September 6, 2009

Dear Ones,
Happy Sunday whatever time zone you might be in! It is so good to have the opportunity to once again sit down and share with you a little piece of the happenings in my China world. For me it is also a few moments to sit and reflect on how incredibly blessed I am to have a Heavenly Father who cares for every tiny detail of my life and the circumstances that He places me in. Just to give you a little hint of what I am talking about let me first say that turning water into wine was an incredible miracle, however I believe that simply turning the water ON is a wonderful miracle!
Tonight for the first time in over 4 days I was able to take a shower! Soap and water never felt so good, I have traveled many places and been without easy access to water before but this time it was in a big city, in a big blue house, with lots of babies. Part of the problem was that on the first day without water we were also without electricity and there was an incredible still, humid, city heat that made everyone hot and tired and lots of babies pretty fussy. So best thing to do was move to the cooler hallways and strip all the little ones down to their nappies (British for diapers), being in China there were several Ayi’s with the idea that the diapers should go to… Not while I’m sitting on the floor with them! It was quite a sight, 60 babies stripped down and laying on the cool tile floors, they were content and I think the Ayi’s were glad to sit there with them, house slippers kicked off in various places and pants rolled up to their knees. I am ever so grateful that we do not drink the water here which means we had plenty on hand for drinking and preparing food what an incredible provision our Father has made for His little ones. We did manage to get some barrels of water from nearby- I don’t even want to know which shallow well we were pulling that from, but it was very needed to help with flushing toilets, everything else would have to wait. You mommies out there must be cringing already when you think of 60 babies and the laundry that will build up! I think the laundry ladies where thinking the same thing but we could not risk washing the babies clothes by hand in very questionable water so today there was a great shout of cheer and excited Ayi’s ran to turn on faucets and help with flushing air out of all 6 floors worth of pipes when the water began to flow! I think it was a Sunday gift as the city had told us it was most likely going to be another 4-5 days before they completed repairs on whatever it was that broke.
Other that the water situation things are beginning to settle into a rhythm for me, I arrived back in Luoyang early on the morning of August 31st after a long train trip which was not nearly as interesting without a little one, however it did make it more restful as I was actually able to lay down partially on my bunk, I am about 9 inches to tall to really lay down. I was a bit interested to see just where exactly I would be getting off the train… Somehow and no one seemed to know just how, the train ticket that was purchased for me had a destination some 2 hours before my stop listed on it so as goes in China, the Driver took me to the station at 9:15pm and went with me to the platform where he argued for some time with the car attendant then ran here and there talking with others and finally grabbed my bag climbed into the car, showed me my bunk told me to sit and then told everyone who I was and where I was to get off, “And not before!” So around 3:45am I lay there wondering if I was actually going to remain on the train or if I was going to find myself in a train station somewhere in China. I had spent a little over 2 weeks in Beijing working through Visa stuff and travel arrangements so I am beginning to feel very comfortable with short term planning…fantastic lessons in, “Do not worry about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”
On Wednesday morning September 2nd we opened the 5th floor unit with 8 precious little ones, these are officially my babies. The unit is designed for the sickest in our care, they are for the most part either very palliative or have major medical needs to get them through their present state such as the 3 preemies that are presently with me 2 who are doing well and out of the incubators and a 3rd who has just reached 1.5 kg after 3 weeks, she arrived around 0.6kg! She still has a long hard road ahead but I count every moment with her a blessing especially when she opens those big eyes and watches me so closely as I adjust her tiny self and make sure things are still as they should be before she drifts back to sleep. I told you that I started with 8 babies, I now have only 7 as one of mine went home to heaven in the early morning hours of the 5th.
I am going to close for now as I need to check on my babies, I am sending photos of opening day with my little ones and their ayis, minus my incubator baby Lynlee and one of my new room- lots of pink Grandma will be pleased!
With love from China,
Mariah