LWB Community

David’s Sweet Tooth…and Sweet Heart!

Delightful
Adorable
Very sweet
Independent
Docile

David is a sweet boy with a sweet tooth!  His foster mother reports that he just loves candy.  But he’s also sweet-hearted enough to share candy with his friends (much to the delight of his proud foster mother).

David is a playful seven-year-old who likes to play hide and go seek with friends and pick flowers outside.   His mild demeanor shows in his face, but don’t let him fool you…he is full of little boy busy-ness!  In fact, in the photo above, you can see the stitches he got on his head after he took a tumble while playing with a friend…how typical of a seven-year old boy!
Read more.

Adorable Aiden

Aiden from Kaifeng, Henan Province, just turned eight. While he is a little shy, you wouldn’t guess it from his grin!   He’s currently a student in LWB’s Kaifeng Education program where he receives tutoring. Every day before class, he helps the teacher move the table and carry the chairs.  He also likes to help his fellow students. He helps pick up books off the ground, helps other children move their chairs and loves to help his fellow student, Grace, learn her numbers.
Read more.

Compassionate Chloe

Arlene Howard, our Foster Care Program Director, has worked closely with the Lu’An foster care program in Anhui Province, for the past three years. Through all the reports and children, there are a few who have especially touched her heart. Chloe is one of these children. When the foster care manager visits, Chloe is always smiling, and she has become a cherished member of her local neighborhood. Over the years, Chloe has seen many of her friends leave the SWI for adoption. It makes you wonder how much she might hope to be one of those children who leaves with a family of her own.
Read more.

John from Lu’An

John has been waiting for a family of his own for many years.  In 2005, he entered LWB’s Lu’An foster care program in Anhui province. Although John is particularly close to his foster father, he longs to be adopted and become part of a family forever. He has seen at least two foster siblings chosen for adoption, and you can imagine how he must feel that it has not yet happened for him.
Read more.

Joseph’s Hope for Healing

Do you ever just feel amazed by the hope you see in a child’s life?   Little Joseph is active and fun-loving inspite of all the challenges he faces.

Never letting his leg deformity of club foot as well as a missing bone hold him back, Joseph loves to swim and fish with his foster family.
Read more.

Running Through China: Our Day in Fuyang

During our recent trip to the China, we visited the Fuyang orphanage in Anhui. Fuyang is a very rural area, and the main orphanage has approximately 200 children in its care.  We have liked working with Fuyang over the years as the staff really wants to help the children in every way possible, despite their very limited resources.  Many of you might remember that Fuyang didn’t used to have doors or windows covering the openings to the outside, or any sort of heating system despite the fact that Anhui is a very cold province in the winter.  LWB helped with this need several years ago, and the orphanage staff is still very grateful to the donors who helped put in the heavy tarps over the door frames and the coal/radiator heating system.
Read more.

Art for the Heart

To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts – such is the duty of the artist.  ~Schumann

Todd’s foster father had a very heavy heart before Todd had his recent heart surgery.  He had been so anxious about his little foster son for so long and could barely sleep at night due to worry.  This is the story of Todd’s surgery and recovery and how art literally helped his heart to heal…and helped to lighten his foster father’s heart.
Read more.

Jimmy and His New Toy

Our Friday Photo of the Week features tiny Jimmy from our Zhaotong foster care program. Our manager delivered some new toys to each child in the program recently and captured Jimmy checking out his new blocks. Doesn’t it look like they’re nearly as big as he is? He’s only a few months old and has just arrived in foster care, so we’ll look forward to seeing Jimmy grow into his new blocks in the months to come!
Read more.

A Day In the Life of a Foster Care Volunteer (or Two)

Foster care is one of LWB’s most expansive programs.  With sixteen foster care programs in seven different provinces, LWB needs each and every one of our nearly 50 volunteers to keep these programs running smoothly!   Two enthusiastic foster care volunteers have agreed to let us peek into their daily lives as an LWB volunteer and see what inspires them to dedicate their time to helping orphaned children in China.

Jessica White, Huainan Foster Care Co-Coordinator: I first learned of Love Without Boundaries during the process of adopting my daughter Emma. I remember reading and rereading Love’s Journey, and thinking that “someday” I would love to get involved with such an amazing organization.  That “someday” came three years later when one of the mothers from my travel group mentioned that LWB was looking for volunteers in their foster care program.  We had recently adopted our son Will from South Korea, and he had spent the first year of his life with a foster family. The difference that foster care had made in his life was remarkable. I immediately sent in my volunteer application and joined the foster care team in 2009. A few months later, I transferred to the Huainan Foster Care program that serves my daughter’s orphanage, and I cherish the opportunity to remain connected to her first home.

I am a stay-at-home mom to a four year old daughter and two year old son, so most of my LWB work is done at naptime. After I get the kids tucked in and the lunch dishes in the sink, I settle down with my laptop to catch up on the day’s emails.
Read more.

Julian’s Joy

Having Down syndrome is like being born normal. I am just like you and you are just like me. We are all born in different ways, that is the way I can describe it. I have a normal life. — Chris Burke

Julian’s photos always make me smile.   Each month, he beams at me from my computer screen, and I look forward to the descriptions of this month’s joy-filled mischief.   Julian is a delightful three year old with Down Syndrome who lives in our Loudi foster care program in Hunan.  Julian doesn’t walk by himself yet, but he can get anywhere he needs by holding onto furniture and walls.   Although he is quiet and only says a few words, he understands so much more.
Read more.