Trip to China
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Friday, January 5, 2007 What a wonderful night! Thank you Jesus! It is 2 AM and I am the only one awake! Grace is sleeping peacefully in her crib and Dave is too. Finally today we will be able to slow down; Joe Joe will come by around 10 AM and take us shopping. I am dying to buy Grace some clothes and some shoes that fit her teeny tiny feet! Yesterday, at the CCAA office building was my first experience with the “clothing police”. It seems I do not dress my child warm enough – not only does she need to stay in her snow suit inside but she needs to have a blanket wrapped around her and one set of long-johns is not enough. It was difficult to be gracious and sweet to this woman who continued to fuss over my melting child. I did insist that her jacket be removed. I was wearing only one layer and although it was chilly in the office it wasn’t freezing. Those of you who know me can appreciate that statement! Joan, it has warmed up but I am jealous of the 70’s that you are enjoying! The Orphanage gave us a wonderful gift, it is a tiny scrap book of Grace and the orphanage. In it is a great poem that I’d like to share Anticipating a Stranger With yesterday’s rain on the window sill, I leave my home behind, All for the sake of anticipating a stranger. -Author unknown Little by little Grace is beginning to understand what is happening: last night after bath time (she hates that) while she was lying on the bed and I was applying baby lotion to her dry and chapped skin. I could tell she had never experienced this before. I gave her some lotion on her hands and put some on her legs – when I went to the other leg stopping to get more lotion she lifted her leg up to me! We were so caught up in the moment that I forgot I hadn’t put a diaper on her yet; did I mention that I have been pushing liquids? Well, I think you can guess what happened next! That’s right, projectile pee-pee all over the one tiny bed! We have a double room but the double beds here are more like single size beds. Today, we took Grace to the hospital. She has bronchitis. The doctor proscribed some medicine for her. In three days we can go to the pharmacy and buy more cough medicine. We were at the hospital all morning – some things are the same no matter where you are! But this was like no hospital I have ever been too before. This was a children’s hospital, children were everywhere. Many had IVs sticking out of them. The hospital was in need of a good cleaning and looked run down. We were told that because there is no family care people just come to the hospital to be checked. There are no family doctors, no personal care. It was like one big emergency room. We were not given a number, merely stood in a line. It felt sort of like standing in line for tickets to a popular concert. I learned not to put my bag on the floor…most of the children, 3 and younger were wearing split pants. No diapers, everything just a hanging in the breeze! They would squat wherever and do their busyness. One child had diarrhea right in front of me! Needless to say I was glad to leave! We had taken a cab to and from the hospital; that in itself is an experience! It is hard to describe, it seems that the person with the right of way is the biggest and the fastest with people walking in-between. I am not sure why there are lines in the road; perhaps it is only the suggested slot. We have seen three accidents while we were here but it is surprising that there aren’t more. After that we went to a shopping mall to get Grace some shoes (just one pair today) and 2 outfits, Just enough to romp around in the hotel. Grace loves her shoes and even walked to me in them! After that we walked back to the hotel had some lunch, an egg dish. Gave Grace her medication and now everyone is sleeping. Everyone except me! I want to thank all of you for your wonderful comments; it is great to hear from people at home. Cecily & Nicole we love you and miss you. Daddy had to run out and get more minutes on our cell phone so hopefully we will be able to call again. For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

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