Category Archives: Kids

November Newsletter from the Hedden Family- also an opportunity to give shoes to needy children this Christmas!

Xiao Hu and YaYa
We had another opportunity to have two of the orphans from the De Xing School spend a day with our family. As brother and sister, Xiao Hu (Little Tiger), and his sister YaYa entered our home with wide eyes, we were amazed at what unfolded before us. After showing them around the house and giving YaYa a bath (Xiao Hu would have nothing to do with a bath), we let them sort of gravitate towards whatever they wanted to do. It’s hard to know exactly what will hold their interest ahead of time. We have a tendency to think that they might not have a natural sense of “play” because they don’t have toys and play in general isn’t encouraged in their culture. But we were pleasantly surprised as we watched and played with them. Xiao Hu went immediately to the trucks, blocks, and cars to play with the boy stuff; while YaYa sought out Natalie’s little dollies. Xiao Hu played rough, loud, and hard, while YaYa gently and lovingly dressed, “fed”, and coddled the babies,making sure each had a blanket and pillow, as though she was really their mommy. It’s amazing how these two little ones with no real direction, guidance or nurturing, already have an innate sense of what their roles are. We were so pleased to see that in the midst of an obvious lack of parental affection, YaYa especially has a God-given capacity to show love and affection to others. Her bright little eyes sparkled as she played with those babies, while her brother “conquered” our house with a vibrance that only God could have put inside of him. Our hope is that as we model appropriate love, affection, and play, they will grow into loving, caring mommies and daddies themselves!

32 Feet
This Christmas we would like to provide the orphans at the school with new shoes. While spending time with them, we’ve noticed that every single one of them is wearing shoes that are old, broken, and worn down to the last string. Our plan is to take them to a nearby shoe store where we have already bargained a discounted price and buy them each a brand new pair. The cost is about $7.50 per pair, and there are about 16 kids to buy for. If you’d like to pitch in on the “32 Feet” project, you can send your gifts to the address below and mark your checks “32 Feet”.

To support our work financially, you can give with a check, Visa, Mastercard, or via Bill Pay. Please make checks payable to
Bring Me Hope and send them to:
Bring Me Hope
P.O. Box 164
Big Lake, MN 55309

Help us help two great kids!



Here is an update about two very special kids from camp who stole our hearts. Julie Vidler says there is a way we can reach out and help them! Please read below and share with anyone who may be interested. Thanks everyone.

Hi all,
Wei Wei and Kao Kao who we met (and loved! ) at the BMH summer camp may be able to go to Bethel!
I am still working on paving the way and hope and pr that they can go – what a blessing for them to be in such a great environment made especially for them!
Jeff Knipe has kindly offered to help towards their cost of living but we need to be able to pay for their transport there and some living costs !
IF they do go, is there anyone happy to donate/fund raise to help these precious kids? Please forward this on to anyone who may be interested.
Love Julie

Here’s an update from the Vidlers on Lucy in Xian



Here’s an update from the Vidlers on Lucy in Xian, one of the Elim kids who came to camp. Thank you so much Vidler family for all you are doing in China. You bless us so much!

Hi to everyone who knows and loves little Lucy – I know you have been wondering what is happening lately.

She did go to school for one day last week but after that the local people complained so much that she is not allowed to go anymore.

So we decided to home school her and are paying a lady (sarah ) to teach her. Poor Lucy is 8 and has never been to school and is so keen to learn. Today (day 1) she learnt to write to 20 and about seasons !

We have been over to her house and spent a lot of time cleaning and making a special “school room” for her.

Thanks to some amazing fundraising from some school students in Western Australia we had enough $$ to buy a curtain and lots of pink decorations for her. She is so happy and proud of the room that she has even started making decorations herself.

It was nice to see her today and that she has a special place in the house that she can call her own.

I hope you enjoy the “before” and “after” photos and our renovation rescue team.

Love Julie and Sam.

Visiting our Kids from Camp!

Today I had the opportunity to go and visit the lovely kids from a local private orphanage who we met at camp.

My Aussie friend, Hollie and I packed our vegemite sandwiches and boarded the jeep for a China day of many varied experiences.

We were met with big smiles and cuddles from Lily – 4 year old Down’s syndrome girl who is also deaf. She seems really happy and as bubbly as ever.

The highlight of the day was seeing Wei Wei and presenting him with a “stimulation tent” and a piano. As you may remember he is the blind boy who at 5 years old still weighs less than the average 1 year old.(but still managed to steal the hearts of BMH volunteers and staff.

He laughed and smiled when we presented him with his piano and all the children loved the tent that Hollie made them.

We treated Wei Wei at camp for worms and his terrible diarrhea has stopped and he looks like he has gained some weight!

We also got to see the little cleft palate/lip baby who was found in July. He was abandoned at a few days old in this box but is now a happy, chubby baby boy who loves his “grandpa”.

On a sadder note we got to meet another newcomer…

He is a little boy between 2 and 3 who was left at the door at 11PM a few nights ago. His legs were tied together so he couldn’t follow his parents after they left him ! Because he has had spina bifida he is incontinent of urine which must have become too much for his parents.

Thanks for your continued interest in these children – hopefully they will return to camp next year.

Currently we continue to pray for them and their carers – an elderly couple who now look after over ten kids.

Love, Julie Vidler in Xi’an