The treasure of a deeper compassion for people

by Cyndi Gummin – Project Eden

This fall, seven of our older students began attending a vocational high-school. It’s been their dream for years to be able to go on with their education. Four of the older girls have chosen English as their major, two are taking computer training, and one chose training in dance/kindergarten teaching. The other six students here this year are studying on-site at Eden, being taught Chinese and Math by a young teacher-couple in their thirties.

A highlight this October was having a sort of “Eden Alumni/Home-coming” the weekend of Captivating’s annual charity auction in Shenzhen. We were able to see all but two of the 25 students who have lived with us over the past five years, and most of them were able to come for a roof-top BBQ and a couple days of catch-up time together. One of the girls commented that she always has to leave a piece of her heart behind now, because no matter where she is, she always has to say good-bye to someone. That is the bittersweet reality of opening one’s heart to a new place and new people: you love both the “old” and “new”, but you cannot be with them both at once. However, this is one of the treasures we hope the girls take with them: the gift of a broader understanding of the world, and a deeper compassion for the people in it.