Since the Gongyi Home of Hope closed, Ben and Michelle Godard have been trying to make an effort to stay in touch and encourage the Gongyi children. The Godard’s go once a month to visit the children at the State-ran-orphange in Gongyi and welcome any Home of Hope child/adult to come and visit them in Pingyu. Above, you see Moses who made his first trip to Pingyu back in March. He and Jaxin (Ben and Michelle’s eldest son) have been best friends since they arrived in China back in 2007. Jaxin and Moses talk on the phone several times a week. Some of the older children around Moses’ age are planning a trip to Pingyu this coming May. We hope they have safe travels and have a good time.
Trip to Gongyi
The last trip that the Godard’s took, it was raining and cold outside. They played cards, watched TV, and played on the new computers the orphanage bought the kids. Some of the kids just ran and chased each other around. In the above picture, Michelle and Happy were teaming up in their card game.
Ben talks about how he has a special place in his heart for Charity (above) and Rachel (below) as he was volunteering in the nursery when they came. Each time he visited them, these two girls always liked for him to hold and dance with them.
Beau was doing most of the chasing after everyone!
Before Nathan Bell died and the Gongyi Home of Hope closed, there were three Home of Hopes that served over 150 children. Nathan opened his Home of Hope in Gongyi back in 2000 with many children ranging in ages up to 13 years old. Those children are huge success stories for all the remaining Home of Hope children to look up to. The Home of Hope is actively serving 21 children in Xuzhou, 33 children in Pingyu and keeping in touch with and encouraging the 24 Gongyi children who live in the state-ran-orpahange. All these children have great roll models with these young adults in Gongyi. If you would like to see what some of these young adults look like and what they are doing now, please click HERE!
As always, we (the Next Towns Foundation Inc) thank you for your continued support that you give to help “touch the hopeless, reach the next towns with love and Homes of Hope!”
