Thursday in Hangzhou, visit to the orphanage

We were able to visit the Hangzhou orphanage today.  It was an amazing experience!  We got there around 9:30am and were there for about 2 hours.  They were in no rush to have us leave and kept asking us, over and over, if we had any more questions. 

The day started out with them bringing us gifts.  They gave us a stack of pictures that they had developed from the 2 disposable cameras we sent.  They gave us a disc, with every picture they had of her, on it.  They gave us a handmade book, with lots of pictures printed onto paper, in color, with the dates written on there.  So cute.  In it, was a picture of the first day Malia came to the orphanage.  That was a tear-jerker.  We have some more early pictures of her now.  They also gave us a beautiful, hard-cover book of West Lake and Hangzhou, with a handwritten note from the director.  She stapled her business card into the cover and we were encouraged to give her e-mail address to other families, to let her know when they might be traveling, and to ask questions that they may have, while they wait for their children.  There was also a brochure of the orphanage, and a box of brand new books, all in Chinese, for Malia.  We were astonished! 

After that, they brought us 5 children, one by one, for us to see and take pictures of, for the adoptive families that are waiting for them.  I was able to hold 4 of them.  I gave them all hugs and kisses from their moms and dads.  I would have liked to have scooped them all up and snuck them out of there!  But you could tell, they were well cared for.  And the love of their caretakers was obvious. 

Then, we went out to the play area, surrounding where the preschool-age children live and attend school.  It's all in one building.  In this area, is where Malia lived for the last month.  She was brought back to the orphanage, from her foster family, the month prior to her adoption.  We got to see the exact bed she slept in, see the bathroom, and the school room, where her birthday pictures were taken.  She attended kindergarten in an school outside of the orphanage, near her foster family.  While we were in the outside area, we got to meet the other 2 children who have families waiting for them.  Joe also snapped pictures of ALL of the other children and they didn't say anything.  Later, we were told we shouldn't take pictures of any random kids.  Oops!  Well, we already had them, so too late!  Maybe we can see if they have families waiting for any of them! 

We then went back to the main building again.   We were able to get all of our questions answered, although most of them already were answered.  We asked about the dress we sent Malia, from Ann at Red Thread.  We were told she would have been in that dress, but that it was too cold on Monday.  The girl sent another woman to go look for it.  I told them it wasn't a big deal, but they were insistent on finding it.  And they did!  They went and brought the woman who is responsible for naming Malia (Wang Bei Jia).  Wang is the family name, Bei means precious, Jia means good or very good.  So, Bei Jia means very precious.  YEP!  We agree!  Malia's middle name will be Bei Jia and we call her by both names.  She tells people her name is Wang Bei Jia

After about 2 hours, we decided we had seen everything and got answers to as much as we could. We weren't allowed to go to the place Malia was first brought.  Those children are quarantined initially, to make sure they don't carry disease or illness.  We also were not allowed to go to the 0-3 building. 

We were so thankful for our time at the orphanage.  Our guide, Emma, was amazed at this orphanage, as were we.  She said she had never seen such a beautiful, clean environment, and such large complex.  It was massive!  So many buildings.  There was a replica in the lobby of the main building, that you could walk over and she showed us each building and what it was used for.  The playground equipment and play areas were very nice.  They even had a track field on the far side of the complex-and a driving range!  Crazy!  It was all gated.  They moved into this complex in 2008. 

Malia did so good.  She wasn't scared at all.  Quite the opposite, she was very social and secure.  She ran everywhere to show us around.  I was so nervous that it would be a traumatic day for her, but it wasn't.  It was difficult for us.  Seeing her first picture, meeting 2 children with severe heart defects, who have families waiting for them, not knowing when they will get to be with their forever families.  I wanted so badly to bring them all with us.  Why must it take so long?  Haven't they all waited long enough?  Waiting any length of time is too long!  Sigh......    Yep, I hear the orphans' cry.  Please pray for these children, pray that they will have their forever families soon, pray that this orphanage continues to be an example of what they can look like, and that there comes day, in China, when orphanages are no longer needed. 

Today (Friday), is another emotional day.  As thankful as I am to be leaving for Guangzhou, I know we are saying goodbye to the only home Malia has ever known.  She is leaving everything familiar.  Familiar sights, sounds, voices, and faces.  There are 2 mothers out here somewhere (her biological mother and her foster mother), who may or may not know, that their little girl is going to be flying off to a faraway land.  As happy as I am, I wonder about them, and as a mother, I feel for them.  I also give thanks to them and to God, for bringing our little peanut to us. It already is beginning to seem like she's been with us forever.  It's been a long, emotional week.  1 more week to go and we will be a complete family of 5.  I LOVE the sound of that! 

Our orphanage tour guide

The replica of the orphanage complex

The playground around the preschool area

The preschool room

Malia's bed for the past 1 month