Rich and Chloe's Great Wall Run - China

Rich writes:

The day begins at 1.30 am, leaving the hotel to get to the buses that leave at 3 am from Beijing and dawns over some beautiful countryside northwest of Beijing. When we arrived it was very cold and we took over a restaurant that was opening for breakfast for warmth and preparation. There was a mad dash for the Chinese loos as nerves set in, the first time I’ve ever seen them so popular.

We eventually found the start, unsignposted outside, inside a large stone fort in the base of the valley. Music and aerobics seemed a wasteful use of energy but eventually each stage was crouching at the ‘4 minute to start’ signal. Then we were off! Not too fast, we are soon at the base of a 5km rising hill – and I thought Heartbreak Hill in Boston was bad. The road was a long, long steep ramp leading constantly upwards. There were many walkers but we found it more ethically satisfying to trot often no more than walking pace, occasionally faster. Then the road opened up to car park with the path still leading upwards. The first steps upwards for 5 minutes - then the Wall.

First steps seemed huge, well over knee height, long flights up to the first tower and water, lots of water stops - no longer cold!, with temperatures rising fast to 30 degrees. The air was very dry so we were barely sweating. Top to the tower then down - no stops except to photo. Wall narrows - a lot of single file. Walking on the rising stages now, more towers with often a 90 degree turn right or left sometimes straight on to a vertigo-inducing steepness, the large steps hitting us in the knees going down now. More single file and areas with no side wall. A scuff sends a stone into the forest far below last moved by a builder, perhaps 500 years ago? Most of the path is heavy stone so little major damage is caused by the 1,000 runners. Down a steep track where the wall ends - the hill is now so steep that no wall would hold and the watchtowers top and bottom guard even that gap. Some, like us, are sliding past runners who are taking the steep path slowly, then across the bridge and back on the fort. In, out and around the ramparts then a decision point: left is up a couple of hundred metres (oh no!); right down goes down to the road. Phew, the marshal signals right and we are back down to road level in the base of the valley. We grab some water bottles, now downing half a bottle without noticing, the rest over our heads. 10 minutes of running and a sign comes up 12 km. Seven miles in an hour and a half! How slow - but that is after 3,200 steps and hundreds of vertical metres, in 30 degree heat. (The marathon winner took over 60 minutes longer than his expected time on the flat.) Mentally being on the flat makes it very tough. A long slow grind along the road, very polluted by ancient diesel engines with lots of heavy traffic ignoring the slow signs and the occasional police car.

After too long a time on the tarmac, we exit down an unmetalled road down to Dongzhuan village, down to the village, more water. I touch my uncomfortable knees and they feel swollen, my back hurts. Then through the old village of some size - in and out of old alleyways, past old men and small children holding out their hands and saying Ni Hao, Jia You, hello, come on!! Muddy alleyways, packed houses, in and out, up and down, and then up to the top of the village to run alongside unplanted, flat dry fields, an economy that looks past. More down hill, more twisting and then across the bridge over the river for the last time …. with only a long 6 km to go. Still half an hour. Very tired along the unmade track and out onto the polluted road again. This time it is sheer grit and determination keeping me going, not going to be beaten by the road or by myself. Chloe was fantastic in her encouragement skipping along like a gazelle, having passed her longest ever run at the 10 km mark, even taking pictures as she runs! Then a few spectators clapping, calling encouragement and into the last last kilometer, not daring to think that it is. Keep going for another 50 I tell myself to keep going.

Finally, not too well signposted, the entrance to the fort. Chloe and I join hands and run up the stone ramp to Yin Yang Square, ouch ! even that hurts, a sharp bend and we can see the final portal, we are there and through. Lots of shouting and noise. In a daze, I felt my hand shaken and a red-banded medallion put around my neck. It shows a very steep but empty section of the Wall with a tower at the top. I look down and read the inscription, it says - ‘The Great Wall Marathon, 19^th May 2007’.

A special thank you to all of our sponsors who so generously gave to International China Concern for abandoned and disabled children in China.

Celebrating Youth Day

Kyla Alexander, Hengyang Project Manager writes:

'Youth Day, in China, is celebrated May 4 each year. We decided to bless the Hengyang youth with an outdoor cinema experience - and blessed and excited they were.

A big white screen was set up against the wall and amplifiers were hired, thanks to a fundraiser held by a UK church youth group. As the youth waited for the sun to set and the movie to start, many grabbed the microphone and took turns to serenade the crowd. Even the Welfare Centre Director sang solo!

Walt Disney’s ‘Cars’ captured the attention of many of the more hyperactive boys. They were captivated by the big screen and the big sound, and quietly watched the movie. Many living on the welfare centre grounds, including some of the elderly, joined in the fun. The youth even brought some of the babies up to join the celebration.

At the end of the night we heard the following:

• ‘Is there another movie tomorrow night?’
• ‘That is the first real movie I’ve ever seen, thanks!’

The biggest reward for us was the smiles on their faces as they went to bed.’

Who Are We?

A bunch of highly energetic, fun-loving folks, mostly from Hong Kong, comprised of special education professionals, therapists, a counselor and volunteers.

When and Where Did We Go?
April 7-12, 2007. One day in International China Concern’s Hengyang Project and the rest of the time in the Changsha Project.

What We Did

• Built relationship with local staff with the aim of supporting them in the future in special education, therapy and counseling
• Offered local staff practical suggestions, feedback and support related to special education, occupational therapy, speech therapy and counseling
• Led classes as well as circle times with the ‘aiyi’s’ (aunties or carers) during one-on-one time with the kids

Highlights
There are just too many to share, but here are a few:

• Meeting the many wonderful people who are serving as His ‘hands and feet’
• Time with the kids! Laughing, playing, hugging, kissing
• For some, seeing their sponsored child for the first time

What Next ?
In a nutshell, the team is excited about what is happening in the projects and enthusiastic about supporting International China Concern from Hong Kong! We will meet again in Hong Kong and consider how to provide ongoing support to the ICC staff.

Going Dutch

Last weekend ICC Netherlands Coordinators Hans and Joke, in cooperation with their church, set up a stall to sell goods and raise money for ICC's work in China. The weather was great and the day was a huge success. Joke (above) writes:

‘We did face painting, the children were living statues, people sold their old stuff and we had drummers…the children did great; they gave all the money they earned to ICC…we had nice conversations at the stand and people stood still to look at the Chinese things so that gave us time to talk to them. Their reactions were different. Some were interested and wanted to know more which was great as ICC is not well known in The Netherlands.’

Thanks, Hans and Joke, for all your hard work for the abandoned and disabled in China!

Love, Hope and Opportunity for Every Disabled Child

This is ICC’s vision and yes, our new logo which will be officially launched in the coming weeks.

ICC’s ‘heart’ may look different but it’s the same heart we’ve always had for God, for China, for her people and especially for the abandoned and disabled. The new colour, the Chinese characters and calligraphy simply communicate that message to supporters in China as well as supporters around the world. The logo combines the Chinese ‘zhong’ character which literally means ‘centre’ (also the Chinese character for ‘China’) and a heart.

As an organisation and as leaders we’ve asked ourselves – What is the essence of what we do and who we are? Do our current logo, vision and mission statements effectively communicate who we’ve become and where we’re heading? ICC’s work has evolved over the past thirteen years and we agree it’s time to acknowledge the change.

Our vision is simple but by no means small – Love, hope and opportunity for every disabled child. We currently care for more than 200 children and young adults and over the last six years have trained almost 500 Chinese social welfare workers but there remains much to be done.

ICC remains committed to the vision for the long haul and will continue to:

• Innovate projects that provide holistic care and support services to the abandoned and disabled in China’s state welfare system and reduce abandonment of those with disabilities
• Provide training services that address the needs of China’s developing social welfare system in the areas of management, and support and disability services
• Advocate on behalf of China’s abandoned and disabled to all sectors of government and society
• Empower Chinese leaders and the community to respond to the needs of China’s abandoned and disabled.

So expect changes as we launch the new face of ICC!

UK Reps in China

ICC UK Representatives, Ken and Sandra Jones, are currently in China for three months, serving the Changsha Project and international volunteers. They wrote to us today:

'We are at the stage of feeling that our time here is flying by. Due to our great age and infirmity (!!!!) we are only working half days – which is nice really and means that we can be on hand for baby cuddling, playing zoos and trains etc. with Lisa’s crew. We take the bus out to Ya Tang Cun (home to the profoundly disabled and babies and toddlers) two mornings a week to take the boys for walks. They love it and get so excited when they see us because they rarely get the opportunity to leave the building and see cars, diggers, tractors and dogs in the streets around the apartment. Last week we just stood and watched some men cementing the road by a local factory. One boy just loved the back and forth movement of the workman’s trowel; another liked the cement mixer noises; one was very fearful of the noises and another just wanted to stroke the shiny cars he walked past. All valuable experiences for these precious lads and a joy for us to share such times with them. We also have two sessions a week in the sheltered workshops where we have great fun helping with card and jewellery production. We are humbled by the diligence and tenacity of the young adults as they struggle to overcome their difficulties to thread beads, apply glue or simply fold squares of paper. It’s so special to have this opportunity – we wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I doubt if we have been much use to them but they have certainly been a great blessing to us! Today, during the rest period, we taught them the ‘Hokey Kokey’.

We thought about you all this morning in our 7am gathering and trust that your portion of blessing will encourage and sustain you all in every aspect of your lives. Much love – Ken and Sandra.’

Touching Hearts, Changing Lives

If you’re a regular visitor to our blog you’ll know that we’re celebrating our tenth anniversary this year. Our leaders have been in China for the last couple of weeks and on March 17th attended a very significant event – a banquet to mark ten years of partnership with the Chinese Government in Hunan Province. Over one hundred children and carers attended the meal and cruise down the Xiang river. It really was a high profile night. There were TV cameras galore and the local police turned out to provide an escort.

At Chinese celebrations everyone loves to make a speech. It’s like having a wedding with umpteen best men! ICC leaders, Government officials and ICC staff all joined in. One of the young men who has been in our care since the very early days was invited to make a speech too.

Chen Shi spoke about how he’s experienced love, received hope and been given an opportunity to grow, develop and study. He spoke of the sense of family and belonging that he knows and described life in the group homes, proudly sharing how he contributes by shopping and cooking. He has a place at University and shared his dream of an independent life in the future. As he spoke, he paused frequently and touched his heart as if to take strength from within. His face shone with love and joy at all he had to celebrate and his moving speech was one of the highlights of the evening.

I can guarantee there’ll be many more stories like this over the coming months, so please keep reading and join us in thanking God for all He has done in the life of Chen Shi and many others. He truly is awesome!

A Gift from the River

Most of us know the story of Moses. We may even have acted it out in Sunday school, dressed in Dad’s dressing gown and with the obligatory tea towel on our heads. You can imagine how stunned we were when we saw part of that story become a twenty-first century reality. International volunteer Alison Kennedy tells what happened:

“Yang Hong Tao was found floating in a basket down a local river during the floods of July 2006. We met him in hospital, where he received treatment for a few weeks before being discharged, parentless, into our care at the welfare centre.

In hospital he was known to giggle and share his smiles, but it seems the shock of moving to the welfare centre caused him to withdraw and for the first few months his feelings, other than pain, weren’t freely shown.

Meeting Yang Hong Tao today you would not believe him capable of hiding his emotions. A quick head massage or armpit tickle and Tao Tao’s glowing face breaks into an infectious giggle. This week when he uttered his first words a new joy stirred - the joy that fans flames of hope and encourages us to press on with the task of bringing God’s love to children like Tao Tao, who are trapped by circumstances and their physical bodies. “

I can’t begin to imagine what Tao Tao’s parents must have gone through, or what drove their decision to abandon him. It’s unlikely they’ll read this blog, but somehow I hope they know that he is safe, well and happy. I’ll be in Hengyang in a couple of weeks and I can’t wait to meet him.

Come on and Celebrate!

Now that I’ve reached a certain age, it seems like policemen look ever younger and time flies by at great speed. I can hardly believe it’s ten years since ICC opened Oasis House in Changsha. Yet the calendar confirms that it’s true. Things have changed so much since the first group of disabled children came into our care – now we have community group homes in four locations around Changsha city, as well as our project in Heng Yang. We run a foster care programme, a training and education department, and a sheltered workshop.

If you read this blog regularly you’ll know we like to mark significant steps in our journey, so throughout 2007 we’ll be celebrating our Tenth Anniversary. We began in January with parties in all our homes, where everyone performed songs, skits and dances. One of our Chinese managers has been with ICC since the early days. She gave a heartfelt speech during the celebrations:

‘We are a family, whether we are carers, therapists, nurses, children or volunteers, and we remember each other. We remember all who have been a part of this family over the years; all the workers, all the volunteers and we remember all the children we have loved - not just the ones who are here but also the ones who are in foster families.”

These past ten years, we have seen many people play a part in this work and our manager has seen most of them come and go. I can imagine the journey she has seen the children and young adults make as she’s watched their lives change before her eyes. From a place of desperate need she has seen them become happy, joyful people with hope for the future.

It’s encouraging to look back and see how far we’ve travelled and exciting to contemplate what is yet to be. God has blessed, guided and provided for all our needs, not least the many people who have partnered with us. Thanks for reading the blog, for your support, and for your companionship on our ten year journey.

Let’s celebrate!

Happy New Year, Chinese Style!

Xin Nian Kuai Le! That’s “Happy New Year” to the none Mandarin speakers among us. On February 18 a sixth of the world’s population celebrated Chinese New Year, marking the beginning of the Year of the Boar.

Celebrations vary from place to place, but the underlying message is one of peace and happiness. This is a time of reunion, a time for sharing special food, giving gifts and a time to reinforce the bonds of family love and devotion.

In Changsha our celebrations began on February 17 when everyone enjoyed a big meal together. On New Year’s Day the children and young adults visited their friends and enjoyed traditional fireworks, along with the rest of Changsha’s population. It was very, very loud!

We’re celebrating in Hengyang too. For many of the children and young adults this is the first time they’ve ever joined in with the New Year Celebrations. It’s easy to imagine how excited they’ll be. There’ll be lots of big smiles around the place.

Everyone has received new clothes so they can look their best on the big day. There’ll be lots of fun preparing traditional dumplings (jiao zi) and other dishes over the fifteen day holiday. The best part of the whole celebration is that those we care for know they are loved and valued as part of our family.

China Team Update

Judy Elliott has just returned from co-leading an ICC China Team. She writes:

'I remember the day the team gathered outside the office to board the bus. Without warning firecrackers began to go off very near to us, giving one or two near heart attacks! A black car was parked by the entrance to the welfare centre baby area and the fire crackers were exploding near the car. Our translator explained that a Chinese family was collecting a baby for adoption. As the car pulled away I couldn’t help thinking about that baby – their new family were proudly fussing over her in the back seat and celebrating. The contrast was marked the next day when a police car arrived with a newly abandoned baby boy, born with a cleft lip and palette. He arrived under less auspicious circumstances and was quietly and quickly taken to the admission room for a thorough check up. What potentially different lives for these two babies!

Having been part of the first China Team to visit Heng Yang in November 2004 it was great to see some of the changes first hand. One of the most surprising was the way the older boys behaved during their afternoon craft session. It used to be utter chaos! Leisel Luscombe (ICC international volunteer) has worked very hard with these boys in difficult circumstances, many of them with very challenging behaviours. They are now used to Leisel’s afternoon craft session and obviously look forward to it. As she arrived and shepherded them round a table I stood amazed. The boys continued to sit relatively quietly waiting for her to return with all the equipment and spent the afternoon engaging them in cutting, gluing and pasting. This is a major step forward and an incredible achievement bearing in mind many of them, until recently, couldn’t even sit for any length of time. It may not sound much but this is another great success for the work in Heng Yang.'

Come and join an ICC China Team – you could change someone’s life, even your own!
www.intlchinaconcern.org

Changing Lives, Building Faith…

January is almost over and our latest China Team will soon be coming to an end. It is a constant encouragement that so many are prepared to give what it takes to serve China’s abandoned and disabled.

Team leader Judy Elliott shares the latest news:

“As usual, the team has been really good. Despite some tough days, everyone has kept going and worked brilliantly together. At last night’s team meeting, lots of people shared how they have seen signs of change in many of the kids. Babies are becoming more alert and are rolling around as they learn to play. One of the older autistic boys settled down quietly to enjoy a painting session. He finds it hard to concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time, so this was major progress.

Many of the team have also shared that they’ve experienced an amazing time of personal growth, which they didn’t really expect! Jesus is doing things in their lives through the kids, and they are gaining more than they are giving.”

Over the years we’ve come to recognise that God does indeed change lives through our China teams. As well as hugely benefiting the children and young adults, God graciously blesses those who participate.

I’m looking forward to catching up with the team and hearing about all that God has done. Teams are a mix of fun, hard work and vulnerability. There may be challenges along the way, but ultimately, being part of a China Team is a faith building experience.

The First Christmas in Heng Yang

It’s hard to believe there are children who have never celebrated Christmas, never heard the story of Jesus’ birth and never received a Christmas present, yet for those in ICC’s care in Heng Yang, this was their first and it was memorable.

Kyla Alexander, Heng Yang Spring Project manager, shares her Christmas memories:

'In China Christmas is mostly associated with Santa Claus, trees and flashing lights. We wanted to make sure the children and staff heard the real meaning of Christmas as well as having a blessed and happy time. Parties were organised for all the kids, each one received a small gift and they all, for the first time, saw the nativity play.

We decided because we didn’t have a big enough space to gather everyone if the weather was bad that we would have three separate parties – one for the young girls, one for the boys and one for the older girls and students. At each party we presented a story about three trees, acted out the nativity play, sang carols and watched items presented by the children. At the end of each party every child received a small gift.

At the little girls party Xiao Feng, who is autistic and loves to get in things, decided to get in the manger Leisel had made out of a cardboard box. Everyone was greatly amused by this. She seemed to miss the point of the play, but she did have fun with the manger. She then turned up at the older girls’ party to climb into their manager!

We also had the most enjoyable Christmas Eve I can remember. We decided to bless the whole welfare centre with carols and serenaded everyone from the youngest to the eldest ensuring no one missed out. The retired folks at the centre seemed to really enjoy the singing and candles. The kids were enthralled and their excitement and joy was infectious. At the end of the day, after the fireworks, I heard the house parents saying ‘next year there will be more’. I think Christmas will now be something the children and staff in Heng Yang will look forward to with excitement.'