January 2003

Dreams Really Do Come True

John and Margaret (Payne) Maheu of Burlington, ON adopted Lienne on the January 2003 Trip to China Margaret provided this trip report which she titled “Dreams Really Do Come True”.

On Saturday, January 11, most of our group met at the Vancouver International Airport. A few had ventured ahead to China on their own for a variety of reasons, some for extra sightseeing. Some to spend time with family and one family adopting from the Waiting Child program who went off to a different province. We would all soon be together on the journey of a lifetime.

Of those of us traveling we had first time families and families who were repeating the journey for the second time. We were fortunate enough to have two big sisters on the trip, Kate and Olivia.

Kate travelled with Mom and Dad to get her new sister Jamie and Olivia traveled with her Mom and Aunt to get her new sister Liliane. Kate’s special song was a big hit with everyone: “We are family. Mommy, Daddy, Sister and ME!” (To tune: We Are Family). A song I am sure many will use on trips in the future.

There were also two big sisters at home preparing for new sisters from China. Madelaine was missed so much by her Mom while she waited for baby Hannah and Mom back in Ontario and big sister Emily eagerly waited for Mom, Dad and Baby Sarah back home in Newfoundland. Mom and Dad really missed Emily too.

We landed late on Sunday in Shanghai and headed for our hotel. Then it was off for a quick tour of the city and supper. Supper was the first of many incredible meals at ridiculously reasonable prices. Most of us felt we wouldn’t sleep a wink that night, a combination of time change and excitement. Surprisingly most of us slept very well even if we were all up bright and EARLY to journey to our children.

Our children were traveling from two different orphanages but we would all be on buses heading toward Nanjing on that Monday morning of January 13. We had to drive right through the town of Suzhou where four of the children were coming from. It was around then that some of our excitement became a little more subdued. We started peering into buses we went by on the highway as the Suzhou parents found out that they would be receiving their children sooner then they thought; some quiet time and bonding time for our group. I can only speak for myself but that’s when it all sank in for me. I realized that there were many different stories on this one bus that were about to have dreams come true. Each one of us could really have been our own documentary I’m sure. I do know this was when I started to fall in love a little bit with everyone on the bus. It’s hard to do anything but feel a bond when you are about to share something so important and so life changing with one another.

When we reached Nanjing we went to our rooms to get as organized as we could and wait for the phone call to go down to meet our children. I have never seen so many people hovering around main lobbies and phones before and we were right in there with them. We were so anxious to meet our children that we hardly took the time to appreciate our wonderful accommodations and how prepared each room was for us. That crib, in that hotel room, was the most beautiful thing that we had ever seen. Of course that was to be short lived.

And then it finally happened. The children were here. The older children from Suzhou were naturally and healthily concerned with their new situations but all the new Moms, Dads, Grandmas and Grandpas were prepared, magnificent and immediately in love with the new members of their families. The babies from Lianyungang arrived shortly after, all in matching split pantsuits. It was apparent that they were all well cared for and well-adjusted babies. Everyone was amazed at how they had been matched with the baby that was exactly the baby that they were supposed to have. Bonding started immediately and it was wonderful how quickly our children started to recognize who their Moms and Dads were. These children were truly amazing and resilient little creatures. There was an immediate compassion and pride for what our children had already dealt with and conquered in their short little lives.

The next three days in Nanjing was an organized parade of official government offices to complete paperwork, shopping, touring historical sites and falling more deeply in love (if it was possible) with our children. The Chinese people were wonderful, smiling, nodding, admiring our beautiful children and kindly but firmly letting us know how we should be dressing our children. Yulin, her brother and sister and our guide, Mike were all amazing. Nanjing was a stunningly beautiful city and we experienced the beauty and history while people flew around in the background making sure things happened without any hitches. Mike was an amazing supply of information about Nanjing and China. He talked about culture, politics and our adopted children honestly and gently. Our videos of him talking will be a wonderful gift to our daughter some day.

Just shy of a week in Nanjing we left for Beijing, where the all the families finally came together. In Beijing we stayed at the Presidential Plaza Hotel. To say it was beautiful is an extreme understatement. It ranks right up there with one of the most beautiful hotels and hotel rooms that we have ever had the privilege to stay in. Beijing is an amazing city; new and old at the same time. So many contradictions and extremes located side by side. The people continued to be wonderful, many wishing us luck, love and good will. Again letting us know how we were supposed to be dressing our children. Most people in China live without heat in their homes so they really layer clothes in the winter months. Our children were in heated buses and hotels and were often breaking into a sweat because of the heat.

The paperwork continued. Fay took over as our guide. Yulin was joined by her husband Bob while Yulin’s brother and sister continued to be instrumental in everything running smoothly. Fay was as wonderful as Mike and every bit as informative. Both of them were more like historians than guides. The food! Ah, the food! We could do a story just on the food. It was delicious, plentiful and cheap, cheap, cheap!! The shopping! Ah, the shopping! Another story worthy of an entire page. It was astounding, plentiful and cheap, cheap, cheap!! There is so much worth buying. May I suggest you bring a little extra cash for silk, jade and pearls. Sharon’s Store (pearls), The Government Silk and Jade stores do accept credit cards (thank goodness) and are breathtaking.

Somehow despite all the sightseeing and shopping we managed to get all the paperwork completed, doctor appointments handled and travel arrangements (we thought) confirmed. Some of the more spectacular sites included The Forbidden City, The Summer Palace and the Great Wall of China just to name a few. With Fay as our tour guide we ended each day much more informed and appreciative of Chinese history and culture.

 The entire trip went without a problem. On the last day, however, we received word from Air Canada that our flight was being delayed by approximately 12 hours. We were all packed and eager to be on our way, but on the positive side, it was one more day to stay in China and eat the incredible food and stay at a wonderful hotel. The next day got a bit interesting when we were informed that we would be delayed again. “Were any of us interested in flying to Japan?!” With some persuasion the majority of us traveled together that day to Vancouver where we said good byes and headed in our separate directions, most of us exactly 24 hours behind schedule.

The children were all great on the flight; a combination of quiet play and sleep. It really helped that Yulin arranged for the flight to be during what the children considered to be night. The experience was wonderful from start to finish mostly due to the organization and behind the scenes efforts of Family Outreach International both in Canada and then in China. We cannot recommend or thank Yulin enough for the gift of our group’s twelve daughters and one son. Each and every one of them is a treasure and our lives are all so much richer for knowing China and having our beautiful children.

China is such a different world, but so worthy of our respect and admiration. Every one of our group members is so proud to be linked to this magnificent culture forever because of the beautiful children who brought us there.