A Day at the Beach and Happy News from CHI

We had a free day today, so we spent the morning at the beach. Staring out over the South China Sea, we played in the surf, picked up shells, and just relaxed. While we were all standing on the shore, a Chinese man came up to us and noted that Xiao-Ling has black hair while I have red hair and Jacquie is blonde. Without missing a beat, I replied that our differences in hair color were due to "recessive genes."

Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and I indulged in a half-hour "fish massage." Basically, you get into a small heated pool along with thousands of small fish, who then spend time nibbling at various parts of you. It didn't hurt, but did kind of tickle.

When we got back to our room, we checked our E-mail and found ourselves mentioned in the CHI China program's newsletter:

Xiaoling and her new family from America

The Story of Xiao Ling starts from three years ago. A group of surgeons came to Beijing from Cedar Sinan Hospital in LA. They offered to help take one heart baby to US for surgery with no charge. Healing the Children arranged the escorting, etc. Our friend Eulilia arranged for us to get in touch of the group and we helped to find a cute little baby girl, Long Xiao Ling from Sanya to go the America. After the surgery, Xiao Ling was to come back to China, and her foster family in US made a special request: they wanted Xiao Ling to be cared for in Beijing, at our foster home instead of going back to Sanya welfare home. Of course, we were happy to so. Xiaoling was carried by a social worker Keever from LA off of the plane and came to CHI foster home in the winter of 2005. she was one of the early resident of our home! She could speak English and loved only American food first. But very shortly, she switched to all Chinese food and become part of the big family here. We waited and waited, hearing the foster family found a family for her and the family started the process shortly after she came back to China. Xiao Ling was told she would have a family from America to pick her up. She waited and waited, for two years. The big day was Dec 1st, 2007, Jacquelyn and Mark from NJ came to get Xiaoling. We had a party for them and celebrated Xiao Ling’s birthday early.

What surprised all of us is the way Xiaoling acted toward her new family! She run to them with arms wide open the moment she saw them. She called them Mama and Baba and smiled so big that everyone would just melt seeing her that day. She then refused to identify her bed to her new family and many times urged Jacquelyn” hurry up, let’s go!” She told director Wang, I have now my mommy and daddy! She hugged her little friends one by one and went with her daddy!

At the end of the party, the rest of the children realized what’s going on, they each wanted to be picked up and go with mommy and daddy, too. Little John sobbed as the car started to move, and Peter, Xiao Bai, Min Quan all cried and asked, “where are my mommy and daddy?”

There were no dry eyes at the site. Over and over, our children teach us what they need are their own families! Can we find them each a family? Even 7 year old boy XinLi who is loosing his sight slowly, and who is now on CHI waiting list?

That's pretty much how it went. If anyone out there has enough love in their heart to welcome a beautiful child into their family, or knows someone who wants to adopt one of these wonderful children, please contact Tina Qualls, CHI's China program director, at tina.qualls@childrenshope.net.