ChinaBird

Through the years of having this blog, I've been pretty vocal about several aspects of living and working in China and for a non-profit organization. I've often shared about the kids, advocating for their adoptions, about our therapy program, and about God's goodness to me and us. ALL of which are true. There's no recanting any of those statements but there's so much more. I originally starting writing this blog to share with family, friends and supporters back in the U.S. about life and work here - but there's always been a part of me that has somewhat cushioned the realities so that it's more relatable. I don't feel that's necessary anymore. I'm sharing the rawness and realness of life. A while back I came across an article on WeChat (the main method of communication and social media here) that was titled, "Ten Things That Your Missionary Will Not Tell You". This article was thoughtfully written by a man, husband, and father of 11 ...

Hey All, It's that time again...time to write about one of our amazing kids here at SFCV. Typically, I've been trying to write about my patients/ the kids enrolled in our therapy program. So far it's been good and I'm very happy to say that the word is getting out about these kiddos! Today's post is an exception to the rule... this incredibly special young girl isn't in our therapy program, she's never been enrolled in our program, but she is definitely a huge part of our hearts! Amanda joined our SFCV family from Heze orphanage in February of 2014, and every since our hearts and lives have been touched by her loving and joyful heart. Amanda has Blue Bleb Nevus Syndrome (BRBNS) which is a rare condition that is characterized by numerous malformations of the venous system that primarily effects  the skin and visceral organs. This condition has caused her to have a left foot deformity as well as several of these venous abnormalities. Last summer our medica...

Still crazy as ever... :) What. Is. Up?  I know, I know, back so soon! I wanted to update y'all on my recent trip to New Jersey! Since living in China and working at SFCV I've had the opportunity to meet and connect with so many awesome people: families, interns, guests, and co-workers. As time moves on, eventually so do people. It's one of the hard things to grasp about working for a non-profit in a foreign country, but it's always a good thing too. God is constantly bringing new people and moving others home and on to other amazing things. In my time at SFCV thus far, I've seen some good friends move home to the U.S and new ones come; it's pretty much the circle of volunteer life. Hard at times, but overall good. Dinner with some China Dawgs!   A few friends and former SFCV co-workers of mine happen to live and (now) work on the East Coast in the Philadelphia, New Jersey, Maryland area. This last week I had the wonderful opportunity to drop-in and...