Grady's Birthday

Friday was a very special day in the life of one of Shepherd's Field most beloved kids. Grady celebrated his sixteenth birthday with unmatched excitement and glee, surrounded by the people who have very much become his family over the past many years he's been at Shepherd's Field. He had been counting up to his birthday all week so when the day finally arrived we made sure to make a big deal of it! After many well-wishes and birthday hugs throughout the day we brought cake to his class mid-afternoon, complete with sixteen candles that spelled the letter "G"! He loved it, as did all the other kids. Jerak and Joseph in particular kept asking for more pieces until I finally had to hold the plate over my head and say "no more!"

Later in the evening all of us interns, staff members, and visitors took piled into the Jin Bei's (Chinese passenger vans) and taxis for the long drive to the Garden Restaurant on the other side of Langfang. It was an enormous place! You walk through all kinds of paths, footbridges, and shrubbery to get to the different groups of tables and chairs. We watched koi swim in the ponds while we ate and kept expecting butterflies or jungle animals to come swooping out of the trees and bushes and join us! The food itself was wonderful too and just kept coming! Grady got to open presents, be sung to, and pose for dozens of goofy photos, which is his speciality!

It was so special for me to participate in Grady's birthday celebration this year because he is such a special guy. I remembered him well from our first trip to Shepherd's Field, as he was one of the only kids who spoke English and loved to practice on us when we came to visit the houses. He tried to teach my friend Kaisha animal names in Chinese and always kept track of our group and which of us was where. I'll never forget our last day on that trip, when we were explaining to him that we had to leave. He made airplane wings with his arms and said "Go home, America?" and then looked sad. It broke my heart!

This trip has given me even more opportunity to see just how special this boy (now young man!) is. Recently he has become a bel1ever and the transformation it has brought to his life is unmistakable. In English class he listed B1b1le reading as his number one hobby and he regularly reminds us all if we forget to thank G0d before mealtimes. He never goes anywhere without wearing his cr0ss necklace and frequently proclaims his f*ith in his t-shirts too. He loves J*sus with all his heart and the light of that relationship just radiates from him. Never have I met a person for whom the word "rejoicing" so perfectly fit. He has had many difficult things happen to him over the years, from chronic health problems to a failed adoption recently, yet he has come through it all with remarkable courage and joy in having G0d as his true father and Great Physician. He has a zest for life that is utterly contagious and is a child at heart in all the right ways, always demonstrating delight for all the little blessings of life and giving of himself freely to others. He loves the Shepherd's Field visitors and leaves them with indelible memories of his spunkiness, winning smile, mischievousness, and gregarious nature. Since I've been here, I have laughed more times than I can remember at his funny faces and impersonations of the people around him. I am so blessed to not only be teaching him English this summer (for which he is very grateful since he hopes to be a translator someday), but just to share life with him these seven weeks...sharing laughs in the courtyard, eating lunch together, and waving across the grounds when we see each other. His life and the joy of Chr1st which he demonstrates through it is such a gift to my heart and those around me. Celebrating his birthday this year with him in person was an extra-special way to show him just how extra-special he is!! Sheng Ri Kuai Le, Grady!!

Cake Time! L-R: Irene, Grady, Me, Hayden, and Jewel

This is how he looks 95% of the time :)

Jerak and Grady hamming it up

Our crammed taxi ride to the Garden Restaurant! L-R: Irene, me, Winsome, Sara, Kathy, and Shelby (plus Philemon and the driver up front!)

We looked to the side of the road as we were driving and said, "hmm....a flock of sheep!" Right in the middle of Langfang!

The Garden Restaurant

Kathy and I

Clay, Grady, and Josh

Grady with Clay and Jewel, the SFCV guest/intern coordinators whom he calls Father and Mom

Being silly...as usual

We laughed so hard at Grady and Josh's antics while arm wrestling. These guys are 120% clown!

Grady and Sara share a knack for craziness and and funny faces that keep others rolling on the floor laughing....and they're both originally from the same province of Sichuan....do you think there might be a relation? :)



Shelby, Grady, and Sara






I've never seen someone get SO excited over birthday presents!!

 



Full tummies and happy hearts! L-R: Winsome, Sara, Kathy, Irene, and I