Children of our Heavenly Father

Last week I asked Rev. Stephen Goode from Gap Baptist Church in Brisbane to share his thoughts on their recent trip to Xining Children's Home. I was really pleased at the positive feedback I received, and wanted to share an extract from another member of his party. Dr. Maarit Harden sent us this encouraging email:

The team was impressed with the excellent facilities and equipment in the rehabilitation centre, and witnessed special education classes and treatment sessions in progress in different rooms.  We split up into teams and spent time with specific children. My team of six was in a room with eight small children sitting in what looked like child car seats on the floor and some in high chairs. I was most surprised to learn that these children were about seven years old. They looked much younger in size. The two carers were setting up for lunch.

Robert Byrnes, completely engrossed in feeding this boy.

One little girl who immediately had eye contact with us was let out of her seat and she rushed to give us all hugs. We tried to interact with the children who were mostly shy and would hide their face or turn away, but after a few minutes of playing “round and round the garden” we started to get smiles and even giggles. The little girl got hold of one of our team’s hat and put it on and played “peepo” with the brim. We fed our children and found it wasn’t an easy task- as they moved their heads a lot.

All in all it was a confronting task to think of these little people “as the least of these” and just as much children of our Heavenly Father as we are. The meal finished and our little girl became a “mom” to her roommates getting a water dish and cloth to clean up their faces and hands. It was such a lovely moment to see how normal everything was for these children. They remained mostly shy but the few smiles and giggles were worth waiting for. All of our team was impacted by these special children.

Dr. Harden would have been observing the Children's Home and its operations from a medical and professional perspective, so her comments assure me that we are doing the very best for our children!