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 up to us to take our donations and greet us with such enthusiasm.  I took the suitcase that Xia was bringing of infant clothes and handed it to one of the boys.  I didn’t initially see that he only had a couple of fingers per hand he took this 50 lb suitcase and wheeled it all of the way to the care center.  Lily Orphanage Care Center’s are located throughout different orphanages in the Henan province and they accept kids that are special needs from any of the 18 orphanages in the Henan province.  They have a high ratio of staff that they employ and do a wonderful job in helping.  I saw my first little baby about to pass away.  She was very fragile and probably wasn’t going to live more than one more day.  I gave her a blessing and wished her a wonderful greeting into heaven.

Casey and I are really informal dignitaries of the United States of America.  We represent our country and everyone is always looking at us.  When Casey wears his cool sunglasses inside as well as outside he is definitely a movie star!

We were actually given special permission to enter into the ZhengZhoe orphanage because it was a Saturday and the orphanage director always needs to be present when visitors are coming.  But Xia has her ways!  We were there around noon and all of the kids take a nap time – even the teenagers.  When we walked into the 9 – 12 year old kids room there was one boy whose eyes became glued to me.  So I went over and started playing with him, practicing some English and he loved the attention.  Through the middle of engaging with him he called me “Baba” – this means father in Chinese.  When I had to leave he was wailing and didn’t want me to go.

Xia – she has been working with CCAI for 10 years now.  She has always been close to her brother – co-founder of CCAI Joshua and has really used her talents to help shape CCAI as a respected and professional organization that it is.  With the economy going down and the slowing process of the wait for families who are waiting to add a son or daughter to their family she has helped spur adoptions through the waiting list.  These are kids who might have seizures, cleft lips/palates and procedures or operations can help give them that assistance that they need.  She has developed a close relationship with this province and helped bring the adoption numbers from 40 three years ago, to 80 two years ago and to 200 this past year – just with special needs kids.  She loves kids and marvels at those families that take these special needs kids on.  She considers these parents as heroes.  She herself is a hero.

Casey and I are now riding in a van back to Kiafeng to go over the details regarding our plan.  This is where he will take over and use his organizational, decision making and exuberance to the table.  But before we do this the director is going to host us by taking us to some local shows – acrobats, magic, dramas.  This was a surprise for us but he insists.

Xia showing us the Lily Orphage Center in ZhengZhou