The hardest thing is saying goodbye.

This adventure is slowly coming to an end. These children have truly captured my heart. I desperately don't want this adventure to end!!! Over the last three weeks these precious babies have given me more smiles then I can count. I will miss them all tremendously. I hope and pray that God provide loving, caring families to each and every one of these special human beings. I don't know how to put what God has done here into words. This trip has been amazing, hectic, calming, eye-opening, and so much more. It's beyond my comprehension to explain all of the things that I feel have changed in the babies lives. To me I just gave them someone to play with, and I may never know how much I truly have affected them. I can only pray that I have done as much good for their lives as they have mine. I feel like the grinch, and my heart has grown three sizes from being here. I am very very thankful for the chance to get to know my little sister better. I am very blessed to have been allowed this opportunity. I don't know how to put the rest into words, but I assure you many good things have come out of this trip. Thanks again to everyone who has supported me. Sunday is my last full day here. I go back home to the states early morning on Monday. Please pray for a safe flight home!!

Daniel is such a funny, energetic little boy. Yesterday, Lynsay and I went to the grocery store to get some things for the babies. As we pulled up to the house, Daniel was outside running around. We hopped out of the car and opened the trunk to start taking the groceries into the kitchen. Jenny came started helping by grabbing some things. Daniel spotted us and ran toward what looked like to be Jenny. He then ran around her and up to me, branding my legs with his little arms. It was the most precious thing in the world. I have only known this child for two weeks and he is already letting me feed him (he usually is very picky about that) and he ran up to me of all people, when he has known Jenny and Lynsay for years! I am so blessed. These children are so amazing and I cannot wait for the day when they can have their own loving families!

So I know this has nothing to do with the babies but, I went to The Great Wall yesterday and needless to say it was absolutely amazing!!!! :D I have some pictures to share with you all. Enjoy!

Just some more pictures of these precious human beings!!! (: They are all amazing in their own way! I love them all so much! Today, as I was leaving the babies house I was saying bye to all of the babies and Joshua said "bye-bye" back!!!! :D So cute!!! I still can't believe that I am on this amazing adventure !!! This is truly the experience of a lifetime. The first picture is of Seth sleeping, then of Daniel riding a bike, then Ruth glued to the TV, then Corrie and Daniel playing outside, and then Corrie on the slide! Please keep theses precious little ones in your prayers. Pray that God provides families for these children and that He heal them of all their sickness, many of them have a cough right now. Thank you all! God Bless!

Took Corrie to the hospital yesterday to get a echo! She's such a smart girl, and I pray that she finds a loving family soon! She needs to go to a special school that will help her learn even more! They used to have one here, but it closed recently. Please pray that God with find this precious little girl a family!

How cute are these kids? (: God is so amazing. I love Bill and Lynsay with all my heart and I am so so glad to have the relationship with them that I do. God works wonders and I love that I can be a blessing to these babies and get to know my little sister better. She is such an amazing little girl. Thank you Jesus for blessing me with such an amazing extended family! You rock!

Just some more pictures of the cutest babies EVER!!!! Please please please continue to pray for them and ask that God provides families for these amazing children!!! A lot of these pictures are of Daniel, he and I have become pretty good friends these last few days. The first picture is of Ruth the next two are Daniel, then Corrie, then Seth and Selah, then Daniel again and then Corrie and Joshua getting ready to eat!!! (:

Seth can home from the hospital yesterday because there isn't anything they can do for him there. Found out he doesn't really have pneumonia. Doctors say there's nothing wrong with him besides his condition, but he sounds like he has some type of sickness. Please continue to pray!!! Selah came home yesterday too! She had surgery and is looking very healthy afterwards!! We took baby Rachel in as well because we thought she had the same thing as Seth. They took some blood and ran a few tests but she can home with us too! Riding in a car with 6 adults (driver, two nannies, me, Lindsay, and Jenny) and three babies is very crowded! Wish I had gotten a picture of it!! (:
The first picture is of Seth, then baby Rachel (:

Yesterday I went to Beijing United Hospital to get a heart echo on the cutest baby ever! His name is Seth and he has a really complicated heart issue. Today Lindsay had to take him to the hospital while we were at church because he got really sick and now has pneumonia :( please pray for this little boy. He is only two months old and is the sweetest thing ever! Pray that God heals him and makes him better! Thanks!

Saw some of the babies today! They are so adorable (: this is Daniel

Officially in Beijing, China!!!!!! Woohoo! (: it's midnight here so there wasn't a lot to see as I came in, but I'm still so so so so so so excited! I can't believe it. This is amazing. :D :D :D

Leaving in three days! Ahhhhh! I'm so excited yet so nervous at the same time! (: I cannot wait to get there! I will keep everyone updated on my adventures as much as possible while I'm there, but if I am unable to connect to the internet at times please forgive me in advance! (: I would like to thank each and every person that has helped make this happen, you are all such a blessing and I cannot thank you enough! I pray that the Lord blesses you ten fold!

Oh my gosh! I can't believe I leave this coming wednesday! I am so very excited, yet nervous at the same time! This is going to be the adventure of a lifetime and I cannot wait to experience it. So very close to selling all of my coupons, and God has blessed me greatly by providing people how donate to me! God is so good! (:

Officially purchased my ticket to Beijing! I will be leaving on the 11th of July and coming back the 30th of July! So very excited!!!!!!! :D I still have 150 coupons to sell, for money inside the country and for the orphanage. So please contact me if you would like a coupon! The orphanage needs some simple necessities, if you could go to their sight http://www.morningstarproject.org/  and donate, it would help a great deal with their everyday expenses! Thank you to everyone who has helped me I really appreciate it! I'll keep you updated on the sale of the coupons, and once I get inside the country. Please pray for the orphanage and for a safe flight! Thanks again! Can't wait to see this in person! 

I only need $100 more dollars before I can buy my plane ticket. Haven't sold all of my coupons yet, but I need to buy a plane ticket fast before they are all sold out!!! Once I have my ticket I can just focus on raising money for when I'm in the country. Thanks to everyone for your help! Please tell your friends and family, and ask them if they can donate! Thank you!

$625!!! I'm getting closer!! (: thanks to everyone who bought a coupon or donated today!!!!! It really means a lot to me. I called some airlines again to check on their standby passes, and from what I was told, I can only get a standby pass through an employee. So hopefully I can get one from my coach still! If not then my ticket would be $1,500 :( so please pray that I can get one from him, or in some way I can get a discount on a ticket. Thanks a bunch everyone! I'll update you again soon. I have a girls vs. boys soccer game tomorrow so that should be lots of fun. (: Hopefully friday I can go out again and get even closer to my goal. Thanks again!

Have everything set to go for my visa! Now if only my printer had some ink in it I could send it off now! I'm going up to my school early to see if I can print off the application there so I can send it off early today! In order to get a standby ticket, I have to go up to the flight counter at he airport, the day of. So right now, I'm trying to find someone who will give me an estimate on how much that is going to be. Lynsay informed me that Bill paid $675 the last time he flew on standby. If it only costs that much then I only need $140 more for the ticket. That is such a huge price reduce! I was planing on paying $1,500 for a ticket! I'm hoping that the prices haven't gone up for standby! If I can get a ticket that cheap it would be a HUGE blessing! Then the money I will have saved can help me survive in the country, and any I have left over goes to the orphanage! Win-win situation! (: I'm so, very, extremely excited! Thanks again to everyone who have purchased a coupon or donated. Couldn't have done this without you!
I'm still selling coupons so of anyone would like one, please email me at aubrey_joy15@yahoo.com! Thanks!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update! Went to the development, and I know have $535 in coupon money. I' officially over a third of the way there!!! Applying for my visa this week, and then I'll be getting my plane ticket. I'm so very excited for this trip. Please pray that I can raise some more money with the coupons. Any extra money that I have left over from my trip, goes towards the orphanage. Thanks to everyone who has helped support me, I really appreciate it. Bless you all! I will be going out to more developments around wednesday. Finals week is fast approaching, so I'm trying to finish up as much school-work as possible today and tomorrow so I can just focus on raising money in these last couple weeks. Thanks again!

Oh my gosh! I may have a standby pass!!!!! Please pray that I get it. My soccer coach works for an airline company and he's going to check and see if he has any! I'm so stoked! Praying and hoping that I can get it! That would be such a blessing and a major stress reliever! Asked the soccer girls if they're parents would want one, so hopefully I hear back about that tomorrow as well. Going up to a major development tomorrow too. I'll post again to tell you how it goes. Thanks for your prayers!

I have raised $405 dollars in coupon money so far!! Almost a third of the way there. I really need to step it up! If anyone has delta standby passes that they would like to sell then please, please, please contact me!!! Plane ticket prices went up so it's now going to cost roughly $1,500 for the plane ticket alone. If I could get a standby pass then it would save me a considerable amount of money. I'm going to try and speak at a few churches, and I'm also going to go to more developments outside of my hometown. I need $1,095 more just for my plane ticket and I still need money to survive in the country. Please pray that I will be able to sell the coupons quickly and easily, I would appreciate it so much! Thanks again to everyone who has donated or bought a coupon! You are all amazing! I'll update you all again (probably tomorrow) once I go out to other developments. Zàijiàn!! (goodbye in Chinese)

I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone that has donated! Thank you, thank you, thank you all so much! Still selling the coupons, if anyone would like one please feel free to e-mail me! Thank you! Now it's time for me to get back to my homework...

Hello everyone! The Papa Murphy's coupons are selling great! I'm going door to door tomorrow afternoon to sell some more, and hopefully get the word out there. My Dad has been helping me sell some to his friends as well and that is a huge help! Thank you so much Dad! Wasn't able to sell any at the Sounders game, we got there a half hour before game time, so there wasn't time to spend outside the stadium selling. No worries though, I'm going to sell them around my home town. Anyways, after that quick update, I really want this post to be about The Morning Star Family Home. They are doing such an amazing ministry in China. Bill and Lynsay, and everyone that volunteers and works there are such caring people. The orphans they care for have severe medical needs, ones that cost exorbitant amounts of money to treat. I would like to get word out there that they need help as well. This trip isn't about me, it's about caring for the orphans and helping them in any way I can. If there is anything you could do to help them, even by just spreading the word, that would be amazing. You can find the family home at http://www.morningstarproject.org/. Or follow them on Facebook, just look for the Morning Star Family Home. Thank you all! God Bless!

 

This is Lynsay with a child in a Beijing Hospital

Bought the Papa Murphy's coupons today! Going to sell them at the Sounders game tonight for $5 each. There is 8 coupons per coupon card, its full of great deals! If anyone wants one shoot me an e-mail at aubrey_joy15@yahoo.com, and I can send it to you!

Got my passport! Yay! (: one more step closer. I just need a plane ticket, vaccinations, and most importantly, a visa. So excited for this adventure! (: I absolutely cannot wait !

I'm officially eighteen. Officially an adult! Wow what an adventure. I'm surprised that I feel older, and perhaps a little bit smarter then I was. I applied for my new passport last week, and I'm expecting it's arrival soon. I am so excited for this trip ! I still need to get travelers insurance, vaccinations and a visa. Wish me luck! (: Any who, I'll post again soon, if I'm able. Pierce's Spring quarter starts monday, so I'll be busy for a while.

Now the fun begins. Well not really. I'm applying for a visa and a new passport. Such fun this will be. I am excited for my new passport. My old one is from 2007, and I look like a more polished version of a ragamuffin. Pre-braces, that awkward length of hair, the kind thats not considered long or short, and the chubby cheeks of an adolescent. Now granite, I was 13 years old, so that may account for the awkward appearance, and the lack of style. Which I now have, I just rarely put into action. Looking "cute" these days means a clean pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, and some comfy shoes. Anyways, once I'm done with this process, I will be implementing the coupon craze. That is, going door-to-door selling Papa Murphy's coupons so I can send myself to China. Thats all the updating I can do for now. Talk to you all soon. Pray I get accepted for a visa! Thank you!

It saddens me to say that according to Washington state law, a private citizen cannot raffle unless they are affiliated with a not-for-profit company that resides in the state of Washington. Erin and I are affiliated with Morning Star, just because I know Lynsay personally, but they have an office in Oregon, not Washington. So we will have to find other routes to raise money! I'll post when I find out a day that I can do a bake
sale or carwash. Still going to the Sounders game, just not going to be raffling off a jersey.
Come if you can it's FREE, 7pm, at the
 Century Link Field in Seattle!

So excited! Have some more fundraiser ideas. As soon as I can I'll be selling Papa Murphy's coupon cards for $5 each. They have multiple great coupons that are well worth the buy. I'll post some more information once I have them. Wednesday is the big Sounders game! 7pm be there! Its free so come and bring your friends! See you all soon (:

Meet the Lewis's! Such an amazing family. These are the wonderful people I will be staying with while I am in China. Bill, Lynsay, Mercedes Grace, and Adria Lewis. I received an awesome chance to visit with them when they came back to the states and captured some memories with Adria and Mercy! Love you guys!   

Hello Everyone! You’re all probably wondering what this is about, huh? Well, at the moment this is about a dream. I have wanted to go to China for years now. My little sister was adopted out to an amazing family almost eight years ago. Shortly after, her family felt a calling to help the orphans of China. She has called the East her home ever since. Her parents, Bill and Lynsay, founded the Morning Star Foundation http://www.morningstarproject.org. Here they care for children who have severe medical needs, and spread the love of Christ, through compassion, faith, and sacrifice. I’ve always wanted to have a closer relationship with my sister, and be involved in this amazing ministry. Until now, I have never received such an opportunity as this. With your help, I can definitely make this dream come true. It cost roughly $2,000 for airfare, visas, insurance, and spending cash. Being that I’m a college student, I cannot make this happen on my own. I need your help! So I ask that you pray, and if you find it in your heart to help me then please do so. I would appreciate it more then anything! I have a Paypal account that you can submit any amount you like into. Just click the donate button to your left! If you cannot pay this way but still want to help, send me an e-mail at aubrey_joy15@yahoo.com. Anything and everything gets me one step closer to my dream! Thank you! 
             ~Aubrey