The one with New Hope Foundation & my shameless request

I am completely, 100% shameless in writing this particular blog post....in asking this of you:

please, please, please buy one of these amazing t-shirts!!!

They're on sale until May 17th, come in unisex tshirts, tank top, long sleeve tshirts, & kid's sizes!

http://teespring.com/stores/new-hope-foundation-fundraiser

but seriously, please consider buying one to support the New Hope Foundation in China

New Hope Beijing is where our mischievous, adorable Rui Rui (Ray Ray) lived for several years before returning to his province prior to our arrival. 

Dr. Joyce & Robin Hill are ordinary folks doing extraordinary work in China for the last 20 years! They are changing lives; not only of the children but of the local people they employ.  In short, they are a medical foster home providing care for children with hopes of adoption & a hospice facility for those in need of love & dignity while dying.

They--along with their staff--are the tangible hands & feet of Christ in this world.

Check out this YouTube video featuring the story of who they are & how they got here. It's an absolutely beautiful portrayal of New Hope done by the very talented Stephanie Hwang.

And they need our help.

Money is tight for everyone, but the past few months have proven extremely difficult for our New Hope family.  Here's a snippet of the newsletter Dr. Joyce sent out this month:

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The weather is definitely warming up and the children are enjoying more time outside. We are deeply grateful to all those who have responded to our recent financial difficulties and we thank you all for encouraging us to carry on and for making so many attempts to raise funds so that we will continue to help more babies. I was dismayed and utterly saddened when I returned from Malaysia to find a half empty Home in Beijing where 34 nannies had to be let go and 22 babies had to be relocated. However, this was not a surprise to God and we have lessons to learn from this as we continue to serve the children. I have refused to remove the baby-location charts from the wall in my office as my hope is that one day, all our beds will be full. We are using this opportunity to re-paint the empty bedrooms and the west playroom in anticipation that one day, all these rooms will be filled with babies again.Despite the difficulty of the past month, we press on and continue to provide the best care possible for the babies that are in our care. 

34 Nannies without jobs; without a purpose.  22 babies relocated--experiencing another loss in their lives.

We are so privileged to live the lives we live here.  We may not all be called to adopt, but we are called to do something.  Those of us that are called to adopt know we cannot bring every child home, though I imagine that for many of you--like Jonathan & I, the images of the orphaned children left behind are forever in our minds. 

Let's buy some shirts.