The global outreach of Children’s Therapy TEAM’s Chief Operating Officer, Cindy Watson, was featured in the Arkansas Speech-Language-Hearing Associations (ArkSHA) Quarterly Newsletter, Sound Expressions. Jeffrey Adams, President of ArkSHA, reached out to Cindy in May to ask if she would be open to sharing her experiences serving beyond the borders of Arkansas with the TEAMworks non-profit. Cindy, enthusiastically responded, “Yes!”
Serving Around the Globe by Cindy Watson, M. Ed., CCC-SLP
I have been a pediatric speech-language pathologist for over twenty years, and I have always seen my work with children as a life mission as much as it is my professional work. In the Summer of 2013, I began feeling a tugging on my heart to serve internationally. I felt called to work with children living in desperate situations across the globe. Having observed the life-changing international work of therapists serving with the TEAMworks non-profit for years, I also desired to be a part of something much bigger than myself.
A door was opened for TEAMworks to travel to China and work in an orphanage in the city of Beiliu. I jumped at the opportunity. I admit that I was scared. As a veteran therapist, I am used to feeling confident and self-assured in my practice. However, for the first time in many years, I questioned if I would know enough about what the children needed. What would I put in my “toolbox” to take with me? Would my husband and two girls be okay without me home for eight days? My mind was reeling.
When doubts crept in, I was humbled by remembering that it was God who allowed me to cultivate my gifts and talents and provided the means for my schooling. My passion for serving and loving children with special needs and their caretakers comes from HIM. Every time I work with children, I am called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, regardless of where I am on the map.
I was joined by four other TEAMworks therapists in what ended up being a long and arduous journey to China. However, when we arrived at the orphanage, I felt a sense of peace. It was where I was meant to be. The children met us in the parking lot and ran up and hugged us. I could not hold back the tears. I recall thinking, “I have lived for this moment and have prepared for this moment for years and not even known it.”
Our team of two speech-language pathologists, one physical therapist, one occupational therapist and one developmental therapist worked for a week in the orphanage. We assessed each child and made recommendations for services to keep in each child’s file for adoption agencies. This was our way of contributing to helping each child find their “forever” family.
The most important part of our duties that week was working with the caregivers in the orphanage. With a typical child to caregiver ratio of 38:2, we were mindful to model care that would be realistic and doable for the caretakers. Before we made any recommendations, we spent time just observing a typical day. We took toys, shoes, blankets (made by a local church group), braces, and equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, and standers. This empowered the caretakers with the equipment and resources they needed to implement the activities we suggested for each child.
The week seemed to fly by. Leaving was one of the hardest things I have ever done. We spent about an hour walking through the orphanage to say good-bye to the children. I walked by each bed and prayed over each child. Some of them reached out and grabbed me, and some wanted a hug. I will never forget the feeling of saying good-bye with hope in my heart that the children would be united with a loving family. I wanted them to be able to say good-bye to the life they knew within the concrete walls of the orphanage.
I have kept up with a few of the children I met on that trip. One of the families who adopted a child from the orphanage invited me to visit them in their hometown. It was a gift to be able to see the child with her forever family, a true answer to prayers. When I saw the little one, she was a little shy, hiding behind her mom. When her mother stepped out of the room to get something, the girl came close to me and looked in my eyes. I believe at that point that she remembered me. I had a feeling in my heart that is hard to describe other than a sense of immense gratitude.
I have taken three more TEAMworks International trips in recent years to Guatemala and Changsha, China. I have no doubt that I have become a better therapist through these opportunities to serve internationally. There have been many times that I and other TEAMworks therapists have been stretched to think outside the box. At Children’s Therapy TEAM Clinics, we are used to always having the best resources available. Though we take many supplies with us on our international trips, there is still a lot of need to adapt and modify to the child’s environment.
I love the quote, “If we were meant to stay in one place, we would have roots instead of feet.” I am excited to see where this ministry takes me in the future. I am just holding on and trusting God will continue to light the way.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. -James 1:27
TEAMworks International therapists and specialists serve hundreds of children across the globe, offering individualized treatment plans, equipment, and education to improve quality of life. Currently, TEAMworks serves in Guatemala, China, Ukraine, and Rwanda.
