Back in the USA

Just landed in SF and cleared customs without any stress.  Going through SF when you fly international is always the way to go.  Entering through LA is terrible! Casey didn’t sleep on the flight at all and his eyes are totally glazy….good luck looking at your computer screen tomorrow Casey. We are ready for home: [...]

Great Wall

What a historical experience!  My friend Rod Hanson did a marathon and the Great Wall was part of the course which I so admire because it is the symbol of China and I have Chinese daughters and I have never been there.  Each time I have come here I have been on the Southern part [...]

Back in Beijing

We officially returned back to Beijing.  We are entering our 8th day here and we saw our first Americans and did our first tourist activities.  The Henan province has very few foreigners visit it and especially Americans. We were relieved to not be constantly stared at.  Casey is a total attraction to almost every single [...]

Kaifeng Kids

Special need little ones

Eva

While we have been here in the Henan province we have of course had Xia assisting us through each of the steps but in addition to her has been one of the family reps for the Henan province – Eva.  She is an English major, smart, charming and a go getter.  She was a former [...]

Kaifeng

This is the city that will host our first school.  What an amazing journey in less than a year.  A non-profit, a board, our first fundraiser – 2009 Chinese New Year and now two board members visiting and establishing a relationship – friendship – respect with the orphanage director Mr. Wang.  A man that we [...]

Lily Orphanage Center

We went and visited the Lily Orphanage Care Center in ZhengZhou yesterday morning.  Casey and I wanted to see the effects of CCAI’s involvement in an orphanage for a while and what type of impact that they have had.  It was really special to be greeted by five young boys ages 8 – 12 running [...]

Thoughts

China as a culture still is learning the concept of giving and even tipping. I asked an English major graduate from the Henan University his salary for the month as a bellboy – 800 rmb (676 rmb = $100 US). And he went through all of the world groups and stated who tips the best, [...]

Photos

Rubber hits the road

What does this phrase even mean…can someone comment and give me the significance on this please… But the last two days have been what this canned language signifies for us. We started by gathering for breakfast at 7:30 and discussing the details of our trip and again reemphasizing what our goals were of these appointments [...]