China Service Project

2009 China Service Project

2009-08-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

A new blog for the next trip is at 2009 China Service Project.

China Service Project Video

2008-09-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3123573160330586506

This slide show sums up why we did all this.

Thank You/Sha Sha

2008-05-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to Bill and Louie for organizing and leading a life changing gift for all involved.

Thank you Brett and David for helping us understand the Chinese language and culture.

Thank you Cai for your assistance in so many ways.

Thank you Tony for a great tour!

Thank you to the orphanage staff and many volunteers for caring for these precious children.

The children and people of China remain in our thoughts, prayers, and best wishes until we meet again. If you would like to contribute to relief work in China please click on Helping our Friends on the blog menu.

Transportation

2008-05-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

Transportation was most interesting! There were many methods of travel. People were seen walking, riding, biking, dashing, speeding, stopping, and jetting through traffic. A few examples:

Unusual vehicles everywhere -

Busy intersections - many near misses!

Strolling through the park.

Best of all, children were able to be transported with the help of stools on wheels. They most enjoyed changing floors as they dashed down the ramp. The gift of mobility through wheelchairs is awesome!

Culture Shock

2008-05-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

A trip to the bank may be time consuming. You take a number and wait, and wait, and wait.

All shopping involves negotiation and mind boggling deals!

There is a strong military presence:

The military walking in formation through Tiananmen Square.

The military at the great wall.

Grocery stores were interesting:

Our first experience ordering Chinese food as a group. Much thought went into making sure the choices would be pleasing to everyone.

When SHARING a meal, many selections are available and placed on a lazy susan in the middle of the table. Yes, it is appropriate to take your chop sticks and "double dip," no one seems to mind and there was always enough for everyone. Some members of the group enjoyed Chinese food whenever available, some could not wait to visit a Fridays.

Of course, there is always McDonald's.

Vendors are found on the street offering fresh fruit.

On our way to the orphanage in Zhao Xian we found a restaurant that offered a bit of variety. When we entered the restaurant the employees, laying on rows of chairs, woke up to serve us lunch. It is most interesting that the entire meal is never brought at the same time. Ingredients keep appearing throughout the meal. This selection started with a pot of broth and we were able to add lamb, squid, vegetables and rice as we wished, creating our desired flavor. Rice is usually served last.

Peking Duck was a must! Many restaurants present you with a wash cloth before a meal. The servers do not expect or accept a tip.

By the end of the visit Sandi and Vicki are very happy with sticky rice, and stir fried green beans and broccoli.

Using a bathroom in China is an interesting experience. The more sophisticated restrooms have a male/female room to wash your hands and pick up toilet paper on the way in. Men to the left, women to the right. Some restrooms give you the choice of a "Western toilet" or a "squat pot" and you better have your own toilet paper. Other's have a "Western" toilet for the handicap. Some are very quaint with only a squat pot and you definitely need your Purell.

Our hotel bathroom facility and shower were one - interesting set up!

The count down clock for the Olympics!

With the Olympics approaching, 08/08/08 ,there is construction everywhere. Below you will find the Bird's Nest Stadium, a distant view of the aquatic center, and a hotel in the shape of a torch. The Olympics will be so much fun to watch!

Terra-Cotta Warriors

2008-05-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

The Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses were found on this farmer's land while digging for a well near the royal tomb in 1974. Archeologists immediately came to Xian to study the site. They established that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC).

At the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, began work for his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. The plan was that many buried treasures would accompany the emperor into his after life.

The detail is amazing!

Those that crafted the warriors knew that they would be buried alive to keep their creation a secret. This enclosed grave marks the spot of their burial.

We planned to visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors Tuesday. Through an unusual chain of events we met Mr. Wu early Monday morning and were able to tour this unbelieveable landmark before our return to Beijing due to the earthquake.

There will be an upcoming post of cultural differences, then a return to the real reason for the trip; THE CHILDREN.

Summer Palace

2008-05-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 11th, after saying goodbye to the group, Sandi, Vicki and David had an opportunity to visit the Summer Palace:

The beauty of the palace grounds is breathtaking.

The people, so warm, kind, and engaging. Always eager to take a picture with the foreigners.

A boat ride to more beauty.

We are reminded of mankind's creative ability and skill.

We are in awe of nature's beauty.

Helping our Friends

2008-05-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

So many new friendships were made in our visit to China. Now China struggles with a massive natural disaster. If you would like to provide direct assistance please see below:

After experiencing the earthquake last week, our hearts go out to the people of China. We have been in correspondence with David, an American student, in Beijing and one of our interpreters. In response to our questions regarding how we might help, David responded with:

"About helping with the earthquake situation. My local church here in Beijing has sent some people to Sichuan and they have reported that what the people need most is water. We're trying to raise the money to send three train cars of bottled water into the area.

In his correspondence with Bill, Bill reported:

I received an e-mail from our friend David, "whom has expressed a desire and willingness to coordinate the delivery of assistance to individuals in need following the untimely earthquake last week in China. The church fellowship of which David and I belong can and will receive and track funds to go to China to be of assistance. If you wish to assist, or know of anyone whom might, please have checks made payable to Beth Tikkun Messianic Fellowship. Please have the memo include “China Earthquake Assistance”. Checks may be sent to:"

Beth Tikkun Messianic Fellowship
P.O. Box 6150
Akron, Ohio 44312

Thank you Tim

2008-05-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to Tim. While the group was busy at work and play, Tim was often found capturing our experience in pictures and documenting the blog. Now it is his turn. He always has a smile on his face and is an unbelieveable resource when it comes to - well, almost anything.

Time to relax.

Time to shop for those adorable children and his amazing wife.

Off to Peking Duck -

One last picture before the majority of the group returns to the USA.

Perspective

2008-05-15T04:01:00.001-07:00

Click on the map to see a larger image. The quake epicenter is marked as well as the places we visited.

Earthquake - Kindness of Strangers

2008-05-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed spending time with our Spanish, English, Chinese, French speaking friends, George and Lorena.

We met Patrick from Euclid; he was gracious enough to e-mail our husbands and let them know we were safe.

Our money was spent on tickets since they would not take cards or US dollars. Our meal of the day consisted of Sandi's moon pies, one shared fruit and nut bar.

Trying to get tickets back to Beijing.

The employees at the hotel were unbelieveably helpful.

Cathryn was a customer service representative at the hotel located across the street. She gave us newspapers to sit on, shared with us in English the information she had, and was very attentive.

People begin to gather at the government square.

Outside of our hotel IN Xi'an, just after the earthquake. People were starting to gather.

We cannot prepare the blog as Tim did for us before, however will try to give a summary of our day, 5-12-08, in Xi'an. Pleae disregard the rush in which this is prepared, as we were able to exchange our tickets and will leave China today, Tuesday, 5-13-08.

Leaving the hotel in Beijing at 5:15am, landing in Xi'an and taking a taxi to the hotel, the driver, who was Chinese speaking only, called someone and handed Sandi his cell phone. The person on the phone explained that the driver could take us to see the Terra Cotta warriors for a much cheaper price than we could get at the hotel. It sounded risky but we've viewed this trip as an adventure and decided to accept. All seemed well until he pulled into an apartment-like area, then we thought things went awry. However, he was true to his word and took us to the Warriors. Mr. You met us and gave us a personal tour for about 2.5-3 hours.

We bought some things, and twice Vicki either decided against something she wanted to buy or changed her mind and paid by credit card after paying cash. These actions helped us to have the 2,400 yuan we needed to pay the airline tickets later. Mr. You asked if we wanted to stop for lunch, but we were tired and declined. Another decision that put us where we were when the earthquake hit. We got to the hotel, checked in and and went to our 9th floor room. We had only taken one suitcase between us, plus backpack and purse. Sandi set down the items but Vicki was still wearing her backpack. We went to the end of the room near the window to look out. At that time, we felt movement. Sandi asked Vicki "is the building shaking?" Vicki remembered something about having to be under a doorway, although we weren't sure what was happening. We went to the door, and people were leaving down the stairs. We decided to follow, but Sandi remembered to run back and get her passport/money bag. As momentum carried, she picked up everything on the chair including the gift she bought from Terra Cotta warriors store. By then, Vicki was at least a flight of stairs ahead, not realizing Sandi wasn't right behind. She was yelling back, but Sandi couldn't hear and due to the loss of voice, couldn't yell. Running down the stairs was exahusting and challenging. Dust from plaster coming off the walls was impeding our breathing to a slight degree. Someone passed Vicki and Sandi felt she was holding up those behind her who might have liked to pass. Many thoughts crossed our minds but we continued down to the first floor. There was a woman who helped Vicki along the way by directing her where to go. Sandi didn't see which way Vicki went on first floor, but eventually saw her in the lobby running ahead. The lobby was empty of hotel employees with the exception of the bellhop at the door motioning people to hurry.

All in the streets gravitated to the large square in front of the govt building, where confusion set in. We walked around looking for anyone who spoke English and found several, including lovely Cathryn, a hotel customer service girl who had only started her first job 3 months ago. Although concerned as well, she was endearing in her calmness. Sandi's cell phone still had one bar or power, but no service in the area.

After about an hour,we decided we needed to see what our hotel had to say. While walking back we saw what might have been a TV crew, thus Sandi tried to see if we could get televised so our families might be able to see us. We felt we knew we were okay but our families might be worried. We had decided we would not stay and try to make it back to Beijing, thus asked our hotel to go back to our room for our luggage. They were more than accommodating, even though they assured us that it was over and all was well. There is something about being on the 9th floor of an old hotel while it's shaking that led us to believe otherwise. We could not find a taxi, as two hotel workers stayed with us, so they offered their hotel van to transport us.

After a ride on very busy streets, we got to the airport only to find masses of people who were somewhat frantic. Vicki tried to get to the Air China desk to exchange our tickets but after 10 minutes of pushing and shoving, on top of the language barrier, we nixed that idea and went to info desk who sent us to the booking desk. They found a flight on Eastern airlines, so off to that desk. We were able to confirm two seats leaving at 8:45pm, only to find out they would not take a credit card or US dollars. We needed 2,400 yuan(about $175 each) and didn't feel we had it. Vicki then found a few extra yuans she had from a side stash for purchases for the FAC fundraiser, thus we came up with 2,433. We later found more as we dug through our bags. We were relieved to have had a ticket.

We met Patrick Wallen, who works for Lincoln Electric in Cleveland and was using his laptop when he overheard us stating that we needed to find someone who speaks English. We could not figure out how to use the pay phones or our calling cards, so he e-mail our husbands to let them know we were okay and on our way back. As noted above, we eat only the snacks we had on us, as we didn't want to spend any money, not being sure the money exchange deskk would be open when we landed in Beijing. Although very tired, we enjoyed the company of Gorka and his sister Lorena, who sat with us on the plane.

Once back in Beijing International Hotel, we then learned the devastataion of the earthquake, which we believe was about 200-300 miles from where we were. Throughout the day we had heard "4 people were killed", "about 100 people were killed", never imaging 9,000-10,000 were killed. We are so sad by this, as these people are not just "Chinese people" to us, they have become our friends. The kindness and generosity of the strangers this day is so heartwarming, we will never forget their actions. We hope to remember this when it is our trun to serve others in need.

We can't tell you how many times we prayed for ourselves and others, and how many times we felt God's guidance in the decisions we made. For one, we were glad this occurred to just the two of us and not our entire group (our friends will understand that one). And we were glad to have had each other throughout the day.

We don't want this piece of the blog to sidetrack the purpose of this trip. As a group of volunteers, we had one of the most unique opportunities imaginable. We got 'into'the culture of the Chinese as no tour group could have ever taken us. We met amazing people and felt the trip was exceedingly beyond our expectations. The focus is the children in need.

Finally, we thank God for allowing us to have this opportunity to open our minds and hearts to those who share this globe with us. And for the new friendships we found with Bill, Louie, Young Isaac, Tim, Art, Kathy, Karen, Elizabeth, Brett, David and Cai. We know our paths will cross again and hope to continue to serve as we are called.

This Is Why We Came

2008-05-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

We had such a short time to spend here, but we wanted to bring the gifts for the children. Seeing the gratitude in their faces, the joy like sunshine to the heart. The connections made here is what brings Louie, Bill and Isaac back. This will bring the rest of us back, too. Next time, we'll stay longer and do more.

Return to Beijing

2008-05-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

After our time working at Living Tree, we returned to Beijing Friday
morning. Karen and Kathy had a meeting to attend in Beijing. Art stayed
with Kathy and Karen. Bill, Louie, Vicki, Sandi, Elizabeth, Isaac, Brett
and I went on a 4 hour road trip south to Zhao Xian. There is another
orphanage there that Bill, Louie and Isaac had been to before. They did
some work for them last year. We didn't have time to do any work for
them this time, but we did have gifts to deliver. It was rainy most of
the way there. Louie continued being our driver all the way there.
We stopped along the way to eat at a hotpot style restaurant in
Shijiazhuang. As with all the restaurants we've been to here, the food
was plentiful and delicious. Hot pot style involves a ceramic pot of
broth and herbs brought to a boil on a stove in the table. Vegetables
and meat are added and cooked in the stew. In a little while, the
ingredients are ready to eat. as the pot gets low more broth vegetables
and meat are added.
A little while longer back on the road and we arrived in Zhao Xian. As
we drove into the courtyard of the orphanage we were greeted with cheers
from the staff and children. The children were even more excited when
gifts of shoes, baseball caps, toys and toothbrushes were presented.

New Friends in China

2008-05-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

Sandi compares the new chairs to the ones already used by Faith and Ben. Their brother Zuzu gets in the picture playing with a stick.

Sin Wha, Steve and Zuzu(I think that's short for Zuriel?).

Art and Sandi playing with Faith.

Tina and Louie talk with a good friend. I sorry I did not get his name. Perhaps, Louie or Bill will email me and then I can post it.

Catching Up

2008-05-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

For the last few days, much of our time was spent doing work for the Living Tree orphanage. As Vicki calls us, the Hard Hat group worked at the farm property, restoring electricity, building wheelchairs and building a kitchen. Pictured below: Me welding a ladder used to climb light poles, Bill cutting bricks to size, Isaac mixing mortar, Louie laying a brick base for new kitchen counters, Sandie using drill press on parts for wheelchairs, and Art and Sandi assembling wheelchairs. These are the projects the Hard Hats worked on until late Thursday.

Leaving Sweet Faces Behind

2008-05-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

A glimpse of 10,000 precious moments:

THE HARD HATS

2008-05-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

Bill takes a break to have an Oreo cookie break with Ling Wu.

Communicating with the language barrier was challenging when buying new kitchen cabinets. Louie and son, Isaac, finally convinced the store owner to sell the display as a typical purchase order requires a 7 day wait.

Art and Sandi constructed more than a dozen "Ben chairs" to provide mobility to special needs children.

Six team members worked on property that will eventually be utilized as an assessment, treatment, and support facility for families with special needs children. The team includes Tim, Bill, Art, Sandi, Louie, and Isaac.

Tuesday Work At The Property

2008-05-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Art, Sandi, Louie, Issac, Bill and I went got to work. Louie, Issac and Bill began building a kitchen. Art and Sandi assembled small wheel chairs that Steve had designed. I worked on restoring power to the back part of the property. Mid day we had a BBQ lunch. We had brown rice, watermelon and kabobs with lamb, green peppers and onions.

Again I am having trouble sending pictures to the blog. I may have to wait until we are back in Beijing for a better internet connection. Sorry for the delays in the blog. I should be able to catch up tomorrow. Please be patient.

Also, I have set up the blog so the other members of our group can add their side of the story. Especially from those who are working at Living Tree orphanage. Vicki has already begun posting.

THE NANNIES

2008-05-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

Five team members volunteered at the orphanage. Kathy, Karen, Brett, Vicki & Elizabeth.

Orphange employees and volunteers are off for a walk on a warm sunny day.

This area has been transformed from the country side to a bustling community in the past 4 years.

The Rural Property

2008-05-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the rural property and entered thru the main gate. The front group of buildings were behind a brick wall with a steel gate. We were greeted by a scrawny dog, one of several animals that live on this farm like compound. A couple donkeys, some sheep, chickens, another dog and a goose wander the grounds.
Steve showed us the workshop where he makes small inexpensive wheel chairs for children. He also showed us another walled group of buildings to the back of the property that he plans to convert into living quarters where guests can stay. His idea is to have a place where families with special needs children can come and meet other families and learn how to care for their children. He hopes to encourage people to keep their special needs children by showing them how to care for them.

Monday Afternoon

2008-05-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

Art, Sandi, Bill, Issac, Louie and I followed Steve to the rural property to begin our projects.

Forging New Friendships

2008-05-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

Twelve individuals came together with a heart for children. Meaningful, life changing connections have been made.

We are often stopped by the local people to pose for pictures; here we are at the Great Wall.

The orphange experiences are life changing, the children precious beyond words.

Hard work, late dinners and we are exhausted.

Living Tree Orphanage

2008-05-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

Living Tree Orphanage is located in an apartment complex utilizing a number of apartment suites to shelter and care for special needs children. We met with Ms. Tina and toured the facility. I am in awe of the care provided for the children and the resulting development of each child.

After our initial visit, we went to lunch at another fantastic local restaurant with Steve and his wife Sin Hwa. Steve and Sin Wha are the founders of Living Tree. Sin Wha works at the orphanage. Steve manages contracts and raises funds for Living Tree. Later, some of us will work at one of his projects, a rural property being developed as a permanent home for the children that serves as a retreat for families with special needs children. There they can meet with other children like them in an environment of caring.

After our lunch meeting we went to the Qili International Hotel and checked in. Then divided into two groups. Karen, Elizabeth, Kathy, Vicki and Brett went back to Living Tree to work with the children, assisting the caregivers. Louie, Issac, Bill, Art, Sandi and I Followed Steve to the rural property.

Pictures to be posted later.

On the road to Yanjiao

2008-05-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy couple of days. Now I have some catching up to do.
Monday morning we loaded up into our rental van and car. Louie driving
the van and Bill driving the car. I rode shotgun with Bill. Interesting
decor in the rental car. Bill quickly got the hang of driving in China.
As we left Beijing traffic got a little lighter. An hour or so later we
arrived in the Yanjiao Development zone. Louie lead the way to Living
Tree orphanage.

I'm having a little trouble loading pictures. It seems the internet connection here at the hotel Yanjiao is a bit slow. I'll add pictures when I find a better connection.

Road Trip to Great Wall in Badaling

2008-05-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Louie drives like he's Chinese. Fast and aggressive like everyone else on the road in China. After filling up the gas tank we are off to see the Great Wall in Badaling. Gas was $3.94/gal.

View the rest of these photos on www.flickr.com

Dinner at Japanese Restaurant in China

2008-05-03T17:00:00.001-07:00

After a full day of being tourists, we all had a feast at a Japanese restaurant next to the apartments.

Now that's a feast!

Ricshaw Ride thru the Hutong

2008-05-03T16:42:00.000-07:00

We stopped at a gate to home of a more affluent citizen. Tony explains the historical significance of the decoration of the entryway. The number of beam ends displayed at the top of the door show level of status in the community.

Lunch in the Hutong

2008-05-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

After our tour of the Forbidden Palace, Tony led us to the home of Mrs. Shen(I am spelling as it sound, I may be wrong) in the Hutong. Homes in the Hutong are historical design one story homes that have 4 or 5 rooms. Mrs. Shen is a great cook. Everyone enjoyed the feast she prepared for us. Don't worry, the grass hopper pictured below was not on the menu. He was a pet. They are sometimes used to battle each other. Sounds a lot like a pokemon, pocket monster. My son Bryan could appreciate that.

And even more at the Forbidden Palace

2008-05-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

Just posting smaller packets of photos to make for easier upload. Here's a nice collection of artifacts.

More Forbidden Palace

2008-05-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

It was so late, and I was so tired I decided to finish the Forbidden Palace pictures the next morning.

Forbidden Palace

2008-05-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

Marching with the rain soaked masses through the meridian gate we enter the Forbidden Palace.

Tony, our tour guide shares his knowledge of the history of the palace. Cai listens with the rest of us.

4 Star rated toilet. Wow.

A Rainy Day in Beijing

2008-05-03T05:37:00.000-07:00

The day started as just cloudy but the sky grew dark and rain began to pour. After acquiring umbrellas and rain ponchos we loaded into a taxi and our rental van to go to Tienamen Square to meet with Cai and Tony, to guide us on a tour of the forbidden palace. We were to meet by the Olympic count down clock by the Square. After crossing the square, we entered gate to the Forbidden Palace.

Breakfast

2008-05-03T05:32:00.000-07:00

We took a short walk around the corner to grab some breakfast at McDonalds. Egg McMuffins are a little dfferent. It's not on an english muffin, they use a regular bun. And the put ketchup and mayo on it.

Getting started

2008-05-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures to show different rooms around the apartment as we get ready to head out for the day.I get the best wifi signal from this room upstairs so I claimed it.

Louis, Brett and Bill discussing our plans for the day.

Elizabeth, Vicki and Karen at the door.

First night in China.

2008-05-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

Bill, Elizabeth, Art, Kathy and I arrived at Beijing airport at about 9:15pm local time. For those of you back home subtract 12 hours. But, The taxi off the vast expanse of runways took another 30 minutes. Then we wait in line at China Border Control.

We the met our translator Brett, after picking up luggage and changing some money to local currency. Brett drove us back to the Hui Yuan Apartments in a stick shift minivan. I don't think he made it past 3rd gear. He's a nice guy, though.

We met with Louis, Isaac and David in the 3 bedroom apartment ont the 14th floor we are renting. Art, Kathy and Kathleen met with Karen, Vicki and Sandi in another suite 3 floors down. While they crashed early, Louis, Bill, Isaac, Brett, David and I headed over to the Noodle Shop that is open late and had several awesome spicy dishes and some good local beer. Then back to the apartment to rest up for tomorrow.

T minus 3 Days

2008-04-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

I think the best way to begin this blog is with a map and the itinerary provided by Bill and a list of who's going.

Flights: Elizabeth A., Kathy L., Art L., Tim S., and Bill T. all flying into Beijing at 9:40 pm on the evening of Friday, May 2 (leaving the States on Thursday, May 1) on NORTHWEST.

Isaac K., Louie K., Sandi K., Vickie P., and Karen R. all flying into Beijing at 1:50 pm on the afternoon of Friday, May 2 (leaving the States on Thursday, May 1) on CONTINENTAL.

Thursday, May 1 – Leave for Beijing!
Friday, May 2 – Arrive in Beijing!
*Saturday, May 3 – Touring, shopping, great fellowship!
*Sunday, May 4 – More touring, shopping, and more great fellowship.
*We will have the privilege of sharing both days with Cai Xi Jing, friend to many of us and the liaison for FAC for families adopting children from the PRC. She is coordinating activities for us to enjoy both days. At this point I believe Saturday will be a tour of the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Hutong neighborhoods. I will check with Cai to see if we might enjoy lunch that day with a family living in the Hutong area. The price Cai had identified for the package will be approximately $35 per person for the entire tour. Sunday, Cai will be heading us out to the Great Wall outside of Beijing proper. I will ask her if we might visit the Badaling section since it is easier to walk then the other section I know several of you have been to. Following this, Cai will assist with some shopping in Beijing (she is wonderful at negotiating prices for anyone interested!. Popular areas to shop include the Pearl Market (Hong Qiao in the pinyin spelling) and the Silk Market. I will ask her if time allows to take us to Wangfujing Street, a special shopping street closed to vehicle traffic just outside of Tiananmen Square (perhaps we can visit there on Saturda since we will be in the area). Following shopping, Cai will join is all for dinner (I hope on Saturday as well) as we visit a nice restaurant outside of the Beijing International Hotel.
Monday, May 5 – Head to Zhao Xian in Hebai Province. Stay overnight at the orphanage.
Our visit to Zhao Xian is to visit an orphanage that Louie and I have worked at in the past. Louie and his son Isaac have had the privilege of working at this facility on two occasions. Our visit will be very special to all, as our plans are to leave our comfortable apartment that evening and spend the day and evening in Zhao Xian (we will have accommodations in the orphanage to sleep). During the day we will be able to visit with the children and workers and spend a part of the day shopping in the city for items to contribute for the children (such as clothes). These children are all unadoptable as they have identified family who are unable or unwilling to care for them. We will get a one bedroom apartment to keep our bags in that evening as we pack a travel bag for our overnight stay in Zhao Xian.
Tuesday, May 6 – Return to Beijing, Visit to the orphanage for our work during the week.
Okay, here is where the translation gets a little weak. From the communications with our contact in China (whose English is good but certainly a little rusty) the name of the community where the orphanage is located is a little hard to interpret. I did a little investigating with an atlas of the Beijing area and here is where I think we are heading (don’t worry…we really are heading to an orphanage to do some work with the children) is called Yanjiao. It is due east of Beijing and seems to be relatively close to the airport. The name of the orphanage director is Tina (English name). She is a former doctor who was inspired to quit the practice so that she could care for special needs children. There is much work to be done at the facility, with a lot of the work needed being helping the volunteers with the children. We also will identify during this first visit what facilities project(s) will need worked on.
Wednesday, May 7 – Work at the orphanage.
Thursday, May 8 – Work at the orphanage.
Friday, May 9 – Work at the orphanage.
Saturday, May 10 – Rest in Beijing, additional shopping, sight-seeing, in general getting ready for the trip back home.
Sunday, May 11 – Return flight home for all but Vicki and Sandi (we will indeed get you accommodations in Beijing for the last days of your trip).

Thanks Bill for providing the info for our first post.