Ms. Cindy Kan (Volunteer over the years)

In the blink of an eye, The CEO Foundation has established its solidity for 20 years. The results were outstanding since they launched the FA Foster Care Program in Luoyang in 2003 and the FA Apprenticeship Program in Luoning County in 2012. They touched people’s hearts and even changed the views of Luoyang Welfare Institute officials and local villagers regarding the value of disabled lives. The orphans in their programs were physically and mentally traumatized. They became orphans because of their disabilities. People discriminated against and despised them with no fault of their own. The FA Foster Care Program turned about hundreds of abandoned disabled orphans’ lives by giving them parental tender loving care again! Under The CEO’s years of tireless cultivation and management, hundreds of lonely little lives have been wholeheartedly cherished and nurtured by families. Those seedlings bloomed and their lives blossom with colors!

My memory brought me back to my first contact with The CEO Foundation almost ten years ago. At that time, one of my colleagues, Catherine (a Director of CEO), who taught at the school led a group of teachers and students to Luoyang to visit the local orphanage and foster families. Later, in 2013 and 2015, Catherine led more teachers and students to visit the newly built Children Welfare Institute Extracurricular Activity Centers in Luoyang City and Luoning County. We learned how the poor children in these rural areas could obtain superior education opportunities through the CEO FA Apprenticeship Program. Although the visits happened many years ago, reviewing the photos and videos taken with foster children, parents, underprivileged students, and the children with disabilities in their special education centers brought me back lovely memories. Every face, every pair of innocent eyes, and every charming smile are still vividly alive in my mind!

I remembered one particular visit to a foster family in Bei-Yao village. The foster mother took care of a boy who had undergone surgery to remove hydrocephalus. Although the operation affected his speech, the child was so amiable and eagerly talking with us. In addition, the foster mother also took care of an autistic girl whose communication skills were relatively weak. It was very touching to see how the foster mother treated these two children as her own with selfless love and commitment.

On another unforgettable occasion, I visited more than a dozen children in a homework tutorial class. We played games with them, in groups of two. The tutor gave each child some heart-shaped and star stickers. Each time they commended their partner, they could place one sticker on the partner’s face. The game was to see who could give all the stickers out first. The game created such eagerness for the children to stick their stickers on their partner’s face, everyone laughed and had a lot of fun.

An eleven-year-old boy in a wheelchair attracted my attention. He glowed with a smiling face. As I approached him, I found that he was singing a hymn to Christina! I asked his name, he replied politely, “My name is Xiao-jin!” When Christina invited her mother come over Xiao-jin gladly sang the hymn again. It was a beautiful hymn called “Sing a Song of Heaven”. We tapped the beats as he sang and gave him applause. Later, I learned that Xiao-jin once was sick and dying when he was seven. Doctors almost gave up on him, but the CEO team fervently prayed for his healing and miraculously he got well and lived. After the catastrophe, he had the opportunity to hear the gospel and read the Bible. He loves singing praise songs and recites Bible scriptures!

The scene that impressed me the most was when our teachers and students went to the CEO rehabilitation center and performed a beautiful praise song to a dozen orphans with better mobility. The song titled “Let Your Love Rise”. We made dance moves in groups of two, singing and dancing as the children listened enthusiastically. After the first round singing, we invited them to sing and dance with us. They were timid at first but still made their move to the front of the stage. The atmosphere was invaluable because they felt cherished and accepted! We watched them sing and dance happily.

During those visits, our students also had an opportunity to visit a little girl’s grandparents living in rural areas. Her grandmother had a debilitated stroke thus affected her mobility. We suggested to pray together for her recovery. The grandparents were greatly moved and comforted by the love and care shown by our students.

One last thing I must mention was that our students also visited The CEO’s “Life Education” program in Luoning CWI. Through experiencing taken care of the rabbit, Dumpy, and Dou-Dou, the golden retriever raised by Joseph, they learned how to treasure the value of life and realized that animals could be a comfort and encouragement for those in need.

These visits have greatly enabled our students to realize how blessed they are to have a family they call their home. It also awakened them to respect their parents and have a heart of gratitude. Most importantly, they begin to know more about the needs of children with disabilities and learn to cultivate empathy and compassion for the disadvantaged groups. They find that children with physical disabilities are just as lovely, friendly, and adorable as themselves. They are willing to learn to love and respect life and every living creature God created!

May the CEO Foundation continue to spread this selfless love and care to needy groups in the future. Let love make dreams come true! I would like to motivate everyone by the following praise song, “Let Your Love Rise”!

“Let Your Love Rise”

Thank you for your love, for every single smile
Thank you for your love, for every warm embrace
Your faithful support gives me strength to spread my wings
So together, we can chase our dreams

Thank you for your love, for every single smile
Thank you for your love, for every warm embrace
Your faithful support gives me strength to spread my wings
I believe my life is filled with dreams

Let your love rise, and here you will have hope
Let your love rise, and here you will have strength
Let your love rise and help us to soar on eagle’s wings
Warming every heart to brighten up this world

Use this love to sympathize, to care and understand
Use this love to testify, the world won’t be the same
Let this love come overwhelm, residing in our hearts
For this love will always light up our lives

(Stream of Praise Music Ministries (16): Believe in Love, you will see Miracles)