one thousand stories *part 2*

Sunday morning, waking up at our hotel in NanYang.  It was unseasonably cold, and rainy, and we were nervous.  We walk to the lobby and there she is, waiting....

John Paul wasn't sure what to do, or if he wanted to be the center of attention, or how to respond to her.  It was an awkward first hour, for everyone.  She had driven to the hotel with her son and oldest daughter and we all went to find some breakfast.  After a local specialty (beef noodle soup, which was delicious but I could hardly eat a bite) we dropped her daughter off at work and started our drive into the countryside.

John Paul was starting to relax.  The privilege of riding in the front seat of our van in his foster mama's lap sealed the deal.  {Don't worry, this might not be the safest way to travel, but it's perfectly legal - and in this case, worth the risk.}

Matt drove our van and I rode with her son and Julianna and a live fish (lunch) and a number of other interesting implements that a countryside farmer would have along.  Xiao Zhao (her son, who is two years younger than me) talked the entire drive... I was fascinated, learning about this part of the country and their lives and what they plant and the Chinese term to describe rolling hills (丘陵地带 ).

They just harvested winter wheat, and planted corn and peanuts.  Also hundreds of peach trees and family gardens.  This is fertile territory!

The countryside is spotted with small clusters of homes (villages) and interspersed with some larger "towns".  Foster mama lived in a village with about 15 homes, all built in a square courtyard shape.

On the right - kitchen and store room.  In the rear (up those steps) is the living room and two bedrooms.  On the left is farm storage.



The bed on the right is where John Paul slept (with foster mama) in the winter. In the summer he slept in a little cot in her room or on the other bed with his foster sister (who I am now determined to find! she was adopted a few months before John Paul and foster mama thinks she is in America).

She was so proud to show me she had framed some of the photos I've mailed to her!

FaceTiming my parents (that's the front door behind us).

We went on a walk through the village and down to a man-made reservoir.  I could not stop asking her questions and loved hearing all about life in the village and life with John Paul!

The sign marking the entrance to their village :)

At one point John Paul approached the two of us to show us the bug he had in his hands.  Before I could say "he's always catching bugs!" foster mama jumped in and said "oh when he lived here he was always catching bugs!"  Confirmed my suspicions that his love for all things farm and country and dirt and fire and tools and sticks started young.  You can take a boy out of the country, but you cannot take the country out of the boy!

She wanted to carry him down on her back "just like she used to".  They often walked up here after dinner.

It started sprinkling on our way back to her house and continued to rain for the next two days.  Sigh.  John Paul is sharing an umbrella with Zhao Ya Hui, foster mama's granddaughter, who is his age.  Zhao Ya Hui (and her older sister Zhao Ya Tong) was a big part of John Paul's early childhood.  Foster mama told some funny stories about John Paul bopping Zhao Ya Hui on the head when he wanted some of her food :).

Back at home Xiao Zhao and his wife were cooking lunch.  Yum.

Keeping John Paul fed is a full time job - my boy has a big appetite!  I cannot imagine what it was like to feed him in his early months with his cleft lip unrepaired.  I do know foster mama was a busy lady!

Trip to the bathroom.  They have a water pump and some indoor plumbing in the kitchen and for a washing machine.  But they haven't upgraded their outhouse.

Street in her village

Feeding the baby chickens...

Me: When he was little did he help you feed the chickens?
Foster mama: Yes! He squeezed one to death!!! After that I had to keep a close eye on him!

I laughed and laughed!  Squeezing a chicken to death is exactly what I would have guessed John Paul would have done!  And she and I both know that "keeping a close eye" and "John Paul" always belong in the same sentence!

The entire time we were there she called him Dang Qi Wen (his orphanage-given name). By the end of the two days he was lifting his head and looking for her when she called his name.  Even Julianna was referring to him as Dang Qi Wen when she talked about him with foster mama.  The entire family (foster mom and dad, and her children, and her grandchildren) called our kids "Jie jie" (big sister = Julianna), "Mei Mei" (little sister = Lydia), "Lao San" (number three = Isaac), Dang Qi Wen (John Paul), and "Lao Yao" (local dialect slang meaning baby of the family = Luke).  

Foster dad.  This has got to be the sweetest Chinese man I've ever laid eyes on.  He smiled just like this our entire visit.  Such a gentle voice and kind eyes and quiet spirit.  He's not in great health (has recently had several stints put in his heart) and I could not understand him very well.  [I was shocked at how well I was able to understand foster mama... I was so grateful the Lord allowed us to converse so freely and easily.]

I've more stories to go, but stopping here for today :).