Kennedy, Yangyang, or Ling XuYang (however you knew him) is still the same boy now that he goes by Timothy. You’d never forget him if you spent any time working at or visiting Shepherd’s Field in recent years. Life of the party, always smiling and singing, funny with a great laugh and lots of hugs, quick to help, and full of compassion – those all describe the son we’ve come to know and love.
Timothy is the same boy that many of you knew and loved well before we ever met him. He came home to us in July 2016, and his transition was seamless – primarily due to his loving nature and spirit of strength in adversity. We share countless laughs every day, no matter the occasion, even though we’ve spent most of this year homebound with COVID, like the rest of the world. But that doesn’t stop the fun.
During his four years at home, Timothy’s terrific English has only improved, and he’s also learned to read, write and spell. We’re a big family, so he never lacks a playmate and loves to play soccer, racing the others in his wheelchair as they bike just to keep it fair. Our adoption story with him was full of twists and turns, but no doubt Providence was at work in our journey. Timothy misses his Shepherd’s Field friends and family, so feel free to reach out to us and say hi. Our family is forever grateful for the love and care he received before finding his way to our home, and we’re thankful many of you played a role in his young life.
After a lively – and life-changing – last couple of years, we’re very excited to announce that we recently signed an agreement that makes it official. Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village (SFCV), now known as 7Acres, will formally work with orphaned teenagers to educate, train and prepare them for life outside of an institution! 7Acres has received the support of the local government, the area social welfare institute, and the wider community. This is a huge milestone as we celebrate our 25th anniversary of serving China’s orphaned children. We’re looking forward to this new and exciting adventure.