With the help of his foster grandpa, John has mastered the art of going forward. John formed an immediate connection with his foster grandpa when he joined our Fuyang foster care program at age five. At the time, little John was recovering from spinal surgery and had experienced quite a bit of trauma (see his previous blog, “The Land of Counterpane…and Beyond”(. Learning to walk again required braces on his legs, which he still wears and may wear forever. Together John and his grandpa navigated through his recovery and continue to improve his mobility, not letting obstacles like big shoes or uncomfortable leg braces hold them back. These two are an unstoppable pair, and the progress we have seen John make has been tremendous.

John is now six years old. Since John’s special need keeps him from attending school, all of his days are spent with his grandpa. This awesome twosome keep busy by taking long walks to help improve John’s strength and walking skills, while also spending time studying math and Chinese characters.

John’s monthly reports give the impression that he is a happy-go-lucky kind of child who complains little, works very hard at everything, and smiles often. As it turns out, he is all of these things and more. Our Fuyang foster care coordinator volunteer, Vicki Hossack, was delighted to have the opportunity to meet John this past fall. Vicki was impressed and proud of this young man and remembers this about her visit with him:

I met John last October on a trip to China to visit some of our foster care children. We talked with John’s foster grandpa about his progress as John listened in intently. John was so pleased to have the opportunity to show us how well he is now walking. He grinned from ear to ear as he walked down the corridor of his home and back! John also brought us practice sheets that he and his grandpa work on together to show us the progress he is making with his math and Chinese symbols. This adorable boy is so proud of his work and accomplishments that it absolutely warms your heart.

John has the most wonderful personality and his smile is radiant, even as he sits on the sidelines watching the other children run and play. He is very obedient and never complains.

John has hopes that if he works hard, some day he will be able to climb mountains and trees. With his disposition and determination, we would not be surprised!  We would love to see what John can accomplish in life given the opportunity to attend school and get additional therapy. While the love and care of a family could give him these opportunities, we think the opportunity for a family to be privileged to have a son like John is just as great.

Love Without Boundaries proudly advocates for adoption but is not an adoption agency. We invite you to contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com with questions about a child we have featured and encourage you to contact your local adoption agency for more information about China’s Waiting Child Program.

I first met Miao in April, 2006 when my Dad and I were given permission to visit  my daughter’s orphanage in China.  The orphanage had been closed to any Westerners visiting and past offers of assistance had been politely refused.  When we visited, we were in the baby room holding and playing with babies in cribs when our guide was pulled over to look at this little toddler.  Her color was very blue, and she was quiet, very quiet.  The next thing I knew, he was looking at medical files (I could tell because he was reviewing an EKG strip) and whipping out a second cell phone.  He was speaking in English, which should caused me to think that something was up, but I was busy making sure my daughter’s visit was a good experience so I didn’t focus much on his call.  On our way to lunch, our guide told me that they “would let us take her”.  What?   Oh, he forgot to mention that he worked with Love Without Boundaries, and the orphanage was certain the little girl would not survive without help, so they were going to allow LWB to arrange heart surgery for her.  He had been on the phone in the orphanage, very late at night with someone from the Medical Team in the US, gaining approval to arrange for her life-saving heart surgery.  Wow!  Well, that was the moment I then became involved with LWB.

Miao went from blue to an adorable pink shortly after the critical surgery.  Unfortunately, during my next visit (this time as an LWB volunteer), we found her to be yellow.  Yes, yellow.  Apparently she had a blocked bile duct so, arrangements were quickly made for another medical procedure.  Miao went from yellow to pink very quickly this time at the hospital.  This was the trip  where we also convinced the orphanage administration to try foster care through LWB – and so that was another great moment.

I missed Miao on my last visit to China this summer.  We were running out to a field trip with 25 students from her orphanage school,  and then working on the sponsor crafts in the late afternoon.  I made plans to meet with her the next day, but then I learned she was ill.  Gravely ill – and it had come on so suddenly that the orphanage wasn’t sure she would survive.  LWB’s medical team whisked her off to the hospital, and then she was sent to Heartbridge to remain until her family could adopt her.  While in the care of LWB, the photos showed she gained weight and, once again, had a much healthier color to her.  Miao really thrived at Heartbridge, and I celebrated when I learned that her family was finally traveling to China to adopt her.

Miao at Heartbridge

I am overjoyed for this beautiful little girl, but also for the many volunteers and staff who found their way to LWB to make it possible to help these children so in need.  You know, I still think about the fact that I insisted on one thing on our trip in 2006 and honestly, only one thing.  It was our guide.  I had learned about him from a fellow adoptive parent who used this man’s services for a film project he was doing.   I wanted someone I could really trust in-province so I asked our tour agency to arrange him as our guide.  Initially they resisted saying they used to use his services but didn’t any longer.  Then they said the dates would not work.  Then he could not meet us at the airport on the day we had planned.  So, we paid extra, changed the dates, and caught a shuttle to the hotel, but we had Zhang Ming on our trip.  I had heard of LWB but had no idea he was with them and that he could do what needed to be done so quickly for the kids.  I feel God had a plan for Miao and used us as his instruments to deliver the plan.  The door was opened through our trip.  If it hadn’t been us, it would have been someone-  but I am blessed to think that He did use us just a bit.  And thanks to everyone who believed in LWB’s work by donating and volunteering, MANY children have been helped in this large orphanage  through medical, education, foster care, healing homes, nutrition, and orphanage assistance.  So much still to be done but it all started with Miao. And that is a definite WOW!

~ Sandy Hartman, LWB Education Volunteer

Alisha goes shopping with her foster mom almost every morning, and she is always so happy to meet neighbors and greet them with a smile. We loved hearing that she is “especially enthusiastic” when she sees other children! We are so happy that sweet Alisha has now been chosen for adoption. While we will miss seeing her sweet face every month, we are filled with joy that her new family will get to see this beautiful grin each day.

The reality is that none of these wonderful photos could have happened without your help. From all of us at LWB… THANK YOU for believing in these precious children and for partnering with us to help bring them hope and healing.

She likes to take him outside to walk in their vegetable garden, and she loves telling our local manager what a thoughtful and sweet little boy he is. We are such huge supporters of foster care for orphaned children as we believe every child deserves to grow up in a family setting versus growing up in an institution. We would like to thank all of the wonderful supporters who help with this important program. You are giving a foundation of love that will last a lifetime.

We are thrilled to introduce Isaiah, a sweet child who recently joined our Shunyi foster care program. Isaiah is almost two years old and has a repaired cleft lip and palate. He lives with his foster brothers, all of whom are older than him. Isaiah is surprisingly independent for his age and tries to keep up with his older brothers.

Although he is small, Isaiah is brave and likes to be involved in everything going on around him. In the mornings Isaiah joins his foster brothers for class, even though he is a little too young to fully understand what is happening. He takes a power nap in the afternoons and then likes to spend the rest of the day outside, where he plays on the playground with his family or goes for walks in the neighborhood. He also likes to play games and watch movies.

Isaiah’s foster mother says that his favorite activity is eating! He eats different types of meat, accompanied by stir-fried vegetables. Isaiah especially loves to eat any and all kinds of snacks. He has an easy-going personality and gets along remarkably well with his new brothers. Isaiah will even share his most prized snacks with them!

Isaiah is a very happy little boy who has settled comfortably into his new home. We look forward to watching him flourish in this loving environment. If you would like to make a difference in Isaiah’s life, please consider sponsoring his foster care placement. Your donation of $35 per month will make a profound impact on this young boy’s life, and you will receive monthly updates and photos showing his growth.

Now known as Mark, the little boy we knew as “Willy” is thriving in his adoptive home. Shortly after this family returned home with their two newly adopted sons, they took the time to e-mail Love Without Boundaries and let us know how  the little boy we had helped care for in foster care, “Willy”, was doing. Mark’s new parents report that he has been singing, talking, learning English, coloring, and of course having some struggles too.  But amongst all those words were the most important words, words from his parents’ hearts:  ”He is a joy!”

How thankful we can be for the children and families united through adoption. All we can say in response is, “What a joy!”

Autumn has arrived in Qiandongnan with cooler and milder days. The children are doing well and are providing a little slice of heaven to their foster families. Many of the foster families have expressed concern regarding the need for warm clothes, coats, and shoes for the children. Lente, a sweet one-year-old, is one of the beautiful children in Qiandongnan foster care. We would like to be able to provide a coat and warm clothing for her and the other foster children this winter. We would welcome your donation in any amount to help Lente and the other Qiandongnan foster care children stay warm.

A dream is a wish your heart makes. ~ Cinderella

Many girls dream about feeling like princesses for at least a day, just like these beauties in our Lu’An foster care program! Our foster care team from the U.K. and U.S. are in China right now visiting children in Anhui and Shanxi Provinces and were thrilled with all of the heartfelt hugs they received from these lovely girls.

It is our dream that these princesses will have every opportunity in life to make their very own dreams comes true!