Pictures

Last day at Starfish

Waiting for the train in Xi'an - special waiting area for passengers booked in soft sleeper cars

 Lexie

Xi'an City Wall

Terra Cotta Soldiers

 Ryan with his Chinese Swiss army knife - before he cut his finger

 Waiting lounge

 Jakie ready to watch a movie

Ryan - one row behind across the aisle. He had plenty of room because there was nobody beside him on one side.  Ryan has become quite the seasoned travelor!

Home Sweet Home

We got home late last night after taking the overnight train to Xi'an on Tuesday night and a flight to San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon. We missed the first flight to Charlotte but we able to get on a flight that arrived at 9 pm last night.  I haven't added up the hours of traveling but it was a lot.  I think I have slept about 5 hours over the past two days.  No sleep last night, either.

I can't wait for the sun to come this morning.  We are all so happy to be home.

Amazingly, the airport in Beijing turned out to be the easiest part of the trip.  We were concerned because we had standby tickets dated Dec. 11 (! - I didn't notice the wrong date UNTIL last week) to travel from Beijing to Chicago.  The airline agent was amazing and, after talking to her supervisor, was able to immediately change the tickets AND give us boarding passes!  Beijing airport is ultra modern, clean and easy to get around.

The train in Xi'an was a bit (!) stressful - the taxi dropped us off across the street from the station and we had to figure out where to go.  There were 1000's of people and NO ONE spoke English.  Luckily (another God thing), Elyse (from Canada) mentioned earlier in the day that there was a separate lounge for passengers booked in soft sleeper cars.  Some how (!), we saw the sign for the lounge and an English speaking worker was able to confirm we were in the right place.  Glenn spent over an hour talking to an Australian family traveling throughout Asia who was also waiting for the same train.

Did I tell you that God was with us every step of the way?  He worked through so many people and was clearly visible everywhere.  Still, I experienced a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety and I continue to have a lot to learn.....I only pray that I get a reprieve so that I can caught my breath :)

Jake still has diarrhea and, let me tell you, it is no fun traveling for two days with a baby in this condition.  Poor boy could not fall asleep last night on his own, but did sleep the entire 4+ hours from San Francisco.  Kristen and Luann bought us a bunch of groceries so I was able to feed Jake and Ryan when we got home late last night, including a pro-biotic for Jake.

I don't think Ryan fell asleep until after 3 am this morning.  I found him asleep on top of the covers at about 4:00 am this morning.  From past experience, I know it will take us a couple days to get over the time difference.

Once I find the camera download cables, I will download some more pictures.  We went out to eat Monday night in the rain and it took us over 1/2 hour to get a taxi back to the apartment.  One of the waiters came out in the rain with us and was able to get us a ride after about 20 minutes.  We were asked to wait in the restaurant because sometimes the taxi drivers don't stop for foreigners....

This trip to Xi'an was our first (and last?) experience of city living. 

Jake is up!  5:00 am.  Got to run.

The fun continues.

Friday night we went to a Halloween party hosted by a Canadian family. Within 20 minutes, Ryan cut his finger carving a pumpkin. Thankfully, there was a young Chinese doctor at the party and she called ahead to the hospital and stayed with us the entire time. Ryan is doing great - he got three stitches. I brought an anti-biotic with me as a precaution, and Ryan is taking it 2x per day (just in case). I cleaned and re-wrapped his finger last night and it looked good. He is feeling fine, too.

Jake woke up with diarrhea this morning, so it has already started out to be a long day. Many of the babies across the hall are sick with fevers so we will not be visiting them today. We spoke to the Chinese contractor last night and the site is not ready to be painted today, so we will likely stick around the apartment and walk to the grocery store a little later. I will also go upstairs and bring one of the babies down - they are short nannies this weekend. Unfortunately, Jake will not allow me to be out of his sight. He will let me hold the babies, but he wants to be held at the same time. I had to run out to a bakery across the street last night and he cried the entire 10 minutes I was gone.

Yesterday, Wenli and a translator (one of her colleagues from work) spent the ENTIRE day with us - we went to see the Terra Cotta Soldiers and then we went to the City Wall. We did a lot of walking and saw a lot of interesting sights. The Chinese are the most gracious hosts I have ever met.

Wenli also bought our train tickets - we are going to leave Xi’an Tuesday night and fly back to Chicago on Wednesday night. There are currently 41 seats available on that flight and we have listed as standby passengers. We have mixed feelings about coming home early - Ryan wants to stay. Glenn and I do not. Unfortunately, we arrived too early to really be effective (paint, tile, assemble cabinets) at the worksite. They are at least 1 month behind schedule.

We did go back to Home Depot again on Friday and found out that we can not purchase 5 gallon buckets of oil based paint. On top of that, the paint we chose (and bought latex paint) is not available in an oil base. It took no less than two hours to determine that….At the work site we swept and removed debris from eight rooms and removed the rest of the old cabinetry. More later.

Babies

Babies and Nannies

Jake

Another day in paradise….

Yeah. The highlights of our day included a trip to Home Depot and lunch at KFC. Glenn and Ryan are still out at the work site breaking up old cabinetry. I swept for a little while with Jake attached in the backpack. It is still extremely dusty and cold (no windows) and I can not believe they consider the site ready to paint. The walls still need to be sanded a little and the debris needs to be removed.

We bought (the wrong type of) paint this morning. It will be used as a first coat. We need to go back for more paint tomorrow. This seems to be the common theme - nothing gets done right the first time and nothing gets done in a timely manner. And, it is a MAJOR ordeal to go anywhere as transportation has to be arranged. I think this is my major frustration. The general contractor and Amanda will be leaving for Hong Kong on Saturday morning. Josh’s VISA is expiring and he needs to leave the country and re-enter for the new clock to start ticking. They will be in Hong Kong until Wednesday. Depending on how things go today, we will be making a family decision as to whether we will stay for the original amount of time or leave a week early. Right now I am voting for leaving a week early….

Last night we ate at Subway (yes, there is definitely an American pattern to our eating habits over the past couple of days) and went to the light and water fountain show at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Ryan and Jake really enjoyed the show including the music. I was freezing cold…

Yesterday the lock on the apartment broke and we could not get in until the lock smith came and fixed it - about two hours later. Jake and I played with the toddlers across the hall while we waited. There were about 10 Chinese volunteers playing with the kids and they thought Jake was part of the foster home. I kept telling everyone, in Chinese, that Jake was my son and Jake pointed me our as his mama. The children call their nannies "mama".

We also dressed all the kids in Halloween costumes and Chang and JingJing took their pictures. We left before the chaos ended and just finished up the very last child this afternoon. This little boy (who is actually a big little boy) is here because the orphanage said he was HIV positive. The foster home had him tested and there is no sign of HIV. His paper work will be ready soon and he will be listed as a healthy boy. His name is Daniel. I also learned that Chloe needs eye surgery or she will lose her eyes sight completely. Celine is growing, but no confirmed diagnosis has been made. The other babies, Zander, Lexie and Joy, also gained weight this week. Two children had surgery today and both are doing well.

Tonight we are staying in and I am going to make pasta, broccoli and garlic toast. Tomorrow night we have been invited to a Halloween party at the Canadian nurse’s home. She and her family live by the City Wall. They planned to stay 2 years and have been here for six. I don’t know what her husband does but he works in China and travels a little bit.

On Sunday we will likely visit the Terra Cotta Solders, since that is the only day Chang can help us. Wenli has also offered to take us site seeing, too. Wenli and her family have been so supportive - I wish I could speak Chinese so that I could communicate with her.

I will upload pictures later - Glenn has the camera out at the work site.

Monday at Starfish

Today was cold and rainy and Jake and I stayed in all day.  Ryan and Glenn took a trip out to the worksite but there really isn’t anything they can do until later in the week when the tile arrives.  It is not ready to be painted either.  To keep busy (and sane) we will create a moving plan complete with inventory for the four apartments.  The move must take place no later than Dec. 1st.  Ryan is responsible for creating the Excel spreadsheet.  Amanda would like to move one apartment at a time.  Three of the apartments house the almost 50 babies/toddlers that are here.  The new house will have four living suites and two dorm rooms for volunteers.

Glenn is still not feeling well and I think I have accidentally made his feel worse.  I gave him the wrong medicine over the past 24 hours and he is experiencing some side effects.  Hopefully he will feel good tomorrow.  He and Jake are asleep right now and Ryan is playing a video game (surprise surprise). For those of you who want to follow, Ryan also has a blog:  http://www.monthinchina.blogspot.com/  Since we have no access to blogger.com, Leah is updating the blog for him (thanks Leah!). 

Jake is doing well.  He would not eat Chinese food the first few days we were here, but he is doing well now.  In fact, when he lets me, I have conquered the ability to feed him with chop sticks.  I am quite good, I must admit, and have even mastered the art of eating and feeding Jake with chop sticks. 

Today Jake and I played with the kids in one of the apartments on the first floor.  I will take some pictures tomorrow and post them.  The kids, mostly boys, LOVE to be held and some of them are a little more aggressive than Jake is used to.  Jake is SO sweet and I have to keep one eye on him at all times.  While there is a huge box of toys, none of the toys were out on the floor.  We pulled out a bunch of balls and other toys but put them away before we left.  While the foster home is a much better place for these children, it is a far cry from a real home.  It is heartbreaking to see these kids living the way they are living, even though, again, it is much better than living in an orphanage.

The nannies cook lunch everyday and we have had some really good, authentic Chinese food.  We had MacDonald’s last night (they delivered) and chicken and rice soup with toast for dinner tonight.  It was too cold to head out and Glenn did not eat dinner, so we ate in again tonight.

The apartment is very cold, particulary our room. I miss carpeted floors and our mild climate. 

Another Day in Xi’an

Our Living Room

Our Bathroom

Our Room

Work Site Relic

Yesterday was a better day for us.  I had a momentary small glimpse of where I fit in. I held and fed Joy most of the morning and Glenn went out with Amanda, Josh, and Stephen (a new “old” arrival) to pick out tiles for the bathrooms.  Each bathroom will be a different color and match the sitting room and babies’ bedroom.  We will pick out paint tomorrow.

Glenn said the tile market was quite an adventure.  The Chinese contractor was with them and he negotiated the price.

Our hearts are heavy over our friend Doug.  Neither Glenn nor I got much sleep last night after we heard the news. We are praying for Gina and the rest of Doug’s family. Like so much here in China, we do not understand why these things happen to people we know and love and babies we don’t yet know but do love as the innocent children they are.  But, our faith tells us that God is all sovereign and He has a plan.

Jake’s new favorite words are bus and baby.  He constantly chants “the bus, the bus, the bus, the bus.”  Too cute.  He is having a hard time adjusting to the time difference. He has been up since about 2:30am!  We kept him in bed until about 30 minutes ago, but none of us got much sleep.  Jake even woke up Ryan so we will ALL be ready for a nap later today.

Yin’s cousin and an interpreter took us out to dinner and to the Chinese equivalent of Costc*.  They carry a lot of international foods with familiar packaging and we were able to buy cereal, American cheese, peanut butter and jam.  Those are all staples in our house.  They would not let Jake in the store because he is too little (?!) so Glenn and Ryan had to wait outside.  Yin’s cousin was EXTREMELY gracious and has offered to take us sightseeing next weekend.  We also met her son who spoke pretty good English.  He was had just finished school (6pm on at Saturday) but took some time to help us out.

I will post some pictures later.  Flicker does not appear to be accessible.

Day One at the Worksite

We spent today out at the worksite.  The new goal is to move the babies on Dec. 1.  There is a lot of work that needs to be done.  We are a bit discouraged.  Today we swept a large dusty room (without dusk masks) and removed nails and lose plaster from the walls.  The Chinese work crew plastered the walls in another part of the building.  Many unassembled IKEA cabinets are on-site but they can not be assembled until the floors are in.  The window casings are installed but the actual window have not been installed.  All the rooms will have drop ceilings - those will be installed after we paint.

We hope to begin painting next week and I will help Amanda pick out paint for the entire building. This is a little scary for me since I always work with a designer at home.... Since there is no electrical in the walls (concrete block covered with plaster), once the final coat of plaster has been sanded, we can start painting.  It seems strange to us that we will be painting at this stage of re-construction.

Getting to the worksite is not very easy.  We took a taxi in the morning and two buses and one taxi to return.  It is actually a three bus trip - the least expensive way to travel - but a taxi drove by before the final bus came so we took it instead of waiting for the bus.  Again, this is a bit discouraging as it takes a lot of time and concentration (ALL the streets look the same to us).

We will likely split up next week and I will stay back at the current foster home apartment with Jake while Glenn and Ryan travel alone to the work site.  They are short volunteers and there are four very sick babies who need to be held constantly.  At least one of them is crying at all times…..Again, this is very discouraging and not what we had planned. 

We are having a hard time with the food and living in a volunteer apartment with so many other people and sick babies.  It is total chaos until 7pm when the babies are moved to the upstairs apartment for the night. Ryan told me today that 7pm is his favorite part of the day:( The babies return again at 7am.  Today there were only two Dutch girls to care for all four babies.  Amanda hired a couple additional nannies to help (clean and hold babies).

I don’t want to sound discouraging but is it very difficult.  We were hoping to travel to a panda sanctuary tomorrow but just learned there is going to be a “demonstration” in Xi’an and it is recommended that no one be on the streets.  Please pray that we survive a whole day in the apartment.

On the bright side, I will be able to get Jake back on a schedule tomorrow and he will have lots of kids to play with.  We ended up taking him with us today because we did not want to leave him.  We can also order food to be delivered to the apartment.  While no work will be done by the American crew (Josh (the contractor), Glenn, Ryan, me and another volunteer named Bill who is able to help one day per week), work at the foster home NEVER ends.  I do not know how they do it day in and day out. I know, without a doubt, I could not do it every day.

We have heard some stories about the babies and how some of them came to be here.  Again, it is heartbreaking and incomprehensible. If you have a chance, go to the Starfish website and look at the pictures of Celine, Zander, Joy, and Lexie.

We are questioning what difference it makes that WE are here given the fact that the need is so much bigger than what our family of four can affect. It is not easy and it is not natural for us to live this way (buses, shared living space, un-identifiable food, strange bathrooms, living out of a suitcase, etc.). It certainly would have been much easier to just send money - but, I really didn't (and still don't) get the feeling that is what He wanted us to do.  If this was a lesson in obedience, it sure would have been easier if we could have been obedient from the comfort of our own home.

Ryan at Shepherd's Field

Ryan and Jake on the train to Xi'an

Amazing Hands

Jake at Amazing Hands - he did not recognize anyone