Faith _ Jiao, Zi Cheng

Our Adoption Journey to Faith

I wrote the following emails during December 1999 from Wuhan while we were journeying to pick up Faith.

Hello family and friends!!

    We are in Hong Kong! We had a great flight... tho very, very long! (As in, 16 hours! 4 full length movies -which they were awful!- and 3 meals. It was strange, too, that we did not fly over the vast ocean as I thought we would do. Instead, on our non-stop to Hong Kong we went north over most of Canada, then over the Northern coast of Alaska, then over Russia, then down over Beijing, China and on to Hong Kong. It was so exciting when I asked a passing co-pilot who walked by asile, where he thought we were right then. His reply was, "We're right over Wuhan." !! Wuhan! Where we will first see our daughter!! I rushed to the back of the plane (only 5 rows back) and looked out the window. I saw vast bleak, grey, rural land. No formal roads that I could see... more like dirt roads meandering here and there. I saw the Yangtze River which separates the Province of Jiangxi (where our first Chinese daughter came from) and Hubei (where Faith is from).

    The airport here is so clean and beautiful and modern. We arrived at supper time and went through customs with no problems. We stopped at the currency exchange and got enough Hong Kong dollars to hold us for a day or two. It was so good to see familiar things and feel at home. The new hotel next to the airport is very nice. A little pricey... but worth it for convenience. We had a supper of McDonalds and went back to our rooms to crash.

    Today we are very excited because some friends of ours who moved to Hong Kong this past summer are going to meet us and take us around Hong Kong. We look like geeky tourists with our 3 cameras! (regular, digital, and video) We want to make sure we document this trip well for Faith's sake, as well as our own.

    I just keep tearing up. Partly because I miss my girls so much. And of course, partly because I am wondering what our daughter will be like. Will she accept us? Will she come screaming and crying? Will she like us? We can hardly wait to hold her!! It seems so strange to think that she is 11 months old -- the same age that Grace was when she was first placed in our arms. What a joy she is to our family!

    Well, I better go... let the adventure begin!

Hello family and friends,

    WOW! What a day we have had! Nothing like we thought we would have.. but very good! It has been a stressful day full of ups and downs. First of all, we found out the Province officials don't want us to receive the baby today- but rather at the official adoption proceedings tomorrow. However, our translator talked to the orphanage director, who extended us the invitation to come and visit the TongShan orphanage!!

    This was an incredible honor since we know of no one who has been allowed to visit there. We went in two taxi's (there is one other family adopting also), and off we went on a 2 1/2 hour drive through the city of Wuhan, then thru smaller towns, and finally getting more and more rural and remote. The roads get smaller and bumpier. What a hair-raising drive! Thank God we had very alert, good drivers! Anyway, we finally got there in one piece.

    It turned out that we were to be honored at a dinner. We were met by TongShan province or orphanage officials, and escorted up to a mountain top meeting place- I guess maybe the nicest restaurant/banquet hall they have to offer. There they gave us a huge feast with all sorts of interesting delicacies... seaweed, bamboo shoots, spinach, duck soup, fish soup, peas with peanuts, rice custard inside a fried roll, dumplings with who knows what inside, skewered fish, and (would you believe it?) french fries in sweet sauce! Yum Yum! They told us these were local foods- the best they could offer us. To drink we were given coconut milk. So we all sat there feasting for about 1 1/2 hours. We were toasted by the head official, then by the other official. The first official said "We thank you for adopting from TongShan, now forevermore we are friends and family".

    The view from up there was gorgeous!!! It overlooked the city of TongShan- 70,000 people, we were told. Everyone was smiling and happy. We were so honored. We were able to ask several questions, and they were especially delighted to see the pictures that three families had given to me to take back to the orphanage. They looked at the pictures for a long time, and our translator helped them read the messages they had sent. They nodded their heads and smiled, obviously recognizing the children in the photos.

    After a LONG lunch, we were finally escorted to the orphanage where we were allowed to see our babies. We knew we would not get to "keep" them yet- but were so grateful to get to see them! We learned wonderful news- the babies had been in foster care nearly their whole life! The foster mothers themselves brought the babies to the orphanage and stayed there for the next 1 1/2 hours while we talked and visited and played with the babies. Our daughter is SO beautiful ( but of course you already knew that!). She has two teeth- a fair complexion, only a little hair, and walks somewhat if two people each hold her hands. She wouldn't smile for us, but did blow bubbles and stick her tongue out at Philip. The foster mother was WONDERFUL! She warmed to us after a while and tried to get the baby to go to us. I was able to ask her a lot of questions, and get some answers! At one point Philip heard the baby grunt, and the lady immediately took her over to the ditch and pulled her legs apart (she was wearing a split pants snowsuit) and sure enough, she went! (I can prove it- Philip has it all on video!)

    It was hard to leave her there, but also easy because I knew she was in good care, and the mother obviously loves her and will want/need her time with her. They will bring the babies to the adoption meeting tomorrow, 8 AM. I am looking forward to seeing the mother again, as well as hold my own daughter!!!!! I can't wait to see how big (little) she is under that huge snowsuit! It seems to me that she looks just the size that our daughter Grace was when we adopted her last year.

    Well, I had better go- we need a good night's sleep tonight to be ready for parenthood tomorrow!!

Dear family and friends,

    It is with overwhelming gratitude and excitement that I write to you that Faith FuSheng is officially our daughter today... as of 3 hours ago!

    Here in Hubei Province they really know how to do it up! They treated us very well, and honored us with beautiful gifts. It was a very emotional day, however, because the foster mothers brought the babies to the hotel lobby as we were awaiting the call to come to the interview room (which is IN the hotel). The foster mothers were staying off by themselves, tears rolling down their cheeks. When the time came, and they called for the women to come and bring the babies, our foster mother wouldn't come and turned her back on the officials calling her. My heart broke for her. It was so obvious how much she loved this baby. Finally she came, and we went upstairs. First we adopting parents were ushered into a small room and asked questions. At some point in this, the foster mother entered and the orphanage director took the baby from her and she left weeping. How can we be so happy at such a moment??? It was so bittersweet!

    There were many questions, but they were put to us so respectfully and kindly. They thanked us profusely for adopting from TongShan, and asked us to support their work in getting more children adopted. Since both of us families already had 5 children, that was the question they most seemed curious to hear an answer to. (Especially us- WHY would anyone want 6 daughters??) Apparently our answers satisfied them. We were given a paper and pen and asked to write why we were adopting and how we would raise our child, and that we would never abandon or hurt her.

    Then they presented us with beautiful gifts- a wooden plaque and a bag of soil from TongShan. Also, a good map of the Province with the town of TongShan circled.

    During the interview our daughter sat quietly and SMILED throughout!! I couldn't believe it! She played happily with the toy keys and eventually took a bottle of water and ate goldfish crackers. She began to fidget and make little familiar sounds I remembered from our first daughter's adoption. I excused myself and went into the bathroom with her. I held her legs apart over the toilet (she had her split pants on) and sure enough she began to do what she needed to do. (She's 11 months!) Just as with our first adopted daughter, I am still amazed at her control. All the time the official was holding her I wondered, how does he know she won't wet on him?

    After the ceremony was official -- complete with the Official handing over the baby to the Father -- we left. We had been wanting to meet with the foster moms and ask them questions... but we could hear them sobbing loudly in the hall, and the officials went into the hall and apparently whisked them away, because we never saw them again. I wanted to talk to her again so badly!!

    At one point in the interview I had happened to look up- Faith had squealed a happy squeal, so I looked up.and the door to the room was open and a mirror was positioned in just the right way that you could see into the first part of the hall. There stood the foster mother. There she was with tears rolling down her face, waving a good-bye to the baby. I picked up Faith's little hands and waved back. For a moment our eyes met, both of us with tears streaming down our faces. What a moment I will never forget.

    After all that was over we left for notary office. We had to get in two taxis to get there. The translator was in the other taxi with the other family. Our taxi arrived and we got out , paid him, and he drove away. All these Chinese people are staring at us standing there on the street, and we are looking desperately for the other taxi. It took quite a while, but did eventually come. How thankful I was!

    The notary office was fast and uneventful, and soon we were on our way home to the hotel. It was such a relief to get into our own room and be able to interact with our baby with no one looking. She was babbling and smiling. I took off each of her layers of clothing, and finally got down to the "basics" to see what she really looked like! I decided to give her a sponge bath in the bathroom sink since she smelled kind of funny. First I held her over the toilet in case she had to go again. She did! Instantly two poops came out and then the liquid. We gave her a bath in the sink and she LOVED it! She splashed and smiled all through it. When we were done I changed her into her new clothes. (She did NOT like the diaper!) She looks SO absolutely adorable!! I made a nice warm bottle of formula which she sucked down quickly and then fell asleep. At this moment she is sleeping and Dad is watching her. (Do you think you can handle it? I asked him.)

    The other family has sent the dad out for McDonalds... so I think I hear dinner calling!

    Talk to you later!!

Dear friends and family,

Hello again!

Today we did sightseeing. (The reason we are staying here in Wuhan is that it takes 5 business days for you to get your official adoption papers back, and for our daughter to get her Chinese passport. Without a passport you can not get on a plane or check into a hotel.)

Today we took taxis and went to a very famous tourist place called the "Yellow Crane Tower". (I'm not sure why- we never did see a crane.) Anyway, it was big and beautiful. We climbed LOTS of stairs (they really like stairs in China) and got some beautiful pictures of Wuhan from the top of the tower. Everywhere we went, people crowded around us. Little Faith just attracts the crowds. She smiles and coos for every passing Grandma. Once my group was moving on to the next spot, and I was left behind with about 12 old ladies all admiring my baby. They began trying to tell me something, and then laughing. I tried my hardest to understand, and they tried to explain themselves with their hands. At last I understood! They said it is funny that we are mother and daughter, because I have such a big nose and my baby has such a little one! I had to laugh! I really do have a big nose!

When we arrived at one place, just as we were getting out of the taxi we were swarmed with vendors trying to sell us maps. At last we were free of them, but then I realized my camera was gone! I panicked. We looked everywhere. We could only figure that I either left it in the taxi or someone in the crowd pressing in on us had taken it. Our sweet translator Xian did all she could do, and made some phone calls. When we arrived at the hotel, we were so grateful to hear the cab driver had finally found it and actually drove all the way back to the hotel to return it!!! (We left a reward for him, we were so grateful! Xian said it was too much... which is funny because 100 yuan is only about $12!)

At one point today, an elderly man walking his little grandson, pushed his grandson up to us, and coaxed him to shake our hand. It was so sweet! Philip reached into his hip pouch and gave the little boy a chocolate coin. He loved that!

We also went to a famous Buddhist temple, and watched the people, young and old burn incense and bow down and pray. There was an urn where you could rub a penny until it "stuck" by static and then you might get the request you asked. Once in the temple, there was a HUGE Buddha, and Philip was videotaping it when a Buddhist monk (none too pleased) came and slapped his hands together and sternly told him to stop taking pictures. We felt awful! We hadn't seen the sign forbidding that. The monk followed us all around after that!

After that, we went to the Wuhan Zoo. Problem is- we went in two taxis. We were in the first without the translator, then the other family went with Xian in the other. Our taxi arrived on a back alley and the man motioned to get out. We looked around it did not look even remotely like a big zoo area! He motioned us to walk down a filthy, crowed alleyway. After he left we stood by the road and waited and waited for the other taxi. It never came. We looked down the filthy alley and did not see ANY promising signs of a zoo! We didn't know what to do. After some time (during which we're all being stared at) a beautiful young Chinese woman walked up and said in perfect English, "Can I help you?" (I DO, I DO believe in angels!) We told her our predicament, and she led us down- you guessed it- the filthy alley where lo and behold, there eventually was a beautiful zoo! (But don't EVEN ask me what we had to walk through to get there!) Once there we waited for a long time, and FINALLY the others showed up. It turns out the big road to the Zoo is being redone- so you have to walk in by different alley ways!

Anyway- the zoo was great, and once again, we were followed and stared at. Many locals got a good laugh at us Americans learning to do what we see them do- our children needed to use the bathroom and there were none in sight, so we just pulled their pants down, held them by their thighs over the ditch and let them do their job! Works great!

Several times, people stopped us and asked if they or their children could have their pictures taken with us. What fun! Oh yes- and we saw a panda!

Now we're home for the evening- tired out, but had a fun day. Just wish we could have had ALL our girls with us... they would have enjoyed it! We sure do miss them! It is so much fun to check my hotmail each night and hear from them. The connections are great and not slow as I had heard.

Well, I better go! Talk to you later!

Dear family and friends,

Today is Sunday, and it seems so strange to not go to church! I really miss it! Instead we went to a museum about some emperor who died 2400 years ago, and they just found a huge tomb with all his remains about 20 years ago. It was VERY interesting... but most interesting of all was the traditional Chinese music that they played live in a big auditorium. It was VERY beautiful! At the very end, I think the announcer said something about us sitting in the back row, because several people turned to look at us. Then, instead of a Chinese song, they played "Old Aung Syne".

As we were walking around the museum there was a LARGE crowd of teenagers also in the museum. While I was buying postcards, I heard all this clamor going on behind me. Sure enough, my husband was creating a disturbance! :) He was caught in the middle of the crowd with all the young students eager to try out their English!

We have been feasting each night on KFC and McDonalds! So today, we decided we really should be more Chinese, so we went to the Chinese restaurant. I've never seen such things on a menu before! Some menus here boast "Dog Soup", Tripe, Octopus something..., shark fin, etc. etc. Mmmmmmmmm. Kind of makes you want to go back to KFC!

When we have been out and about sightseeing, we have encountered what us adoptive parents call the "clothes police". These are most usually nice little old ladies who come right up to you,( in your face, so to speak), and chide you emphatically that your child is not dressed warmly enough. Yesterday at the zoo, Faith's little ankle was exposed about 1 inch. Heaven forbid!! It was so embarrassing, I spent all day holding my hands over her ankles so no one would see what an awful parent I was! :) When our babies came to us, they had on several layers of clothing. It was so amazing to see sweater after sweater or shirt, and many pants, THEN a snowsuit! YIKES! Although, it IS true that is IS cold in their homes- no heat. Here in the hotel it is very warm.

Yesterday the hotel put up a Christmas tree. It took them all day!! They started in the morning, and everytime we passed them they were trying a different way to stick all the artificial branches in! At last at evening it was done! Otherwise, there is very little signs of Christmas here. In the dept store we saw a FEW things, but otherwise you'd never know. OH- I must also say that every morning at about 5:30 we hear music coming up to us from the street below, and we hear "Santa Claus is coming to town". It almost sounds like an ice cream truck, but we have no idea where the music comes from!

Well, I will go for today.

Talk to you later!

Dear family and friends,

Hello again! Today is Monday, and you can definitely tell the difference! The street became noisy again at 5:30 AM and the traffic is back flowing like crazy. Today we ventured out without the interpreter and walked to a department store about 10 blocks away. To get there we had to cross the 6 lane highway! I wish you could have seen us! First you just start walking slowly across... never mind that there are trucks and buses and taxis and bikes and cars all coming at you. You just keep moving and don't flinch. AND ALWAYS keep your eyes open! At one point I couldn't help from gasping- it seems SO close! BUT we did make it to the other side. In fact, my husband has this riddle: Why did the crazy Americans cross the road?? Answer: To get to the chicken on the other side! (KFC!!) Today our interpreter came back with the provincial paperwork from the notary. In it we learned the very tiny bit we know about our daughter's past. It basically just says that she was found in front of the gate of a Civil Affairs building when she was 6 weeks old . I had already learned from the foster mother herself that she had the baby for almost 10 months. This means that our baby was obviously put into her care immediately upon her being found. Such a small amount of history on little Faith- but we are grateful for any little piece that we can get.

It was SO good to talk to our girls on the phone yesterday. How we miss them!!!

Last night we took a taxi 30 minutes away to a VERY fancy hotel called Shangi-la, where we ate a the best buffet we've probably ever seen. It was so much fun! When ordering, the lady was trying to tell me what their drinks were. When she stumbled on the word "Perrier Water" I corrected her. Of course when the meal came, she brought the Perrier water she thought I ordered! (Yucky stuff!) But the meal was excellent!!

Well, today is kind-of a "down-day"... just sticking close to home and relaxing. We are already looking forward to moving on to Guangzhou.

Oh- by the way- our daughter stood alone for the first time yesterday!!! And then- she tried to take her first steps!! It's just a matter of days, I think! And then- watch out! There'll be no holding her back!! She is definitely a mover!!

Talk to you later!

Dear family and friends,

Please excuse typos... I have 20 minutes before we pull out of Wuhan and head for sunny, warm Guangzhou!! It is with mixed feelings we leave this place. Our experiences here have very VERY positive and I have sadness as I think of taking our little one away from the people, sounds, sights, smells, food and culture that she has known for her whole life. The people of Wuhan have - without one exception- been altogether hospitable, warm, kind, generous, honest and respectful. They will do anything to please you or care for your needs. First we had lost our camera a few days ago, and had an honest taxi driver come way out of his way to return it, with no thought of reward. Then, last night, the other family lost the husband's wallet!!! They searched everywhere...no luck. They thought surely it was just in the hotel room. Hundreds of dollars, credit cards, etc., inside. Just then we had to leave to go to another appointment with the Province head, so they said they'd resume their hunt when they got back. As we were leaving the hotel, the father went into the glass revolving door. As he was rotating through, another Chinese man was also on the other side of the glass, rotating through also, but he is holding up a picture of Frank and his family!!! Sure enough, they came out the door, and this honest man had found Frank's wallet! And had traced it's whereabouts down to the hotel! Everything was still inside, and the man absolutely refused any reward! So we believe we have met MANY angels this trip!

Yesterday we went about a 45 minute taxi drive away to a huge shopping center. It was definitely the more upscaled part of the city. At one point in this HUGE mall-like environment, my daughter began making those familiar little grunts, that mean "Take me to the bathroom please!" I asked the man at the McDonalds if there was a bathroom. He ( about 18 years old) said YES! And he proceeded to take me there. We left McDonalds, walked clear to the other side of the mall, and then out the side. There was a woman's bathroom (smelled like fish!) but there was a long line. Faith kept grunting... I was trying to tell her to wait (but how much can an 11 month old understand "wait"?!) Then the cleaning woman heard the problem and motioned me to follow her. I did... she led me to the MEN'S room... made all the men leave, and Faith did her little duty in the men's urinal! :)

Philip met more little boys playing and dancing and making faces for the video camera. (He always seems to attract these boys!) Philip gave them little chocolate coins, which they loved!

We ate at the Hong Shan Chinese restaurant, as per suggestion from another adoptive family who emailed us in Wuhan to go there. It was very funny- we were eating Chinese food in a banquet room marked "Western", with Roman architecture all around! One of the dishes we wanted was lemon chicken, but the menu only said lemon duck. When we inquired, the waitress assured us that the menu was actually supposed to say "lemon CHICKEN". However, after the meal arrived, we all had a sneaking suspicion we ate DUCK! They also had a dish called "deep friend potatoes". This sounded safe, so I ordered a big plateful, and to my delight they arrived looking exactly like french fries!! YUM!!! However, after one mouthful I don't think I tasted anything else. I have never tasted anything that left such a fire in my mouth! I have no idea what was in those potatoes, but WHEW!!!! HOT!!!!! The amazing thing was that the two babies loved them!!

Last night we met with the Province official, and received our baby's Chinese passport enabling her to fly to Guangzhou. They also gave us an official adoption document, and a picture of the orphanage, with some info on the orphanage. (Since it's in Chinese, I'll have to wait to get it translated.) The province head made a big ceremony of it, and was so gracious in how he talked to us. He once again reiterated that our adopting is like a bridge joining two countries and two people. It is his hope, he said, that we will tell our friends and family about the kind people of Hubei and China, and encourage them to come and visit sometime. We could honestly and wholeheartedly say YES to his wish.

Well, I must close for now. I hope to resume at the business center in Guangzhou. As of now, we have officially adopted Faith and she is our daughter. We have completed and satisfied the Chinese government. NOW we travel to Guangzhou to hopefully complete and satisfy the American government. Tomorrow we have Faith's medical checkup (to make sure she is not bringing any infectious disease into the US) and then Friday we will have our official interview at the US embassy with the consulate.

Until next time!

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