May your
love cause us to open up,
cause us to open
up our hearts.
May your
light cause us to shine so bright,
that we
bring hope into the dark.
You heard
the cry of our hearts.
And you came
down.
Freely you
gave us your love, showing us how.
Make me an
instrument of your peace.
Where there
is hatred let me sow love.
Where there
is darkness let me shine light.
May your
love cause us to open up,
cause us to
open up our hearts.
May your
light cause us to shine so bright,
that we
bring hope into the dark.
Hope for the
hopeless, your love is.
Strength in
our weakness, your love is.
May we love,
as you love.
Hope for the
hopeless, your love is.
Strength in
our weakness, your love is.
May we love,
as you love.
May we love,
as you love.
May we love,
as you love.
–“Open up,” The Brilliance
This song is one we sang at ATC. I absolutely love it, and I
was thinking about writing this blog it came to mind. I have experienced love
in so many ways this year. I want to tell you about one of the ways that I have
been able to experience love this semester --
Ever since hearing about the orphanage here in Taiyuan
(before I even came) I have wanted to work there. When I found out that a group
of foreigners from our fellowship goes every week, I was even more excited. One
problem… they go on Fridays. I teach on Fridays – one class... But, the
opportunity didn’t really become a possibility until the Spring semester, I
asked my co teacher about moving my class on Fridays and she was ok with it –
but her leaders said no (such a disappointment). Which meant that I couldn’t go
every week. But it did mean I could go whenever we had a break (which we have
several) on a Friday. So I went. And I love it. I am so glad that I am able to go the few times that I have
and will be able to.
The kids that I get to play with all have some sort of
disability. It’s so sad to see them and to think about how they may never have
a family that loves them. It breaks my heart. I wish that I could just bring
them home with me. Sweet little Kai, he has Down’s syndrome, and he is the
happiest and sweetest baby there is. He is such a little cuddler and so active
– he wants to crawl so bad. I try to help him, he just can’t quite keep his
legs up under himself. Or Rei Jia and the other little girl, whose name we
couldn’t figure out, that don’t have much strength in their arms and legs but
who are some of the most beautiful children. Or any of the many others that the
volunteers work with who just want to be held and loved and to have a home. The
first week I went I fought tears all morning just thinking about how these
children’s lives were. I am so glad and so blessed that I get to go and play
and love on these precious children whenever my few chances come around. But I
am also so glad that there are people foreign and Chinese alike who go and
volunteer to play and love and care for these precious children.
I don’t have pictures that I can share, but I can leave you
with some pictures from our recent adventure to Pingyao. Chesney’s friend has
been visiting this past week so we have been showing him around – so he is the guy you see and don't recognize.
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| The wall around Pingyao - we walked around a good part of the city on it, such a beautiful view. |
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| Me, on the wall. |
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| In the armed forces training center, Chesney looks like she might be in trouble. |
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| This was Yingze Park (an amusement park here in Taiyuan) on team day, we were just walking and some lady just comes up and throws her baby into my arms. |
