“Mommy, Come Find Me!”
Our family has so enjoyed getting to know the orphaned children at the Dexing (pronounced duh-shing) school in northern Kunming. A few months back we noticed one little girl hanging back in the shadows with her head hung low. We found out that she had been dropped off at the school by her mom back in August, and hasn’t seen her since. She had a far-away look in her eyes and refused to make eye contact or interact with us. Her Chinese name is Mengrui, but as all the others loved it when we gave them English names, we named her Lucy. Amy later described her as, “ . . . the most forlorn child I have ever seen.” We have slowly been getting to know Lucy, but it hasn’t been easy. The recent Chinese holiday gave the kids some time off from school, so we asked the headmaster if we could have them to our house overnight and were given permission to do so. When it was Lucy’s turn, she wandered in, immediately gathered up the dollies, and quietly played for some time with them. She slowly began to relax and enjoy her time with us. Amy then took her up for a long warm bath after which she emerged looking like a little Chinese princess – clean, warm, hair braided, and smiling. Things seemed to be going really well . . . and then she had a meltdown!
Lucy got upset about something and began to shout. Soon she was crying, and this turned into screaming. I scooped her up and held her, but couldn’t console her. I set her back down, and she slid like a waterfall onto the floor where she writhed and began yelling, “Mommy, come find me, mommy come find me!” My mind had been racing, grappling for parenting solutions, but when I heard her words, I realized that she was wailing from deep down inside of her; she was grieving. We were witnessing outward behavior that reflected wounds way beyond her ability to express. Amy held and rocked her with a new understanding of Lucy and her situation. We felt incredibly inadequate! The next day we took Lucy to the zoo where she talked, laughed and joked with us. When it was time to take her back to the school she said, “I don’t want to go to school. I want to go back to your house with you.” Lucy is just one of many children here who need love, guidance, and hope! Please continue to pray for her!

Our Upcoming Trip to MN
We have been in Kunming now for more than two years, and are planning to return to Minnesota sometime this Spring in order to be at Jacob and Rachel’s wedding in June. We are really looking forward to spending time with our friends and family in Big Lake, and eagerly anticipating some “down time” in and on the lake itself. During our time in the U.S. we will be taking Natalie to Chicago for surgery to further correct her cleft palate. We’ve heard that this surgery will be her most painful, and we aren’t looking forward to it. In addition to this, if Andrew’s adoption is completed by the time we get home, we hope to have him evaluated for surgery as well. As you may remember from our last newsletter, we were pursuing surgery for him in Hong Kong with a pediatric neurosurgeon; however, when we took him to his home province and applied for temporary travel approval for him, the local police denied our petition. So we are pushing for his adoption to be completed soon so we can bring him to the U.S.
We would love to visit with as many of you as we are able when we are home. We want to catch up with all of you and we have so many things to share with all of you concerning our life and work in China. If you would like to have us come to your home, small group, Bible study, school, church, or civic meeting to speak or just hang out, please email us at reddoorchina@gmail.com and let us know. We will make every effort to get there!

Here is an interview from a former 13 year old camper who is now living in the States with her forever family! If you have ever wondered what the kids are thinking about as they come to camp for the first time, how they feel as they leave camp, and what it is like coming to the States after being adopted- please take time to read this sweet interview! We are seriously so blessed to be a part of these children’s lives.
Interview with a post-camper:

BMH: Can I ask you what your thoughts were when you were told you were coming to camp?

Camper: (Laughing) At first I was so nervous because I never went anywhere before. Plus that time I don’t really trust anyone in my life except myself. So it was hard.

But when the bus drove us to the camp and we saw y’all and you welcomed us, then I was little bit ok…but still nervous.

But when I got to know y’all then I said to myself that I am happy to come. It was the best time of my life, all of my 13 years while I was in China.

BMH: Thanks for being so honest. If I were you, I would be really scared going somewhere new and meeting new people too!

Camper: I am so thankful that I choose to go and met y’all. If I didn’t go, I don’t know what I would have missed. Y’all have changed my life in so many ways. I don’t even know how to put the words.

BMH: You have changed our lives too!

Sometimes people ask what the campers feel and are thinking when camp is over. It’s really hard for both the volunteers and the campers to go back to their homes. What were your thoughts when you left?

Camper: Well to be honest, I really didn’t want to go back. The night when we drew, wrote letters to each other, danced, played games, I said to myself that I wish the time would stop at this place with these people.

I knew that we would leave in the morning so I was so disappointed because I absolutely like what we did and everything in that week. And I wish we could stay like that forever. I really wish the time would go back or slower sometimes.

BMH: I know that feeling. We wish it didn’t have to end either. And we’re sad when you leave.

Some people have questioned if it’s worth running the camps just to ultimately send campers back to their orphanages, as if we were abandoning you again. What do you think?

Camper: I believe if you ask everyone who was at camp, their answer would be Yes. It’s still worth running the camps even though y’all have to send campers back.

Because like us who were abandoned from families, went to a big orphanage, and stayed there for many years, we don’t get the privilege like other kids who have parents with them and go on vacation every summer.

So we would die to go some place different and see different things and meet different people.

So I believe that even though we were sad to leave, we also go to see what the other side of the world looks like. And also know there are a lot of people who care and love us who don’t have parents.

I really wish everyone in America would get involved with this, no matter if they’re teenagers or adults, because some people don’t really see the differences between each country.

Bring Me Hope changes a lot of people’s lives. So I would love to see Bring Me Hope available forever and always…24/7 , 365 days a year!

BMH: What’s it like for you to live in America after living in China for so long?

Camper: (Laughing) I like America…I like seeing different sides of the world, having my own stuff so I don’t have to fight over what stuff I want and also getting to meet new people.

Also here I have a chance to go to college and have my own family and a future. And I can get involved with sports and make many new friends who care about me. In China I don’t really get this stuff, no matter what. And also I would not learn about or believe in God.

BMH: God sure knows what you need and has provided so much for you. But China will always be a huge part of you.

Camper: I think I am the luckiest person in the world. I have family, friends, you all, and God in my life. I am so happy.

BMH: If you were able to go back to China, what would you like to do?

Camper: If I got to go back to China, I would like to go where I was from and see the changes. Also I would like to take all the orphans out and take them somewhere different, like y’all did. Also, I would like to go shopping (laughing). I would like to spend all the time with the orphans and play with them…and also find my real parents.

BMH: Those are beautiful dreams. I hope they all come true. We love you!