Sorry, no new pictures of kiddos for you today. As the title tells, my day was spent scrappin’ & shoppin’. I started the day by uploading all my pics to the office computer so they’ll have updated photos of the children. I just need to print those out tomorrow to add to their scrapbooks. I hope these pictures will make some parents very happy as they don’t often get time around here to take a lot of candid shots of the kids.
The rest of the morning and into the afternoon was spent working on the scrapbooks as well as giving Scrapbooking 101. I discovered the other day that the other young Chinese woman with the Love Without Boundaries representative is not from LWB, but with the orphanage in Huangzhou. She will be in charge of education. She was very interested in the scrapbooks they keep here for the children and wants to incorporate this in her orphanage. Scrapbooking is not a common thing in China, and Wen Ni from LWB explained that they do not have these kinds of papers and supplies we have in America. So I introduced both of them to my friend Jeanette’s website (Jeanette – Hope LOVED the scrap supplies & I’ve used many already!),
Scrap in Style and they were sure to take down the website. I made a sample page for the young woman to take with her and she’s watched me work for a couple days to see how it is done, though I’ve explained that much of it is just a creative, artistic thing. There’s no one way to do it. The trick is getting the supplies. I hope to find a way to get some to her at the orphanage.
I suppose this might sound strange to some. When you hear of people going on a “missions” trip, you think of people building a church or an orphanage, providing medical help, aiding the poor. Here I am, in Beijing, scrapbooking. I thought it probably sounded a bit lame when I left to come here, but today, when I was showing this woman how to preserve the story of a child’s life, it just gave me such a great feeling. We didn’t speak the same language, but we wanted to do the same thing for these children – and hopefully their future parents. We want to give them a history, a book of memories, something of their very own that will go with them throughout life. I explained that while it’s a wonderful gift to the parents, it’s also important to a child as they grow. I gave the example of how many children in school will have some sort of assignment involving a family tree or pictures from when they were born or very little…and many adopted children have none. They lived in an orphanage and had nothing to show for their earliest years. So for them to have pictures of themselves as a baby, pictures with their best friends at the orphanage or their foster parents/siblings, is a deeply important thing. So it excites me to think that by her learning from me about this craft, she will take this back to her orphanage…and parents who adopt children there will now receive a bit of their child’s past.
I was going to spend my usual afternoon time with the boys, but had the opportunity to go into Beijing as a little girl had to be taken to the doctor. Please pray for her; I cannot give out her Chinese name and she has no sponsor, so therefore has no American name…but she is a heart child and for some reason is not eating or playing. She has been laying down a lot lately. Her lips and skin seem so blue. But the doctors could give no reason for why she is not eating. She is so thin and frail looking. Please pray they can do something for her.
After dropping the others off, I went with Robin to the Lidoo Market. He’s been charged with the important mission by his wife and soon-to-be-wed daughter to find favors for 80 guests (I mentioned that I prefer charity over the most-often looked over wedding favors, but apparently these little token gifts are very important in Scotland). So after exchanging some money and Robin’s quick lesson in money conversion, I set off wandering the market for some goodies. You definitely have to have resolve and be able to deal with the “hey lady, wanna’ buy a t-shirt,” “hey, lady tourist, want to buy bag?” They’ll try to lead you by the arm, urge you to come take a look; they’re definitely pushy. I think I did pretty good – “no thank you” and walk the other way. Somehow, I don’t think Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, or Tiffany & Co have anything to do with any of these wares on display.
When I finally did strike a deal with one vendor on a few items, I had to make a couple trips back to find Robin to make sure I understood the conversion correctly and got the right change. It’s hard to keep doing it in your head. Thankfully, Rob said I got a pretty good deal there, so that made me feel good. I tried to remember what I’d read from my “Culture Shock – China” book which suggest offering a third of what they quote you. It helps to walk around and here how other people come down. Since a lady at one of the first booths had offered about 30 kuai on a child’s Chinese dress, I knew the other vendor was crazy when she quote me about 180 kuai or so. I told her another lady offered 30 kuai (about $3.60 USD), to which she tried to show me that the quality of her clothing was far superior. (I’d highly bet they’re from the same manufacturer.) The art of walking away is very important; funny how they’ll come down from that first offer multiple times. I got my way there. A vendor in another stall was much harder to bargain with. She didn’t speak English like the others, so it was a bit trickier. They all pretty much stick calculators out to you with the amount. I probably did lowball her with my offer, but after many, many rounds of counteroffers and me walking away, we came to an agreement. For those of you who know my penchant for a bargain, you won’t be surprised that I rather enjoyed the bartering. Too bad I can’t do that in Target!
I’m supposed to get to go back on Saturday when Tina takes a group of babies for checkups. There aren’t a lot of booths in the market, but I do have more gifts to get; I think I got more for me today – oops! I also want to get around the corner to the one stop I didn’t make – Starbucks! Ooooh, how I could use one of those. A beautiful sign in any language!
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Any stories you may have heard about driving in China are absolutely true. My stomach had been upset last night, so I was praying all was well today. It was for the most part, but I thought the drive to the city might work it up again. It’s just completely crazy, even when a Brit is driving! Most of the way, there were basically two lanes with the dashed line down the middle like we have, but then there’s an extra lane to the side. It might be mostly for bicycles and motorcycles, but it’s also used to pass.
I don’t think there’s such a thing as a no passing zone in China. We passed cars even when cars were coming up ahead. If they get close, they just move over a bit, so you’re driving closely between two moving cars. It was like a constant weaving, in and out, back and forth over the three lanes. In the midst were bicycles with people carrying luggage or pulling carts behind with straw or sticks. The roads didn’t look that bad, so I’m not sure if it was road condition or poor shocks, but I was jostled and jolted and shaken along the way. Those handles in your car by the door – absolute necessity in China! Praise God our van had seat belts!
The city is crazy as you have the buses stopping mid-lane, small lanes. Dropping off Tina, the nanny, and little girl at the hospital was an experience. The driveway was like an alley with room for one car, yet you could come in both directions. There was no way to drive through the drop off, so you had to back out, except there were people coming from the other way. And talk about tiiiiiny parking spaces. I would so never survive here! I get nervous enough parking my minivan between two other vehicles back home. I’m not sure how these people get out of their cars once they’re parked.
We had the Home’s Chinese driver on the way home. I actually found it milder, but I think that was due to rush hour traffic, so there was no weaving in and out of lanes til we were well out of the city. He did have no trouble using the horn every minute or two though. I think he must have honked at every bicycle along the road! I think that while Americans are looking for the latest DVD player or GPS system in their vehicles, the Chinese must choose by the best horn.
I just missed dinner when I got back, but was so grateful to see that the groceries Robin picked up included peanut butter & jelly. I don’t think a PB&J sandwich has ever tasted so good!
I was sad that I’d missed seeing the kids all day, but on my way upstairs, I did pop in the Bouncing Bunnies room to see my lil guys decked out in their pjs, lookin’ all cute and ready for bed. I wish I’d had my camera to capture Justin as he copied me when I asked him if he was going to sleep. I pantomimed with my two hands together, my head resting on them. He was just too cute for words when he did the same and mimicked “s’eep.” They got a kick out of it when I added snoring to the action.
My Chinese is pretty pathetic; I’ve stuck with
ni hao (hello),
xie xie (thank you), and
dzai zhen (goodbye/see you later) this week to lessen the embarrassment. But when I told Justin & Benjamin goodnight tonight, I added
wo ai ni (I love you), to which Justin mimicked
ai ni. My pronunciation probably wasn’t great, but I heard his nanny tell him again what I’d said. I know I haven’t even been here a full week, but I love those little guys so much…as rough, tricky, and disobedient as they may be. ;) On the one hand, I pray desperately that they may find homes soon. On the other, I dread the day for all of us. I hate to think of losing track of them; not knowing where or how they are. But more so, I dread the two of them being split up. They’re best buddies. Brothers. They sleep a room apart, but are together every day, day in and day out. What will it to do the other when one is adopted first?
Though it sounds backwards, I was homesick when I first got here early this week. And now, as I realize I have only two full days left, my heart has started to sink. While I long for my nice soft bed back home, I can’t imagine not waking to the sounds of a multitude of babies…to not walk down the stairs past the Bouncing Bunnies room…to not have the boys see me in the hall and rush to me to each take a hand and walk with me. How will I ever leave them?
The lump has already formed in my throat and the tears having already begun to flow at the very idea. My own friend Heather warned me that I wouldn’t want to come back home. I know many don’t get involved with orphans for that very reason - it’s too painful. Yes, it would have been much more comfortable to stay back home, to let these children remain pictures on a website…those “poor dears” who need medical care, sponsorship, a family. But I don’t believe God ever intended for this life to be comfortable. I don’t believe there’s a verse that says
blessed are the comfortable. Jesus didn’t stay at home; he left behind his family to do His Father’s work. And so here I am, hurting, but knowing I’m doing the right thing.
I held a three month old baby in my arms this morning, born with a spinal defect that is abnormal from a typical spina bifida. So tiny and so beautiful…I wondered where her mother is now and how she must be feeling. How her arms must be aching for this most precious bundle of life. I believe she most likely gave her up because she knew she could not provide the medical care this child will need. I was blessed to be the representative for my boyfriend’s church who wishes to sponsor a surgery and left it in my hands to choose the recipient. It was a difficult decision with so many needs among this group. But I chose this new little life in hopes that they may help her early on, praying that there will be no complications so that she may have no paralysis or incontinence issues as she ages. If we could only help them all…
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But we can help
some.
Let us start with one.
