The first in my series of pictures from our trip- the kids at the Philip Hayden Foundation Orphanage. This facility takes in special needs children from all over China.

The kids are divided up by age in 3 houses, plus a clinic where there are kids recuperating from surgeries, awaiting treatment, or just getting the extra medical care their condition warrants. The facility is cozy, personal, and homelike. Two of the full time staff at PHF are doctors- a husband and wife who gave up their practice in the states to live in China and take care of these precious kids. They remarked that opening the supplies we’d brought from the states was like Christmas to them, as good quality medical care items are much harder to come by in China.
The kids are taken care of by Chinese nannies whom they call mama. This is by far the best run orphanage I’ve seen. There is one staff to every two or three kids, compared to the government facilities which have anywhere from 10 to 16 or more kids per staff. Being at PHF definately confirmed Andrew and I’s heart to adopt, and made adopting a special needs child even from China feel very doable.

We did a VBS with story, songs, & small group activities with crafts & sensory.
The kids loved it & it was a great way to connect with them & nannies.

The other time we had was spent working on projects around the orphanage- cleaning, moving furniture, etc. Andrew got to help out with some computer questions in the office as well. We had lots of time to play with the kids in their homes or outside. There was a little boy who loved Andrew and would come running to his arms every time he saw him- in the front in the following picture. Behind him on Andrew’s lap is Lucus, who is deaf. There is a program in China for the cochlear implant but he does not qualify so PHF hopes to raise funds to get them for this energetic little guy.

A little boy named Cameron captured my heart- he was one of the first kids to let me hold him and carry him around and when he called me ‘mama’ the last morning of the trip my heart melted.

I spent a lot of time in the clinic. The first day there I noticed a little baby girl in a bouncy chair and through an interpreter found out that she is nine months old and suffering from malnourishment. Her name is Ching-Ling, and she has the body size and strength of a 4 or 5 month old. She seemed to come alive when I would hold her and look into her eyes as I sang and talked to her.

This little guy is so full of life & energy- with a face that lit up the room when he tried to smile. He’s awaiting surgery to correct his cleft lip.

I can’t put into words the privilege it was for me to be with these kids even for a short time or the inspiration I felt from the staff. These children are truly priceless and deserve all the love we can give them. If you have ever considered sponsoring a child, adopting a child, or giving financial help to a program like this one I would ask that you consider these beautiful kids in China. You can follow the link above to PHF’s website to learn more about how they run and what needs they have.
It was with a full and somewhat aching heart that we left these kids, thankful that they are getting the best care possible and knowing we’ll return to see how they’ve grown.

Next up: The Great Wall