I'd walk a hundred miles........

The next time my mind has a good idea, it will need to consult with my body!! Seriously, the nearer it got to the walk of 100 miles round the roads of North Skye, the more nervous I became. I had been walking at least 10 miles a day, but was having to double this and with a back-pack.

The first day began well and I was able to attend worship in one of my former churches – it was lovely to meet the people there and feel so welcome. After church I got on my way and about 2 miles later I was in trouble – something went “pop” in my groin as I was going up a long hill. One and a half hours later I was still struggling up the hill! [a few steps forward and then a stop to allow the pain to subside]. I thought that was it, until my brain kicked in – “What if I walked backwards up the hill?” Bingo, it worked. For the next 3 days I was walking up the hills on the road backwards!!!

Having finally arrived at Dunvegan I was looked after by Donda and Norma – they were stars, who couldn’t do enough for me. The next day it was off to Sligachan – the weather and scenery was as beautiful as the day before – what a privilege to be taking in this beautiful part of the world, even if a lot of the time it was backwards! The comfort and food of the “Slig” was welcome after a long walk – so was time with Mickie who came down for a meal.

On the third day it was on to Portree – that was the only day of rain. During a heavy shower I took refuge in a road-roller – the engine was left on and I felt tempted! It was good to be with Barbara and Angie in Portree, go to Rotary and Portree Church and meet old friends.

After a good breakfast [Angie and Barbara, always give a good breakfast] it was on to Staffin. The journey to Staffin is one of the most breathtaking in Skye. First of all there is the Old Man of Storr, then the staggering views over to Wester Ross, the Kilt Rock and Staffin itself. My hosts were Allan and Joanna who made me feel very welcome and comfortable in their beautiful house. At Columba 1400 I met a party of Chinese tourists and a couple living in Glasgow and their two daughters from China – a small world!

It was now off to Uig, and again a breathtaking journey with such diverse scenery – I met a group of American tourists on the walk round to Uig and they were so interested in what we were doing at Hope4China – lovely people. Wendy was there to welcome me in Uig and it was so nice to catch up with so many of my former congregation there. I was well looked after and it was good to sit in Wendy’s lovely home, overlooking Uig Bay.

It was the final day! The short hop from Uig to Kensaleyre – back to the village that was once our home. Called in to see lots of people on the way and it was so good to connect with folks that were once such a large part of our lives. After a busy day Mickie made me a lamb curry – so good to relax with good company and know that nearly 100 miles had been completed. I even managed to drive back down the next day in time to join my son Ross and watch Partick Thistle play Stirling – and win!

A wonderful journey, though sore at times and a bit backward! The people of Skye were so generous in every way, as indeed were all the people in Dunfermline and all around the world who sponsored our charity.
To date we have raised over £6000( more since the photo was taken)

This will make our trip to China possible and enable us to meet the needs we will encounter when we get there.

Thanks is too small a word to say to all who helped in whatever way!

Xie Xie

Iain

Something for Nothing

I just got a lovely wee donation for Hope4China of £3.69 for NOTHING from Everyclick!

And I thought that maybe TOGETHER we could get a lot more for NOTHING?
If you use http://www.everyclick.com/ as your Search engine instead of Google for example, every time you click, money is donated to Hope4China. When you use it you are asked to choose your charity - Hope4China is registered with them - so every time you click Hope4China gains:-)
Every little helps:-)

Everyclick
Everyclick is a search engine with a difference: it makes a difference. Working just like any other search engine, Everyclick enables its users to raise funds for their favourite charity from over 170000 UK charities. To date, Everyclick has generated thousands of pounds every week for charity by its users searching the web. There are no sign-up fees or up-front charges; its free to both the charity and the user. The money raised for charities comes from advertising placed on the site. Everyclick also has an option allowing people to donate directly to their favourite charity.
Please note: donations made via Everyclick will be listed as anonymous, if you need further details on a donation please contact everyclick.com
http://www.everyclick.com/

Actually, since I started working on it, it has risen to £4.40 and we only have 7 new users !!!!!!
Just think how much we could raise if ALL our visitors used this regularily?????
Please use & pass to your friends...

Let's see if the income generated can support a child in Foster Care this month?

There is such a thing as a free lunch:-)

A Beautiful Letter from China

"Hello my dearest friends,
There are so many words to say but we have so little time to talk when we meet,
so I must write this letter to tell my heart.

You have dragged us up from the whirpool of difficulty
You have changed our faces from distressed to happy
You light the Guiding Star in front of us
You spray down the colours of the rainbow on our growing road……

Your help for us, it’s not only financial, but also spiritual.
Your loving heart and great love touch us.
Words can not express our gratitude.

Friends, my dearest friends, you love us so much, too much
and we can’t help loving you.

I still remember our Camp on May 1st this year.

The theme of our camp was “Life in Abundance”.
I couldn’t fully understand what it meant.
I only heard that it’s about love, and I did feel the Love.

Look, the sisters coming from poverty, they are laughing. It’s Love!
Look, under the same blue sky and on the same grassland, we are playing games. It’s Love!
Look, we are sitting around the table and enjoying our food. It’s Love!
Look, surrounding the campfire and on the ocean bank, we are singing and dancing. It’s Love!
Look, in the dim light, whispers floating out from the tents. It’s Love!

Oh, too many and too much, it all comes from your great Love.

We have different experiences,
but this camp makes us all feel the same.

We have the most pure and sincere friendship between us. Each of us has a holy spirit. We have our dream and we are chasing it. I believe each individual has his unique and lofty ideas and belief. In this group, there are all kinds of people. I’m so happy to have such a group of friends.

Although there is a shadow behind us, we will work hard silently and smile firmly.
You are our Companions.

There is an invisible thread leading us to go forward together.

Well, endless words. Here I wish happiness accompany us each and everyday!

Best wishes,

Zhang Zhang"

This letter is one which has touched me & remained in my heart since I read it in 2006. It shows the importance of relationships between some amazing girls in China & some equally amazing Hope4China sponsors.
I am so proud to be a part of it :-)

PS

Mathew spoke with me yesterday & said the girls had been calling him to find out what had happened to the June KFC Party?
They had remembered that the last 2 years our Party had been in June!!!!!
I was so happy to realise that it is is now a permanent part of their lives!!!!!
And was delighted that Matthew could tell them that we WILL be there in October this year!!!!

I don't know about the girls, but I am excited...and just can't wait ;-)

Happy Birthday to our Nanning Girls

When we first returned to Nanning in October 2005, we met a wonderful group of girls. They all came from village homes around Nanning and all were struggling to remain at school. There were individual circumstances, but many were from farming families where there was just no money to pay for school fees, or food , books etc. They were the first group of girls sponsored by Hope4China, many of them at that time being sponsored by the fantastic fundraising efforts of Portree High School pupils in Scotland.


On that first visit, we first met for an evening banquet & passed round photos, letters and gifts from Scottish students. The girls then stayed overnight in a hotel nearby( paid for by Portree Students), met the next morning for a Trip to Nanning Zoo. After all this excitement we went to KFC in Nanning - the girls first ever visit- and it was their Birthday Party!

Since few of the girls had ever had a Birthday Party before we decided to have a celebration for everyone !!!!!

I said at the time that we would have a BirthdayParty there for them each year. I jokingly said I didn't think I would make it each year, but that Matthew could bring them without us each year:-)




Well, we made it in October 2006:-)

We made it June 2007, along with 8 Portree High School students who had supported them :-)

And we made it again in June 2008 :-)

Words cannot express the way in which this relationship has developed from these first shy days of 2005 with the older girls practicing their English with us. Over the years we have exchanged gifts, letters, photos and now emails with the girls. The older girls have become young women to be proud of, who email from university to keep in touch!

The younger ones are now blossoming & growing in confidence, writing of their feelings in such a wonderful way.

These girls have taught all who have been involved in their lives so much. My students here have been astounded at their capacity for hard work, lack of complaining & hope for the future in the face of many difficulties caused by poverty.

Last year on our visit back I was astounded to realise that one of our older girls, now at university in Guangdong had made a 13 hour journey back home for our Birthday party at KFC!

She and the other older girls this time took over at the party to give encouragement to the younger girls and to speak of the spiritual connection of love they felt from their sponsors. They spoke of the power of Love sharing between people from opposite sides of the world, showing that they understood the mission of GGEF & H4C - that sharing between people is of the most importance!

They concluded by singing "Mama Hao" to me as the representative of all our wonderful sponsors .

It was a moment which will live with me forever, and which was so humbling.....

There was not a dry eye in the house........and I thank God for that wonderul experience which seemed to me to encompass these wonderful girls in China and the wonderful sponsors who had made their hopes come to light. I was honoured to stand in the place between......

Thank you to all who have made this possible... You have changed the world!

Thank You, Suzanne, Terry & Isabella

Another of our H4C helpers has achieved amazing results which will benefit so many children.

Suzanne worked & trained so hard , with even her new little addition in the buggy :-)

Suzanne & Terry ran the London Marathon and altogether raised over £2000 which will go to help children in Guangxi, where the lovely Isabella is from.

The money will be used to help set up a Foster care programme in the Baise SWI where Isabella was from

It will also help two little girls from Biase, Pinguo to go to school and have hope for the future.

Wonderful news!

From Little Acorns......

From the early days of 2005 when a few friends wanted to help children in China who had no-one to love and care for them, the little acorn, which became Hope4China'sChildren, has been steadily growing into a large sturdy tree.
It astounded me to work out the other day that we now have over 90 sponsors, many friends who help & several schools who work together to help these precious children. WOW!!!!!!

It occurred to me that in a week I share some wonderful stories about what sponsors do, experiences of how children are helped & many more bits of news which warm my heart.

I am able to share with some, but I thought why not more....

This is a Team Effort and as such I want to be able to share the news more effectively. I have been trying to do this on our Hope4China Blog, but guess that not all our sponsors will read this.

So, we have started a new Yahoo group for all sponsors and friends of Hope4China'sChildren. I hope that all who are part of our work will join, get to know each other, see collectively what a difference we can make and be able to work together even more effectively to make a difference!

We are mainly a group of UK & European friends, but we work closely with US friends and Chinese friends through Grace-Hope http://www.grace-hope.org/ and GGEF http://www.ggef.org/ . My friend, Cindy from Andover, USA, and I also work closely together to help met the needs of so many children thro these organisations.

We are in effect a World-Wide Team which I am proud to be a part of :-)

This is what life is all about!!!!!

So friends & sponsors - make sure you have joined http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hope4chinaschildren/
so that we can move forward together........





Activity within 7 days:
15 New Members - 15 New Messages - 1 New Photo - New Questions


This is a group for Friends & Sponsors of Hope4China's Children.Hope4China was set up in 2005 in response to the needs we discovered while adopting our daughter from Guangxi province.It has grown and developed over the years due to the wonderful support & generosity of our friends & sponsors. Many people have asked how we started this and the answer is - we don't really know...it just happened! We now support around 150 children in Foster care and Education and help to meet the medical, social needs of many others. We have returned to China each year and have seen the difference this makes to so many lives.We wish to share more of what we have experienced with you all, as none of it could happen without you.Through this group, we hope that we can work together more effectively to communicate, raise funds, share ideas & meet the needs of so many precious children in China.


We are part of a team!



TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More!

Help needed for Precious Babies

If you happen to be walking past a little shop window

in a little town in the north of Scotland,

you might see this little display.

( Thank you, Heather)

It may be a little display,

in a little town,

in a little country,

but behind it lies GREAT Effort,

Hard work & Determination

from David

who is running the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday 31st May

to raise funds for Hope4China .
http://www.justgiving.com/davidknowles2

And behind all of that lies the HUGE NEED to provide love and care for so many precious babies who just need a special someone to care for them

You can click on the link above to sponsor David or/and contact info@hope4china.info for more details on sponsoring a child.

Please give a LITTLE to change a LOT
Xie Xie :-)

An Intuitive Moment

Having coffee with a friend the other day, we were discussing our two precious little ones (who are best friends:-) )

We both spoke of moments when , either our little one had been given a row & been put on the "naughty step", or had been hurt by another child.

We both commented on that moment when we look at our child & intuitively know they are in distress, fear, panic about the situation.

In that moment we both spoke of how we jump to meet that need & change the situation causing this fear in our child, without really even being aware that we were doing it.

It is an AUTOMATIC reflex.

It is instant, intuitive & almost spontaneous.

Our hearts break with them.

And we are able to console & make life better again for these precious little souls.

It is SPECIAL.

But in that same moment I realised afresh what is that children without families to care for them have really lost.

It is more than just a family....

it is that one person/persons who really KNOW the child and can intuitively meet their needs at the deepest level.

So in that moment when I felt so privileged to be able to be in the position to care for my little one, my heart broke all over again for the many, many children who do not have that precious connection with one person who just KNOWS them!!!!!

And can love them & cuddle them & make them feel better without a word.

There are so many little souls who just ache for that one person........................................

...................and only £20 a month can provide this until they can find a family to love them FOREVER.

Some other A+++ Helpers

A few more of my special helpers who were on The Early Shift :-)

Thanks girls - you happy now?

More Amazing helpers

An Amazing Lesson in Life!

Having learned about Charities and Loving your Neighbour in Religious & Moral Education ,

my wonderful S2 classes from Dunfermline High School turned out for

an Assessment with a Difference!

Packing bags in Asda for four hours on a Sunday afternoon, to raise money to send 15 girls in China to school seemed like a far more effective guage of how effective their learning had been.

These wonderful pupils have been learning about life in rural China, reading letters & reports from the girls they are helping.

They have all commented on how much they have learned from the girls in China about their attitude to life.

It has been an eye opener for them!

I am proud to be working with both my special girls in China AND these amazing young people in Scotland who have so much, and wish to give so much back.

They raised an amazing £850 which will pay for the Nanning girls to go to school for a year and help with food costs while they are there.

They are busy at the moment writing letters & preparing small gifts to send to our friends in China...

Watch this space .....

I am so proud of them all !!!!!!!

They teach me so much!

Thank you Marathon Man!!!!

Well done David!!!!

Amazing time of 4:10:15!!!

Sunny day and money raised to help children in great need in China!!!

What could be better?

Still time to donate & help David with his wonderful efforts for the Edinburgh Marathon 31st May http://www.justgiving.com/davidknowles2

Thanks to all

Linda

Our Hope4China Marathon Runners

Today is the day.....

David, Suzanne & Terry after months of training will be pounding the streets of London to raise money to help children in China who have nothing!

We are so proud of their hard work & dedication - especially Suzanne who has been fitting in training with her beautiful new daughter from China- check here for more......http://www.thewongsjourney.blogspot.com/

And here are the Justgiving details if you would like to help.....

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=88832825344&h=AIGWB&u=bY246

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=86644196592&h=awjda&u=OAgwO

Thank you so much
& Good Luck to our Runners!!!!!!

Linda

Special helpers

Hello.

My name is Martha Li Xia South.

I am 7 years old and I go to Holbrook Primary School.

My class did a Assembly of Chinese New Year. My sister Esther and I played our Chinese drums in assembly.

The photo is of us practissing with our Daddy.

My class also had a sponsored competition and it was
counting up to 10 in mandarin.
We rasied enough mouny to help a little girl from china go to school for 5 years. We did it at Hope4China. We are all going to write to her and now we have a extra girl in our class.

Love from ,

Martha.

Recovering

Our little Star is recovering well :-)

Matthew reports that she has phoned twice to say she is so happy that she is no longer in pain!!!!!

Her mum is with her taking care of her, and she is excited to have some of the older GGEF girls studying at Guilin College to visit her & help her with her school work.

All in, amazing teamwork!!!!!

Linda

First Surgery

First Surgery is now over and all went well!

Now a week of rest & little else..... to allow healing.

I have sent some photos and she is delighted to see all the people who are helping her.

Please send any other photos to me soon - I am getting some little gifts together to send now.

Even better news!!!!!!

Just got news that she will begin her surgery today!
I so hope that this is the beginning of her new life.

Thanks to all who have made this possible - will keep you posted.

Check Shaun's sterling efforts here.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8jU86u86gM.

And if anyone knows how to download the actual video to the Blog - please let me know - tried for ages last night

Linda

Our Little Starfish - Good News!!!!!!!!

It is wonderful to be able to post smiling photos of the little girl waiting for surgeries to help her after the horrific burns!
Here she is ( spotty jacket) with a friend and GGEF staff when she received her Warm Winter gifts a few months ago.

It is wonderful to see her smiling as she received her gifts.....

...but even more wonderful to let you know that she is now in hospital in Guilin waiting for the doctors to begin surgery.
Matthew is going to see the doctors soon!

Thank you to all who have helped... special thanks to Claire & Shaun & sponsors for your extra efforts & wonderful donation!!!!!

I can't believe we have raised all the money - you are all STARS!


Now please send me your photos to add to a big Photo Collage to send to her to wish her well and tell her we are all thinking of her.


Xie Xie!!!!!!!

Will post news as soon as I get it :-)


Linda x

Warm Winter Mission 2009

Something happened a few years ago!

One little girl in China said to Matthew that she could not get her feet warm at winter and it made her cry.......

Another girl asked - "What is this Christmas that people celebrate?"

I am so happy & proud to say that these words changed lives for so many families in Guangxi!

Matthew decided to do something about it!

Matthew has always said that GGEF is not about money, I have always said that Hope4China is not about money...it is about building meaningful relationships with wonderful people, whom we are PROUD to know!

Thanks to Matthew's vision, and knowledge of these wonderful girls, the amazing organisation of the GGEF staff, the wonderful generous sponsorship from people around the world in Hope4China, AFAC, USA and Europe, an amazing military operation was put in place to give each girl in the GGEF Programme :-

a Warm quilt & blanket
a Warm jacket
Gloves & Socks
Hot Water Bottle( first discovered in Scotland:-)
Toiletries
Books
Toys
Personal letters, Photos & Gifts from Sponsors....

This has brought LOVE to our girls from those who care about them all around the world!

I hope it has made them Warm in more ways than one!

Please click on SLIDESHOW & see what you think?

Thank you to EVERYONE who has contributed in whatever way to this small MIRACLE!

Xie Xie to Matthew & Robin & the wonderful GGEF team for making it possible

Linda x

PS If anyone would like a copy of the DVD of Matthew visiting the girls to give their gifts( for a small donation:-), please email me at greenshields_linda@yahoo.co.uk

Hope....and Starfish

We took our two little ones to Deep Sea World the other day... and as always, I learned a lot :-)

The Guide picked up a lone Starfish Leg... and asked the children,

" Is it alive?"

"Yes", they all shouted!!!!

And it was!

The Starfish with only one leg (the rest having been eaten by predators), had the capacity to grow all the other legs & be restored!

What a wonderful symbol!

There are so many children around the world whose lives have been shattered by circumstances.. but there is Hope... and together we can help to make sure that these precious children grow into what they should be:-)

Thank you for helping
Linda

Xin Nian Kuai Le

Haggis or Noodles???

How wonderful to be able to able to belong to two worlds :-)

We have really celebrated Burns & Haggis this year.... and then were busy putting up the decorations for Chinese New Year.

We are blessed indeed!

Double happiness to all our Hope4China Friends!!

We are very excited about what lies ahead in this Year of the OX....

Linda

Our Little Starfish

Beautiful, bright, comes to life when she sings......but scared and increasingly depressed and;withdrawn.

This little girl was severely burnt in a fire at her home in southern China over a year ago.

A long time has been spent debating on the best course of action to help, discussing with doctors in China & the US.

It has finally been decided that the best plan of action is to carry out treatment in Guilin, Guangxi province. Her mother wishes to be near her and as she has 2 other children & works a farm, felt this was the best option. Doctors there have estimated the cost at between £4000 & £5000 and expect it will take several surgeries over 3/4 months.



This was a daunting figure & I did wonder how on earth we would find it - but decided it HAD to be done!

The pictures below are distressing....but the real distress is for this poor little girl who has to endure the pain & increasing feelings of humiliation. To begin with she was even unable to pee - I believe a minor op was carried out to alleviate this, but her family have no more money & no hope of finding a solution for her.











Amazingly ( or perhaps not so?), the money just started to appear......

.....I have to say here a Very Special Thanks to Denise & Geoff, Amanda & friends & Flybe colleagues, Claire, Alan &Ann , Desheng Families, and Dunfermline High School.... for at the moment we have over £3,500 with more on the way....

... no words can convey what this will mean to this precious girl.


Thank you all!





I hope soon to post the final amount raised and to be able to post news of her surgeries beginning. Please check back for updates... I will be making a collage of photos of all who have helped to make this possible and will send it to her while she is in hospital - so send me some photos soon :-)

Great Teamwork :-)

Together Everyone Achieves More

Happy Starfish :-)

Just had to post this brilliant photo sent from a friend who has thrown back MANY Starfish!

Thanks Fran :-)

Happy New Year....and Starfish

Happy New year to all Hope4China Friends...

...and a Story for 2009

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean.""I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said,

"It made a difference for that one."

You are a very special group of people around the world, and together we have managed to make a difference to many, many "Starfish"

Hoping that 2009 will be a good year for us all and that we will have the opportunity together to throw back many more Starfish........

Over this last year, TOGETHER, we have raised over £31 000 which has all gone to China.

• This is helping over 70 children giving them hope in a loving family.
• We are helping over 74 girls providing hope and an education.
• Helping children in Angel House for children with Cerebral palsy.
• We have also provided extra for medical needs for children , glasses for girls at school who simply couldn't see, warm winter clothing for the girls, helped with a new Clean water filter at Desheng SWI, and many other "small" things which all make a difference in our growing realtionships with our precious children.

It has been wonderful to see the gifts sent by sponsors to their children both in Foster care & in our school programme, and the letters which have crossed back & forth.

We now get emails from our older schoolgirls too :-)

These are the Little Things which make a Huge Difference

Just wanted to let you ALL know how important you are in this work and how valued each contribution is - whether it is money, fundraising, support, encouragement - it is all so important!

So A BIG THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

to all who threw back Starfish last year......

I will soon be sharing the stories of two very special little Starfish who desparately need our help over the next year... please check back soon.....

All Best wishes for 2009 :-)

Linda & Iain