Starfish Thrower Orphanage, Xian, China

STARFISH THROWER ORPHANGE

Have you ever heard the story or watched the video of the little boy who was caught throwing starfish which he found dying on the beach, back into the surf? He was told by an unsympathetic passerby that there were clearly thousands of them up and down the beach and that there were clearly too many of them to make any difference. He continued to throw them one by one, back into the ocean exclaiming: " It made a difference for that one!" You know that what he was doing, by himself, was indeed making a significant difference in the lives of a few of those where were in need that day.

Dana is excited about her new hair... Gray? Is she or isn't she?

You can tell which one stole Dana's heart. This is Carolyn. She needs a Grandma... Even more, she needs a Mommy. She has this thing she does, where she blinks both eyes at us several times and of course you do it back to her. She loves it. I think she is "double winking" at us. Then she laughs with all of us. This is Carolyn. She is one.

This is Amanda, who runs the place. She is the CEO. Last year she received the BYU humanitarian award and travelled there to accept it. She tells us what needs to be done. Some volunteers come for a month or two, and stay in the volunteer housing she had prepared for volunteers. Most volunteers come for a day or two or three.

This is Jack. We are here at the Starfish Foster home in Xian, China, where we are volunteers helping with the care and keeping of 53 babies at this time, all between one month and 3 years. They are so cute and quickly take hold of your heart. They are wonderful and so much fun. We love the babies and have been working hard to improve their environment and the volunteer/guest housing for the many volunteers who come here to help. We have been busy and have accomplished many projects that were needed.

This is Carolyn with Grandma Darling.

It is certainly a joy to help these kids. This is Anna. They are so loving and in need of love.

There are many Nannies. They each care for about three kids. Feed, love, change, hold, take naps with, and then do it all again and again.

This is Justin. Most of them have serious medical conditions and Amanda and her staff are continually working to get them strong, to repair physical defects, and to schedule as sundry life saving surgeries they need before they can be adopted and leave this place for a better life with a loving family.

This is Joseph.

Anna again. Volunteers love the babies and hold and talk to them as much as possible. The babies really like the volunteers. The volunteer is JoAnn Forbes from the BYU China EnglishTeachers Program in China.

This is a baby. What a cutie. He needs about three heart surgeries and a surgical repair of his exposed bladder -- then he is done and ready to go...

This is Julia being held by Gigi.

Six of these kids have been notified that they are being adopted and are waiting to leave and getting mentally prepared to go to their new homes all over the world.

Tristan and Josie. Their most serious need to for parents. They all want to be adopted and to live with a loving family. They have no family. The Nannies are hired to care for them and the volunteers fill their time with love and affection, but they need a Mommy and a Grandmommy.

They are seriously in need of parents. This is Carolyn again.

One of these is Alice and one is Justin. Our hearts go out to each of them as they struggle to live, grow, and develop in this temporary, seemingly crowded nursery/orphanage. There are babies everywhere. Try to Imagine 53 kids in your house at one time, all under the age of 3.

You can find out more about how to adopt these kids and about their nature and medical and adoptive issues at the websites for this agency. Need some more information???

See: http://www.thestarfishfosterhome.org/

http://chinesestarfish.blogspot.com/

http://chinesestarfishcleft.blogspot.com/

chinese.starfishthrower@gmail.com
Cell: 86.1348.812.4847

THE STARFISH THROWER FOSTER HOME ROCKS. THESE KIDS RULE.