The Least Of These: My China Story

"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." ~Matthew 25:40

Three weeks ago I was exactly 7,981 miles from home in freezing, smoggy, dark, Hengyang, China. It seems like forever ago in a way, but it also seems like yesterday. As funny as it sounds, I miss it. China does that to you. Despite being in a Communist country that actually feels dark and depressed, there is something about the people and the smells and the quirky culture that makes you miss it when you’re not there. 

I’ve wanted to go to China and work in an orphanage ever since we adopted Clara. I knew that this was a trip that I had to go on after hearing the stories from the ladies who went in October of 2014. It was unlike any trip I've ever been on. I had no idea what to expect. Every trip I have ever been on has been all about winning souls for Christ. On this trip we weren't even allowed to talk about Jesus. We were there to solely love. Not just love the kids in the orphanage, we were there to love everyone that we came in contact with and so, that’s what we did. 

On Tuesday afternoon of the first week we went into our rooms that we would be working in for the next two weeks for the first time. I had the privilege of working alongside Michele Cordray and her daughter Juliana. They were a joy to be with. We honestly had no idea what to do at first. I felt a bit like I was barging in on the nannies and the kids. I didn’t want to cross any unknown boundaries. There are so many cultural things in China that you have to be cognizant of. As I was standing there contemplating what I should do I saw black fuzz sticking out of a pile of blankets in a crib in the corner of the room. I went over to take a peek and there was a sleeping baby girl wrapped in at least four layers of clothes and three layers of blankets. She was the spitting image of Clara when we first adopted her. She had chubby, red cheeks, puffy eyelids and tiny little rosebud lips. Her name was Yu Yu. I instantly fell in love with her. She is hands down the happiest baby I have ever met. She whimpered maybe once the entire time I was there. She didn’t even cry when she was given a shot. She is a tough little cookie. There had been concern about her health when she was first born, but she is now perfectly healthy and will be adopted quickly when her paperwork is ready. I would love to be the one to fill out that paperwork, but I know she’ll go to a good family.

While I was sitting in the floor staring at the little “Clara clone” a little boy wearing a panda bib that was soaked with slobber came up and plopped down in my lap. He didn’t talk or move for at least thirty minutes. He just sat there in my lap and would turn around every once in a while and flash what I called his “award winning smile.” His name was Kang Kang. He never left my side the whole two weeks. He was my little magnet. His only disability is a cleft palate. He has already had one corrective surgery and he needs one more. I’m guessing that he is around three years old. He is very smart and loved to throw things and then laugh at the loud sound it would make smashing on the hard, tile floors. He also loved to sit in your lap and play with zippers, buttons, earrings or even big American noses. He especially liked the latter. ;) There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wish for one more hug from that little fella. He stood at the door of his room and cried with his arms out on the last day. Leaving him like that was a type of pain that I hadn’t felt before. The goodbyes are always the worst. 

Other than Yu Yu and Kang Kang there were six other children in my room. There was the other baby named Wu Wu who was the exact opposite of Yu Yu (and yes, it took us forever to sort out who was who with those names.) She was a fussy little thing, but she was so very cute (is there such a thing as an ugly Chinese baby?) Chiang Chiang was around two or three years old and she seemed to be a little slow developmentally. It took her almost an entire week to even acknowledge me. She was very emotionally detached from everything and everyone. She didn't even seem to have a strong relationship with her nannies. It broke my heart to see someone so little have so many attachment issues. I worry that it will be hard for her to ever truly love because of the abandonment she has already experienced in her life. There was Pung Pung who was the third mobile child in our room. He was around the same age as Kang Kang (most likely three) and he was a wild one. Both of his ears were deformed, but he wasn’t deaf. He was perfectly normal other than that. He does have a soft spot for the babies and loves to give them kisses and make sure their blankets are wrapped tightly around them. He has no fear and got hurt more times than I can count. He was most definitely fun to have around. The three non-mobile children were Dong Dong, Liang Liang, and Tong Tong. Dong Dong sat in his chair almost all day and made little grunting noises. I was never able to find out exactly what his disabilities were. He couldn’t walk, talk, or feed himself. He went to therapy everyday and had the sweetest little spirit about him. He enjoyed being taken out of his chair and held. Lang Liang had Down Syndrome and laid on a mat all day. He tended to play with his hands and one of his coping mechanisms was hitting his head against things. Andrew used to do this exact same thing when he was little so it wasn’t very shocking to see him do the same thing. Liang loved to be tickled and had the most contagious laugh. 

I grew the closest to Tong Tong out of the three non-mobile kids. The first couple of days she showed little to no emotion. Like Dong and Liang she couldn’t walk, talk, or feed herself. On the third or fourth day she cried on and off all morning. I tried to talk to her and even sing, but nothing would make her happy. We decided that afternoon to take her and the younger boys to the indoor playground. When we got there I took her out of her chair and swung on the swing with her. Her face went from being contorted to being almost relieved. It was like all she had wanted was someone to take her out of her chair and pay attention to her. She rarely ever makes eye contact. Her eyes tend to scan, but not focus. As we continued to swing she looked up at me and her eyes locked onto mine and then she smiled. This was my “moment.” I think everyone has a moment when they go on a trip like this and that was undoubtably mine. Seeing this little girl smile for the first time after showing so little emotion was what the entire trip was all about. It’s why we went. It might seem like a small thing, but to Tong Tong it was huge. Tong Tong will be in her chair for the rest of her life. She will most likely always live in that center. She will go through the same routine every day for the rest of her life and will never be able to convey her feelings using words. If I could’ve scooped her up and taken her home I would've. The kids like Kang Kang and Yu Yu will most likely be adopted and have a new family as soon as their paperwork is ready. Tong Tong most likely will not. That’s what gets me. She deserves a home and family as much as anyone else, but will she ever get one? I don’t know. I have given that over to God. I know that he knows her and he has a plan for her life. I had to give that up to him. As I held her in my arms and swung her back and forth that day I prayed in my head that God would give her the best life that she could have on this earth.

I know that Tong Tong, Dong Dong, and Liang Liang will one day do all of the things in heaven that they could never do here on earth. What a day that will be. That’s what it’s all about. This world and all of the things that go along with it will pass away and we will be made new. Whole, perfect and new. 

ICC (International China Concern) is an amazing organization and I am so amazed by all that they have done at the Hengyang center. God is using that place in a mighty way. I will most likely write a few more blogs over time about this trip. There is just so much to tell. If you want to see any of my pictures or hear more about any of these precious children that I mentioned I would love to talk to you! I have lots to tell.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. ~1 John 3:1