“Storytellers” from the One Orphan Hope Journey team had the privilege of meeting these remarkable children. Pull up a chair and “hear” all about them!
Wonderful Wesson
This little boy, with his shy smile and sweet spirit, stole my heart. We became buddies on our shopping trip to “Walmart” in China this past October. It was quite a scene as we rolled up in our five buses and rolled out with a gazillion Chinese nannies, kids, wheelchairs, strollers and our Storyteller team in tow!
Our mission was to spend time with the kids and take them shopping!
My buddy was sweet Wesson, so I grab his wheelchair and off we went. It didn’t matter that he spoke no English, and I, no Chinese….hand motions worked perfectly. We had a glorious time going down each aisle picking out stickers and chips and candy and cookies and a blue drink to wash it all down with!
We ventured upstairs, where we stumbled upon a play area with moon sand, magnet activities, and best of all, an iPad with games! We went from activity to activity! When I tried to move us on from the iPad, I thought Wesson’s wheelchair was stuck. Then I realized Wesson had a death grip on the table! He wasn’t quite ready to move on from the iPad!! I gladly hung out with him there, enjoying his excitement and laughter as he played. As I sat there watching him, I didn’t see an orphan boy in a wheelchair, but a little boy who was just like my boys at home. Just a regular boy who loved playing video games.
During our assessment time, we learned that although Wesson has cerebral palsy and used a wheelchair during camp, he is able to walk with a walker according to his nannies. He was able to transfer himself from floor to wheelchair and wheelchair to floor independently. He has great self-care skills and enjoys being as independent as possible. He is very social and interactive, and although he seemed a bit shy with us, we observed him laughing and talking with his friends. He was able to string beads and draw shapes. He seemed very eager to please, and it was a delight to spend time with him.
As our week at camp came to a close and it was time say our goodbyes, the nannies began collecting each child’s lanyard name tag. Before his nanny collected his, Wesson waved to me, and I went over to him. He took off his name tag, carefully inserted his picture in the lanyard pocket and handed it to me. Through an interpreter, he said he wanted me to have it and asked me to please not forget him.
This boy, who has been waiting so long, who has watched his friends chosen for adoption…being passed over, pleaded with me not to forget him. It was almost more than my heart could take.
Sweet, beautiful Wesson, your name tag is in my Bible, and I pray for you often, that God would set you in a family soon and that you would never feel forgotten again.
Would you cry out with me for Wesson? I believe God will hear us and move on behalf of this precious boy who wants a family so badly.
Wesson is a treasure and would be such a blessing to any family.
Gentle Benz
Benz is a soft-spoken, gentle six year old boy.
Though one eye is missing and the other has a cataract, he has some vision and makes amazing use of it.
He neatly stacked blocks, could count objects pretty accurately, and could sort objects by color if they were not very closely related colors. Benz isn’t a man of many words, but when he has something to say, he speaks in complete sentences, like such a big boy, in a sweet voice.
He was so good at navigating, that I forgot that his vision was low several times…his nanny was ready to remind me.
Several older children show great care for Benz, and protect him when large groups of people are all around. The love he has received from them and that he gives to them has brought a quiet confidence to his demeanor.
We made our way through the zoo together easily, though I don’t have experience helping someone with low vision. Benz does feel more secure if he has a helping hand on the stairs.
Benz is very independent with his daily activities. He can eat with a fork, feed himself a sandwich, and he even ate cake with a popsicle stick with the best of manners. He can use an open cup or a water bottle easily as well.
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Benz picked up on games like Patty-cake immediately, and learned clapping patterns quickly. He really loved active games like Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. He didn’t quite know what to make of being held and carried when I was standing up (after all, he can walk a long distance through the zoo by himself!), but he became a very snuggly, frequent occupant of my lap. He started to listen for my heartbeat and then relaxed completely. It was a beautiful moment to experience.
He needs parents with laps who are ready and waiting.
Benz is a huge blessing!
Smiley Ace
Ace – always smiling, always happy.
I spent several days with Ace as my “buddy” during the Beijing Hope Journey camp. We had fun playing games, going shopping, and looking at interesting animals at the Beijing zoo.
Each morning, he would find me and come straight to me to hold my hand – always with his award-winning smile. He smiled so much, our team nick named him “Smiley.” Ace is 11 years old and is a calm, gentle boy. He loves to sing. We would sing songs together on the bus, and look out the window at the city going by. He is very easy-going, has wonderful manners, and is kind to his friends. While he is relaxed and quiet, he also is athletic, and enjoys playing, running, and games like most 11-year-old boys do. He also loves to be outdoors!
Ace was in a foster family from one year old until he was 8 ½ year old, so he knows what it is like to be a part of a family. His caregiver reports that he is independent and takes care of himself well. He also reports that he has good self-esteem. Ace enjoys playing with cars, can write his numbers, and loves to draw. You may even find him showing off at times!
He has been diagnosed with delays, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus at intake, and has had a surgery to repair a hernia; however, these things in his medical history do not keep him from displaying his sweet happy smile.
I loved spending time with Ace, and I think about him often. He was so happy to receive the photograph we gave him of the two of us together. I pray that Ace will know the love of a family, and that this calm and tender child knows how much he is loved.
If you are interested in learning more about Wesson, Benz, or Ace, please contact our China staff at china@awaa.org. You can also read more about the China waiting program here.
These files are Special Focus and can be pursued by a family at any stage of the process.
Oh, how I love these boys. I spent the week with them, and they are forever in my heart. They are treasures, truly. I am happy to talk with any interested family!