Giving a meaningful gift this Christmas

Well, I get asked from time to time about sponsoring children, so I have decided it is possibly easier to post it on my blog.


I know personally that these organizations are doing amazing things for children in Romania, China, Russia, Africa, India, Nepal and possibly a few other places.
I would love to put a challenge out for you to consider even just a few dollars towards one of these charities this Christmas, to help someone who is desperately in need.  It takes a small amount from a lot of people to make a difference.  I think sometimes it can feel overwhelming at the need in the world and so we often do nothing.  I have seen over the years that we can make a huge difference if we choose to, and for that person our small decision is everything.

The Boy and The Starfish

One day, an old man was walking along the beach in the early morning and noticed the tide had washed thousands of starfish up on the shore. Up ahead in the distance he spotted a boy who appeared to be gathering up the starfish, and one by one tossing them back into the ocean.

He approached the boy and asked him why he spent so much energy doing what seemed to be a waste of time.

The boy replied, "If these starfish are left out here like this they will bake in the sun, and by this afternoon they will all be dead."

The old man gazed out as far as he could see and responded, "But, there must be hundreds of miles of beach and thousands of starfish. You can't possibly rescue all of them. What difference is throwing a few back going to make anyway?"

The boy then held up the starfish he had in his hand and replied, "It's sure going to make a lot of difference to this one!"

http://www.orphansaidinternational.org/index.htm
Working with Orphans In Romania, Russia, Nepal, India and soon Uganda

http://www.hopechest.org/
Working Russia, Swaziland, South Africa, Ethiopia, Uganda, Haiti, Guatemala, Moldova, and India.

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/programs/medical/sponsor-a-child/
Working to improve the lives of Chinese Orphans, medical, foster care, school, nutrition etc.

http://www.orphansatplay.org/GiveaGrandmaDonationHolidayCards
Russia

http://www.worldvision.org/
World Wide


http://altrusa.info/amity/amity_index.htm

7 years ago Today

7 Years ago today we meet Jasmine Qing Shan for the first time, in Jiangxi China.  After 2 years of waiting, it was an amazing feeling to finally have our baby.  It seems strange that it has been that long, she is the age now my oldest was when we traveled to pick her up.   

"Well Jazz, you have enriched our lives more than we ever imagined.  It was a hard road some times, but one that was worth every step traveling it with you.  We love you more than you understand and know, you are our daughter in every way.  We thank your birth parents for the parts they gave you that we couldn't.   Our lives have become a quite an adventure.  You are such an amazing little girl, and we are so proud to be your parents."  Happy adoption Day xxxx

 

Our trip to China

I will forget a lot of details because of how tired I am from the trip, but I am being asked for photos and questions on how the homeland visit went for Jasmine and ourselves.

The short answer is it was a huge success, and Jasmine LOVES her country, which we are so pleased about.  The orphanage visit was the best part of the trip for us all but also really emotional for me and Jason.  We talk about the orphaned kids we said goodbye to every day.

 It was so funny when we arrived in her "little" rural town, of 7 million people!  It was huge, we could have driven for 4 hours and still been in Shangrao.  It was definitely 'real' China, and no one really could speak English, but her home town was the best part of the whole trip.

Jasmine is from a really pretty part of China, and the people were lovely.  

Shanghai

On the train heading to Shangrao, where Jasmine was born

shopping in Shangrao, Jasmine's hometown

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One of the rides we had  while there

The girls loved the princess chair in our hotel 

Arriving at the Orphanage

Jasmine geting a gift from the Orphanage director

Two of the orphaned children we got to spend time with

The Nannies who cared for Jasmine while in the Orphanage

A historical temple In Jasmine's Hometown

Arriving at the foster village 

Front road by foster families houses.

One of the foster mums that recognized Jasmine.  She may have looked after her when she was sick once or twice

Every night families meet to dance and have fun

Home town scenery

Tortoise Mountain Shangrao

The boat we were in

Tortoise mountains in Jasmine's home town

At Ocean Park

Home Land Visit

Shangrao

Nanchang

I can't believe how fast this year has gone, and that it is a week and a half till we leave for China.  We are taking Jasmine back to see her country for the first time since she was 16mths, which she is so excited about.  We are leaving on the 29th July and flying in to Shanghai, where we will spend a few nights.  We are then taking the train (yes a chinese train) from Shanghai to Shangrao (Jiangxi province) where Jasmine Qing Shan was born.  This will be REAL China for sure, well for 4 nights it will be.
When we adopted her we were not allowed to travel there to meet her, they bought her to the capital Nanchang where we were staying, so this will be the first time we actually see her home town as well.  We will get to visit the Orphanage there (which they charge for!) and she will meet the nannies who looked after her.   We are also going back to Nanchang to stay in the hotel where they handed Jasmine to us, so that she can see all these 'landmark' places that make up her story.  After Nanchang we are flying to Hong Kong for two nights before coming home, and having some fun.  Hopefully Ocean park of Disney Land, and of course Markets!
I am not sure what this will all be like traveling with our youngest Chanel, hopefully she will be a trooper, but she is so fussy with food.

Ocean Park

Shanghai

7 Years ago today

It was 7 years ago today that we got to see the face of our daughter.  We received her referral and a few photos, and then the  long 8 week wait began before we could pick her up.   

Her name was Rao Qing Shan, and she was born in Jiangxi Province, Shangrao.  She was 13mths at the time of her referral and 15mths when we got to hold her for the first time.

Such happy memories, and such an amazing journey, and exciting way to build a family.  

We love you Jasmine

Before and After

 It is amazing sometimes to look back at Jasmine before she found her family....us.  I can not imagine our little monkey not being in our family.  I just love all the funny things she come out with, we are always laughing at something.   One of my personal favorites was: "hey mum we can use those banana's to make blueberry muffins".
Jasmine is very impatient to have another adopted child in our family, and we are also requesting an asian child again.  Eastern Russia has a large asian population.  Fingers crossed.