This week our team of Occupational therapy and nursing students traveled to Maria’s Big House of Hope in Luoyang, China. MBHOH is a safe haven for medically fragile children in orphan care. Our week has been full of laughter, love and play with the children. We also created sensory boards which were installed in the children’s play rooms.

Today was our final day at Maria’s Big House of Hope. We said our goodbyes to the kiddos and took a group picture. We left Luoyang by fast train around 7:30 am headed to Beijing to begin touring the city. Today we will head to the pearl market for shopping and explore the rest of the city tonight. Tomorrow morning we will head out for the Great Wall!!!  Our final three days in China will be spent in Beijing touring several different places while still deeply immersed in the culture and processing our entire experience.

Maria’s Big House of Hope held an acronym for our devotions each day. Mindfulness, brokenness, humility, ongoing reconciliation and hope.  Each word intricately unpacked numerous emotions while building a new perspective for orphan care and missions.

Reflecting back on the week, we are each walking away refreshed, blessed, humbled and inspired. We have experienced a place where both pain and joy coexist. We have learned the role and value of simply being present for others. Moving forward, we are equipped with insight to take into our lives as future as occupational therapist and nurses.

— Kristian Wilson