The Coming of YuQi

YuQi (“Yu Chee”) Grace

YuQi’s story – or at least the Canadian part – began in March, 2004 when Yulin and I opened one of a set of Waiting Child profiles sent by CCAA. This one profile was wholly unexpected – the resume of an eight year old. We were being asked by CCAA to find a family for this hauntingly beautiful eight year old girl in the care of an SWI in Nanchang.

Fate had intervened. As it happened, Yulin and I were days away from an adoption trip to Nanchang.

Now we are in Nanchang. The orphanage gives us permission to take YuQi out for lunch. We tell our adoption group of the outing and what little we know of this soulful little girl. “Can we meet her?” Permission is granted for her to be with all of us for the next day’s evening dinner. YuQi charms everyone. And through the grace of one of the adopting families at that fateful meal, she comes to be connected with a family that wasn’t: Chris and Norma Brown of Cornwall, PEI.

And thus starts her Canadian story.

An unimaginably profound upheaval had been ordained for YuQi. How much can an eight year old want a family? How much can an eight year understand what she is about to lose to get one? Care-takers will be exchanged for parents and friends for sisters, red-bean cake will be traded for ice cream sundaes and a dormitory bed for a bedroom, the commotion of downtown Nanchang will be replaced with the wind songs of Prince Edward Island and volumes of competent Mandarin with a few words of uncertain English.

How much can any of us understand, what Chris and Norma are facing in bringing into their family a capable, conscious person who, in one uncertain moment, with a palm print to validate her decision, discards a life to begin a life?

In mid-August I talked to YuQi by phone. “Hi YuQi”, I said.

She quickly and firmly corrected me, “Not玉齐 …my name is Grace”.

So from this point on, we’ll report on “Grace of Cornwall”.

Chris and Norma kept an on-line diary of their journey to YuQi. Read the journal at www.ChrisAndNorma.com; follow the links to local CBC newscasts of Chris & Norma’s departure and YuQi’s homecoming.

Excerpts From Chris and Norma’s Journal

Unknown to Grace, there is a community in PEI that, had claimed part of her long before she was brought home. And as much as these people could, they participated in the journey. Every morning from May 17 on, alarm clocks called out to consult Chris and Norma’s daily log of the trip.

May 17, 2005

On Sunday we just arrived in Nanchang ... We were so nervous and scared and excited all at once. The ride to the government building was very quick and as we walked up the stairs and walked around the corner "there she was" sitting on the chair waiting for us. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life. … She was so unsure as to what to do or what to say. Then she said “Mommy” and “Daddy” and we just melted. We had a great night together. We had a big supper and than went swimming for her first time . She had a ball except for the almost drowning part that is. Could you see us explaining that one!!!

YuQi , [the guide] and I went for lunch …. When we got back to the room we had a hard time for about an hour or so because YuQi got very upset and cried a lot. It really rips your heart out when you can't understand what she is saying. We got turned around after a while and went to the pool for a swim. We met some kids to play with and life was good again. You should have seen her .She looked at this little boy and said "What is your name?" I nearly fell in the pool. Kids are so intelligent. She had had a few people ask her that question and that was it.

May 18, 2005

Today was our best day yet. We decided to be adventurous today and get off the beaten path. Boy did we meat some wonderfully odd people and had the time of our trip. We shopped and window shopped and all the way YuQi was skipping and singing and being a happy kid. We had a lot of people crowding around us at times wondering why this child was with us and when we showed them the card saying "this is our adopted daughter" they were very happy for the most part. One old lady stopped us and looked at YuQi and pointed to us and put her hand on her chest and patted herself and said the most wonderful thing to us. We don’t really know what it was but from her eyes anyone would have known what she was saying “THANK YOU”. …. we celebrated our last night in Nanchang. I have to say we had a great time and the best part of the night was when YuQi  came up to Chris and I after the meal and kissed us both on the face and said “Thank you Mommy and Daddy”.

May 20, 2005 (Chris)

Today we flew from Nanchang to Beijing. It was a 2 hour flight. YuQi was great and it was the first time that she was ever on an airplane. We saw so much in the province that we left.

Yesterday a whole bunch of people gathered around us on the street they were amazed at these two Caucasian people with this small child from China and one woman gestured for me to pick up her boy which I did. Well she wanted me to take him also as she knew that it was good. We were feeling a bit crowded i have to say.

YuQi is bonding with Norma and I fine and It is something that all of us have to adjust to but for now she is having the time of her life. When we got her last week she had only the shoes on her feet and the clothes on her back so we were pretty shocked. The next day the orphanage came by with shoe box full of everything that she owned. She was happy to see that because there were some photos in the box that she cherishes a lot. It is hard to believe that nine years of your life can be summed up in a shoe box

May 20, 2005 (Norma)
Today we got up early so we could be at the airport at 7 o’clock. YuQi loved the plane ride. Had the time of her life. She was so happy today because we were going to Beijing and she would meet her old friend Yulin.

They have had a great day catching up and YuQi asked her 101 questions about what things are going to be like living with us. Would we send her back if she was bad? Would we make her stand for 4 hours in the corner if she did something wrong? She asked why we didn't want a baby? She also asked about school and all that kind of stuff. She is really looking forward to school. We are so glad to be back with the group. We all went out for supper and had lots of fun.

May 21, 2005
When we got back we were all starving so we went across the street to this food court. This place has the best food from all over Asia. YuQi had another great day and we enjoyed each other a lot. She is an amazing child. She has had to endure so much in the short time on this earth and yet she copes so well. She plays with all the children and yells “Mommy look”.or “Daddy look”. She is always looking around to see if we are watching

We just love her so much.

May 23, 2005

Today we … went to the medical. YuQi is in perfect health except for her left eye. We found out that the sight in her left eye is 20/400 which is almost blind.

She has two problems: a lazy eye [which] should have been corrected when she was small but wasn't, [and] … a scare on her cornea which resulted from a trauma to the eye or a chemical burn. She fears that we will not want her. We tried to reassure her and we hope that she understands. This afternoon we will go to an indoor market. It should be fun. She is so afraid to come to Canada because she can’t understand what we are saying. Please pray for peace and contentment for her.

When we got back to the hotel it was late and when we finally got YuQi settled down to go to bed Chris sat on her bed and said" Tomorrow you will start a new life YuQi" we had no idea if she understood all of what we were saying but she looked at him and said "It's OK daddy, Lets go.“

Earlier in the week YuQi was unsettled and crying a long while. We were beside ourselves as to what was wrong. Finally Yulin came by and YuQi talked with her about what she was feeling. She told her that in her next life she wanted to be like a tree because it never moves......... We were sad that she was hurting in such a deep way

May 26, 2005
We arrived in Vancouver today at 12:30 and it was a long and tiring trip. YuQi is great and except for a few tears at the China airport she was happy as a clam.

YuQi became a landed immigrant this morning so hello Canada................