November
2009
    November 17
     Zoe, Beth and Shari visit New Day
Nov 16, 5:30 am  (China time)

I am feeling more and more hopeful that I might, indeed, be able (with the Grace of God
and all my friends) to pull this off!  With each meeting of how this amazing place runs, I
realize there has been an experience that God has led me through that I will need to draw
on to run an orphanage/group home kind of thing.  

For example, I was talking with the Medical director and she was describing her job of
how to get information about the kid's upcoming surgeries, find the best doctor, find out
risks, benefits and post surgery care, etc.  (All very complex and heart wrenching by the
way.)  But I've done this over and over and over again with the surgeries the kids have
had.  So I say, "Oh .... Be the Mom!"  (I know I'm over simplifying it, just letting you know I
felt the connection that this wasn't this huge, out-there thing that was a foreign world to
me. It's a world I've walked in.)

Then the meeting with the Physical Therapist.  He was talking about PT, OT, ST.  And I've
taken my kids to this for 10 years between all the kids we've adopted and the foster kids.  
But he wasn't speaking a foreign language when he would talk about play therapy or
developmental stages (my master's degree is in educational psychology), etc.  

Then the PR person - suggested we have a website, a 501c3, a paypal account, a blog,
etc.  Check, check, check and check!  I'm feeling ahead of the game slightly.  Vision
statement? name? Yup!

The meeting with the overall director was very encouraging as she has the same basic
philosophy as I do about collecting/soliciting funds.  (Which is not the norm.)  So it was
great to see that this way could be done, could be effective.  They are also starting a new
project across China (similar to what we are hoping to do) and that person has already
drawn up a budget for the next year estimating expenses, the roll out of each thing, etc.  
Man!  What a gift!  It saved me hours of research, hours of asking tedious questions of
how this all rolls out.  Plopped in my lap.  

I met with the Foster home director and she was talking about hiring nannies, training
them, doing people skills, etc. with them, keeping them organized.  As she talked, it
made me think of the Dale Carnegie programs I've been rolling out for 15 years.  It made
me think of the training I designed and taught for the state of Florida on training the
caretakers.  I even ran a small non-profit for a while that was about getting available
resources, information, support and training to caregivers, social workers, foster
families, etc.  (All of this will be needed.)  

I talked to the lady who is in charge of sponsors.  I'm slightly familiar with what that
involves because Andrea has been sponsoring a little girl here. (I got great pics and
videos of her today, by the way ... can't post them but I'll bring them home!  And all the kids
were wanting that potato head!)  

This facility here is HUGE and has so many "side" projects that it's hard to get my head
around some of the scale of it.  But they have an 8 bed facility just down the road which is
"do-able".  Was great to see it so I could get a sense of what we might be able to pull off
in the not so distant future.  

Of course there are sad realities too.  Like which kids to take, not take.  There are
children that die in your care.  There are kids which leave to be adopted (bitter sweet).  
And we've experienced all of these things on some level too.  

Even the foreigners get together for church and Bible studies ... they meet in a small
group type forum.  We've been doing that for 9 years.  There is an option of running a
small company at the same time (for lots of reasons) but Dan is a wonderful business
man, sales manager, etc.  So if we wanted to start that route, we'd even have that option.

Still a bit clueless on some of all of these things I'm mentioning but it's not the first time
I'm sticking a toe in ANY of these waters.  I can almost get my head around all this.

Today I'll be meeting with the foster family director.  I'm excited to see that.  And once
again, almost feel prepared/equipped since we did 9 years of medical foster care.  Then
it's off to see the preschool program  (Did I mention that I taught preschool in college and
have homeschooled my kids for 5 years?)

So in summary - the job ahead is huge, it's something only God can pull off.  But I feel
that like Esther 4:14... perhaps I've come to the Kingdom for such a time as this.  I feel
basically equipped. They're HIS kids and HE is going to help me take care of them.

Love to all, Beth
Beth will also be
blogging at
destinyshousechurch
.blogspot.com


    Thanks for joining us on this
    journey!  Should prove to be
    an interesting one.  
To go back to
the itinerary
page,
click HERE
She's turned into quite the little
monster.  Just kidding.  This just shows
a bit of her "real" personality!
She's turned into quite the little
monster.  Just kidding.  This just shows
a bit of her "real" personality!
Yes, she's eating ice cream.  Yes, it's
subfreezing temps out there.  Best way
to not let it drip everywhere! LOL
These are the result of a very active 2
year old taking your camera.  She
snapped about 12 in 2 seconds!
(Annie)