Day 4 Nanchang

Snap, boom, whoosh, snap snap snap.

That was the greeting as our driver took us through the gates to the orphanage. It took a moment to realize why and then my guide confirmed it. A few workers had been waiting by the gates for us to drive through so they could set off fireworks, mostly the snap snap snap kind, but there were some smaller ones that went up in the air.

My heart skipped a beat. Not cause I was scared. Nope, but because it was one more reminder of how deeply the kids from this orphanage are loved. so so so deeply.

I can't yet process the full day or talk about it but I am very glad I asked for this visit, then insisted when I got less than lukewarm from the group arranging the travel. But in the end, they arranged it and it was VERY clear it was not the orphanage that was the blocker, just not the norm I guess to have this with the travel group that set things up.

I will say a few things about the day.

I made up my mind before I arrived that I would do my best to just go with the flow, to accept that Ming would likely grieve hard tonight, that I would feel a bit out of place and that Ming would rush into her foster mom's arms. Well, why wouldn't she? This woman raised her every day for the last year and she raised her very well. Ming spent the majority of the day in her arms or the nanny's arms and yes, it was hard for me, but I reminded myself over and over again it was harder for them to let her go.

To sum it up we toured the orphanage, I asked questions, they asked me questions, we shared a huge lunch together, all drove to the finding spot and then said our goodbyes at the orphanage gate. Surprisingly I took very very few photos. I just didn't feel like any picture I could would do the day justice. Luckily, my guide took a number of pictures for me with my camera.

The other thing I'll say, and I've said it before, is that I am very lucky that Ming came to this orphanage. Though what I received today made me very happy, it will really all be Ming's and it will be much more than is normally given to a child adopted. There was the provincial gift of porcelain, but I think that's the norm for everyone in Jiangxi? But beyond that she received:

• a jade necklace with a tiger pendant (her year)
• all of the pictures taken at every monthly physical
• all monthly progress reports
• a copy of the note her birth mom left with her
• a quietly and rushed hand off from the foster mom to me of her address, phone number and email contact info.
• the paper from the day her finding ad was placed
• a beautiful winter outfit that I wish winter would last longer for :)
• a hard bound printed book of pictures of her, her playmates, the orphanage and some children's poems

and last but not least, when I sent the care package I had a personal item forwarded. I bought this question and answer book from a woman online that does it for a business for Chinese adoptions. The book has many pages and nearly 100 questions in it about the child, their life, their background, the general history you'd never get otherwise. The left side of every page is the english version and the right side of the page is the same series of questions in chinese.

Well when I sent it, I asked for them to pick just a few questions to answer, any of them. When I got the book back all of the questions were answered. All of them. I was stunned.

I will never forget the happiness I felt with knowing that one day I can provide so much of her early months to her in photos, in memories and to help her feel a connection to the past.

She deserves all that and so very much more.