Huge Grace Orphanage

I just got to visit the Huge Grace Orphanage with some people from my fellowship here this morning. It's an orphanage that takes in disabled kids. This one I got to color with, and really tugged on my heart. He had a hard time walking, but could hold a pencil in his left hand. This is the boy that my 3rd grade class is going to make a quilt for. His name is Ling Re Mao. I specificlaly went on this trip to see if there was a child that would benefit from our class project, and Ling Re Mao was the one that stuck out to me.



He loved coloring and using markers! He also always did the peace sign when there was a camera out! :)

This special boy(the oldest one there) had autism I think, and ate a crayon while we were there, and i had to fish 1/2 of one out of his mouth that he stole while I was breaking up a couple other kids fighting... He really needed touch, and would grab my head in an odd hug, and then hit his head against mine. At first I let him, but it got a little violent... It was sad to tell him no, becuase you know he just needs love and touch, but it isn't an appropriate way. And seeing the workers, bless their hearts, they aren't as gentle and loving as you'd like - but thye have many kids to take care of all day every day, so Gd bless them for what they do. I wondered while I was there if I could do it - coiuld i take care of special needs kids every day, or even just have one? It breaks your heart... even more than New Life with cute babies in Kenya - becuase you know these kiddos are the outcasts - may not get homes - and have so many special needs.

Even the toddlers had the peace sign down! :) This little toddler was precious! He had a georgous smile!

I got to feed this little toddler lunch. She was so precious, and just wanted to be held. I set her down at the end, and she started to cry when I left.. it was sad. I oculdn't communicate much to them, but it's amazing what you can say to kids with a smile, touch, and a common activity like playing or feeding. I read her a book that had pinyin in it - so I could kind of read it, and learned some new vocabulary for animals! :)

When she was almost done with her food, she acted like she didn't want anything more to eat, so I stopped feeding her even though it looked like the rest of the kids finished all their food already. The worker came by and forced big spoonfuls of food into her mouth - it was so sad. Then she started crying, so the worker stopped forcing her to eat. She loved touching my earings and buttons - and looked at my red nails, and then at her nails like.. "Hey, why don't mine look like that??? "

I got teary eyed multiple times while I was at the orphanage - just so sad to see these kids that were abandonded or orphaned, and to see how precious they are in God's sight, even though they may not have sight or physical abilities. May God ever make our hearts soft towards the widows and orphans... for they were those who broke God's heart too.