Luoyang Trip (Maria's Big House of Hope / Pallative Care Unit)

Today was another incredibly busy and emotional day for us. We started the morning by attending church (Capital Community Church) by the airport with Robin Hill. This church is a branch of BICF and is only allowed for foreign passport holders. The service was great and JR and I were able to serve each other communion.

We then headed to the airport and flew 90 minutes to Luoyang, a city of approximately 6 million people southwest of Beijing. We drove about 10-15 minutes and immediately recognized this bright blue building with white clouds off on the horizon. It was obviously Maria's Big House of Hope being built by Shaohannah's Hope (Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman)!!! From the pictures, you can tell it is a special place and is different from any other building you will ever see. And the inside is what makes it more special, for this is where over 120 special needs children will be loved and cared for under the direction of Joyce and Robin Hill at Hope Foster Home.

JR and I toured the 6-story facility and were in awe at the quality of the various rooms. A Mother's Love is sponsoring the Operating Theatre here and it will be incredible! Most of the equipment will be delivered in the next few weeks and the on-site / resident physician will be moving into the building in a month or so. Robin and Joyce are so excited about the potential of this operating room and the surgeries that will be performed here (instead of sending these children to other hospitals). All of the floors have big play areas which are being painted in bright colors for the children. We were even able to catch the artist painting a Disney scene on one the walls. AML has also purchased most of the cribs which were assembled a few weeks ago by Emily and Caleb Chapman and others at Shaohannah's Hope. It is difficult to describe how nice this building is and the potential it has for providing incredible care to these orphans.

Next, we headed downtown to tour the 5th Floor of the Luoyang City Orphanage (home of the Hope Foster Home Pallative Care Unit). The other floors of the orphanage are operated by the Chinese but they have allowed Hope to remodel the 5th Floor and care for the special needs children. Words cannot express the emotions we felt when walking into the playrooms and seeing the orphans being loved by the nurses and nannies. The children range in age from newborn babies to a 9 yrs old and most of them have serious medical conditions ranging from Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and heart failure. Two of the newborn babies were in a special ICU crib hanging on for their lives. Not all of the children survive their conditions but most do and are hopefully adopted. But ALL are loved! This entire floor will be moved the new facility at Maria's Big House of Hope in a few months.

Our favorite part was the short time we were able to play with the orphans and show them some love. You can tell the nannies and nurses really love these kids and want only the best for them. I pray these pictures will give you a glimpse of what we experienced today. Again, let me say that A Mother's Love IS making a difference for these children! I only wish all of you could be here with us to hold these orphans and give them hope.