The treasures keep coming...

When I think about my day to day activities they pale in comparison to all the stories about the girls and that is really what the day is about.  Yesterday we were taken on a three hour bus ride to Luoyang which is famous the the peony flower that is the national flower of China.  This city has many flowers and gardens to visit but unfortunately nothing was quite yet in bloom.

The real joy of the day were going with three of the Academy girls who acted as guides.  What they did throughout the day was watch over us like were made of china.  They guided us, giggled with us and made sure our every need was met.  They are so gracious and extend themselves in such loving ways that my heart stayed filled with the enchantment of it all.

I want to share with some of the stories of the many girls we are serving.  I strongly feel that I am making a difference in so many ways that my heart is truly filled with the light of giving ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!

Let me share some of the stories that I have experienced.......

Emily, who is a freshman class has blossomed into a true leader and spokesperson.  She has become a true example of how when the seeds of leadership are planted they grow.  She was not feeling confident about speaking in front of a group and now is always standing up to speak her truth with gusto and confidence.
Vivian, who is also a freshman blew Susan and I away when during a lecture on Being Brave, Susan invited the girls to list things they would do right at that moment if "they were brave".  Vivian got up and said that she would sing a song in English if she were brave.  Of course we immediately jumped on the bandwagon and invited her to sing.  Well......she sounded like an angel and we all applauded and cheered for her bravely.
Moses, who translated for me this past Wed. when I spoke about AIDS.  Moses was born with a cleft palate that has been repaired and his dream is to go to the USA to become a translator.  He was very concerned about the topic we were to be working with and had a lot of fear about doing this.  He didn't share this me but someone he knew who encouraged him to do it reminding him of the importance of helping others with this dreaded disease.  There he was.  He stepped up to the plate and stood along side of me like a hero.  He was the hero of the day in my eyes and I know it will serve him well for other challenges he will be facing.
Nancy, who is a freshman and came into our coaching session looking sad and anxious.  She had been very quiet these few weeks we were and we didn't know her well.  When I asked what seemed to troubling her she began to talk about all the responsibility she held on her shoulders.  Her parents are very poor and it is her grandfather who supports her financially at school.  He is now ill and may not be able to help Nancy follow her dream of doing more with her life.  She felt that there was no one to speak to and that she needed to keep all this inside.  We gave her the opportunity to see that she was not alone and that all her Academy sisters were there for her.  They all invited her to speak to them and share and that they cared about her.  We all put her in the middle of our circle and sent her love and support.  She left the session smiling and feeling better and today found out that her grandfather is getting better.

And so the stories go on and the seeds continue to get planted just as they do in my precious garden at home. I am so filled with gratitude and can't express with enough joy HOW GOOD GIVING FEELS!!!! I invite you all to come along and join the train wagon of giving.  IT IS THE BEST. No matter how small the giving is, it does make a difference to everything that is living on our planet.

Miss you all and will come home soon.