Right now, two Chinese children’s lives have intertwined. One, a 15-year-old girl from Anhui Province. The other, a 4-year-old boy from Henan Province. Read Laura’s words to learn how.

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How can I describe him? How can I give words to describe the 4-year-old boy who has changed my life?

Going to China this past summer opened my eyes as I got to see how these orphans live everyday. It opened my eyes to see what life could have been like for me. You see, 15 years ago, I lived in an orphanage in Anhui Province, China. I lived in a building full of children like me; and we all lived alone. No parents, no families, needs barely met if at all. Sometimes I still wonder all these years later, what brought my birth parents to that place of abandoning their baby–me. I was only 1 day old when it happened; knowing I was unwanted and abandoned is an indescribable feeling. For 13 months of my life, I lived that way–unwanted and alone.

Now, I’m 15 and living in south Mississippi with the most loving and caring family. My life is filled with blessed relationships and I have the joy of riding my horse and singing and playing guitar at our church. And, I love God. With the blessing and support of my parents, He has led me back to orphans in China.

As I volunteered with Bring Me Hope this past summer, He led me to one particular orphan–Wayne, a little man from ZhengZhou. Unlike many of the orphans who come to these camps who are never made paper ready for adoption, Wayne is now available for adoption. He’s looking for a forever family just like I was. And, I believe I’ve been called to help him find it.

I will try to make words bring him to life for you (in case this video doesn’t do it). He LOVES to laugh and smile, and he is good at it too! During the camp, he was a social butterfly. I taught little Wayne how to peel off stickers, stick his tongue out, and even say “I love you” in English. He would run off to other people at camp giving out wet kisses and then would run to me with the biggest smile wanting another kiss.

Wayne has overcome so much already. His paperwork lists two special needs–mild retardation (meaning delayed) and hemiparesis. But, I can tell you from spending those 5 days with him, he is a very smart and capable little boy. His mind was so ready to learn and experience new things. In fact, he was always out smarting me! Wayne could do anything he set his mind to, priding himself on putting his sandals by himself and bathing himself in the shower. On Tuesday morning, we stepped into the elevator to head out for lunch, and he was just barely able to reach the button for the 1st floor. On Thursday, two days later, he was ready for it and managed to get up on those tippy toes and push that button! And he was so proud of him self for doing that! His left side of his body is weaker than the right. But, he can run and walk with only the slightest limp. His left-side weakness didn’t stop him from chasing the other kids around at camp or walking several blocks to a meal.

15 years ago, one family stepped out of their comfort zone to follow God’s call and adopt a baby who needed a family. Now, I’m praying that another family does the same thing for Wayne and that somehow God would use my voice to help make that happen.

Currently, Wayne is on the shared list, available for adoption for any family using any agency working in China. If you want to learn more about him or how to find him on the list, please email Laura at laura.m.knoll@gmail.com. She will gladly talk to you about Wayne.

Hi my name is Laura, and I am 15 years old. I live in good ole south Mississippi. I was adopted from China as a 13 month old, and God has allowed me to bloom and grow with my two younger siblings and parents. I accepted his call to go back to China in the summer of 2012 with Bring Me Hope and was able to meet kids and other volunteers who changed my life. I ride horses everyday and sing in our local churches for His glory. God is the only reason I am where I am today, and I am so very thankful!

Do you remember Bo?

I introduced him here on December 15th last year. And, I advocated for him again on January 7th with new pictures and more information about him.

I was sure his family would find him–particularly after the January post and the adorable new pictures of him. I contacted the United States’ leading specialist in his joint condition to have him review his file. I contacted families with children with the same diagnosis, asking them to tell me more about what day-to-day life is like parenting a child with this need, asking if they’d be willing to talk to families considering adopting him. I posted the links everywhere I could. Friends joined me and posted about him on their blogs.

And, I waited. He waited.

I got some emails about him, but none were from his family.

I kept his picture on my sidebar; but, to be honest, I had sort of lost hope.

Less than a month ago, I got an email out of the blue with the subject line “About a boy…”

Dear Kelly,
I rejoice!! We have the same heart. Passionate for Jesus, in love with the orphans and dying to do MORE.

God has been hard at work in my heart for special needs adoption! I tumbled across your blog from some links from other blogs…and I saw dear Bo.

My birthday is August 13th. This year I will turn 40. I am so excited! I love all God has done in my life and I cannot wait for all He has next. Obviously, with your son and dear Bo sharing this date, I cannot help but inquire about him.

If Bo is still waiting, would you send me information about him? I will pray first, “Lord, us??” and if it is a no, I will pray “Lord, find his loving family!”
Blessings!
Amy

And so, I forwarded her everything I had–all the pictures, the update, the review from the specialist–as I had done a handful of times before. And, honestly, I didn’t think all that much about it after I hit send,

until a flurry of emails ensued.

PRAYING!!!! He seems so perfect! NO ONE WANTS HIM!?!?!??!?!

She asked me to pray with her; she was going to talk to her husband about him in a few days. Another email came; she decided not to wait; she’d talk to him that night.

Wow. I realized this time, things were a little different.

And, the emails didn’t stop.

Only a few days later, nearly 5 months after I introduced Bo here, I got this —

Oh dear Kelly!!!
I am shaking with excitement!!! God has spoken to us and we are going to MOVE FORWARD ON BO!!!!!!!!!!!!

And so some serious hoop jumping began in order to get some papers in and lock his file and claim him.

Amazingly, they got the job done.

And, yesterday, that door they pushed open with a feather, just swung open wide. China said yes.

So, it is with great great pleasure, that I introduce you to Toby BaoKun Shaw who is about to become a beloved brother and son.

Happy happy day.

*Read his mama’s story of her finding her son here. Love it.*

I found a bunch of emails in my inbox about a week ago. From an adoptive mama. A mama waiting for her son who will be meeting them very soon. A mama who learned a young man’s story and knew something needed to happen.

Here’s the story.

Simply try to imagine.

An 8-year-old boy living in an orphanage in Xi’an, China. He is not an orphan but a son of an ayi there who now lives and is growing up with the children his mother also cares for.

Everyday, he lives among these children who have no family. He eats with them and plays with them but gets to leave the grounds to go to school as “normal” children do.

There is another young boy in that orphanage about the same age who doesn’t have the same life as Kobe. He is an orphan, but one different from many of the children there. No “special needs;” but an orphan nonetheless. He wasn’t entirely alone—his older brother and younger sister had come to the orphanage with him after their parents had died. And, that is where they stayed, not ever even eligible to be adopted because they had at least one living relative.

This boy, CongCong, became a big brother to Kobe and his closest friend as they grew up side by side.

When Kobe left the orphanage to live with his father at their home in Baoji, the city where part of my heart remains, their hearts hurt. But, every summer, he still came back to the orphanage in Xi’an and joined his brother CongCong until one summer when he was no longer there. He had aged out at about 15 years old and was somewhere on his own.

Years later, Kobe is now a man, a man doing life again with orphans as he works in Xi’an with Bring Me Hope. A few months ago, when he saw an old friend from the orphanage, he heard news that broke his heart. His dear friend CongCong is dying, suffering of acute non-lymph leukemia. Alone. Kobe wrote, “It’s just like when you find a lost precious thing but it turns out to be broken.”

Since then, every Saturday he has spent with CongCong. Encouraging him through their Heavenly Father, the only Father CongCong knows, and caring for him. His treatment is expensive, too costly with no guarantees. At last visit, he had 300 yuan in total, the equivalent of under $50.

Kobe knew he cannot do anything to help. But, he can pray. And, he has—though he has struggled to continue to trust through it all. But, God heard his prayers. And, through a miracle, the orphanage director of the orphanage where CongCong grew up has agreed to pay for CongCong’s medical needs. All. of. them. He even made sure he was moved to a better hospital.

I’m amazed.

But, why should I be? Kobe was praying.

And, now, we are joining him, praying with him, holding the arms of Kobe up and holding this young man CongCong up as he prepares for chemo and fights the disease breaking his body.

And, we are asking you to do the same. Pray. For easy breathing. For strength. For the supernatural removal of pain. And, for another miracle–a cure.

Please also consider caring for CongCong in a tangible way. Send him words of love and encouragement; send him messages of hope (in case the link doesn’t work for you, send an email to EncourageCongCong@gmail.com). Each word will be read and translated to him by Kobe himself.

Together, we can help CongCong know that he is not alone and that people from across the world know his name.

Happy to interrupt myself to post the words of a friend across the country, a sister advocating for a very special boy. Read her words. And, share her words. And, keep sharing her words until we can say this little man has a family.

“Who will be my buddy?”

These are the first words I heard Peter speak (in Mandarin).

It was Day 1 of the Bring Me Hope summer camp for orphans, and Peter was waiting with eager anticipation as he watched the campers get matched up with their buddies. As an exhausted staff member, I had previously decided to not have a buddy that week.

Plans changed.

With one look at this little boy, I knew we were supposed to spend the week together. I walked across the room and grabbed Peter’s hand, announcing I was his buddy. The smile that erupted on his face is etched in my memory forever. During that first day, Peter and I bonded more quickly than any other child I had every been matched with–evidenced during Day 2’s water gun fights. For over an hour, Peter positioned himself between me and the others shouting, “You can’t shoot her! If you shoot her I will get you!” I laughed as I watched him race around, trying to protect me by shooting all the other kids with water.

As the week progressed, my laughter turned into sorrow as I saw this precious boy yearning for love. If I spent one moment with another child, Peter would become jealous. He thought he had to work harder to earn my love. He served me food, filled my cup with water, gave me his toys, stole candy from other children to give to me, and even wrote me notes and drew pictures. The pictures always told the same story. He carefully colored a strong prince and one princess. When he gave it to me he said I was the princess, and he was the hero.

Even though he had a soft heart, Peter was strong. He tried to hide the fact that he wore a diaper because of being born with a myelomeningocele (spina bifida), disappearing for short times to change himself. When he returned, he pretended like nothing happened. I watched all of this and decided that Peter was my strong hero.

Friday came; time to say goodbye. I had been dreading this moment all week and wasn’t sure how Peter would respond. Hist strength faltering, he held my hand tightly as we walked to the car door. Before he got in, a small tear fell down his cheek. The first tear I had seen all week. Hesitating for just a moment, Peter turned around and hugged me tightly. As I wrapped my arms around him, a personal responsibility for him grew in my heart. He may be leaving, but I was his advocate.

The car pulled out of the driveway. As tears streamed down my face, it began to pour rain. I looked heavenward and asked the Lord, “Why is he alone? Why doesn’t he have a family?” The reply? “Becca, you can speak loudly on his behalf.”

And so I am. Would you consider bringing this little boy, my little brother, into your family?

His words are still in my heart: “You’re going to find me a family, aren’t you Becca?” desperately loving me to his best ability during the week when God redefined love for me.

This little hero (b. 9/18/2001) is currently on the shared list waiting for his family to find him. A family can use any agency to bring him home.

Hey everyone, my name is Becca Bolt and I live in California. Since my parents adopted in 2003 and in 2005, my heart has grown into a crazy love for the vulnerable. They need voices to speak up on their behalf, and I knew I could be a voice. I am still a student at San Diego Christian College and will graduate in a few months. Wherever the Lord leads me (which is looking like China), I know I will be loving the helpless, for that is where His heart is.