Teddy Bear's Picnic in Guangxi with Build a Bear

                   If you go down to the woods today............................

especially in Guangxi Province in China this October....

you're in for a BIG SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!

As a part of our visit to Guangxi this year, building up relationships with our Guangxi girls, we are planning Teddy Bear Picnics in Desheng, Yizhou, Da Mo and Nanning.

It is always wonderful to meet each year with our girls, but this year is even more special as we have new Hope4China team members coming along to meet and work with the girls.

AND we are finally going to the wonderful Miao minority village of Da Mo in Jingxi :-)

This idea came about as so many girls had mentioned in their letters to sponsors that they would love a Teddy to cuddle. Matthew and I had already planned on getting Teddies for each girl. Then a friend kindly donated a big bag of Build a Bear accessories which her daughters had outgrown, to Hope4China to sell on Ebay.

The idea took shape...and we were were off!!!!!!

So many people have been so excited about doing this and Teddies have been appearing from  sponsors all over the world......

We decided to approach the Build a Bear store in Edinburgh, explaining what we were planning, asking if they would like to participate and perhaps donate a Bear?

I wasn't really expecting a positive response...but hey, if you don't ask,  you don't get???????

I obviously had not bargained on the lovely Petrina and the fantastic management at Build a Bear.

I received a LOVELY email back offering so much support, now and in the future, along with an invitiation to come in and collect 5 Bears, with 5 outfits!!!!!!

In addition several members of staff added their own donations of Teddies for the girls!!!!!

Here is the lovely Petrina with her donation of her very own Build a Bear to send to China,  along with bags of donations from the staff

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Then the fun really statrted...as our little helpers got busy choosing and creating the bears to  take to China

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For those of you, unfamiliar with the Build a Bear concept.......first you choose your bear

then wait in a big queue

to place your foot on the pump while Teddy is filled with his fluff!

Only when he has been cuddled and checked, can his heart be chosen, kissed , wished upon.....

....and popped in his tummy,before being stitched up!!!!

and ready to go.......

As you can see there is no age limit.......

So all these bears,  created, loved and brought to life by little hands...will now be packed carefully in our suitcases, and taken to some amazing girls in Guangxi, with HUGE THANKS to Petrina and Build a Bear in Edinburgh

We are hopeful that most sponsors will be able to send a Bear,

Our house is certainly filling up fast...and we will have the usual problems trying to pack the suitcases!!!!

We hope that donations will help provide any other teddies in China if still needed?....

.......but how could you help?

If anyone has any Build a Bear Accessories, or  doll's clothes to fit 12-15" Bears which they would like to collect and donate, please email info@hope4China.info to arrange to send.

Also I am sure that local Build a Bear shops here and in the USA would be happy to help and share in the publicity.

Please ask, and send, and give the Guangxi Girls the best ever Teddy Bear's Picnic.......