Videos, photos and updates from our summer camps in Kunming, Taiyuan, Nanchang, Xin Zheng, and Yantai.
Staff Summit
All of our summer camp met up in Xin Zheng at the beginning of July to prepare for camp. Between out meetings we managed to get some fun in, including a game that ended in people eating snails and chicken feet.
Kunming – Week 1 – Ballet and Waterslides
Week one in Kunming was a success! It was an amazing experience, yet again, to love on these little kiddos. The girls put on a ballet show for us, while the boys enjoyed all of the outdoor activities. What a blessing to have them in our lives for this one short, but awesome, week!
Taiyuan – Week 1 – Camp Kicks Off in Taiyuan!
We jumped right into summer camp in Taiyuan with an amazing group of volunteers from Texas and whole bunch of energetic kids!
Nanchang – Week 1 – Back in Nanchang! Thank you, JMC!
Our one week mini-camp in Nanchang was a huge success! This was the first time since 2008 that Bring Me Hope held a camp there. There were many happy reunions and new friendships made. In Nanchang, we had the added benefit of being near the headquarters of one of our biggest sponsors, JMC, so several JMC employees were able to join in the fun! We are so thankful for all the support JMC has given us over the last seven years. Not only have they been involved with the Nanchang camps, they have covered the entire Bring Me Hope transportation budget! Wow, we appreciate their heart to help orphans so much!
Xin Zheng – Week 1 – Something Beautiful
Wow, what an amazing week He prepared for us in Xinzheng! We cannot even begin to describe everything that took place in the last week, but we are thankful and humbled to be a part of something so beautiful.
Yantai – Week 1 – A Rebuilt Camp!
A great week which happened courtesy of the One who can take a broken camp with no pool, waterslide, swimsuits, bedding, first aid supplies, (or pretty much anything essential to a summer camp) and rebuild it, overcoming the difficulty and giving us all that we asked for!
Kunming – Week 2 – Another Amazing Week
Week two in Kunming was a huge blessing! It was another amazing week to have these kids in our care. Thank you all who participated this week! It couldn’t have happened without you!
Taiyuan – Week 2 – Zoo, Crafts, Songs, and LOVE
With over 100 people at camp this week we had the biggest Bring Me Hope camp of the 2012 summer here in Taiyuan, China. It was an amazing week! So many kids had the opportunity to leave their orphanages and enjoy a week of fun. The kids got to go swimming, go to the zoo, do crafts, sing songs, and experience lots and lots of love.
Xin Zheng – Week 2 – Eagles Wings
We had an amazing week with so many beautiful kids from the Eagles Wings foster home! The rooms were echoing with laugher the whole week! Many of these kids are available for adoption and ALL of them need sponsors. You can find out more information here: www.eagleswingschina.org
Yantai – Week 2 – Blessed
We had some wonderful children from the orphanage join us. What a blessing to spend this week with them!
Kunming – Week 3
Taiyuan – Week 3 – Talent Show
Our third week here in Taiyuan, China. We had 20 kids come, 15 Chinese translators and 14 American volunteers. The kids were so sweet and had such a fun time. They especially liked swimming and even got to go to a water park! On Thursday night we had a talent show and we were amazed at our kids’ singing and dancing skills. We were sad to see the kids go but are so glad that we all got to meet each other.
Xin Zheng – Week 3 – Returning Orphans
This week we had the opportunity to have kids from the Zheng Zhou orphanage come to camp. Some of these children have been coming to camp every year since 2008! There were a lot of hugs and happy reunions when they got off the bus!
Yantai – Week 3 – Rejoicing for Forever Families!
Week three of Yantai camp was full of rejoicing as four returning orphans prepare to join their forever families. The rest were showered with hope and joy as we rode bumper cars, ate a whole lot of ice cream, and visited the ocean to see what love like an ocean is like: high, deep, and wide!
Kunming – Week 4
Taiyuan – Week 4 – An Unforgettable Week
Our final week here in Taiyuan was so memorable. We had 12 of the sweetest orphans. A lot of the children this week had a range of more serious special needs than we expected and also brought us more joy than we could have imagined! Many of the children went swimming for the first time in their lives. They got to eat delicious food, sing and dance every night, and they got to visit a theme park and ride some fun rides. It was a week none of us will forget.
Xin Zheng – Week 4 – Amazing Kids
Our last week of camp at Xin Zheng! All of the children were from a private orphanage and we are amazing by how friendly and well adjusted they were. It was a great testament to how loving care can change lives! We were so thankful to spend the week with them!
Yantai – Week 4 – “I’m going to have a family…”
Week four was a celebration of victory and triumph over pain in orphans’ lives. One orphan’s quote sums up why we do this: “I am going to have a family because of the summer camp. I am very thankful for that.”
Last Week in Xin Zheng
