Lily Orphan Care Center LuoHe

Today we visited the Lily Orphan Care Center at LuoHe. This project is how we hope to see Gracie's Room being run. It is a 24 hour program with well trained caregivers and children divided in rooms by age. It was amazing to hold the babies ( especially a teeny tiny one who was obviously born prematurely). We played with the one year olds and the spent time with the toddlers who obediently lined up against the wall on their stools to listen to music. Too cute.

We also got a chance to tour the rest of the orphanage to see how the rest of the kids live. It is very difficult to see some of it. The disabled older children live very sad lives. Certainly gives one a sense of great powerlessness to witness this without the ability to change it.

We had a delicious lunch in the orphanage cafeteria and the headed out on another two hour drive; this time back to Zhengzhou. We visited the Zhengzhou orphanage and another Lily Orphan Care Room where we saw more happy babies. A little one with albinism was sweet and we got to see Xia delivers package and picture to a little boy who will meet his family soon. So cute to see him kiss the picture while his caregiver pointed out his mama, baba and brothers and sisters.

We then visited another floor at Zhengzhou orphanage to see the Show Hope project.  Again, this is a project wherein babies get special care from their caregivers. It is obviously a well funded project and the babies seem very loved. Each baby has a lovely crib with netting at the top and what looks to be homemade quilts.

Back to our hotel in Zhengzhou for a rest before an important lunch tomorrow.