GongYi Home of Hope

Sharing Ye Ye’s Rocking Chair
Many times during the Summer evenings, Ye Ye will sit in his front porch rocker and the children will gather around. Some of the smaller ones will take turns sitting on his lap, while the older ones will sit on the porch railing. Ye Ye will tell stories or just laugh and play with them and a lot of the time ice cream will just suddenly appear from Ye Ye’s freezer!

Of course the most fun is when Ye Ye and the children make homemade ice cream which doesn’t happen too often because there is no such thing as ice cream rock salt available here. What we have to use is road salt that is used to de-ice the roads during the winter…. that salt is not so clean so extra caution is required so none gets into the ice cream! It’s also hard to find in the summer.
In the picture top left, left to right we have Mary Xiong Xiao, Dawn Xiong Chen, Ye Ye and Charity Xiong Hui.
To the left we have Jacob Xiong Tian and in the picture to the right, Seth Yang Xiao Ke with Charity Xiong Hui.

Seth grew up at the Home of Hope, (came in the first group to the Home of Hope in 2000) gradated from High School then went to work in a neighboring city.
He came to visit a couple of months ago and told us he had given his employer notice that he was quitting because he felt he was now mature and experienced enough to come back to the Home of Hope to help out in the maintenance and grounds upkeep. He keeps the lawn trimmed, as well as cultivates the flower gardens and keeps the bushes trimmed nice and neat. He also does painting and minor repairs on the building. He like doing the repairs but there are many things he needs to learn and he is eager to do so!

Seth has a very sweet spirit and he does much more than maintenance…. and he works with the children, playing with them and teaching them. We are happy to have him.

HAIRCUT TIME….

I would imagine from time to time people wonder how we handle haircuts. Well, the above pictures show one way! The lady doing the cutting is Holly Hou San Juan. She was one of the first children (and our oldest) to come into the Home of Hope back when we first opened and has come back to help after finishing her college in Switzerland.

The boys getting their hair cuts are (left to right) Alex, Beau, Ron, Morris and Larry.
We were so happy when Holly Hou San Juan decided to come back and help us for awhile. She is like a big sister to all the kids and they all adore her…… even when she is scolding or punishing them.
Of course, Holly is at the marrying age in China and is praying for a good husband! We do hope that when that day comes (and it will) that he too will want to stay and help out at the Home of Hope. These two pictures really show the contrast from when she first came to us in 2000 and now. The picture on the left was taken in 2000. The one on the right was taken last Fall.

As is the case every summer, the children really enjoy the Home of Hope pond. This year it is fun to watch the little ones who were in the Nursery last year but this year they are playing in the pond with the other children.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support and for being part of the Home of Hope family.