Explore a China many have not seen
I’m a Family Man
A Little about Ourselves & What We Do
Our Family
My name is Leo and my wife is Melissa. I met her when I first came to China in 1984 (you read that correctly, 1984). My wife and I are both teachers by profession (or taught until my retirement late 2019). I’ve been teaching in China off and on since 1984. We have three children. I’ve witness the transformation of this once small fishing village of Shanghai (literally “on the sea”) into a financial hub of the world.
Our Work with Huge Grace Orphanage
Having lived in China for over 30 years, we’ve seen the great need among the people. One of those needs was orphanage work. My wife has been actively supporting Huge Grace Orphanage for several decades. The disabilities of these children range in severity and types.
Our Contribution to Seeds of Hope
Another endeavor I have been involved for over 10 years is Seeds of Hope. SoH sprouted from the devastating earthquake that rocked Sichuan in 2008 where many lives (many of them students) were lost. The YCIS community bonded together and raised funds to help rebuild a primary school in rural area that was destroyed by the quake. Since then, YCIS has helped rebuilt or remodeled 7 schools throughout China. I’d like to invite you to explore the impact SoH has had in the lives of the students as well as in their communities.
Our Community
Most of the people who provide us with service like vegetable market sellers, food stand, and those that keep our apartment compound clean and running are migrant workers.
The service that they provide may be menial, but they are essential to our community. They live mostly at the back of their shop, or a shack at the back of the compound. When Chinese New Year comes along, we we feel their absence because they return home to be with their loved ones whom they have not seen for a year. one of our guiding principles is this quote:
How can I serve You
One thing I enjoy is taking photographs. I've been photographing China since I first came in 1984. Unfortunately, of the thousands of photos I took when I first came, I've lost all but a few hundreds. I've witness the transformation of Shanghai over the past 4 decades.
Now that we have traveled to almost every province in China and taken over 100K photos, not only have my skills seen much improvements, but also I have been able to give back to my community. Please check out the Services page to see how I am giving back to the community.