Best Day!

Yesterday was just the best day. It made me smile. It made my heart smile. Why? Just the simplest of things. We took a very looooong drive in crazy Beijing traffic (what is WITH that lately?) to the other side of the city to visit with our friends Lyne and Wayne. They both used to work at New Day: Wayne managed the formula project and did some PR work, and Lyne worked with me in Volunteer Services. (Lyne is one of the best -- right up there with my good friend and former co-worker Annie. Everybody needs an Annie or a Lyne, and now I have had TWO!)  Last August Wayne made a job change which meant a move to the other side of the city. They also welcomed their baby boy who we had not yet met. (My bad...busy summer volunteer season, US trip, Guiyang work, etc.) With Marissa leaving very soon we had the needed pressure to make it happen. 
We had lunch at a casual restaurant near their apartment. Wayne brought a small pizza in case someone (moi?) was not too fond of Chinese food. It doesn't get more thoughtful than that. :) We had a good lunch and started the reconnect and catch up process after a long time apart. Then we went over to their apartment and by then it was like no time had passed. I loved loved loved hearing about the work they are both doing. These are such smart and caring young people with a heart for the hurting and a desire to put their considerable abilities to work where it really counts. Wayne is a social worker who is managing a program to train Chinese social workers in advanced skills particularly related to working with children with major medical issues and their families. This is a fledgling area in China, and there are many obstacles. Most amazingly, his organization offers a 3000 hour certification program FOR FREE to anyone who will commit the time. Wow! Talking to Wayne was so exciting. He has such passion for raising the social work profession from a paperwork job to a real calling to help the hurting and ensure that children get not just the medical care they need, but the emotional and social support to fully heal. He is looking at US and Taiwanese models of medical social work and would really value any help towards developing training in this area. 
Lyne is currently training with one of Beijing's finest orphan care programs in preparation for the opening of a new medical foster home project, hopefully in mid-May. This project is unique in that it will have both orphan care and family preservation programs. (Currently, there are orphan care programs that help families on an occasional basis, but it isn't really what they are set up to do. This program will have housing and family support available for those who come from other parts of the country to obtain medical care for a child. There will also be a 30 bed foster home for children from orphanages. Initially the program will focus on children with congenital heart disease. Lyne has been studying hard  to learn as much as possible about the various types of pediatric heart problems. I am so proud of her! Listening to her excitement about this project just made my heart sing.  This program is in need of funding support, materials for their family apartments and foster home. There may be the potential need for volunteer nurses in the future.
As you can imagine, all this talk of helping kids and families stay together as well as help for children already separated from their families due to overwhelming medical issues just made my day. But what inspired and excited me most is that this is a young Chinese couple, not personally impacted by these problems, who "get it" and want to give their lives to helping those in need. This gives me such hope!
All too soon we needed to leave to fight the traffic back to our home. I smiled all the way home. ​

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