Laundry Time!

Some of you have asked how we handle the volumes of laundry generated by caring for 25 - 30 babies in one home. It's a good question - that is a lot of little socks, blankets, onesies and cloth diapers!

Yes, you read that right. We use cloth diapers. Not exclusively, though - we do use 'sposies when our babies are traveling between homes, in hospital, are being casted for orthopedic deformities, have contagious diseases, or when there are power or water outages. But most of the time our babies use cloth - it's better for their bottoms and better for the environment. Cloth diapers do use water and power to launder, but not at the same rate that it takes to manufacture disposables.


We line dry whenever possible, but do have a large industrial dryer (photo above) for days when the weather doesn't cooperate or we just need to move things through a bit faster.

Luckily for us, the weather is quite dry and we don't have rainy days very often.
Want to come help out with the laundry?
You are always welcome!!

Little Bunny Ying

Little Ying is a spunky 4 year old who was born with spina bifida and a club foot. She was sent to Little Flower early this year when a family accepted her file for adoption - both the orphanage and the adoption agency wanted her to have the best possible care while she waited for her family to travel.

Unfortunately, that family is not able to proceed with the adoption, so Ying is still waiting. In the meantime, she has made incredible progress. She's adjusted to her foster family and they love her dearly. Want to see what we mean? Check out the photos below...

Her brothers include her in all their games and rough housing:


Her big sister shares both her time and her dolls with Ying:




Even big brother helps set up her tea party. How many teens do you know who would do that?




Dolls, tea party *AND* a ribbon dance? What more can a little girl ask for?




A family. Her foster home is wonderful, but she really needs a family that can provide for her complex medical, educational and emotional needs. Please pray that her family finds her soon.



As always, we are grateful for your prayers. Without your support, Little Ying would still be in an orphanage waiting - no dolls, no tea parties, no "family" who loves her. That is hard to imagine. We thank you for sharing in our work and allowing us to touch this child in a special way.

Helping Out

The children of Little Flower love to help out! Here are some photos of some bigger kids helping out with the little ones...

Mei Mei asking if she can hold Baby Hu:

"Wow, this guy is heavy!"

"But I like helping out!"

"OK, time to let Mu Mu have a turn."

Later on, Mu Mu with Baby Feng:

"Look how cute this little guy is!"

"Oh, I could just squeeze him!"

And with Baby Feng and Baby Xiao:

"Twice the fun!"

Mu Mu makes a great "big sister":


After all that cuddling, Baby Hu decided he wanted to try.

"Yep, you're right! It is good fun!"

Little Ai Li

Baby Ai Li arrived a few weeks ago, tiny, frail and seriously ill. Shortly after she arrived her condition worsened, and she was admitted to the hospital. After more than a week of treatment she showed little improvement and it was decided to discharge her back to us for palliative care.



This little sweetheart has a serious heart defect. There are also concerns about a chromosome disorder. It is expensive and risky to operate now, so surgeons are recommending we wait - if her general condition improves then we will consider the surgery option again later. But we all all painfully aware that she may not survive to become strong enough for surgery.



Babies like Ai Li are never easy to care for. She is very fussy and irritable, finding it hard to get comfortable. When she's crying and fussing her heart rate and oxygen levels are very unstable, so the nannies work constantly to keep her calm. Her needs for special nursing care and close observation are intense. And of course, cuddling and loving a little baby who may not live very long is one of the most emotionally draining jobs out there.


Although the work is never easy, we are so grateful to our nannies who dedicate themselves to children like Ai Li. And we are also grateful to you, those who support us in what we do. Thank you!

Jason is looking for his family...

"Jason" is a handsome little boy who celebrated his first birthday in September. He was born with a complex heart defect. Surgeons in China are unable to operate; his only hope is that a family will adopt him and provide him with the medical care that he needs.

Jason is a calm and easy going little guy. He's somewhat delayed in his development but that is easily explained by the severity of his medical problems. He loves to rock in his seat, and has figured out how to do it by himself without any help - he's a smart one! He loves to blow raspberries and amuses his nannies with his intensity and concentration when doing so. He is able to sit up on his own and is learning to eat solid foods. Aside from his heart defect he is otherwise healthy.

When he first came his was very introverted and hesitant in his interactions with his nannies, but now he seems much more at ease. He seeks eye contact and asks to be held often.

Everyone who sees him comments on how beautiful he is. We agree - little Jason is a gorgeous little boy!







If you are interested in learning more about this little boy, please contact Marci at ASIA (Associated Services for International Adoption). Please help us spread the word so that he can find his family soon! And pray that he stays healthy while he waits.

Mu and Ai

What do you suppose they are discussing?

Baker-McKenzie Visit

In October, some partners and associates of the Baker-McKenzie law firm visited one of our baby homes to spend time with the babies under our care. Here are some moments from their time there:

"Look at those cute little feet!"

Holding a precious little bundle.

"Mind if I sit here with you?"

Hanging out together.

Gratuitous group photo!

Thanks to Baker-McKenzie for coming out and visiting our babies, as well as their generous donation of $10,000 to help us continue caring for these children.