Four of our older LSV kids came home from Nanning over the Oct 1 holiday.  For two, it was their first time since blessing our empty piece of land in 2005.  This time, they toured our spacious new buildings and village.  It was wonderful to see them!

Huahua stayed in our home with Florence and Jubilee.  Missing one forearm and hand, she is able to use the other arm to do just about anything she wants.  Now she is working in a small jewelry business, putting together earrings and other intricate jewelry. 

Michael has moved back to Nanning and is doing computer work in the same Jewelry shop as Huahua.   He is glad to be in Nanning where many of our LSV young adults are working.  Our kids eagerly pushed this older brother around in his wheel chair.

Philip has come back twice before, and gets along great with our kids.  He is now working for the Civil Affairs Bureau in Nanning, doing social work visitation of the handicapped.  He is very happy, and feels his own handicap from childhood polio, uniquely prepares him to understand and help others. 

Changqi returned for the first time since 2006.  She studied music, and played piano as the others sang a song they wrote.   Several of the LSV kids who grew up in Nanning have formed a singing group.  Changqi is also working at the jewelry shop.  She also had childhood polio, but used to get around with 2 crutches.  We hope she puts effort into exercising her legs and does not become wheel chair dependant.

Yong Sheng, whose name means Eternal Life in English, was smiling more than ever.  Although he was seriously burned on face and body, he is more self confident and friendly than in past years.  Yong Sheng is helping care for several severely handicapped orphans in Nanning.  

Nankang has several bakeries now, and we have sampled them all.  They have raisin bread, bread with pork flavor, and plain white bread too.  All of them are light and airy and it takes several slices to satisfy your stomach.  The larger city of Beihai has more variety and heavier bread, but that is an hour bus ride away.

Someone bought us a bread machine at LSV.   The first few loaves didn’t raise much, and were not very tasty.  We needed good yeast, and I was able to buy a bag from our local bakery, imported from France!  When our kids learned about it, they gathered around to watch us put in the ingredients and turn it on.  Every half hour or so they would take a look to see if it rose.  Soon, our bread became a treat to eat and an important topic of conversation.

Last week we finally got it right.  The dough rose, and a perfect brown loaf emerged.  Everyone was excited, and hung around for a piece.  Florence has become a baker herself, and loves to put in the ingredients.  She knows the baker gets the first piece!

Hopefully, someone will come to open a bakery in our new LSV shops.  But, until then, we will be baking and sharing fresh bread from our bread machine!

Making Crafts Together

Crafts

Completed Gifts for Fundraising

            LSV Final Push to Finish First Phase by June, 2010

 Following Chinese New Year Vacation, first stage construction has resumed in the Living Stones Village.  The roof tiles of our spacious auditorium are almost complete.  And the inside and outside walls are receiving are being surfaced prior to painting (Errr…I’m not really sure what this sentence means).  Our Performing Arts Building is receiving paint on the outside while the interior walls and ceiling are plastered.  Our Commercial and Classroom Building is also nearing completion.

 The lofty ceilings of these buildings are impressive by any standards; there is nothing comparable in the region.  The V-shaped roof design is also unique, and will be considered modern for years to come. LSV (“Our new” implies there is an old one) is built to last, and will surely see the children, and grandchildren, and great grandchildren of our kids.  The design, construction, and safety standards are higher than anything else in the area.  A Chinese businessman, looking up at the high ceilings and thick cement beams, said, , “Amazing.  I never expected to see this here… it’s ahead of its time… it’s going to last 100 years”!  And I think it will last even longer.

Our goal is to complete phase one by the end of June.  And your contributions will help make this possible.  You can see pictures of the construction and village activities on our website at livingstonesvillage.org.

LSV’s new home is located on Chao Yang Big Road, which is the main road into our town, Nankang.  Over the years rains washed the road out and thus needs repair.  Recently the government has sped up construction to both repair and widen the road.  A couple weeks ago, the road crew came into Nankang and began resurfacing with asphalt.  Now it looks better than we ever imagined, smooth and spacious.

According to the city’s master plan, Chao Yang Big Road will be one of the main roads in town, bringing increased traffic right past LSV and through Nankang.  LSV is located at a prime location with many new developments.  Down the road an apartment complex down is also under construction.   

We hope that our commercial building will bring revenue to help LSV be self-sufficient and provide support for many orphans.   With the bus station next to LSV pending to be opened, and the gas station nearby, we have plenty of potential customers around the block!

We are grateful for the perfect timing to make LSV a better place!