14 memories

These are 14 things I will not soon forget from our 14 days China. Mostly in chronological order. Mostly stuff I’ve not told you yet. Mostly funny.

1- Gotcha Day. We carefully approached Judd when he arrived not to freak him out, but within seconds he was in Anne’s arms. The first thing I remember was trying to compare the real Judd to the one I had imagined for six months, in some ways he was bigger than I thought, but he was still little. The only thing he had to his name was a Mickey Mouse toy, looking like it was from a gas station, that had jelly beans in the bottom and squeaked when you shook it. Judd pointed at everything that he wanted to see in the hotel lobby--a shiny, huge room full of stuff he’d never seen before. So as we completed paperwork and talked to the orphanage folks, we took turns carrying around Judd who pointed, explored, laughed easily, and was effortless to enjoy. It was the easiest Gotcha Day ever and undeserved grace.

gotcha day, Judd pointing

2- The 40,000 Yuan Incident- I haven't been able to share this because our guide asked us not to say anything while we were there about the turmoil in Hohhot. The morning after we got Judd, it was time to give the orphanage the chunk of dough we had to, and I pulled out our perfect, unfolded, clean, new American 100 dollar bills, just like we were told to bring. Sixty-three Benjamins to be exact. That's when we heard a room of Chinese people mumbling in Mandarin and looking at each other. It was supposed to be in Chinese money, a detail I was never told. So Tom our guide walks me a couple blocks to the bank. On the way, I began to ask Tom about the rumors of turmoil and if Hohhot was safe. His response: "Not safe... Crime... Recent." Thanks for sharing that Tom. I'm only on my way to get ¥40,000 and walk down the “not safe” street with it. We make it to the bank, but come to find out, the bank will only give me $5000 worth, so Tom finds a guy in the parking lot (I wish I were joking) to exchange the rest. So I leave the bank with a stack of bright red Chinese bills that is roughly 2.5 inches tall. I fit what I can into my pockets to hide it, and ask Tom if he can hide the rest. He sticks the wad in his shirt pocket for God and everyone else to see. Tom didn’t seem to worry about “crime... recent.” Still, we made it back safely, and if anything, that day caught me up in prayer.

the meeting without the money, Tom is on the left

3- The best thing I ate and the Holy Grail of Mongolian cuisine: the Hot Pot.

4- Judd eating ice cream for the first time. He laughed after almost every bite.

5- Tom in the Bushes- Yes another Tom story. As we drove to get Judd’s passport, we were met by a wall of policemen blocking the four-lane road to the government area. They spoke to our driver in Mandarin, Tom pointed to us in the back, and I got a little nauseated. The guard allowed us through, but then we were denied entry at the gate to the building because of the turmoil. Tom tells our driver to pull around to the side of the building. Then he gets out and climbs into the bushes next to the building. Anne thinks maybe he needs to pee. We talk about if he's going to climb the fence. I try to prepare for the possible police interrogation by figuring out how to say in Mandarin that I have no idea who Tom is. He gets up against the fence. Nauseated again. Then Tom begins to yell at the workers who are standing at the side of the building. More nauseated. Apparently he didn’t take no for an answer and was trying to find out when we could get the passport. I appreciate the persistence, but would rather not go to a Chinese prison. Come to find out the office was closed indefinitely.

the police building where Tom went in the bushes

6- Getting Judd’s passport two hours before our plane left. Praise God.

7- The Yellow Outfit- If you've been reading this blog for long you know how in every picture of Judd we were sent, he was wearing something pink. The pink motivated me even more to go get that kid. So we get Judd, and few of the clothes we have for him fit, and none of the pants. Solution: buy some clothes. Problem: we're in stinkin' Inner Mongolia. Our guide took us to where she recommended, a store the size of 10x10 bedroom. And they have two (count 'em folks... two) outfits that fit him. The next thing I know he is wearing pink and purple, a fact that the shop ladies don't see a problem with. I do. I rectify the situation. So they put him in the only other outfit they have: a pastel yellow and sissy orange get-up that makes my tough little Genghis look like Sunshine Care Bear. He wore it that day and never will again. I may burn it.

Judd as a Care Bear

8- New Friends- It was wonderful getting to know people who love adoption, are just as lost in Chinese culture, are also trying to figure out these new kids we’ve been given, and who also love the Lord. All of them that we got to know adopted special needs kids, one adopted a 12 year-old girl whose parents died. Wow. It is humbling to meet families who were making such a difference in these kids’ lives.

9- Chicken Pox- We went to the orphanage to see it, but we not allowed past the gate. We even brought gifts for the kids as incentive to let us in, but no go. So we stood there to see what we could. That’s when our guide saw a spot on the back of Judd’s neck and made a big deal about it, I felt a little nauseated. They called the orphanage rep. Feeling very nauseated. She calls the doctor and says the word quarantine. Now I’m straight up ready to puke. It was chicken pox and we weren’t sure what we could do. Thankfully she called Jack in Guangzhou who told them it wasn’t a big deal and to send us on. We love Jack.

10- Landing in Guangzhou, meeting Jack, and feeling such relief. Anne and I will never forget the moment we saw Jack and southern China humidity hit us in the face. We really didn’t think we’d get out of Hohhot. Being in Guangzhou with Jack was a totally different experience.

11- No Car Seats- There ain't nary a car seat to be found in the whole country of China. But it was kind of fun having Judd ride on our laps everywhere we went.

Judd on my lap

12- Special Needs Beggars- It broke my heart to see the people in Guangzhou who were begging. All of them had special needs--people treated like unwanted leftovers discarded on the sides of the street. It hit home as we carried around a boy with special needs. The worst was a man burned over most of his body, covered in cardboard to keep the sun off him. It literally took my breath away. I don’t know who gets him there each day, I don’t know if someone would steal the little money in the coffee can in front of him, but I had to give some money and say prayers for him. It was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen.

13- The Lostness of China- I asked each of our guides about religion in China. Each of them said that 80-90% of Chinese people have no religion. There are a few Buddhists, Muslims, Taoists, and Christians, but most people in China are nothing. I also read while I was there about the Boxer Rebellion, where people systematically killed Christians and Westerners in the early 1900s. It brings tears to my eyes to think of nation of 1.3 billion almost totally without Christ. But that’s China today, and other nations in that part of the world.

14- Reading from Adopted for Life, “Adopted is a past-tense word.” If you’ve not read Adopted for Life by Russell Moore, it is by far the best book on Christian adoption on the planet. It clarified my thinking on this whole process. Adoption is in the past and doesn’t define Judd’s present or future. You see, Judd was adopted; he is in a family. Judd was abandoned; he is wanted. Judd was alone; he is loved. He was an orphan; he is my real son just like my other two who are his real brothers. The past-tense word adopted is just that, the past. Well said, Dr. Moore. Well said.
-Chris

grateful

We are home! And we are grateful. Really all we have talked about today is how grateful we are.

...grateful for God's protection. While in China, were not able to talk too much about the turmoil in Hohhot. We were asked not to. Still, the NY Times reported on it. There were a few days that we were confined to our hotel, and all the government offices (that were completely the reason we had to be in Hohhot) were shut down. God kept us safe, we were able to get the paperwork completed and got Judd's passport two hours before we flew out. We have been aware of our inability and God's grace more times than we can count on this trip. Grateful is the only word for that.

...grateful to be home. This trip we flew around 20,000 miles around the world: Knoxville to Houston, Toyko, Beijing, Hohhot, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Newark, and back to Knoxville. God was especially gracious to us in giving us an empty seat in our row for the fifteen-hour flight back to the US. Our final flight was delayed by a couple hours last night due to weather, so we called home and told people to nevermind coming to the airport. We got off the plane last night and saw my folks. Then I said to Anne, "Our boys are here too." Our eyes filled with tears. Then we saw great friends here to welcome us. Man, is it good to be back home.

...grateful for our time in China. While it wasn't easy, it was meaningful beyond words. It really was an experience that has changed us. That may sound trite, but it's the truth. I am grateful to have went to such an stunning place, yet still grateful to be home.

...grateful for Judd. To say that Little Genghis is a blessing doesn't do things justice. To think what he has been through in his short life (abandonment, living in more than one orphanage, a couple surgeries and lonely hospital stays, having no family whatsoever, being thrust into our arms when we were total strangers, and being toted all over the globe by these strangers) and then to think about how joyful and content he is through all of that. He has warmed up to us both, especially Anne, very quickly. He did amazingly well on the long flights. He is hilarious and smart and pleasant and joyful. Actually, his joy is contagious. Sure, he has his moments, is totally impatient, is quite demanding, and screamed murder last night for over an hour. But if you think about what this guy has been through and how joyful this little guy is through it all, we can only be grateful.

...grateful for our families. My family watched our boys almost the entire time we were gone. Anne's family is excited and just drove from Indiana to meet the little dude. My sister has been constantly encouraging towards us. We are thankful for our families.

...grateful for a great church. I have long said that we go to one of the best churches in the country. I don't think that's an exaggeration. When we got back last night, our table and fridge were stocked with food thanks to the Hodges Care Group. Naomi house-sat for us and made the house spotless. Grant mowed our yard. The Prices watched our kids some while we were gone. Countless people wrote emails, notes, and more to encourage us while we were gone. Before we left, friends and people from our Care Group gave us a check for close to $2000 to help with travel costs. It's not an understatement to say that we couldn't have done this without our church. We are grateful beyond words for Cornerstone Church of Knoxville.

...grateful for our niece Mercy. Today is Mercy's Gotcha Day. Three years ago my sister adopted Mercy Bethlehem from Ethiopia, a tiny little girl with TB and God's grace all over her. If you want to cry, watch her Gotcha Day video below. I honestly don't know if we'd have had the faith and courage to adopt if it wasn't for seeing God miraculously provide for my sister's adoption and to see God's plan to bring Mercy here. We love us some Mercy!



...grateful to be a family of five. People have been asking how we are doing. Thanks for asking. We are really doing well. We were so grateful as we drove home, just us five, for the first time. Judd got a little overwhelmed and worn out at bedtime, but today has done better than we imagined. He loves following around his big brothers, and they have done little else today than play with him. They are already having a good time, and we've said more than once what good big brothers our two big boys are going to be. And guess what we did today? Almost nothing. It has been so nice today to do little other than be home. Be together. Be wonderfully unproductive. Be a family of five for the first time ever. And for simple joys like that, we are grateful. 

 -Chris

flying out

We've packed. We've said goodbyes to some friends we've made here. We're about to hit the sack. We're heading out at 6am Thursday morning (6pm Wednesday for you American folk). We fly from Hong Kong to Newark to Knoxvegas all in one very long day.

Can you pray for us as we travel tomorrow? Pray for no travel glitches. Pray that Judd sleeps some. Pray for safety and no sickness.

And word has it that some people are coming to the Knoxville airport to meet us on Thursday night. Our flight is scheduled to arrive at 8:50pm. Feel free to come and look for Jenn Price and Heidi Hodges around the baggage area.

Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement while we've been gone. You'll never know what it's meant.

-Chris

guangzhou

a tale of one more city 

This entire week we've stayed in Guangzhou in southern China. You may have heard of Canton or Cantonese food, well this is the place. The Europeans called this city Canton. And sorry football fans; the Hall of Fame is not here. I've looked everywhere.

part of Guangzhou from the top of White Cloud Mountain

the view from our hotel window

Guangzhou is the third largest city in China, and our guide said it is home to over 10 million. Wikipedia says it is one of the largest urban areas in the world. I'd believe it. This city is multicultural and diverse, very unlike our time in remote Inner Mongolia. In the late 1970s, China changed its policies and began to open to the outside world. Guangzhou was the first city to open up, and the city reflects that. We've seen every ethnicity I can think of here. Within a couple minutes walk is a Starbucks, McDs, Subway, KFC, Muslim restaurants, an Irish pub, two Pizza Huts, three 7-Elevens, and countless little shops and restaurants. Across the street is the fanciest department store I've ever seen; its eight floors sell Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Versace, and stuff I can't afford. This is Guangzhou, cosmopolitan and diverse.

Shamian Island in Guangzhou reminds me of Charleston and Savannah

It's also hot. Very hot. And humid. And I think that affects the culture. Moss in the banyan trees sways in the tropical breeze. The people wear flip flops, unbutton an extra button on their shirts, and take it slow. Folks here could care less about politics and prefer a long, lingering meal. And no one honks here; it's wonderfully illegal. The place meshes a tropical, Margaritaville vibe with being massive international city with millions of people swarming every which way. It's got it all.

And there's Cantonese food. Today we ate Dim Sum and I found it hard to control myself. Dim Sum is the name for small dishes that you can gorge yourself on and not feel guilty because the plates are so tiny. Kind of like a meal of appetizers. The menu probably had 150 dishes to chose from. We ordered dumplings, noodles, spring rolls, broccoli, and such. We drank Oolong Tea. We took our time ordering. I loved everything about it.

us and our adoption rep/guide Jack... we love Jack

Guangzhou reminds me of how large and diverse China is. In many ways it's a world away from Inner Mongolia. Still, it's a place I'd not want to live. There is almost no religion here. Our guide estimated that 90% of Chinese people have no religion at all. Evangelical Christianity is miniscule but reportedly growing. And we've been shocked to see special needs people on the sides of the street begging. Outcastes of society with club feet and deformities that would be addressed in America, on the side of the road, feet placed in front of them so passerbys have proof that they need help. This country is not friendly to people with special needs or handicaps. And that's what my Judd has.

We are thankful for our time in China, but we are ready to come home. We are grateful to experience Chinese culture and killer food and striking places, but I could never leave Judd here. Here orphans and those with special needs have little hope. It's a beautiful yet hard world in China. So tomorrow we board a plane to the US. And though he doesn't know it, a very different life awaits him there. It may not be as colorful and impressive as China, but it'll be home.

-Chris

CA

Today we had our CA (Consulate Appointment) which is the final step in the adoption process, and the final acronym in a long line of letters. As we signed our DS-230 form, the lady told us that this is the last form we fill out and the last time we sign our name. So quite literally, our adoption is done.

The US Consulate in Guangzhou is very similar to an Embassy. However, Consulates deal more with visas, immigration, and unvaried paperwork, instead of big stuff like politicking with communist governments. There are four US Consulates in China but only one Embassy. Every family from the US who adopts from China must come to this Consulate in Guangzhou to allow their children to immigrate to the US. Today was our turn.

We’d post pictures, but they are not allowed. Basically we went into a room, made an oath that every immigrant has to make (stating that everything on our paperwork is legit). Then our name was called, we presented the packet of paperwork which contains our final adoption certificate, visa and immigration information for little man, medical information, and more. The lady loudly stamped it several times, thumbed through it like a bored college professor’s teaching assistant, and told us we were done. Anticlimactic. What all this means is that when Judd lands on US soil, he is immediately a US Citizen.

I really can’t believe we are at the end of this process. We’ve been at this for a year and a half, buried in paperwork, overwhelmed with details, selling piles of t-shirts, wondering and imagining what this little Chinese boy is like, waiting and praying and waiting some more... and now we are done. In less than two days we board a plane, fly to the US, and figure out life as normal for a family of five.

And that’s what this adoption is all about. It’s not about LIDs and LSCs and TAs and CAs and other confusing acronyms. It’s not about shuffling paperwork across the Pacific; that's just means to an end. It’s about Judd having a family and us having one more to love, teach, laugh at and with, and wrestle with on the floor. So let’s get this thing on. We are ready for life as normal, whatever that means.

 -Chris

by the numbers

2: number of seconds that the doctor looked at Judd today to tell us that he was over the chicken pox. No exaggeration. Two seconds. Not that we are complaining. Judd is officially free and clear medically to come to the US. 

0: number of good red couch pics we have of Judd. It's a tradition to have your kid's picture made on a red couch at the White Swan hotel while wearing a traditional Chinese outfit. We tried and tried, but no good pics of Judd. Oh well. The outfit was weird anyway. 

4: number of souvenir-shop sales ladies who helped us today. The sales people China are deceptively pushy. You see, they are as nice and as helpful as can be. Before I knew it, a sales woman today was pushing Judd's stroller and telling me how nice the silk scarves were. Everywhere we go sales people follow us around the store trying to get us to buy more. Their "helpfulness" is getting old. 

3: number of double-takes I did today when I saw the Chinese flag flying above the hotel pool. It still freaks me out that I'm in China. And on a related note...

4: number of Asian guys in speedos I saw today around the pool. Speedos are just plain wrong. Man thighs should never been seen. Never. 

2: number of chicken "nuggets" that I tried before I realized that they weren't chicken nuggets. The first one had some cartilage or something in it. So did the next one. They all did. A couple days ago our guide had told us that the Macau Street Restaurant was easy because the menu has pictures for every entree. Sounds simple, right? Well I ordered chicken with peppers, but it was fried chicken wing bones and cartilage. Our guide said Cantonese people love those tasty wing joints. So much for ordering by the pictures. The next meal we went to Pizza Hut. 

125: the amount of money I "helped" us save by doing laundry in our room versus sending it to the hotel laundry service. Nevermind that there is wet laundry taking over the bathroom. Nevermind that our redneck score climbed to new heights. I saved us well over $100 American. Maybe $150. 

0: number of Dragon Boats I've seen today. And it's the Dragon Boat Festival Holiday today. Our guide says that it's so busy that people actually race the boats on other days. Today Chinese people mainly just eat. Kind of like ignoring the Super Bowl just for the beer and snacks. And I did eat a Zongzi (steamed rice in a leaf) today. Better than the chicken cartilage. 

3: number of new pics of Judd below. Enjoy. 

-Chris

one week

We’ve had Judd for one week today. That is amazing for me to write. Here is an update on how he is doing.

Overall, Judd is doing very well. He is 20 months old minus a few days, weighs 21 pounds, and is a little dude. He walks and runs, laughs hysterically, and is a very smart boy. He can’t say much other than momma and bye-bye. Well, he may be stinkin’ fluent in Chinese but we’d not know it. He grunts and talks and dances and wrestles and cries. You may have heard that orphanage kids don’t cry. This one does. My does he ever.

He eats like you wouldn’t believe. Our boys at home are picky eaters, a luxury Judd never had. We have literally not found anything he won’t eat. He loves food. And lots of it. Our favorite thing is his happy dance as he chows. Dude loves vittles. We sometimes have to cut him off because we are afraid he’ll puke. And when food is taken away from him, he freaks. Screams. Flails. Spazzes out. You can tell he had to do that to survive in the orphanage. Still, we let him eat for an hour.

The first week with Judd, he showed a lot of “orphanage behavior” meaning making a scene and being difficult because that was the only way he got what he wanted/needed in the orphanage. We’ve said countless times that his behavior was the result of lazy parenting. We’ve been working a lot with him saying “please” in sign language rather than grunting and pointing and yelling for what he wants. Honestly, it’s working well. He knows several signs and uses them all the time now. Like I said, he’s a smart boy.

He seems like our other boys: happy as long as he has slept and eaten. Heck, I’m no different than that. Guys are simple animals. We’ve learned the importance of an afternoon nap and regular snacks, and overall, he’s a happy guy. If he’s hungry or tired, he becomes a very angry Genghis Kahn.

Judd with Aggie our guide in Hohhot

We’ve learned a lot about him, and he’s learned a lot about us. He knows daddy is fun to play with, and momma is safe and comforting. Honestly, he loves his momma. He likes me okay, but sometimes he needs a momma fix. We know he likes us and possibly prefers us, but he hasn’t attached yet. He still goes to anyone, including the lady at the restaurant tonight. They call it “mommy shopping,” and while he does it, he seems to want to come back to us more quickly now.

His chicken pox is doing very well. It has been a very mild case. I’d bet he doesn’t have 25 bumps on his body, and he’s not had a fever we’ve noticed. We’ve been stuck around the hotel because the doctor wanted him to lay low and get better. We go back to the doctor tomorrow and hopefully can get back to seeing the city and getting on with the trip.

More from Guangzhou soon.
-Chris

in guangzhou

We are finally in Guangzhou in southern China... shew. We were beginning to wonder if we'd ever get out of Hohhot. Let me quickly review:

• Scare 1: There were protests, we weren't allowed to leave the hotel, and since the government offices were shut down, we were not able to get a passport. Somehow we applied Thursday and got it two hours before we went to the airport. 
• Scare 2: Judd got chickenpox and was supposed to be quarantined. Somehow we were allowed to leave. 
• Scare 3: Our guide couldn't find a "very important" piece of paper for the passport. He forgot he had already turned it in. 
• Scare 4: Anne's passport number was mistyped on her ticket and she wasn't allowed to board the plane. Our guide got it worked out. 

It seemed like things kept going wrong in Hohhot, which may be the northernmost point on the Bermuda triangle. We are so glad to be out of there, which is sad to say. It was a hardened city, there is serious political turmoil, and it was a stressful place to be. But it's also Judd's home. So we are very glad to be in Guangzhou but a little sad to have left Judd's home. 

Guangzhou is like a different country. It is humid and tropical with palm trees, banyan trees, and lush gardens everywhere. We've already met several Americans, and the first family we met were Vol fans (cue Rocky Top). We've had Starbucks and got water at a 7-Eleven. Went to a mall... like I said, it's a different country, and nothing like Hohhot. 

We just wanted everyone to know that we made it safely to Guangzhou. More updates to come later...

-Chris

hot pot

Last night I ate a Mongolian Hot Pot, which was one of the goals I had for this trip. Now you non-gastrophiles and odd folks who are okay with cereal for dinner may not appreciate my excitement, but I wanted to chow down on a Hot Pot something fierce, and I did. For a brief moment I bridged the gap between Genghis Kahn and Anthony Bourdain. It was a quasi-spiritual moment.

Hot Pots were created by Mr. Genghis seven hundred years ago. Instead of taking hours to cook large hunks of meat, he wanted his meat sliced into thin pieces so he could cook it in boiling water in seconds. He needed to get back to the killin' and taking over the known world. In a literal way, this is Mongolian fast food, though the drive through came many years later.

We ate lamb and beef, along with two types of noodles, leafy veggies, firm tofu, sweet potatoes, a couple types of mushrooms, and more. You'd cook it for a few minutes, then dip it in peanut sauce that was so good you'd want to slap Genghis' momma. Our guide Tom showed us the correct way to do all this and it was a lot of fun.

hungry Juddster 

our guide Tom and the Hot Pot 

A couple of random, totally unrelated thoughts and pics of Judd:

Judd is doing very well with his Chicken Pox. He has no symptoms other than twenty bumps, so he is fine. We were concerned they wouldn't let us leave Hohhot, but it seems okay now.

I get stared at. True story. And I don't mean a glance from the corner of your eye. People lock eyes on me, look me up and down, and turn around as I walk past to stare some more. One guy last night literally almost ran into a bike as he was staring at me. Our guide says that not many foreigners come to Inner Mongolia (wow... really?), and the fact that an eight-foot tall dude is carrying around an Asian kid is somewhat noticeable.

Chinese TV is something that is impossible to put into words. The soap operas are some of the funniest, most over-the-top things I've ever seen. We've seen CCTV versions of American Idol, America's Got Talent and The Voice. I'd love to hear what Simon Cowell would say about these strange people dressed in masks and singing in a high-pitched shrill. And every host looks like they fell out of the 80s. The hair is Flock of Seagulls circa 83 and the clothes are CC Deville (from Poison fame) circa 89. It's strange to watch.

Today we plan to leave for Guangzhou in south China, starting the second phase of our trip. We hope to pick up the passport in a little over an hour, but won't believe it until the plane leaves the ground. It seems once a day we find a problem and wonder if we'll be able to leave Hohhot. So we are itchin' to head south to Guangzhou.

We'll blog again then, Lord willing. Here are the random pics I promised...

-Chris

finding Judd's past

It’s afternoon here, but it’s already been a long day. After not knowing if we could, we finally applied for Judd’s passport. There has been a bit of unrest in Hohhot, leading to the closing of some government offices and roads. Thankfully things are better and we had a very smooth time at the office. We were even told that we should pick his passport up tomorrow and there would be no problem with us leaving on time, which was in question for a bit. Needless to say, we were oh so thankful.

We were also able to “visit” the orphanage. We knew that we would not be able to go inside, but we still wanted to take pictures of the outside and just be there. We stood at the gate and looked at large buildings. The orphanage worker gave us a booklet of pictures and entries made by his nanny in the Half the Sky Program. This is typical for the nannies there to do, but we weren't sure if we were going to be given ours. We aren't sure what this journal is about, but it seems, from the photos and pictures that she drew, that it is less medical and more of just notes to what he was doing at each period.  We are so so thankful for this information and can't wait to get it translated. In many of the pictures, we see a smiley little guy, much like the one we are getting to know. It will be great to read and hopefully give us more insight to where he has been the past 1 1/2 years.

Our driver, Cheng Lan the orphanage worker, Aggie our guide, us, Tom our other guide

As close as we could get to the orphanage, we even brought gifts, but still not allowed to go in

While we were there, however, our guide noticed a few bumps on Judd's neck and face.  We had seen these and after doing some internet research, we had guessed that they were bug bites. He’s been fine, so we’ve not been worried. After watching them talk back and forth, our guide said that they think he has chicken pox. She went to get the doctor here to look at him. About 10 minutes later, still in the gate house at the entrance of the orphanage, a lady in a white jacket and gloves came to look at his bumps. “Yes, chicken pox,” she decided. At one point, our guide said something about us needing to stay in quarantine for a few extra days here (WHAT?!), but after talking with her boss on the phone, decided that at this point, we could travel as planned. This incident has made us even more ready to be in the next city. We are praying for no more issues to arise, as they seem to do so very quickly in Hohhot.

At this point, Judd was beyond ready to nap and get back to the hotel. He screamed in the car and had the 2 guides and the driver anxious to give us advice. We have totally sensed an attitude towards us and the other adoptive family that we are somewhat unable to take care of Judd. We frequently hear, "He needs more clothes on" (although he is sweating), "Give him hot water to drink" (although he just threw his bottle of hot water). While we are trying to hear what they are saying and do realize that they probably have some insight on how Chinese babies are usually treated, it is getting a bit old. Finally Judd fell asleep.

We were also able to see the spot where Judd was abandoned. It is actually a few blocks from where we are saying and we were told it is the most wealthy district in town.  While it was by no means fancy by American standards, it was much cleaner and busier that other areas that we have seen. There were many stores - some with American names. Lots of people. We were also told this was the Muslim district--I suppose the temple was not far away. Judd was specifically left in front of a very large high rise store--by far the biggest and  nicest store we have seen in Hohhot. Out front of this store, there is a flag pole with three flags and some sort of stone sign underneath. This was where he was left.

 Tianyuan Mansions shopping mall, Judd was found under the flags

Here is where he was found

While I can't imagine leaving a baby, I could see why this location might be chosen. It is a very busy and wealthy part of town. It was very different than the other parts of Hohhot, so his mom must have chosen this spot carefully. He would have easily been seen and probably found by a wealthy person who could have taken care of him. Still, it really was hard to process and imagine him there alone.

We are praying for a smooth rest of the trip - no sickness, no more paperwork issues, etc. We feel, even more so now, a bit of an urgency to get out of Hohhot. It has been good for us to be here and experience where he is from, but we will be thankful to get on the plane tomorrow evening. Our hope is that tomorrow we will pick up his passport, visit the Museum of Inner Mongolia and then head to the airport around 5:00 for our 7:00 flight. We are praying that is what happens. At this point, we aren't taking those steps for granted.

-Anne

tale of two cities

Sorry, but this post is less about Judd and more about China. But I'll throw in a couple pics of Micro Kahn for you blog stalkers.

city 1: beijing

We flew into Beijing, which has the largest airport I've ever seen. It's one million square meters in just the main terminal, which easily fits four of University of Tennessee's basketball arenas. Every building and road in Beijing seemed big, and it is a strikingly big city. Our guide said it is 20 million people now, and it sure seemed like it. People were everywhere we went. Every street, bus, sidewalk was crammed with people. We drove for an hour and people were everywhere on bikes, cars, buses, and on foot. Plus the sheer size of the city was big. You know how many cities have a bypass loop around them? I've lived places that have two. Beijing has eight because it keeps outgrowing them. The city is just dang big.

Lots of pollution. Our guide said the sun never shines fully there.  

 Top floor of one terminal at the airport

If I had to sum up the people we met (and I can't speak for the entire 20mill since I was there for two days), I'd say the people were in a hurry. To me, a Southerner, they seemed rude and selfish. In my two days I saw one person willingly let another person go first. The best example of this is driving. Cutting you off, honking like crazy, passing cars in the bike lane, and driving into oncoming traffic is literally totally normal. Nevermind that a person is walking and you are in a car, you cut them off and keep going. Anne likes to say that traffic rules are more like suggestions: lanes, speed limits, sidewalks, traffic lights... suggestions. But it's more than driving. Even at the airport as we were walking onto the plane two guys cut line in front of Anne. I literally wanted to grab their shoulders and turn them around so we can talk about chivalry and now real men treat ladies. But that's just how they are. They are in a hurry and don't really think about others. It makes sense, being piled on top of 20mill people, but it's still weird.

And frankly, Beijing is a pagan town. There was so much talk about superstition and luck and prosperity; it got old. Licenses plates on cars never end in 4 because that number is bad luck. Lions are put beside doors and thresholds are tall enough to make you step over them, both to keep out evil spirits. The zodiac signs are big deals. The axis of the city (from the Forbidden City to the Olympic Bird's Nest Stadium) is 8km since 8 is the luckiest number and number for prosperity. Even the city airport was built in the north since north is luckier than south in Feng Shui. This shouldn't be surprising. There are almost no Christians there. Without Christ, we are all selfish, superstitious people, and being in Beijing reminded me of that. I'd be no different except by the grace of God.

city 2: hohhot

We are now in Hohhot, also called Huhehaote, which means green city. It is in Inner Mongolia which is one of the provinces that gives China trouble (along with Tibet which wants freedom, and Xinjiang which is a heavily muslim area). This area has a large minority of Mongolian people which has warred with China since 1000AD. The province is actually north of the Great Wall and hugs the border with Mongolia but still in China, like a buffer between enemies. It's odd because every sign is Chinese with little Mongolian letters above it, which amazes me that anyone can read (see below). So in many ways the culture here is unique, very Chinese yet very Mongolian--oil and vinegar somehow mixed.

View from our hotel window; past the mountains are the grasslands

Notice the squiggly Mongolian writing on the top of the signs.

I love this dude

Busy Hohhot intersection

Hohhot, the capital of the province and where we are now, is the size of Chicago (2.5 million), which shocked me to find out. But it's not big compared to other Chinese cities. It's also not very nice, to put it bluntly. It looks poor and economically struggling. The buildings look run down. The sidewalks are cracked. And we've been told that it's not a very safe city. It's just not very nice.

The people in Hohhot look hard to me. In Beijing, the girls carried umbrellas to keep the sun off of them. Here, they seem concerned about more important matters, like food on the table. Once again, I can't speak for the whole city, but that's what I see. The depression seems more than economic to me.

Day laborers waiting for work

However, it's hard for me not to project Judd's story of abandonment onto the culture. The orphanage here in the city is huge, full of kids (like Juddster) who were abandoned at malls and hospitals and police stations. I don't think these people want to abandon their kids, but life is hard and they feel like they must.

It's harder to be here than we thought. It's a sad place to me. Communism. Buddhism. Islam. Poverty. Crime. People from here may not see it like I do, but the area seems dark. We sightsee, buy some Mongolian garb for little man, but I find myself praying for these people and being thankful Judd won't grow up on these streets.

When we got Judd-man, we were given a note from a buddhist monk that had Judd's Chinese name in Mandarin, Mongolian, and Tibetan. This monk had prayed for Judd, blessed him, and gave our guide the note. Thank you God for answering that Buddhist monk's prayer to bless Judd. Little did he know that many Christians were praying the same prayer for little Judd. Judd is blessed, not because our family is so much better than the people here. If anything, we are sinners just like them. But I know a good God, who loves to show grace. And Judd will learn about him. And that's why Judd will be blessed.

-Chris