Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Bravest person I know

In 2008, Heng Xin moved from the orphanage to a family style setting called a Model Family.  The homes existing at the start of our adoption of Heng Xin were 3 with 8 children each overseen by an uncle and auntie, with the three such families overseen by a mama and baba.

After leaving the orphanage, we traveled about 2 miles away to the model family home. The street level door to the home.  Orphanage workers, Heng Xin at partly open door, Yu-Hsuan, brother and sister Tian bringing up the rear.


Entering the living area.


Pengyous (Friends).


Friends in activity room.










Heng Xin on her old bed




Kitchen / dining room area.


Wall of pictures.


Pictures of pictures.








Ms. Fang and Heng Xin


Heng Xin and best friend Shaling.


The group of kids there that day that posed for pictures.
Auntie with them.




More pictures of pictures.




Wall hanging above student certificates.
We received one that Heng Xin got in November, 2010.


More pictures of pictures.



The porch.



View of surrounding buildings.


Heng Xin and Auntie, caretaker.


Leaving the home.


Shoe storage.


Out the door into the street.


From street looking back.


The three saddest pictures of this set.  

While I have my own thoughts on this, I'll leave it for the viewer to form their own impressions.  It seems poignant in that it is the children's last view of their friend Heng Xin leaving for the last time many of them will ever see of her.  I have to believe there is great sadness at such an event.




Lifting Heng Xin for one final view of her friends.



Nearby alley.


Nearby park entrance.




School the children attend.



Middle school near the finding place name for Heng Xin.





Thinking of our little girl -
  • visiting the orphanage she knew from 2004 - 2008, and the 3 weeks before we came
  • visiting for the last time, the friends she has spent the last two years with, 
  • saying goodbye one final time, 
  • leaving a life of all she has ever known, spending all but the first 5 weeks of her life in the social welfare system of China, at three different facilities 
  • to go to the other side of the world
  • asked to sign the papers if she wished to be adopted, by first writing out that she wanted to be adopted by us before signing it
Stepping forth with bold determination,
I find our daughter to be the bravest person I know.

11 comments:

  1. You are so fortunate to have seen her former home and be able to talk with her about it. She is, indeed brave, but I have to say that as scary as it is, my experience with Chinese teachers and Chinese children is that our view and their view are not the same at all. They do not think adoption is sad-they think it is an opportunity for the children to have a good education in America where they will have plenty of everything they could need. They do not understand our need to have baby pictures and background information because that was not a happy time and the present and future are what matters. I'm not saying the kids aren't desperate to know their background information-our six year old asks questions regularly-but they are far more prosaic than us and we are far more emotional than they are.

    Thank you for sharing your blog! Hope your wife is feeling better.

    Ruby

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  2. What a difficult and precious blessing to receive! Experiencing her home, her school, her previous life. Priceless. What absolutely precious children! I wish you could bring them all home to us:)

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  3. thanks for sharing. and i agree. she is brave. and you'll both be blessed b/c of it. julia (another madison family!)

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  4. What a memory for you to have of her friends and home life before. I also agree, what a sad day for her friends. Blessings to you all.

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  5. Thanks for the pictures and descriptions of the layout, Tim!

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  6. What an amazing account. I must say my favorite picture is the one of her in your arms! Now that is beautiful! (and so is my little sweetie with the water on his shirt...but I digress) :) Blessings friend on the rest of your trip!

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  7. Extremely brave, and yes, the last three pictures are definietly some of the saddest I have ever seen.

    Heartbreaking.

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  8. Thanks for sharing these pictures.

    It is so hard for them to say goodbye. We can hope that many, if not all of them who are left behind, will one day have families to call their own.

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  9. "...the bravest person I know" True words - leaving all that she has ever known for a chance - belief in a better world - kinda puts a lot on our shoulders as Dad's eh?

    I'm up for it - and so are you!

    aus and co.

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  10. so true. so brave. i don't know if i would hav been so brave. prayers for a safe journey and start of her new life in your family!
    erika

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