Here is is! This is Maria's Big House of Hope located in Luoyang, China. Caleb and I are standing outside of the building, and we look so small compared to the size of Maria's BIG House. I am currently in China, with a team of 9 other friends and family to move furniture into Maria's BIg House of Hope and help in preparing the facility for babies to move in soon.
It has been an unbelievable treat to be at this special place as it is in its final preparation stages. Our team has prayed and asked God to come and dwell in this place. We have prayed over the cribs as we have assembled them and moved them to each floor. And, we have experienced God through the touch and the encounter with His most special children . . . the orphans.
In addition to spending time at Maria's Big House of Hope, we have also had the opportunity to visit with orphans in the local orphanage. We spent time playing with the older children yesterday. My husband and sister-in-law, Tabby, did a few gymnastic tricks for the older orphans, while all the musicians on the trip were able to entertain the kids with a few songs, including Blessed Be Your Name. I became quickly attached to an older orphan by the English name of Will. I told him I have a younger brother named Will, and dialogued a bit more with the very broken Chinese I can barely speak. He showed me around the girls' rooms, and then we went down to the 4th floor, room 8405. He was so excited to show me his bed, his few pillows, and his one blanket. Those were his possessions in entirety; however, he was so proud to show me. What an amazing reminder of how extremely blessed we are, and the beauty of finding joy in every little blessing we have been given.
Finally, I can't help but mentioning a little orphan we met on the 5th floor of the local orphanage. Robin and Joyce Hill, the couple that will be in charge of overseeing Maria's Big House of Hope, currently have a special care unit on the 5th floor of the local orphanage to care for the most sever special needs children that come to the local orphanage. One of the older orphans on the 5th floor was named Eleanor. Eleanor is 9 years old, the same age as Shaoey, and she is blind and has some sort of mental handicap. We were visiting Eleanor during her dinner hour. I watched her listen to her nanny's voice, move toward the nanny, open her mouth and receive her nourishment. She sat there quietly waiting for her nanny to feed her. I thought about the amazing example Eleanor is for us as Christians. We are to hear the voice of our Lord, our ultimate provider and care-taker, move closer to Him and receive truth that gives LIFE. We are not to consume of the junk food that Satan tries to feed us, rather, we are to move toward Him, responding to His gentle voice, and eat and drink deeply! Oh how God shows up in the fields of the fatherless.
My prayer for you today is that you hear and recognize the voice of the Lord Almighty, and that you move closer toward Him and receive life everlasting!
Thank you so much for sharing!! What a blessing this blog is to me today. I'll keep Maria's Big House in my prayers.
Posted by: Cheri | January 20, 2009 at 06:32 PM
Wow! That is so awesome! Thank you all for what you do with orphans everywhere!
Posted by: Heather | January 20, 2009 at 07:07 PM
Emily,
Just happened in on the sight and was delighted to see that you posted some pics. Thank you! Enjoy your time working for Him and play with those kiddos for me too! Please post again.
Also, thank you for the DVD on the "fellowship weekend". I wept more than once while we watched it. And also, thanks for the reminder that God does show up in the fields of the fatherless.
Sandy
Posted by: Sandy Barnard | January 20, 2009 at 07:16 PM
This is wonderful! Thank you for all the pictures. I've been praying for this project for a while, it's good to see that it's going well.
Posted by: Rebecca H. | January 20, 2009 at 07:16 PM
Thanks you for sharing Emily.
Posted by: Nicole | January 20, 2009 at 07:29 PM
Thank you for sharing these pictures and the way that God is moving in China. What a great way to remember Maria!
Posted by: viola_chick | January 20, 2009 at 08:11 PM
Emily!
What a gift to see you all at "Maria's House!" Thanks for always pointing us to Christ...and reminding us that every child is precious and in need of LOVE. So much we take for granted.....how easy to not be content........and yet you go to China and find joy and thankfulness in the heart of precious Will......an orphan with basically nothing. Praying for him and all of you and for the babies that will have a home in memory of Maria.
With love from Christine Gordon and Family in MA
Posted by: Christine Gordon | January 20, 2009 at 08:44 PM
Emily,
Thanks so much for sharing. I will contuinue to pray for Maria's Big House and the team as work continues. Also thank you for sharing the precious stories of some of the wonderful children. God is doing such an amazing work!!! May God continue to bless the work and daily shine His face upon it.
Blessings,
ChristiMarie
Posted by: ChristiMarie | January 20, 2009 at 08:55 PM
Wow - Maria's House looks awesome. What a blessing to all those wonderful children! Thank you for sharing the stories about Eleanor and Will, too. They sound precious.
Cindy
http://adopttaiwan.wordpress.com
Posted by: Cindy | January 20, 2009 at 09:17 PM
Wow awesome to read of the work God is doing there and will be doing through Maria's Big House of Hope! Cool that you guys can spend some time there setting it up too :) Will pray for all the orphans that will come to be there and the couple overseeing it :)
God bless,
*Priscilla*
Posted by: Priscilla | January 20, 2009 at 09:19 PM
It is very exciting that Maria's Big House of Hope is openning soon! Praying for you and your team as you are working there, all who will work there and the orphans who will be cared for.
Posted by: MT | January 20, 2009 at 10:31 PM
I was in Langfang at Shepherd's Children's Village in September and it was my dream to see MBHH only to find out it was 10 hours away..I am so happy to see these beautiful pictures and the love and dedication given into each step! Blessed are the feet that bring good news! Blessings~Misty Peterson
Posted by: Misty Peterson | January 20, 2009 at 11:42 PM
Been praying!!! :)
So happy to have this update, and, thankful you are loving the older orphan, too!!! What a gift to all of you on this journey as well as the orphan!!!
Keep walking in God's Love,
Diane
Posted by: Diane | January 21, 2009 at 07:57 AM
This brought tears to my eyes. Oh what I'd give to be in your shoes right now!! How amazing the things you are witnessing! God bless you girl.
Posted by: Kati | January 21, 2009 at 07:59 AM
AWESOME! I don't know what else to say!
Posted by: BradIllian | January 21, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Oh how I wish I was there with you!!! I daily pray for all of you. I recall Robin Hill making a comment at Show Hope @ the interesting colour of Maria's BIG House of Hope. I LOVE it because it reminds me to "lift up my eyes to the hills from where me help comes from. My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven & earth...and the Giver of every good & perfect gift."
The Lord bless & keep you...& give you peace,
Claudine
Posted by: Claudine T | January 21, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Oh how I wish I was there with you!!! I daily pray for all of you. I recall Robin Hill making a comment at Show Hope @ the interesting colour of Maria's BIG House of Hope. I LOVE it because it reminds me to "lift up my eyes to the hills from where me help comes from. My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven & earth...and the Giver of every good & perfect gift."
The Lord bless & keep you...& give you peace,
Claudine
Posted by: Claudine T | January 21, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Please keep up updated on Maria's Big House! I get so excited when I found out that you posted. You are an insperation to me, I want to work with orphans in any way I can! Thank you for sharing! And maybe one day I can come and visit this wonderful place someday.
Posted by: Sharon | January 21, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Wow - I wish I was there with you now. We are waiting to bring our sweet daughter home from China - and my heart aches. Just knowing that people are there sharing the love of Christ gives me comfort.
Thank you,
Diane
www.myredthread.net
Posted by: Diane | January 21, 2009 at 11:46 AM
Thanks for sharing Emily...so wish we could be there! Our dossier goes to China in a few weeks and your story continues to make my heart beat faster and faster. Thanks for loving the orphans and for allowing us to love them with you. Have fun with the family and the rest of the team. God Bless!
Posted by: Kevin in Paducah | January 21, 2009 at 11:53 AM
That looks so awesome!! It looks like such a fun, rewarding job to be able to assemble baby furniture! I felt so touched by your story of little Will. Is there anything we can do to send some stuffed animals or some sort of toys over there for each of the children to have?
Posted by: Valerie | January 21, 2009 at 01:10 PM
Wow! This is very exciting and thank you so much for sharing!!!
Thank you for the insight at the end of your post. This is the second time I have heard this message in less than 24 hours... hmmmm.... think I need to tune in to our God. ;) Thank you and God bless.. you guys have an amazing and safe trip!! Hugs!
Posted by: Lisa | January 21, 2009 at 01:39 PM
Wonderful, you made my day, what a beautiful facility! Looking forward to the lives this BIG House will change.
Karin
adoptive mom and greatful recipient of a SHowHope grant
Posted by: Karin | January 21, 2009 at 01:48 PM
wow
:o..]...
(deeply touched by your parallel of Eleanor and us leaning toward Christ,"..to move closer to Him and receive truth that gives LIFE.")
Thank you for sharing Emily...you all are doing a GREAT WORK for Him!
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Blessings and prayers.
Posted by: NiHaoMa - Da'Shotaz | January 21, 2009 at 02:06 PM
Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful pictures!!! What an awesome building!!! You just made my day : )
Thank you again for the beautiful inspirational post and wonderful pictures.
God Bless~
Posted by: Colleen | January 21, 2009 at 02:31 PM