The Langleys are in the U.S.

David, Ya Ning and Ya Ning's mother arrived in the U.S. September 20th for a lengthy stay at their home in Columbia, TN. In the picture, Ya Ning and David are on the left. Ya Ning and David will have a baby in December and plan to return to China early next year. Let's all pray that everything goes well for Ya Ning and the baby.

In David's absence in Beijing, his work is being handled by James Triplett. James goes by the name of "Trip" and is from Corinth, MS. Trip has been in China six years teaching English in the universities. He came on board with Chinese Agape in July, 2009. In addition to the work with the legal church of Christ in Beijing, he will later visit orphanages and teach the children and workers. He is a Freed-Hardeman graduate. Trip worked tirelessly with us at the medical mission in Chengde in August. We grew to love him and his girl friend, Sophia (on the right).

Jim Self, another Freed-Hardeman graduate was also hired this summer. He and his wife, Jane, have been teaching at Neil Taylor Christian Care Center and Wesley's House Christian Care Center since he began work with us in August.

The addition of good people to assist with the work is such a blessing. David knows these young men personally, having gone to university with them. They will be a very compatible team to get the work done.

New Kitchen and Dining Room to be Added

When the John Bailey family visited John Connor Brown Christian Care Center in August, they noticed that food was being prepared in a room. No kitchen facility was built into the school that now houses 56 orphaned children. Dr. Bailey asked if we could build a kitchen there. After Ronald (son of Ron and Pat Brown) completed the remodeling of dorm rooms and baths at Wesley's House, he relocated to Tiendeng to prepare for this addition to the JCB building.

It's been a slow start because much had to be done. Several people were involved in the decision about where it would be built. Bank accounts to handle the construction funds had to be opened in Pingguo. Soil borings were done to be sure the ground is adequate for the building. Drawings for the new facility have also been prepared by an engineer. Ronald drew up the design of the kitchen and dining room himself. He has experience in the food service business and knows how a commercial kitchen should be laid out and furnished.


Ronald was invited to the home of a government official for his birthday dinner. It was his first visit to a Chinese home and enjoy locally home-prepared food. He said it was very delicious. They even prepared a cake from sweet rice for him. The daugher-in-law of the official invited Ronald to come to her English class. He spoke to two high school classes and enjoyed the interchange with the children. Many of the students wanted his autograph.

Ronald has taken many pictures at the orphanages and of the countryside. The countryside is very beautiful in these southern regions. There are rice, banana and sugar cane fields everywhere. The land is flat inbetween the tall peaked mountains. Even the mountainsides are terraced in order to plant gardens. No good soil is every wasted in China.

PICTURES OF THE JACKSON FAMILY FOUNDATION IN ZIGONG, CHINA

The first children have arrived at the new orphanage. Boxes of blankets arrived and the children are settling into their new home.

More children are relocating from Yongshan. The Yongshan children have been supported by Chinese Agape Foundation for many years and now have an opportunity to move to a new home. Many of the children will not come due to their age, nearing the end of high school. Some will have to stay with old relatives to take care of them. The children that are free to relocate will have a wonderful home and a much better opportunity for a good education.


The view from the windows of the orphanage are so beautiful. Most of us wish we had a view like this from our homes. It will be a wonderful place for the 100+ children that will live in this four-story building.


Chad and Carlyn Jackson, representing the Jackson Family visited the construction site in August. They did not get to see the building in a pretty stage at that time but could only imagine how it would look. They loved the view from the orphanage. We stopped at a typical Chinese home so they could see how the children live in the countryside. A little girl was at home so they enjoyed meeting her. After visiting Zigong, Chad and Carlyn came to Chengde to the medical mission for two days. The picture was taken as they arrived for the cleft palate mission. Their company supplied several of the doctors and nurses for this mission and wanted to see them in action. Chad and Carlyn observed in the operating room one day. Chad looked like an official "Doctor" in his scrubs!

SIXTH CARE CENTER OPENS IN SICHUAN

The Jackson Family Foundation Christian Care Center has opened its doors to accommodate over 100 orphan children in Zigong, Sichuan. When the Jackson Family Center is filled with orphans, we will be caring for approximately eight hundred in China. The center will be the home of orphans from our foster care program in Yongshan, Yunnan and victims of the Sichuan earthquake last year. All of the orphans we have supported in the Yongshan foster care program will be permitted to relocate to the Jackson Family Center.

This facility was made possible by the generosity of the Jackson Family Foundation and the South Baton Rouge Chinese church of Christ. We want to express our sincere thanks to both for making the facility possible. Many poor orphans will be provided with not only a beautiful place to live, but also a home with loving care that will give them an opportunity for a good education and a hope for the future. A photo of the four story building is shown below.

GIFTS FOR THE ORPHANS



It is time to begin donations to our orphanage gift funds for the Christmas party. Each year, all donations for Christmas gifts are posted to a separate fund so we can divide up the money between the orphanages for a party. The children enjoy planning skits and performances to show off their talents. They enjoy good food and receive small gifts. It is one of the greatest highlights of their year.

If you sponsor a child in one of the orphanages, please consider helping us with this event. Add a little extra to your check and note “Xmas Gift Fund.”

We want all children in the orphanages to be treated equally. Some sponsors are blessed with money to give, but other sponsors are sacrificing to send in the sponsorship payment. It’s only fair that all children receive similar gifts. The Christmas party is the way we make things equal for all children.

Donations for the Christmas parties at the orphanages must be received no later than December 15th in order for the workers to plan and know the amount of money they can spend.

If you sponsor a child who lives with a relative, you can give extra funds specifically for that child. However, if there are siblings in the family, our worker will divide up the money to buy gifts for the other children in the family also.

Donations for birthday gifts will be handled the same way from this time forward.

If a child is in the orphanage, your donation will go into a “Birthday Gift Fund” and from those funds every child will receive a birthday cake and small gift on their birthday. Most orphanages host monthly birthdays for those having a birthday that month. We do not wish for one child to receive a big gift and other children receive no gift at all. Some of our kind sponsors cannot afford to send extra money.

We have taught the children that receiving gifts is a blessing and they must share with the other children; however, human nature teaches us that the joy is not the same for the children who did not receive the gift themselves. We hope you understand the change in our policy. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us (patbrown10@gmail.com; paigeagape@gmail.com) or call 678-423-4396.

Summer at the Orphanages

The warm, lovely days of summer vacation are over in China. School for the fall semester has begun. Orphanage directors encouraged the children to stay at the care centers in July and August because many summer activities were planned for them.

Some children returned home to visit grandparents or relatives, but others stayed at the orphanages all summer. Some children miss their hometown, relatives and grandparents. Relatives also miss the children. It is a good thing for them to visit during the summer months, but some do not come back. Often, they decide it’s easier to stay home and not return to the care center – no discipline or rules, just doting relatives to spoil them. At the same time, they are too immature to realize the great advantages available to have a better life and an opportunity to get a good education that will determine their future. We are blessed that many children realize the great change in their lives and look forward to meeting their friends again and returning to school.

For those that remained at the care centers, there were many interesting games or sports such as basketball and ping pong to participate in. They had free time to catch crabs and fish, play games such as chess, or do some of their summer homework. In the evenings, they had an opportunity to watch some TV shows.


The children were given chores to keep their dorm rooms clean, help cut the grass, plant some new flowers and clean up the yard. At Wesley’s House, renovation began on classrooms in the old school to provide more space for orphans to live. Ronald Brown, son of Ron and Pat Brown, completed that work in time for new children to come this fall. He had a lot of help from the children and has some funny stories about their participation in the work.

Classes were prepared for the children at Wesley’s House. Peter taught the 5th & 6th grade students and a female worker taught the lower grade children. They had classes in the morning in both Bible and English.

American sponsors visited their children at the orphanages. Carol Mitchell, pictured here with her child at Wesley's House, arrived from Hendersonville, TN, LeEllen Smith from Troy, TN, and Chad and Carlyn Jackson from Alpharetta, GA. They took a 10-day trip to China to see the facilities and meet some of the children.

On September 5, 2009, Jim and Pam Griffith from North Canton, Ohio, visited Wesley’s House, which is named in memory of Pam’s brother. They donated funds for a computer lab that was set up and ready for the children when they arrived. They also gave money for extra gifts for the children. Mr. Liu, the C.E.O. of Toyota in China, escorted the Griffiths from Nanning to Pingguo. He also donated some gifts to the children.

At John Connor Brown, Mark planned a summer Bible camp for the children and it was very well attended. The children at JCB enjoyed a visit from the John Bailey family the last week of July. They donated funds for this orphanage and named it in memory of their grandson. John Connor Brown’s mother and brother were among the family members that visited the orphanage.

We know that similar activities took place at North Canton Christian Care Center, Mama Jo’s House and Neil Taylor.