Love Manor visit and Mao Maos

I can't believe I am sitting here on Friday morning (China time) writing this last post in Chongqing!  I was thinking about it yesterday, and although I am excited about flying to Guanzhou, our next stop for a week, it is bittersweet as we take our new son from him hometown.  He won't understand, and Praise God for his adoption and his "new hometown", it's just a weird feeling.  We went with our group and guide sightseeing yesterday to the Panda Zoo, and what our guide called the "old town."  For all you previous CQ'ers out there, it wasn't Sujiko, it was another place, that frankly was.....quite boring:)  But more on that later:)
The day before yesterday we started our day early downstairs to board of travel bus to the orphange.  2 other families and us traveled to Love Manor, while 1 of our families went to Fuling orphanage where her daughter was from.  Our guide was so good to tell our children before we left in Chinese language where we were going, and that they wouldn't be staying there.  They would leave with mama and daddy.  As he went to each kid, they just kind of solemnly nodded up and down.  I was still unsure what the feel of the orphanage was like.  I had every reason to believe it was a great orphanage from articles I had read on it, but in my mind, that wasn't reality until I saw it with my own eyes.
We loaded up and rode a highway for awhile and got to a windy windy road.  It was beautiful though!  If you know me well, you can imagine I was a bit nervous the windy road was not going to fare well with my carsick stomach!!!  Thankfully I was fine, but another family's ride didn't turn out so well.  The little boy behind us had had enough, and threw up all over him mom, and the back of our seat/floor!  I felt terrible for that sweet boy, but for Lindsey, the mom who now had throw up all. over. her. pants. and shoes.  And remember what I said in the previous post???  These kids eat. ALOT right now:)
We were talking, and the guide said these kids most likely have not been in cars too often.  Good thought we hadn't thought of.  And most likely, nerves were setting in too, as they knew where they were going.
When we got off the bus, Micah was not far behind.....  As I put him in the ergo, I saw it coming, that's right, about 6 inches from my face, attached to my chest.   TRACE I called yelled!  And sure enough, I kind of aimed him mouth to the side, and he got sick as well.  Thankfully, most of it made it to the ground!  After that though, the kids seemed to feel great!:)
The grounds of the orphanage were SO CLEAN!  It was a peaceful environment with friendly people all around!  It was set up like a compound, with a guard at the gate ( it's a federally funded orphanage) and a BUNCH of condo looking buildings inside.  Some were the classroom buildings, some were group setting, and several were the foster family condos and facilities.  Love Manor is moving towards placing all kids in a "foster family model" at the orphanage where the government hires foster parents, a legally married chinese couple, and they live with 3-5 children on campus.  Such a cool thing.  We knew Micah was not in a foster family, but we learned when we got there that he had been moved to a foster family for the month of November before we got there, to help him adjust to a homelike environment!  We were so thankful!  And for those 2 weeks, he didn't have foster parents since it wasn't an actual foster family, but a caretaker who stayed with him and 4 other children there.  We got to meet her and she was PRECIOUS!  She loved our Chen Chen!  She was SO EXCITED to see him! More than anything else, what we got out of our visit to the orphanage was seeing with our own eyes how adored and loved our son was for the 2.5 years he lived here.  They cared for him WELL.  They have school, they have craft rooms (where pottery crafts were drying!), there is a hospital on campus, many teachers and caretakers.  One of my favorite moments was when we walked into his classroom, Trace was holding Micah, and about 15 little Chinese children, immediately jumped with smiles on their faces and excitement bursting from their heart, yelling MY Chen Chen!!  Chen Chen, Chen Chen, my Chen Chen!!  He had the BIGGEST grin on his face, and kind of leaned back to Trace almost as if he was puffed up with pride.  Pride that comes from having a family.  Joy of belonging.  We couldn't help but to be so proud for him, and at the same time, I look at these precious, beautiful children, and began cringing inside that these children don't have a home.  It just shouldn't be this way, never was meant to be this way.
We had asked who his best friend was, and our guide pointed him out to us.  He did tell us that he had been matched, and his family was coming in a couple of months!  Praise the Lord!  He was so cute!!  We got some cute pictures of him!!  We not only were able to visit his classroom, but also the room where he slept, the playroom, playground, MUSIC room, (yes they had a music room!) and the foster facility where he lived for 2 weeks.
As we were reaching an end to our visit at the orphanage, the teachers and caretakers wanted to hug and hold Micah.  We allowed his main caretaker to hold him, but the others just hugged from our arms. We were advised not to let them hold him from other friends, but we felt like he was handling this well, and this lady loved him so, and constantly was talking to him about his mama and daddy.  Micah handled it well!  We were a little afraid at the end, leaving would be difficult, but it wasn't, to the best of our knowledge!  Prayers, yet again, answered in abundance.  It was emotional for me, getting back on the bus, leaving this place that has been just a pivotal part in his life.  He may not right now, but at some point, whether we ever know it or not, he has got to think about those people and friends he left behind.  I was overflowing with thankfulness to the Father as well for allowing him to be in a place like this.  Because when it comes to orphanages, this is not the norm.
The rest of the day was pretty low key, as we went back to the hotel, ate lunch at a dumpling place with our guide and group and tried to take a little nap!  By the end of the day, we were spent.  Physically and emotionally.  Thankful for rest, and a little boy who is still a great sleeper!
We have been able to facetime with the kids at home almost everyday!  Again, so thankful for technology!  Miss those babies something fierce, reassured them we would be home very soon!  Gray sung at church on Wednesday night, and it just about killed me not to be there, but thankfully mom got a video!  Already watched it 3 times!  When we facetime, if they don't see Micah, they ask for him!  Trace and I are really in prayer for this transition when we get home!  We really have no idea what it will look like.  Micah seems PUMPED about them through facetime, and the opposite is true.  Well, Taylor and Gray at least:)  Cayden just keeps saying mama and daddy:)  At night, Micah LOVES to get his picture album that we sent a few months ago (which is falling apart at the binding) and points to each person and says our name.  (mama, dada, jie jie (sister), di die (younger bro) and guh guh (older brother).  He gets so excited too!  Thankful the orphanage staff did this with him so regularly!  We think it has helped A LOT!

If you made it to the end of this post...i am IMPRESSED.  Apologize for the extreme length.  The truth is, I could of written so much more about the orphanage.  Love you all...dearly.  Again, I can't say this enough, truly.  Thank you, thank you thank you, for supporting  our family in this journey.  Our prayer is that as we are actually going, and adopting, that yall would feel apart of this process to, and use your influence in your community and circle, to advocate for adoption.  Advocate for the millions of orphans worldwide, and the issue of adoption.  We know not everyone is called to actually adopt a child, (but it IS stinkin AWESOME)  but we do know from Scripture we are all called to care for the orphans.  YOU CAN make a difference.  And I am here to say, while Trace and I are here picking Micah up, and have the joy of parenting him and grafting him into our family, SO many of yall have cared for him.  I don't say this lightly, without your obedience in caring for the orphans (whether you knew it was that or not!) this process would not have happened like it has.  From beginning to end.  It has not been problem free from the beginning, and don't anticipate it being problem free until the end, but we are so thankful for His guidance, grace and wisdom on our path.  So again, thank you.  Keep praying, keep advocating, and keep sharing about your spiritual adoption.  Remember, the gospel, and issue of adoption cannot be separated, Praise God!

"How great is the love the Father has lavished up on us, that we should be called, sons and daughters of God."  1 John 3:1

"but I game them this command, Obey me and I will be your God, and you my people.  Walk in obedience to all I command of you that it may go well with you.  Jeremiah 7:23

Although the Isrealites did not heed this command coming out of Egypt, I pray that I will be faithful by His grace to "obey all that He has commanded of me."  Is there something he is calling you to?  Obey, and the richest blessings of His favor await you.

We get Micah's passport today!  We leave for Guanzhou tonight, to begin the next part of the trip.  In Chongqing, it was made official in China's eyes that Chen Chen is ours, next in Guanzhou at the Consulate's office, it will be made official in America's eyes, that THIS BOY IS A HAMITER!  

Please continue to pray:

• attachement and bonding to continue to develop.  
• continued prayer for energy!  it's getting better, but could be alot better too!:)
• flight to Guanzhou.  this will be a good trial run to our LOOONG flight home next week!

view of the grounds of Love Manor from the front door of main building.

Micah and his best friend at orphanage!

playroom/music room  (Micah has shown us he LOVES to sing!)

outside playground

dining room table in foster condo where he stayed for 2 weeks

his bed for those 2 weeks! (every color seems to be gender neutral in china!:)

his crib in the cribroom where he stayed the majority of the time at Love Manor.  This did make me sad, bc it made a pac 'n play look like a King size bed.

the view from the foster condo

Micah waving to all his friends as we first walked into the classroom.  They were SO excited to see him!  But he didn't want to get down either!  Great sign of attachment!

sweet sweet lady.  Micah's primary caregiver.  you can see he was leaning over here, he wanted the car we had given him to show her, he was so proud!

yeah, i have no idea what she is saying, but she was so sweet, so I acted like I did!

not sure who this girl was, maybe a teacher, but she was CRAZY about him.    almost didnt let him out of her sight.

several of the kids still there walking back from school.  love that their holding jackets to keep a straight line!:)

Our first picture of Micah that we got was taken in this spot.  Loved taking a family photo here!

Micah's best friend.  would of taken him if he fit in Trace's backpack. :) 

So thankful for this precious woman.  She loved my baby well.

At the entrace to the Panda Zoo.  Panda's are called mao maos.  Hence the blog title:)  He LOVED the zoo.  Loved animals, our guide was telling us, he was naming every animal we saw, and what it was doing. This zoo was actually very very pretty!  (and that's saying a lot for someone who strongly dislikes the zoo:)  It was refreshing to be outside, not totally smoggy for a little bit!