After finishing what was a much smaller breakfast than the day before, we met our guide and boarded the bus to Love Manor orphanage about an hour away up in the mountains. Three of the four kids in our group are from Love Manor. Love Manor is a mega orphanage. It was actually created to be the best and biggest orphanage in China. It was built just years ago and can hold up to 15,000 children. Today there are about 500 kids. UNICEF was involved with implementing the fostering system there. The government actually hires families to live in an apartment on campus and foster up to four kids each. Many of the dads work outside the orphanage and the moms stay to care for the kids. It is a pretty neat system and not a common one.
Our guide explained to O where we were going and that we were going to say goodbye to his friends. He told him that he would be coming home with us. O nodded his head and seemed to be ok with it all. We bought some toys to give to the orphanage and he just clung to them super tight while sitting on my lap the entire bus ride. The drive through Chongqing is pretty amazing. Take Seattle's sky scrapers in a cluster and multiply that by more than 50. They go on and on and on.
We were about ten minutes from the orphanage when I noticed O being a bit funny and seconds later he puked all over me and the bus. Oh joy! I had brought extra clothes for him but not me. I felt so bad for the little guy whose facial expression did not change the entire time. Straight stoic. Our guide said Chinese people are more prone to car sickness and especially the little kids who don't ever ride in cars. Add a super curvy road and I am sure some crazy nerves to that and we were destined for
disaster. Everyone was so great and with a lot of wipes and plastic bags we got our self presentable. However, Tyler kept reminding me how bad I smelt. It was pretty terrible. Another little guy waited till we got out if the van and did the same thing. Poor fellas.
All the details of the visit would take a super long post and I don't know how many details I should save for just O but it was emotional. We saw his classroom first where he was smothered by his teachers. Four or five just started shouting "Biao Biao" (his Chinese nick name and what we call him now). They asked him lots of questions to which he nodded yes. I really wish I knew what they were saying. He didn't smile the whole time and just stood back clinging to those toys. I wish I could have read his mind.
The kids in his class were the most precious little things. All with much more severe special needs then him. I cannot describe how it felt to picture him in this room everyday. But one thing is for
absolute certain, he was loved! The adults there cared about him and were very happy and excited
about his new mama and baba. Most of the pictures we took were on our other camera so I only have pics from Tyler's phone to share. I wish I would have taken a picture of every face so I could plea with you all to consider bringing them home. They are all so cute and deserve a loving family. Here is the link to our agency and you will see many of the kids from his class and foster home.
Did you know that if 8% of people who claim to believe in the gospel took care of one orphan there would be no more crisis? Did you know that 80% of American couples have considered adoption and only half of 1% actually follow through? I pray that if it is something you want to do that you don't let money or fear hold you back (more on that later).
We then headed to see where he lived. His foster dad is a chef at the orphanage so we were able to stop there and say Thank you and good bye. This is where the tears started flowing for me. Meeting this man who cared for my son was pretty special. He grabbed and gave him a big squeeze and told him to be a good boy. Still no smiles from O, he just kept right on marching to the foster home.
When we got there and he saw his foster mom it all changed. He ran in and gave her a giant hug and had a huge smile on his face. She was so sweet and very excited for him to have a family. No tears were shed just pure happiness and joy. It was really cool. His foster siblings came home and O shouted to them, "I brought you guys toys!" What a sweet little heart he has. It was fun to watch him play with these kids for a bit. They are all up for adoption. How they came to be 8 and not be adopted I do not know. They are so sweet!
He then waved goodbye and was ready to board the bus. I am going to pick up where I left off in a bit...
Lindsay, Thank you so much for writing this blog. I can't tell you how I look forward to every new post. It's heart-warming to hear how kind and loving Biao's caretakers have been. Oh, and how sweet that he was clinging onto those toys for his foster siblings! Hope he didn't get car sick on the way back, too!
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