There is a young boy named Xiao Wei at the special needs orphanage supported by Global Partners in Life. He is about five years old, and he is blind . . . but I don’t think he knows it. He constantly amazes me by how well he can walk and function inside the orphanage. He loves to dance and wrestle with his friends, and he has a very soft and sweet voice. Would you like to meet him? In the photograph below he is actually dancing!
When I was there in December, I asked him in Chinese if he knew my name. With his innocent voice, he clearly said Beau. I gave him a hug and congratulated him and I was patting his shoulder when he took my hand. He had never done that before with me, but I could tell he wanted to lead me. We walked around the orphanage, and he led the entire way!
My apologies for the poor quality of the picture above, but I was walking, holding Xiao Wei’s hand, and trying to take the picture with my left hand. Yes, I am right handed. Hopefully you can tell this is Xiao Wei leading me around his home, and I couldn’t have been happier!
The main reason I was at the special needs orphanage that day was to provide financial support for the children and the staff. Through the contributions of our generous donors, Global Partners in Life keeps the children who can go to school in school. We pay for their school fees, lunches, books, supplies, and uniforms. Also, we pay for the children’s food, utilities, toiletries, and the salaries of their caregivers. On this day I also provided Christmas gifts for the children! It was a fantastic day for all of us!