My experience in China has been hard to put into words...again, SPEECHLESS. I've been praying that God would give me the right words to explain to you all what I experienced. I deeply apologize that I have been lagging behind in sharing what this trip meant to me. It takes a lot of time for me to process it all. I'm thankful tonight God has given me a few words and a deep desire to share a bit of an amazing day that I keep going back to in my memory.
I will type another word now, HERO. Hero is defined as: A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. I love to read quotes. Here are two that describe hero:
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger
than oneself.”-Joseph Campbell quotes (American prolific Author, Editor, Philosopher
and Teacher, 1904-1987)
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”-Arthur Ashe quotes (American social Activist and Tennis Player, the first black winner of a major men's singles championship. 1943-1993)
The first place we had the experience of loving on children was: The
Butterfly House in Changsha, China. This is where I met a real life
hero...no, not someone I read about in a missionary biography or
watched a movie about but someone I had the honor of meeting in
person! Her name is Lyn Gould. Lyn and Allen Gould or...aka modern day Good Samaritans.
Lyn and Allen Gould-a British couple from Australia, left Australia
and moved to Changsha, China to start a palliative care center for
children whom orphanages have basically given up on. Currently, Lyn
and Allen care for 12 children with chronic or life threatening
conditions. Two of those children are terminally ill right now. The
Butterfly House works on a tight budget and since 2010 has been
home to 35 children.
Although our team was in Changsha only about a day and a half, I found it the hardest city for me to physically handle. The pollution in Changsha was heavy, almost unbearable to breathe. Many people smoke in China, so add smoke to this environment and creates a hard breathing environment. Unlike Beijing, which is similar to America in a variety of ways...Changsha has not been westernized . I deeply admire Lyn and Allen even that much more for doing what they do! What a heart they have for these children!
As our team was only at The Butterfly House for a day, I found it to
be a day I think back to daily. I think and pray for Lyn and her team
of workers everyday, and for those babies fighting to get healthy. Lyn
and Allen are what a hero means to me. I will never forget the day I
met Lyn, the children and staff of The Butterfly House.
