Swallows Nest

The Summer Cut

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:31:00 -0400

Time for the "summer cut" for our boys. I can tell Nancy, Ma Jia has come to work with her clippers. She's the official barber and always does a great job. I wish I knew what this little guy was looking at. He's got such a serious look, and that tongue, makes him appear very serious.

Lee, Says "Hello"!!!

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:54:00 -0400

Lee, Tanzillo, president of Swallow's Nest, adopts Luke this week in Zhengzhou, Henan. In May of 2011 we found Luke abandoned at the local hospital. We would like to thank all the government agencies for processing his paperwork in record time. Found in May 2011, surgery in May, paperwork submitted in September 2011, adopted in April 2012.

Clay says good-bye!!!

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 20:15:00 -0400

Clay visits to say good-bye to this little one as his mom will adopt him tomorrow. It was 11 months from finding him at our local hospital till adoption day. The fastest ever. Many thanks to the Zhengzhou Orphanage, Lee Tanzillo, our president, Civil Affairs Office of Henan Province, and CCCWA for all their efforts to get him "paper ready". He will be able to get the best medical care plus have the love of a forever family at the same time.

Sponsor a Nannie

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:04:00 -0400

Many of you who follow Swallow's Nest know that our on site directors are also teaching at the local university in order to maintain legal visa status and remain in China. Clay and Pam Williams, founders of Swallow's Nest with the assistance of many volunteers and our chinese employees carry out the day to day details of caring for these orphans.

In January, Pam resigned her position at the university. In previous years her university salary helped pay our employees. Thus, we are launching our "Sponsor a Nannie" Program to expand our donation base in order to continue our work.

We have shared a little about our dedicated staff on our Nannie page. As always we appreciate all of you!!!

New Nursing Students

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:36:00 -0400

Last week I wrote my friend Arthur at the Nursing College. I asked him for some weekend girls to help us out at Swallow's Nest. He sent these students. Oh my, they look so young, but in reality I'm just getting older by the second. They have a try weekend to train, and if they think the job "fits" them (as they say in China) then we hire them. They work from Friday night about 7 pm until Sunday at 7 pm. They live with the kids, cook, sleep, clean and enjoy the babies. We are so thankful for their youthful energy.

Little TT

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:26:00 -0400

Little TT is HIV +. We sponsor her to live at another facility that can meet her needs. It's been a while since we've seen photos of her. But an adopting family went for a visit and took several photos of the cute baby. Further questioning proved true, little TT is growing. She was in the hospital in November and thanks for special donation, we were able to send 3300 yuan for her hospital costs.

Her paperwork has been prepared and we hope that she has a forever family.

En Hao Visits

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:23:00 -0500

Then over walks one of the caregivers with a huge smile.......En Hao??? She says. She immediately recognized him and told Rebecca she had cared for him when he was little. What a blessing to get a picture with them together. It is so clear how loved these children are. They are truly cared for with gentle, kind, loving hands and it shows.

To view entire post click here:

http://www.addingbranchestoourtree.blogspot.com/

Gotcha Day Again

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:29:00 -0500

We've had several adoptions lately. Here we go again!!!

Excerpt from mom's blog see below:

Wednesday night, way past my bed time, and I just can't fall asleep. I was born a night owl, and it seems even 3 kids can't change that! I decide that it would be a good idea to check the weather in both the cities our kiddos in China are at. I might want to start thinking about packing, so to pack, I need to know the weather.

Finding that out leads me to wonder if I can find out about the "local" scene, you know the secret places everyone should visit, that no one knows about. I decided to do random internet searches. I'm just weird like that, typing in random words to see what pops up and what information I can find out about where my babies are from.

Somewhere among the zillion searches I did, I found a link to a yahoo group that is composed of people who have adopted, are adopting, associated with, etc the same city/province as Caleb is from. Well of course I join the group. Maybe to find some random pictures someone took and my baby is in the background, or maybe just to learn more about where Caleb is from.

I told them my name and Caleb's Chinese name, and said hello!

Hours later, I received an email from the DIRECTOR of Swallows Nest in Zhengzhou, with the question...

Is this your son?

You can read the remainder here:

http://www.alittlebitclosertoday.blogspot.com/

Adoption day is today, probably right now!!!!

News from Holland Family

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:03:00 -0500

Little Chen Bin celebrated his birthday and is now 3 years
old! He is so happy and so cute! We made some family-foto's we really
wanted to sent you. He is a very active boy and really likes cars.
Al lday he wants to play, run and just want to make jokes. He is a good
eater and his favorite food is Italian :-) (his sister wants Chinese
food and he wants pizza or french fries). He is also very stubborn but
makes everyting go  away with a smile! 

He is also going to a Kindergarden, all the little girls really love
him! he is just a handsome 3 year old! 

greetings from 

Holland

Martijn, Karen

Rebekah Arrives, Heather Leaves!!!

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:51:00 -0500

Heather, (Clay pointing) volunteered for two weeks. She lives in China and used her winter break to assist us. Many thanks to Heather!!!!!

As Heather was leaving Rebekah (pink shirt) from Huntsville, AL was arriving. Rebekah will assist us for several months, teaching English to the older kids and filling in until we get some more aupairs.

Several other in China volunteers, who assist us are pictured.....one couple I haven't met yet, plus Harmony (middle). Many thanks to all of you for assisting Clay.

More Opportunities!!!

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:06:00 -0500

The beginning of the new year presents more opportunities for all of us. As I am still in USA, I am speaking to various groups rising awareness of our work in China.

Pictured here, a group of girls from a local Fellowship at Crosswalk in Williamsburg, Va. They learned to speak a little chinese, write a little chinese and dress a little chinese.

Serious hearted girls!!!

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:31:00 -0500

Lately, we've had one little girl say she didn't want birthday presents, just give some money for the kids at Swallow's Nest. Her parents sent us over 200 dollars. Two other girls put their heads together, sold a few things, did chores, sold stuff and sent us over 60 dollars. These girls were all under 12 years old. Many thanks for their effort and their serious heart.

Transitions

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:51:00 -0500

Two weeks in USA and we are finally over jet lag. We are enjoying family and friends and baking. It's amazing how cooking American style is coming back to me. I'm able to teach Xiao Qing many things I couldn't teach her in China. We know this stay in USA is for a season. We appreciate everyone remembering my dad as he improves after his recent hospitalization. We miss our babies and are grateful for those in China who we trust to manage Swallow's Nest while I am away.

Hats, Hats, and more Hats

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:21:00 -0500

Today, the mail brought 400 knitted caps from USA. Many thanks to our friends who spent time and money making them. We plan to share with the local orphanage and some of our other foster homes in the city.

Happy Family

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:07:00 -0500

I can remember the day with a discovery of Down's Syndrome seemed like the end of the world. But after having a children's home in China for 4 years, our Down's Syndrome kids are the easiest to care for and the most well behaved.

Little Piper has always been an angel and we miss her so much. No one can fill her spot, but we did get a little boy to fill her bed :)

It's so wonderful to see her here with her family. Wishing that all our babies find their forever families this year.

Last Days

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:52:00 -0500

This little guy was only with us from Oct. 27th to Nov. 20th. He was in the hospital most of that time. Through his hospitalization we met Tian (in nursing uniform). She wanted to work nights and weekends with us. Therefore, we hired her. Its amazing how each little life is so precious and how these little babies change all of us without uttering a word. He had multiple issues and we are thankful he spent his last days with us.

Children needing sponsors

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:34:00 -0500

You can co-sponsor a child for $25 USD or more per month.

To inquire about helping sponsor a child? Contact Us

$50 provides the child with immunizations, medical check-ups, food and clothing. Simply go to the donate page for easy on line payments. Thanks for helping us do more. Be sure to include an email address, so we can send you a regular news update on your child's progress.

See The Children Waiting For Sponsors

Korean Friends

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:57:00 -0500

Our Korean friends, along with some other volunteers, took the toddlers to the local park. They painted with hand prints and vegetables cut in different chinese characters. Overall a great day for all involved.

Remember her?

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:02:00 -0400

Many of our faithful friends have followed this little girl (in the middle) since she first came to Swallow's Nest several years ago. Everyone was thrilled to hear about her adoption last spring. Now, she will be undergoing surgery. This note from her mom:

She has her first operation on November 1. They will raise her left eye so it is the same level as her right :? We take her to Vanderbilt University Children's hospital for her pre-op appointments on Monday. She will have an 8 - 12 hour surgery on Tuesday. This should help her vision and then they will do another operation 6 months, from now, to take some of the hardened scar tissue away from her face, give her a more normal lip, and a straight nose! Please remember her in prayer :)"

Friendship Love road

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:04:00 -0400

Today we said good-bye to the Big Kid House at You Ai Lu (Friendship Love Road). Many babies were saved there, but some also passed away. I took about 5 minutes to myself and thanked the Father.

It was our first home. It was humble, but it served the purpose. Our landlord will move in soon. They are tearing down her neighborhood in order to build something:)

The move went well on Saturday. We finished everything about 3 pm and it started to rain, so we all rested for the afternoon. Babies adjusted well, they love having more room to run around and play.

Many thanks for volunteers taking babies over in their cars, for the Koreans coming and helping watch the kids, while our workers unpacked and for the two unscheduled young men who helped haul everything. I don't think they knew exactly what they were getting into when they arrived to a house turned upside down, and no babies.

I think Mr. Wang (our volunteer maintenance man) worked the most hooking up air conditioners and the washing machine. What an adventure!!! Glad it's over:)

Down's Syndrome Month

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:49:00 -0400

October is Down's Syndrome Month. Our little QT still waits for a family. He has been on the special focus list for over 6 months. All our other Down's kids, who were listed, have families and we hope the same for him.

He is a sweetheart and we call him our "little Beaver" because he loves to chew on things...he is teething. Here he is at the park with one of our volunteers.

If you are interested in adopting QT you may have your agency lock his file from the special focus. Currently, he is not represented by any agency, but we do have permission to advocate for him. Hope he finds a family soon!!!

Feeding from Behind!!!

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:56:00 -0400

This is the first I've seen this feeding from behind. Seems to work pretty well with hop sticks and you can keep good control of the child at the same time.

At the Park!!!

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:49:00 -0400

This little guy is definitely having a good time as he plays with a bubble squirt gun and a chop stick.

Chinese Squat!!!

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:33:00 -0400

I love this little guy squatting, so cute. Wish I could do it without falling over. I think he has a turnip. The Korean volunteers carved chinese or korean, not sure which characters for the kids to paint with....they all had a great time.

Swallows Nest SmileBox

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:49:00 -0400

Picture slideshow created with Smilebox

More Local Help!!!!

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:35:00 -0400

Recently Ms. Wang came to visit. She is the director of the Zhengzhou Au Pair facility (see au pair program for link). She came bearing gifts of diapers, baby formula and rice. These 3 staples are what we spend a lot of money on each month.

Many thanks to her and for her friendship. Here she is pictured with our little guy who just returned from the hospital. His surgery was successful and even though he endured an asthma attack which delayed it by a week, he is doing much better.

We appreciate all the help of our local community. It has been suggested that we build or buy one large facility on the outside of town where things are cheaper. But, I'm a firm believer that our babies need to be part of a community.

This way our friends and neighbors are involved in their day to day care. They also share in the rewards of watching our babies learn to walk, talk, and feed themselves.

We all rejoice when our kids find a forever family and go for adoption, whether in town or across the sea. A family is the best.

Volunteers in Mass

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 20:03:00 -0400

Monday night we had our seasonal volunteer meeting. Many thanks to the Henan Experimental High School for allowing us to use their Learning Resource Center room. We appreciate so much Harmony (pink sweater middle, sitting) for volunteering to coordinate the scheduling. We had medical students, a doctor, an author/teacher, many English teachers and our faithful Mr. Wang, who volunteers maintenance.

We look forward to a productive year working together with these in-country volunteers.

The most monumental task at hand is including all the student volunteers, and there are many who want to come but have only weekends free.

Brittany and Melanie, who are teachers for the high school student volunteers work closely with Harmony to make it all happen.

All of it combined gives our kids some good one on one with the community and makes the community aware of their situation.

Many thanks also to Andrew, Kelly, and Diane, past teachers at the high school who started this program in 2008. We miss you!!!

New Table!!!!

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:51:00 -0400

I just happen to visit during meal time and found all the kids hovering over a worker trying to feed one baby. "Where's the table?", I asked. "I know nothing!", was the response. I looked all over the house for our little fold up table, we usually bring out for meals and couldn't find it anywhere. Then I noticed the table for the cooking stove was larger. It appears, the legs of the kid's table had broken. The ladies took them off and used the table top for a counter top.

Why didn't someone tell me the table was broken? Who knows!!!! So we went immediately and bought a new one.

Why this story in general......because today I discovered quite by accident that one of our little guys has a family. I know his mom will probably read this post and I want her to see her son in the orange shirt. Yea!!!! We are thrilled beyond measure. Soon I can go to the orphanage and get another one.

Our latest information from the orphanage in our city is......they have a census of over 600 and want us to open another home. Problem is...I'm having trouble staffing the 4 we already have. Pray for dedicated staff and more au pairs.

Office Visit!!!

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:10:00 -0400

I love it when our workers come to the office and bring one of the babies.

On this day ZYH came for a visit. She loved sitting in my chair and she also enjoyed her stroller ride.

This stroller was given to me for Xiao Qing by the Seifers. They are great supporters of Swallow's Nest and also live and work in China. Great to know after 11 years, its still carrying around some precious cargo.

Cai Yun is one of our au pairs. She's very hardworking and loves the babies!!

Little Twin

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 05:33:00 -0400

Our little twin, who had heart surgery last February, was in the hospital again in July, while we were stateside. He recovered and his mom came and stayed with him at our baby house for 10 days. We are now so grateful for those 10 days because Sunday morning very early about 5:30 am he passed away in his sleep.

This little twin, had an older twin brother. Many of you helped with his surgery, as well as "RoundAbout" stores in Beijing. The doctors informed us it was very serious and chances of his survival were slim. But, we hear that so often and chose to do our best as we always do for our babies.

Please remember his parents and hometown of Shang Qiu as they grieve. This little twin changed our lives and he was blessed to have so many people who loved him. This is my favorite photo of him. Now he is safe in His arms.