I have now been here for almost 2 weeks. This is my third time to this country, and I seem to stay longer each time I come, so has been the trend thus far. Many people say to me “Oh you are so brave for moving there alone and doing that.” I have never really looked at it that way. I just decided to do it one day. It's not something I'm doing just for fun nor is it something to do to cross off my agenda of things I want to do (though I do have a fairly extensive list of places to go and crazy things I want to do, I do not classify living among and helping orphans as one of those things.) This is more of something I NEED to do. People need to know about these orphans, and need to know that there are 10,000 ORPHANAGES here, and need to know how they can help if they feel so inclined, and if I can make videos to show people how to do this, then that’s all there is to it really. Bravery kicks in at number 39 on my list..

39. Jump out of an airplane (skydiving.) Yikes!***

It is not really a question of whether or not you are afraid to do something or whether or not you should or shouldn’t be doing it. Some people say, “Oh, wow…China! There are so many other things you could be doing.” I ask you what exactly are those other things? Well, I could work a nine to five, come home and cook dinner, go to bed and do it all over again. But why? I could climb up the corporate ladder, which has never really appealed to me in the first place. Sure, there are lots of things I COULD do. Oddly enough, this seems more practical. What will I do come November? I really have no idea. Maybe I’ll feel compelled to stay here and continue doing this, maybe I’ll come home, or go back to school, or maybe I’ll move to Antarctica and study penguins. If it’s what I feel that I am supposed to be doing, that is what I will do.

I believe that in this life we are called to love people, wherever we are, whatever we do. And we are told to love the least of these (the orphans and the widows) in their afflictions. I wish you could all be here to love them with me, but I also know that you can love them from afar. But, I will say this: After holding them in your arms, there is no way you could not love them, especially those that are the most frail and weak.


***Something did just occur to me. You do need to be brave to cross the streets here!