Week One

1) The Journey

I managed all by myself to somehow get to Beijing without any major issues! I slept for most of the journey and also started and finished Heidi Baker's 'Compelled by love' (you HAVE to read it, it's beyond amazing). Jenni met me at the airport and filled me in on all things 'Hope foster home' on the way back.

2) Captial Church Beijing

9am, the morning I arrived I went straight to church with Jenni and Jordan (two of the other volunteers). What a way to start my trip, where all things should start and end, worshipping Jesus and committing the next three months to the Father. I'd visited this church last year and it was great, but i had a renewed sense of peace about this church. The theme of the morning was 'Abide in me' - how apt! When we are in Christ, our likeness to God is strengthened. His heart and His will flows through our hearts too. I'm expectant and excited for the Sunday am's to come! 

3) Cuddling kids from last year! 

The highlight of my Sunday was seeing the toddlers that i met last year. Most have been adopted or moved to other units, but two little boys, David and Steven are still there. ( We use the chinese names when we speak to them). Both have had their heart surgeries and are healthy, chubby and happy. They are starting to say my name but its more 'Wo Wo' than Rosey but we'll roll with that! 

4) A normal day at Hope : 

The days are long and packed full of time with the kids. 

7am : Wake up breakfast 

8am : 1st pre school class - more advanced, can speak and understand conversational English most of the time. We sing our ABC's and numbers. Learn colours and paint/colour in. 

8.45 am : Discovery class - going over the basics, singing, playtime. Also been working on motor skills and development. e.g this week learning how to drink from a normal cup. 

10 am : similar to the latter but younger kids.

Here's some pictures of the pre school classes.

<<<< This week we learnt the letter Y for 'Yo Yo'

2 afternoons a week we have baby classes - a few of them have acute separation anxiety because they're not used to the preschool yet, so please pray for peace and patience! 

5) SWIMMING. 

- 3 afternoons a week we take the older kids swimming. Robin and Joyce (the owners of the home) have a great pool in their garden. 

Here's some pictures!

Most of them are basically water babies!
They absolutely love it, and its SO nice being able to jump in a cold pool!

 

6) Spare time :

This week, i've been getting over pretty strong jetlag. I'm wide awake by 7am which most of you know is very unlike me... and i've been waking up 2 or 3 times in the night. Naps have been very useful! The kids take a nap at lunch time so i've done a bit of scrap booking. Each child gets a book that tells there story. It includes pictures of their nannies, friends, photos, significant moments in their little lives.
One lunchtime we also cycled to the five day market to buy fruit thats so so cheap!

So there you have it!
I've really loved my first week!

Much love,
Rosey x

Hope Prayer Request #1

My first blog post from China is a prayer request. At the end of the week I will do an update, but this is more important!
A beautiful baby girl was brought in to the foster home two days ago.
She is 9 months old but is about the size of a 3 month year old and weighs next to nothing. She has been severely neglected up until this point.
She has clubbed feet, contractures in her hands and suspected Cerebral Palsy. She is very distressed and has a high fever. Due to this, she has been left to soothe herself but she literally screams the entire time. This afternoon i couldn't take it any longer, so picked her up. I Sang and prayed over her, walked with her until she settled. She then took her first nap... PRAISE GOD. Jordan and I have named her "Hannah" because of Hannah from the book of Samuel. She went through many trials and troubles of her own but God was SO faithful and loving toward her. Hannah also persevered and was a fighter and thats exactly what we see in this baby girl.

Anyways, meet Hannah :
 She is SO gorgeous, but needs a lot of love and prayer.
Please would you pray for strength and comfort, for her health and patient care from the nannies. She is so tiny and weak at the moment!

Thank you! I'm excited to share her progress with you all! 

Rosey xx

I love you all the way to China and back!

I'm writing this in a very empty and bare student room. It's my last afternoon in my first year uni accommodation and amongst the craziness of moving out i'm sat here thinking of the people i love most. My mum, my dad and my darling brother. Three months in the grand scheme of things isn't too long, but add another 3 months in Germany, and you pretty have much have half a year away. The concept of being away for this long has only just sunk in and it's making me tad emotional (you know how i am!). 

My comfort and encouragement for my family (because i know my Dad will secretly miss me the most) comes in the form of a song that we all know really well. How Deep the Fathers Love. When one of my best friends gave her life to Jesus a few weeks ago, both Jamie and I both encouraged her to just learn the words off by heart, to carry with her everywhere. We can sing of a love that goes far deeper than any of us can ever know, it's a love that holds all things together no matter where we are in the world. 

How deep the Father's Love for us, How vast beyond all measure. 

That He should give His only son, to make a wretch His treasure. 

How great the pain of searing loss - the Father turn's His face away,

as wounds which mar the chosen one, bring many sons to glory!

Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon his shoulders;

Ashamed. I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers. 

It was my sin that held Him there, until it was accomplished, 

His dying breath has bought me life!

I know that it is finished. 

I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no power, no wisdom.

but, I will boast in Jesus Christ! His death and resurrection.

Why should i gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer.

But this, i know with all my heart - His wounds have paid my ransom. 

- people keep telling me how brave i am to be going all the way to China on my own, i'm not feeling too brave. I'm feeling excited and fearful. My unspoken confidence to go on this trip, is the unwavering security that Christ, the solid rock offers me. You see, the solid rock is not a concept, that we kind of look to when we need the reassurance, we literally are held up by Jesus. We stand, confident, not in ourselves but in His complete resurrection that gives us a solid assurance of where we are going and why we are still here and not there yet. Be encouraged that even when you are unaware, Jesus lifts you up, He guides your steps, surrounds you with an unending, non negotiable and intentional love.  

Its about 4 days till i go. I'm desperate for more of His presence, for more of His character before i go. Please pray that the old me would continually be placed on the cross and the new me would be resurrected through Jesus. 

Finally, 

a MASSIVE thank you to so many of you who have given clothes and other items for me to take! Currently there isn't room for my own clothes so gonna have to do some reshuffling! 

Be blessed guys,

You are SO loved, 

Rosey-pose x