Leaving our family at LAX (this was the longest that Robert had been away from Jane since they were married).On the plane and ready to go to China!Getting off the plane in Beijing. 12 hour plane ride! (Madison slept 10 of those hours.Some of the older children in the orphanage making bookmarks to sell.
Countryside that we passed through on the bullet train to Shanghai. China is so green and beautiful!A church built in an old missionary city about one hour from the village that we were staying in.Robert, Madison, Lin Ying, and Beilei taking a trip to GuShan on our day off.The room that Robert was working in hosted us for dinner one night after the children were put to bed. The food was DELICIOUS. Everyone shared stories about their lives and about how glad we all were to know each other. All of the people in this room were such a blessing.Typical mean: rice, steamed vegetables, and chicken. The kitchen workers at the orphanage were so nice! They would make fried rice just for us!Peanut noodles (rice noodles in a peanut oil sauce). This is a typical breakfast in the village center.Belie, Lin Ying, and Madison on a trip into the city for lunch. GuShan Mountain. Home to both an old missionary village and old Buddhist writings carved into the mountainside.The house where we stayed. 4 stories: living room and kitchen on the first floor, second and third floors were bedrooms, and the top floor was open space for laundry. The building can house 22 people.We had to buy umbrellas as we were walking back from lunch one day because it was pouring rain! (due to the typhoon close by in Taiwan)Baba and Isaiah. Isaiah is fully blind and also has cerebral palsy. He LOVES to laugh, throw balls across the room, sit in the swing, and jump on Baba’s tummy.One of the village streets. The village was called Shadi (shaw-dee). Large village but very poor.Jing Yi was one of the babies that Madison took care of. She has severe Downs syndrome. She loves to cuddle and play with fingers and toes.The four babies at the orphanage. I smile every time I look at pictures of them! I miss them so much!The kids in the visually impaired room that Robert worked in playing with each other.One of the employees teaching a blind child to use a white cane on a walk to school.Isaiah playing on a sawhorse.Baba with all of his kids!The small boys love playing in the small kiddy pool in the front courtyard. The weather everyday was about 90 degrees with 90% humidity.Rain! The pathway between our house and the kitchen where we ate flooded a few days. We were too hungry to not go eat!The river that separates Shadi from the bigger city (Shanjie).The strip mall in Shanjie. Food, coffee, movies, and lots of people! And even a McDonald’s.Some of the kids playing at the school that is run by the orphanage.Street food! We ate some in Beijing (Madison’s favorite were the chicken hearts).Isaiah playing in the new chair swing that our donors helped buy!The village center. It turned into a street market every morning.Robert walking home from the kitchen in the second house.View of the village from the fourth floor of our house.Robert and Madison on the Great Wall!!
GuShan Mountain. Home to both an old missionary village and old Buddhist writings carved into the mountainside.
