Orphanage visit and Guangzhou

On Thursday morning we woke up early to make the 4 hour drive to Lianyungang to see the orphanage Addie was in. There are no car seats in China so we took turns holding her. She did great in the van. 

We pulled up to the orphanage and were immediately impressed with how nice the facility was. We were met by the orphanage director and assistant director who gave us a tour. They allowed us to take some pictures and videos of some of the other kids that are matched with Lifeline families. We got to see the area where Addie and all of the kids around her age would play twice a day. She got to see some of the nannies that cared for her while she was there. 

We found out there are 12 foster homes in the orphanage that are set up like small 2-3 bedroom apartments where a husband and wife live and take care of 4 kids. This is one of the initiatives of Half the Sky Foundation that works closely with many orphanages in China. Care for Children is another organization that is working to help Chinese orphanages transition to this model too. Fortunately Addie got to live in one of these foster homes during her time at the orphanage. 

After we toured some of the facility, we had the opportunity to meet Addie's foster mom, her foster siblings and see where she lived. As soon as we met her we knew immediately that Addie was loved and well taken care of. She heard that we were coming and made us a meal. This meeting was very special and emotional. I'm sure Addie was confused why she was back at this place with the family she was so familiar with, only to be taken away again. She seemed to handle it ok though. We will forever be thankful for the love and care Addie received from this family. 

Addie slept in this crib next to her foster parents bed. 

Immediately after meeting/eating with Addie's foster mother we were invited to eat lunch with the orphanage director and some of the staff (guess the first meal was just appetizers). 

We were very impressed by the hospitality from everyone we met. It was evident that all of the children were loved and well taken care of. We know this isn't the case in many orphanages. We are so thankful that both Addie and our son Daniel were cared for by foster families and caretakers that truly loved them. 

On Friday we packed our bags and took a 2 hour flight from Nanjing to Guangzhou. We have joined 7 other Lifeline families and will be here for a week. This is the city where all families must go to complete the adoption process. During the week we will do more paperwork, sign documents, go to a medical appointment, apply for Addie's visa, and have our consulate appointment (mixed in with some shopping and sightseeing).  Guangzhou is nice but the weather here is hot and humid (compared to mid 70s and beautiful in Nanjing). We are hopeful that this week will go by fast. We love China but we miss our boys. Thank you for your continued support, encouraging words on FB, and prayers.  We really appreciate it!