Our first real day!

 Day two for us started out with an early wake up due to jet lag.  Most of the team did not stay in bed past 6am.  With breakfast at 7:30am there was no delay to getting the day started.  After breakfast we had orientation where we met many of the leaders here with our host.  It was awesome to get to hear all of the leaders’ stories on how they came to work here and where their hearts are in visualizing the future that is in store for this place.  Brian (one of the leaders) shared with us many of the stories of the children in the foster home.  These stories were both heart breaking and a blessing to hear because of what they are doing to help these children.  All of the children in this foster home have some sort of illness.  What the foster home is doing is bringing in children from normal orphanages that are ill and need surgery, then providing them with the opportunity to be healed through donations from people all around the world.  They have already provided well over one hundred surgeries to children who would not have survived if they did not receive this kind of medical care.
 After orientation we were taken on a tour of the facilities.  First was the foster home where the children are.  This was the first time on the trip where we got to see some of the children.  Even though our time in the foster home today was very brief, there was already an attachment for every one of us.  Next we walked over to the factory where the organization produces all of their products.  It was amazing to see how all of it works and the time and effort that is put into every product.  We were able to walk through each room of the factory and the steps that are taken in producing these products that contain major detail.  If it was not for this business that started from one simple magnet that read “Pray for China”, then none of these other amazing things they are doing would even be available to children and students.
 Following the tour was lunch and then a little basketball with a couple of the English students that go to school here.  After that our afternoon was full with teaching English.  From 1:40pm – 4:40pm we spent our time in the classroom with students and discussing with them different life situations, English vocabulary, and anything else they wanted to talk about.  Head teachers here believe that the best way to learn English is to simply talk and carry on conversations.  So all in all we were not technically teaching, but in fact just getting to know some of the students one on one.  This was an amazing time for me and most everyone else in being able to build relationships with the students here and finding out what their desires and goals are.  Once class was over we all headed back to the basketball court to play some knockout with students here.  Even though we were just playing basketball it was a great time in allowing some of the students to open up to us and feel more comfortable.
 Later in the evening we all sat down to reflect on the day and discuss our favorite parts of the day.  Pretty much everyone was excited to see the foster home and cannot wait to get to work with the children their.  It is so awesome to see the heart everyone here has for the children and the love they cannot wait to extend to them.  During that same meeting we were blessed in hearing Jordan share his life story, and then followed by another blessing of great music led by Matt.  This was such an amazing way to end a great day of service and getting to know this beautiful country a little better.  I cannot wait to see what is in store for us over the next several days!  Please remember to keep us in your thoughts as we continue to follow the path we have been placed on.

Luke Redmon