Hey everyone! Let me take a moment upfront to thank you for visiting my page. It means a lot to me that you would take the time to read about my future adventure in China.
On August 28th, I am flying out to China where I will be volunteering for a week at Shepherd's Field Children's Village (SFCV) in Tianjin. From their website:
"Shepherd’s Field is a safe haven for at-risk, special-needs orphans who have been abandoned because they were considered broken. We love, house and feed these children in addition to providing surgeries and medical care."
Along with my close friend Christy (and there may be more joining us soon!), I will be spending the week showing love and care to these children. The youngest ones mostly need attention through games, songs, and play. Many of the older children are learning English, and we will spend part of our week teaching. We will also be providing assistance to the foster home in any way they may need.
In the states, I have ministered to children in many ways through summer camp, Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, homeschool co-op, and other children's programs. I love working with kids, especially those young ones, and think God has pressed on my heart to take this ministry beyond our nations' borders. Working with children can often be trying, and this trip will be anything but leisurely, but I am anxious to go and minister to these children first-hand.
In Matthew 25, Jesus says, "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"
Likewise, SFCV's theme verse is James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
I want to use my gift of working with children to please the Lord and share his love. I want to seize this opportunity I have and follow his command to me.
If you are able to help financially in any way, it would be a tremendous help to me. However, finances aside, I would greatly appreciate your prayers. Here are some things to pray for as they come to mind:
- Jet lag: China is a 12 hour time difference from NJ, so basically the worst jet lag you can experience. Since I'm only going for a week, I won't have much time (really any) to recover once I arrive. I have no idea what sort of exhaustion to expect!
- Safety: We're traveling internationally, so there are always the usual concerns.
- Communication barriers: While most of the kids are learning English, many have not yet. This will alter the way we minister to these children as opposed to how we may do so in the states.
And now - the finances! Obviously China is quite the hike, so the majority of funds I am raising will go towards travel costs. Here is an approximate breakdown of my expenditures:
- Round trip flight: $700
- Visa: $140
- Passport: $130
- 6 night stay: $400
- Food: $150 (Breakfast is provided free, lunch is provided at a cost of $4/meal, and I am responsible for my dinners. A simple $5 donation buys me lunch for a day - so every bit is very appreciated!)
Thank you in advance for your prayers, encouragement, and financial support. As the trip gets closer and more detailed plans are made, I will be sure to post updates here.
Please note, gofundme deducts (from me) a 7.9% fee from all donations received through the site. If you would prefer I not incure this fee, you do have the option to send funds the good old-fashioned way via check/snail mail. I will be able to record the funds received on here (sans fees) so it reflects in my final fundraising total. Again, thank you so much for considering supporting me in this ministry.
On August 28th, I am flying out to China where I will be volunteering for a week at Shepherd's Field Children's Village (SFCV) in Tianjin. From their website:
"Shepherd’s Field is a safe haven for at-risk, special-needs orphans who have been abandoned because they were considered broken. We love, house and feed these children in addition to providing surgeries and medical care."
Along with my close friend Christy (and there may be more joining us soon!), I will be spending the week showing love and care to these children. The youngest ones mostly need attention through games, songs, and play. Many of the older children are learning English, and we will spend part of our week teaching. We will also be providing assistance to the foster home in any way they may need.
In the states, I have ministered to children in many ways through summer camp, Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, homeschool co-op, and other children's programs. I love working with kids, especially those young ones, and think God has pressed on my heart to take this ministry beyond our nations' borders. Working with children can often be trying, and this trip will be anything but leisurely, but I am anxious to go and minister to these children first-hand.
In Matthew 25, Jesus says, "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"
Likewise, SFCV's theme verse is James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
I want to use my gift of working with children to please the Lord and share his love. I want to seize this opportunity I have and follow his command to me.
If you are able to help financially in any way, it would be a tremendous help to me. However, finances aside, I would greatly appreciate your prayers. Here are some things to pray for as they come to mind:
- Jet lag: China is a 12 hour time difference from NJ, so basically the worst jet lag you can experience. Since I'm only going for a week, I won't have much time (really any) to recover once I arrive. I have no idea what sort of exhaustion to expect!
- Safety: We're traveling internationally, so there are always the usual concerns.
- Communication barriers: While most of the kids are learning English, many have not yet. This will alter the way we minister to these children as opposed to how we may do so in the states.
And now - the finances! Obviously China is quite the hike, so the majority of funds I am raising will go towards travel costs. Here is an approximate breakdown of my expenditures:
- Round trip flight: $700
- Visa: $140
- Passport: $130
- 6 night stay: $400
- Food: $150 (Breakfast is provided free, lunch is provided at a cost of $4/meal, and I am responsible for my dinners. A simple $5 donation buys me lunch for a day - so every bit is very appreciated!)
Thank you in advance for your prayers, encouragement, and financial support. As the trip gets closer and more detailed plans are made, I will be sure to post updates here.
Please note, gofundme deducts (from me) a 7.9% fee from all donations received through the site. If you would prefer I not incure this fee, you do have the option to send funds the good old-fashioned way via check/snail mail. I will be able to record the funds received on here (sans fees) so it reflects in my final fundraising total. Again, thank you so much for considering supporting me in this ministry.