China crisis update

It is great to hear that people are giving to the orphans in this weather crisis. I've been watching the lists of needs daily to see if Sarah's orphanage has shown up. The Google earth map shows snow, but I'm not sure how often it is updated, anyone know?

Here is the report from Alden's orphanage. Looks like school is open, so it must not be as bad as some of the towns that have been without power for over a week. Here is a picture I took of his class last May.



It is easy to bring Alden's good friend into my mind's eye. She is a tall girl, with a scar on her lip. I hope she got something warm to wear. It's difficult for me to release the eyes of the older children after I visit an orphanage. This girl looked like she really wanted to go home with us, and it is much too easy to bring that look to mind. I don't think I can post her picture on line, but you can imagine. It is not the easiest look to read, honestly. Is she hoping we will want her, too? Or, is she wishing she did not have to say good-bye to her friend? My guess is that she was at least eleven, Sarah's age. Is eleven past the age of hoping for a family?

Lianyungang, Jiangsu – is doing the best they can despite the lowest temperatures in history. While they still insist we help others first, they do request winter jackets for the children, warm mats to cover the floor and bottles for babies with cleft lip/palate. The last item we’ll have to ship from Beijing as soon as we are able. UPDATE: Lianyungang bought a covered cargo tricycle for each of the Family Village families to keep the children protected on their way to school. They also bought winter quilts and jackets for the Family Village. UPDATE: HTS is sending extra funds for heating the family village apartments for the next month - 495 yuan per family = 3960 yuan along with 36,600 yuan to purchase 100 sets of winter clothing, 100 quilts, 100 blankets and two heater/air conditioners.

Finally, this morning I saw Sarah's orphanage. CWI stands for Child Welfare Institute.

Zhuzhou CWI, Hunan - need winter clothing, quilts, school supplies and medical assistance. Estimated cost: 100,000 yuan; total child population: 325

Here is the site to find out more. I need to get a scanner so I can make my photos from Sarah's adoption digital so you can see her orphanage, too.