Thank you again, for your many thoughts, prayers, and financial contributions to making this trip possible. We had very few illnesses during the trip... and for those who did catch a bug, it was short lived or didn't keep anyone down. 

Our goal with these short-term mission trips is to have long-term effects, both spiritually and physically. Although we are only in the country for two weeks, our prayer is that the effect we have will continue to ripple through to other children, orphanages, and souls. Partnering with this medical facility, we hope to continue this relationship and provide ongoing followup, treatments, and training. 

Special thanks and a shout out to our puzzle perks selectors. We appreciate your donation and have given this puzzle for the children to learn their shapes.

On Tuesday and Wednesday this past week, we hosted a PT Conference at the medical facility. A total of 28 therapy nannies and directors from government orphanages traveled from multiple countries to be apart of this event. In a country where physical therapy is limited and to many unknown, this turn out was a huge success. We pray that the nannies and directors were able to take this information and apply it to the betterment of the children under their care. Ultimately, we pray that the attendees will come to know the Creator who designed our bodies to move and heal. 

All of the students and one of the clinicians did a fabulous job teaching the content. Every session consisted of approximately 1 hour of lecture and 1 hour of hands-on lab demonstrations. The sessions included 1) Travis and Graham teaching ROM and measurement skills, 2) Shelby, Mackalah, and Katie teaching caregiver handling skills, 3) Blake and Bryse teaching wheelchair measurements and patient handling skills (NDT), and 4) JB teaching pediatric milestones and evaluation. 

The most amazing thing to me was seeing just how eager these nannies were willing to learn and wanting to help their children thrive.  Many of the nannies took pictures and videos of their children seeking advice on treatment ideas.  They came prepared to not only learn the content of the sessions, but how they can specifically treat their children. A number of nannies during the lectures and demonstrations used their phones and tablets to videotape and take pictures of the teachings. The need for ongoing training education is so great and the importance of PT is catching on.  I pray that the education does not stop with each nanny, but that they will take the knowledge, expand upon it, and share it with other caregivers and orphanages. 

Everyone is home, safe and sound. Thank you for your many prayers and thoughts these past two weeks. There will be more updates to follow. Many great things happened this last week that I have not been able to post about but will shortly. 

My concept of time has been off these past two weeks. It feels like we just arrived here in East Asia. I am in awe of how quickly these beautiful children have won over my heart. Today I spent time taking mental snapshots of the kids smiles. I want to remember their pure joy and the sound of their laughter. The love of God can be felt in every building at SFCV. The staff members have devoted so much of themselves to help these children thrive. Joy is abundant and flows from the staff. There are so many opportunities for sharing the gospel at SFCV, but I think the most influential is living out the gospel and sharing the love we freely receive from God. These children have been denied care from their earthly parents for various reasons. However, when they come to SFCV, they don't know how to process the love they so desire. It was painful to watch the children who had not been there long shut off when they were stressed or asked to I do something they may not have wanted to do. I can't imagine what evils they had experienced to shut off so quickly. What had they faced that it was easier to be numb than process emotions? My biggest prayer for these children is to learn that they are worthy of love. They were created by a loving Father that cares for them so deeply. Each child deserves to feel the healing love of God. I pray that God continues to work in this beautiful place. May the love of God heal these precious children's brains so they learn to process healthy emotions. I pray they all find loving families that help them process their diagnosis and what their future holds. May they continue to get the best medical care and continue to thrive. I pray that families in the US would feel called to adopt these sweet kids. Each child deserves a loving family that will care for them and show them the love of Christ. Each child I met is so capable of love. In just two short weeks, they have won me over. Saying goodbye today has wrecked my heart. Every hug, every wave, and especially all the blowing of kisses slowly cracked my heart. God has broken my heart forever for this special place. This place has forever changed my heart. I pray that God continues to bless SFCV abundantly. I pray that the founders, Pam and Tim Baker, would continue to be blessed spiritually and financially. May God continue to call people to serve on the staff and love the children. One of my favorite places at Shepard's Field is the Hands of Hope wall. It is a wall of children's hand prints that have been adopted or passed away. There are hundreds of children that have been adopted and it is so cool to see how big of a difference SFCV has made in so many lives. God has moved mountains through this beautiful place, but the work is not done.

Mackalah Green

The most significant thing that stood out to me on this trip were the reactions of the children with Kong fu (physical therapy). There were usually three types of reactions to therapy, excitement, disinterest, or rejection. Some of the children we treated had therapy their entire lives. It is amazing to see how much progress they have made but there is a lack of motivation for continuing treatment. Especially those with degenerative diseases such as muscular dystrophy. One example is of a kiddo who did not like undergoing a test to establish a baseline so we can track the rate of degeneration. He decided he had enough and started spitting throughout the rest of the session to show his disgust, so we eventually we stopped. There are also great moments as well where the kids will listen and even clean up equipment when you are done using it! This was amazing to see that some kids respond very well at times. I have also learned the importance of being gentle with handling kids. One child in particular dislikes any sensation on his feet. This sensitivity is so great that he does not even want to walk or crawl. He will either sit or lay on his back or side while he plays. So far we have been working on desensitizing his feet so that he hopefully will be able to weightbear and begin to walk. I realize that this is a short term missions trip but we can teach the care givers different techniques to help him become comfortable with pressure on the feet. Hopefully this will allow him to walk someday.

After a week has gone by I realized I need to slow down and think of the best way to treat the people we are seeing. At times it is frustrating but it is important to remember that “love is patient and love is kind.” (1 Corinthians 13:4) You cannot have proper love without both elements.

Thank you for your prayers. We praise the Lord for safety and good communication with the children. Please continue to pray for better communication with those who are harder to reach. “And the Lord direct “our” hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

May the Love of Christ Abound,

Bryse Paffile

We left one week ago and it feels like yesterday. I am amazed at how quickly our days pass while serving the children at this medical facility. I have the opportunity to work with a little girl named Ella. This two year old has cleft palate and right ear atresia. She had her cleft palate surgery one month ago. She is seeing an audiologist in the near future to assess the extent of her hearing loss. Ella does not speak any words but she started to make sounds. 

Ella has not been here long. Her only knowledge of this facility is a painful surgery. Her Ayi told me that she does not like to be held because she was not held very much as a baby. The only way she can calm herself is with a baby rocker and she spends most of her time in the rocker. She is in a new place with new people and I am sure she is overwhelmed. At first, I was overwhelmed by this information. How was I going to make a connection with a child who fears physical touch and has a hard time with processing what she is experiencing? 

Our pediatrics professor told us that kids need two very basic things to thrive: to feel safe and to know their needs will be met. I am not sure that Ella has experienced either of these two things before coming to this facility. Everyone deserves to feel loved and wanted. I am so thankful that the language of love is universal. I am honored that she has allowed me to hold her and slowly gain her trust. We have had some unsure moments but she is learning to accept love. When Ella looks into my eyes, I can sense that she is earning for someone to care for her. She holds my heart strings with her tiny fingers as she learns to take each step. 

My prayer for this sweet girl is to allow God to heal her heart. I spend a lot of time telling her how loved she is and how worthy she is of love. It probably sounds like gibberish to her but I sense she feels my love. She does often respond to my gibberish with a big smile and coo. God is capable of redemption and healing this sweet girl. She is in the perfect place to experience the love she needs to heal. The staff here give so much of themselves in order to provide for these beautiful children. Please pray that Ella comes to feel peace here and allows the love of God to heal her. Please consider learning more about sponsorship and adoption options if you too would like to be a part of these redemption stories. 

Mackalah Green

We have 2 first year DPT students, Tyler and Jenna,  on this trip with us. They have served as our translators and have been such a blessing diligently and patiently working to bridge the language gap.  

In order to help themselves remember the anatomy, they wrote the words onto their bodies with a sharpie marker.  These students are so creative.  

Although the majority of our patients are the children, we have had the pleasure and honor of treating the staff and interns here as well. 

     Today was our team’s first official clinic day in China.  All in all, we completed evaluations on a total of 26 patients!  Although a majority of our patients were pediatric, we had the opportunity to see five staff members with various orthropedic issues.  It was such a blessing to be able to serve not only the children, but the staff who take care of the children day in and day out.  (It was also a blessing for our ortho team members to have a break from pediatrics and recharge in their comfort zone).  Our team attacked their therapy schedules with great enthusiasm, and the love that they invested in the kids today alone really showed.     

     I was blown away by our team’s willingness to jump in and their ability to adapt to the wide spectrum of disorders that we worked with today, including ones that were more involved or that we were unfamiliar with.  The most bittersweet part of my first day was being reunited with Tyler.  Tyler is almost thirteen years old, and has Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy.  Tyler’s age means that he only has one year to find his forever family before aging out of the adoption system.  When I first met Tyler in 2014, he was already wheelchair bound but he could pull himself up into his wheelchair from the ground, and crawl.  When I saw Tyler last year in 2016, he had lost these abilities but was still able to sit by propping himself up with an arm, and scoot himself across the floor.  When I worked with Tyler today, the athletic trainer who has been providing Tyler with therapy said that now he can only sit briefly, and spends most of his time laying on the floor.  Tyler’s severe contractures have developed even further, and most movements are incredibly painful for him.  As she told me this, I had to fight back the sting of tears.  Tears for how my heart was broken for Tyler’s loss of independence in his world.  Tears that Tyler doesn’t have the attentive care of a bàhbā and màhmà and instead is experiencing this terrifying terminal disease alone.  Tears that I will have to leave in a short amount of time, and for the uncertainty of how much more he will lose before the next time we meet.  For Tyler, physical therapy will have a different outcome than that of any of the other patients on our workload. Our plan is to work on preserving the function he does have left, but most importantly to make him comfortable.  We want to add meaningful activities to his day and shower him with love and attention. 

     Tyler’s story is the perfect example of the beauty of this place to me.  Working with the kids here and learning their stories will break your heart into a million pieces, but their giggles and smiling faces will patch it back together again.  Their unconditional love is a reminder to me of the perfect love that God has for all of us.  I appreciate the emotional challenge of being reunited with Tyler, because it reminds me of the capacity for empathy and connection that God has blessed us with.  It is funny how life’s biggest lessons can come in the smallest (and cutest) of packages.

Shelby Babcock

Being in this part of the world, you never know what you might find on your plate.  Here, nothing goes to waste.  Our team members have tried or seen interesting foods such as chicken foot on a stick, lamb bone marrow slurpee, and tendon shish kabobs.

What a joy it was to watch these kids play!  Although they were just having a great time, as physical therapists, we saw therapeutic play. Children with disabilities relying on wheelchairs and walkers were able to play all the sports with modifications. 

What adorable little children!  Most understood the concept, but others used their bodies as the bowling ball.

A girl name Gloria with elephantiatis in her left leg demonstrated much skill in kicking multiple goals past the goalie.  In doing so, she was given the role of goalie until someone could kick a goal past her.  It was amazing to see her smile, laugh, and have a blast playing a sport among her peers.

Being half way around the world, this medical facility still celebrates Fourth of July and the independence and freedom that we have back at home.  In the morning, it was amazing to see all the little girls dressed up in their beautiful dresses and the boys in bowties.  Compared to the children, we were underdressed for the occasion.

The original plan for this morning was a water fight with the children to cool off in the hot weather, but the skies opened up and it poured.  A few of us were grabbing breakfast from the street cart vendors and were drenched in the rain.  Within minutes, the streets looked like rivers and we looked like acrobats crossing them using the speed bumps as a bridge.

The festivities were moved indoors with activities of glitter tattoos, face painting, arts and crafts, and modified sports.  Our team brought giant inflatable soccer and bowling sets, and two disc golf baskets for the children to throw the disc (frisbee) into the basket.  THEY LOVED THE GAMES!!!  It was a joy to watch the children play, laugh, and cheer with and for one another.

The afternoon consisted of games with the children such as Four Corners and a competitive corn hole tournament among the adults.  Not only did I never expect to celebrate Independence Day in East Asia, I never guessed we would play in a corn hole tournament.  It felt like I was back in Missouri.  With a little practice, Tyler and myself (Team Two and a Half PTs) took 3rd place in the tournament winning 20 East Asian Dollars.

For dinner, we enjoyed an all American dinner of grilled burgers, salad, pasta salad, potato salad, and chips.  The evening ended with a bonfire and a beautiful fireworks display.  It was a nice taste of home here in East Asia.

Dr. Schoeneberg

On Monday, July 3rd, the team went through orientation at the medical facility in the early morning.  The rest of the morning, the students had the opportunity to go from home to home meeting and playing with the children.  Not all of the children receive physical therapy, therefore, this was a great opportunity for the students to meet more of the beautiful children living at this medical facility. 

In the afternoon, the team observed in the therapy department seeing what the therapy ayi’s (nannies) do and familiarizing themselves with some of the children receiving therapy.  After therapy, the team helped to beautify the campus planting flowers by the front entrance and weeding between the brick walkway pavers.  It was a tedious and physical tiring job in the humid heat, but every team member pitched in to help.  This was a glimpse of the heart of service within every student on this team.

In the evening, we decided to take public transportation (little red cars) to the night market for dinner and a cultural experience.  It got interesting when our destination location was lost in translation and we were headed the opposite direction.  Eventually, with the help of Jenna (one of our student translators), we were able to redirect the drivers to the right place.

The night market was a new experience for many of us.  After enjoying the East Asian version of a pork burrito, we did a little shopping (and haggling), then watched the street dancers.  Of course, Bryse, Graham and Tyler could not resist the temptation to join the party.  It was a humorous and cultural way to end the first full day in East Asia.

Dr. Schoeneberg

Dear Family and Friends,

We have all arrived safely in East Asia.  We praise our Father for the safe travel so far.  All 8 medical devices and 18 checked luggage items arrived on time as well.  Yesterday was a whirlwind combating jet lag after 34+ hours of travel from Bolivar to the medical facility.  All of the students are sleeping now and will be waking up shortly with a full nights rest ready to work.

Please pray for the health and impact of the team.  We have one student who is not feeling well with symptoms similar to strep throat.  We will try to get him in to see the physician at the medical facility later today.  Yesterday, some of the students experienced firsthand the need for love and affection in these children.  These precious little babies (1-2 years old) will walk up to complete strangers stretching up both arms wanting to be held.  They simply want to be loved as we all want to be loved.  Pray that our Father will help us to communicate a love that is unconditional, beyond this world, and that can only be found in Him.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.  We are blessed to be here and are excited to love on and serve these orphans and caregivers.

Dr. Schoeneberg

Only weeks away, we are exciting and gearing up for the trip.  We have multiple wheelchairs, assistive devices, and supplies ready to be packed for East Asia.  Every member of the team is allowed to bring one assistive device on the plane that will be donated to the medical facility.  Currently, we have 6 wheelchairs, 1 walker, 1 transfer tub bench, 1 shower chair, 1 feeding chair, 1 standing frame, 2 toilet frames, and forearm crutches.

Last week, our team received a request from the founder of the medical facility.  We were asked to bring 10 soy formula canisters and 10 flat crib pads.  Where we are going, soy formula is not easily purchased and expensive.  Thanks to our many supportive donors, we had extra funds that were designated to cover this additional $200 cost that we were not expecting.  The Lord provides in many ways.  I am thankful that you have made it possible to provide equipment, formula, and a dry bed for these children.  I look forward to sharing pictures from the trip and giving you a glimpse of the blessings that these children (as well as our team) will receive.

Thank you again for your support!  It means more than I can express in words.

Thank you to everyone who has started praying for our team, getting the word out about our project, and have made donations.  It's amazing to see that we are over a third of the way to our total goal.

One of the goals for this summer is to develop a few training sessions for the therapy nannies at the facility and surrounding facilities.  We are excited to see the response and how the skills attained can be utilized to help their children develop.  Ideas for training sessions include:  range of motion, manual muscle testing, and hands-on skills for positioning and strengthening in neurological patients.

Another thing we are doing this summer is bringing over equipment for modified sports with the children.  For the most part, our team will work mainly with the children with the most severe physical conditions.  Modified sports will be a wonderful opportunity for our team to interact with all the kids and incorporate games/sports that all the children can play together.