A visit

Good morning.

I didn't write last night because. . .well the vpn wasn't working, I was super tired, and frankly there was so much running through my head.  I'm not exactly sure what to do with it all.

We visited the orphanage yesterday.  I've never been to an orphanage before, and now I have two sons who spent the first years of their lives in one. . . and an amazing one at that.  But really--it is still an orphanage.

We took two taxi's to the train station (we are a large family!) and boarded a high speed train.  We arrived in Hengyang where we were picked up in mini-bus of sorts by one of the directors and brought to the orphanage.  Simon was pretty quiet.  Michael was very busy.  Garrison was chit chatting away with the driver and director.  My boys.

My friend Kyla came over soon after we arrived and hijacked our group.  I just adore her!  She runs the whole ICC show in China and she insisted that rather than do the formal stuff first (sit in a room, pose for pictures, eat fruit) we instead go visit right away as the kids would be napping if we waited.  So off we went!  I laughed and laughed as Michael took over the tour at this point.  This is his place and he was in charge of the Sprick family now.  He made loud announcements to everyone and would make big windmill motions with his arm to get us to move along and follow him.  I didn't understand what he was saying, but Kyla told me it involved something along the lines of "move it" and "we are going to the 6th floor".  He was right.  He got the elevator for us, he held the door, he pushed the buttons. 

We went into his classroom and met his classmates.  We also met many of the teachers and carers.  Honestly, it was all a whirlwind.  Women were running in to see Simon.  Teachers were hugging Michael and Simon.  We gave a gift to Biao from his mom and dad (they had sent it to our house for us to deliver it.)  We also sponsor Biao, so it was amazing to see this little one whose picture is on our fridge.  One teacher gave us a binder full of work that Michael had done in class.  His teacher cried and I cried with her as I thanked her for teaching my son.  It was loud.  It was chaotic.  It was beautiful to see the love these people have for my kids.

We continued on with a larger group now as some of the teachers joined us as well as Michael's best friend Biao.  We ran into more and more people who just wanted to see Simon.  Simon is the first child who has returned to the orphanage.  He was one of their first babies.  He doesn't like to be the center of attention, so all of this attention was a lot for him.  There was one granny in particular who had cooked for him and loved him and wouldn't let him go.  The hug was long.  Imagine for these carers to see that what they did for him was not in vain--God honored their work!  This YiYi, our Simon, is now healthy and happy and big and has long hair.  Oh the hair issue! :)  Every single person commented on the hair and said he looked like a girl.  Poor Simon.

We went into another building, and though we couldn't see the first room where Simon had lived as it was made "unlivable" last month by a mudslide, we did see the room where he had been right before we adopted him.  We saw his bed.  I'm still pondering this in my heart.

Michael's room was next, although Michael had gone there several minutes before.  Michael wasn't really with us during the tour as he was moving from room to room and greeting nannies and kids.  This was his territory and we were very comfortable with it.  It helped us to see him in his element.  I got on the floor of his room and sat and listened as the nanny talked to me while Kyla translated.  I made sure to touch the face of every child in that room.  Every one.  I wish I could have been there longer.  I wish I could have picked them up and touched my cheek to theirs.  We moved to the next room where Michael's bed was and I got a picture of him sleeping on it.  I don't have pictures to post yet as we didn't upload them and I need to be careful what I post.  Taking pictures was a touchy thing.  I cried as one of his carers (carer and nanny seem to be used interchangeably) picked him up and cried as she loved him and hugged him and said her good-bye.

On this floor too we met so many who had loved Simon.  We even had a story confirmed that another adopted girl, YunYun, whom we sponsored and eventually met, had told us about Simon sharing his food with her every day.  He is still a sharer.  Many of the nannies wanted to know about his tumor and if he is o.k.  He is.  He plays soccer.  Some couldn't believe it.  Sometimes I can't either.

A 20 year old handsome man showed up who was a former orphan there.  He was 12 when Simon came and he remembers "holding him twice".

We went into the next room then which wasn't Michael's, but where he spent a lot of his time.  His best friend was in this room.  We saw several children who are up for adoption and as Kyla says, "this one really needs a family."  Think about that.  This one really needs a family.  Friends this should not be.  Garrison and Simon both approached Gary and I at different times asking if we were going to adopt "this one" as they pointed to a child.  I made sure to touch everyone in this second room too.  They are precious.  They are His children.




We did the formal thing with the fruit and then left for lunch.  We were taken to a restaurant and had a wonderful meal.  Garrison had a great attitude and didn't complain (we talked about this on the way over" as he only liked the steamed bread).  Simon munched away on everything including the bullfrog and squid.  I was so thankful that Kyla and Anna (she came in on her day off--she is the occupational therapist and became a good friend via e-mail with me) were invited.  We talked more.  We laughed more.  We marveled that these two boys have homes.

There is so much more rumbling around in my heart, though I don't know if it will come out on the blog.  I'm not even sure that I can give voice to it.  This is what I know.  My God is so very faithful and my sons were in wonderful and nurturing hands.  God is doing great things at ICC.  God is doing great things in the Sprick family.