Thankful Thursday

This Thankful Thursday I am so thankful for Kennedi's school in China, California Sunshine School, and for the nice ladies that opened their home to Kennedi and her friend Gigi (now Carrie). This week I was fortunate enough to receive an email (passed along from Carrie's parents who are still in China adopting her) from their foster parents and teachers at the school. This is a exerpt from the email:

Kennedi came to us at the beginning of the school year 2007. Bao An (the center where they were living) let them live with us while they were going to school. We didn't know how long they would stay with us, years or months, we didn't know. But we wanted to help some little people. We had volunteered at these centers for over a year and saw so many unloved children and the affects on their little minds and bodies that we felt compelled to try to do more. I and my two teammates, Shannon, and Samantha (also teachers) brought the girls into our home so they could know a little bit of joy in their hard lives.

When Kennedi first came to our home and school she was 4-5 years old, but her developmental level was that of a 2 year old. Mr. Tom, their teacher, made this observation, "It was amazing to see her come into her own. When she first came to us she couldn't think. By the time she left us she was a little lady with her own opinions." I really agree with him. When she first came into our home she didn't know how to play by herself or with other children. She couldn't color, write, cut, or any other fine motor activities. She couldn't run and jump like other children either.


It was so great to read some of Kennedi's life in China from the ladies who took care of her! What a blessing they were to Kennedi (and Carrie). If it wasn't for them, Kennedi wouldn't be where she is today and her transition into our family would have been much harder. I will always cherish this email and will save it for Kennedi when she is older. Right now she doesn't want much to do with that part of her life and will not talk much about what she did, how she lived, etc. In her own time......
The pictures above are some I found on the internet last night! Thank God for internet! I did a search for Kennedi's school and found a website. It was all in Chinese but I just started clicking everything I could. I'm glad I did because I found these pictures! I tried to ask Kennedi who the other children and the ladies are but she wouldn't say (Kennedi's in the pig-tails!). In her own time......

There are so many things to be thankful for that it would take, God knows how long, to type them all: thankful I have a job, thankful with all these California fires my house is not one being evacuated, thankful for my children, thankful for my family, thankful for my husband, thankful that Jesus died for us, thankful for all my church family, thankful for my friends, and on and on.......
Hoping you all take a minute to be "thankful" and that you have a wonderful weekend!

**Blessings**