A day of recovering...and lots of conversation...

Today we were really tired and thankfully we were given the opportunity to just rest...

After seeing off our friends who are off to Changsha to adopt their 7 year old daughter....we headed out to see what many Chinese children do when their not in primary school 6 days a week...they go to an English Training Center so that they can learn to speak and write in English.

Needless to say, our native English speakers were quite a draw to their peers. We spent time in their classroom where an energetic teacher bounced about and verbally encouraged the children to speak and read out loud. The teacher is a University graduate...a very competent teacher and she included Magpie and The Bug in the classroom. They had to recite the ABC's in a boisterous game.

After class let out, we had "conversation" time. You'll see that Magpie and The Bug engaged in much conversation! Overall, they really enjoyed the experience. The children were gorgeous, their parents so eager for them to speak well and not miss the chance to practice their English with the American girls. It was such a warm and welcoming exchange!

I've blogged a bit about the pressure...the struggle, that exists for the Chinese child to compete in the academic world. This is the very nature of the Chinese Educational system. However today I saw more that revealed the relational impact of the "one family, one child" policy. There was a boy, 11 years old, his English name was Owen. His Grandmother & Grandfather had both come to retrieve him from the class and they were intent that he get EVERY opportunity to speak with the Americans. He was darling...but painfully shy...his very nature was one that is uncomfortable with being in the spotlight...it was so evident. And yet they physically were pressing him on, directing him from behind and blocking any potential retreat for him from the forced encounters. A few times when I was speaking with him...I thought he had begun to exhibit some sort of nervous tic with his face...

I internalized his pressure and stress...I felt an ache for him and I was powerless to help...I wanted to say "You're a good boy...you'll find something that you're good at...live YOUR life to the full"...but those are just incomprehensible American ideas here...

This experience showed me the impact on one little boy's life of the one child policy...he is all they have...he must succeed, or they have, as a family, produced nothing...

Their eyes were desperate. They yearn for his success so much...they are panicked that some essential element will be missed and he will not turn out to be the best he can be...

Just think...two sets of grandparents, maternal & paternal who produced 1 child, who married and has now produced 1 child...that's 6 adults intently focused on one child...all well meaning and they adore him...but I feared today that Owen might just break under the pressure...

The second picture above is a mother and child we came across on the road..sometimes we're really into the tourist thing...and we asked if we could get our photo done together...

We're really "out there" in China...but now our focus is beginning to narrow...the reason we came this far...one boy...two days away...

We heard today that we will receive him at 3 PM Monday, China time. You can check the blog clocks to determine when that will be US time...

On Monday he'll board a bus...with nothing more than the clothes on his back...and probably a few pictures. He'll travel with an employee of the orphanage that he likely doesn't know as he will have left the only Momma he's known behind at the bus station...he'll ride 5 hours...then be whisked to a government building where we'll be waiting...

Tomorrow we're going to Church in China...our Chinese family will take us to the Three Selfs Church and we'll be able to experience the official, licensed church in China. Then we'll spend the afternoon visiting some of the family's homes, aunts, uncles and such. Tomorrow night, our last night without Isaiah...we'll go to a birthday party for a child who is turning one...more Chinese culture for us!

Tonight we had dinner at our Chinese Family's home. During dinner we had much deep, deep conversation about life matters...many questions and many inspired answers...clearly evident that work of the heart is being done beyond our influence...

Continue to pray for health, discernment and more conversations! We love you all and cannot tell you how much your comments and love mean to us!