Bangladesh??

OK, we have a week off to celebrate the biggest holiday of the year in China – no work, no school, and vacation money saved up. Maybe beach relaxation, skiing excitement, hotel pool, shopping, eating out, history and museum trekking…what to do?

How about an exhausting, challenging, uncomfortable week spent in a poor, dusty, seemingly forgotten place? How about Home of Love Orphanage, in Chittagong, Bangladesh?
If you don’t know Bangladesh, the photos will help. But statistics say it is the most densely populated country on earth, and one of the absolute poorest. There are so few flight choices that it takes 3 flights and an overnight stay along the way to get there, even coming from nearby China. The statistics were right, economic conditions are tough. We spent the week living at the orphanage.
We ate there.
We worked.
We cried for them.
But as we found out, statistics don’t tell the whole story.
What we didn’t know, is what life we would find inside this place!
What love!
In the midst of everything else, Home of Love is a place making a world of difference. People who believe in God’s call joined together to form a home of love for kids that the world has overlooked. And we were privileged to be there!
Funny how God works. Long after I am forgotten by these kids, I will still remember the effect they have on me. So who exactly is helping who??
Some things in life leave you never quite the same afterward…this was one of them.

Love, the Allens

Christmas in China

Christmas vacation in Yongshuo, China. We could try to explain...but maybe it will be better to just show the pictures?
The Klopfenstein's (Rich's brother and family) are here to join with us on the trip of a lifetime. Here biking in the China countryside...

A reminder that while we are just visiting...for the rest of the people here, this is where they live.Hiking through the beautiful, incredible Karst-type mountains.

Rock-climbing...no wooden walls or rubber hand holds required. Just pick the face of a mountain and go! Here are four of us going up at once...

And yes, EVERYONE made it up!

Lance rappeling over the edge on the way down...do parents really let their kids do this??A Chinese cooking school to help top it off... An UNFORGETTABLE experience!Love, RichSueStaciaLucasLanceElise

The Great Wall Tournament - Thanksgiving in Beijing

For our second Thanksgiving in China, Rich and I followed Stacia's basketball team to Beijing for the Great Wall Tournament hosted by the International School of Beijing. We witnessed some great competition between teams from Osaka and Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai. Unfortunately, the team from Thailand couldn't get out of their country to attend because of the airport being shut down from the protests. Eighteen family members of the girls all attended to stomp, clap and cheer the team on to their 3rd place finish in the tournament. We parents had a blast together hanging out between games, taking a couple of side trips, and sharing meals. The host school even put on a wonderful Thanksgiving feast on Saturday night for the players and coaches. They even extended an invitation to the Concordia parents to join in. The turkey meat was cut off the bird and placed on my plate - boy was that moist! It was a fantastic trip and we were able to enjoy it without worry as the other kids had Rich's mom to stay with them. We sure appreciated that opportunity - Thanks Carol!

We also had time to visit the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube olympic buildings.

I just had to include this view of the Forbidden City from the hill top pavillion. It is meant for you to see the incredible pollution of this great city.

Rich and I took a side trip Friday morning to a beautiful park across the street from the Forbidden City. Several of these pavillions were placed on top of a hill in the park. It is winter there like in Detroit but the weather turned out great as the sun came out and warmed everything up.

Stacia and her team accepting the Jade vase trophy for a third place finish.

Stacia and her teammate being recognized as "All Wall" tournament team players

Stacia's team waiting for the end of the tournament Thanksgiving feast to begin.

And the season has just begun.....

First Day of School 2008

Our traditional "crazy" pose

The Allen Gang heads off for another new school year.

Stacia (10th grade), Lucas (9th grade), Lance (6th grade),

Elise (4th grade).

As the old saying goes, "My how time flies..." I now have two

high schoolers. I can still distinctly remember standing outside

our first home on Oxford taking Stacia's picture on the first day

of preschool with Lucas waving goodbye and Lance standing there

sucking on his bottle. How excited I was for Stacia. Will I be that

excited when she is starting college? We are truly blessed with

these four and it is such a fun stage in life keeping up with all

of their activities and watching them mature. I need to remind

myself to cherish every stage and enjoy them while they are still

in the home.

Allen Boys are Discovered!

Check out those models! Last week Lucas experienced his first shot at modeling and a few days later Lance had his turn. It was quite a scene watching the ladies fussing over their hair and makeup and helping them to put on and take off dozens of sweaters. They took to it like fish in water!

It all took place after our good friends the Liptaks were stopped while out in town. An model's agent approached our friends and asked if they would consider having their sons do some modeling for a manufacturer's marketing catalogue. They also asked if they had any friends who would be interested in it as well. Lucas jumped at the chance, but it took Lance a few days to come around to the idea. Lance now has his second shoot on Monday the 18th at our home. As it turns out, several kids that our kids know in the community have done it including our neighbors two doors down. The boys love making some pocket money and are paid on the spot in cash.

The agent has certain sizes that need to be shot, so she lines up the kids as she needs them who meet the height requirement. The boys will be called as they have need for them. What a riot it has been and quite a memory in the making. I'm not sure this will go very far ( we will not be creating any portfolios or seeking out agencies) but they will enjoy it as long as it lasts.