Packages of Hope - China 2005

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2007-04-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

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Epilogue - When can I go again ?!

2005-11-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

The trip is still to fresh in my past to reflect properly. I know it will take time before it all really sinks in.

There is no doubt that this trip was deeply meaningful for me and had great impact, as I hoped it would be. I suppose one of the things that really impressed me was the incredible amount of effort and heart put into this mission trip by my Chinese team-mates. I would have been grateful for their help with translation and getting around town alone. But each one of the people I met gave 100% of their heart and soul, to our cause. It was deeply touching and inspirational. My dedication is redoubled because of their assistance. I am deeply in their debt.

I know the meaning of this trip will no doubt change for me over time, but it is my sincere hope that this is only the beginning of new opportunities for me in helping children in orphanages.

I don't see how it can be the end for me, as my work with orphanages and children is a part of who I am. Our two daughters have shown me my purpose in life.

I will continue to do whatever I can. If anyone is reading this, and thinks they could use my help, please email me (I provided my contact information on the blog), I'll do whatever I can.

I'm still collating my pictures and the video I've taken. If anyone would be interested in seeing some video of my experience, please let me know (although it may take a while from the time of this post to get it all edited, I am still getting caught up with my daily life!)

Also, let me follow up on the needs as they stand for the places I visited:

Bengbu:
-150 children's (primary school) beds (we have already provided 12)
-50 cribs
-5 large A.C. units (which will also be used for heating) for common room areas
-15 individual room sized units (which will also be used for heating) for individual rooms
-There is need for highly specialized pediatric medical equipment needed for the new orphanage hospital

Please email me, or actually give me a call (I'd love to chat) (please email me for my phone number), and I can provide all the details, and give you a better feel of my experience. I know that actually talking to someone gives one a better feel for what can be done to help. If you are unable to provide for these items, please pass this note along (the internet is an INDISPENSABLE tool), to someone who might be able to help.

Lanzhou SWI:
- There are special needs surgeries that may be needed (I'm still awaiting feedback from the orphanage)
- Refrigerator
- A few small washers, or one large washer
- Airconditioning units
- books for the library

DingXi Mr. Chen's family:
- continued financial support for childcare for the family and living expenses which include clothing, heating, food, diapers.
- For those who are interested, we would like to work together to find a good long term solution for the Chen family, which might include the building of a new home for the Chen family, or moving to a new home.

Please contact me, or Packages of Hope to find out how you can help!

Siping SWI:
- A new playground
- Books for the children
- Financial support for Hannah's ASCCAC. Please contact me for details. As I mentioned in my posts, this center is receiving a great deal of positive attention due to the incredible success stories in childcare. This childcare is western-based, and does cost more to operate than traditional methods. However, the payoffs are being seen in the health and happiness of the children, especially those special needs children preparing for, or recovering from, critical life-saving surgeries. Hannah has great plans for her center, but it hinges on our support. To accomodate our needs, she is actively looking for a member of her staff with English language skill, so that they can readily communicate with English speaking people (in particular, charity groups wanting to come to China to help). This will come as added cost.

Again, please email me for details, or contact A Mother's Love (www.amotherslove.net), to find out more details on how you can help.

I wrote the following post to the Bengbu family yahoo egroup:

As I sat and watched TV, I saw the commercials that already show snowflakes and blare out the jingle of sleigh bells, indicated the start of the Holiday season, and the clever ploys to relieve families of their hard-earned money.

Big screen TVs... hi-tech razors...video games...

I smile.

I won't be getting any of those this year. I don't need them.

This Christmas will be low key for the Kircik family. This trip has indeed been a financial drain for us. But do not take pity on us. We will have fewer presents under the tree this year, but this year by far will be one of the best Holidays ever.

I am thankful for family.

I am thankful for a nice bed.

I am thankful for my health.

I am thankful for my children who I can kiss each night as they go to sleep.

Thanks to all of you, to all the heroes, for giving my life true meaning.

American Special Chinese Children Assistance Center

2005-11-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking for this post.

The magical few hours we spent in Hannah's center was a wonderful capstone to my mission trip. We presented supplies (clothes, blankets, financial support, and medicine) to the ASCCAC on behalf of IAAP and A Mother's Love. We also presented a plaque to Hannah for all her work with the children, on behalf of A Mother's Love.

The floor plan was identical to the adjacent Deaf School, and had a unique "American"/western feel to it, as Hannah is taking a lot of her infant care directives from her supporters in America. The nannies hold the babies, and the apartment is filled with learning and therapy stations for the babies. While the location was a bit cramped, I was thoroughly impressed with the sophistication of the childcare equipment, and the cleanliness of the facility. It was a very self contained, all-inclusive childcare unit.

There are currently 6 nannies working at this facility, 4 on day shift, and 2 on night shift. The ASCCAC is taking care of 6 beautiful children at the moment, two from the Changchun SWI, and four from the Siping SWI. The two children from Changchun SWI have cleft palates, and are scheduled to receive corrective surgery in December under the Tomorrow Plan.

The four children from the Siping SWI:
- One is blind and mentally disabled. She is a year old now, but has not teeth and can respond a little to light, but cannot sit by herself
- One baby has spina bifida, and is scheduled to receive corrective surgery from Dr. Lazareff (as part of an American medical team visit) in December.
- One baby girl has Down's Syndrome
- The lone baby boy also is mentally handicapped and has limited use of his legs. He is a very happy and vocal baby!

I recorded Hannah on video where she introduced her staff and the babies.

I paid the Siemens hearing aid representative, and then spent the remaining time just holding and playing with the babies.

It was only after I had finished rocking one of the cleft palate children that I noticed Philip sitting alone in the corner of the room. He was holding the lone boy, and looked up at me with tears in his eyes.

He told me how much this experienced had completely changed his life. He was so moved by the experience, and his heart was so deeply touched by all the people (adults and children alike) that he had met that day. This affected me as well, as I smiled broadly at him, realizing another kindred spirit had joined our passionate circle of souls who will always fight for the children.

The Siping School for the Deaf

2005-11-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

The Siping School for the Deaf, and the adjacent American Special Chinese Children Assistance Center was only 2 miles away from the Siping Orphanage (SWI), but was a world away in terms of the landscape. While the SWI was at the end of an unpaved road, amidst farming fields and large industrial yards, the ASCCAC was nestled nearly anonymously within the bustling downtown city streets and apartment buildings.

When the car came to a halt, I thought we were stopping to drop off one of the staff at their home. Hannah pointed proudly to a simple green sign, perched just above head height.

Hannah and Debbie led the way off the street and into a modest apartment complex courtyard where a man was busy at work repairing bicycle tires. We approached what appeared to be the stairwell entrance to the apartment complexes, but instead veered slightly to the left and entered a first floor doorway.

The aging plain yellowish concrete high rise (perhaps only 5 stories) were all cookie-cutter vertical replication of windows and walls. Only the varying laundry and window dressings set the windows apart, and tipped me off to the fact that these were apartment dwellings. The first floor window and door arrangement were the only differences to the structure, which was the indication that they did not serve as living spaces. However, this first floor was not adorned with flashy polish steel facades or neon signs, which were commonplace among shops that lined city streets.

Instead, the front doors to the Siping school for the deaf were plain yet dignified, and the entrance foyer had the appearance of being the tight entrance to a doctor’s office. A wall display showed a greeting in Chinese, and a short introduction to the facility. The floorplan of the facility looked to be that of an apartment with the walls slightly rearranged. I could see the children beyond, as they became increasingly nervous with the steady influx of “big people” into the facility.

I know I must have been the terrible guest, as I shed my shoes, and ran to the floor to be with the kids. I’m sure Debbie had planned for a more formalized tour and a rehearsed speech, but I ruined all that with my distraction of these bright eyed children. I had walked in on a number of speech and hearing lessons, and the children and teachers were proud to show me what they had learned. The concentration, focus, and pride of student and teacher alike put a lump in my throat. Once again, I was in the presence of heroes.

I sat engulfed by the curiosity of the children, as they were thrilled to see their pictures in my digital camera and my camcorder. I giggled and beamed with delight at the sight of a very cute girl with the most adorable ponytails. She was a little startled and suspicious of me (and I don’t blame her), but I still managed to get a few photos of her, suspicious gaze and all.

The staff did as best job as they could showing me around and showing me their state-of-the-art hearing test and diagnostic lab, donated by a Japanese organization, featuring a soundproof room and computers. Each room contained more delightful children, and I just couldn’t help myself but to wrap myself up in their smiles.

We made our way back to the front office, where a Siemens hearing aid representative had already arrived. Two vibrant boys were nervously standing in the office, surrounded by strangers, looking very confused. These were the boys that A Mother’s Love had sponsored new hearing aids for. One boy was only son of a farming family. He had 2 older sisters who did not have any hearing difficulty. The father was standing behind the boy, and was in tears of joy. His son was clearly disturbed with this, and looked at me with confusion as people around him smiled and held cameras ready to take our picture. Another boy was there with his grandmother, also from a farming family. She too was moved to deep gratitude, and pushing her small grandson towards me. Both family members were pushing the boys towards me, loudly shouting to have them say “Xie Xie” (thank you) or “Shou Shou” (“uncle”).

I was barely able to contain my tears, as I wished I could have told them all to stop. I was the one who was deeply indebted to these families. For they had given me, and had given all the people who so generously gave of their time, effort, and hard-earned money, in order to give back to a nation and to the children which had given us so much happiness. It was I who was receiving the greatest gift here, as my lip started to tremble.

The fervor of the small crowd started to reach a peak, and the children grew more and more panicked at the incessant taunts to embrace me.

I did not want this to be the way they remembered our generosity or our kindness, so I quickly gave them each a hug for the sake of the camera, much to their increasing fright.

Although they couldn’t understand me, through tear-welled eyes I held each of them by the shoulders and whispered a prayer, while they could only stare at my lips.

“Thank you, precious child, for giving my life meaning. Thank you for inspiring me, thank you for fighting, thank you for bringing happiness and hope to the world. You are surrounded by the love and prayers of caring people whose universe is held in your eyes.”

I think it was expected that I would stay until the hearing aids were fitted, but I didn’t want to stay there a minute longer, as I could see the boys’ chest begin to heave in hyperventilation of distress.

It was clear by the rejoicing throng surrounding the boys that their hearing would soon be assisted, and their lives, as well as the lives of those who cared for them and loved them each day were looking brighter.

I gave instruction to the Siemens representative to make sure she fitted the hearing aids to the family’s and Hannah’s satisfaction, and come next door to Hannah’s ASCCAC when she was done.

Only half putting on my shoes, I went with Hannah next door to where her tiny babies were under the watchful care of the nannies

A mile in his moccasins

2005-11-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

My time on the 3rd floor was spent taking pictures at all angles, and pacing off the dimensions of the rooms. I wanted to make sure I had as much information as possible for the charity groups that were to come after me, so they would have a good idea for decorating and providing for medical/educational needs of the children.

Unfortunately we weren’t able to make it to see the children already residing in the old orphanage building.

We had a long afternoon yet ahead of us, which included lunch and a visit to Hannah’s facility in downtown Siping. After a few final photos for the Siemens newsletter, we were once again navigating the potholes of the unpaved road towards the center of town.

I perceived that the spirits of the orphanage staff were lifted at the notion of a restaurant meal. I could sympathize, as imagining the welcomed diversion from the monotony of everyday lunches.

I was becoming familiar with the faces of the staff, such as the orphanage director, Ms. Li, but I had to have Hannah remind me of the names and positions of the other staff members. There was Ms. Zhang Ying Ping, who was the head of the Siping Deaf School. Ms. Zhang Li Ping was a governmental officer. And there was a gentleman named Cin Ji Guang, who was the Dean of the People’s Committee of Siping, another communist party member.

A familiar wave of mild frustration passed over me as we sat down for a meal. I knew that this was a matter of course, and actually a valuable step in what we were trying to accomplish here. A meal was a chance to socialize. This socialization was very important in the Chinese culture. They WANTED to get to know me, and feel more comfortable. This was a necessary part of the process. As much as I just wanted to be with the children, to just spend time in the orphanage and making more observations, I knew that I had to endure this formality.

It was during this meeting, however, that I realized a bit of the impetuousness of my youth, and I learned a valuable lesson of the errors of my perception, all thanks to Hannah.

For as the luncheon wore on, instead of feeling like I was present at a luncheon of business formality, I discovered that the people around me were indeed very kindred spirits.

As I said, my first impression was of mild frustration. Mr. Cin broke out a pack of cigarettes, and offered me a beer, in true masculine fashion of Chinese cordiality. I accepted, as I regarded this Party member as a man who thought in terms of politics, and whom I initially assessed as being a bit cold-hearted to the cause of the children.

Waiters steadily brought trays of food into our rooms, as the toasts got underway. Ms. Li toasted us for our kindness and dedication to the children. I toasted Ms. Li for her fine work and her new orphanage. Both Ms. Zhang’s toasted their colleagues, then me. I toasted Philip for the fine work he had done for the children, and for Siemens. Philip, who was by this time thoroughly astounded and impressed by the demonstration of human spirit, toasted all of us back. I was impressed by Philip’s command of the conversation, and it was clear to me that his career would be long and impressive, given his performance thus far.

Beer, and then wine flowed, and we became more at ease. While this was not an approved practice for business in the USA (at least not for lunch), it was entirely appropriate here. It was, after all, an intimate meal, with old friends welcoming in new friends.

It was then that Hannah told me more about the people seated at the table. She told me about Li Ping (who we had given the English name “Diana”) and Ying Ping (who we had assigned the name “Debbie”). They were both grade school classmates with Hannah, and they remained close throughout these years. The details of their relationship were unimportant, but it was clear that they had seen good times and bad, and that their lives, although leading in very different directions, had still retained a bond of friendship, and a set of shared values. These commonalities brought them together to work together, even though at times they had differences of opinion.

But the most startling revelation came in Hannah’s praise of Mr. Cin (whom I named Antony, reminding me of a film character of an old B-movie Italian mobster flick).

I had judged Antony as a typical political bureaucrat. However, as I watched him smoke and schmooze with his colleagues around the table, Hannah told me that he was a pivotal person in the existence of the ASCCAC. He too was a childhood classmate of Hannah’s, and she and the other girlfriends had been surprised when his life took a turn into politics. Through a number of choices which turned out to cost him dearly in his personal life, he became a person of some influence in the local government.

Hannah told me how he basically put his career on the line at one point and stood singularly against the city council and demanded that Hannah’s center be given an operational charter. Hannah had told me how deeply he cared for the children.

At that moment I was humbled and ashamed for my judgment. “Never judge a man until you walk a mile in his moccasins”, my grandmother always used to say.

Following Hannah’s aside comments, I again toasted the group, thanking them for what they had done – “Luo Ye Gui Gen” – “Falling leaves return to the root”.

I bid goodbye to the wise and venerable orphanage director, Ms. Li (whom we had bestowed the English name “Helen”), and to my newly admired friend, Antony.

Hannah, Debbie, Diana, Philip, and I, sped off to the ASCCAC.

Visiting the new Siping SWI

2005-11-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

As we finished our conversation and donned our jackets to walk towards the new orphanage, Hannah described the efforts to make her ASCCAC an integral part of the SWI.

Hannah had been wrestling with how to expand her extremely successful child care center. Currently, Hannah's ASCCAC is located in central Siping. Success stories of the special needs children in her care was achieving higher visibility.

Given that the two facilities were so far apart from one another, Hannah and Ms. Li decided to move the ASCCAC to the Siping orphanage. But while that will solve some problems, it will bring about new complications.

The SWI has only one vehicle, a 10 year old mini-SUV, pampered to extend its lifespan. Any children requiring hospital visits or emergency care will have a more difficult time in getting quickly to a hospital. A charity group, though, is trying to raise funds for a new van. The nannies will have an additional distance to travel to work at the SWI, and they will probably have to walk or bike ride down this unpaved road. In addition, there will be more children for Hannah to look after, which will require more nannies. So now she is faced with additional labor
costs. She would really like to have a nanny on staff with advanced medical qualifications. If she spoke English she would be of good use when future charity groups or medical missions visit the Siping SWI.

My eyebrows furrowed as I contemplated overcoming these hurdles. But as we left the building into the open air, Hannah smiled and tugged at my arm, and in a high happy voice shouted, "Look! Look! Isn't it wonderful?" There were smiles all around as we caught sight of the rooftop of the new Cinderella castle structure of the new orphanage.

We passed through the building that housed the elderly, walking down a long hallway lined with doors. Some of the elderly residents, shuffling along, looked up and gave us a warm or surprised smile. The courtyard and the new orphanage appeared before us like a bright centerpiece of an old table. The bright orange-red bricks of the front courtyard looked only hours old. Cameras clicked away and hammers pounded inside the building, construction still underway. The building would be finished soon, but Hannah was going to hold off moving her facility. The brutal winter was fast approaching, and she did not want move the children in the cold or risk any heating malfunction in the new buildings. Instead, she intended to make the move in spring of 2006.

The new Siping orphanage will accommodate around 100 children. There are three floors with five or six rooms each. The first floor is for older children. The second floor is designated for infants, and the third will be allocated to Hannah's American Special Chinese Children Assistance Center, accommodating perhaps 20 children. Although the exterior of the building was complete, the interior areas were still full of construction and finishing equipment.

As we ascended the stairs to the third floor, Philip (Chen Mo) was already impressed with the orphanage staff and with the efforts that were being made here. He asked why I was taking so many pictures.

I told him that we're only the beginning here. There's many families and charities who want to make a difference here, and are just trying to find out what they can do to help. We're here to collect the data, for people like 'A Mother's Love' and others so they can make some big strides
in the quality of life for the children here.

Philip was clearly impressed. He slowly began to see my heart, and the hearts of Hannah, Ms. Li, and the other staff. Our passion was here, our drive was for the children, and we were here for the long haul.

Philip and I took pictures in front of the refrigerator and the washer, still in their boxes. We were very proud to represent Siemens, but Philip now understood what I already knew.
This was just the beginning.

These gracious gifts energized us, much like the new orphanage must have energized the staff there. There was a mountain of work yet to be done, with huge obstacles before us. But our hearts were ready for it, and our passion for the children drove us onward.

Heading to Siping SWI - Hannah's dedication

2005-11-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

As with my previous two locations, our team (Hannah and I at the moment) plotted how to best utilize our time on the following day, in order to get the most amount done. Fortunately, we had done a lot of pre-planning. Countless emails and phone calls ahead of time lined up a lot of our activities for the next day.

We were first scheduled to meet with a local Siemens representative to sign some paperwork. Siemens had generously donated a brand new washer and refrigerator to Hannah’s ASCCAC. We had also called ahead to the orphanage director, in order to coordinate a meeting and a tour of the new Siping Orphanage. We had also coordinated a meeting with the local Siemens hearing aid representative, as we were donating two hearing aids to needy children from the Siping school for the deaf.

This amount of coordination was necessary, as the Siping orphanage was about 1.5 hours by car drive from Changchun. The Siping orphanage is located away from the Siping city center. Hannah’s ASCCAC is located near the Siping City center, adjacent to the Siping SWI school for the deaf.

Hannah, her husband Frank, and I, spent a lovely dinner together where I mostly squawked due to my ruined vocal chords. We had fun catching up on Jenna and Annalise (two of my most favorite topics of conversation), and Hannah brought me up to speed on many of the details she had been up against with the orphanage. I felt very privileged to be part of such conversation, as the Chinese tend to be polite and considerate to a fault with guests, and rarely do I have the opportunity to understand the deep intricacies of business in China. To be sure Hannah was no businesswoman, for she felt much more at ease holding babies and helping parents unite with their forever children. But as her scope and operation increased, politics and business became part of the territory.

I commented to her, just as she said the same to me, that it was indeed tragic that she had to depart from what was her greatest pleasure, and what really drove her, which was caring for children. But I explained to her that she had a talent, which very few people actually possessed. She had developed it through backbreaking and selfless work and dedication. An unfortunate byproduct of this talent and skill is the responsibility of actually using it, even though it meant from a higher and higher level of visibility. No matter how much headache were caused by the administration of the ASCCAC, I encouraged her to press on.

At times she told me that she didn’t feel like she was qualified, or doing as good of a job as she should have been doing. At times she felt like things were going in the opposite direction of where she wanted to go, or felt like it needed to go.

I, however, saw the same thing that Frank saw in the eyes of our dear Hannah. I told her, “you’re doing a GREAT job, Hannah. You ARE making a difference. Don’t give up. We believe in you. I know it’s tough, but you can’t give up. And I know you won’t give up. You are driven by a Higher Hand, and I know you will not refuse instruction. We will lift you up. We sing your praises and send you prayers of support. You will always have my support.”
Frank smiled, and I gave him a wink. He indeed is a very lucky man.

Going to sleep that night was a bit of a relief for me. Even though my vocal chords were in terrible condition, I was seeing the end of the tunnel for this trip for me. I was beginning to feel my age, as I realized that I had been pushing myself hard during this trip. The 4 to 5 hour/night sleep time and long hard days were finally catching up to me. I looked to my poor bags with a bit of a smile. I had separated the final bit of supplies for the Siping orphanage and the ASCCAC. It wasn’t a lot, but was perhaps 25 kilos (50 odd pounds) of diaper crèmes, antibiotic crèmes, clothes, blankets, and supplies. I had also brought along some books for Hannah. My luggage breathed a sigh of relief at this relinquished weight.

I awoke in the morning refreshed and ready for action.

After another delicious Chinese style breakfast of dimsum, fresh vegetables and noodles, I went to the lobby.

It was there that I was introduced to Chen Mo (English name - Philip), the business Administration Officer for the Siemens office in Changchun.

I’ll let the cat out of the bag now that while at first I thought Chen was going to be just a minor part of this mission, it turned out that he was to become a wonderful friend, and such a beautiful part of this story. Indeed, I think he felt the same way about the experience, which made it even more special.

Chen Mo is a very handsome 25 year old Changchun native - tall, slim, and with chiseled movie star good looks. He spoke nearly flawless English, and kept on apologizing for making minor grammatical errors. Like so many other dedicated English speaking Chinese people, I had to remind him that I knew many Americans that made more grammatical errors while speaking than he did, and begged him not to worry about it.

He appeared in the lobby a bit tired and disinterested, which was to be a marked difference from how the end of this day would turn out for him.

It turned out that Chen Mo was a diamond in the rough, whose life was to be changed forever by the few short hours that lay ahead of him. It was magical to see his eyes being opened.

We exchanged business cards, and he asked me some questions about where I worked, no doubt to further validate that the donation was being used as I had asked for via emails to Siemens Beijing corporate headquarters months earlier.

After taking a cellphone call, he informed us that the new refrigerator and washer had just been delivered to the Siping orphanage. He was to accompany us to get a few pictures for the Siemens corporate PR department.

As we wound our way out of town, we talked in the car, and I updated him on my previous missions in Bengbu and Lanzhou. I tried to talk in a whisper, saving my voice as best I could for meeting with the orphanage director.

Changchun disappeared behind us, and it was like we stepped out of a door into another world. Changchun is complete with skyscrapers, 5-star hotels, Wal-Marts, McDonalds, and all the other trappings and access of an ultramodern western-style city. However, just a mere dozen miles outside of town, and the unimaginative dull grey and yellowing brick walls of old China dominate the landscape. In Hannah’s words, Siping has a long way to go to catch up with the rest of China. It is a mining and industrial town, and has been resistant to change, for complex reasons which can only be understood by politicians.

Unkempt, one-story garage-style shops lined the road outside of Siping as we made our way to the orphanage.

Hannah and I contemplated the lack of civilization as we were accustomed to it, as the citizens dressed in dark blue and grey went about their daily business on this cold and cloudy autumn day whizzed by.

An Orlando charity group, A Mother’s Love (www.amotherslove.net), was now involved in assisting the ASCCAC, and we contemplated the logistics of American representatives from this, or other charities, journeying to this place on a short term basis to assist the orphanage workers or to do other work for the children.

The logistics of the operation were further complicated as we turned off a paved avenue onto a dirt road that led off in a straight line towards the horizon.

As it turned out, the off-road experience went on for only about ¾ of a mile. However, the unchanging yellowing walls of various industry business, along with the pothole marked road, made the trip seem endless.

We finally arrived at a small break in the wall, which signaled the entrance into the Siping SWI (
located at N 43' 10.834", E124' 24.119", and BTW, "Siping" translates in English to "Heroic City"). The orphanage complex is made up of a few buildings. Beyond the entrance guard house is an administration building, which looks fairly new. Behind the Admin building there is a long, one-story building which houses the elderly residents of the SWI.

We were guided into a large reception room where we were greeted by the orphanage director, Ms. Li.

Hannah and Ms. Li greeted each other like the old girl friends they were. Absent was the formality I had witnessed in previous introductions to the orphanage staff. Hannah had briefed me beforehand on this director. She was a diminutive woman, standing a little under 5 feet. But she was tough as nails.

Hannah told me that she had previously one of two administrators in the Chinese version of a homeless shelter. The homeless shelter often housed people running from the law, and several administrators couldn’t take the pressure. But Ms. Li ran it successfully. She had been in her position for a little over 4 years, and while she greeted Hannah warmly and informally, her entire demeanor just oozed capability, confidence, and authority. Hannah had told me about their long history together, of all the children they fought for, and those several cases where the children didn’t make it. Their bond was forged by battle over the years, and they had seen sorrow together and they had seen success together. It was clear that there was a firm bond of trust that existed between the two.

Unfortunately, my voice had not improved at all, and I was only able to squawk out a brief introduction. Hannah did most of the talking, and Chen Mo, who had never before set foot in an orphanage, also respectfully entered the conversation.

Hannah and Ms. Li engaged in lively conversation as I sipped my tea.

I showed Ms. Li some pictures of my two little cuties which I always carried in my wallet. Ms. Li quickly separated the pictures into 3 piles – one pile of pictures of just Annalise, one with just Jenna, and family pictures. She was quick to point out that there were more of Jenna than there were of Annalise, and that most of Annalise’s were older photos, taken when she first came home. She put those two piles down, and focused on the family pictures, which she scrutinized with great detail.

This was one sharp lady!

Arriving in Changchun

2005-11-07T12:25:00.000-08:00

The trip to Siping involved a visit to a very dear friend. Hannah, whose Chinese name is Huang Hua, will always be a part of our family. Hannah is a professor of English at Changchun university. She teaches graduate level English and courses in western culture. She is also Chinese part of the International Assistance and Adoption Project ( IAAP) team. She represents this adoption agency in China, and as such, her job functions are varied. She translates documents from families for delivery to the CCAA in Beijing, she obtains child status from the orphanages and translates them back for the families in America. She acts as tour guide and facilitator for families traveling in China, and also works with orphanages (once the child has been matched to a family) to help in an easy (or at least easier) transition to their American family.

This is how I know Hannah. She assisted us in our adoption of our two daughters, Jenna and Annalise. We first met her in 2000, when we were deciding on an agency to adopt through. She was visiting our town of Orlando, and the agency head, Dick Graham, had chosen the Disney Contemporary Resort as a place where old and new families could meet Hannah.

When we saw the multitude of joyous children and parents flocking around Hannah like a happy shepherd, we were sure of our choice.

Since her start in the field of adoption nearly 15 years ago, she has assisted in over 400 adoptions to foreign (non-Chinese) families, most of them special needs children.

A few years ago, Hannah and Dick noted that the special needs children, many of whom were receiving live-saving, low-cost corrective surgery in China, were developing serious complications (or worse) following surgery, or were not very well prepared for surgery. Hannah and Dick sprang into action, and founded the American Special Chinese Children Assistance Center (ASCCAC). The center is currently located in the downtown area of Siping, and provides American-style child caregiving to special-needs children who are about to undergo, or who have just undergone, corrective surgery.

Hannah is an inspiration, and the warmth brought about by her smile was as infectious in 2000 as it was as I exited the baggage claim from the new ultramodern airport in Changchun to greet her.

With my other projects in China, I was a bit leery of the challenges I would face, and was worried about the teamwork challenges. However, I knew that Hannah and I could take on anything. So devoted was I to her, that even our 2nd daughter Annalise, carried Hannah as her middle name, in Huang Hua’s honor.

My heart was elated to once again be working with this very remarkable woman (an angel, as I thought of her), who was the source of so many families’ happiness.

Changchun was a bit warmer than Lanzhou, but there was still a cold drizzle coming down as we left the airport. The moist air was a welcome on my still hoarse throat. Hannah was quick to notice this, and she called ahead to her husband, a pediatric doctor at the Changchun hospital, to see if he could get any medicine for me. I opted instead for soup and tea, bound and determined just to get through my stay in China without the help of any medicine.

On our way to my hotel, Hannah discussed our plans for the next day.

I had become accustomed to the political intrigue surrounding our collective determination to help children in China, and this mission was shaping up to be one of the more interesting stories. Hannah, who was well plugged in to the adoption arena at the local, province, and national level, told me of all the very interesting and convoluted paths everyone had to travel down in order to make things work well in China. It involved a lot of give and take, and often led her down new and uncharted avenues, and made her available to new opportunities as well as presenting her with frustrating obtstacles.

Again, I was not surprised by such stories, but was rather amazed at the relentless charge and risk taken by all the wonderful Chinese people I had met so far, in effort to better the lives of the children in the orphanage. Thus far, everyone I had met was a warrior against the bureaucratic obstacles that stood in their way.

However, in fair defense of the various bureaucracies, I must say that I had noticed a distinguishable change, in light of my 10 years experience in traveling to China. China is changing in front of my eyes on an accelerated scale, even during this trip. Everywhere I looked, in every city I had visited, the skeleton of skyscrapers were reaching upwards wherever I looked. Old buildings were being knocked down, new landscaping was being put in. The phrases, “oh this will be the location of the new [x]” and “sorry, this is currently under construction, so unfortunately you can’t see [y]” were so commonplace, that it was an annoying mantra. Men with shovels and picks seemed more commonplace than bicycles.

China is on the move.

And this was also clear in the arena of adoption and orphanages. I had seen it in Bengbu in the form of the new orphanage being built. I had seen it in Lanzhou, in the Lanzhou SWI being remodeled. And here in Siping, a new orphanage was also being built.

With the changes in the landscape, and the new skyscrapers built with advanced technology, old buildings were being demolished. I saw the old hutong-style streets being torn down to make way for neon illuminated storefronts, and economy driven apartment complexes. Old China was being subtly and quietly erased. It seemed that all that remains will be old photos and faded memories. After all, there is no room for those antiquated one-story alleyways in new China.

And much like this rapid disappearance of these physical apparitions of an obsolete way of life, the old ways of doing things are rapidly changing. Since I have lived my life in America, I can only contrast this change against the backdrop of how “our system” operates. Many of the people I had spoken to on this trip told me how “closed door” policies were rapidly giving way to the “capitalist” ways of the west. (and here, my terminology is a bit muddled, because I am not a political scientist. I can only say that the ways in which the Chinese have operated in the past, and which I thought were a bit confusing and frustrating, are now changing into the ways in which I am more familiar and which sound logical to me. Thus I can only infer that the Chinese systems are becoming more Americanized. I cannot judge if these could be called “capitalist” in the strict sense. However, it does sound like a system in which we in America will find much more commonality with in the near term future with the new emerging China).

Lanzhou Minority University

2005-11-04T11:58:00.000-08:00

After lunch, Joe Huo and I drove toward the outskirts of Lanzhou and headed up a hillside.

“So what kind of school is this?” I asked, as we passed by a guard gate entrance to a familiar complex of large buildings.

“This is the Lanzhou Minority University. This is set up in particular for the various minorities of China, particularly those nearby to our northwestern city.” There were students here from the Hui Muslim minority, from Inner and Outer Mongolia, and Tibet.

Joe told me that I was invited to speak to a class of students who were studying English. It turned out that for most of these students I was the first American they had ever met, and the first native English speaker.

“Good!” I said, “because not only is English my native tongue, but other than “where is the bathroom” and a few other phrases, it’s my ONLY tongue!”

We took a quick walk around campus, as we had arrived a few minutes early. Joe and I discussed the differences between universities in America and China, and found that most of them were minor apart from dating. Joe said parental and college guidelines held that one could not have a boyfriend or girlfriend until age 23. However, he admitted, these guidelines were constantly changed by the younger generation. This was made all too clear by the rambunctious students all around us, many of whom were couples engaged in one of my favorite college pastimes, flirting.

The teacher for our particular class came rushing up to us from the gate, apologizing for being a few minutes late. Joe and I greeted her in a similar fashion, as she was very easy on the eyes. She was closer to our age than the students’, and was dressed in a stunning Chinese jacket adorned with silk embroidery of autumn rust hues.

She led us up several floors of stairs, taking them with ease, leaving Joe and I a bit winded.

The classroom could hold perhaps 40 students, but there were not that many there at the time.

I was introduced, and warned to speak slowly as the students were not proficient. I didn’t mind. I was just happy to speak to young people. I so much enjoy passionate people, and college students, their hearts filled to the brim with optimism and a fiery passion for life, give me such hope for the future.

As expected, the conversation started out very one-sided. However, I could see that most of the students held their lips pursed tight, and their hands tightly folded on their desk with their necks craned upwards. They were anxious to speak.

So I broke out a bag of candy I had brought with me from the States, and told them to take some. That seemed to break the ice.

One by one, the students started to ask questions. They started out simple and textbook: “what do you think of Lanzhou?” and “why are you here?” and “we welcome you to Lanzhou”. As I responded, the crowd grew a little more relaxed, and the questions began to vary.

We talked about soccer, and the differences between the American definitions of “soccer” and “football”. We talked about English, and the proper way to learn it and speak it. One student asked if there should be an emphasis on English grammar, or on verbal English? It was an excellent question.

But still, I was a bit disappointed.

Finally, a student from Tibet broke into territory that made me smile. He asked, “So… what do you think about President Bush?”

Politics and college students! Hurray!

With that subject breached, we launched into an array of hot topics, such as religion and government involvement in everyday life. Even Joe Huo, my Communist Party friend, had to smile at the familiar debates and concerns of these passionate college students. Joe and I later agreed that our time for such activism was over, and we were both happy to see the young generation anxious to change the world.

I had such a wonderful time, and Joe and the teacher were gracious enough to let the discussion go on well past our deadline. In fact, Joe was kind enough to make a call to postpone our dinner plans.

The only unfortunate result of this was the loss of my voice. The change in atmosphere and the excited talk with these vibrant students had taken a toll upon my vocal chords. FortunatelyI was still able to use my voice until bedtime that night.

The students were very appreciative of my visit, and welcomed me to return to Lanzhou in the near future. We took lots of pictures together, and I thanked the teacher for the opportunity to speak.

Joe and I had a very nice final dinner together that evening, and I told him how thankful I was to have found such a wonderful friend. He and I compared notes, and I told him that I would be in touch with him soon via email. I had to leave early the next morning for the airport, and unfortunately he would not be able to accompany me.

With a big handshake and hug, I was again happy to say “so long”, but not “good bye”.

The next morning I met with Joe’s colleague, who was my guide on the previous day to see the waterwheels of Lanzhou. She was very distressed to hear me speak, as all I could manage was a series of barely audible croaking. Try as I might to assure her that it was just damaged vocal chords, she recommended medicines, throat soothers, warm clothing, and even a hospital visit. She was very apologetic, but I told her that she had nothing to apologize for, that I had been pushing myself a bit too hard over the last few days. When Joe called me on the cellphone, he also barraged me with concerns and recommendations for my croaking voice. I managed a “thanks again Joe!” as I left Lanzhou, bound for Changchun, and my next and final mission for the children of China.

For now.

The Lanzhou Mosque - 2

2005-11-04T11:22:00.000-08:00

The Imam and his staff were genuinely interested in my humanitarian effort, and told me that they, too were involved in many charities in the community. They had most recently sent large contributions to Pakistan, hard hit by devastating earthquakes.

I then suggested to my hosts that I could record whatever message they would like to the Muslims of the Orlando community. Switching effortlessly into Arabic, the Imam, as well as his staff extended a greeting via my camcorder.

The Imam and his staff then took a few photos with me, and asked me if I wanted to take a tour of the Mosque, as well as take a look at the
school located on the mosque grounds.

“Kids?! Are you kidding? I’m there!” I enthusiastically agreed.

At first we ascended the steps towards the main circular onion domed mosque that dominated the landscape. The Imam, who had already had some difficulty moving around using his cane, stayed behind in his offices. I asked his young aide if it was okay for me to enter, given the fact that I was not Muslim. He told me, “you are welcome here”. I was humbled and honored.

We took off our shoes and I entered with the rest of our entourage. It was clear that the exterior shape of the mosque dome was indeed just a shell for the interior arena. There was very little in the way of support beams or interfering structure inside the dome, save for an upper level balcony. The high vaulted ceiling gave me that familiar sense of awe that I feel whenever entering into a large church hall. The acoustics corresponded to the magnificence of the surroundings. Even our whispers could be heard at great distance.

Prayer rugs were laid in neat rows from one side of the hall to the other. All were facing the central altar.

The junior aide asked me if I would like to hear a formal greeting from XiGuan Mosque. I told him I would be honored. He bid me to come to the front of the room, near the altar, but I felt odd in doing this. I settled down in the center and raised my camcorder, expecting to hear another introduction in spoken Arabic.

The young man took a meditative position in front of me, and knelt down on his knees. He asked me if I was ready. I said yes.

A moment of silence followed, and you could hear a pin drop. Then his voice boomed out and filled the room in the lyrical chant of spoken Arabic prayer. The dome served as an amplifier, and the hairs on my neck stood on edge at the magnificence of his vocal abilities. I tried to keep the camera steady as his voice permeated my very bones, his face taut with spiritual intensity and concentration. With a small sway, he kept time to some well practiced metronome.

When at last he finished, the vibrations of his prayers were still ringing in my ears. My knuckles were white on the camera, and I realized I hadn’t taken a breath in a long time. He was staring at me, and I remained stunned, until I at last said, “that… was… one of the most amazing things I have EVER experienced. THANK you.”

He only slightly smiled, indicating that this is an everyday practice. This was something that was thoroughly impressive for me, however.

Still awed by the performance, I was led outside to the lower levels of the mosque complex, where I was shown a few classrooms. This was my first experience with Chinese teaching facilities outside of orphanages. I was thoroughly impressed. The organization and skill of the teachers were apparent, even though I could not understand the language.

All the children were orderly and obedient, although not rigid. I was welcomed into a kindergarten class, where it was clear from the look on the students faces that I was a disruption. Curiosity quickly overtook them, though, and they edged closer to get a better look or to shake my hand. There were lots of smiles, and lots of giggling.

I could have stayed there all day, but I wanted to be respectful of the teacher’s control of the class, and I didn’t want to be too much of an interruption of her lessons. I got up and moved backward toward the door where the entourage awaited me. I felt very guilty leaving the teacher with the chaos of 30 children now chattering away about the “foreigner”. However, with a single barked syllable from the teacher, the students INSTANTANEOUSLY quieted, lept to their seats and sat perfectly still.

To be honest, I actually recoiled in fear and yelped a bit myself at this action, which caused some of the students, in turn, to be a bit afraid. The teacher looked at me puzzled, along with the other staff members at the door.

“I’m sorry” I said, “I’ve NEVER seen anything like this before. I know it’s been a while since I’ve seen a kindergarten class, but I’d be hard pressed to find students who can snap to attention THIS quickly back where I come from.”

The story was the same in the other classes we visited. With a single command, the students sat ramrod straight, although not in a robot-like or fear-induced way. It just looked like this was the way they behaved on a day to day basis. In a few classes the teacher had the class recite their practiced English phrases. Again I wondered how many kindergarten classes in America were able to repeat Chinese phrases.

Blown away by the model behavior of the children in class after class, I was led to another building filled with classes of young women. The classes were teaching Arabic, Chinese, Koran study, and singing.

Again I was impressed with the discipline and order of the classrooms.

When we finally met to say goodbye, I thanked the members of the Muslim delegation for giving up so much of their time to meet with me. They mentioned that they welcomed me or anyone else from America to come and visit them in peace. As a farewell, they presented me with an absolutely beautiful calligraphy painting to present to the local Orlando mosque. I told them it would be an honor for me to do so.

Lanzhou - looking for peace - the Mosque experience - 1

2005-11-04T03:17:00.000-08:00

The very selfish part of me wanted to be with the children in the orphanage the whole time. However, I know this is short-sighted. As much as I just wanted to hold the children, comfort them, and have them comfort me, I had to remind myself to focus upon the long term. I think it is very easy, as a parent, to get caught up in searching for answers to those difficult questions we have about our children, or else, those questions that we think our children will come to ask one day.

I cringe when I think about my dear daughters grasping for answers I can't provide.

Being in China, I had a burning personal desire to seek out all those "whys", "hows", and "whats".

Each time I get close to the gates of an orphanage, a familiar feeling rises up in my stomach. One of them is anger. I have so many things to be mad at - anger for the orphanage for not holding my daughters the way they like to be held, for a society that would leave abandonment as the only option for a mother, and for a system that keeps wonderful children cooped up in orphanages long after the point where they could be adopted by eager, loving parents. These are very personal thoughts, and I realize the causes and solutions are very complex, and that no sane person in the world has any desire to harm children.

Then there are more philosophical levels of anger. I get angry at the color of my skin and the shape of my eyes, for I wish they matched my children's. I am angry at birthparents I don't even know, because they were responsible for my child's birth, when I wish so passionately that it could have been me who conceived my daughters.

As the gates or doors of the orphanage close behind me, my heart beats faster. This is no ordinary building, no ordinary set of rooms. This is Holy ground. This is a place of intense mystery and intense pain. While I may be casually walking through the hallway, with the window permitting a bright sun to illuminate lazy bits of dust suspended in the air, if I close my eyes I am blinded by a maelstrom of energy. This place is filled with prayers, with pain, with loneliness, and with voices crying for each other in the darkness. When I enter a room with children, in my soul I am a frightened sailor far from land, stumbling upon the deck of a small ship caught a howling hurricane.

I tread steadily to the source of all that I know about my family, and then I find myself looking into the eyes of a child, and find myself asking THEM the question, "why". It is at this point that I am confronted with my own selfishness.

It is wholly unfair to have a child in an orphanage comfort ME. How dare I, in the midst of my searching for answers, impose any more discomfort to a child already afloat in a raging dark stormy sea?

I know now my quest for answers leads elsewhere. Moreover, Jenna and Annalise, if I am so lucky, must first INVITE me to search for answers, if they so choose to do so.

As hard as it was to battle the distractions brought by my "kid-itis", I was determined to have eyes for the future. Other souls would continue this effort, and I wanted to leave them a clearer path. I strived to make a good impression upon as many people as possible and strengthen the lines of communication.

Joe Huo and I had this in mind on my last day in Lanzhou.

Before I had left for China, I had read that Gansu province had a large concentration of the Chinese Muslim minority, the Hui. In preparation I had visited the Orlando mosque, where I spoke to Mr. Bassem Chabaan, who runs "The Center for Peace". This outreach center serves as an open forum for understanding between Orlando's Muslims and the rest of the community.

Mr. Chaaban loaned me a book on the history of Islam in China, and told me that he would be very interested to hear a report upon my return. I said that I would be happy to do so, and asked if I could have a letter from the Center of Peace that I could present to a member of the Lanzhou Muslim community, should I have the opportunity to meet with them.

As it so happened, Mr. Huo was kind enough to arrange a meeting with the head mosque of Gansu province, which was located in Lanzhou, the province capital.

So on Wednesday morning, Joe Huo and I met with the members of the local Islamic council. I had expected that this would be a wonderful opportunity for the increasing of understanding and peace in our world community.

What an incredible experience I was in for.

Zipping off from the hotel in the morning, Joe told me that our destination was the most famous mosque in town. The Xi Guan mosque dated back to the reign of Hongwu (1368-1398). It has been rebuilt or refurbished many times, first in 1684, and most recently in 1986.

The guilded lettering over the entrance was the first thing I noticed as we parked in front of this huge white structure. They were written first in Chinese, then in Arabic, and finally in English: "XIGUAN MOSQUE OF LANZHOU"

Twin minarets, covered in shiny white porcelain tiles, pierced the sky. The mosque itself was not as high as the skyscrapers around it, but the regal spirituality of the curved onion dome of the mosque outshone the utilitarian rectangular secular buildings beside it. It looked to be a haven for the soul, in a world being swallowed by construction and civilization. I am a suburbanite, and the artistic and religious architecture was a welcome draw from the concrete jungle of neon advertisements and the unimaginative rectangular buildings replicated as far as the eye could see.

The courtyard of the mosque was a further image of serenity: the sounds of traffic were muted, and the centerpiece held a very large oak tree, its base below courtyard level. A circular opening around the tree showed only the trunk, and the roots could only be viewed from the opening's edge, looking down at the ground a few feet below.

We were greeted as dignitaries, as we were greeted by a local party member, who was Muslim, and then led into a room where we were presented to the head Imam.

The head Imam, Mr. Yunus Yang Sen, carried the following title:
The Deputy to the National People's Congress
The Commissioner of Islamic Association of China
The President of Islamic Association of Gansu
The Imam of the Xiguan Mosque of Lanzhou.

He indeed looked to be all these things, and more. The 85 year old Imam looked to be as wise as he looked kind. He greeted us with a broad smile, and invited us to sit. As it was Ramadan, he apologized for not being able to offer us any tea or food, as this would violate the fast of the holy month.

I must admit I felt a bit intimidated by the very formal reception. I felt unworthy of such pomp. But I did my best to represent Packages of Hope, my community, and my country in delivering a message of peace and warm greetings to the Hui people of Lanzhou.

The friendly imam, a short white beard carefully manicured from his chin, returned the greeting of peace.

Although I knew some arabic words from my time working in Saudia Arabia, I told the Imam that I was not Muslim. Without hesitation he told me that people of all faiths were welcome here in peace.

Communication - the Key to success

2005-11-04T03:13:00.000-08:00

On the way back from the orphanage, Joe Huo reiterated something to me that I really agreed with.

He and I were both really concerned with making the world a better place.

Whether because of our similar age, or because of our similar goals, we really saw eye to eye on the concept of communication.

He said:"communication is the earth in which understanding can grow".

He knew, like I did, that for growth, for anything positive to arise, you must communicate. This is perhaps the singular most difficult thing that humans grapple with. Whether between nations, or between family, communication is necessary for problem resolution, and paves the way for understanding and peace.

Amen!

Lanzhou - SWI - needs

2005-11-04T02:53:00.000-08:00

Madam De then took me to another building where I saw something I have never seen in any orphanage in China - a computer lab! There were 20 workstations, which were donations made from a local raffle. When I entered, there were 2 special needs older children playing learning games at the terminals.

Madam De led us to her office, on the way explaining that the orphanage was being refurbished, and that the elderly residents of the SWI were being relocated to a nearby facility, and that this location was to be used exclusively for children. She mentioned that the needs here were great for basic equipment for a growing orphan population.

As we were outside, she pointed to the location where there would be a large library (apparently they had a few books), and where there was a rehabilitation exercise room. I did not visit these rooms.

She showed us around the kitchen and cafeteria rooms, which were very nice and clean. She mentioned that the government provision for every child was clearly not enough to provide for all the basic needs of the children.

When we were in her office, I asked her about the basic needs requested for the orphanage. She mentioned that there was a need for a refrigerator (which costs around 1500RMB), and washing machines. She mentioned that several small washing machines were needed, but that if the donation was large enough, a large industrial sized washer would cover the needs for the entire orphanage. Small washers cost around (1,000 RMB - around $130), but a large industrial washer costs 15,000 RMB ($1,875).

She also mentioned that there was a need for Airconditioning units, which are used for heating as well as cooling, which cost around 2,000 to 3,000 RMB ($250 to $375).

She mentioned that the library could use more books, and requested that the books be informative, telling about the outside world, and be educational, rather than just storybooks.

She also mentioned that there were needs for more TVs and DVDs.

We also told her that we represented an organization - Love Without Boundaries, that provided for surgeries for special needs children. Madam De was going to provide a list for Mr. Huo so we could pass this information along to Love Without Boundaries.

She thanked us profusely for our visit, for in a very short time we became welcome friends. I again told her that I hoped that we could do more in the future for the Lanzhou orphanage children.

FYI - I wanted to post the one-sheet description I was given for the Lanzhou SWI:

Here's the English translation:

A Brief Introduction of
Lanzhou Disabled Children Recuperation Center
Lanzhou Social Welfare Institute

Founded in 1950 and located at 336 Baliyao Street, Qi-Li-He District of Lanzhou, Lanzhou Social Welfare Institute serves as a haven for abandoned children and orphans who “have nobody to rely on, have no incomes and are homeless”. Assisted by United Nations Children’s Foundation, approved by the city authority, Lanzhou Disabled Children Recuperation Center was established in 1987. The two organizations actually are operated by the same staff. With 263 children living on the campus and 94 staff working there, the location occupies 7800 square meters with 6346 square meters under roof. It has a capacity of 100 beds for orphans and 40 beds for recuperation. Its major business includes recuperation, education and infant caring.

Last a few years, LSWI focuses on basic facility construction to promote the ability to support recuperate and educate disabled children. The construction job done includes, a new well, a kid’s playground, a multimedia classroom and a library. New equipment bought includes an X-ray machine, an electroencephalogram machine, a ultrasonic B machine and some specific recuperation equipments. LSWI paid equal attention to pre-K and standard education as well as special needs of the children. For nutrition and caring, following the guidance of the government regulation, LSWI divides the children in to groups based on their age and type of disability, puts them into different rooms. The current living standard is RMB 250 Yuan/month/child. The campaign of “Letting kids merge into families and society” started in 2004, up to now; over 60 children have found foster homes. 26 disabled orphans have gotten the chance of surgical operations as the benefit of implementation of “Tomorrow Plan”. Supported by the government, a new site called Datan Children Welfare Institute now is under construction, upon finish, the living standard of the disabled orphans will be much better.

LSWI was awarded by the central government as Advanced Institute in three areas of disabled recuperation. It also dubbed as The First Class welfare Institute by the provincial government of Gansu. It also awarded many times by the local government in various areas.

Lanzhou SWI - Pictures

2005-11-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

here's a view of the inside of the Lanzhou SWI.

Below is some of the cute kids!

Below is us at the Lanzhou SWI. At the right is my wonderful foreign affairs liaison, Joe Huo. 2nd from the right is Madam De, the orphanage director.

The below was taken on the way back from the orphanage. I just HAD to include this one. What I want to know is,
1. How did he get going on his bike
2. Somebody better be at his destination when he plans to stop!

Lanzhou - Mr. Chen Pictures

2005-11-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of the kids trying on their new jackets!

Below you can see the happy family!

Below are pictures I just snapped which clearly show this happy family

Here's a smile of pure unconditional love. I am so unbelievably privileged to have met him.

Lanzhou - Mr. Chen and Lanzhou SWI - 1

2005-11-02T03:06:00.000-08:00

(continuing on with the Lanzhou story, picking up from when I arrived at the airport in Lanzhou, Gansu province)

Mr. Huo led me outside to his car. It was very dry outside, which is a condition I am very sensitive to by virtue of my contact lenses. I had to blink a few times to rewet my eyes. Even though we were in darkness, I could sense fine particulates in the air. Whether it was dust or pollution, I could not tell, but it would prove to wreak havoc on my sinuses and my upper respiratory system for the remainder of my time in China.

As in many of the airports I have visited in China, there is a long drive between the airport and the city’s edge, marked by a long highway. During this dark drive, Mr. Huo and I exchanged introductions. It was a hungry exchange of information, since we both really had scant information on each other. We had been connected via the foreign liaison office between Lanzhou and Albequerque, which are designated as sister cities. Other than the fact that we were both doing our job, we were understandably curious about each other as teammates.
I learned that Mr. Huo was a communist party official. My eyes went a bit wide as I held his card in my hand, with the red and gold seal of the PRC embossed in the upper left hand corner. I never really met a party official before, much less been asked to team up with one. For a moment, I allowed my self a bit of reflection, one of those moments when you find yourself facing a new experience, and realizing that never in a million years would you have expected something like THIS to happen.

I could see the headline in my hometown newspaper:

“Jeff Kircik teams up with communist party member”.

I remember reading the history books, and listening to my mother talk about the McCarthy days of the cold war.

But after only a few short minutes, I realized that the only thing that was putting me on edge was the title on the business card. Other than that, Joe Huo was just a regular guy, albeit very helpful and kind (far above and beyond just a "regular" guy).

We quickly discovered our similarities. He and I were the same age within 4 months, and we both had very similar outlooks on life. He told me he was from a family of 6 children, and was very poor when he was growing up. This is why he had a very special place in heart for Mr. Chen, and for disadvantaged children. He was on a government salary, which in new China is about the same as America, which means his middle class income gave him a comfortable life for him and his family. He, like me, felt very blessed by this, and wanted to give back to those less fortunate. He was a very high energy type of person, and was deservedly proud of his excellent English skills. He spent a number of years in Albequerque, where he intently studied all things American.

After checking into the hotel, Mr. Huo invited me out to dinner. Kindly, he invited me to a western style restaurant, where I ate with a fork for the first time in nearly a week. While the steak was excellent, I was really developing a palate for Chinese food, and I secretly longed for my favorite dishes, such as mapadofu (bean curd in a spicy oil sauce with bits of pork), lotus root, and fresh cooked fish.

We discussed our plan for the next few days, and I was excited to see Mr. Chen. Mr. Huo filled me in on a few gaps in the story as I had understood it. As he told me the story, I began to understand, and even moreso because I was in China. That is, had I read his explanation in an email, sitting comfortably in my home in Orlando, I would have had a completely different take on it versus sitting in a cold and dusty Lanzhou. There’s an element that is often missing which needs to be taken into consideration. Call it “the Chinese Way” or “cultural translation”, there’s perspective that is difficult to fully appreciate unless one is actually IN China.

Mr. Huo explained to me that Mr. Chen is well known throughout Gansu province. He is a bit of a local hero, as he has taken on the local government in resisting the effort of the local Social Welfare system to take his kids away from him. The local SW office in his small town of DingXi maintains that Mr. Chen is too old, and his home is too primitive to house the 8 children currently living there. However Mr. Chen, who has reared the children from infancy (the oldest is now 12), refuses to allow the government to take “his children”. So far there has been mixed feelings from both sides of the argument. Some people believe that Mr. Chen is indeed too old to care for the children. Others question the motives of the government SW office and the quality of life the children would receive in an orphanage, and are conflicted as what to think the best solution is for the children.

The next morning Mr. Huo met me promptly at 9am in the lobby. We took our donations with us, but Mr. Huo made the suggestion that we get coats for the children for the long and bitter winter, already on the way. He knew of a good place for great prices, and we found ourselves zipping along down department store alleyways, looking for the right type of coat, at the right price. We eventually found just what we wanted, and Mr. Huo started to haggle. After a price was fixed, we told the owner about why we were there, and who we were buying the coats for. The store owners of course knew about Mr. Chen, and that got us an even further discount. In all, 8 heavy-insulation jackets cost us 720 RMB, which works out to be about $10/per jacket.
Big bags of jackets in tow, we headed to our car, in the crisp, cold, dry Lanzhou morning.

Our car headed south out of town, and I was finally able to see the countryside in daylight. The landscape looked as though the weather should have been very hot, instead of the chilly temperature it actually was. Lanzhou is surrounded by low, rounded mountains of dull yellow. They were dotted with low foliage that resembled tumbleweeds, and there were very few trees to be seen. It looked as though the earth was made up of fine clay. I made this assumption because of the sculpted cliffs that the roadway occasionally cut through. The steeply angled slopes were perfectly smooth, with no foliage on them. I know that this would not have been a possible sight in Florida. One, the Florida sand would not have sit still with out some restraining ground net. Second, the frequent Florida rains would have easily reduced these hills to flowing rivers of mud. So this told me that the ground must have been made of highly compacted clay, and that it must not rain here very much at all.

Many of the unpopulated mountains, with their low soft crinkles looking much like a wadded up tablecloth, had horizontal etched steppes in them. At first I thought this might have been man-made, but after seeing these stepped mountains go on for endless miles, I figured that surely this must have been a phenomenon of nature. “No,” said Mr. Huo, “those have been made by people as part of a reforestation project. Before, there was a lot of deforestation due to lumber needs. Now we’re trying to replant the trees. In fact, every party member must plant 5 trees every year!”

I also noticed a lot of caves dug into the hillside. The caves all looked the same, for the most part. The openings were about 10 feet across with an arched ceiling. The sun was either too bright, or the cave was dug too far such that they all looked like black holes. Mr. Huo told me that these were often used for workers to escape the summer heat. He told me that they didn’t go back very far. In some cases, long ago, they were used as homes.

DingXi is a small town right off of the main highway. We looped around the exit ramp, and found ourselves working our way around small streets lined with farmers selling their crops, which were nearly all potatoes. Mr. Huo said that this area was nationally famous for their potato farming.

From the article I had read, I had envisioned Mr. Chen living on a dusty road on the outskirts of town, in very primitive surroundings.

However, when Mr. Huo announced, “we’re here. That’s him there, sitting on the steps,” I was aghast. The door to Mr. Chen’s home was almost camouflaged by the storefronts along this 4 lane avenue. Both sides of the avenue had a smaller lane just for bicycles, and as I said, were lined with shops of all kinds, mostly utilitarian in nature (selling manufacturing products and small tools). The only way to distinguish Mr. Chen’s home was the traditional Chinese rooftop poking out above the façade of the avenue-long storefront.

For those of you who want to know, Mr. Chen’s home is at N35’ 35.496” E104’ 37.212”

Mr. Chen jumped up and with a spry step, a big smile, and arms raised high, he made his way to the car. Whether it was because of his boisterous greeting, or my western face, we immediately started to draw a crowd of onlookers. Mr. Chen, although his face perhaps showed advanced age, was bright eyed and vibrant. He spoke in a full bodied and strong voice, slightly tenor, but free from any gravel. Usually the elderly, especially those who have known a lifetime of cigarette smoking, speak in gruff and hoarse voices, with lots of coughing and wheezing. Mr. Chen showed no such signs, speaking clearly and cleanly. He greeted me with a bright smile with perfect teeth. His children rallied around him, all full of smiles and curiosity. Upon initial examination, I was left to wonder what I was doing here. Clearly this was a family that was happy and full of life. We should all be so lucky!

With a lot of giggling, the children tugged me inside. As I later thoroughly examined the home, I found that the Chen property is approximately 45 feet in width and 90 feet deep. The front of Mr. Chen’s property is actually two small shops with his front door in the middle, with a hallway leading into the main living area. He rents out the front two shops (although they mention that this income is very little). In true Chinese style, there is an open air alleyway down the middle of the home, with buildings on either side each with a traditional Chinese roof. At the back of the property is where the Chens sleep, along with a separate room for the 8 children. The reason for this is that the back two rooms are the only rooms that have a radiator for heating.
After we entered the complex, the ancient wooden door was closed and locked. The lock consisted of an even older pole, which looked to be fashioned from a thick tree branch, which was wedged behind the door into the floor at an angle.

The right side building was used as a storage facility, and had some visible signs of wall cracking and ceiling water damage.

The left side of the building had a few small rooms. One held a makeshift bathroom, although there was no drainage system. Another was the cooking room, where two 18-year-old helpers were doing some cooking. Perpendicular to the alley was the two rooms where the Chens slept. In front of this building there were tiny desks all lined up with books and papers on them, obviously used for doing homework. I was ushered into the bedroom, which was indeed a place of cozy intimacy. Lining the walls were photos of children, memories of 40 children cherished by this loving couple. It was there that I met Mrs. Chen, a diminutive woman that looked to be suffering from osteoperosis (once again, only my opinion, I am not a doctor). She smiled widely and shook my hand and thanked me for helping their family.

The family of 8 were squirming in and around us, and Mr. Chen had to offer a terse “shoo!” to a few who were getting a bit too rambunctious. We had timed our visit to coincide with the school lunch break, so all kids were home. I thanked Mr. Chen for all he had done for the children, and told him on behalf of all the families in the USA and all over the world, we offer our prayers and thoughts of support for your family.

Before the kids got too rambunctious, We broke out the new jackets. The kids were elated with excitement. While Mr. and Mrs. Chen were probably most happy that the children would now be warm for the winter, the children were more concerned about the fancy new styles they were wearing. Each jacket was different, and just as soon as they all had put on their jacket, they took them off, and put them in a special place for safekeeping until the really cold weather arrived. It didn’t look like the children needed the coats anyway, they already were wearing multiple layers of shirts and sweaters, although looking a bit threadbare.

Mr. Chen then showed me around the place, with his children laughing and giggling around him. One of the children had a kitten, and he placed it on Mr. Chen’s back, and it crawled up and perched on his shoulder. Mr. Chen ignored this minor distraction. But on the other hand, perhaps he was quietly cherishing it.

With a very agile mind, he explained, through Mr. Huo, why he wanted to fix the roof, and moreover, rebuild the structure entirely. He told me that the roof leaks during the rains. Also, the alleyway running down the center of the home is below street level, and always floods during the summer rain. This is not good for daily living, as well as hygiene. As the girls are getting older, he wants to have a separate room for the boys and the girls.

After he was finished showing me around, we sat down and I let the videocamera roll. The children seemed interested in the camera for a while, but then were distracted. It was only after I interviewed the first child, and as a reward gave him a matchbox car, did all the other children hover in rapt anticipation. I gave each boy a matchbox car, and I gave each girl a fossilized shark’s tooth, which are found in Florida soil.

All the children bear the Chen family name.

Chen Quan is a boy of age 7 and has a repaired cleft palate. He is a bright an energetic kid who really wanted so badly to handle my videocamera. Chen Long, also 7, is disabled. He has no control over his legs or his bladder, and has to always wear diapers. He has no feeling from his ankles downward, and his feet are disfigured. He apparently had a corrective operation earlier in his life that went wrong. He also is nearsighted, but just had lost his glasses. Since they cost 68 RMB (less than $10), I asked Mr. Huo if he could please get this taken care of. Chen Long also gets around using a walker, which was a donation made by a kind man in Britain. He also received the gift of special shoes which grip the ankle to create some rigid support for his feet.
Chen Qiang, also aged 7, had a heart repair operation, and is now a boisterous youngster. Chen Jin, aged 5, has what the Chen’s call “a mental problem”, but it appears to be Down’s syndrome. He cannot speak clearly, and does not have much fine motor skills. The Chens state that Jin does not go to school.

Chen Yuan, Chen Juan, and Chen Rong are all girls, aged 12, 8, and 6 respectively. They were so happy to receive their sharks tooth necklaces. Finally there was little Chen Lin, a girl of 3, who had spinal corrective surgery. (all surgeries were done on a volunteer basis).

We also talked to the 2 beautiful young girls who are assisting with the Chen family, 7 days a week. They do everything from cooking and cleaning, to helping with schoolwork. Zhang Li and Wang Zhuang are both 18, and work from 6am in the morning to 8pm in the evening. Zhang Li has a 20 minute bike ride to and from work every day, and Wang Zhuang has a 50 minute bike ride each way.

When all the gifts had been given, I sat down and to have a chat with Mr. Chen. I told him how world famous he was, and that so many families wished they could be there to give him a big hug. He smiled again warmly and thanked me.

Soon 2 of the children, Quang and Qiang spoke excitedly to their papa. Mr. Huo translated that it was just about time for them to go to class, and they wanted to show me where they studied. Of course I agreed, but as both my hands were in the grip of a child pulling me towards the front door, I was yelling back on how I would find my way back. I soon discovered that the school was within sight of the Chen rooftops. As the two proud boys grasped my hands with a vice grip, we walked briskly towards the school.

By the look of blank stares and gaping mouths and frozen figures as we walked, it was clear to me that not many westerners came this way. A few of the smaller children actually ran away in fright. This caused the two boys to beam even brighter with pride and smiles, as they led me into the courtyard. There were several confrontations with other students, who rapidly asked them a question as they looked at me. The two boys were repeating the same phrase over and over, and I could hear the words for “America” (Mei-Guo) and “friend” (pong-yo) used. I could only imagine the way they felt, as they were the only kids not in uniform, as obviously the Chens could not afford it. As we rounded staircases and encountered children, we were met with gasps and recoils. Quang and Qiang continued to hold my hand firmly as they showed me off and very proudly showed me where both of their classrooms were. The crowd of confused children continued to gather around as we were led into the playground. Ping-pong balls bounced off the tables and on to the ground as the students froze when they saw me. Most children just stayed where they were, staring with their eyebrows furrowed in a mix of fear and confusion. An equal number of others ran towards us or ran away. Finally a bell sounded, and I thought I was going to be left to walk back to the house. But the 2 elated boys were proud to walk me back to the home, as they chatted back and forth to each other, and me dragging along behind, like a heavy cart.

It was clear to me then that the Chen family was full of the most important ingredient, love. Despite their living conditions, they appeared happy with their parents. I had seen many a vacuous expression from older children living in orphanages, which was a sort of Stress Trauma reaction to life in an orphanage. Feelings became repressed, smiles were forced, and emotional reactions seemed out of place to given stimuli. But here, the children seemed…. “normal”. It is certain that they realize that they are definitely in a different economic class than those around them, but that’s what we’re here for.

I promised myself that I would work hard for Mr. Chen, and help out in any way we could for his family’s uncertain future.

In my understanding, the Social Welfare institute is playing a very respectful waiting game, in light of Mr. Chen’s age. Mr. Huo told me that they are very sensitive to donations made to the Chen family, and that it all must be done very delicately. As stated before, on the other side of the coin, Mr. Chen is revered as a local hero, whose family is intact and happy. He is admired for his resistance to the local government, as well as for being a good parent. However, well-wishing doesn’t always pay the bills.

Mr. Chen then stated that it was time for the remaining children at home were due to go to the local hospital to get some free vaccinations. It was time for us to go.

I told Mr. Chen that I didn’t want him to get the wrong impression. In the past, other international donors had given a small donation, and that was it. I wanted him to know that I hoped to provide lasting support for the Chen family.

On our way out, he asked if he could take us out to lunch, which is a Chinese custom. In this custom, he would be the one to pay. In cultural correctness, we refused the offer, stating that we had other plans that needed attending to. As we stood outside his home, Mr. Chen’s large calloused hands held mine, and he smiled and in perfect English said, “Thank you”.

It was one of the most tender and moving things I had ever experienced. I was humbled by this great man, his very hard life, and his genuine love for these children. It was a distinct honor of my life to have met him, and a distinct honor to represent Packages of Hope on behalf of all the kind and generous families in providing assistance to his family.

I wanted to find a shop around town that sold some trinkets or souvenirs which would provide as a remembrance for my experience in this city. However, since this was not a big tourist destination, we found none. Instead I stopped and listened briefly to a group of men playing Beijing opera, with the local crowd stepping forward and doing their own performances.

That evening we had a dinner with the members of the Lanzhou foreign liaison office. They all thanked me for my work for the children, and I in returned thanked them for letting me have so much of Mr. Huo’s time. The Chinese sense of hospitality never ceased to amaze me. From taking care of my every need, to paying for nearly every meal, everywhere I went, I was so wonderfully cared for. I was commenting at the dinner that I had actually learned only a few new Chinese words. My helpful guides were constantly at my side, and I was never in want of a translator. However, I did learn a new bit of Lanzhou dialect, as I learned the phrase for “happiness” which was “Zou De Han” (where the “H” in “Han” is pronounced almost as a guttural dry gargling sound). Normally the Mandarin phrase is “Gou Xin”.

On Friday the 25th, I had some time to have a look at the local waterwheel park. It was dedicated to the man Duan Xu, a native of Lanzhou, that invented these particular waterwheels in the 1500’s. As an engineer it was fascinating to see the innovative ways Duan Xu designed water lifting systems and different milling mechanisms using waterwheel power.

In the afternoon, we visited the Lanzhou Social Welfare Institute.

At first, it was difficult for Mr. Huo to gain an audience on short notice. Furthermore, we were instructed that taking photos was not permitted.

It was only a short ride out of town into the surrounding hillsides. I could tell we had left town because we were no longer in the area of skyscrapers and busy paved streets. Instead were amidst low concrete and mud block row houses and businesses. Dust and haze permeated the air around moving vehicles. Occasionally a bike or three-wheel motorcycle could be seen hugging the edge of the road, out of the way of barreling vehicles. Everything seemed to take on the dull yellow or gray hue of the dust and dirt in the air.

Again, this particular site snuck up on us. (location: N36’ 01.999” E103’ 48.360”). Once we passed through the entrance gate, however, we entered into a well manicured plaza with brightly colored buildings. We were greeted by the orphanage director, Madam De Mei Lan.
After a short introduction, we went inside to a meeting room where I made a small donation of some children’s clothes, some diaper rash crème, antibiotic crème, and anti-itch crème. I showed them the Packages of Hope pamphlet, explaining our mission, and the whole room seemed to relax a little. When we went back outside to take an orphanage tour, I asked to take some photos, and the Director agreed without hesitation. I took a few pictures of the beautiful shaded play area, complete with what looked like a new playground.

I found out that the orphanage held 263 orphans under age 16 at the moment, and 100 of those were under the age of 4. 80% to 90% of the children were special needs, and that 20 to 30 children come there every year, and that this year, only 5 or 6 were adopted to foreigners. When I asked if any of the children were adopted domestically, she responded, “very seldom”.
I toured the first two floors of the young children’s building, and found big rooms with lots of toddlers, most of them looked to be special needs children. The rooms were clean and the beds were all made and they had plenty of blankets. Some of the children were at a center table playing with plastic toys. There were at least 2 nannies in every room, and they were dressed in uniforms and were genuinely smiling. I thanked them all for doing such a good job with the kids.

Bengbu pictures 6

2005-11-02T02:40:00.000-08:00

As you can see here, on our last day in Bengbu, just before we left for the train station, YongMing, Steven, and I went looking around at air conditioners. We got lots of info on the size and cost, and have not yet collated this information. This is for future fundraisers for airconditioners for the Bengbu orphanage.
Here's some photos

Check out THIS cutie! One of the things my wife wanted me to do was to take some pictures of how the natives fix up their daughter's hair. Check out the braided pigtails and the different parts on this girl we happen to pass on the street! Cute!

Check out this funny shot on the train back from Bengbu to Shanghai. I would have loved to get more pictures, but we were packed in like sardines, and people were giving me stares as it was. If I were to have pulled out my camera and if someone would have objected, there would have been no way to escape!

Anyway, on the long 8 hour trip, the kids on board were SUPER tolerant of the cramped conditions. At one point, this understandably cranky boy just couldn't take the "sittin' still". To break up the monotony, this grampa got up and set the boy up on the overhead storage rack, much to the giggling amusement of the boy, and much to the worry of the parents and everyone else around. It provided for a moment of levity, and thus it was a good opportunity to break out the camera and take a picture. However, the flash caused by the camera caused a huge consternation throughout the cabin, as everyone turned to look at the cause of the flash. I quickly sat down, and was waiting for someone to come along and toss me out of the train. I never took my camera out again during the trip!

Pictures of Bengbu 4

2005-11-02T02:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of an elderly woman's apartment in an "assisted living" building, right next to the "0 to 3 infant" building. The Chinese loosely translate this type of living as "those who have family assistance". I thought "assisted living" was the best translation to our (American) way of thinking.
Thus, the people living here have financial help from their family members, and the family helps to pay for their living. Their lives here are supported then partially by their own family money, and from the SWI. You can see their living conditions here, and they also have meals and laundry service provided for them by staff members. they also have at least one common room, with an ancient TV set (that blinks on and off from color to B&W) that has a DVD attached to it. I know this, because we watched the "Packages of Hope" video there.

(out of order, sorry, but there's a glitch with picture uploads, and I'm not going to rock the boat to correct it. I've had enough problems with getting pictures uploaded to the Blog!)
Shown here is our wonderful friend Jin YongMing, me, and the foreign relations department leader for the Bengbu Medical College, Ms. Yao Bei

Here is a spry, energetic, and talkative 83 year old who really reminded me of my grandmother. She credits her long life to a positive and optimistic outlook on life. She was a hoot!

Interesting to note that this woman was a Christian, and had this poster on her wall. She was also proud to show me her Chinese copy of the New Testament. Director Song was standing there the whole time, and didn't flinch when I took these pictures, although he made sure he stood clear so he was not included in them.

This reaffirmed my notion of the "don't ask, don't tell" official "in front of the camera" policy that the SWI and other governmental officials must follow in regards to religion.

Pictures of Bengbu 3

2005-11-02T01:43:00.000-08:00

Here's some special needs kids coloring. They were so proud to show me their pictures.

Here'a a picture of the new SWI under construction. I have lots of pictures!

Here's a picture of some kindergarten beds. Most siderails are broken.

Pictures from Bengbu 2

2005-11-02T01:25:00.000-08:00

Here is Steven Tao with the "little General"

Here's me on the old and decrepit beds of one of primary school orphanage sites.

Pictures from Bengbu

2005-11-02T01:11:00.000-08:00

I'm finally able to post some pictures!

Here's one of the babies and the nannies in Bengbu.

Here's a picture of me with Mr. Sun Yu Er, born in 1949, and grew up in the Bengbu SWI.

Lanzhou - Getting there

2005-10-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

With the Bengbu experience still deeply moving me, I checked out of the hotel and headed to the airport.

It was there that I hit a glitch. I found out I had arrived at the airport too late, and I had missed my direct flight to Lanzhou.

I went to a nearby ticket agent, who appeared slightly interested in my plight, and told me that I would have to take a flight the next day, and that I would have to pay an extra fee. I figured that I had little choice, so I accepted her proposal. She then told me that I needed to go to the cashier to pay the fee, and then come back so that she could issue me my ticket. I then asked her where the cashier was.

She said, "there," as she pointed to the man sitting not 4 feet from her, in the next booth.

With a few papers in my hand, I lumbered the cart with my donation laden bags a few feet to the left.

The cashier appeared even slightly less interested in my plight, as I handed him my papers, and my Visa card. Without moving his head or gaze, his hands performed a flurry of swiping, filing, and stamping, and I ended up with twice as many pieces of papers as when I had started with. I then gave a few tugs on my cart, pulling it a few feet back to the ticket agent, who looked surprised to see me so soon. She took all my papers, and I did see some of them filed in different locations, but after all the stamping was through, I could have sworn the stack of paper now gripped in my hand was twice as big.

Resigned to another day in Shanghai, I used my cellphone to call my contact in Lanzhou, Mr. Huo. I told him what had happened, and he then offered me a solution to fly another route to Lanzhou that day, rather then spending another night in Shanghai. I told him I had asked all the requisite questions to the ticket agent, as in "is there any other way I can get to Lanzhou today on this or any other airline?". He responded, "let me talk to her".

Thank goodness I had purchased my SIM card for my cellphone to work in China.

After a lot of discussion, it was determined that I could indeed travel to Lanzhou, but would involve a stop in Xian.

I profusely thanked Mr. Huo for his telephone assistance, and was prepared for battle with the ticket agent. However, I was reminded of my overall objective, and peace overcame me, as I confirmed my agreement with Mr. Huo's plan to travel to Lanzhou that evening via Xian.

I won't tell you the details of the next 30 minutes, but I will say that the following was necessary for the transaction to take place:
1. My current ticket (for next day travel) had to be refunded
2. A new ticket had to be issued.
3. My original ticket had to be stamped in order for me to get a refund on my original flight.

Yes indeed, these three steps involved what I aptly named "the cashier waltz", as I had to go back and forth to properly process the transaction. While passing the papers over the divider between the ticket agent and the cashier seemed a bit easier, I accepted that I was the guest in this country, and I had to play by the rules.

However, the cashier had not seen the last of me, as when I went to the separate counter to check in, I found out that my bags were horrifically overweight, and even after a generous overage allowance, I still needed to sashay across the terminal dancefloor and collect even more leafs of onion-skin stamped paper from the expressionless cashier.

With only minutes to spare, and with the assistance of a very kind check-in attendant escorting me quickly through security, I was on my way to Xian.

I had to retrieve my bags at Xian and hang around for a few hours before I could check in for my next flight. As I waited, I took out my laptop, and watched a movie. Soon a number of children surrounded me, and I set the laptop on top of my bags, and we sat on the floor in front of the screen, like we were all sitting in the living room watching TV. My heart was warmed as one of the kids went and poured me a nice cup of tea.
When it was time to check in at Xian, and found out I again had to pay baggage overweight charges. This time, however, I mentioned that I was with a charity organization, and I received an even bigger break.

Finally I made it to Lanzhou, where Mr. Huo was waiting patiently for me. With a handshake and a smile, he helped me load my behemoth bags into his car. I thought for sure I would have to really make up for this bad start as an introduction for Packages of Hope, but Joe Huo didn't seem to mind. In fact, he did not mind at all, and I would soon find out just what a wonderful friend I had met.

Bengbu - Nanny Gifts - some feedback

2005-10-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

I wanted to relate a comment I received indirectly from the staff at Bengbu.

During the final time in the meeting room together, I attempted a candid question on what the nannies would like as a gift from families traveling to Bengbu.

I received an interesting lesson in American vs. Chinese culture.

I was told (again, indirectly) that the nannies do not prefer soaps, shampoos, or cosmetics. In fact, they tended towards disliking these gifts, although I'm sure they wouldn't admit this openly. I was really surprised at this comment, as I remember reading many posts where people had commented that this was the ideal gift for the staff.

We had taken these along on our two adoption trips.

I asked, "we really want to get you folks something that you'd like. Something that you might need. Just let me know, and I'll let people know what to get!"

They responded, "we would really like to get something that comes from your heart. For example, some people from France gave us a scarf, which we were told is a typical heartfelt gift from France."

I thought that they were merely trying to appease me, but later I found out from YongMing that they were being very honest. It seems that in Chinese culture, a gift from the heart is much more meaningful than something that is useful, in these particular cases. So even if the gift has no practical use, it's meaning from the giver is the most important aspect of the gift.

YongMing later offered me some perspective, and offered his theory. He told me that in the late 60's and 70's, many common items were very scarce, and even required a ticket or stamp in order to purchase. One of these such items were soap. People actually had to have a ticket in order to buy soap (of course today things are very different, with soap and shampoo being readily available). He said that perhaps the gifts of soap and cosmetics might actually be misconstrued as an insult, with the perceived message being, "here you go, now you can finally have some soap, and you don't need a ticket".

I told him that this message couldn't have been further from the truth, and he knew this to be true. But YongMing offered this as a possible explanation as to why this gift didn't go over well with the staff.

Bengbu 6 - The last day

2005-10-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

I woke up the next morning, our last morning in Bengbu, with the same thought I had right before I fell asleep the previous night - "I've got to do more. I've got to do more."

I thought about how much Director Song had done for us, and I didn't want to let him down. I wanted him to know that we were in this for the long haul, and that the support from the families and Packages of Hope would be ongoing.

When the idea popped into my head, I shot straight up in bed.

"of course!"

We were going to meet Director song for a brief lunch before heading to the train station. We didn't have much time.

I got up, showered, dressed, and packed. I woke YongMing, and told him our plan.

"Good idea!" he said.

We got in the taxi and headed for the furniture store. It was still early, and the owner I had spoken to 2 days before wasn't there yet. He was contacted on the phone, and he was there within 15 minutes.

"I want you to make some beds for me," I said.

We drove back to our hotel, where the furniture maker took a look at the pictures I had taken, and discussed dimensions with us. We told him we wanted a rock bottom price for some beds for the orphanage. After much thought, he told us he could make a standard bed for 260 RMB (about $33) and a bed with a siderail (for the kindergarten kids) for 350RMB (about $42). After figuring out how much I had to spend, I said, "I want 6 of each". We paid him $200 on the spot as a downpayment, and he drew up a contract for the deal. We gave the rest of the money to Steven Tao to give the manufacturer when he completed the job. We also clarified that there might be future orders if he did a good job, and to clarify with the orphanage if there were any problems. The price included delivery, of course.

With great pride, I took the onion skin copy of the receipt with us to lunch, and presented it to Director Song. We told him the details of the deal, and I toasted him, reaffirming our commitment to the children. You should have seen the smile on his face!

I was expecting to say goodbye to Director Song at the hotel as he dropped us off from lunch. Instead, he waited for us in the lobby, and personally carried our bags to his car, and loaded them in. YongMing took me aside and told me what a great honor indeed this was for us. He drove us to a market, where we took about 40 minutes to buy souvenirs for our family. He walked along with us, and even helped us haggle with local vendors. He then gave us a ride to the very door of the train station, and again helped to unload our bags.

YongMing and I were speechless, as we watched this very senior official unload our bags from his car.

I thanked him once again for his generosity and caring, and I told him, "There's a saying I really like - "one hundred years from now, it won't matter what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had, or what kind of car I drove. The only thing that will matter is that I was important in the life of a child.' There is no doubt you have made a big difference in the lives of the children." He smiled and thanked us again, and we said our goodbyes at last.

It was only in the train station, where our team of 3 assembled for the last time (this trip), that YongMing told us a bit of personal news.

"You know, one of the staff members informed me that Director Song's 19 year old boy (his only child) very recently died.", he said.

"MY GOD!" I said. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

He said, "It was told to me privately. I don't think he wanted anyone to know. The staff said that another charity group was here recently, and Director Song did not meet with them due to his grief, but that he was so moved by our dedication to the children, that he stayed and met with us for so long. It was truly an honor that he accompanied us today."

We toasted Director Song with our tea, and then headed down to join the crowds getting on the train.

YongMing and I said so long to Steven, and I told him I'd be emailing him soon. I told him that he did such a great job. He said thanks, and congratulated us too, and mentioned that he would follow up with the bed construction soon.

It was nice to say "so long" and not "goodbye".

YongMing and I then boarded a heavily packed train for a grueling 7 hour ride back to Shanghai (the train was delayed for 1.5 hours enroute). The folks that had no seats stood along side us in the aisles, sometimes sitting on their luggage, which often consisted of just a nylon burlap sack. I had my big hardside bag in the aisle for 2 of the farmers to sit on, instead of having to sit on the floor.

We reached Shanghai at 11pm, and I checked into a nearby hotel (arranged, once again, by my amazing and doting friend, YongMing), exhausted. The next morning I would be on my way to Lanzhou, in western China.

-----------------

P.S. I have to review the timeline but somewhere in this story, YongMing and I managed to visit with the local Bengbu Medical college for a brief introduction to the foreign affairs liason. She was a nice young woman, and we told her our story, and told her what we were hoping to accomplish with the help of the Bengbu Medical college, which was to have some volunteers go to the orphanage to help out. She mentioned that she had heard of such volunteer trips in the past, but that none had occurred in recent history.
I was made aware that this type of activity is very different in China than in the USA. Firstly, college students cannot just band together to go out on a volunteer trip. Students live on campus, and their lives are very busy studying. A department head must coordinate and approve any activity of the students. Secondly, one cannot just waltz into an orphanage. Permission must be granted. So calls to the orphanage would have to be arranged.
I exchanged business cards with her, and she thanked us for our efforts for the children. We told her that we would be in touch with her through Steven Tao to possibly coordinate volunteer activity in the future. She told us she would look forward to future contact.
We mentioned this also to Director Song during one of our meals, and he replied that he was optimistic for this relationship in the future.

bengbu 5 - pictures

2005-10-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

I'm having trouble posting pictures! Sorry!

Bengbu - 5 - the orphanage

2005-10-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

The meeting room was on the first floor, and the cries and squeaks of the babies could be heard resounding off the concrete walls and floors. It sent shivers down my spine. We stopped to take some photographs of the boxes that Packages of Hope had sent. The nannies smiled with glee at the cute animal blankets. We opened only 3 of the boxes, and Director Song asked if we needed to open them all an inventory them. With another baby’s squeal echoing from down the hall, I said no, anxious to see the children. We also opened the delivery of books that YongMing had so graciously ordered, and Steven had diligently delivered, made possible by donated funds from Packages of Hope. They were all there, safe and sound, and were in good condition.

Rounding a corner, we came upon a wooden screen door. The wood frame was painted green. Inside I caught my first glimpse of the little babies, some of them on rocking horses, some of them in walkers. The room was clean terrazzo floor, about 12’ x12’. A radiator type heater was set on one wall, and above it was a large old window facing the sunshine and the lake. There was a standing air conditioner in the corner. To the right as I walked in, there was another door leading to a room that looked to be about 2/3 the size of the room I had originally entered. This room was lined with cribs, where the babies slept, 2 to a crib.

The babies were clothed warmly head to toe, even though the temperature was a cool 70 to 75 degrees F. they wore cloth diapers, contained by an outer brown naugahide covering diaper. These were visible from the gap in their split pants.

Try as I could, my eyes could not stop from becoming wet and my vision blurred by tears. My concentration was completely broken, as I laid down my camera, camcorder, and notepad to just look at one of these beautiful babies, eye to eye. It was clear by the look on their face, that I was not a person who belonged in their daily routine, but one little gave me a non-commital look, as if to say, “ok, so what is THIS person all about?”. I reached out with my finger to the girl in the walker, and she also reached out with her tiny little hand.

Finally, after a year of preparation, money, tireless work, obstacles, prayer, and thousands of miles….

Contact.

I felt the pressure of her grasp, and the tears began to flow freely. I could see that she was growing a bit nervous, so I cooed to her in a calm feminine voice. She still wasn’t so sure.
The other little girls in the room grew a little agitated as our entourage now occupied the entire room. The 2 nannies did their best to both calm the girls, and try to warm the babies to me.
I had brought candy with me, but I think it was lost in translation that I had brought it for the nannies. Instead they brought the bag to me, and suggested that I give it to the children. One of the staff had a 35mm camera, and photographed me giving skittles and Starburst candy to the kids. The staff seemed to really smile at this.

In truth, I really hated to do this. It was a symbol of the opposite of my actual goals here. The candy, though sweet and loved by the kids, was such a temporary dose of happiness, and was actually bad for them. However, the director and the nannies were smiling with glee. I know that giving children candy is a symbol of doting parental love in China, and as such, I was happy to make the staff smile. So I was happy for that. But my gut wrenched as each child clamored to approach me, eyes fixed on the candy. I gave it to them, and then I had to turn away. I just wanted to hold them, and kiss them, and tell them how special they were.

If you are an adoptive parent of a chinese baby, I don’t have to tell you what the babies looked like. The images of our Jenna and Annalise will be burned in my mind forever. Some chubby rosy cheeked, with little tufts of hair on top. Their clothes and faces were not immaculately clean, but even at our house with 2 children running around, keeping a child clean is a near impossibility. I would say that the nannies were doing a pretty good job considering they had 10 to 12 children to look after. They had crystalline brown eyes, within whose gaze held the meaning of the universe. I knew I would fade before them, and this actually comforted me. I can imagine a world without me in it. However, I will be glad for the world that has their eyes after me.

I was made aware that there were at least 4 children who had been identified by the CCAA to be assigned to families in America. Two of them were in this room. I asked if I could get some detailed information on those children, and Mr. Song said, “no problem”. I took a lot of pictures of the two children. They reluctantly allowed me to hold them, as I spoke softly to them through sobs, “hang in there, kiddo, your mommy is coming soon for you. It won’t be long now. Just hang in there…”. I closed my eyes and said a little prayer, and if my soul is indeed made up of some sort of positive energy, I willed it to her, to keep her safe until her family came.

Grabbing for my camera and notepad once again, I asked to take a picture of these children with their nanny. I asked for, and wrote down the name of the nanny. They asked me why I wanted to do this.

It took me a while to compose myself enough to speak, as my own personal feelings of my two daughters coursed through me. I thought of my precious Jenna and Annalise, two people in my life I would gladly die for in order to protect. Often I think of situations and events that might cause them harm, and I shudder with adrenaline and fright. The feeling of helplessness and panic comes to me when I think of how she went without my protection in the first 11 months of her life. I realize I have the nannies to thank for this job.

And so, like a stereotypical blubbering mother at her daughter’s wedding, I told the nanny, “I want to take a picture of you with this girl. You can know that many years from now, when understanding comes to her, she will look at this picture in appreciation for all you have done for her.” The nanny gazed in the camera, as she gazed through time to the unknown future, and said hello and goodbye to this precious soul.

I had to get a grip, and so I went to the other room, and tried to shake myself into concentration. I took a few photos of the cribs, as one of the Packages of Hope missions is to provide these to orphanages in the future. Like most beds in China, the crib bottom was hard wood, covered by about an inch of cotton blanket as a sort of mattress. Bundled up towels or pillows are put under the babies’ heads, and at night they are sausaged up tight in thick wrapping of warm blankets, 2 to a crib, with each baby’s head at the end of the crib. It looked a little like a “baby hot dog”, with the heads at either end, and the blankets as a circular bun in the middle.

The next two rooms were a similar scene, except that I told YongMing that I didn’t want to waste time giving out candy. This was a true statement, although I wanted to gracefully bow out of another gut wrenching feeling of giving the children a temporary sugar high, in addition to contributing to tooth decay.

In one room we found a lone boy, whom the nannies nicknamed “the General”. I burst into laughter at the sight of him, and then felt a bit ashamed because I was laughing at him. He was in a walker, and his cheeks were so chubby they seemed to swallow his whole face. His eyes seemed to swell shut with baby fat. Dressed in multiple layers, he looked almost unable to move. However he was vibrant and active, and perfectly healthy. They told me that his mother had abandoned him because he was very premature, and very close to death upon arrival to the orphanage. He was one of the tiniest babies they had ever seen. However, as we could see now, he was busy stomping around in his walker, just like a little General. It was unspoken that his future looked very bright, and his forever family is indeed very lucky.

I was able to visit the other 4 children, making sure to dutifully take the names and pictures of the nannies. In every room I visited I took extra care to shake the hand of every worker and nanny that I met, and thank them from the bottom of all our hearts for the job they’re doing.
The other rooms looked very similar to the first room, beautiful babies, very caring nannies. Some of the children were bubbling and gurgling while tightly wrapped in their blankets. I know there is a Chinese custom of putting the baby faced down, and one baby looked particularly miffed at her position. So with the nanny’s permission, I carefully rolled her over. It was heaven for me.

The nannies also showed me the toy donations from Packages of Hope. In a very helpful move, they described what did and didn’t work as far as toys went. Some broke easily. Others were great for fine motor skills. I thanked them for their recommendations.

We also visited a room where infants with medical problems were laying. I wasn’t allowed to enter, I assume because of the spread of germs, but I was able to get a good look at them through the breezy screen door. There were I.V. bottles hanging from a cord, with clear plastic tubes snaking down to the cribs. I said a prayer for these valiant fighters. For a moment I allowed myself a bit of hate and helplessness. Those tiny babies all so very alone. Fighting. Surviving. I suddenly felt ashamed of my hubris. If there was any time I thought myself courageous for leaving my family and my country and travelling alone thousands of miles, it was now gone. Here were the real fighters. Here were the real heroes.

A hand on my back, YongMing told me it was time to move on. We left the orphanage in a minivan, on the way to tour what turned out to be 2 of the other temporary sites of the SWI. On the way, we passed the old orphanage, now turned into a shopping mall complex. They told me that the playground, weathered by the sun, was stored someplace, but was not reusable. We snaked our way into a maze of single level “homes” to the first SWI location. The surrounding buildings seemed to all share common walls, with doors and slightly different facades being the only way to tell where one dwelling/business/whatever began, and the other one ended. The roads were mostly dirt paved, and dotted with treacherous potholes. We finally came to a stop in a nondescript section of doorways, and I was led into a courtyard area that contained a circumference of rooms which defined the dormitory for primary school orphans. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting these children, some of whom were disabled. I handed out American coins as tokens, and this seemed to go over well. Mr. Song told me that what’s really needed here are new beds. I took a few photos of the existing beds, which appeared to be made of scrap wood material, and looked slightly less comfortable than the infant beds. Again, the bed consisted of horizontal slats covered with an inch thick cotton “mattress”. Some of the beds had been pushed together, obviously so that more than one child could sleep there. He mentioned that most of these beds were 9 years old or older, although they looked much older than that to me. I was greeted with smiles and polite handshakes, and I thanked the caregiver as she took a break from her basin washing. She looked to be breaking a good sweat from the labor.

We walked for a while to the other location, and along the way I caught a lot of stares from children who were on their lunch break. I learned that primary school students get a 2 hour lunch, and they usually go home for these lunches. Some of the kids reached out and shook my hand, and they were about as excited as I was to do so. Of course I was drawn to the little girls, who looked similar to my daughters. They were so bright, energetic, and full of smiles as they hugged each other as they walked down the lane. They would stop this and gasp when I would catch their eyes, and the reaction was a 50-50 mix of fear and secret whispering to their friend, or either rushing towards me, anxious to practice their english “hello!”.

While shaking the hand of every kid I met, I saw Mr. Song look back more and more often as I lagged behind. I put a snap in my step, and caught up to him and we entered a kindergarten facility. Here I found a number of young children, most of whom were mentally disabled, sitting drawing at a big table (at the appropriate height for their cute little chairs) with crayons. They took great pride in each showing me their creations. I was thrilled. I visited a classroom where 4- 6 year old students sat in attention with a teacher at the head of the room. The class was filled with objects and aids for what looked like every subject – math, reading, art, etc.

Sadly I then saw a very desolate room where about 6 or 7 children (some of them disabled) sat against a wall on a low bench. These children were HIV+, and were kept isolated from the other children. There were caregivers in the room, and the children were smiling, but it still was not a pleasant site. The caregivers were smiling and kind, and I thanked them for their hard work. This particular complex had a 2nd floor, and the 2nd floor consisted of dormitories. Mr. Song again showed me the beds that were in a sad state.

He told me that even though the new orphanage will be a modern building designed specifically for SWI facilities, all items within the walls still have to be provided. All the airconditioners and all the equipment (including the beds) will have to be transferred to the new facility.

The Chinese government provides 192 RMB per child per month (no matter what the age). But it is clear that this is not enough, and barely is enough to sustain the children.

Before finally exiting the 2nd site, we took a look in the kitchen. It smelled wonderful, and one of the ingredients, a crushed mild pepper of some sort, had become airborne in the enclosed room, and soon everyone in the room was coughing and wiping their eyes from the sting of the spice. We all had a big laugh.

Finally, we visited the construction site of the new orphanage. On the way, we picked up Mr. Fung, a Party representative to the SWI (every large agency must have a Party official attached to it). Apparently his background is in the medical field, and I’m not sure if I heard right that he was a doctor.

Anyway, the new orphanage site was a massive complex, and it looked as though the skeletal concrete structural members (including the foundation) were all in place. Green netting and scaffolding cocooned the entire building, as it was clear that bricklaying was underway. They said it was going to be complete by the end of the year. Having been involved in construction efforts of power plants with my company, I found this a bit hard to believe. But I later found out that construction had only started in earnest in June, and that realistically it was supposed to finish in May 2006. Mr. Song told me that it costs a small fortune to rent the current facilities, and so they’re very anxious to get the building completed. Of course the speed of the construction depends on funding, which I imagine is not in big supply.

I walked all around the complex, taking video and pictures. It was 8 floors, complete with elevators. Mr. Song told me the first 3 floors would be used as a hospital. I saw the area where Packages of Hope will hopefully install a new playground. They told me that it will be canopied and thus shielded from sun damage.

I was stepping out from the main building, ducking my head to avoid scaffolding, and planting my foot squarely on a 2x4. I felt a mild prick, and recoiled my foot, only to find the 2x4 still attached. Mr. Song let out a howl as he rushed to my side, realizing that a nail had pierced my rubber soled shoe.

However, knowing my foot, and knowing how sensitive it is, I told him not to worry. I was right, as I sat down and removed my shoe and sock. In a big stroke of luck, the nail had only penetrated my shoe, and only found its way to press upon the soft part of my instep. There was a little red mark, but clearly the skin was not broken.

Mr. Song wasn’t so sure, and for the next hour or so, kept on asking how my foot was.
We left the new site, and had a wonderful lunch. There are many regional practices on how to conduct a business lunch, and I soon came to discover that in this particular area, toasting is done frequently. Everyone at the table personally toasted me and my effort for the children. I toasted them in return. They toasted all the families who are supporting and advocating for the children. We toasted the children. We toasted China. I then issued my favorite toast – “Luo Ye Gui Gen” – “Falling leaves return to the root” --- You always come back to the place of your beginnings, and for me, this is China.

After lunch we returned to the orphanage. Director Song took me on a brief tour of the “assisted living” building on the site. He told me that 3 of the residents are over 100 years old. I took a few pictures of the rooms, and met an 83 year old woman with a wide smile and a spry step. She was smiling, and credited her longevity to her optimistic attitude. A large poster on the wall bore a big red Christian cross, and she was proud to show me her Chinese version of the New Testament. She followed us around a bit, chatting all the way, and me and Director Song smiled. All the residents I met at the facility were very nice and greeted me with handshakes and smiles.

We returned to the meeting room in the orphanage, where I videotaped the presentation of the plaque for Carol Zara, along with the letters of all the families. Mr. Song was deeply touched by the plaque, and assured me in a very somber tone that he would personally make sure that the plaque would be near the books in the new orphanage. ( Currently the books would be divided between the sites on an age appropriate level, but all eyes and hopes were on plans for the new orphanage and it’s modern and central facilities). The letters from the families were a big hit, and brought big smiles from the nannies. Mr. Song emphasized that it was great to receive these letters and photographs, and were the inspiration for the nannies.

We then went down a long laundry list of items to discuss. What their needs were, what we could do for them, how we can be utilized, how desperately and passionately we (Packages of Hope and the Bengbu adoptive families) want to help.

One of the more interesting items that I had come with was the subject of Finding Ads. I had recently been monitoring the yahoo egroups I belong to, and came across a post where people were offering to find a particular baby’s finding ad. For those who don’t know, when a baby is abandoned in China, the law stipulates that an ad must be run in a paper for a certain number of days (usually 60) describing the child (and in recent history, a picture was added), where it was found and when. This is done in order to aid the biological parents in finding their “lost baby”. The website offered (for a hefty fee), to find a particular child’s Finding Ad. Repeated queries to this website for the reasoning behind the hefty fee, or what the proceeds were used for, yielded no reply. I was determined to find such ads, and of course, let other people know what I found. And I’d do it for free.

Through Director Song’s generosity, I was given a paper with some finding ads in them. I found out interesting information. As in any country these days, there are a number of different newspapers. The particular paper the Finding Ads were posted in was called “The Young Workers Trade Union Paper”. Unlike the Chinese version of “the New York Times”, or even the analogy to our “National Enquirer”, this paper has very little circulation. In fact, when YongMing (whose talents and abilities in regards to this mission were far beyond those of mortal men) tried to look for this paper outside the orphanage, we couldn’t even find it. It was described to me that “the Young Workers Trade Union” is an organization similar to the Communist Party itself, and the Young Pioneers (the organization that trains young students about the communist party, where the children wear the red scarfs). The workers pay dues, and part of the bylaws are that a periodical (newspaper) has to be published with worker related news. The government actually subsidizes the newspaper, unlike the various other newspapers crowding busy newspaper stands. Because of the limited budget, the circulation is very small, and the readership interest is minimal. Since the orphanage must pay for the running of such ads, this particular paper is advantageous since the fee for running the ad is small. As witnessed by our diligent yet fruitless digging to 3 post offices, a dozen or so newspaper stands, and even a local government office, I can infer that the goal of the finding ad may be little more than following standard procedure for the local law.

One of our objectives was to try to meet with local medical college students to see if we could inspire them to assist in caring for the children of the orphanage, and serve as a conduit for providing medical needs. Mr. Fung responded that there was already a lot of local community volunteer action, and that in the past medical students did volunteer their time at the orphanage. He also mentioned that there were a lot of medical procedures done by the local Chinese hospital. He did not dismiss our efforts, but I think rather he was trying to help us to not duplicate effort. He did provide a detailed list of highly specialized medical equipment that will be needed for the new orphanage. I will have YongMing send this list to a medical doctor I know in China, and get it translated properly into English. These pieces of equipment I suspect are expensive, such as a neo-natal intensive care unit, specialized vital sign monitoring kits, etc.
He reiterated his needs for the new orphanage. Three 3 H.P. airconditioners (large capacity) for the large orphanage “common rooms”. Fifteen 1.3 H.P. (standard) airconditioners for the other rooms. He needs 150 new beds for the older-than-4 orphans, and 50 new cribs for the babies. These would be used to complement/replace the other beds which will have to be used in the new orphanage.

We thanked him again for his openness and generosity. He told me that he was very thankful to our group, and to all the families whose prayers are with them. He told me that he is committed to the children, and that all funds that come in will be used for the children. He also mentioned that he welcomes comments and feedback to do better. This really impressed me. I know that many folks can offer constructive advice, but I also know those whose opinions and words can be very harsh and filled with anger. Many of these people suffer from culture shock, and a lack of understanding of the Chinese way. Others hearts are understandably filled with anger and pain, given their children with specific special needs. Surely Director Song must have understood this as he issued this comment, and I thought it took immense courage to do so.

We took a final picture, and Director Song invited us out to dinner later that evening.
As we were dropped off at the hotel we stood for a moment in the lobby. I was dumbstruck with the success of the day. I know I missed a lot. But still, I think we did very well, and we had a lot of our questions clarified. I was also deeply impressed by Director Song and his staff.
That night I was invited to a sumptuous banquet, where the directors of the Hospital and other party members also attended. It was a long meal of toasting and giving thanks. Director Song then invited me out to go on a city tour the following day with some members of his staff. He regretted that he would not be able to accompany me. I personally would have been surprised if he WAS able to go with me.

I went to bed exhausted, and my notebook filled with scribbled, tear-stained notes.

YongMing and I met Ms. Guo in the lobby the following morning, to take us to JiuShan cave and to the grave of the first Ming emporer’s parents. As we drove out on our journey, I found we were in for a special treat. The driver of the bus was an orphan, and spent his life in the Bengbu SWI system. He is married and has two daughters, one of whom works as an accountant at the orphanage. He proudly tells us that there are 42 local civic leaders who spent their childhood at the orphanage. Apparently, the Bengbu orphanage dates back to before Liberation (1949), and was called “the international Red Cross Home for children”. At the dinner the previous evening, Director Song says a complete history lies in papers in disarray at the temporary orphanage, but he promised that he would compile and publish the history by the time the new orphanage opens.

The tour of the JiuShan caves was incredible. It is a cave that was discovered in the Song dynasty over 1000 years ago, and winds underground for over a kilometre. Bright fluorescent lights illuminate spacious interior caverns and ancient stalactite/stalagmite formations. At the end of the cavern was an underground lake, only traversable by a wooden "johnboat". After the short boat ride, where the Chinese "captain" used the ceiling of the cavern to push us along, the cave snaked upwards to open air.

On our way back to the shuttle bus, we encountered a MiG-15 rusting away in a field. We were told that this plane had shot down some American fighter planes back in the Day.

With the weather turning colder, and daylight running out, we made a brief stop at the first Ming emporer's parent's tomb. It was interesting, although we were all a bit too tired to enjoy it fully.

We stopped on the way back into town to have some dinner. Before the food was brought to us, I had a chance to videotape a short interview with our driver, and ask him some questions about life in the orphanage. I was hoping for a casual and opened style American interview, but I think I got mostly the standard Chinese phraseology. He enjoyed his childhood, he is thankful to all the kind administrators. He was thankful for all he was given.

We ate dinner close to the entrance of the restaurants, and cold breezes hit us each time the floor-to-ceiling glass entrance doors slid open and shut. My thoughts turned to the orphans, and I suddenly felt the need to be near them. Here I was touring and having a hot meal, being taken care of by wonderful guides, while clear white tubes snaked down to the cribs holding the real heroes. They had been there all day fighting while I was out enjoying myself.

My guides were a bit taken aback when I announced that I really wanted to say goodnight to the children. Without questioning it, they agreed.

The van's headlights pierced the darkness as we passed through the orphanage gates. I had been silent on the ride from the restaurant to there. YongMing asked if I was ok. I merely nodded my head affirmatively. The headlights cut off as they came to rest on the orphanage building. I asked if I could just be left there, and catch a cab home later. They were a bit surprised by this request, and said no, that I should only stay for about 20 minutes.

The driver had called ahead, and the nannies were already outside ready to greet me, smiles on their faces. Our footfalls resounded off the floor as we approached the silent room. The nanny there informed me through YongMing that the babies were just about all asleep, as she then flipped on the light. I think she was thinking that I was there to take a last minute look or inspection of the kids.

None of them realized my true intentions.

Confusing them, I turned off the light, and gave them all a "shhhh!". I took a small wooden chair, and placed it next to one of the cribs, and reached my hand out, and just started stroking a little girl's head, softly. The nannies and the touring entourage were in the next room, whispering rapidly in confusion. I didn't want to take time to explain. I knew that sooner or later they'd either figure it out, or ask me to leave. I didn't have much time.

The little girl went to sleep after a long sigh.

Then I moved my chair to a crib with a restless girl who couldn't seem to get herself to sleep. I hushed her and patted her gently, as I just hugged the crib, just as I had done to my Jenna, after she first came home.

Crying came quickly, as I wept without sound, tears like rivers down my face. I just wanted to stay there, to be with them, as Jenna and Annalise had been there without me.

Pain... unanswered questions...helplessness....

It was YongMing who embraced me from behind, patting me on the back and whispered in my ear, "C'mon Jeff, it's time to go. Don't worry, they will take good care of them."

I don't remember much about leaving that place. I hope I remembered to thank them all again, and to thank the guides for a wonderful day of caring for me and paying for my meals.

YongMing patted me on the back.

I thought about blogging, but instead just fell asleep.

Jeff - Bengbu - 4

2005-10-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

Fatigue has caught up with me, and I just had to get some sleep last night. So I'm now even further behind.

I have another packed schedule today, but here's some pictures from the Bengbu orphanage.

The rocking horses were a Packages of Hope donation!

Re: the picture of me with the young children. These are not kids from the orphanage, but like I said, I get severely distracted by kids, and they wanted to get their picture taken with me. I was only too happy to oblige.

Do you like the baby girl smiling on the red rocking horse? Me too! But sorry folks, she's already taken! She's coming home to her family in America soon!

Gracious thanks again to Director Song for allowing me to take these photos.

Jeff online - Bengbu - 3

2005-10-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

YongMing and I went over our game plan one last time at breakfast. I had already packed my bags the night before with all the items we needed for our big day.

We met Steven Tao in the lobby of our hotel, and he pointed to one of the many Chinese men sitting casually in the leather chair in the lobby. It indeed was Mr. Song, the Director of the Bengbu Social Welfare Institute, in the flesh.

With a low and even voice and calm demeanor (which I would later discover would be how he would communicate throughout our time together), he greeted us with a smile and a handshake, and beckoned us to follow him to his car.

He then personally drove us to the place where so many of our hearts are, the Bengbu orphanage.

(I have my GPS with me, and for those of you who would like to know EXACTLY where it is, it is
N32' 55.823" E117' 23.884")

It is a calm site, with a dirt road entrance, and is on the edge of a large lake.

With the hairs on my arms standing on edge, our troupe exited the van, and Mr. Song directed us to the first floor meeting room.

(It is here that I'll start to rattle off the facts as I recorded them, and they contradict an earlier post by my wife. I'll try to be as accurate as possible in this post).

As we walked in, I was happy to see all 16 off the boxes we had worked so many hours to finally ship. They were all intact and stacked neatly against the back wall. We went to a common greeting room where we made some preliminary introductions with Mr. Song and the director of "children and family", Ms. Wan, along with some of the nannies. We laid out our plan for the day, including all the items we wanted to cover. We figured we would start out slow, depending on how well we were received. Of course we were there to take as many pictures as possible, but I didn't want to breach the subject right away.

Without further ado, Mr. Song thanked us and the families for the donations, and then suggested that we first take a tour of the orphanage, and then we could do the sitdown discussions. I carefully then asked if I could take some pictures. He replied, and YongMing translated, "of course, take as much as you want."

I was waiting for the other shoe to fall.

But it never came.

I started to take advantage of this "free license" by snapping a lot of pictures in the first room we went to, which was filled with unbelievable cuties.

But before I get into that part, let me state some of the facts as I recorded them.

Mr. Song has been in this position for 4 years. He comes directly from the military, after a 21 year career in the army, being stationed in his hometown of FungYa, which is very closeby. He achieved the rank of Regiment Commander.

Mr. Song is head of the Bengbu SWI, and in charge of 4 main branches: The "hospital" branch, which is headed by a Mr. Chen, the "Children and Family" which is headed by Ms. Wan, a branch of the elderly which is akin to our "assisted living facility" in the USA, and a branch of the elderly which is akin to our "nursing home" system in the USA.

Nearly 3 years ago, the entire Bengbu SWI population was moved out of its location (at N32' 55.074" E117' 21.113"), because that location was/has-been incorporated into a shopping mall complex. The current SWI population is being temporarily housed in 5 sites around the area. The first site I visited (which is where the babies were), had one building that housed 0-3 year olds, another held a contingent of elderly folks in an "assisted living" facility building (I visited this building as well), and another building which had nursing home patients (elderly)(I did not visit this building). The buildings on this site were originally designed to house resort workers (for the resorts on the lake, I assume). They have been in this building for nearly 3 years. They are anxious to move out of this building, and apologized to me for its poor visual appearance, even as I was snapping away pictures.

I learned that the Bengbu SWI has 180 children throughout the different sites. There are an additional 60 in foster care. Currently there are 80 children in the 0-3 year-old building, 20 are SN.

He told me that around 90 to 100 children (overall) are adopted each year, 80% to foreigners.

The old orphanage was contained on 60 "Chinese acres" (I have yet to find the conversion on this one), and the buildings contained around 10,000 square meters of living space.

The new orphanage, which I was told will realistically be completed by May 2006, will be contained on a 80 "chinese acre" site, and have 20,000 square meters of living space.

The new orphanage site (which I visited - N32' 55.155" E117' 21.982") will have 8 floors. The first 3 floors will be for the hospital facility. When completed, it will house 500 people, from infants to the elderly.

Sorry, but I'll have to get back to the kids in a later post. There's still so much more to tell! It has a great ending, thanks largely to the openness and kind hearted nature of Mr. Song. It's 2:30am here, and I still have a big day ahead of me tomorrow. I'm way behind on posting, but I really want to get this right for everyone. I'm already in Lanzhou right now, with a wonderful story to tell about Mr. Chen and his family.

Jeff Online - Bengbu - 2

2005-10-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how email and cellphones have changed our lives. I've been emailing Steven Tao, our contact in Bengbu, for so long that I felt like I knew him. As our train got closer to Bengbu, we called on the cellphone to make sure of each other's position. When we finally got off the train and walked out of the train station, we knew exactly where we were, and the only interruption we had before heading to a taxi was a warm hello and hug for us finally getting to meet each other.

Steven's handsome looks and his svelte figure make him appear to be not a day over 18. When I found out that he was 31, I nearly fell over. He was accompanied by his girlfriend Amanda, and after a short introduction, we were on our way to the hotel.

After a quick check-in, we started discussing our agenda for the next day. After that, YongMing decided to have a rest while Steven and I started to work scouting out local furniture manufacturers to see if we could get some beds cheaply made. We had previously been given a wish list by the orphanage which listed that they needed beds. While we had yet to actually verify this need, we didn't want to waste any time.

My first impression of Bengbu, as in many Chinese cities I have visited, showed the massive movement towards change. This was evidenced by the construction of new high rises and new buildings at every turn. Old buildings were being abandoned, or had already been left to decay. Others were in process of being torn down. I had certainly been to more opulent areas of China, but even in the face of old buildings and broken up sidewalks, it was clear that this place was going to be unrecognizable ten years from now. While it appears that progress is inevitable, I wonder how much of the local charm would be lost. I cherished this, as I walked the streets.

Steven and I visited a furniture warehouse, where we met a man who was very enthusiastic to help us. We showed him pictures of our children, and introduced our organization, and he thanked us very much for our efforts. He told us he'd give us a good deal. He even showed us his woodworking factory. It was indeed an interesting place, and he apologized to us for it not being as advanced as what I must be used to in the USA, but I told him not to worry about it. He looked and acted like a good man, and he let me take pictures and he told me he'd work hard for us. What more can you ask for!

Here's a photo of the woodshop and the sales manager for the furniture company.

Steven and his girlfriend then treated me to a wonderful meal at a local Schezchuan restaurant,
and I went back to the hotel. YongMing was rested, and we went over in detail what we were going to try to accomplish during the next day, and he made sure he had all the translations right. He also wanted to make sure we were prepared for different plans of action given the level of access we might be granted. We had a lot of ground to cover, from presenting boxes, presenting books, presenting family letters, taking a look at the orphanage, asking a lot of sensitive questions, to talking about future relations between Packages of Hope and the Bengbu orphanage.

Steven Tao told us that the Director would be waiting for us at the hotel at 9am.

I could barely sleep from the excitement!

Jeff back online - Bengbu - 1

2005-10-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

A big wonderful hug to my wife for posting in my absence, while simultaneously running the house (which I understand is currently being assaulted by Hurricane Wilma) and taking care of our two beautiful children. I'm a lucky man.

I should start by saying that I'm not a reporter or a doctor or a healthcare professional. I'm severely distracted by little Chinese babies, and I loved every single second I had to be with them.

I'll try to be as accurate as possible, but there's going to be a healthy dose of my own perspective in this post, and I beg forgiveness to anyone who can poke some holes in my report.

Then I have to give a lot of thanks to the Chinese people who gave me ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE amounts of help and support for this trip. The phrase "it couldn't have happened without them" sounds so terribly trite, but these folks exhibited so much kindness and dedication to me and our mission, that words simply can't describe it.

Jin YongMing, a Shanghai citizen and fellow co-worker was on 110% onboard with the Bengbu project, and looked after me like a mother and father combined. He anticipated problems, helped with translation, and sacrificed his vacation and time away from his family to be with me in Bengbu. We all owe him an incredible debt for his selfless dedication.

Steven Tao, our contact in Bengbu, also worked tirelessly to make sure we had everything done and delivered for Bengbu.

There were many others that helped too, but I also think it should be noted that Mr. Song, the Director of the Bengbu SWI, is a man I came to admire and respect in the short time we had together. There is no question in my mind that he has great dedication to the children of Bengbu. But more of my very positive personal opinions on him a bit later....

The train trip from Shanghai to Bengbu was indeed unique. One has to be open to the different customs and degrees of cleanliness and blatant lack of observing the "no smoking" signs, when traveling by train in China. Another big tip for train travel -- only bring small bags. This particular train did not have a baggage compartment, and my rather large hardcase finally found itself in the walkway in between two cars. Of course it would have been easier had we booked a sleeper compartment instead of regular class seating for our 5.5 hour ride, but that would have added another 125RMB ($15) to our ticket (which was 75RMB - $9).

(You should have seen the look on my face as I sat in my seat to Bengbu when I found out how little it was to have had enjoyed more comfort. But I had asked YongMing to book us cheaply, and he dutifully followed my instructions!)

I wanted to take a lot of pictures, but when about 100 pairs of eyes are staring constantly at you like you just dropped in from outer space, it isn't easy to inconspicuously pull out a camera and start taking pictures.

It is also interesting to note that buying a train ticket is a little different in China. You can book a ticket 10 days in advance and have an assigned seat. Or you can book a ticket on the day of travel, and not have an assigned seat, even if everyone already is sitting in assign seats. What this leads to is a bunch of people standing in the aisles for 5.5 hours, or in our situation, at least 2 people making very good use out of my hardcase suitcase. Actually, it was a good anti-theft device. If I could see the guys' heads in between the cars, I knew that they were sitting on my luggage, and thus it wasn't stolen.

The reason for overbooking is because of the population. There's just too many people for the amount of seats available. For whatever reason (no more trains available, can't pull more cars, etc), they can't fit everyone on, so they just let people stand in the aisle, along with their luggage, which often consists of burlap-nylon sacks.

After a lot of staring, a few of the Chinese folks broke the ice, and started talking to me. They wanted to know where I was from, and how much it cost me to get there. Through YongMing, I told them all about my trip, showed them pictures of my daughters, and handed out a few U.S. coins. After awhile it was smiles all around, and people stopped staring and were a lot more relaxed.

We wound up talking to a man we found out was from Bengbu. In fact, his family went back there for a many generations. He appeared to be a farmer, his hands rough, and his face dark from the sun. He had been in Shanghai working (or trying to get work), and had to come back to Bengbu for some sort of family emergency.

After a bit of talking, I asked, through YongMing, if he had ever seen or known of any babies being abandoned in Bengbu. He told me that it used to happen a lot about 10 years ago or so. He said however that many people opted to move instead of abandoning their daughters. YongMing explained to me that everyone has an ID card. If it is known that you have an additional child, you may be fined heavily. Some families opted to leave their village, and start afresh in another area, living their anonymously. The supposition there is that most parts of China are still poor and remote so that these folks can easily fade into the woodwork in other areas, even though they will be living there without the benefit of their ID card.

But he said that now it happens less and less, because people are very poor these days, and know that they can't afford to have an extra mouth to feed, even if they want to have another child.

YongMing then related to me his understanding of the process of child abandonment. He said that usually when a family already has a child (usually a girl), and the mother gets pregnant and is faced with a fine or having to leave the village, she will go out of town prior to the baby's birth. She will go to another town and register in the hospital (or sometimes a "midwife center" depending on if it is in the countryside) under a false name. Most local hospitals are not connected to the government like in the USA, so there's no little chance that birth records are transmitted to a central national government agency. YongMing said that if you REALLY wanted to, you could dig to find out this information, but most of the time, it just doesn't happen.
So, when the child is born, if it is a boy, (or whatever the desired case may be), the mother takes the child back to the village. But if it is not, then the mother will leave the baby at the hospital, or abandon it along the way back to the village.

Again, I don't know if this is true, but this is YongMing's assessment.

Here is the photo I secretly snapped of the Bengbu farmer. He was a very nice man, and thanked me graciously for what I was doing for the children, and told me I was welcome to come to his home in Bengbu to visit.

Leaving Bengbu by Train

2005-10-23T04:54:00.000-07:00

Jeff is currently in Xian. Some of you might realize that Xian wasn't on his itinerary....Let's just say that when an internet/computer dependent person (Jeff) is unable to use the internet for several days and then he is able to find an internet cafe in the Shanghai airport, one must expect that this unnamed person (Jeff) might lose track of time... I am sure that the plane just left early from the gate heading to Lanzhou. :)

Jeff will still arrive in Lanzhou Sunday PM local time and Joe will be meeting him.

Jeff was able to send this post about his experience arriving to the train station in Bengbu.

Yong Ming and I were dropped off by taxi at the Shanghai Train station. This is a sprawling complex of busy and scurrying people, none of whom appeared to have the trappings of upper class society. The taxi stand was one floor below ground, and we had to climb some stairs to reach open air. We found ourselves being buffeted by people as they dashed about either on their daily commute, or going to or coming from the train station.
Lumbering with our bags, we slowly made our way through the crowd towards the huge rectangular facade of the train station. As we weeded our way through the throngs, we found ourselves blocked from crossing the street to get to the train station. There was a waist high fence of vertical metal rods in utilitarian fashion mere inches from the road's edge, lining the road all in front of the train station. While there were masses huddled together on either side, I chuckled to myself in comic desparation, wondering how we were going to get across. My only answer to this question was to look to YongMing with a pleading stare. He said, "follow me.".
With clumsy bags in tow, we struggled along the road until we came to a newspaper stand. it was near to the iron fenced road, and people struggled to get by the structure, or else struggled to get by the people who spent 5 to 10 seconds to rapidly exchange a few coins for a newspaper.
An old man, obviously a part of the work crew of the newspaperstand, was sitting on the ground with his back on the green metal of the newspaper stand, rapidly exchanging print for coins, as hands jabbed at him. His eyes never made contact with the patrons, as it was all he could do to keep track of the money coming in and the papers going out. He had his white hair cropped short against his head, and his face was a deep brown leather, although not too creased. His blue Mao jacket was faded and a bit worn, like stonewashed jeans. Although the garb may have been from the communist era, it was almost as if he was wearing it as a fashion statement, as it looked liked it had been washed once or twice too many times for it to have been usable.
YongMing said without looking at me, "I will ask this man how to get across". He blurted out something quickly to the man in Chinese, as we stopped to talk to him. In the few seconds it took to issue the question, as we stopped, we were already creating a disruption in this high paced society. The old man, not finished listening to the question, seemed irritated that we were interrupting his business.
YongMing issued the question, and the old man smiled, not looking at him. He issued his response, and then looked up at YongMing, and grinned even further.
YongMing then issued a deep and hearty laugh, and turned to me and in a rushed tone said, "let's go!".
"What? What? What did he say?" I said, as I was hustled and buffeted along in a direction along the fence.
Yong Ming said, "He said to me, 'Che dao san qian bi you lu' "
"and this means.....?" I said, as we finally found the intersection in which to cross, and we joined the flowing river of masses going across the street to the train station.
YongMing, still laughing a little, said, "He said, 'There will be a way when the horse-cart will come to the front of the mountain' ".
"Huh?" I said, perplexed.
"It means that when you reach the mountain, you will find a way around it... It means that you'll find a way...it's like saying 'you'll figure it out when you get there' ".

As we presented the entrance guard our ticket for the train and passed through the turnstiles on our way to Bengbu, I said, "Amen!".

Bengbu day 2

2005-10-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

Lisa here- Jeff has great news to report! His trip is going very well in Bengbu. He met with Mr. Song, the SWI director who spent the next 12 hours with Jeff and Yong Ming giving unlimited access to the orphanage housing birth to three years children. Jeff learned that the children are split up into five different temporary locations while the new SWI is being built. The new SWI will be 7 floors approximately 20,000 square meters large and one floor will be a hospital. There are approximately 180 children in the 5 temporary facilities with another 60 children in foster care in the city.

All of the 13 boxes have arrived including the books to start a library for the children. Jeff went back to the birth to three years facility in the evening to help the children get to sleep. He shared that it was a powerful day. He would like to adopt another 180 children......

Arrived in Bengbu

2005-10-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Lisa here- Jeff called, he arrived with Yong Ming in Bengbu on Wednesday after a 5 1/2 hour train ride. Jeff states that they met Stephen and his girlfriend, Amanda and "went right to work". They visited three furniture manufactorers in hopes of finding someone to make cribs for the Bengbu SWI. After a dry run of the packed agenda for Thursday's meetings, they ate a fabulous dinner and were anxious to get to sleep.

Jeff doesn't have internet access yet in Bengbu, but I would guess with a little time, he will figure a way to send pictures back to us! As soon, I get them, I will post them!

Babies in Shanghai

2005-10-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

Pictures of some families in Shanghai

Shanghai- Jeff's post

2005-10-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

I'm just about over my jet lag, and anxious to get to Bengbu to start the real work. Here in Shanghai I've been working out final details of shipping boxes to Bengbu. It's been a grueling learning experience in dealing with international regulations and customs requirements. While at home in Florida, Sarah and I worked diligently through phone calls and emails in order to get the boxes of supplies cheaply to Bengbu, but there seemed to be an endless number of road blocks and miscommunications in dealing with the shipping company. As with many situations where are difficulties in communication, nothing beats a good old fashioned face-to-face meeting. And after a number of subway connections, taxis, and airport shuttle buses, (and with key critical help from my good friend Chen Rong along for translation and overall moral support), we walked up to the door of the shipping company main offices. After a lengthy pow-wow, it looks like the kinks have been ironed out, and the shipment is finally on it's way to Bengbu in time for my arrival there tomorrow (Wednesday the 19th). In addition, it looks like future shipments will flow a bit easier now. However, I'm just so glad the ordeal is finally over. I don't want to think about shipping for a LONG time, and it's now great to finally concentrate on the KIDS!
Tomorrow will be a long day, starting early with a trip to the train station in Shanghai, and ending up in Bengbu around 4 in the afternoon. Our contact there, Steven Tao, will be waiting for us.
More updates to come, but Thursday through Saturday will be jam-packed with activities and meetings with the orphanage staff and local students. We're trying to drum up local support for a long lasting presence in Bengbu to interface with Packages of Hope.
I had some free time today in Shanghai, and I did what I absolutely love to do, which is wander the streets looking at babies and kids. It brings a gentle smirk to my face when I realize that the Chinese children have Chinese parents! Normally I'm looking at these cute kids, and wondering where their western-faced parents are!
It made me ache for my Jenna and Annalise back home.
The kids were so adorable, and tomorrow I'm going to get someone help me translate the phrase, "hi there, do you mind if I take a few dozen pictures of your kid?". I saw these adorable street scenes where grandparents were carting around these little kids through the shops (because the parents were both working, or perhaps because they just wanted to). Even though the sun was shining brightly through hazy clouds of the cities exhaust fumes, and it was a balmy mid-seventy degree day in the shade, the kids were still all bundled up from head to toe. Their chubby cheeks and cozy blank stare were commonplace as grandma or grandpa held them close, nuzzling and whispering to them in the secret code language only understood by grandparents and grandchildren.
While the younger parents looked at my western face with a little bit of wariness, I didn't feel at all uncomfortable in asking to take a picture of baby to a grandparent whose smile was about a mile wide.
There was no hiding their feelings in the picture, the smile and the face said it all - they were in 7th heaven with their grandbaby.
Also shown is a typical picture of Jeff. I have trouble following the rules.

Monday in Shanghai

2005-10-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

Lisa here- Jeff emailed that he had a full and productive day in Shanghai. He and another Seimens co-worker, Chen Rong, visited the shipping offices where Packages of Hope had shipped the 13 boxes for the Bengbu SWI. He finally spoke with the right person and discovered invaluable information for shipping directly to the orphanage in the future.

Jeff and Chen Rong also rode the high speed mag-lev train and apparently went over 275 miles per hour and then they went shopping!

I wonder how much stuff can be put into two already totally packed suitcases?

Pictured are Jeff with Jacqueline Shen (shipping company), the shipping company's offices, and Chen Rong, Jeff's Seimens co-worker.

Jeff arrived in China

2005-10-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

Lisa here....Jeff called and he arrived in Shanghai on schedule this morning. He was met by his friend and co-worker, Jin Yong Ming who helped him get to the hotel and get a local sim card for his cell phone. Jeff sounds happy to be back in China and not at all ready to go to sleep even though it was 11:00pm in China!!!

Now the work begins.

Please keep Jeff in your prayers that he is able to touch many children on his journey.

Trip Map - Geographic Fun Facts

2005-10-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a general idea of the route for this project:

Shanghai to Bengbu: 268 miles
Bengbu to DingXi (the Lanzhou site): 751 miles
DingXi to Siping: 1178 miles

I've also noted on the picture the relative lattitude positions of New York and Orlando, in relation to the map.

Geographically speaking, it is similar to traveling from my town of Orlando, to the Packages of Hope offices in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and then going to Washington, D.C.

The Golden Rain Trees in bloom

2005-10-11T04:51:00.000-07:00

The tiny yellow flowers are falling from the Golden Rain tree outside our home. To me, this always means “Time for China”.

It was during the month of October that we first went to China to be united with our first daughter Jenna. Then 2 years later, we went again to the Middle Kingdom to be united with our Annalise.

When we returned, the golden rain tree’s flowers had already completely gone, and were already filling in with the russet colored lantern shaped seed pods, welcoming us home as we welcomed the blissfully cool fall weather in Florida.

Final preparations are being made for the trip. In truth, everything is already prepared. Sarah Woodard and I, along with our contacts in Shanghai, Bengbu, Lanzhou, and Siping, have been in nearly constant contact now in order to everything we can prior to my departure.

But the time for preparations is over. It’s time to shift from what we can try to prepare for, to what we can actually do.

No more worrying, no more “what ifs”, no more sitting at the drawing board.

It’s time to go out, and get our hands dirty.

I’m very excited to get started on my journey, and the people who email me lift me up. I’ve received several emails from people who want to send pictures of their precious and beautiful children to take with them to China. People offer to send extra supplies for whatever space I have left in my luggage.

Even a neighbor of ours, who has 3 lovely “bio” girls (slang common to those of us in the adoption community) wants to help. She was fascinated by our adoption journey, even from the time of our first daughter Jenna. Wonderfully hearted, she asked the same questions that we all face on a day-to-day basis “do you know who her real mother is?” and “boy she is really lucky!”. However, through the last 5 years (since we have been active members in the adoptive community), she has come to understand who we really are, and what our family means.

She now stands at the ready, and has called us to tell us that she’s bought blankets and clothes for the babies. Even her oldest daughter has entered the scene, using her OWN allowance money to purchase an item for a child in the orphanage. This beautiful child has asked me so many questions, and wants to know all about the child to whom I will be giving the blanket.

And there are other uplifting stories, like the plaque we are bringing to Bengbu to attach to the bookshelves and books we are providing. It will be dedicated to Carol Zara, an adoptive mom to Leah Fei. Carol lost her battle with cancer, and we will be honoring her memory and her daughter in Bengbu.

We are also scrambling last minute to obtain a hearing aid for a pleading family in Siping, whose child is deaf. I’ll be sure to update the journal when I get the information.

These wonderful and compelling stories keep me from the apprehension of the upcoming trip.
I know I shouldn’t be too nervous about it. After all, I used to be a field service engineer, and for 5 years, I was on the road 80% of the time, spending a lot of time in Asia, the middle east and South America. I am used to international travel and negotiating with different cultures.

However, it strikes me now as to the reason why I feel differently about packing my familiar old suitcase – our family.

When I was traveling, it was only me I had to think about. Then when I was married, I knew it was just “us” we had to think about. My wife is strong and capable, and I wasn’t too nervous about leaving her alone.

But now we have two little ones. And they are asking me, “Why are you going to China daddy?” and “I will miss you daddy!” and “I don’t want you to go”.

I realize that my life has indeed changed, as the very core of my being is gripped by these words.

I tell my wife, “How can I do this? How can I look in their eyes and then leave?”
My wife replies, “we made this decision together. This is an important thing to do. Your children will know your character and what our family stands for.”

She’s right. It’s not words, it’s action.

(and it’s only 2 weeks, and I’ll have my cellphone with me)

:)

The Siping Project

2005-10-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

The Siping Project was inspired by Hannah.

I often refer to Hannah (Chinese name Huang Hua) as my Guardian Angel. She works as an adoption faciliator for IAAP (International Assistance and Adoption Project www.iaapadoption.com), and has assisted in over 400 adoptions to the USA since 1990, primarily special needs children.

In 2003, Hannah founded the American Special Chinese Children Assistance Center (ASCCAC) with her husband Frank, who is a pediatric doctor working in Changchun, along with financial assistance from IAAP and generous and kind families, ASCCAC has had a inspirational start.

The ASCCAC was conceived as a convalescent facility for children preparing for or immediately returning from life-saving surgeries. In addition, the facility has the goal of caring for very specific special needs children.

As of this post, my company, Siemens, has generously donated a washer and refrigerator for Hannah's facility.

In addition, a local Florida non-profit charity, A Mother's Love (www.amotherslove.net) is working with Hannah to establish an infant care program at ASCCAC.

I look forward to helping Hannah in doing what we can for these beautiful children.

The Lanzhou Project

2005-10-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

The Lanzhou Project was inspired by an article Sarah Woodard found in early August.

You can see the link here:
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/08/21/for_chinas_infant_castoffs_a_home/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+World+News

Here are some excerpts from the Boston Globe article:
"ANDING, China -- Chen Shangyi makes a living as a scavenger. He prides himself on having a good nose for unusual finds. So when he saw a crowd clustered around a white bundle at the local train station one day while he was hunting for empty soda cans and soy sauce bottles, he couldn't resist taking a peek.
It was a baby, wrapped in a thin sheet.
''Everybody was just looking. Nobody would do anything," recalled Chen, who was 65 on that bitterly cold, snowy day 17 years ago. ''When I took her home, she was frozen stiff. My wife and I wrapped her in a burlap bag. . . . We started a fire. We fed her soup and put some old clothes on her. A while later, she started to wiggle."
Chen named her Ling-Ling.
Today, Chen still makes a living as a scavenger in this remote Chinese town of 460,000 people on the edge of the Gobi Desert. And he is still bringing home children -- 42 in all, at last count.

....
Now Chen worries that local officials may take his children away on the grounds that he is too old to be their caretaker. ...Chen says he can't trust the government to do what's best for the children.
''All I know is that when they were little, no one would come and help them. They say I am too old. I say I will raise them as long as I can. They'll have to kill me first before I'll let them take the kids away." "

I was surprised by the email that said, "Hey Jeff, how about a side trip to Lanzhou?"

With the help of the internet and very wonderful and generous supporters, the project quickly evolved, and Packages of Hope is proud to announce that we have enough funds to hire two full time caregivers to help the family care for the children. We also have boxes and boxes of donated supplies provided by inspired families with children adopted from Lanzhou. While there, we hope to provide the family with a more adequate place to live.

The Bengbu Project

2005-10-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

The Bengbu project started when a family was looking around on the internet to find someone in Bengbu to take photos of the surrounding area.

They finally found a very nice young man who offered to take some photos of his native Bengbu.

After some correspondence, they realized that there was a possibility to help out at the orphanage.

That's when Sarah Woodard at Packages of Hope entered the scene.

We have provided some needed supplies, baby bouncers and children's play and therapy items. The Director has created a "Wish List" of needed items for the children and orphanage. We'll explore those needs during the visit.

As of October 6th, there are 16 boxes of supplies and gifts on their way to Bengbu, provided by families with children adopted from Bengbu.

Also, with the help of a wonderful local man in Shanghai, a personal friend of mine, we are ordering Chinese books for the Children in Bengbu. We have also ordered bookshelves for these books and are looking forward to unveiling the first Books of Hope library.

We are looking forward to developing a lasting presence in Bengbu, so that families with Bengbu children, as well as caring supporters can make a difference for the children of Bengbu SWI.

Packages of Hope

2005-10-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

Packages of Hope, Inc., is a nonprofit organization that provides packages of needed supplies,
such as clothes, over the counter medicines, shoes, bedding, school supplies, playgrounds and
toys, to children living in orphanages. For more information, visit http://www.packagesofhope.org/ or
email packagesofhope@aol.com.

This trip is part of the ongoing work of Packages of Hope, a non-profit organization, who in 2004 accomplished the following:

- installed five new playgrounds of bright, beautiful play equipment at Jinzhou, Jian , YongFeng, Beihai and ChangDe.
- secured 50 new beds, cribs and bedding for children in the Jinzhou S.W.I.:
- funded a cleft palate surgery for a young boy at the Jinzhou S.W.I..:

And provided thousands of donated supplies to orphanages throughout China.

2005-10-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Jeff's Journey

2005-10-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

I am a very proud father of 2 beautiful girls born in China.

Inspired by their love and our family's happiness I have decided to give back and do what I can for those orphans still in China.

I will be going on a humanitarian effort on behalf of Packages of Hope (http://www.packagesofhope.org/) to China starting October 15. So far I will be visiting at least 3 orphanages.

The first orphanage is in Bengbu, Anhui province.

The second institution I am scheduled to visit is in Lanzhou, Gansu province. You may have heard of this famous story of an elderly couple looking to take care of orphans. You may have a look at this published article

http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/08/21/for_chinas_infant_castoffs_a_home/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+World+News

We are working diligently to raise funds for workers to construct a new living facility for this family. We have received an invitation from the local foreign affairs office for me to meet with this family.

The third institution I am scheduled to visit is in Siping, Jilin Province. There is an institution there started by a good friend of my family's, Huang Hua (Hannah). She is a Chinese citizen living in Changchun, and was our guide during our 2 adoption journeys, and she has personally assisted in over 400 adoptions to families from the United States, most of them special needs children. Our youngest daughter has "Hannah" as her middle name, in Huang Hua's honor. Hannah has founded a special institution in Siping called "the American Special Chinese Children Assistance Center".

There may be an opportunity for me to visit a few more orphanages, but my schedule is very full as it is. However, I am very passionate about the children, and so far there is great support from the families of adopted Chinese children, and others, to help the orphaned children who will remain in China.

My primary objective in visiting these places is to establishing firm needs list in order to secure donations; working to build a facility and creating a special assistance center for children with special medical needs.