Vincent my buddy

Vincent is one of the little boys I see from 9:00am-9:30am Mon-Fri. He has severe skin allergies which may be the cause of why he is developmentally-delayed.(I'm not an expert on this but this is what I think)  He is almost three years old but he is at the developmental stage of a 6 month old.

As of right now, I try to do as much tummy time as he allows me. Sometimes he likes it and will be on it for fifteen minutes. But today, he would do tummy time at all so I just ended up holding him.

Vincent doesn't get a lot of attention from people as he is in a house full of adorable baby girls. He can sometimes be irritable when you move him in different positions. (For example: tummy time)

I must say I never payed that much attention to him last year so I am so glad I see him every day. He is starting to recognize me now and hates it when our therapy sessions are over.

Oh and by the way, Vincent has a forever family too. :)

When trust is the issue, the leap of faith is hard.

As many of you know, one of the reasons I came here to China was so that I could discover what the future holds for me and what my purpose in life is. A tall order, I know. However, this was a reason non the less. I have only been here for a week and my mind is already on a rampage in attempting to reach self discovery. The whirlwind of thought has been plaguing with ideas of what I am supposed to be doing in life. I am still at a bit of a loss though, this loss which I have let become the bane of my existence for the past, well like 3 years! I have a problem with patience when it comes to things concerning my future. I am getting to the point where I am going to have to decide what to do with my life as far as school and I am still completely in the dark as to what that will be. I know that G has a plan for me, but waiting for that to be revealed is a whole nother issue in itself. I would really appreciate if you could lift up this burning question to the Father to give me clarity to know how I should proceed. I know that the His power is so much stronger and His will is already written for me and I just need to trust in that plan. Please pr'y that I will be patient and wait for His perfect timing and that it will be obvious to me where I should follow Him. I have been so blessed to have great friends here who have already given me council. Sometimes I struggle with pr'er and so I ask that you would help me in this area to help calm my anxieties and just give my future to G and let Him take care of it as He has promised to do time and time again. Melissa and I were looking up schools today and different majors and after talking through a number of different options, I just had to tell her what my dream job was, which was really nothing we had mentioned. I have an idea of what I want to do, but I haven't found a way academically to achieve that dream. I know that if it is meant to be than it will happen and I live by that phrase, but it is still hard to trust and wait. As I mentioned before and as you probably can see if you read this whole post, a very large chunk of my brain is being dedicated to the thought of my future. I need to live in the present and give the future back to G. Please pr'y that I can do that and that G will show me the way! Also pr'y that I will be willing to take a leap of faith and not be afraid of failure as I have become accustomed to doing. I want to make myself available just until the point of discomfort, than I dig my heels into the ground never to be moved again. I have turned myself into human concrete which no jack hammer could loosen. I feel like I am preventing my own progress and keeping myself at a standstill for fear that if I proceed something bad will happen. My fear isn't even rational for the most part, the very fact that I can't see the future and can't anticipate my next move is what is bogging me down from moving forward and making progress. I have always lived in a state of safety and no risk. The statuesque has always been kept for me and I have never really had to stretch myself. Well, I am done hindering myself from progress and I am finished with being safe. I need a challenge but I also need to tools to survive the battle, which I know I already have I just need to use them. My armors on and I'm all ready to go, I just need to know where and how and trust that when I run out  my fight will not be in vain nor will it be half hearted.

Posted by Mari

The start of the therapy intern.....

I (Melissa) just finished week one at SFCV. For me though, it feels like I finished week ten

 I definitely hit the ground running, reuniting with my primary and Kindergarten students, laughing with old and new intern friends, and staying in my same exact room and bed. (Note to self, when living at SFCV, always take the top bunk cause it is right next to the air condition.)

As I have told you before, I am the therapy intern for the summer. The typical phrase I heard  for the first couple of days was this:

"Ma-li-ssa, you teach English?"
" No, I am not."
" Then what are you doing here?"


No lie, I probably heard that twenty times since I have been here.

 But as I think about it more, I ask myself what am I doing here? What possible experience could I possibly give to these precious orphans? I have just finished my first year of the Occupational therapy assistant program which really is not enough.
I must truthfully tell you all, I definitely have felt overwhelmed these past couple of days. Dr. Ana (doctor at SFCV and my supervisor) keeps telling me that she is so glad I am here because of their need to better their therapy program. There is so much need for therapy in the kids that I have been googling links for OT therapeutic ideas, reading through my textbooks, emailing super awesome occupational therapists about different children, and figuring out with Dr. Ana what schedule we should base therapy on for the children.

 For being here for only a week now, I see the need for therapy.

I have also seen the good side of therapy here as well. There are two therapy aides currently at SFCV. They have told me their names but I keep forgetting them. We all work as a team and it it great to see their love for helping these precious ones.

Yes, I am the therapy intern, broken and pr@ying to G@d to hold my hand through these decisions about how to best treat each orphan through Occupational therapy.

When I am weak, HE is strong!

Melissa

Mari's First Days at SFCV

It is my third day at SFCV has been an interesting stay. My first impression of China was that it looked a bit like a mixture of the Philippines and Kazakhstan with massive amounts of smog! I was in a car today and the air conditioner was blowing out what looked like smoke, but it was smog. China will now be known as the land of the orange sun to me now because of it.
The kids here are great. I have had the chance to hang out with them a couple times and talk with them. I really like everyone here. My roommates are great as well. I have met a lot of cool people from all over the states which I think is one of the best parts of traveling abroad!
This Monday I will start classes with the kids and hopefully start doing art projects with the kids. I am excited to start teaching, I have been thinking out what to go over with the kids. It is fun because I can use some of my experience from taking Russian. The kids are at a similar level with their English as I am with Russian so it helps me understand where they are coming from. So it's going well so far here in SFCV!

From Mari

And so it begins for Melissa....

I'm leaving for China.
I'M leaving for China.
I'M LEAVING FOR CHINA.
         
  Nope, I'm not believing it either. :)

It seems crazy for me to think I will be headed back to my China home, back into the arms of those amazing, adorable orphans, back to the smog filled city, and back to where G wants me to be for the summer.
I have literally been having dreams about it daily for more than a week now, waking up with vivid images of my China family surrounding me. To think my dreams will become a reality very soon in a matter of days-hours, really.

This time I am flying without a ticket. I know....I sound insane, right?

The stand-by ticket was a bargain and my mom says it will also be a faith building experience :). I only need one seat so I am asking for you to PLEASE PR@Y I can make it on the flight!! My first attempt will be this Friday night Delta flight #129 at 8:30pm out of Seattle.

One seat....only one seat. Shouldn't be hard, right?

As much as I want to be there though (like I wish I was there right now), I know G wants me there at His perfect time. Please also pr@y that I will get on the flight because G wants me in China at that specific time.

For those of you who are wondering, I am fully supported and THANKFUL for all of your generous contributions. It's just humbling and I feel so grateful for you all.

And so it begins, this summer journey of being an Occupational Therapy intern at SFCV. I don't know what this summer will bring but I am excited to see how G's name will be glorified.
 *ROM. 8:28*

*Please also pr@y that Mari will have a safe flight as well to Beijing on the 19th! :)*
No worries...she has an actual ticket!