Memories… how to put words to everything I am feeling in my heart… Many of you knew that a little over a month before my trip this spring I found out that New Hope in Beijing was going to have to close their doors with the new changes happening in country. This was not something they choose to do but were told they needed to do. But unlike many other foster homes they were given a bit of time to make this transition and were told they could keep the 4 other units in Henan running with the kids from that area. So thankfully majority of the kids in the BJ house were able to go to other units and still are within the New Hope care.
I was able to arrive during the final wave of kiddos being transferred. Not going to lie it was a hard week to arrive but I am so thankful my trip lined up when it did so I could come into those doors and remember it just the way I wanted to always remember this place. Filled with laughter, crying and kids running up and down the hallways and the ayi’s just chatting away. As the kids started to leave I was faced with seeing empty nurseries that once were filled with so many faces that I loved. Each time I sit in a different room… memories just flood my mind from all different trips over the past 10 years. I was able to teach one last preschool class in a room full of LOTS of memories. A room that I grew in myself while being so blessed by the littles that came through those doors and seeing them grow in themselves as well.
I have been looking back at pictures from my past trips trying to find some of my favorite memories in each of these rooms ( which man if these walls could talk they would be talking forever) to share with ya’ll. I know that I won’t even be able to scratch the surface of the memories in this post but here are a few…
My Very first trip in 2009
The front Lobby:
I wish I had a picture of when we first arrived and walk through those doors August 1, 2009.
This is the place of many goodbyes from the ends of my trips to the saying see ya laters to many volunteers that I have grown to love. To sad goodbyes of kids leaving. But there is one goodbye that I will always be a happy memory and that was saying see you soon bud to my sweet Ryker (who is my godson). I sent him on the way to meet his daddy and it was such a different feeling that soon his world was going to change but I knew I would still be in it!
The Canteen:
Oh the meal time fun… from sitting and holding sweet Penelope when she was little and the bigs were eating to throwing so many fun birthday party celebrations! This room was always so full of life and fun!
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| A goodbye that will always be treasured in my heart |
The Nemo Room:
This room will always hold a special place as it was the room of 3 very precious girls. This is the room I first met Annie in when she was so confused on why this girl was trying to say hi to her… little did she know that in less then 36 hours that same girl was going to be whisking her away for surgery in Hong Kong. So when I returned from HK and on my following trip I spent a lot of time in the Nemo room hanging out with my sweet girl and all her friends. This room also for a short time was the “home” to both my Godchildren at the same time which I think is so crazy to look back on.
This is the room that my sweet Penelope was in and I will never forget the day she first arrived and I was allowed to give her an English name. She grew so big and strong in this room and overcome so many battles… I pray daily for her and that someday soon she will have an amazing family of her own.
This is the room that I first met sweet baby Rachel and all her tiniest… I would sit and snuggle her and give her some belly time everyday after class so that the ayi could focus on the big kids.
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| Penelope arrives |
The Pooh Bear Room:
This room oh man where to start… I feel like so many crazy and wild ( in a good way) kiddos once called this room home. I used to joke for a while that it seemed like there was always a boss girl in this room and they were always training up who was next. I always loved music time with this nursery as they were the life of the party.
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| 2009- this picture lead me to being connected with my first china momma |
The Stroller/hallways:
These long wonderful hallways lined with little bedrooms all tucked to the side… after bath time runs down the hall were my favorite. Or seeing kids coming down the hall for class with big smiles on their faces… they are seriously the best hallways for running and up and down as a child.
The Bunny Room:
Another very special room… over the years I feel like there have been so many special little boys in this room. It is where I met and fell so in love with sweet David and I will treasure each of the moments with him forever in my heart. This is the room that sweet Eleanor Grace first arrived in and where Callie and I sat for hours teaching her how to trust being held and praying and thinking over the perfect name for her.
This room also connects the the preschool room so many times when I was trying to get work down in the preschool room I would here little voices through the bottom slats yelling and asking if it was time for class or singing different nursery rhymes over and over.
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| Eleanor arrives |
My First day at New Hope - 2009
The upstairs nurseries:
These sweet babies that called the upstairs home were special… they didn’t get to go down and party with the kids because they needed to be protected from all the extra germs. They either had low immunity, were recovering from surgery or about to have surgery. They were always a calmer and gentler group of the house… a place to get away and enjoy the snuggles look at books or sing song.
The Playground:
Every childs favorite place… between the big playground and the preschool playground so much fun can happen. From riding bikes to playing in the sandpit to swinging away. The outside memories are always so much and the kids loved with the weather was warmer and they could spend their days out in the sun.
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These ladies are my heroes... they gave so much to these kids over the years
it was so so hard to say goodbye to them this spring.
These 2 pictures are from 2013 |
The Preschool:
Where to even start with this room… we have the pre 2016 preschool room that Callie, Stephanie H and I tried to give some life but painting the walls and covering them with the kiddos hand and footprints. To the beautiful post 2016 preschool room that was bigger and brighter. And we can’t forget our temporary room that we had for a month while the construction was going on. But no matter the room it was all about having fun, making memories and not being scared to get a little messy. The ayi’s probably thought I was crazy the amount of painting or just messy things I would do with the kids but I wanted them to have some normal sensory experiences. Right along with singing the ABC’s, counting, and enjoying the love of books. For those of you homeschool moms that read this and love 5 in a row will understand my love and hate for it when doing it with 6 different classes every day… I would go to bed and in my dreams be reading Brown Bear or Rainbow Fish or Miss Wishy Washy. But I know in the big picture having stuff repeated over and over makes an impact and when also trying to teach a child another language this is key. I learned a lot of new nursery songs over the years with volunteers from other countries. One of my favorites was the Frog song that Emma taught us all.
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| 2013- |
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| 2019 |
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| 2013 |
The Pool:
This magical place that the kids only get to visit when the weather is warm and the sun is shinning…. We have seen it all the kids who are terrified to the kids that try to jump back in. I don’t know if I love the face of them seeing the pool for the first time or those that remember the pool from the year before seeing again with so much excitement. I love pool days because it is seeing the kids act just like a normal kiddo would in the summer time. Splashing and laughing with their friends without a care in the world.
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| 2013 |
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| 2017 |
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| How I normally look when taking pictures |
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| So many swim diapers were donated over the years for me to bring over! |
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| 2013 |
The Shook’s house:
I am thankful for all the wonderful meals that have been spent at the Shook’s house. But for sure PIZZA night! Every Friday night the Shook’s open up their doors to everyone to have pizza night where you never know what kind is going to be created. But is always delicious and the company is wonderful. But besides pizza night the Shook’s are the most wonderful host and Mikey can cook up pretty much anything. It has been fun to watch them go from newlyweds to now have two crazy little boys that are amazing. Sweet John has been so fun to watch grow up over my trips from just being 2 weeks old to my next trip crawling and so forth. Then the best was being able to add him to my preschool class line up. He is such a smart kiddo and then little Matthew… I remember Becca coming down and telling me they were expecting again and I was so excited for them and John has a made a great big brother. And now they have another amazing bundle on the way and I can't wait to meet this new little Shook!
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| Mr. M - 2019 |
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| Baby J -2015 |
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| Mikey always cooking |
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| Chopped! |
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| Our Chopped dishes! |
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| J and I in 2017 |
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| This boy has the best imagination! 2019 |
The Volunteer Living area:
Over the years I have met some pretty amazing people who have come through some for longer then others. But it is so fun to meet new people and learn about their journeys and how they found New Hope. I have been blessed to cross back paths with several of them which always makes things more fun. We have laughed, cried and stayed up way to late in this area. It is a place where people from all walks of life come together for one reason and that is to love on these sweet babies while they wait. To advocate and help give them a voice. A place where friendships are formed that will be like no other… first time memories for some are made by eating new foods, playing games and watching classic movies! I am thankful for each person that has sat with me around the breakfast table over the years.
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| Elise and Emma |
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| The Z girls! |
The building and all those that have been in and out for short and long term will always hold a piece of my heart. I reminded myself this spring as we said goodbye to the last kiddo and were packing up the building that it really was just a building. The memories and lives touched will never change and the work of Dr. Joyce and Robin Hill is being continued throughout the other units. The vision is just shifting and though it is hard it is a new path with lots of room to explore. So the work and love for New Hope Foundation will keep going it will just look different!
My China Family forever and always
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| The Journey is not over |
** I had SO many more pictures I wish I could have included them all but I tried to give a sample from all my trips- 2009,2011,2013,2015,2016,2017, & 2019**
