Saturday, September 1, 2012

Amanda and Nashville TN

As many of you know my wonderful friend Amanda passed away in July. In early August her celebration of life was held in Nashville TN. My family and I attended the service and spent some time exploring Nashville. The service was hard to attend but being able to hear from many of the individuals Amanda has met was wonderful. I loved seeing the babies that attended many of whom I had met when I volunteered with Amanda at her Foster home in Xi'An. I loved getting to see Josiah James, James at Starfish.
Josiah hasn't changed a bit. He is still as loving as ever! Oh how I have missed that little boy. I love that his family has kept in touch and has continued to allow me to watch him grow. Him and Lily also hit it off. They got along great and Josiah is quite the charmer still. Lily is still talking about how cute he is. Which of course I agree he is a cute little guy. 


At the memorial I was also able to meet Amanda's mother who traveled from South Africa to be there. Amanda's mother was able to take a picture with all the babies that Amanda had saved who attended the memorial. 

I love seeing all  those adorable faces and knowing that they are here today healthy and united with forever families because Amanda said yes to God even though the deed looked impossible. She was able during her life to save and care for 168 babies. That 's 168 lives that were forever changed and in many cases even more because those children have gone on the change the lives of many volunteers and the lives of the families that have adopted them.

It's not everyday that you meet an angel on this earth. Amanda was an angel and because of her there are a 100+ little ones alive to change the world and make it a better place for all.



Below are many of  the little ones who are alive today because of Amanda and the work she did during her life time. (The children in the fist picture are all still in China waiting for their adoptive families to come and get them, a few have left since this picture was taken) 

Ava and the difference Amanda made in her life.

Some of the oldest children currently at Starfish

Grace and Amanda. I met Grace my first year at Starfish

Starfish Alumni 



Amanda's foster home is still in operation and it is the hope of Starfish to continue to fulfill her wish of opening an even bigger place and owning her own home so that she could save even more babies! To leave more about Starfish and the work they do in China please visit HERE


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