Day 6 - Visit to Huishui

Today was an incredible day.  We went through a range of emotions as we traveled an hour and a half to the town of Huishui where Mia Jade has lived in the orphanage since July 2011.  The weather was raining and overcast during the drive.  When we arrived to the town the driver was trying to decide where it was located and Kim (the other family adopting) and I looked over and saw the bridge that is in the background of the girls' photos and we told him where to go.  Then around the corner and we could see it on the hill.  The last 200-300 yards was very bad, bumpy and muddy road but we pulled up to a relatively new look building with staff waiting to great us.  They were to happy to see the girls and the girls were eager to leave us and go to their nannies.  That was a little tough but not unexpected.  It was obvious the girls were very loved and cared for.

They showed us the girls' room and play room.  Then one of the nannies pulled out her cell phone and showed me about a dozen pictures of Mia Jade when she was much younger.  I quickly called the guide and he tried to get the photos onto the computer so they could transfer them to me but they were unable to.  I had to resort to taking photos of her camera; at least it is something that I didn't have before.

We learned during their adoption day that our girls were the last two adoptable children in the orphanage.  There was a total of 30-32 but all were in situations where families could not afford them to be home but did't want to give them up either.  But when we went to  visit, there were two new girls that had just arrived the day before.  Maybe one day next year someone will get a referral and we will have photos of them for them.  

When it was time we took a group photo and then took the girls.  They cried for their nannies and didn't want us, which was tough but again I was educated enough to know it was normal.  And thankfully the tears stopped by time we were at the end of the driveway.  Overall, I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to go and visit and was thrilled to see very few children, very clean environment and caring staff.

After the visit we went to the town and wandered the shops.  The people were very nice and it was a neat visit.  But then we went to the "old town" and it was wonderfully neat.  The streets wandered up and down some hill and we stepped into one of the courtyards to see the homes.  The owner said his house was 600 years old!  Columbus wasn't even born!  It was very neat to get out the the countryside and see the rice fields.  What a great day!