The Barbee Bunch

Guangzhou Social Welfare Institute

On my itenarary for July 10th was this. " Meet in lobby at 9:45, visit orphanage."  It should have read like this, "We will meet in the lobby at 9:45 and what you are about to see will change your life forever!!!!!!"  I have always considered myself to be a man that gives a lot of me.  I have always loved doing for others.  Making sure that the other person got what was best!  It made me feel wonderful knowing that I let someone win, come in first or made someone else comfortable by me taking something last.  That all has new meaning now.

It started when we first walked into a class of boys at the orphanage ranging from age 7 to 14.  5 of them sitting in desk looking at books with English and Chinese writing.  My guide, Miko, told me that all of these boys have a forever home (been adopted) and they were preparing them for the transition. 

I noticed the oldest boy in the back of the room talking to a cell phone.  He was obviously an albino boy.  Very tall, and very white.  The lady helping him asked me if I would like to talk to his family, from Oklahoma, and I said sure.  He was able to "face time" with his family!!!! How cool was that!!  I was able to grab the phone and talk to his mom and tell her how good he looked, how clean and nice the place was and that he was very excited about coming to their family.  As I talked to the family, I noticed another albino boy in the back ground.  She told me that he would be there 8th child.  I chuckled to her and said she got us by one.  She could see the beautiful Mary in my arms!!!  What a giving family from Oklahoma.

After wiping the tears from my eyes and leaving with all the boys waiving goodbye to me, we walked to what I knew was little pre school rooms.  Classes that were ready for all the kids to come and play and learn.  Miko looked at me when we turned the corner and said that this was Mary's class.  A chill went all over my body.  Knowing that for the last year she was in this room daily with her other friends and teachers.  One of the helpers brought me over to the table in the center of the room and showed me the sweetest picture of a little girl taped on the table where she would do her work.  It was my Mary!!!  Let the emotions flow.  I took pictures of the photo and then the lady took it off the table and handed it to me.  As I cried some more I could only pray that many more children could have their pictures removed off of the tables in orphanages and handed to their forever families.

Mary's photo that marked her seat at the work table.

Mary's picture outside her classroom door.

Then I heard the sweetest voice come into the room with a joy that I will probably never hear again.  Miss Mary has not smiled much and has not shown much emotion but when Yang Na, the sweetest lady that I will never forget, came and saying her name, she smiled the biggest smile I have seen. She talked to her as sweet as I have ever heard any voice of any teacher.  I knew that she loved Mary as if she was her own.  I made sure that Miko told her that I thanked her from the bottom of my heart for loving her and caring for her like she did.

Mary's teacher

After some more tears and pictures we made our way down a walk way that had cribs and beds in it.  I was about to see where Mary stayed every night.  But before I saw that, I saw about 60 to 70 tiny little faces looking at me.  Boys, girls, tiny babies, 3 year olds waiving so big at me.  Children in corners and children with the saddest faces you have ever seen.  Children that looked like our American children and children that had major special needs.  My heart has not ever hurt like this.  I was never able to visit our other girls orphanages and foster families but this time God knew I needed to be shaken and I was!!!!!

Finally I passed these rooms which seemed like miles, I came up on the last room with cribs.  First crib on the right as I walked in was Mary's.  It looked exactly like the other cribs but it was very special.  Mary has slept in it.  On the outside of the door was a chart of children and they were in color code, blue for boys and pink for girls.  Only one pink name tag and it was my Mary's.  Again I was given the pick name tag and again I thought, when will the rest be taken?

Mary's teacher showing me that Mary can indeed walk.  She just doesn't like it!!!

As I left the hall way and waved goodbye to all the kids, about 30 watching a cartoon, I could not help but think, how can I make more of a difference?  How can each child be saved? How can I make it where every, and I mean every family in the US, Canada, UK, Germany and the far reaches of the world see what I have just seen?  Great question!!!!!  Don't know!!  Some how, some way I am going to be an advocate for every child in an orphanage!!!!  Every child needs to have a chance to have a mommy and a daddy to wrap their arms around them and call them there own!!!!  I do not know what that is going to look like and I do not know my next physical step to take but I do know this.  When God calls us to do something, he has promised that mountains can and will be moved!!!!!  Please pray for guidance that God will show Jennifer and I what to do next.  Secondly, pray that God will move in you and your families lives to act in some way.  Adoption is something that is very scary but if you will see the faces of these precious children I promise God will take the fear away. 

I am sorry that I sounded preachy but I do not care!!!!!  These children need homes.  You cannot save all 147 million orphans, but you can save 1. 

Love,

Bobby