Happy Holidays!

Thank you for visiting our blog! Below are some last minute gift ideas ~ both for alternative gifts and conventional gifts. We hope everyone is having a healthy and happy holiday season!

ALTERNATIVE GIFT GIVING IDEAS:








Do you already have everything you need? Consider registering for a donations to Moving Mountains China in leau of a gift through FirstGiving.com.

To see a sample page, please visit http://www.firstgiving.com/kimjodoin

To create your own page, visit http://www.firstgiving.com/33907












Are you having a hard time finding just the right gift to give? Consider giving the gift of education by sending your loved ones a Moving Mountains China Joy to the World card. If you send a girl to school for a month ($30) or more, we will send cards to your loved ones explaining that a donation has been made in their names.

If you purchase one or more gifts, providing a total of 6 months of education or more, next December, we will send you a photo and a thank you letter written to your loved ones by the student who receives the scholarship in September!

To purchase a Joy to the World card, visit
http://movingmountainschina.org/donate.php#gift


CONVENTIONAL GIFT GIVING IDEAS: ~ consider giving twice by buying gifts through the following links




Amazon.com will donate up to 15% of any purchase made through this link:
http://movingmountainschina.org/donate.php#gift



Magfundraising.com will donate up to 40% of all purchases of magazines or cookie dough to Moving Mountains China! For more information, visit
http://www.magfundraising.com/GroupPage.aspx?gredirection=1&e=1191845



A big thanks to Kim Philbrick who has offered to donate 20% of each Arbonne purchase to Moving Mountains! Please choose your products online, email your order to arbonnejava@comcast.net and let her know that you would like to move mountains with your purchase.

To view Arbonne products visit http://www.arbonne.com/international.asp

Happy Holidays!!!

2009 Winners of Inc. Magazine's
Best Lemonade Stand in America Contest

“Every cup of lemonade provides a day of school in China.” Say the two 11-year-olds

What started out as a simple lemonade stand on the streets of a small New Hampshire community nearly three years ago has grown to be recognized as the Best Lemonade Stand in America according to Inc. Magazine, a nationally recognized resource for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

“People don’t think kids can make a difference, but we really can!” exclaimed Allison, 11, upon learning that she and her friend Abby, also 11, won the national contest while raising money to change the lives of six very lucky girls in rural China.

Abby and Allison and volunteers Lia, Emily, Holly, Ava, Grant and Luke have been screaming at the top of their lungs! Not at a ball game or an amusement park, but at the beach. They have been yelling, "Lemonade and brownies! 100% for charity!" For the past two years, the girls have sold lemonade on the side of the road. This summer, instead of waiting for people to drive by, they decided to put their business on wheels. “It’s like the ice cream truck. You bring your business to your customers,” said Allison.

In July, Abby and Allison entered a national contest for Inc.com's "Best Lemonade Stand in America." http://www.inc.com/lemonade/2009/read_story.html?id=61&o=40 When asked about the money they earned in the first weekend, Abby wrote, "In one day, we made $155 toward our goal of $300. We sold out of everything in just two hours! Next time, we are going to have a second wagon with extra supplies so we can earn even more. Since the family of the girl we sponsor only makes $214 a year, it is important that we reach our goal or she will not be able to finish high school." Since then, they received votes from 41 states and 8 countries and received the most votes in the history of the contest!

By the end of the summer, Abby, Allison and their friends raised an incredible $3,267 including $1,000 from the very generous Dr. Pepper Snapple Group ~ the makers of ReaLemon. The kids donated 100% of their earnings to Moving Mountains China. They earmarked $1,800 of that amount to send six female honor students in rural China to high school. This one-to-one sponsorship program allows them to exchange letters twice a year with the girls they have sponsored allowing them to understand the results of all their hard work. The kids not only raised money, by sharing their story, they inspired at least five other families to sponsor students in China!


Last week, Abby and Allison received a phone call from Inc. Magazine asking them to come to New York City to be interviewed on Inc.TV. The girls and two other finalists were asked to bring not only their lemonade but their lemonade stands to the New York City headquaters.

While there, Allison, Abby and Lia were named the grand prize winners!

To see the interview click here: http://www.inc.com/inctv/2009/09/best-lemonade-stand-winners.html

The next morning the girls were interviewed on The Today Show in Rockefeller Center...

To view a clip http://www.youtube.com/user/maxarsolutions

...and by FOX news.

Pictured here (from left to right)
FOX weatherman
Lia Jodoin of Rye, NH
Emily Cassidy of Harrisville, RI
Holly Cassidy of Harrisville, RI
Allison Jodoin of Rye, NH
Abby Suchocki of Rye, NH not pictured here.

Emily and Holly volunteered for several days this summer selling lemonade sponsoring two girls with the money they earned.

...and interviewed by the local newspaper http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090919/GJNEWS_01/709199919

Haiyan was sponsored for 3 years by Abby and Allison

Zhi was sponsored for 3 years by Allison



Mei was sponsored in her final year by Abby and Allison






Lei Li was sponsored in her final year by Emily and Holly



Lailei was also sponsored in her final year by Emily and Holly

Selected Voter Comments in Inc.’s Online “Best Lemonade Stand in America” Contest

Michele – Norman, OK
When life gives you lemons...give them to some great kids!


Rick A. - Littleton, CO
Location, location, location. If they are not in the right place to sell, they move to the best place. Somebody please give them more wagons so they can make a caravan for a great cause.


Susan L. - Brooklyn, CT
Absolutely inspiring. Stories of kids like these should be on the summer reading lists of schools across America.


Belinda - Eliot, ME
This is genius - raising funds for a great charitable effort, bringing the product to the customers, and doing it all with compassion, enthusiasm and a sense of fun. If this is what our future looks like, we're in good hands!


Mirja - Jerusalem
Abby, it is wonderful that you care about other girls your age and are even ready to work hard for helping them. If big people were to do the same we would have another world.


Aurora S. - Ft. Myers, FL
As a foreign teacher of English in China, this story is inspiring. Education is always the key to a brighter future and the selflessness of these girls should be a bench mark for society. Well done!

Q&A

What does Moving Mountains China do? Moving Mountains China provides scholarships to female honor students who have been accepted into the best high schools in their counties. But with an average family income of only $266 a year, the $300 tuition is completely out of reach. Moving Mountains matches the students with their sponsors and allows them to exchange letters twice a year.

“For kids like these, it is incredibly empowering. The amount that they need to raise is attainable and the results of their hard work is tangible to them. They will know exactly who received their donation and through the letters, they will learn how they have changed their lives.“ Kim Jodoin ~ Founder Moving Mountains China.

How did you get so many votes? Abby: Our moms emailed friends and family and asked them to vote and to send it to their friends. So many people forwarded it, that we got votes from 41 states and 8 countries.

Why did you name your stand Moving Lemonade? Abby: We named it Moving Lemonade because it is a moving lemonade stand and because it ties into the charity’s name ~ Moving Mountains China.

How did you make your stand? Abby: First, I came up with idea of putting one mountain on each side and topping each mountain with a flag one from America and one from China. We put ice caps to make people think of cold lemonade.

How much money did you make? With friends, we made $1,886. Then Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (the makers of ReaLemon) gave us $1,000.

Why China? Abby: Because in China they don’t make as much money and people in America have better opportunities to go school. Emily: If you think about it, for $300, you can stay in a hotel in New York City for one night. In China, that same $300 can change someone’s life.

Why do you like Moving Mountains China? Allison: Because it’s fun to write to our pen pals. Abby: I like it because we can change the life of a girl just by going to the beach.

How many days did you sell lemonade on the beach? Allison: With Abby, we went about five times but I also went with my friend Ava and my two cousins Emily and Holly for three days.

What was the best part of running your lemonade stand?
Allison: When we realized that each cup of lemonade we sold, paid for one day of school for our pen pal. Abby: Because I could do it with my best friend.

Why did you start running the stand?Allison: To sponsor my pen pal Zhi and I kept doing it for that. But now, I realize that I shouldn’t do it for that. I should help kids who can’t raise as much money as me but if I have extra, I would sponsor another girl.

For more information on Moving Mountains please visit http://www.movingmountainschina.org/.

Finalists for "The Best Lemonade Stand in America!"

This summer Allison, Abby and Lia have been screaming at the top of their lungs! Not at a ball game or an amusement park, but at the beach. They have been yelling, "Lemonade and brownies! 100% for charity!" For the past two years, the girls have sold lemonade on the side of the road. This year, instead of waiting for people to drive by, they decided to bring the lemonade to their customers!

In July, Allison, Abby and Lia entered a national contest for Inc.com's "Best Lemonade Stand in America." http://www.inc.com/lemonade/2009/read_story.html?id=61&o=40 Since then, they received approximately 520 votes from 41 states and 8 countries!

By the end of the summer, the girls and their friends raised an incredible $1,886 plus an additional $1,000 from the very generous Dr. Pepper Snapple Group ~ the makers of ReaLemon lemon juice. Not only that, but their story inspired at least five other families to sponsor students in China!

This afternoon, the girls received a phone call from Inc.com asking them to come to New York City to be interviewed on Inc.TV. The girls and two other finalists have been asked to bring not only their lemonade but their lemonade stands to the headquaters. An editor from Inc.com will then announce the winners!

More Students

These two girls are in Yunnan and are in their final year of high school.


YN 18 ~ Zhiqi

Zhi is the name of all the children born in her generation. In Chinese, Qi has the same sound as seven and ZhiQi is the seventh child in her family. She hopes to become a writer or a poet some day. Her favorite thing about her village is the marsh nearby. She loves to watch the black necked cranes there. Unfortunately she doesn’t get to go home often because her village is five hours away from the school.

This is the letter she wrote to her sponsor last year.

My name is Lu Zhiqi. I live in a small village in the northeastern part of Yunnan Province. It’s a poor village far from the city. I would like to thank you all for your help.

Every day when the sun rises, everything begins again from the start. Just like the motto of our class: Get up early to work hard for your ideals, you’ll be brave; Sleep in the late midnight to work hard for goals, you’ll be well prepared. Without your help, I might only be able to say hello to the morning sun in a wasteland or gaze into the setting sun hopelessly. I couldn’t be well prepared when opportunities came either. Because of your help, I can continue writing. I have a dream that one day I could be an accomplished scholar. I could express myself by creating beautiful articles. Without your help, I might be standing on the street of a busy city but have no hope and dreams. I thank you for giving me the chance to lead a different life.

Well, about my summer vacation, it was pretty good actually. I was born in countryside so I helped my parents to do some work in the fields. The potatoes here are gorgeous. They are big but the harvest is not in summer. In countryside, I can live close to nature and feel it. There are no trees in my hometown. It’s in a highland. We only have grassland here. There is green grass and there are flowers here in spring. It’s beautiful. There is a huge marsh near the lake next to our village. Hundreds of black-necked cranes fly to the marsh in winter. They are well protected in China. When the land is covered by thick white snow, the cranes will dance in the snow, warble in the sky or slide above the lake surface.

My home is very far from school. It takes 5 hours by bus, so I can only go home once every semester. For the rest of the time, I stay on campus. Life is also interesting in school. I play basketball with my friends. It’s interesting.

Women are born for beauty. I particularly love the flowers on our campus. I can see beauty in every flower. I can see the life when the flowers bloom or wilt. I like the flowers blooming quietly under the trees on campus. They are like smiles of girls like me, in the warm sunlight.

I think if I work hard and use my heart to feel everything, my studies, my life and my morals will all become better and better. So in the coming year, I will study hard and absorb as much knowledge as I can. At the beginning of a new year, I will do my best to achieve more. Of all my subjects, I love Chinese the most because Chinese is the most beautiful language in my heart. I can only express and release my thoughts and feelings through words. I could give up everything but not literature because I need it to journal about my life, my future and my dreams. I believe that my dreams are not far from me when I am full of enthusiasm.

Thank you.

Best wishes.

Lu Zhiqi



YN 22 ~ Zhou

Zhou Huamei’s name means “beautiful China.” She wants to teach history at her high school someday. Huamei seems very quiet and a little shy. Her village is near a beautiful mountain and has lots of trees. She is very grateful for her scholarship but she is also very excited to have the opportunity to write to her sponsor.


This is the letter she wrote to her sponsors last year.

My name is Zhou Huamei, a girl who lives in a small city in the northeastern region of Yunnan Province. I am writing to extend my great thanks for your kind and timely help because without it, I would never be able to go on with my high school life.

How time flies! Now a brand new semester has started. I’d like to share with you how I spent my summer vacation time. In the morning, I usually did housework while my parents went out doing their jobs. In the afternoon, at about 1 p.m. when the sun was beating straight down on our heads, my father and I had to go digging up potatoes. During the evening, I would help cook with my father. After a day’s work, I would have a little rest, watching some TV news and the day’s highlights of the Beijing Olympic Games. Then came my reading time which usually ended at 10 pm. Life continued like this for a month and then we were done with the potato harvest. Then came the corn harvesting season… Life is harsh, isn’t it? After months’ of exposure to sunlight, I looked like an African girl on orientation day at school.

Going to college has always been my dream because I know only after I succeed will my life be completely changed.

My hometown is at the foot of the Phoenix Mountain which is covered by evergreen trees. It serves as a natural gymnasium for many people.

It’s quite some distance from my home to my school. It takes almost an hour by bus. I make my trip home every weekend, talking with my parents about school life and visiting my grandma sometimes.

The new semester has begun. It’s my start as a junior in high school and my life’s turning point as well. I’ve made my study plan and I’m determined to work even harder to reach my dreams. It seems that I kind of over did it already. In fact, because I didn’t get enough rest, I have become short-sighted and I have to wear glasses…but that’s hardly an issue for me.

I wish you all the best!
Yours sincerely,

Zhou Huamei



These girls are all entering their second year of high school.

All of these girls had one year commitments from people sponsoring a student in honor of birthdays or other special occasions. YN means that they are from the Yunnan Province of China and GD means that they are from the Guangdong Province. Below are excerpts from their letters to their sponsors.



YN ~ 35 ~ Zhao Zejian

I am Zhao Zejian. I am from a small town in northeast Yunnan Province. I am very grateful for the financial aid provided by you and your family. Your help makes me understand the beauty of love. It helps me have a brighter future, helps me turn from crying to laughing and takes away discouraging thoughts and sadness.

Once when I was in middle school, I got an extremely low test score. This disappointed me and made me lose confidence in my studies. I once wanted to drop out. But the people around me, my parents, my classmates and my teachers encouraged me by telling me that failure can be conquered. What is “fearful’ and knocked-down is within me and I should never lose self-confidence. Their encouragement gave me strength and made me want to work hard.

After I got the acceptance letter from this high school, I once again let myself fall into despair because I knew that my family was too poor to pay for me to go to this school. I would never be able to realize my dream. I asked myself why my fate was so miserable, why success was so far from me… For a while, I just stayed at home in meditation, “School will begin soon; what should I do?” My parents insisted that I go to school. They told me, “No matter how poor we are; we will try our best to send you to school.”

Just after the beginning of school, the good news came to me. I was told that I could get a Moving Mountain’s scholarship. I suddenly felt that I was the luckiest person in the world. The world was not so dark anymore and I felt that bright love shone upon everything in the world. My heart is filled with gratitude. I told myself that I will model myself after you. I will learn to love others and make the world brighter and more harmonious.

Thank you again! I wish you a happy life and family and success!

Zhao Zhejian

Zhao Zhejian's annual family income is 600 RMB (approximately $88) a year
Favorite class: Math
Favorite sport: Basketball
Free time activities: Reading, listening to music
Summer holiday activities: Helping my parents with household work, doing holiday homework, mountain-climbing and travelling
Future goals: Working hard to enter an ideal university to become a doctor


YN ~ 34 ~ Guo Taizhou



Hello! I am the student you are helping in Yunnan. My name is Guo Taizhou. My home is in a small city in northeast Yunnan. I really thank you for helping me. At the time that the high school test results were sent to me, I was extremely excited. At that time, my mood was really golden.

My neighbor told me that this high school is very hard. It made me shiver, but I’m not afraid. I just decided to focus on my heart’s goal. I will focus on the end result. I believe that where there is a will there is a way.

I just began with a new teacher. I was in a new environment and had new problems. When I thought about taking my parents’ blood-and-sweat-earned money, it really affected me. I was really very heartbroken. I needed to overcome this difficulty. I knew I must somehow use my achievements to pay back my parents.

When I learned of your help, I was very happy. It will relieve a large burden on my parents. But now, it increases your burden. My heart thanks you. With your help with tuition, I have self-confidence and a new life to look forward to. From now on, I want to work hard toward my goals. In the future, I want to pay back my parents and pay back all the people that helped me. If there is a time when I have the ability, I would also like to give someone a helping hand like you have given me. I want to give warm sunshine to those people that I help. I truly wish that sunshine will illuminate all things and disperse any trace of chilliness. It can spread good fortune.
Thanks to you all!

I wish you good fortune, beauty and happiness every day.

Guo Taizhou

Annual family income 750 RMB (approximately $110 a year)
Favorite class: Politics and Chinese
Favorite sport: Long jump, playing basketball
Free time activities: Mountain climbing, travelling
Summer holiday activities: Helping my parents with farm work and doing holiday homework
Future goals: Keep studying, working hard to enter an ideal university




GD ~ 127 ~ Jieping Lun

This student is in her second year of high school.

Hello! It has been a month since the start of this semester. I was admitted to the best high school in our county. I am really excited about it. About four months ago, when I was in my third year of middle school, I thought I might not be able to continue my education. I was really afraid. I didn’t know what to do and I felt helpless.

When my principal told me about this opportunity to receive a scholarship from such kind-hearted people, (I was very happy.) I realized how hard it would be if I had to drop out just because my family was poor. Now, I want to work hard and learn as much as I can. When I grow up, I am determined to help children in poverty to continue their education just as you have done.

Thank you all! I wish you will have good health and success in everything you do in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Jieping Lun

Annual Family Income 2,500 RMB (approximately $357 a year)
Favorite class: Physics
Favorite sport: Badminton
Free time activities: Reading
Summer holiday activities: Working on the farm, doings some odd jobs
Future goals: To go to top university

Students Without Sponsors

Because of the tough economy, the four students below lost their sponsor just before their final year of high school. With generous matching grants from the Fuller Foundation and Yunnan Kids International, these girls can be sponsored through our one-to-one sponsorship program for only $150. This program will allow you to exchange letters twice a year with the student you have sponsored. For more information about Moving Mountains, please visit our website at http://www.movingmountainschina.org/. If you are interested in being matched with one of these girls, please email us as soon as possible at info@MovingMountainsChina.org.

Below are photos and excerpts from letters that the girls have written to their sponsor in the past.

GD 117 ~ Peng Zhiling (Lin) ~ Guangdong ~ THANKS TO THE PAULDING FAMILY, LIN HAS FOUND A SPONSOR!!

Hello! My name is Lin. My father died when I was little. Living in a poor household, I understood the importance of education at a young age. I wanted to go to school. I loved studying and I didn’t want to give up my dreams of a bright future because of family difficulties. Though there was little chance that I could continue my education, I believe it is very important to at least have a dream. To me, opportunities are so important that I cannot let even a single chance pass me by. Education can change our lives and a bright future is waiting for me.

Now I am in my second year and I am still working hard. I am working hard because I know that the college entrance examination is not far away. I also work hard because I value this precious opportunity of education and because I don’t want to let my parents and all of you down! This year, I was selected to be in the elite class and I have chosen to major in science. I will keep working hard and will prove that “a man can still dream big even if he’s poor”.

Lin

Lin's family makes approximately $135 a year.

GD 109 ~ Li Lishan ~ Guangdong

I am very grateful that you gave me the opportunity to go back to school again. My sister-in-law had a serious illness and had to have an operation. Because we had to use up all of our savings for the operation, my family was not able to afford my tuition. My adoptive parents are getting old, so I had prepared myself for giving up on my education. But because of your support, I am able to go back to school. I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity that you gave to me.

The new term has started and I was really happy to go back to school again. Once I got back, I was glad to find your letter. At first, I was afraid to disappoint you then I realized that what you said was right ~ with commitment one can succeed.

I had a very nice summer vacation. I worked a summer job. It made me realize that since leaving middle school, I have learned more about life’s lessons and have become a stronger person. I’ll tell you that made me happy! I learned a lot at my job about medicine and how medicine is made. I increased my knowledge and experience while helping to alleviate the financial burden on my family. We all spent the summer vacation happily here. How were your summer holidays? I would say mine have been colorful, I laughed until my belly hurt.

I have to tell you that I really love flowers, Xin Yun Xing* and hand-made products of that kind. I am also fond of music. What do you like? If you are able to come here, I’ll give you a bottle of Xin Yun Xing! I hope you will like it. I wish you happiness and fortune.

Li Lishan

* Xin Yun Xing are “lucky stars” made by folding small pieces of paper. They are a symbol of good luck and are popular among students in China.

Li Lishan's family makes approximately $203 a year. She wants to be a brain surgeon but her parents want her to be a teacher.

GD 106 ~ Li Jianyu ~ Guangdong

When I heard that I would receive a scholarship, I was speechless. Thank you! Though I have never seen you in person, you are great figures in my heart!

Education was my only option. In the countryside, I wouldn’t have had any choices without an education. I have a dream which is also the dream of all the people who care about me and help me. In the future, I will do everything in my power to repay society because I will never forget the love that I have received.

During the summer holiday, I studied a lot but I also had fun. My house is close to the West River’s bank, so I spent most of my summer holiday on the beach. Now I really miss home and my parents’ cooking.

With the start of the new term, I am studying English more diligently in hopes that my grades can be higher. I really love the English language. It’s like an ocean where I float. My school’s environment is wonderful but I can’t seem to find the words to describe it.

I have many friends in school and we often go hiking or play basketball. Every day I can enjoy happy and enriching experiences. Our head teacher is a beautiful woman and she has become like a sister to us, so we often make fun of her.

I have talked a lot for now. If you have the chance to come to our school, we can talk again.

I wish you happiness!

Jianyu

Li Jianyu's family makes approximately $338 a year. Jianyu wants to be a novelist who writes nonfiction novels. She wants the messages in her books to inspire people around the world to help poor people.


YN 004 ~ Jiang Wei ~ Yunnan

Hello to you all! My name is Jiang Wei. My family lives in a small city in the northeastern part of Yunnan Province. I am very thankful for your help. With your kind-hearted help, I have energetically marched forward into a rich and happy place – the best high school in our county. That place has been full of my and even my family’s happy sounds and smiles. This is all because of you. I often say: “有你， 有我的一天， 就是精彩的一天。” (“Because of you, I have this day and it’s a wonderful day”).

School has a wonderful atmosphere for studying. Everyone fights for their ideals, their life goals and everyone works very hard. Of course, I am no exception. However, it was you who gave me this. I am honored to know you. In China, we have an ancient saying: “有缘千里来相会” (This means something to the effect of “Though we are separated by thousands of miles, fate has found a way to bring us together.”) I think this saying describes our situation well.

Time is like running water. I am already a junior in high school (she will be a senior in September) and I have made deep friendships with my classmates and teachers. We all work hard together for a better tomorrow. My favorite teachers are my Chinese teacher, my politics teacher, my chemistry teacher and my math teacher. My Chinese teacher gives us the feeling that we can do anything. My politics and chemistry teachers’ classes are full of passion, liveliness and charm. My math teacher is very easygoing, cute and is unmatched in her warm personality.

If I work hard and go all out, the rewards will come back to me. I believe that I can do it. If you can come to this beautiful city, I would also like to welcome you to come to my hometown. Here there are many rare animals such as the black necked cranes and there are beautiful mountains and lakes. The people are friendly and inviting and I believe you would really like it here. Thank you! I wish you success in your work, good health, riches and happiness!

Jiang Wei

Jiang Wei's family makes approximately $439 a year. She wants to be a doctor in America some day.

Guangdong

This is the high school in Guangdong.

Below are photos and updates of the girls we have sponsored in this school.



GD 102 ~ Feng

Feng means phoenix in Chinese. Feng’s favorite thing in her village is the beautiful river there. In her letter, she said that she likes to daydream. She says that she dreams about going to the most prestigious college and having a good life. She also dreams of giving her family a good life as well. When she graduates, she wants to work in an office but dreams of traveling all over the world. She would begin by visiting Vienna and going to a concert because she heard that they make beautiful music there.


GD 0104 ~ Jiamin

Jiamin told us that she wants to be a physics teacher. After school, Jiamin wants to stay in touch with her classmates even though she lives an hour away from the school. She loves school but misses the mountains in her village. She said that she enjoys hiking alone in the mountains. Jiamin seems very athletic and when we asked her if that was true, she laughed and said that she loves sports, especially basketball and badminton.


GD 0105 ~ Huifang

Huifang seems very confident and has an easy smile but, at the same time, she is very soft spoken. She answered some of the questions in her sponsor's letter. Yes, she does know about amusement parks. She said that the weather in Guangdong is nice. This is the best time of the year (November) because it is not too hot and not too cold. Even in the winter, it never snows there.
She lives more than an hour away from school but did have a chance to go home on the bus this weekend. She loves her village because the people in her neighborhood are so nice.

In her letter, she asked her sponsors if they could help her with her English. We thought her English was very good but she giggled and shook her head when we told her that. She said that she wants to be a teacher when she graduates. We asked if she wanted to be an English teacher and she giggled again and said, “Maybe.” Her dream is to have adventures especially under the sea. She said that she would love to scuba dive some day.


GD 0106 ~ Jianyu

Jianyu is very sweet and a little bashful. She said that her name means “healthy and wealthy”. Her father gave her that name because he wanted her to have a good life. She said that she loves to be near the water. She doesn’t live very far away from school but she misses her mother very much.

Jianyu wants to be a novelist who writes nonfiction novels. She wants the messages in her books to inspire people around the world to help poor people. She wants her sponsors to know that she also loves basketball and loves to watch the MBA. (Jianyu’s sponsors had a basketball tournament to raise money for her scholarship.)



GD 0107 Mintao

"Min" means agile and "Tao" means peach. Mintao’s mother died and her father works as a security guard. She has five brothers and sisters but Mintao says with a big laugh, “They are not as smart as I am.” Her dream is to someday see the cherry blossoms in Japan. Mintao is very sweet and extremely outgoing. She loves to do origami and is very good at it.





GD 108 ~ Ruihua

Ruihua is a shy and quiet girl. She said that she hasn’t decided what she wants to do for work yet but she loves to study English. She finally smiled when we asked her about her dreams. Ruihua said that her biggest dream would be to come to the United States to visit her sponsor Izzy! Izzy has truly changed her life.

GD 0109 ~ Lishan

Lishan smiled the whole time we spoke to her. She was wearing a beautiful jade necklace that her mother gave to her. Lishan wants to be a brain surgeon but her parents want her to be a teacher. We told her that she should always respect her parents but in this case, she should follow her dreams. She just giggled and said she doesn’t know what she will do.

She said her village isn’t special but it is surrounded by beautiful mountains. This summer she went to work in a factory about four hours from her home. She made Chinese medicine there. She joked that that is probably why she wants to be a doctor.

GD 0110 ~ Xiazhi

This is a photo of Xiazhi and her sponsor Allison. Allison raised the tuition money herself by selling lemonade and brownies in front of her house.

Xiazhi has one younger brother and one younger sister. Her father works in factories and moves from place to place looking for work. Her mother stays home and tends to the tangerine bushes. The bushes are young so the tangerines are small this year. Xiazhi says that once the bushes are mature, her family will be able to get a better price for their harvest.

Xiazhi wants to be a translator someday but she was a little self conscious and didn’t want to practice her English with us. We told her that her English had to be better than our Chinese. She just giggled.

GD 0111 ~ Xiaolin

Xiaolin was very excited to receive a picture and a letter from her sponsors. She says that she loves school but misses her hometown. Her favorite subject is English. She hopes that someday her sponsors can come visit her and help her improve it. She wrote to her sponsors saying, “I really thank you for you giving me the chance to go back to school. You gave me this life changing opportunity! Thanks! I am proud to know you!”

GD 0112 ~ Yanfeng

Yanfeng seems to be a very sweet girl. She was thrilled to have a photo of her sponsors. In her letter she wrote, “My goal is to become a successful person and to contribute to society. In the future, if I have the resources, I will help those in need just like you helped me. The world is a better place because of your loving hearts. Let me thank you again from the bottom of my heart! Thank you for letting me realize my dream to go to high school.” Her sponsors wrote back to us and said, “Please let Yanfeng know that we think of her often. We have her letter posted on our family bulletin board and the kids talk about her like she lives with us ~ very cute.”

GD 113 ~ Zhaomei

Zhaomei says that her hometown is very beautiful. Her family grows tangerines and rice. Her hometown is far from school so she only goes home once a month. She is doing well in school and hopes to become a teacher in the future. In her letter Zhaomei wrote, “This summer, I went out to the city to work in a factory so I could help my family. Working in the factory made me realize that if I don’t go to school now, I will end up miserable working in the factory. So I am really eager to have the opportunity to continue my education. I really appreciate your help.”

GD 114 ~ Miaoqing

Miaoqing hopes to become a lawyer someday. In her letter to her sponsor, she wrote, "After taking the high school entrance exam, I went to Zhongshan to work in a factory. On Aug 15th, I received a call from my father and he told me that I was admitted to the best school in the county. I was very happy about that but my mother said that they could not send me to school because they didn’t have enough money. I was so sad. I knew what it was like working in a factory. Now, I am really grateful for your help. I will cherish this opportunity."

GD 115 ~ Jinni

Jinni loves to play sports especially basketball. She says that she is among the best athletes in her school maybe even in the whole country.
When she first came to this school, Jinni wanted to become a coach. Now, she wants a job in environmental protection. She seems very confident that she will reach her goals.

GD 0116 ~ Haimei

Haimei said that “Hai” means sea and “Mei” means flower. Haimei doesn’t know for sure what she wants to do for work yet but will probably be a social worker. Her dream is to travel around the world someday beginning in Venice. For now, she enjoys working in the fields and growing tangerines.

GD 0117 ~ Zhiling

Zhiling looks very different now. She cut her hair very short “because it is more convenient.” After she graduates, she wants to be an English teacher but she also wants to teach her students to be socially conscious. Zhiling’s father died when she was little. Her mother is a farmer and this summer she plans to help her mother on the farm.

Zhiling wrote, “Living in a poor household, I understood the importance of education at a young age. I wanted to go to school. I loved studying and I didn’t want to give up my dreams of a bright future because of family difficulties. Though there was little chance that I could continue my education, I believe it is very important to at least have a dream. To me, opportunities are so important that I cannot let even a single chance pass me by. Education can change our lives and a bright future is waiting for me.”

GD 0118 ~ Min

Min was not available the day we visited. She was competing at a sporting event.

GD 119 ~ Shuixia

She is exceptionally tall and seemed very sweet. Her English was very good. Shuixia said that she hopes to become a lawyer. She watches a TV show about a public defender and she said that that is the type of lawyer she would like to become.

Shuixia said that, " The holidays were splendid. When they first started, we had one month of hard labor on the farm but afterwards, I was able go some places to play with my friends and with my little sisters. You could say that it was my happy piece of heaven."

GD 0120 ~ Xiongping

Her name “Xiong” means “hero.” Xiongping wants to be a brain and heart doctor in Guangdong. She is very confident with her English and consistently wins awards for academic excellence. She is usually ranked first in her class. Of all the girls that we met, Xiongping has our vote for most likely to succeed!

Xiongping has four family members ~ a mother, father and one brother who is a year older. He wants to be in the army but he’s at home right now. Her family members are farmers that grow oranges. Xiongping’s dream is that she will be able to do the same thing that Moving Mountains does and be able to help people who need it.

GD 121 ~ Qianshan

Qianshan was not available on the day we visited.

GD 122 ~ Xiongxiang

Xiongxiang likes to sing out loud when no one is around. Her favorite classes are math, chemistry and physics. Her father wanted her to go to the city to work but when she was accepted into the best high school in her county, her father changed his mind. He let her register for school while he tried to find a way to borrow the money. Xiongxiang said that she was very surprised and deeply moved when she heard that she was sponsored by a woman from the United States.

GD 123 ~ Yantao

Yantao is one of the four girls sponsored by Rye Elementary School. (The other three follow.) Her favorite class is English and she loves listening to music. In her letter to the students at Rye Elementary School, she wrote, “During my summer vacation, I left my hometown to work in a factory. I learned a lot from that experience. Working in a factory is not an easy way to make money and earn a decent living. I will try my best in school and will make you proud.”

GD 124 ~ Meilu

Meilu was also sponsored by Rye Elementary School. She wrote, “I aim high in my life. I want to go to the top university and after that, I want to travel around the world. That’s my dream. If I accomplish my dream some day, you are the first ones I’d like to visit. Then, I can thank you in person.”

GD 125 ~ Qihong

Qihong was also sponsored by Rye Elementary School. Her favorite classes are Chinese, English and music. In her letter to the kids of Rye, Qihong wrote, “You can lose power and you can lose money but knowledge always remains as the most valuable treasure that we can ever possess.”

GD 126 ~ Liuchang

Liuchang hopes to become a doctor in the future. In her letter to the students at Rye Elementary School, Liuchang wrote, “Pursuing education is so important to me that I was overjoyed when I received my admission letter for this high school. Now, I can continue to learn. Without your help, things would be very different.”

GD 127 ~ Jieping

Jieping received a scholarship from a Brownie Troup in New Hampshire. Now, she dreams of going to a top university. She doesn’t know what she wants to do for work but her favorite class is physics. Jieping says that she is “determined to help children in poverty to continue their education.”

GD 128 ~ Haiyan

This is Haiyan. She is a very shy first year student. We were able to visit her home where they served us a delicious stuffed tofu soup. She lives with four siblings, her parents and her grandparents. She wrote, “When I learned that I was accepted into this high school, I was thrilled. I thought, ‘If you work hard, you will achieve your dreams. I didn't let my parents down...’ When I heard that I received this scholarship, I felt so lucky. I won't let you down. I know that you worked hard for this money.”

GD 129 ~ Jiemei

This past summer, Jiemei went to work in a factory in a town far from her home. By August, she learned that she was accepted into the best high school in her county. In September, she learned that a girl scout troop had provided a scholarship and made it possible for her to return to school. During our trip this Fall, we let Jiemei know that one of the girls in that troop was actually born in the city where Jiemei worked. Both girls were stunned by the coincidence!