Dalian Social Welfare Institute

Today was our orphanage visit. As we drove, we asked Ilene to once again explain to Daniel that we were just going to the orphanage to visit and say good bye. I told him I wanted him to show me where he lived but that I knew he didn’t live there anymore. He lived with us, his family. He wanted to sit in my lap in the van, and hold my hand as we walked in the building but he quickly warmed up. He proudly introduced us as “my mama and my baba” to Mrs. Pan and the Director of the orphanage. They laughed and he was a little mad.

Next we started the tour. (A side note. There are several families who I know are reading, who are waiting to go adopt their children from this orphanage. For them, I’m going to give details that otherwise might not be interesting. Sorry. We parents live for each and every detail we can glean while we are waiting. So others reading bear with me).

We went up a couple flights of stairs to a pristine floor. I had to assume it was prepared for our visit, particularly clean, etc. Then again, that’s what I do when visitors come to my house so I guess it’s expected. The first room we went into was the 2-3 month old room; there were five cribs, each with a baby in it. The babies were dressed in the exact same outfit so it was difficult to be sure if they were girls or boys. We were allowed to pick them up, and I took a couple of pictures before we were asked not to take pictures of the children’s faces. Honestly, we tried to follow the rules, but a couple of faces are in our pictures anyway. The second room was for 4-6 month olds. I believe there were 6 cribs, all but one had babies in them, and the 6^th baby was in a stroller in the same room. Oh and there was only one nanny in each of the baby rooms. We were not invited into the third baby room with the older babies, although from my quick look through the window it wasn’t much bigger then the first two. It was really fun to play with the babies for a few minutes. But one thing was striking; the baby rooms were almost silent. Eerily so. I felt sad for these little ones, and tried to imagine Daniel in one of those cribs, silently waiting for a mom to hold him.

Next we went up more stairs and were quickly ushered down a corridor and into a classroom with several children in it. I fell back from the group and took pictures of the other rooms; kitchen, wash room, showers, beds, etc. When Mrs. Pan noticed I was missing she asked me to join the group (but I had already gotten my pics J). In the school room there were 6 little ones, between 2 and 4 I’m guessing. There was one little guy who was 7 or 8 probably. They told us he was mute and that he was abandoned on their doorstep yesterday. What sadness filled my heart. It’s hard to imagine his pain.

Daniel pointed out three of the little ones, and told us he knew them. One in particular seemed to be a friend. In the picture here (above to the right) Daniels friend is the fourth in the row. Second from the window. They spoke briefly and Daniel said “goodbye friend” in Mandarin. Sadness rushes over me once again.

Next there was what looked like play rooms, although they could have been therapeutic rooms too. I don’t know. I saw a ball pit, colorful mats and stuffed animals.

In the final picture (below) are left to right on the back row, Mrs. Pan, the President of the orphanage (I don’t believe I ever heard his name), me, John, then the orphanage director and our guide Ilene is on the end. The kiddos in the front row don’t need introductions.

As we went outside the adults were talking. I had asked them what the orphanage needed because we wanted to purchase something specifically to help them as they care for these precious kiddos. However, Daniel, who was ever vigilantly looking for John and I while we were inside the orphanage, was now more concerned with leaving. He said “hello, good bye” loudly to all in English and ran to our van, jumped in and promptly sat down. It was from this vantage point that he finally seemed to relax again.

Thanks to those who were praying for us today. We felt your prayers.

Tonya (for J, C & D)