We’ve been in Beijing for four days, and visited three different foster homes so far. Yesterday we volunteered at New Day Creations, a foster home in Beijing for special needs kids, most of whom have some sort of heart disease. After touring the facilities, we played with the kids for a little while both in the foster home and outside on the playground. 
Today we visited Agape Family Home on the outskirts of Beijing, a foster home specifically for children diagnosed with brittle bone disease. This foster home is unique in that the older children work in a bakery on the location, learning how to make baked goods to potentially sell in Beijing when they move out and live on their own. (We were lucky enough to try their chocolate chip cookies, which are delicious!) At the Agape Family Home, our group split into two, half of us playing with the kids, and the other half doing yard work and cleaning. In the afternoon, we went to the Langfang Children’s Village, also a foster home for kids with special needs. All of the children we’ve seen are adorable—they always seem to be smiling!
So what are we doing when we’re not volunteering? Yesterday we visited the Hutongs, traditional Chinese alleys where people still live. We rode on rickshaws and ate lunch at a local family’s home, one of the best meals on the trip so far. Today we had freetime in the evening, and most of us went shopping in the many stores surrounding our hotel. Some vendors sell their items on the street, and we all went crazy over the knock-offs. 30 yuan (about $4.50) for a Louis Vuitton clutch?! Who could say no to that?
Tomorrow, we return to the Agape Family Home, where we’ll spend a full day. We’re really excited to go back there and see all of the children again (and eat some cookies!)
FCC-NW Teens
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