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2022-12 Journal

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DEC 2022 SILVER LINING MISSIONS ISSUE 32|2022 DEC MAGAZINE BY Love, Never Asking If It Is Worth Best wishes Love Beyond Blood Ties Traveling with Snails Dare To Dream, Embrace the Future Go for it, kid! THEME STORY


Your LOVE changes LIVES Silver Lining is committed to help the impoverished orphans, students and disabled children in the mountainous area, through improving their live, education, job opportunitied, rehabilitation and providing emergency medical assistance. With our love and action, we hope to send care and blessings to marginalized and neglected, help them overcome povety, while re-establishing their dignity and hope. MISSION STATEMENT TO THE PEOPLE WE SERVE Walk With You With Everlasting Love, Believe That Love Changes Lives.


20 The Soul Turns To The Sun And The Light Shines Yangon Silver Lining Rehabilitation Center - San San Win Social Worker 26 Adding Wings to Dreams Myanmar Yangon Youth Center - Center DirectorU THAWNG HEI 28 Go for it, kid! Silver Lining Production 30 Let's Walk Together On The Road Of Resilience Nanning Silver Lining Rehabilitation Center - XiaoGuo and Xiaoling 06 How Hard You Work, How Lucky You Are Dahua Silver Lining Care Center - XiaoWa 10 Love Beyond Blood Ties Myanmar Silver Lining foster family - Mei Papa 32 Thank You Letter Dahua Silver Lining Care Center - Xiao Wei CONTENTS PUBLISHER CHRIS YEUNG | LYDIA YEUNG EDITORS CHEN YING DESIGNER ROY CHAN PRODUCTION THE FOUNDER 02 Love, Never Asking If It Is Worth Founder of Silver Lining - Lydia CHILDREN’S STORY 24 Dare To Dream, Embrace the Future Myanmar Yangon Youth Center - Adi & Xiao Xin UPDATES 22 Traveling with Snails Silver Lining Production FOOTPRINTS 04 Best wishes Silver Lining Missions – Jeremy SHARING 08 Two - Way Race to Grow Together Dahua Silver Lining Care Center - Lan Wenjiang Social Worker


I would have never imagined that it would be more than two years till I could visit Myanmar again. Due to the pandemic and the political situation, I had not visited the children at the Family Village for more than two years, since 2019. Aside from work, I often follow reports from Myanmar to learn about the situation there. I think about my dear colleagues and friends who live there, places that I’ve photographed, the land that I have measured with my feet, and most importantly, the more than 200 children that I deeply care about. Whenever I hear news of chaos, war, and the resurgence of epidemics, ...... I share their pain, even though I am separated by mountains and oceans. When the Myanmar border was finally reopened in June, Chris and I were the first to visit our children. We hadn't seen them for a few years, and they had all grown up. At first, the children felt it strange to see us again, but after a day or two, they became acquainted and active. Every day in the family village the voice I heard most often was "Mama Yang" and "Baba Yang". Whenever the children called me, "Mama Yang", my heart melted—it was so heartwarming. Love Never Asking If It Is Worth 02 The Founder Love, Never Asking If It Is Worth Founder of Silver Lining - Lydia


Myanmar does not have a well-developed economy; telecommunication is also relatively unstable. Therefore, our children in the family village live a relatively simple life. They don't have cell phones, tablets, or computers. Every day after school, the kids would get together to play, such as rope skipping, basketball, bocce ball, and the local famous rattan ball. Every day, I had the opportunity to play with the kids. Haha! These are the gadgets of children living in the 60s and 70s, but here they are again today! It's so easy to be envious of happiness. Xiao Mei from one of the family likes to cling to me. Every time she saw me, she would come over and hug me, talk to me, and tell me many things that were on her mind. If it weren't for If It Is Worth the war, I believe she and her brother would be snuggled up in the arms of their parents, playing happily with their loving family. In the last year, we have added many young children to our family village, all of whom have a common story: war or epidemics that have caused them to be separated from their parents forever, not something we want to see. As the village has grown from a dozen children to over 200 children, the pressure on the staff has been enormous, and since it is our destiny to meet these children, we cannot let the hardships get us down. Some people may ask: Is it worth it to work so hard and toil all year round? With love, we never ask if it is worth it. 03


It was my first trip to Myanmar, not just as an employee at Silver Lining Missions. Although we were going in with some expectations for our activities and the itinerary for our two-week stay, I don’t think I could have properly prepared myself for the children’s reaction to our arrival. Would the children warm up to me? Would I have any problems trying to build a connection with the kids? I was apprehensive about the children’s reception towards me. It would not be long till we first set foot into ‘Family Village’ and for my questions to be answered. I was greeted with shy looks as the kids scampered to farther distances as they continued to steal glances in my direction. A few of them would bravely edge closer to let out a barely audible ‘hello’, giggle, and retreat back to the safety of their little groups. To help the children familiarize themselves with me, I chose an alias that would be easy to remember that the kids could associate to me. “Da Xiong Ge”. It was a name that I had used in the past with some success, and I was hoping that maybe it could bridge the gap and allow the children to be more comfortable around me. Maybe it was the name that played a role, “G’s” blessing that broke down the barrier, or a combination of both, but soon enough by the end of the day I had obtained a small rambunctious following of little children. They grappled onto my arms and swung from them as if they were branches, tugged on my shirt insisting that we start a game of tag, and one kid even demanded exuberantly to be let onto the Piggyback-Express Bus to scout the perimeters. It was only day one, but I realized quickly that my concerns about connecting with the children was the least of my concerns. I was out of steam, Best Wishes 04 Footprints Best wishes Silver Lining Missions - Jeremy


and it was time to refuel; the express bus would resume tomorrow. Throughout the rest of the week and my stay there, I would continue to be pleasantly surprised with my interactions and experiences. The children were bright. They were intelligent. They saw beauty and excitement in things around them. And they held such strong resolve and determination. However, at the end of the day, they are still children who are susceptible to their past hardships and environment. I could see in some of the children a semblance of sorrow that would shadow their actions, and it broke my heart to see that their world at one point had been shattered. For many of them, their world was still broken, and they were bringing the pieces together to shape their happiness-to make sense of their lives. It made me think about the grotesqueness that existed in the world. I thought about the injustices and the terrors that blighted these children’s lives. To me, it was far from fair. These children deserved better-they deserved more. They were all delightful, so very hospitable…doting on me like family. I felt like a long-lost older brother that had come out of hibernation. It was as if I was waking from a slumber, watching the children laughing giddily as they accepted me into their midst. Despite the cruelties that may exist in the world, these children readily embrace the beauty that exists within the grace of “G”. Here they were dreaming bigger, and sharing their love to all those around them. It made me realize how silly I had been coming into “Family Village”. There was no need to worry about trivial things like the children’s reception towards me. I was a fool. Soon, I’ll be settling in Myanmar to continue working amongst the children there. I’m still anxious, and even unsure about the future. However, this time I’m more prepared. I now know and have the secret ingredient to my stay in Myanmarthe understanding that all I need is love. 05


A few years ago, when I attended my brother and sister's graduation ceremony, I was a small spectator, looking up from the stage. However, time flies, and I’ve watched the tree next to the entrance go from bare to full blooming - I could barely even let out a sigh as I graduated from high school to become a college student. I remember many images flashing through my mind as I stood on stage to share my graduation speech. I saw my grandmother crying and leaving my sister and I with relatives abroad, because she couldn't afford to support us. I saw myself in a relative's home, feeling insecure and making a mess. I saw myself afraid of being beaten, sleeping in a market stall through the night. I saw us being sent back home to live with my grandmother. It was a hard time in my hometown, and grandma often shed tears for us. Later, my sister and I came to Silver Lining, I was eight years old, and my sister was five. With my grandmother's tears and the expectations in my heart, I did not get upset and misbehave as I did when I was a child. I met Yeung Papa and Yeung Mama, who treated me as their own child. I am still warmed by the scenes of my mother washing and blow-drying my hair as a child; my nagging but loving aunt who pestered me about my trivial problems, but still prepared my favorite meals every weekend and took care of me when I was sick. Their love melted my heart and for the first time, I felt unconditional acceptance and love. Knowing that Silver How Hard You Work How Lucky You Are 06 Footprints How Hard You Work, How Lucky You Are Dahua Silver Lining Care Center - Xiao Wa Guangxi Dahua


Lining could tolerate all my likes and dislikes and that I could be less than " good" and be myself gave me a great sense of security and made me feel no different from a child in a normal family. Perhaps my childhood experience makes me more mature than the average child, I learned early that knowledge changes destiny. In learning, I have always worked very hard, and the results are also quite good. After high school, the class work is very heavy. Every holiday, I also go to off-campus tutoring classes to study, and tutoring costs are not cheap, but Silver Lining has always supported me unconditionally. I know the value of this love, so I must study harder. At school, some students think I don't have parents, so why am I still so happy every day? I can't choose my family of origin, but I can choose the scope of my life. There are many people in this world who have healed the wounds of my youth with love, and I should spend every day of my life with the ideals and beliefs that I hold to the fullest. Now I have become a college student, the little girl who shrunk from the vegetable stall has transformed into a butterfly, shedding all her youthfulness and willfulness to become a better version of myself. This is the result of my 12 years of hard work and the result of countless people who love and support me. 07


Unknowingly I have been working at Silver Lining for 6 years and have been engaged in supporting orphans and children in need in mountainous areas. During this period, I have witnessed and accompanied 124 children in need to grow up, from early childhood to elementary school, from middle school to high school, college into society. The experience of accompanying their growth is always unforgettable. Most of the orphans and children in distress in the mountain diaspora face problems such as family economic difficulties, improper family guardianship, old-fashioned caregiver parenting, poor hygiene conditions, lack of self-protection awareness, and low self-identity. As social workers, we need to provide personalized services for them with professional methods and skills. Every quarter, we go door-to-door to design companionship activities to help bridge the distance with each visit, slowly unraveling the walls of unfamiliarity. Through our sincere efforts, we are able to enter the heart of each individual to establish relationships according to our service goals and plans. Race toGrow Together Two-Way Race Visited 36 villages one by one 08 Sharing Two-Way Race to Grow Together Silver Lining Care Center - Lan Wenjiang Social Worker Guangxi Dahua


I remember one time we visited the home of Xiao Yi and Xiao Chao. The brothers' father had died early, and their mother had remarried. From their auntie, their caregiver, we learned that the brothers had diarrhea for several days in a row and had blood in their stools. Due to financial difficulties, the aunt cooked soup and medicine for them according to a rural recipe, but their condition did not improve. We immediately reported to our superiors and at the same time did the aunt's ideological work, supported the children's medical expenses, and accompanied her to take them to the county for medical treatment. Fortunately, the children recovered quickly after taking the prescribed medication only due to anal fissures. We occasionally encounter such emergencies, and that's when we focus our efforts on supervising children in need and reducing the risk of harm to them. There was another visit to Xiaoshui's home. Xiaoshui suffers from an intellectual disability, and he used to be excited every time he saw us, but this time he was strangely silent. It turned out that the grandfather would often use coaxing, pocket money, and other ways to teach Xiaoshui. Promises would be made and broken, and when the boy was anxious, the grownups around him used rough methods to teach Xiaoshui. Over time, the Our job is to help those in need child began to distrust adults, and did not feel safe. I tried to communicate with him through interactive games, and after family counseling, the grandfather realized the misconceptions of his parenting. Now Xiao Shui is in the first grade, has adapted well to the school environment, and has a good relationship with his classmates. Since parents in mountainous areas are lagging in the concept of parenting, we have called neighboring families to conduct family education trainings during our visits to change the parents' conception of parenting slowly but surely. Over the past 6 years, although we often encounter different difficulties and challenges, the children are always growing and changing. I feel that children and I are growing together, and I am touched by their vigorous and tenacious vitality, and it is a blessing to walk with them all the way. 09


Love Beyond Blood Ties I am Mei Papa, a preacher in Silver Lining Family Village Myanmar. Myanmar is a disaster-ridden country. Since I was born, war and drugs always rampaged, many families were torn apart, and children became homeless. Myanmar is predominantly Buddhist and there are many temples, and many orphaned children are sent to the temples. In Myanmar, you will often see young figures in temple costumes going from house to house to "collect donations". At least they have the survival assurance and the opportunity to study. More displaced orphans have to steal, rob, and even do drug-related activities in order to survive. It is hateful and sad that they are victimized by drugs when they were young and then "repeat the same actions" when they grow up! Serving these orphans in distress has always been one of my heart's desires, and by chance, I met Mr. Yeung, the founder of Silver Lining Missions. Mr. Yeung runs the Family Village in Pyin Oo Lwin, which takes in many orphans, but the need in Myanmar is so great that he asked me if I would like to join the ministry of serving orphans and taking care of them as a foster family. This is very significant for me because it is not only a job but also a 10 Sharing Love Beyond Blood Ties Myanmar Silver Lining foster family - Mei Papa Myanmar


Beyond Blood Ties "father" role for a group of children who have lost the shelter of their loved ones. My family knew my wish and supported my decision, and so I became "Mei Papa" to the children. Parenting is not simply a number that adds up to food, clothing, transportation, and school fees. It is not easy to feed children, but it is even harder to nurture them. Most of the children in the family village have a broken family of origin, and perhaps in some people’s eyes, they are a “bad children”, misbehaving, not interested in learning, not practicing hygiene, fighting, etc. If we were to list them in detail, the list would be "numerous". But I always believe that "there is no such thing as a child who cannot be taught, only a parent who cannot teach". I want my children to be the kind of people I want them to be, so I need to treat them with the kind of attitude and way I want them to be. I want them to love each other and be friendly, so I need to accept them unconditionally; I want them to be hardworking and motivated, so I will accompany them to do housework, study together, and be a good example. When I am powerless, I pray to God to help me and these children, so that I can have more tolerance, patience, and love to teach them, and so that my children can feel the love. It's been four years, and my neighbors often exclaim how blessed these children are to be in the family village and say how much they have changed. These children's relatives could not provide for them and were looked down upon by society, but because God loves them, they have a new opportunity with a family and their lives have changed. Pray for more loving people to help these children! 11


Dare To Dream, Embrace the Future


Dare To Dream, Embrace the Future Myanmar Silver Lining Family Village Photo:Tr. Htike


US$20 SILVER LINING PARTNER With only Month BECOME A You can make a difference in a child’s life! Since 2005, Silver Lining has been doing poverty relief work in Gunangxi. We are committed to help disabled children or those living in poor rural mountainous area. Become a “Silver Lining Partner” through a regular monthly donation of US$20 or more, you can partner with us and bring hope to children and families living in poverty. Your helping hand will bring a silver lining to children in need! With your partnership, we can go further!


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Please Cut Please Cut Register Date:_____/_____/__________ Donation for General Fun d Little Angel Child Sponsorship Program “Silver Lining Partner” Monthly Donatio n ONE TIME ON LY US$20 I’d like to be a Child Sponsor and sponsor _______needy child(ren) . Donor Informatio n Name :M r/Ms E-mail : Mailing Address ( please use capital letter ) : Tel : US$ Monthl y US$38 Half-Yearly US$228 Yearly US$456 US$50 US$100 US$500 Request Little Sheep Yo NO Sheep ur little sheep will be sent to your address. Other Request: Donation Method s Check Automatic Bank Transfer Payable to “Silver Lining Missions” and send it with this completed form Address: Name: Amount:$ Monthl y Half-yearly


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Become a child sponsor and connect with your sponsored child through letter corredpondence or visit. Your monthly donation will enable Silver Lining to care for orphans and impoverished children in the mountainous areas, as well as children who suffer from cerebral palsy. Your love changes lives! With your support, every child can become a little angel that blesses others! Embark the Journey of Love with us www.silverliningmissions.org US$38 Invite you to become a Sponsorship Angel!


Schooling is the most important stage in every child's development. However, for children with disabilities, the road to school is extremely difficult. Fortunately, with the help of her parents, social workers and teachers, she was able to fulfill her dream of going to school. XiaoXin came to the Yangon Silver Lining Rehabilitation Center around the age of 4. Like most children with disabilities, XiaoXin experienced isolation and rejection in kindergarten. When she first joined the Center, she and her mother had very little confidence. The rehabilitation staff carefully assessed and set goals based on her characteristics and developmental needs. In the center's lifestyle-based rehabilitation approach, XiaoXin had many opportunities for repetitive training I want to climb up one step at a time, waiting to quietly face the sun. The sky has a big dream, and I already belong to that sky. Let the wind blow dry my tears and sweat, that one day I will have my own sky. - Snail - and application. It was through these seemingly insignificant repetitions that XiaoXin improved day by day. XiaoXin and her mother let go of their worries and began to look forward to the future. This year, Xiao Xin is 7 years old and is perfectly capable of attending elementary school. Everyone expects her to go to elementary school and be a role model for the rest of the students at the center. Xiaoxin's father, however, expressed concern that Xiaoxin would be teased or bullied at school. I spent a lot of time communicating about this. Children will one day have to learn to go out into society. Xiao Xin is not the first child to recover from the rehabilitation center and go out to school, nor will she be the last one. And The Light Shines The Soul Turns To The Sun 20 Myanmar Yangon Sharing The Soul Turns To The Sun And The Light Shines


Her dad worked through it, but the hardest part was finding the right school for the child. The stairs are too high, the toilets are too far away, there are no handrails, etc. Most schools refused on the grounds of inadequate facilities and safety. We visited one school after another and finally, one school was willing to accept XiaoXin. We discussed with the mom to solve the various problems, such as the most critical toilet problem, and suggested that the mom train XiaoXin use the toilet at home before going to school. We also encouraged the dad to take XiaoXin back to the rehabilitation center in the afternoon after school to consolidate her rehabilitation and strengthen her lower limbs. Even though there are still a few things that are not so satisfactory at school, when I talked to Xiao Xin, she expressed how much she enjoyed studying at school and that the teachers and classmates take quite good care of her. Some students also expressed curiosity about Xiao Xin's walking posture, which her mother was very nervous about, but Xiao Xin was able to answer calmly: "I told her that I was born like this, so I am trying my best to recover. Xiaoxin also said, "I will try to do better! The Soul Turns To The Sun If you face the sun and try to grow, the days will become better. A person is strong not because of a strong body, but because of a brave heart. Go for it, XiaoXin! Yangon Silver Lining Rehabilitation Center - San San Win Social Worker 21


When the grass is quietly tinged with gold, when the cool autumn breeze takes away the fallen leaves, and when the bright sunshine no longer burns, the children's long-awaited parent-child camp has finally arrived. 241 disabled children and their parents from Nanning Silver Lining Rehabilitation Center organized the " Traveling with Snails" I Love My Home - Parent-Child Camp on Nov 5th-6th and 11th-12th. Life is not only about rehabilitation but also about poetry and faraway places. Give yourself and your child some time to explore the beauty of life together from their busy lives and daily work! Since 2014, Silver Lining has been organizing annual parent-child camps for families with children with disabilities to promote parent-child relationships, rebuild family support networks, and enable children to grow up better. Through fun parent-child interactions, parent-child classes to guide parents' growth, heart-soothing talk time, heart-warming family performances, etc., the energy is brought to life, and parents are empowered to walk with their children again. "I Love My Home" Parent-Child Camp Traveling with Snails 22 Guangxi Nanning Updates Traveling with Snails Silver Lining Production


"I Love My Home" Parent-Child Camp 23


By the grace of God, my friends from the youth center and I left for Pyin Oo Lwin from Yangon at 6pm on October 7, arranged by our colleagues from Silver Lining. I had never been to Pyin Oo Lwin before, and I was excited and thrilled. It was just like my hometown, with lots of flowers and trees on both sides of the road and houses hidden among the trees, giving an inspiring sense of friendliness. There were many teenagers of my age in the Silver Lining family village, and we had a great time talking, just like friends who had reunited after a long time. During my stay in Pyin Oo Lwin, I was fortunate to participate in many activities, the most touching of which was the leadership activity. Uncle David mentioned Everyone has a vision of the future in his or her heart. Silver Lining Missions protects the heart of every child, cares for their dreams, and helps them become better versions of themselves. We may not be the ones to see the children bearing fruits, but we will be the ones to plant the seeds for them! that "a good leader should not only focus on his own interests, but also on the interests of others" and that we should not only "dare to dream" but also have the courage to "dare to fail". Josh said, "confidence creates beauty", which encouraged me to believe that I am great. Thanks to the help of the Silver Lining, we have more opportunities to explore new things, may God bless everyone who helps us. Myanmar Yangon Youth Center - Adi Dream Future Dare to Embrace the 24 Children's Story Dare To Dream, Embrace the Future Myanmar Yangon Youth Center - Adi & Xiao Xin Myanmar Yangon


I am very grateful that our PYCC family had the opportunity to visit Pyin Oo Lwin. We visited many places and met many people that we had never met before. The teachers at the family village were very kind. The dinner prepared by the mothers at the village was delicious and special, and the children were very cute. We sat around and talked every day, sharing interesting stories about the center and the school, and it felt like family that I had known for a long time. I joined the "Dare to Dream" activity with my friends, playing games together, listening to the teachers' sharing, and discussing our dreams together. The games led by Uncle David made me understand that a good team needs to have team spirit, help each other, and support each other. I learned a lot from the different activities and had the opportunity to serve God in the process. This wonderful experience will stay in my memory forever, and I look forward to meeting my friends from the family village in the future. Myanmar Yangon Youth Center - Xiao Xin Future 25


"I want to be an architect and build houses that have love, warmth, and a sense of home.” Su, who is celebrating his first birthday in 18 years, made a small wish. After experiencing war, evacuation, and refugee camps, Su, who once had no hope for the future, reignited his dream once again. Su is from a remote village in Chin State, Myanmar. He has two younger brothers and two younger sisters, and his family relies entirely on his parents' work in the fields to make ends meet. As the eldest son in his family, Su has been working with his father since he was a child. When his father went to the mountains to cut firewood in his free time, Su followed him to collect firewood. Su's father was a skilled craftsman, making tables, chairs, and furniture, and sometimes helping others build houses. It was these experiences to Dreams AddingWings that planted in his heart the seeds to Su's dream of becoming an "architect”. If there were ups and downs to a life of poverty, Su worked hard to finish high school. If life had continued like this, with Su's hard work, it would not have been impossible to realize his dream. However, war shattered the tranquility of the village. In 2019, there was fierce fighting between the local armed militia and the Myanmar government army, and Su's family had to 26 Children's Story Adding Wings to Dreams Myanmar Yangon Youth Center - Center Director Myanmar Yangon


leave the village and spend three days walking to the nearest town called SAME, where they stayed in a refugee camp. For the first time, this young man experienced the cruelty of war and the fragility of life. Life in the refugee camps was very hard and there was always a shortage of supplies. But what was most painful for Su was not the lack of materials, but the lack of direction, the lack of hope, the lack of books, the lack of work, and the lack of clarity. However, God was good to him, and his father found out from the management of SAME Refugee Camp that the Youth Center in Yangon was enrolling students. His father asked Su about his wishes and applied with us, and I also got to know and survey his family. I believe he needs such an opportunity and platform to learn and grow. At the Yangon Youth Center, Su celebrated his 18th birthday for the first time, tasted the sweetness of the cake for the first time, and made a wish, remembering that he once dreamed of being an architect. Su said he was lucky to live and learn with other young people in the Youth Center in Yangon. Some of his past friends and classmates dropped out of school to work. Some joined the military training camps, and some others stayed in the refugee camps - but he did not want to live this way. "I want to do architecture in the future. My hope now is to improve my results in future college entrance exams.” He has a clear and firm plan for his future. 27


Xiao Lei was born in November 2012 and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy a little over 7 months later. The symptoms were the same as most children with cerebral palsy: inability to sit alone and delayed motor development. After experiencing disbelief, fate, anger, struggle, and despair, his parents finally accepted their child's impairment. In the following years, the mother and the child spent time running from hospital to hospital, until the family could no longer afford Xiao Lei's rehabilitation. The most worrying thing still happened A Turnaround Similar to most families who come to Silver Lining, Xiaolei's parents learned that Nanning Silver Lining Rehabilitation Center provided rehabilitation education for children with cerebral palsy free of charge, and they brought Xiaolei to Silver Lining with expectations. When Xiaolei joined the Silver Lining family, the stone that weighed his parents down finally released. "My goal this year is to write well." Xiao Lei said in a gentle voice and added: "write in the grid" at the end. "Writing in the grid" is a very common thing for many elementary school students, but for children with cerebral palsy, especially those who are sluggish, "writing in the grid" requires more than ten times the effort of ordinary people. Kid! Go for it, 28 Children's Story Go for it, kid! Silver Lining Production Guangxi Nanning


Persistence always pays off Xiao Lei is a cheerful boy who was never petulant at a young age. No matter whether the wind or rain, Xiao Lei never misses a class, and even when he is sick at home, he asks his father to record a video of his studies and send it to his teacher. When he first arrived at Silver Lining, Lei still needed a walker to walk; after two months, he could stand alone; after six months, he learned to walk. He is sluggish and his hands and his feet wobble a lot, but he is amazingly able to balance himself in the swaying and does not fall or bump into other children even when walking through crowded hallways. When he was 7 years old, he began to learn to write, and his teacher prepared a large square of paper specially made for him. Because of his poor hand control, Xiaolei cut the paper every time, but Xiaolei did not give up. He wrote for two days, a week, a month, and a year and he still could not write well. From crooked strokes to shaped words; the writing workbook was changed from oversized squares to large squares, to box squares. Xiaolei's progress came from his own sweat. This year, Xiao Lei is in the second grade in Silver Lining and no longer needs to be accompanied by his parents to school. He has learned to go up and down the stairs, dress, undress, eat and use the toilet independently. Lei has higher expectations for himself: "I want to go to a normal elementary school. Last year, two of Silver Lining‘s older brothers went out to work, and some students in the same class went to an ordinary elementary school, which gave Xiao Lei great encouragement. Life never treats anyone badly, if there are shadows on the road, there will be sunshine when you look up! 29


Let's Walk Together On The Road Of Resilience I am 14-year-old XiaoGuo from Guangxi, the "land of fruits", and I look back on my six years of elementary school life with a lot of emotions. My brother and I are twins, and we are also children with cerebral palsy. Our grandmother has been taking care of us since we were little. When I was in fifth grade, my grandmother got sick and had to go back home for treatment due to lumbar spine pain caused by overworking day after day. My uncle came to take care of us instead of my grandmother, but after all, my uncle had not been with us since we were children, so he knew nothing about rehabilitation. To reassure my grandmother, I grew up seemingly overnight, my brother and I worked harder than ever to recover and learn to take care of ourselves. My brother's health was weaker, and he Since 2007, Silver Lining Missions has been focusing on the rehabilitation and education of children with disabilities in Guangxi, opening a rehabilitation center in Nanning, Guangxi to provide them with free rehabilitation and education. For more than ten years, Silver Lining has cared for each of the children with disabilities, serving and promoting their integration into society. This year, six more children have completed elementary, middle, and high school at the Nanning Silver Lining Rehabilitation Center and have entered a new stage of life. Although the road to rehabilitation is not easy, and the road to school is bumpy, we will continue to walk together on the road of perseverance. was studying in Silver Lining. I was lucky enough to go to elementary school. I want to study hard so that I can have a good job and take care of my grandmother in the future. I graduated from elementary school this July. Silver Lining’s social workers helped me enroll in a public junior high school. This is a big challenge for me, and I need to have strength and courage, but I am willing to give it a try. Goodbye Elementary School, Hello Junior High School 30 Children's Story Let's Walk Together On The Road Of Resilience Guangxi Nanning


My name is XiaoLing, I graduated from secondary school this year, studied drug testing, and currently work in a pharmaceutical factory. Although I have graduated, I think I still have a lot to learn. My short-term plan is to work while scheduling time to enroll in college, hoping that my education and workability will improve in the next three years. I know that since my twin sister and I were born, my mom has been taking care of us, helping us with rehab, and keeping us growing every day while the family relies on my dad's job to support the family. When I reached my schooling age, my mom would drop me off at school in the morning and pick me up again around 4:30 p.m. On top of that, she had to take my sister to Silver Lining for rehab and take care of both of us sisters on weekends. It was a very hard time, and every day felt like a race against time, but she still insisted on dedicating herself to us. In this world, there are many ordinary people doing heart-warming things, such as my teachers, classmates, and rehabilitators in Silver Lining. Their selfless care and support gave me a lot of courage and made me feel the kindness of the world. The Future is Promising Nanning Silver Lining Rehabilitation Center - XiaoGuo and Xiaoling 31


Dear Sponsors On a hot summer day, I received your gift of a ping pong paddle. Just like the chilled watermelon, it makes me feel cool and a little sweet. Thank you for the gift, I love it so much. This summer, the weather was extraordinarily hot, but fortunately, there was a wind blowing gently, bringing a trace of coolness. For more than a decade, there has also been such a light, which has illuminated the road in front of me, dispersing the darkness behind me. Let me walk forward confidently and boldly, and accompany me silently, bringing me warmth. The young plant slowly grows into a small tree, which will shelter other small plants from the wind and rain. Thank you again and I wish you good health, family happiness, and all the best! Dahua Silver Lining Care Center - Xiao Wei THANK YOU LETTER 32 Children's Story Thank You Letter Dahua Silver Lining Care Center - Xiao Wei Guangxi Dahua


Your Love Changes Lives Services Missions Statement Silver Lining is committed to help the impoverished orphans, students and disabled children in mountainous area, through improving their lives, education, job opportunities, rehabilitation and providing emergency medical assistance. With our love and action, we hope to send care and blessings to the marginalized and neglected, help them overcome poverty, while re-establishing their dignity and hope.


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