Day 8--Trip to Shenzhen and Orphanage Visit

Today was a good day. Unexpected pleasures and some encouragement. It had some challenges, as they all do, but it was productive all the way around.

The trip to Shenzhen is just over 2 hours. As you travel, you never reach a point where you feel as though you are really in a rural area. It is fairly built up all along the way. Yes, there were some farm type fields, but always amidst buildings, industry, business or homes (mostly apartments).

Arriving at the orphanage, it was obvious that it was familiar to Jadon. When we arrived we were met by a worker and taken upstairs where the classrooms are located. There are over 300 children in this facility and it is fairly self-contained. The kids go to school in the building as well as eat, sleep and play. Jadon's arrival was quite the excitement for his classmates. We were told that he is very much missed. He was pleased to be able to show everyone his new things and especially the pictures of his family. (The picture we placed in his picture book of the house with snow drew gasps from the children who have probably never seen snow.) The kids were very sweet and his teachers seemed like very warm, caring, and enthusiastic individuals. They told us a few things about him, the most interesting piece being that he plays a little bit of piano. Jadon looked for his friend whom he knows as Harrison, but who will be called Drew when he is adopted next week. Drew was upstairs since he has had a little bit of a fever. They want him to be well for when his family arrives early next week. We did get to see him when we arrived to see where Jadon had slept. After visiting the play area, they invited Jadon to go upstairs and say goodbye. He went up, came to the door of the eating area, said goodbye, waved and turned to leave. Overall an encouraging trip.

We then went to find the spot where Jadon was found on November 7, 2005. After getting lost, we finally found the location. He was left outside of what we might call a gated-community. It is perceived by those in the area of being filled with more affluent people. It is most likely that his parents wanted him to be found by someone in this community and thereby be given the potential for a better life. Jadon did not recognize the spot since it has changed so much in the past few years with construction. He obviously remembers something of that time, maybe we will hear about it some day. In the meantime, we trust that God will help him to have a growing confidence in his new position as a member of our family.

Please continue to pray for our communication. Things seem to be getting a little better on both ends. We are picking up some of his phrases and he is picking up some of ours. Pray also for the older two children. Kirsten has an AP European History Exam today for which she has spent a great deal of time preparing. Andrew is struggling with some of the transitions, although overall doing well, he has moments where he feels pretty overwhelmed by his new position and shuts down a bit. Pray that God would help him to know the love that we have for him and the love that He has for him and that Andrew would be settled in the certainty of God as the Rock.

Thanks for sharing the journey with us!! We are starting to really be anxious to get home!!