Computer problems...

Krista and Moya are having computer problems in China. They can only get internet for a few secs at a time. They wanted me to let everyone know that they should have better internet tonight and will be posting lots of information and pictures then.

Xinxiang Photos

Our Visit to Xinxiang

Monday/Tuesday
We, Krista from New Brunswick and Moya from Denver met in Beijing after close to 20 hours of plane travel, we've arrived in Zhengzhou Henan. We took a pass on taking the bus into town from the airport and took a cab to the Holiday Inn Express. (It was 10pm) There we found a note waiting for us, from the wonderful Xia, from CCAI, along with 2 much appreciated apples for a snack!
We were to meet Xia at 9am the following day to go to XinXiang. Up showered and down for breakfast!! We were starving after not eating well for the past 2 days. Xia arrived and we discovered that we would be staying at XX that night, and had to run to our room and quickly check out. We loaded up the car (and gave our driver a hernia trying to lift the heavy suitcase full of vitamins and toys..) and drove the longest way possible to XX. With a population of 6 hundred million, most of them must of been on the road this morning, as the traffic was bumper to bumper! and sometimes pedestrian to bumper..
After lots of new construction and wheat fields we arrived in XX, a town of approximately 600 thousand. We were met by the orphanage's assistant director, who brought us into the board room and served us tea, apples and lots and lots of candies!! The orphanage director was in a meeting and would be joining us after lunch.
The Gracie's Room nannies were on their lunch break so it was decided that we would eat first then visit. We had a great meal, in a private room in a small restaurant which included fish, mushroom soup, and eggplant in fresh tomato juice and deep-fried dumplings stuffed with the local vegetable.
After lunch we check into our hotel, and got to use a western toilet!! whew!! We quickly headed back to the orphanage to meet the director and FINALLY meet the babies!
We were greeted by the director and she gave a speech about how much she appreciates DJ Kids International and how our work with them has made the kids healthy and happier and many more kids are being adopted and also so many more kids are getting paper ready to be placed for adoption.
The Henan government is strongly encouraging orphanage directors to send more babies file to Beijing for adoption. Henan has gone from 8 international adoptions in 2006 to close to 300 in 2009 and re hoping for 400 this year. XX orphanage building is over 50 years old, they are currently building a new orphanage on the side of town. They will consolidate several local orphanages to this new building. They will also be able to take in more children. There hope is for more children to be internationally adopted.
We were invited to visit the new building later in the day and the director expressed hope to have a Gracie's Room there.We went up to the 3rd floor and through a doorway covered by a curtain, to see all the beautiful Gracie's Room kids!!

They were sitting on a padded floor, crawling around. As we arrived, they gave them little crackers. We figured it was to get them to sit quietly for our visit. The room was bright, and cold!! Their little faces and hands were red from the breeze coming in the open window! The room had 2 small bins of toys, we noticed that many more interactive toys are needed. We took time to visit with each child and talk about their special need and whether they were available for adoption. We were delighted to know that many of them already have their papers sent to Beijing. We were THRILLED to learn that one child already has a family waiting for her!! She was a sweetheart.
We were both impressed and how easy the kids were to smile and although they were timid at first, they were quick to warm up. They all loved having their little red faces touched and stroked. When we reached into their sleeves to touch their cold hands they would grab onto our fingers tight!!
The nannies were so proud to show a little boy that has cerebral palsy could walk. Another little one made us both laugh when she would imitate Moya shaking her head saying NO!! It was so cute. There was a little girl with Down's that would giggle every time Moya would pretend to let her fall then quickly catch her again. One little girl, who is blind, sat on my lap and when the nanny called me mama, she laid her head down into my neck and cooed. She sounded like a little dove.
A toddler who was developmentally delayed was curious and loved to look at pictures of himself on the camera and he kept trying to eat Moya's watch! Each one of the children in Gracie’s room is beautiful, pictures can't capture their spirits. The nannies care and love each and everyone of them. It was obvious. They knew everything about every child there and even some that were no longer in Gracie's room. There were 2 babies in particular that made us sad. One little fellow has been in and out of the hospital fighting an infection and the other has a very severe special need that will limit her development. She is getting the love and care that she deserves in Gracie's room. We distributed the toys, every child received a new toy! Much to their delight, but we noticed things are the same here in China as in the USA and in Canada. The babies ended up playing with the boxes!!
We also distributed vitamins (and careful instructions) and toothbrushes that were donated.

As we said goodbyes the nannies encourage the children to wave bye bye! It was very sweet. We pasted classrooms with several children in each class, each at their own desk, either learning math or music and we happened to see a Gracie's room graduate, signing and smiling and learning!!

We will post more tomorrow about the new building. It has been a long and exhausting day and it's almost 1am here.

Leaving for China tomorrow.....

Bags are packed, documents all together and, the hardest part, getting ready to say good bye to my sweet little and big kiddoes fro 10 days. Krista and I meet in Beijing airport and four after we arrive in Beijing we will head to Zhengzhou in Henan.

A friend of mine asked if DianjiangKids International is paying for this trip and I thought I should let you all know how this works in case you were wondering. Krista and I are paying our own expenses. Totally. 100%. With DianjiangKids, all the work is volunteer so whether it’s Ginnie doing our webpage, Emma helping out with the blog and doing the XinXiang Kids webpage, Lionel coordinating our big calendar project or Kelly doing foster care reports and Krista doing Gracie’s Room reports, all are volunteers. Great volunteers I might add, who make what we do for the kids, possible. With DKJ Kids 100% of donations go to the kids. The P.O. Box is paid for by a volunteer. Postage? Paid by a volunteer. All money donated goes to the kids.

I will be sure to post photos of the vitamins and thermometers we are bringing with us for the kids. And of the clothes we buy in country. What a blessing to be able to help these children. And how blessed we are by the support we get from family, friends and fellow adoptive parents.

Please offer comments once we start posting from China. We might need a few words of encouragement from home while on this adventure.

Moya

Donations for the Trip

Moya is collecting donations to buy supplies for the orphanages when she gets to China. She will buy vitamins, toys and equipment for Xinxiang. She will also be bringing toys to another Henan orphanage with no programs. She is also buying clothes for kiddo's in foster care at Dianjiang and kids at XinXiang. To donate click on the "Chip In" widget in the sidebar. Every little bit goes a long way, even you can only donate $5 or $10 dollars. Thanks for your help.

We leave for China one week from today...

Krista and I are very excited. We leave for China one week from today. We will land in Beijing and then get a flight to Zhengzhou. We will get the bus to the hotel in the city and meet Xia from Chinese Children’s International there. The next day we will go to XinXiang to see our Gracie’s Room for the first time. Gracie’s Room has been in operation for over 18 months now and I cannot wait to visit the children and the Ayis. We plan then to visit two more orphanages in the area before going to Dianjiang where my Andie and Krista’s Lily are from. We will meet the foster families there and are excited to visit a foster home or two. Plus we get to look for a few special children whose parents are already waiting for travel approval to come get them. So stay tuned, and look for our pictures. I will be bringing a suitcase of clothes to the kids at XinXiang and we will go shopping in Dianjiang for clothes for the foster children. Please follow along as we will send e-mails to the wonderful Emma ( mom to A Dianjiang kids and a XinXiang kid) who will post them on this blog. We will also send photos and maybe even video. Look forward to sharing. We ask for the blessing of your prayers and good wishes as we travel to China and visit these amazing children.

Trip to China March 2010

I am so excited to let everyone know that Moya and I (Krista Dolan) are going to China March 8th to check on the progress of Gracie's Room First Hugs program in XinXiang Henan. We will also be assessing the need in 2 additional orphanages.Gracie's Room has been set up there since late 2008. Henan is China's most populous province with fewer than 100 adoption in 2008 from the whole province and most of those were special needs.

We will also be traveling to Dianjiang for a few days to see the foster care program. We are hoping to be able to blog while we're there, however it seems that Google and China, are not playing nice with each other and we may have to get someone back here to post for us! We are so excited to have this opportunity to see all the children at both orphanages! We promise to take lots of pictures.

Thanks !!
Krista Dolan
Coordinator Gracie's Room