Giving Warmth in Freezing Qinghai

Temperatures are well below freezing on the Tibetan Plateau, but the children at Xin Ning Court, Qinghai, have enjoyed some warmth from Hong Kong!

To celebrate our "Season of Love" charity drive in December, we asked our Facebook friends to choose their favourite hot drink from a list that included green tea, milk tea, chocolate and Ovaltine. We promised our friends that during the Christmas holiday, we would share the drinks they'd chosen with the children in Qinghai.

Then, over Christmas, one of our CA staff members chose to spend her holiday with the children in Qinghai and introduce the kids to these new drinks. About 10 children from our small group home joined the fun, and they eagerly waited for instructions. The kids were to guess which drink was in each mug, but the hilarity began before the drinks were mixed with the warm water. The children examined each packet, but they thought the content of each drink packet was a snack, so they immediately ripped open the packets and began eating the mix!

After the drinks were properly mixed, the children tasted the drinks for the first time. Jun, the newest family member to join Xin Ning Court, was very surprised by the new flavours! Not surprisingly, most of the children chose hot chocolate as their favourite drink. They loved adding marshmallows and watching them swirl and melt. The marshmallows and drinks were additions to their festive celebration. After so much sweet stuff, I was glad they promised to brush their teeth!

They also loved drinking from the `Season of Love’ mugs. Each of the five small group families took a mug home to share with their family. They were incredibly touched by this simple gift.

It brings so much joy to my heart to see our children enjoying these experiences. For many of our children, everything is a new thrill.

Please consider giving your gift of warmth this winter. You can also purchase the beautiful mugs for yourself, your friends and loved ones, or as a gift for our children in Qinghai. Click here for more information.

Thank you and God Bless!