Three Weeks and Two Days

So much exiting news! We booked out airfare, and it was the cheapest the agency has ever seen. We have a layover in Newark, NJ on the way out, and a layover in Chicago on the way back. If any of you have suggestions on what to see let me know because the layovers are long enough that we might hit the town. We also all were granted our visas smoothly and they are in the mail back to us!

The orphanage we are going to is a brand new partner for America World. The orphanage had trouble with the last adoption agency they were working with and decided to end that relationship. It has been two years since they worked with an agency and the kids have been waiting to find families. Because of this, some of the kids they really want placed are older, and therefore more challenging to find homes for. Please be in prayer that my team will get to know these kids and advocate for them well. We are going to be taking lots of photos and meeting every night to write down what we observe in the children to add to their files. Hopefully with the added information America World will be able to find them wonderful families. Just because they have expressed a desire to get the older kids adopted does not mean there are not little ones. They have thirty-eight kids under four! With so many kids, please be in prayer that my team will do a good job at spreading out so we do not miss children or opportunities.

We had some last minute additions to the team and are now at a lovely ten. I was able to get a screenshot at one of our last meetings with most of us.

Top left to right: Lois, Cathy, me (Tatiana)

Middle: Kim (our wonderful leader!), Jenna (Kim's daughter), Amy

Bottom: Kara, Barb (My lovely mentor who blinks for photos even when there is no camera let alone a flash)

In our little team we have a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, some retired nurses, and at least five of us have experience helping in orphanages. I am thankful we were assigned a new orphanage with so much need because I think we are qualified to handle it!

That is all for now, but soon I will be updating you on another trip I am planing for this summer to two South East Asian countries to help in orphanages!

Thank you all so much for your support!

Prayer Points:

• Please pray that we will help begin a good relationship between America World and the new orphanage. Please especially be in prayer for Kim our leader as a lot of the communication with the director and organization of our efforts will fall on her.
• Join me in thanking God for our plane tickets and visas! Hip hip hooray!
• Please pray that we will be wise in our purchases of gifts to bring. We will be bringing toys and necessities for the kids, and gifts for the caretakers. Because this is a new partnership we do not have much information, for example would the kids have a place to use chalk?
• Please pray for my teams personal preparations. We have just over three weeks left. Please pray that we all get enough rest, are able to find the things we need to shopping, and take care of any medical things we need to.

I am $188 short of my given goal. I recently did a painting job for family friends and can use money from that to cover it. However, if you wanted to, this is your last chance to support my on this trip financially. Fundraising ends on Wednesday night.

If you want to contribute financially you can do it online here. In the drop-down list select "Storyteller Missions", and under "Participant Name(s)" put Tatiana Martin March'16 Guangdong China Team. Because there are only two days left online is now the only option.