Hebi and Orphanage

Today was a very long...... day.  We had to be on the road by 8:00 AM and we got back to the hotel at 3:00 PM.  It was a 2 hour drive to Hebi.  The weather was fantastic and the drive was very beautiful.  We arrived at the Police Station in Hebi around 10:00 AM to be interviewed and apply for her passport.  The orphanage was so on the ball because when we arrived here in Zhengzhou we found out they had already gotten the passport pictures taken.  We have been very impressed with her orphanage.  They are working very hard for the children and their forever families.  The officer on duty asked a few questions and we were done - took about 15 minutes!

 

The official from the orphanage (the one who brought Maddison to us on Monday) met us on the edge of town and took us to the police station as well as the orphanage.  When we arrived at the orphanage, the Orphanage Director and the Orphanage Doctor met us at the front door.  They were so kind!  They welcomed us and thanked us for all the donations that we were able to make through our church in Idaho Falls!  We took a tour of the orphanage and visited Maddie room!  We were able to meet all her buddies Wen Shin and Yuan Li (the 2 girls who are in all of the pictures together).  Wen Shin has a forever family!!!!  She has been matched and is waiting Travel Approval for her family.  Yuan Li is a little Downs Syndrom girl who is just precious!  We were also able to meet Maddie's nannies!  They loved Maddie SO MUCH!  They took her in their arms and kissed her over and over again!  It was so special that they had a chance to say good bye to Maddie!  Maddie only wanted her Mama - Robin!  Her nannies where OK, but mom was the apple in her eye.  She tolerated her nannies, but quickly went back to Robin (YEAH!!!).

 

We had such a special time at the orphanage.  They really do care for the children.  You could see that they did their best for the children.  It just breaks your heart that there are so many children left behind. 

 

The orphanage official that brought us Maddie, presented us her finding ad and offered to show us where Maddie was found!  We jumped into the car and headed off into the outskirts of Hebi.  It was another 1/2 hour drive each way from the orphanage - well worth the drive.  Maddie was either left by a bridge across the street from and open market or in the market itself.  Either way, Maddie's birth mama left her where she would be found and taken care of!  We are so blessed!  We piled out of the van for pictures.  We must have been quite a sight to these Chinese people.  This was definetely off the tour path for China.  We were probably the first white people a lot of these locals had seen!  One little girl and her brother ran up to the van and we got pictures of them waving to us!  So precious.....  We headed back to the orphanage to drop off the gal.  On the way back, we stopped at a roadside market and the orphanage gal disappeared into the market and returned with Maddie's favorite sweet bread! (apparently, this is what they give the children in the orphanage).  You should have seen Maddie eat!!!!!!!!!  The orphanage official was so excited!  We can't thank the orphanage enough for taking such good care of our little girl under difficult circumstances.  God is so GOOD!

 

We got back to the hotel around 3:00 PM and we all took a nap!  What a day!!!!  Maddie did so well and she has seemed to turn a corner with today's visit.  I'm not looking that bad anymore (thank goodness).  Maddie is now riding in a stoller and Robin is getting a little break.  She doesn't seem to be crying as much and is feeling a little better.  Please keep her in your prayers and she gets over her cold and will continue to bond with us.

 

THANKS for your prayers!  We feel them over here!!