Thursday March 10 - Orphanage Visit Updates

Hi Folks,

The past 24 hours has brought about some updates to our in-China itinerary!

We've received news that while a visit to Chenzhou orphanage is not permitted, we are being offered a trip to the city of Chenzhou on Thursday April 7th. While I am still hopeful that with a little prodding once we get to Changsha the decision to not allow us to visit the orphanage might be reversed, I do recognize that even a visit to Lilah's hometown will give us the opportunity to document what her life could have been in this reportedly very poor farming community. The trip will be a long one (5 hours each way), but undoubtedly very rewarding. We may decide that only one of us will do this trip.

The news on the trip to Zhuzhou is slightly more positive in that we are being permitted to visit the orphanage, the city and Naomi's finding spot on Friday April 8th. It will be a special treat to visit with those who so obviously cared for her during her first 8 months of life. A chance to see more of the countryside will also help us gain more information for Naomi later in life as we see what her life may have been like.

For both our daughters, I am grateful for the opportunity to connect with their finding spots -- places that evoke so much emotion in me.
During our trip, we plan to make donations to each of our daughters' first homes. We have already collected 50 pairs of Robeez and a bag full of toothbrushes. As a group, our travel companions will determine how to best donate to Chenzhou SWI. Since we are travelling to Zhuzhou on our own, we have made some enquiries as to what is needed there. When asked what the most pressing need is, Director Zhang always answers, "Formula!" And no wonder; it takes about $1,400 USD permonth to provide formula for all who need it. If you are interested in contributing, feel free to contact us. Alternately, you can purchase a pack of Guo Kids notecards for $15 at http://www.zzfamilies.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=1&=SID. One set of cards provides one meal for almost all the bottle-fedbabies at the CSWI; for four sets, you can feed all the babies for an entire day.

I feel that we are so blessed to have been given the opportunity to explore these pages of our daughters' stories. While each of these journey's will be emotionally draining and I am sure that we'll be exhausted at the end of it all, I am also certain that the rewards of this kind of trip will be outstanding. I pray that we will have the health and the strength to carry through with our plans.

Karen