1/21 The journey continues

I have decided to continue Jen's story on a new blog entitled Chopsticks in America

at http://chopsticksinamerica.blogspot.com/

I plan to post periodically about her transition and more specifically about issues that relate to the adoption of an older child.

I don't know how frequently I will post but I hope to do so once a week.

It is not that our experiences are unique. Many others have adopted older children before. But my hope is that someone who reads these blogs might consider the possibility of adopting an older child.

As new parents, we are walking with Jen through undiscovered country and from where we are standing, the view is great.

Thanks for following our story....

1/14 Contact information

The following post was created to lead people to this blog who are searching for information about the orphanage in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China.

Zhuhai Social Welfare Institute
Zhu Hai Social Welfare Institute
Zhuhai SWI
Zhu Hai SWI
Zhuhai orphanage
Zhu Hai orphanage

We are happy that you found our blog.

For parents of children with connections to the Zhuhai orphanage, please see the following link:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zhuhaiadoptees/

1/3 Epilogue: Glimpses of Guangzhou

We thought we would post some pictures of the city to give you an idea what this little corner of China looks like. Guangzhou is the mandatory stopover for all orphans leaving China for the United States. We are thankful for the many kind Chinese in Guangzhou who helped us during our stay.

Our home away from home for Christmas

An Olympic mascot lights up the night

The Christmas tree at the White Swan

The streets are lined with shops that cater to adopting families

The chapel at Shamian Island

With Christmas over, the White Swan prepared to ring in the western New Year

The central shopping district drew thousands of young Chinese

Night falls along the streets we walked for two weeks


The nearby park was well kept and made for a pleasant stroll each day

The Pearl River was lit up for Christmas Eve

The upcoming Olympic games are a source of national pride and excitement

This kind clerk took an interest in Jen


In a sea of dark hair, can someone please find my wife?

A ministry uses the proceeds of this shop to support orphans and disabled children

One very happy father and one very giggly girl (Yun Tai Gardens)

Horse and swallow statue (tribute to the Han Dynasty)

The workaday world of Guangzhou


The memorial hall built to honor Sun Yat Sen

Red lanterns and decorations


The beautiful atrium of the White Swan hotel


Pizza delivery with a twist


Statues in the park on Shamian Island


We arrived home to find our yard raked by friends and neighbors, a beautiful ribbon and wind chime to welcome Jen home and a panda bear for her. We felt so blessed!

1/2 Final Credits

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the staff at Los Ninos International Adoption Agency in The Woodlands, Texas. Through their guidance, we were able to adopt our daughter in a timely manner and they helped us avoid the many pitfalls that could have delayed the process. I want to especially thank their staff social worker whose words of encouragement gave us the courage to take a step of faith towards Jen.

Of course, everything that happened was a part of the mysterious plans of God that drew Jen to us and us to her. We thank God for Jen and we give her back to Him. God lead us to Jen and we are so grateful.

And now special thanks go out to two individuals without whose help this would not have been possible.

Shuma the Bear, our goodwill ambassador, who endured a long ride over the Pacific in a box to bear the good news of our coming to our daughter.



And finally to Zhu Zhu the pig, who was bought in hope for a child we didn't know existed. He played his part in Guangzhou to bring sweet dreams to our baby.

1/2 We have crossed the ocean between us

Thousands of miles and countless tears later, we have crossed the ocean between our daughter and us. Jen has a new life now and we have one too...together.

As others have said, this is just the beginning. We know there are big mountains to climb ahead of us. Jen has a new world to face and life outside the orphanage will have its troubles and cares also. One day, she will be on her own to face whatever waits in her future. But for now, she is just a little child. Ten and a half and yet much younger than that. There is a whole world waiting out there for her to explore and green fields to run through. Days of wondering which bike path to take or what flavor Icee will it be today.

She has left the loving care of the orphanage at Zhuhai behind. She has left her homeland to begin a new life in a new world.

You may remember a picture I described on the first day that Jen came to us. A daughter and her father, looking out over a strange city, contemplating their future together, caught between two worlds. Here is that photo...finally.



We hope that somehow our experience helps someone else who may choose to walk this path. There is an ocean between us but we can say for certain that it is worth the crossing.

1/2 Some more photos of Jen

Ten years after reaching the orphanage, Jen takes her rightful seat on one of the famed red couches of the White Swan Hotel. For newly adopted babies and children staying at the White Swan, this is a rite of passage to commemorate their adoption. Sitting where so many other orphans have sat before her, Jen was preparing to embark on the great adventure of coming to America.

A gift to our facilitator Nelson who worked diligently to help Jen make a smooth transition. We were proud and thankful to have him leading us in Guangzhou.

We thank God for the friends Jen had during her years in China and hope they can reconnect in America. The world is a lot less lonely when you have someone to call your friend

1/2 The child we have come to love

Here are some of our favorite photos of Jen so far.

Momma and fruit-on-a-stick in the bustle of Guangzhou

A visit to the museum

Climbing her favorite tree for the last time at the orphanage

Adoption day -- Jen walks out to meet us and it is love at first sight

1/2 Christmas Eve in Guangzhou

The lights at the White Swan Hotel

We told you already about our Christmas Eve with Jen and how excited she was to watch a video and share that special time together. We didn't tell you what was going on outside in the streets of Guangzhou.

Christmas Eve is a night of celebration for many in Guangzhou and they flocked to the White Swan hotel to see the decorations -- Christmas trees and lights throughout the lobbies. The hotel has a large decorated tree beside the waterfall. Out the windows of the hotel, the river was lit up with neon lights -- the suspension bridge down river was flashing different colors and a nearby building had 10 story high images of the Olympic mascots (Bei Bei, Jing Jing, etc) illuminating the night. We dressed up Jen in her Mandarin outfit from adoption day and headed out into the streets in the early evening. First we planned to attend the music service at the nearby church but it was overflowing and many were being turned away. Instead we walked the streets and watched the vendors sell flashing lights for children. There were lots and lots of people. Christmas carols in English were being played in lots of locations and shopkeepers and hotel staff were wishing us a Merry Christmas. Jen got so wound up by all the revelry that we turned in for the night and watched the video.

1/2 Love letters in the sand

Somewhere out there, beneath the pale moonlight
Someone’s thinking of me, and loving me tonight.
The familiar lyrics from the children’s movie “An American Tail” continue to waft through my mind. Those words are the heart cry of the child who longs for someone to love them

In an earlier post, we wrote that Thanksgiving found us on the beach in Galveston, tracing a heart in the sand for our daughter, Zhu Hai Zhen.

How could we have known that on a distant shore our little girl would also be writing love letters in the sand?

In America, two future parents knelt down and wrote their daughter’s name in Chinese and the phrase “wo men ai ni” (we love you)

In China, a child and her caregiver knelt and wrote three simple figures I "heart" U

Two love letters written in two different languages on two beaches half a world apart. Two love letters saying the same thing.

American parents proclaiming their love for their daughter in Chinese –-- a little girl in China echoing back in English.

Each reaching out in a foreign tongue to touch the heart of the other. Neither knowing what the other had done.

The orphanage gave us this picture on adoption day. It was taken December 12…. just 5 days before the adoption took place.

We were preparing for our flight to China to meet her.
And she was still in Zhuhai, writing love letters in the sand.