & Hope for Children can purchase a coat for each child in our foster care program. For these children, a new coat is a huge thing! Last year, an exciting off-shoot of the Coats & Christmas for Kids Campaign is that several of our programs actually ADDED children to their foster care programs, allowing them to experience family life, as a result of this project. Currently, we have 430 children in our foster care program, making our goal for this special project $6450. <br />
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When you donate a coat, we will send you a printable card via email that you may use to as a memento for yourself, or to give a donation card to a family member, teacher, or friend for Christmas. What better way to celebrate this special time of year than by ensuring that a precious child will be warm this winter? <br />
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To donate: <br />
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1) Donate via Paypal by clicking the button below. Please be sure to note the email address for your cards to be emailed. You should receive a card via email within two days of our receipt of your payment.<br />
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<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top"><input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick"><br />
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2) Mail a check or money order to:<br />
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Grace & Hope for Children<br />
465 N.E. 181<sup>st</sup> #210 <br />
Portland, OR 97230<br />
USA<br />
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Please be sure to note the email address you'd like your cards sent to on the memo line of your check.<br />
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Won't you join us in celebrating the season in honor of our precious children? <br />
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We leave you with some of our favorite photos of last year's celebration:<br />
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Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-18807632419846498642013-11-02T23:19:00.001-04:002013-11-02T23:19:14.841-04:00Thinking Creatively<div align="center">
<span class="bqQuoteLink"><em>Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.</em></span></div>
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<span class="bodybold">~Leo Buscaglia</span> </div>
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</em>What does this photo from a concert in Chicago have to do with a sweet four month old in Guilin?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2L12eVE_5OzAWj5xKJEnJSZ7-Ja4ZgsAUCM5K5eEwXb6U1WkFOZVvB6d596K8JKeCVN_qEuLOtp8RMDmDXMVAb3MkfGFQEbnihpxfgFCJXmRYBKBlitBrMee44wQHFreMMKiG7TytHnG/s1600/symphony+ghs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2L12eVE_5OzAWj5xKJEnJSZ7-Ja4ZgsAUCM5K5eEwXb6U1WkFOZVvB6d596K8JKeCVN_qEuLOtp8RMDmDXMVAb3MkfGFQEbnihpxfgFCJXmRYBKBlitBrMee44wQHFreMMKiG7TytHnG/s640/symphony+ghs.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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This creative group of musicians in Chicago recently gave a benefit concert to raise funds to support a Grace & Hope for Children child in Guilin. During the concert, about 80 attendees received the gift of some amazing, inspiring music.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KBKLAamnv8_YhSB8KmbOqMVWWWCRdoSk1tb2Bgk4afoOv0RcvRH444gb7ScBuQCW-_ZnRRD5jwcmNmjyaTrUdDzZ2N9w7XTDga_49N2Rjpu1QDEqxuEpKMOdUE5UvLdqwMThr4BaF3qO/s1600/yonina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KBKLAamnv8_YhSB8KmbOqMVWWWCRdoSk1tb2Bgk4afoOv0RcvRH444gb7ScBuQCW-_ZnRRD5jwcmNmjyaTrUdDzZ2N9w7XTDga_49N2Rjpu1QDEqxuEpKMOdUE5UvLdqwMThr4BaF3qO/s320/yonina.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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And because of that, tiny Yonina received the gift of a family. </div>
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What about you? Do you have a creative idea that could allow you to work with others to help one of our waiting children?</div>
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Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-6047152776138441232013-10-21T21:14:00.002-04:002013-10-21T21:14:48.033-04:00Nolan, from Pingdingshan: Our Tiny Peanut Farmer <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZcLRBkksSfXq0dDgn9onBGn9AdIkL6eVdu4QdotUTBufMdvZfkG4kG1o08qm7zI73ObD99SqjAWmc8xKNmweo4I9v-mo9blbZzidBpBawuQCXYRaqTSiRvSVI7m2bIDGbJd1IwfYyGz7/s1600/nolan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZcLRBkksSfXq0dDgn9onBGn9AdIkL6eVdu4QdotUTBufMdvZfkG4kG1o08qm7zI73ObD99SqjAWmc8xKNmweo4I9v-mo9blbZzidBpBawuQCXYRaqTSiRvSVI7m2bIDGbJd1IwfYyGz7/s400/nolan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A huge part of why foster care like Grace & Hope is able to provide is so valuable to children is that it offers them an opportunity to live real life in a family, to have all the experiences a child should have as they grow. Check out this sweet story from a recent report.<br />
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<i>Nolan was not home when we arrived. As we wondering where to find him, we leraned that they were in the field with their foster father. He said that they are harvesting peanuts today and the two children (Nolan and Eric) were in the field now. Then he gave us a ride on his bike and took us to the field where from far away, we saw Nolan sitting in his stroller under a tree. Around him were all peanut stocks. Nolan was like a little guard watching the crops. His skin was tan and he looked strong and healthy.<br /><br />I called Nolan’s name and he gave me a big smile right away. I passed him a drink and his dad helped to open the drink for him immediately. Nolan took several bites and had a break, he then took more bites and looked very content.<br /><br />According to his foster dad, Nolan enjoys following his parents everywhere. He cries if adults leave him home. Today he wanted to come to the field to harvest peanuts and they had to take him. All the vellagers like Nolan, they cheer him when he passes by their field. Nolan has a sweet tooth, and the locals often share treats with him. He remembers the neighbors, and greets them politely by name. </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2njBPKVNngqCItPi_DeIxwLTpRN2vWLh4ZZbml91OPiSnykWj0TpIYL9e6IkYl4DXpq0vavEnScv8AHyaaUcK1FIrtg9SVyzd2Vswxezrl0bpFtvYuLwK1kplZxOyIjvccz6-bbPTi5IF/s1600/nolan+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2njBPKVNngqCItPi_DeIxwLTpRN2vWLh4ZZbml91OPiSnykWj0TpIYL9e6IkYl4DXpq0vavEnScv8AHyaaUcK1FIrtg9SVyzd2Vswxezrl0bpFtvYuLwK1kplZxOyIjvccz6-bbPTi5IF/s320/nolan+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-47916031995225137332013-10-17T22:25:00.000-04:002013-10-17T22:25:52.202-04:00Elias from Guilin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gdD-blbvbJn6qnJ6T_9Sf8IfQanIdftnB8LcnM_l3iBggGjqNy5qtZslRgr5J6BUrFakR2BOe-QnSiab7xPKaC-7y3AhSWKyil8YGfI3MS7LkLRhS3dNIj1hyphenhyphenlEl__w_fizUrW4qxtY_/s1600/elias+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gdD-blbvbJn6qnJ6T_9Sf8IfQanIdftnB8LcnM_l3iBggGjqNy5qtZslRgr5J6BUrFakR2BOe-QnSiab7xPKaC-7y3AhSWKyil8YGfI3MS7LkLRhS3dNIj1hyphenhyphenlEl__w_fizUrW4qxtY_/s320/elias+1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Shortly before Elias from Guilin was a baby, he became a part of the <a href="https://www.grace-hope.org/Waiting.aspx?OrphanageID=2" target="_blank">Grace & Hope for Children </a>foster care program, with the hope that foster care would help him thrive as he received treatment for his medical needs.<br />
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After a year with his foster family, he was growing into a helpful big brother, assisting with his younger foster sister.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrCF-xD4aiRhet_hk9pYr6iUt-J1mkA9IBjPUeBC0Qw60eBgeSrdza-M_HqRXkLLViAWPMAYOe16lJjTt0x-jou1hbkMmo3uC0EK6O5DLe2pLoIUDZDItBm-zJndAunAtaN93nYzKTjkJ/s1600/elias+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrCF-xD4aiRhet_hk9pYr6iUt-J1mkA9IBjPUeBC0Qw60eBgeSrdza-M_HqRXkLLViAWPMAYOe16lJjTt0x-jou1hbkMmo3uC0EK6O5DLe2pLoIUDZDItBm-zJndAunAtaN93nYzKTjkJ/s320/elias+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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He's become a little artist - who loves to doodle and share his artwork.</div>
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He is mischievous, and strong, and loves to laugh. </div>
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We hope that Elias continues to grow strong and happy in his foster family, until one day he has a forever family of his very own. </div>
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<br />Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-51387306540075669732013-10-16T21:56:00.002-04:002013-10-16T21:57:18.216-04:00(Almost) Wordless Wednesday<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.”</i></b></div>
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<b><i>― Mark Twain</i></b><br />
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Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-70021939143599136172013-10-05T09:12:00.000-04:002013-10-05T20:37:50.857-04:00Alumni Spotlight: Sarah ("Janice" from Nanning)<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: "lucida grande",tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Here is another adorable Grace & Hope for Children alumni, in her mother's words.<br />
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Sarah is our 4th child, and while she is itty bitty tiny, she is very mighty indeed! Sarah was well prepared for a family, and knew all of our family names. She was 2.5 years old at adoption, and was ahead of the developmental milestones. She could write/draw (as we found out in the weeks after we got home and she decorated our walls, furniture, clothes, and herself). She could pick up boiled peanuts with chopsticks. She was very verbal. She is also very stubborn! She has some of the most amazing observations, and comes up with some of the most amusing things to say. She is very creative, and loves anything to do with art or sparkly, glittery, girly things. She has told me, "Mom, you can't make me learn how to read." She's also told me that we can not make her learn how to swim or any other number of activities that she really does NOT want to do. However, if she wants to do something she will do whatever it takes to succeed. </div>
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Sarah still sleeps with the teddy bear we sent in a care package while we were waiting to adopt her. Her foster family let her have it, and she came to us with that bear "well-loved" and she considers it her bear from her foster family. </div>
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Since Sarah co-slept with her foster mom in China, we co-slept until she wanted to sleep in a room with her big sister. After 2.5 years home she told us that she wanted her own room, and we've decorated her bedroom with rainbows. She loves it.<br />
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Sarah is a happy, witty, energetic little girl. And she remembers being loved in China. T<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">his past April, G&H posted photos from something they did in Nanning with the foster families. </span></span><span style="color: #37404e; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Sarah was in my lap while I looked at them. </span></span><span style="color: #37404e; font-family: "lucida grande",tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Looking at the photos on Grace and Hope Foundation's page for the Nanning foster families, Sarah said she remembered the room. She said it was loud and she covered her ears and her foster Mom took her out of it to let her eat where it was quieter. Sarah also said that they had fake watermelon there and it would poison you if you ate it. ROFL...I could totally see someone telling Sarah that to keep her from begging to eat it, or to keep her from eating too much! She also thinks she saw a photo of her foster Mom, though I don't know for sure if it was.</span><span style="color: #37404e; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbT3UQJMZ5lgXLvkVn1FNK-pB33ZOqbuTSUqijIkBehovk6SwltVT23nnWU1BUF1tC17h5JchiRwPtJfhjRqQzELJ1_kp4XsagClJ-r9mESLcs7IRGmCGQTZuhvAosYsb_iaQ4AmKsoLkI/s1600/2013-06-05+10.12.35.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"></a><br />
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<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: "lucida grande",tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Sarah has photos of her foster parents in her room and she hugs them daily. She tells me she misses her Mama and Baba. (She calls us Mommy and Daddy and has NEVER ever called us Mama and Baba. In fact, in China that is what we finally told the guides to tell her to call us and Sarah thought it was HILARIOUS that what she was calling her "Daddy" was so close to what she called poop.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: Tahoma;">We are grateful for the gift of this precious child, and for the love her foster family in China shared with her.</span><br />
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To see children who wait for a sponsor in Sarah's SWI, please click <a href="https://www.grace-hope.org/Waiting.aspx?OrphanageID=1" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc;">here</span></a>.<br />
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</span><br />Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-42063304670247432192013-09-21T09:02:00.000-04:002013-09-21T09:02:16.981-04:00Alumni Spotlight: Meiya - Formerly from Yulin<div>
Meet Meiya, a child Grace & Hope for Children was privileged to support in a foster home before she joined her forever family.</div>
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In her mother's words, here is their story:<br />
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In January 2011, while browsing waiting advocacy sites we came across Meiya's photo. We fell in love at first site and immediately contacted the advocate and got her information. The process started very quickly after that. We got her file, filled out our LOI (Letter of Intent) and got PA very quickly. We found out that she was in Yulin SWI in Yulin, Guangxi.</div>
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Our process was fairly smooth and long from start to finish we were in China a year after we found her on the website. Our Gotcha day was January 14, 2012 exactly 1 year and 2 days after we first saw her precious face. The day we got Meiya was like a dream. Everything went so smoothly. She arrived at our hotel with her social worker and Yulin SWI's director. They were both very nice and loving towards her and us. The sw brought her over to us and introduced us to her all while showing her the pictures we had sent to her in a little pink photo album which we could tell was used a lot. Meiya knew who we were from this little album. We could tell her foster mama showed it to her because it was worn. Meiya did not show any fear towards any of us. She came right to me and said "Mama." I almost cried! She kept touching my face and looking into my eyes. She studied each of us curiously. She thought her jie jies were very funny and couldn't wait to get down and play with them.</div>
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They all hit it off very well right away. She was a bit leery towards her baba at first but warmed up quickly. We could tell that Meiya was shown love and taught love during her life with her foster parents. She did grieve in the evenings for her foster mama which we expected. We knew she missed her a lot. The morning that she came to us she was removed from her loving arms and placed into ours. We knew it was hard on her. We felt for her and for her wonderful foster mama. </div>
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Meiya's special need is Arthrogryposis. She can not walk on her feet because her legs are deformed. She walks on her knees. We got her official diagnosis from Shriner's Hospital in Philadelphia in August and she got braces or KAFO (Knee Ankle Foot Orthotics) she was also given a walker. With the help of her braces and her walker Meiya can now walk! She is so very proud of herself and we are so very proud of her. </div>
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Meiya has the sweetest personality. She is very loving and caring towards others. She is also very smart and picked up English right away. She can speak 7 word sentences. She also still speaks a little Cantonese. People who meet her are impressed with how smart she is. She is very mature for a 2 year old. Meiya is also a very funny little girl she has a silly sense of humor. She makes us laugh all the time with her cute little silliness. She loves to laugh and be silly with her sisters. Meiya has 2 older sisters, Hannah and Hailee who adore her. They are very proud of their baby sister and love her very much. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvaSrWlT5wXApa0MnqDhgG1FUmlBqO8nVO01R6Xzxy81cyZOCtE8UXjtWC-aqBstOIsHvUyTYfV20HTwoF3ZnDprvgR93McSNxghS5W2zOqREM2iNSmgdxzB4loPOEfAV1TM0-eP2uQq8/s1600/DSC_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvaSrWlT5wXApa0MnqDhgG1FUmlBqO8nVO01R6Xzxy81cyZOCtE8UXjtWC-aqBstOIsHvUyTYfV20HTwoF3ZnDprvgR93McSNxghS5W2zOqREM2iNSmgdxzB4loPOEfAV1TM0-eP2uQq8/s320/DSC_0573.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We are very grateful for the care Meiya received while she was in Grace & Hope's care! She had an awesome foster mama and support system. The care and love she received was the best. We feel like Grace & Hope and her foster family is a part of our family.</div>
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<em>Meiya's preparation for her forever family was clearly impacted by her time in a Grace & Hope for Children Foster Home. Can you help another child who waits for a family to call his/her own? Click <a href="https://www.grace-hope.org/Waiting.aspx?OrphanageID=0" target="_blank">here</a> for more information.</em></div>
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Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-67863624180103286812013-08-25T15:11:00.003-04:002013-08-25T15:12:29.795-04:00Why Foster Care Matters: Look at her GROW!Almost a year ago, sweet Mandisa was profiled while she waited for a sponsor on our Grace & Hope for Children <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceandHopeforChildren" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page. <br />
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This is the photo we posted:<br />
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Soon, because of a generous, faithful sponsor, we were able to place Mandisa with a foster family. When she met her foster mother, she had an ear infection that needed immediate treatment.<br />
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Early this year, Mandisa, now affectionately called "Little Rain Drop" by her foster mother, loved to snuggle with her foster mom and foster sister, and <b>really </b>loves a bath. <br />
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Now, sweet Mandisa is a thriving toddler...she loves to go outside to play, has playmates in her neighborhood, and is learning to walk. She is a good eater and sleeper, and thinks trips to the supermarket are quite an adventure.<br />
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In the space of one year, Mandisa has grown from here....</div>
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to here...</div>
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What a difference a family makes.</div>
Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-43625302280721236482013-08-04T22:25:00.001-04:002013-08-04T22:25:39.879-04:00Meet Felix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This adorable little man is Felix, from Sanmenxia in Henan province. He entered foster care because of the generous support of a Grace and Hope sponsor family in May of this year, just before his fourth birthday.<br />
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Felix is a little shy, and prefers to only play with people that he knows. Three days a week, Felix goes to preschool at his SWI. <br />
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Since being placed with his caring foster family, he has grown taller and stronger, is learning table manners, and is becoming more talkative. <br />
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Felix's foster mother dotes on him, and enjoys taking him on playdates with other GHC foster children in the area. <br />
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We are so glad to see that Felix is blooming!<br />
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To see other children still waiting for their chance to grow in a foster family, click <a href="https://www.grace-hope.org/Waiting.aspx?OrphanageID=0" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-81790882680108763862013-07-07T15:50:00.002-04:002013-07-07T15:50:26.883-04:00Sunday Snapshot: Meet Amada!Meet Amada, a two year old cutie from our program in Qichun County in Hubei Province. She is one of 9 children currently in our program there.<br />
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The last time we visited with Amada's foster family, Amada was sitting in her walker and moving around in the living room. She loves her foster mother and loves to play with friends in the neighborhood. While we were there, she stayed close to her foster mom, but listened carefully to our conversations while she played with her toys. She is learning to walk and to count. She also loves to play with the remote control for the television. <br />
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If you are interested in sponsoring so that another child like Amada will know the joy of experiencing a family, check out our waiting kids page by clicking <a href="https://www.grace-hope.org/Waiting.aspx?OrphanageID=0" target="_blank">HERE.</a> </div>
Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-59335494830054772542013-03-27T10:03:00.000-04:002013-03-27T10:48:31.562-04:00Announcing the Grace & Hope Spring FundraiserWe are all so excited about so many possibilities that lie ahead in 2013 for Grace & Hope for Children. Last winter, we were thrilled to be able to provide new coats for every child in a Grace & Hope program through our first Coats & Christmas 4 Kids Campaign. <br />
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This spring, we are excited to announce a new campaign, just in time for Mother's Day, Father's Day, or even teacher appreciation week. Our goal is to raise $7000 by June 1, Children's Day in China.<br />
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While Grace & Hope's staff in the States is entirely volunteer, we have a dedicated, passionate Chinese staff who work tirelessly to support our programs. These are the people who travel to see the children and their foster families, who work with the orphanages to place children with their foster families, and who provide training and support to the SWIs and the foster families. We are excited by the possibility of beginning several new programs this year, as the board prepares for its annual trip to China in just a few weeks. Because of all these exciting possibilities, we would like to raise funds specifically to support the salaries of our Chinese staff. This will enable more of our sponsorship dollars to go directly to the children, and help ensure we are able to begin new programs with new Social Welfare Institutes (SWIs). <br />
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As at Christmas, we are offering cards suitable for printing or emailing to notify your recipient that you have made a donation in their honor. The cost per card is $10, and you may choose Mother's Day, Father's Day, Teacher Appreciation, or General Gift Cards. You may purchase as many cards as you like, and know that your gift will both honor your recipient AND make a very real difference in the lives of Chinese children.<br />
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To participate, please fill out the form below, and then either donate via Paypal (button is below the form) or mail a check. Please share this fundraiser with your friends and family. We will post regular progress updates here, and very much look forward to sharing that we have met the goal!<br />
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<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/a/grace-hope.org/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dDNMVU9QcWZaVEJ3SW1tc29uMkpnVVE6MQ" width="600" height="1300" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...</iframe><br />
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</form>Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-78913331649571460352013-01-30T23:29:00.001-05:002013-01-30T23:29:27.062-05:00Sponsor Spotlight: Meet Hope<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEq-mbEtY9xITqBjn5PrmKHZANZBAzLklCj5ALS173JqH-zw6WPj0W-vcbhsiKn8fbw9fDFaKzN5KlQ3eAKlp0NlIpnwzc2QDxow5y5QCkxJJIvacOBDVDqokFjHEKvVO-TEgD7ocu_S7/s1600/hope+pingdingshan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="333" width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEq-mbEtY9xITqBjn5PrmKHZANZBAzLklCj5ALS173JqH-zw6WPj0W-vcbhsiKn8fbw9fDFaKzN5KlQ3eAKlp0NlIpnwzc2QDxow5y5QCkxJJIvacOBDVDqokFjHEKvVO-TEgD7ocu_S7/s400/hope+pingdingshan.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Meet Hope, a sweet 12 year old from Pingdingshan, Henan. The last time our staff visited with Hope, she was so proud to show that she was able to stand up without holding on to anything. She practices standing every day. She is able to recognize some Chinese words, and loves to watch TV. We love seeing her so happy!<br />
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Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-46803444038731993692013-01-06T10:32:00.002-05:002013-01-06T10:32:33.211-05:00Sunday Snapshot: Ben from Xianning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdLsoY1xc9KtTPANQIMOUPHTPAkJG0XogJuZZNfDhKJnlVtakE_lLIlZdPBrU0T2K9JHS5oQrFeSSD1qQlGcwfOWt5qvCx__4IZvsd4oOOorHgtil2qCkQMKIEoYrn8EQtxhRyPo25KBw/s1600/Ben.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdLsoY1xc9KtTPANQIMOUPHTPAkJG0XogJuZZNfDhKJnlVtakE_lLIlZdPBrU0T2K9JHS5oQrFeSSD1qQlGcwfOWt5qvCx__4IZvsd4oOOorHgtil2qCkQMKIEoYrn8EQtxhRyPo25KBw/s400/Ben.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Meet Ben, from Xianning, Hubei Province. Doesn't he look excited to be in his new coat thanks to our Coats 4 Kids project?<br />
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Ben just recently turned two years old, and is a sweet and engaging little guy. He likes to be held and give kisses. One of his favorite things to do is mimic people dancing on television. He is learning to walk, and balances himself by holding on to a hand or furniture. Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-48295552765325155272012-12-31T08:18:00.000-05:002012-12-31T08:18:19.550-05:00Even More Coats!Here are some of the sweet kiddos from Yulin #1 in Guangxi!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqv76XAVQluvYXHmToD2HVgblHYu6lfQAxvGw5UlG_6255ZfMsdcCy4zYR-emz2DoNgPqf3X-xpPQcOChyphenhyphenTG0k0k_rWBhgUMroMtYWWJEbgPNuckyti8rzg1pdtLiEGopS5FxcDuP1_Lf/s1600/Abby+rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqv76XAVQluvYXHmToD2HVgblHYu6lfQAxvGw5UlG_6255ZfMsdcCy4zYR-emz2DoNgPqf3X-xpPQcOChyphenhyphenTG0k0k_rWBhgUMroMtYWWJEbgPNuckyti8rzg1pdtLiEGopS5FxcDuP1_Lf/s400/Abby+rev.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGFjXITV0vnoMc4ikO2ab4QeKr6fNjo6Nz6F16WPVxLeDF0_Hwqx2at1UQKBa0eGnbZonujZ0lleFU21Ox6vPfzpg-bS4Qlh1auXafMT0pzodbxht0Bw9yH_QNp6Pyvysi9jy0Hhc-fiC/s1600/Hua+Dola+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGFjXITV0vnoMc4ikO2ab4QeKr6fNjo6Nz6F16WPVxLeDF0_Hwqx2at1UQKBa0eGnbZonujZ0lleFU21Ox6vPfzpg-bS4Qlh1auXafMT0pzodbxht0Bw9yH_QNp6Pyvysi9jy0Hhc-fiC/s400/Hua+Dola+logo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-89897983934548219612012-12-30T09:56:00.001-05:002012-12-30T10:01:20.300-05:00First Round of Coats & Christmas 4 Kids Photos!Check out the first photos from our Coats Campaign! So far, these include photos from Yulin and Desheng, Guangxi, and we look forward to sharing more photos as they come in! Doesn't it look like they are having fun?<br />
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<div style="width:480px;text-align:right;"><embed width="480" height="360" src="http://static.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed1285.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa587%2FGrace_and_Hope%2FCoats%2520and%2520Christmas%25204%2520Kids%2520Project%2Ffeed.rss" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" /><a href="http://photobucket.com/redirect/album?showShareLB=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.pbsrc.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" style="border:none;" /></a><a href="http://photobucket.com/coats4kids" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.pbsrc.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" style="border:none;" /></a></div>Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-90752947183284569512012-12-30T09:52:00.001-05:002012-12-30T09:52:56.296-05:00Sunday Snapshot: Lily<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJShnN9Kpmem1neO7yKktZ6HLi_gcO8aSzKy_t_HkXeZXpO2jLhD2r7dnrwbwjWTv0WfbNyia55_MpGxH_QAqCYeeIBEgQFOjuralzGYGHV9Y4CcVpVwrT0Xp7ZAp2VeAUsEbecZg4Y1T/s1600/1+Lily+Grace+Hope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="188" width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJShnN9Kpmem1neO7yKktZ6HLi_gcO8aSzKy_t_HkXeZXpO2jLhD2r7dnrwbwjWTv0WfbNyia55_MpGxH_QAqCYeeIBEgQFOjuralzGYGHV9Y4CcVpVwrT0Xp7ZAp2VeAUsEbecZg4Y1T/s400/1+Lily+Grace+Hope.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Meet Lily, from Rongxian. She is eighteen months old, and just recently tasted birthday cake for the first time at a family member's birthday party. Her foster family dotes on her, and people love to give her gifts and play with her. Isn't she just adorable?<br />
Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-44110348174598636012012-12-27T08:33:00.002-05:002012-12-27T08:33:34.020-05:00Thursday's Follow-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5pI2cVpZAdbY6MszPNMUHFLThng7wmBBnC-eweJ8oT1LO03GiA6ApM_pWgxNJPezofN7nwc6YkccSlzuHJLz7zlU01DXpKSiWf1fIM9wB712NvNAys7mIkIcjxrrjZ7ZbeM1ng7OAZ8m/s1600/544884_10150842134099810_1181274298_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5pI2cVpZAdbY6MszPNMUHFLThng7wmBBnC-eweJ8oT1LO03GiA6ApM_pWgxNJPezofN7nwc6YkccSlzuHJLz7zlU01DXpKSiWf1fIM9wB712NvNAys7mIkIcjxrrjZ7ZbeM1ng7OAZ8m/s400/544884_10150842134099810_1181274298_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Yesterday's <a href="vhttp://grace-hopeforchildren.blogspot.com/2012/12/wordless-wednesday_26.html">Wordless Wednesday post</a> highlighted this sweet boy. <br />
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Today, we wanted to share the story behind the photo. The boy in the picture is Peter, from Guangxi, and the photo was taken last April, on the annual board trip. Peter cannot walk, and doesn't have a wheel chair, but he loves to read with a passion. So, Curt, one of the GHC board members, put Peter on his back and carried him through the books store so that he could shop for books. It was a wonderful time for Peter and for the board members traveling in China. Pater is an amazing young man who is a blessing to all those who meet him.<br />
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Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-71757318154867177992012-12-26T11:41:00.000-05:002012-12-26T11:41:03.316-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWhUzfNCIg4hxutakr-gcC_yNQ3DS-6PUY-cQc_thm3H4szQcxlpaRlA77WRmN6UieqKF4uN1Px3YGbGxNMLEf4MbyFoy_ODqTsWFsPbFp-LjOiyvGtg8vwZGlP2zMCrXWUaXkctX785o/s1600/544884_10150842134099810_1181274298_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWhUzfNCIg4hxutakr-gcC_yNQ3DS-6PUY-cQc_thm3H4szQcxlpaRlA77WRmN6UieqKF4uN1Px3YGbGxNMLEf4MbyFoy_ODqTsWFsPbFp-LjOiyvGtg8vwZGlP2zMCrXWUaXkctX785o/s400/544884_10150842134099810_1181274298_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-16512894227322559302012-12-21T21:55:00.000-05:002012-12-21T21:56:01.447-05:00The Embodiment of HopeWe are delighted to welcome Erin Raffety as our guest blogger for our Christmas message from Grace & Hope. Erin holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Davidson College, an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and is certified to receive a call with the Presbyterian Church (USA). She is a Ph.D. Candidate in Anthropology at Princeton University, where her interests include kinship, foster care, and domestic adoption in China, and theology and anthropology. She has worked in Asia, along the US-Mexico border and Puerto Rico, and in Washington, DC on international poverty and hunger with Bread for the World and The ONE Campaign. Erin recently returned from conducting her dissertation fieldwork in Southwest China, and lives in Princeton, New Jersey with her husband, Evan. Erin can be reached via her blog, <a href="http://littlesacredspace.wordpress.com/">Little Sacred Space</a>. As someone who has been intimately connected to the work of Grace & Hope, she offers a unique perspective this Christmas season.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRz9-OSUfHhDIuKlYmZ0a687G6br92IIoFUjvqr9P03xbeD1NeaLHEYr10P43wbNngccjaNaogyRupAbXqdlyZdrTdzMjndrhdKN8v1PA9OB3CAJKS0NL3Jwc8lDgTEHHhllT8H3bSDrM/s1600/blog+pic+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRz9-OSUfHhDIuKlYmZ0a687G6br92IIoFUjvqr9P03xbeD1NeaLHEYr10P43wbNngccjaNaogyRupAbXqdlyZdrTdzMjndrhdKN8v1PA9OB3CAJKS0NL3Jwc8lDgTEHHhllT8H3bSDrM/s400/blog+pic+1.jpg" /></a></div><i>Farmers on the outskirts of Nanning’s modern skyscrapers in the Guangxi Autonomous Region. All photos by Evan Schneider.</i><br />
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Nearly three and a half years ago I came to China hoping to do dissertation research with foster families. I remember vividly the first few moments in the Nanning airport, where my halting Mandarin got a pungent taste of Southwest Guangxi’s linguistic plurality and thick Southern accents (yep, there are Southern accents in China, too!). I remember not only this cacophony of languages upon touching down in Nanning, but also the pervasive smell of mildew, the sea of e-bikes stretching across the broad avenues, and my first forays through neighborhood markets searching for foster mothers alongside a friend who swore they could be found.<br />
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I met not a single foster mother that first summer. Instead, I met many people, all Chinese, who told me, emphatically, that they did not exist. Our research design is open-ended in anthropology, meaning that we spend a lot of time in the places where we study and live, and we often expect even the topic of our research to change along the way. People who I met in Guangxi apologized obsessively for the “backwardness” of their region, and urged me to go somewhere of real importance in China. Chinese professors of anthropology wondered why I wanted to study foster mothers, rather than the Zhuang minority culture, for which Guangxi is famous. <br />
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But oddly, for some reason, it never occurred to me to abandon the project. I had this strange, absurd, yet resilient hope that foster mothers were out there somewhere, and that they were worth studying and worth knowing. So my husband and I moved to Nanning the following summer, on a wing and a prayer. And then finally, in March of 2011 in an unassuming concrete office, buried in the middle of the city, and through a roundabout network of friends and acquaintances, I was introduced to a small NGO staff who told me they supported hundreds of families in Nanning and thousands outside of the province who took orphaned and abandoned children into their homes. Their name was Grace & Hope. That April, in a nearby city orphanage, an elderly woman with a kind smile told me how she’d started foster care projects in Guangxi in the early 1990s out of necessity, poverty, and concern. Guangxi, it turned out, despite the naysayers, and in no small part due to Grace & Hope, was at the center of a disperse, yet expansive foster care movement.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7RR4Ic9sHGSh0NYhZMjhoKjPPSTGGEB3ZXzH-QwKspofCJPxF2G0Kwh9gry5S10wtE3blGoajgy0-vEtLTNAZLxuFRWfFSZas8gTJL87F7QnaOzpyWCVN9AX_yll_2kdghwJkj1hH7Zo/s1600/blog+pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7RR4Ic9sHGSh0NYhZMjhoKjPPSTGGEB3ZXzH-QwKspofCJPxF2G0Kwh9gry5S10wtE3blGoajgy0-vEtLTNAZLxuFRWfFSZas8gTJL87F7QnaOzpyWCVN9AX_yll_2kdghwJkj1hH7Zo/s400/blog+pic+2.jpg" /></a></div><i>The author with members of the staff of Grace and Hope for Children in China.</i><br />
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When you’re sitting in classrooms and carrels imagining anthropological fieldwork, you can only think in systems and power and theories. It was no different for me, and when it came to contemporary China, I conjured a sophisticated state, modern cities, and rapid social change. But instead what I found is time nearly standing still in the cinder-block homes of foster families, whether they lived in the capital city or off the rice paddies between mountains where people plowed with oxen, a rickety tool, and their own two hands. <br />
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I discovered the literature on families and family life in China hardly prepared me for the sudden expressions of emotion I encountered inside foster families’ homes—the their pain, their joy, and how they clung to me briefly and then even physically pushed me away, so taboo were these moments in a typically reserved culture. So powerful and yet fleeting were these displays of emotion that I often wondered whether I imagined them, or if they did occur, what it was that elicited such rawness, such intimacy. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtAuYjP_BbiEJ8TVXMPQNx2-xS16PfC66wTBI7YyNc9PBH73uR95acTKNQZOueByv0qpKT3a44mpGyNXAVdFh3U9XXsfToEP06BZGYzOLyTzu-A0mAj7zBhlqRs1J4wt7LLV3APdjtnUV/s1600/blog+pic+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtAuYjP_BbiEJ8TVXMPQNx2-xS16PfC66wTBI7YyNc9PBH73uR95acTKNQZOueByv0qpKT3a44mpGyNXAVdFh3U9XXsfToEP06BZGYzOLyTzu-A0mAj7zBhlqRs1J4wt7LLV3APdjtnUV/s400/blog+pic+3.jpg" /></a></div><i><br />
The author with a foster family in Nanning.</i><br />
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I gradually understood that my time with families felt so saturated with emotion, because emotion is the work of foster parents. Their emotion, their love, their care, such precious gifts, are on loan to children who come to live in their homes for often brief periods of time, but who remain in their hearts and their memories. Whenever I would walk into a village or a courtyard, foster parents would crowd around me with photos of foster children they had raised and who had been adopted abroad. They not only inquired about their whereabouts, desperate to know that these children had grown up beautiful and loved, but they relished the opportunity to tell their stories, to speak of each precious child by name, often remarking that those who were the “most difficult,” either because of their disabilities or behavioral problems, were those most cherished in the end. <br />
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When I would thank these parents, whose backs had grown curved, their hands withered over the many years of rearing children who are not their own, they would shoo me away with flippant gestures, downcast eyes, and polite words. But while their concrete highrises or country homes are not much to look at, I’ve come to believe that they are the embodiment of hope. Most obviously for abandoned and disabled children, they provide love, care, and bright hope of a future that includes all of these. But for the surrounding communities, for all those who doubt the value of disabled kids, who see only their limitations, they bring good news. While others say these children can’t walk, talk, or learn, the foster moms, intimately attuned to the rhythm of the kids’ daily lives, excitedly point to the milestones only a doting parent could see. Perhaps the greatest hope they bring, not only to the kids, or their neighbors, but to China, is the gift of open eyes, open ears, and open hearts.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVF9NLKTkLVVF4QHAch_EH9SUHVr6w8cYAcXjGhGBI0Vs_cDBS7jconiZzVmqckWA3JPKC-zK_hBuFm74DAle5SmFV26ghiHTCYW-sd_Xx0mssPFNjBUHID1kLALFWLqFDgvkdmJVqVPm/s1600/blog+pic+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVF9NLKTkLVVF4QHAch_EH9SUHVr6w8cYAcXjGhGBI0Vs_cDBS7jconiZzVmqckWA3JPKC-zK_hBuFm74DAle5SmFV26ghiHTCYW-sd_Xx0mssPFNjBUHID1kLALFWLqFDgvkdmJVqVPm/s400/blog+pic+4.jpg" /></a></div><i>Foster parents encourage foster kids at Grace and Hope picnic in Nanning, April 2011.</i><br />
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This season, as we consider the birth of the Christ child, of Mary and Joseph’s willingness to accept their fate in humility, I can’t help but think of these parents and children in China. I will think of how my own journey is now inexplicably tied to theirs, my own eyes, ears, and heart have been opened because of the ways that they serve. I will think of how, much as God fills all of us with heightened expectation and hope and joy this season, how their gifts of love and care, and the work of Grace and Hope in China, have brought hope and joy to so many. I will pray for the staff of Grace and Hope in China, that their long days and fervent efforts on behalf of these children and these families, will be received with open eyes, ears, and hearts. I will pray for the moms who have just let a child go to be adopted to a new home, for their faith, their sacrifice, and their pain. I will pray for the moms who welcome a new child into their homes, though they know not what to expect, or even how to care for children with disabilities and special needs. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0ewUBvnYehhWwwshqZn6aPU3tj8z5uWIxYJ_2e3c5tH5j5N-t04_pur7vM_8pmPgCjUwygOTOZ7becj1nY-gXvpBJUiDWT81h5J59dzYLu8tirM_aBGtow_RT6ucPKLX4DeN7v_vPSKk/s1600/blog+pic+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="293" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0ewUBvnYehhWwwshqZn6aPU3tj8z5uWIxYJ_2e3c5tH5j5N-t04_pur7vM_8pmPgCjUwygOTOZ7becj1nY-gXvpBJUiDWT81h5J59dzYLu8tirM_aBGtow_RT6ucPKLX4DeN7v_vPSKk/s400/blog+pic+5.jpg" /></a></div><i>A foster mom in Guangxi.</i><br />
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But mostly, I will praise God for hope, in the most unlikely places. I will praise God for the awe that each of us feels when we hold a child, a child who God has fearfully and wonderfully made, and for the savior that came to us in such a humble state. This Christmas, for these mothers in a faraway land who hold children with loving arms and who in so doing share this good news, please join with me in giving God honor and praise.<br />
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Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-20404316163435398752012-12-20T14:29:00.000-05:002012-12-20T14:30:17.267-05:00Coats & Christmas 4 Kids - We Did It! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJxZAf3zfatMmE2bsflJ7EFKKrVTD3fHqzaqj4w3siM8GuhWUSDhJlR4D7TDPqlPsbwmVOPc-hvKI1covUw9gQugsyK4q8bBbNWU3hCkSo5fV05GDw_pQP6nwNUw6k2frftIvCKosqGyj/s1600/224877_10151391998419810_1598914680_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="299" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJxZAf3zfatMmE2bsflJ7EFKKrVTD3fHqzaqj4w3siM8GuhWUSDhJlR4D7TDPqlPsbwmVOPc-hvKI1covUw9gQugsyK4q8bBbNWU3hCkSo5fV05GDw_pQP6nwNUw6k2frftIvCKosqGyj/s400/224877_10151391998419810_1598914680_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This sweet little man is Will from Pingdingshan. His coat, seen here, is our 'first coat of Christmas!' We are SO very happy to announce that as of this morning, we have met our goal for the Coats & Christmas 4 Kids Campaign, which means that the 385 children in a GHC program will all have a new coat and a Christmas party this winter. If you notice- the number is higher than our original goal, because we found out just this week, as our staff is in Henan province, that we are now able to partner with Sanmenxia to expand the number of children they are able to place into foster care. As a result, we now have five more kids in our program! <br />
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Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have donated and helped us spread the word about this project. We are so happy that our kids will be warm and have a bit of extra love this Christmas. Be on the lookout for photos as the coats and parties begin to happen!<br />
Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-46793850439102029802012-12-17T15:07:00.001-05:002012-12-17T15:07:31.970-05:00Program Spotlight: QinzhouSince Grace & Hope started its work with the Guangxi SWI of Qinzhou in November of 2005, over 186 children have been a part of our foster care program there. Currently, 33 children are being served by this program. <br />
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We would love to add <a href="https://www.grace-hope.org/Donations.aspx?OrphanageID=9&ChildID=2759">Scott</a> to our Qinzhou program. Could you be his sponsor?Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-12701255653867792852012-12-09T10:36:00.003-05:002012-12-09T10:36:55.551-05:00Sunday Snapshot: Kathryn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqt_FeL4elfVJf1ARPx8wyWJsZbpfXMOq2X0q5MD6B7nBM_voyTXxBQ-Wbu_VYiKxq-soqWYU1I-ECS7IZW193qJpV1_8GruQ7Uz8YE4tQBdEBU6f1ckJqDIiIadW53J3Xn-LhIavds8F/s1600/sunday+snapshot+12+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="333" width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqt_FeL4elfVJf1ARPx8wyWJsZbpfXMOq2X0q5MD6B7nBM_voyTXxBQ-Wbu_VYiKxq-soqWYU1I-ECS7IZW193qJpV1_8GruQ7Uz8YE4tQBdEBU6f1ckJqDIiIadW53J3Xn-LhIavds8F/s400/sunday+snapshot+12+9.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Meet Kathryn, from Huangmei in Hubei Province.<br />
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Nine year old Kathryn has just started attending a local specialized school from Monday through Friday, with the goal of helping her improve her independent living skills.<br />
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At her last visit with the Grace & Hope staff person, she introduced herself and smiled when she was told she had a beautiful name. She is excited about all that she is learning in school. Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-87952861685340029272012-12-08T08:47:00.000-05:002012-12-08T08:47:06.363-05:00Program Spotlight FuyangFuyang, in the Anhui provice, has 28 children in our program. The vast majority of the children served by the program here have special needs. The orphanage deputy director and foster parents have said that since the Grace & Hope program started at Fuyang, they have seen huge changes in the children, who have become very attached to their foster families, and have learned to play with others, eat, walk, talk, and generally live the kind of life that a child should expect within a family. The Fuyang SWI truly wants to place more children in foster care, so we are working with them to encourage the finding and training of more foster families. <br />
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Sweet Amity from Fuyang is waiting for a sponsor in Fuyang. Click <a href="https://www.grace-hope.org/Donations.aspx?OrphanageID=52&ChildID=2750">here</a> for more information on how to help her join the other children in our program there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8q7nYC564C68jCcHw6QzucESp7LqL3plQBJ7eZRsAwRE5QsZNVy3fz62DF4J87sq8gslczaAXVC2r3f3DCuU7o5z2RGTMonxBee1xKYt0jUkXL3nMUTWiYMLghrEuIQvFG8P_rff8IBCt/s1600/amity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="84" width="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8q7nYC564C68jCcHw6QzucESp7LqL3plQBJ7eZRsAwRE5QsZNVy3fz62DF4J87sq8gslczaAXVC2r3f3DCuU7o5z2RGTMonxBee1xKYt0jUkXL3nMUTWiYMLghrEuIQvFG8P_rff8IBCt/s400/amity.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Grace & Hope for Childrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09457166158113735416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4109399200626334635.post-44734419537891411342012-12-06T14:45:00.000-05:002012-12-06T20:59:31.651-05:00New Project: Coats & Christmas 4 KidsWe are very excited to announce a new special project, just in time for Christmas!<br />
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At this time, we have 380 children being served by Grace & Hope programs. Especially this time of year, we would like to do something special for each of them. To that end, we are working to raise money to purchase a new coat and provide a Christmas party for each child in our programs, at a cost of $15 per child. <br />
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If you would like to participate in this venture by purchasing "Coats & Christmas" for one (or more!) of our precious children, please click the link below to contribute. <br />
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If you prefer to mail a check, send us your email address, and please indicate Coats & Christmas 4 Kids on the memo line, and mail to:<br />
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465 N.E. 181st #210 <br />
Portland, OR 97230<br />
USA<br />
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Within 48 hours of your donation, you will receive a holiday card via email (suitable for printing or email) that you may keep for yourself or give as a gift this holiday season, in honor of the children we serve. Our deadline for participation is December 21, so please act soon!<br />
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Thank you for supporting the work of Grace & Hope!<br />
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