Day 6 – Finding Treasures in Shangrao

Today was a very busy day for the Marquette family.  It also was a very special day.  Today we were going to visit the orphanage where Hannah had been living for the last 2+ years of her life.  Our day would be filled with lots of travel, lots of emotion, and many new discoveries.

The day started with us running downstairs for a quick bite to eat and then out the door by 7AM.  For Hannah, this meant that we had to wake her up.  Note: We’ve been hearing many “Chinese sayings” on this trip (more to follow), but here is a saying that I know.  “Never wake a sleeping baby.  Bad things are bound to happen.”  You see, although she woke up OK, we still had a long day ahead of us.

We spent the next 2 ½ hours travelling: 45 minute taxi ride to the train station, 1 hour train ride to Shangrao, Then, 15 minute ride to the orphanage in the back seat of a pickup truck.  Travelling on the train, by the way, was easy and relaxed.  I can see why so many of my Chinese co-workers recommend this for travel inside of China.  Although the boarding times for the trains are quick, we had plenty of time to find our seat before the train left the station.

You can really get places fast when you travel at nearly 190 mph

As we pulled up to the orphanage, it looked a bit daunting to us: tall three story building, towers on the corners of the building, bars on the windows, and one of those retractable gates blocking the road.  If I didn’t know any better, I’d thought they were taking us to visit a prison.  After stepping into the building, however, we were greeted with a totally different atmosphere.  Shiny tiled floors lined the lobby area while three large chandeliers hung overhead.  The inside had the appearance of being new and clean.

The orphanage complex in Shangrao

Immediately we were greeted by one of the women we had met on Monday and a new woman with the title “Vice Orphanage Director”.  We were shown our first treasure (a long red banner with Chinese characters on it greeting us}, took a picture, and then were whisked away to the “conference room”.  Can I just tell you … their conference room is nicer than the executive conference room at my office.  Plush black leather chairs surround a very large, solid wood table, and sit atop shiny hardwood floors.

Our red banner ... anyone know what it actually says?

In the office, we were asked to sign a big red book for the orphanage and leave a message.  We also met more people and were given more treasures.  We met two other families making heritage trips from Holland.  Each family had two adopted Chinese children.  We also met the “Deputy Orphanage Director” (i.e. the big boss) in that room.  It seemed everyone on the staff there knew and loved or little XiXi.  They were all excited to see her, talk to her, and hold her.  Hannah seemed very comfortable with them.  What a blessing it is for the Lord to have sheltered this little girl and put her in a loving place before He even worked in our hearts to adopt her!

The Red Book and our message

One of the administrative staff loving on Hannah

While in that room we were given pictures of Hannah when she was a baby, copies of her police report from when she was found, familiar suckers for Hannah (more on the later), and a priceless story for Hannah from the orphanage director.  The director was proud to say that she was the first one in the orphanage to ever hold Wuxi.  Apparently, the deputy orphanage director had just “by chance” been making a visit to Wuyuan (the place Hannah was found) on the same day that Wuyuan Social Welfare Institute had called saying they had found a baby.  This allowed the director to pick Hannah up, and bring her back straight away to the orphanage.  Simply by chance?  I know this is not so!  God is good.

Deputy Orphanage Director (picture taken at lunch)

We had a special quilt made for Hannah.  We were able to have the orphanage staff and her caregivers sign it.  Another treasure that will be a special memory for years to come!

After some visiting, we were escorted to the building where the children live in group homes.  Many of the children at this orphanage have Down’s Syndrome and severe special needs.  We first visited a group home on the first floor.  There are about 5-7 children in each home with two caretakers.  The home is divided into 4 large rooms; playroom, kitchen, sitting room, and sleeping room.  The staff was very kind and loving and the environment was very well maintained and clean.  All the beds were made of polished solid wood which helped warm up the stark white ceilings and walls.

After visiting a few of these rooms, we were ready for the main event.  We climbed the stairs to the second story, and then Hannah ran down the hall to “her” door.  This was the room where she had just recently stayed.  This was the room where her caretakers lived.  This was undeniably her home!  As soon as we walked in the room, her caretakers lifted her up and with smiles on their faces poured out love to little Hannah.

Here we were shown around, but not without first getting a scolding from her caregivers.  You see, we had broken the cardinal rule in China and only dressed in a long sleeve shirt and pants for the 68 deg F day.  This for sure was not suitable a child, who must be in at least 2 layers at all times.  Her hand felt warm to the caregivers, though, so we were given a pass.  Praise God that her nose stopped running just before we got there!  Otherwise, we would have been in big trouble.

In the room, we got to see Hannah’s bed, which she stood by proudly as we took a picture.  We got to see where her foster brother slept.  Apparently, he sleeps in bed with one of the caregivers.  Unfortunately, he was at school during our visit, so we did not get to visit him.  We left him a small gift from Wuxi (2 Ultra-man toys, a sucker, and a jar of bubbles) and handed out suckers to the other children in the home.

The play room was an odd sight … foam playmats lined the hard tiled floor.  There, babies sat and rolled around.  Lining the walls were multi-colored cubbies capable of housing many toys.  Instead, they were barren with only a few blocks.  Also in the room was a television and a crib. 

Here we got to see more of Hannah’s personality.  We were told she was the “big sister” in the room.  Hannah demonstrated by getting a few blocks off the shelf, throwing by one of the babies, stomping her foot, and demanding that the child play with the toys she had just given.  They started bickering, so she gave another foot stomp and said, “Stop fighting!”  Oh my, she is going to fit right into our family!  Claire, you better watch out girlfriend because there is a feisty sister headed your way!

While talking with her caregivers, we were told that they looked at the photo album we had sent with Hannah every day.  They pointed out and told her who her new mom, dad, big brothers, and big sister were going to be.  We also asked if they still had the pink jacket she had worn in many pictures.  They ran back to the bedroom and pulled it out.  Although we just wanted to see it and take one last picture, they offered it to us.  What a treasure that will be for Hannah!

Note on orphanage living
People taking care of the children are given free food and shelter and a meager earnings.  They eat with the children, play with the children, and sleep with the children day in and day out.  Most of the caregivers are elderly couples.  Due to the low wages, however, the orphanage has trouble finding married couples who are willing to work there.  In fact, Hannah’s most recent caregivers were two elderly women.  Food is prepared and cooked for them.  I imagine they live within the confines of the orphanage from the day they step into the building until the day they quit and leave.  Please pray for these men and women who are serving and sacrificing for children that someone abandoned!

After the orphanage visit, we headed for lunch.  We were thankful there were other families joining us so that it wouldn’t be so awkward.  We were thankful they served soda along with the food.  Both of us were able to find a few things to eat.  There, the orphanage director also gave Hannah another treasure: a new bracelet with a porcelain flower on it.  She loved it!  They agreed that she is a girly girl and loves to show off new clothes, shoes and jewelry.

Really neat looking restaurant 

Largest Lazy Susan we have ever seen

Hannah's new bracelet

After lunch we headed back to the orphanage to “relax” for ½ hour before we had to head for the train station.  As soon as we stepped back in the orphanage Hannah started crying.  It started as a whimper and turned into an all-out tantrum with all of the drama a tantrum usually encompasses.  It lasted all of the way to the train station and was only subdued with the sucker we had been given earlier.

That sucker was long-lasting and helped us make it all of the way home without another tantrum.  Our friend Yi Fan picked us up from the train station and brought us back to the hotel.  We put Hannah down for a 30 minute nap and then headed back out to dinner.  Tonight Yi Fan had made reservations at a local restaurant and invited Lu Xu’s two other friends: Miss Lee and Miss Tao.  We had a good meal and everyone found something that they liked to eat.  Thank you Lu for having such wonderful friends!  They have been such a blessing to us.