Our Trip to Xuri Poor Aid School and Mama's Wish Students

Early, on April 29th, we left Xining to drove appx three hours to visit the Xuri Poor Aid School, where we sponsor ten orphaned boys. The school is located on the bank of the Yellow River and has four classrooms. All of the boys look healthy and happy, but they were all so shy! One in particular was so shy that he could not make himself smile or look at the camera for the longest time. After much cajoling, we were finally able to snap his photo and captured his beautiful smile, then tried to show him the photo. He was so shy that he would not look at his photo in the camera. His dream is to go to college and become a doctor one day.

The school has five teachers, including three Tibetans and two Chinese. The Chinese teachers teach English and Chinese, and the Tibetan teachers (lamas) teach Tibetan, math, chemistry, and physics. Unfortunately, they don’t have a science lab at the school so they are only able to study science books. I wish we could have visited the boys longer, but we had another long day ahead so after a few hours we had to leave in order to get to the Jian Zha County School.

We enjoyed more dusty roads coupled with breathtaking views on our way to Jian Zha County. What happened when we arrived is unlike anything I have ever experienced, and made for one of the most memorable days of my life. As we rounded the corner to cross the bridge over the Yellow River, we were met on the bridge by the community leaders and a few of the 40 girls that we sponsor in this school. There are three traditional greetings for friends who come from far way in the Tibetan culture. First, they gave us the hadas. Then, they offered us a special Tibetan sweet wine with gold flakes. As one after another approached us and offered the wine, Nicole and I pretended to sip because we saw just how many people were lined up to offer the drink to us! Finally, one of “our” girls sang to us. It was a traditional Tibetan song, but they had changed the words from “Mama’s Love” to “the love of Mama’s Wish.” Her voice was so clear and pure; it is beyond description.
Without a doubt she has the best voice I have ever heard in my life. Almost immediately I got goosebumps and began to cry. I had no idea what she was saying, but she had the voice of an angel and it was unlike anything I have ever heard before. I looked at Nicole and she also had tears streaming down her face. Then I looked at Jian Cuo, one of the Mama’s Wish teachers. He, too, had tears in his eyes and was trying to hide them with his camera and wiping them on his shirt. I wish so much that I could attach the sound of her voice and send it across the Internet. Even more, I wish everyone could come to hear her sing in person.

Still emotional from the warm greeting, we returned to our cars and drove on to the school. When we reached the school, we were met by all of the Mama’s Wish students and their families. One by one, each of the girls came up to us, bowed, and placed a hada around our necks. The girls were crying, saying in English, “nice to meet you,” “welcome to our school,” “thank you for coming,” etc. To finally look into their eyes after looking at their photos for so long was like greeting a family member I hadn’t seen in a long time.
Behind the students, were their family members. One by one we approached by a mother, or a grandfather, or an uncle, or a cousin, or sometimes someone from the girl’s village came to represent a family. These people with the most beautiful faces were so grateful.
Imagine looking into the eyes of an orphan’s elderly grandmother who knows that her beloved granddaughter has a chance for a good future now because of the help that she is receiving. Can you imagine the eyes looking back at you? Can you imagine the depth of feeling behind those eyes? It was all so beautiful and moving, and at the same time I wanted to be able to tell them not to thank me because I’ve done nothing – it is the sponsors who are making the difference in these girls’ lives. I’ve known all along that I was coming to China and visiting these schools on behalf of LWB, but in those moments I realized that I am also representing the sponsors. I was receiving so much love and gratitude which I did not deserve. How I wish I could bottle up those moments and send them home to the sponsors.

We continued on into the school, where a traditional Tibetan feast was waiting for us.
After lunch the officials left, and we got down to business – which means the fun part of meeting the students. Each girl was more beautiful than the last, and each one has ambition. Most want to go to college to become teachers or doctors, and a few want to be policewomen, writers and singers. The girls all looked so beautiful in their traditional dress.
One girl began to cry – she was so overwhelmed that her parents had walked such a long way to see her at school and to thank us – her father is blind and the journey must have been a difficult one for him. We also handed out new clothes and supplies to the orphans in the program, and it was so fun to see their eyes light up as they looked at their new clothes, backpacks, toothbrushes, and soap.

I did not want to leave this school and these children. They are inspiring, humbling, funny, brilliant, gorgeous girls and I hope that each and every one of them is able to reach all of their goals and make their dreams come true. Of the 40 students that we sponsor, only one was out of school that day because she was sick. We were told that she was very upset and wanted to come to school anyway, but she was just too sick to come.

Each day I have thought that there is no possible way that this trip can get any better. Tomorrow we shall see!

Angela Taylor
Love Without Boundaries

The Today Show!

Well the day finally arrived. Can you say NERVOUS? I think this is the category that everyone fit in except the star – Gong Lu.

The morning started out with a drive to the studio. We all fit into a SUV and had a great driver. Unfortunately we were stuck in traffic for a while, but we were really early, so it didn’t matter. There was a big truck stuck in the intersection a block down and no cars could move. We must have just sat for about 10 minutes. We kept asking the driver if we could just walk and he said “No No” he would take us there. Imagine our surprise when the driver pulls up 4 car lengths, pulls over and lets us out. We are all laughing.

From there we were led in a back entrance and up some stairs to the “Green Room”. The Green Room actually had no green at all, but just nice white walls and couches. On the wall were huge posters of all the morning televisions stars. There were plates of vegetables, fruits and muffins. I am wondering who actually eats it, because everyone sitting in that room was nervous. Well, I forgot, Gong Lu had a nice snack. :) We all were called individually into the hair and make-up room for a touch up. Gong Lu, with her natural beauty, required nothing. While we were sitting and waiting, Hoda Kotb came in and sat down with us for a while. She was so sweet and was so interested in Gong Lu.

Soon, we were told it was time, so we were led downstairs to the studio. They were filming outside, so we they put our mikes on and led to our seats. I was in awe of the HUGE posters they had of Gong Lu behind the chairs. Gong Lu just stared at her pictures and was talking animatedly about them. She loved seeing herself! We had a little time to meet Katie Couric and for her to let us know what she was going to do. She is SO nice! Just as sweet in person as she seems. Gong Lu worked her charms on Katie too and soon we were rearranging seats so that Gong Lu could sit on Katie’s lap.

When it was our turn to talk it seemed like it went so fast. I just loved the faces that Gong Lu made as Katie was tickling her chin – it was priceless. After it was over, Katie stayed around and took pictures with all of us. Did I say how genuinely nice she was?

We waited outside the studio and met a few more people. A few of the other producers came down to say how much they loved the story and how everyone was crying. There was a lovely producer named Celia, who is Chinese, who came over to meet Gong Lu and Ms. Xu. They had a wonderful conversation in Chinese. Celia left soon after to take Gong Lu and Ms. Xu out to get something for breakfast – they were so hungry.

I had one mission for the day – to have Katie and Matt sign a Love’s Journey book for the Art Auction. Katie promised me she would; now we just had to find Matt. After they closed the show at 9:00 outside, they stayed to greet all of the people who came to see them. Matt came in first and was very happy to sign the book and take his picture with Gong Lu. While we were waiting, many people stopped to hear Gong Lu’s story and meet her – she was the star! After greeting people outside, Katie came returned to say good-bye to us. She also signed the book I brought and then I gave her a copy of Love’s Journey as a gift from Love Without Boundaries.

After all of our goodbyes, it was then back to the hotel to pack up, check out, and then off to the airport. As we got out of the van at the airport, a family immediately recognized the star – Gong Lu and took their pictures with her! I got to spend a little more time with them in the airport, but soon they were off to Austin, TX to another reunion planned by families who have adopted from Ms. Xu’s orphanage. Ms. Xu who only 3 weeks ago had never flown on a plane, now is a veteran flyer. I truly hope that she goes home with fond memories of her trip to America.

As I answered the phone and emails today from all of the people who were so touched by Gong Lu, I am so taken by the fact that so many people are considering Special Needs adoption because of this sweet child. She is truly an ambassador in so many different ways, but she has now helped to change the lives of so many more children. Gong Lu is a precious child, but there are so many others precious children waiting to be discovered too.

Gong Lu is in New York!

We arrived last night – Ms. Xu, Gong Lu, Linda (a translator) and me. We met at the hotel right after check-in and we were off on an adventure to find dinner. After grabbing a map, it was off to find the subway (by the way, none of us had ever been to New York before). With some help from some very friendly New Yorkers, we made our way to Chinatown. I can’t even begin to describe the look on Ms. Xu’s face when she started walking down the street, there was a huge grin – it reminded her so much of home! She was so animated and talking so fast. We soon came upon a restaurant that she like – 5 items for $4.00 and she said the food tasted like home (at China prices too). We had a great meal! Gong Lu, always the charmer, was busily chatting to everyone – she even gave us a little dance to the Chinese music playing in the restaurant.

This morning, we had a very elegant breakfast and once again, Gong Lu had us talking with many of the tables around – she is so social. Soon after breakfast, Dorie from NBC picked us up with a television crew. They were set to tape from the minute Gong Lu walked out of the hotel. Gong Lu is so used to the camera, she is quite the ham!

Our first stop was the Statue of Liberty. Because we had the film crew and were part of the Today Show, they had special passes that allowed us to get in front over everyone else. I felt so incredibly guilty – the line was blocks long and we just marched to the front. The film crew went on first and again taped Gong Lu strolling onto the boat. Our boat ride to the statue was filled with all kinds of animation – at the other boats, the birds, and the wake the boat was making. Everything is so new for her; it is just so fun to share in her excitement in everything. Because of the way we docked, the statue was on the other side of the boat. As we walked to the other side of the boat to see the Statue of Liberty, Gong Lu who was ahead of us started screaming “Ayi, ayi ayi”. She was SO excited and couldn’t wait to share her excitement with Ms. Xu. She was in awe of how large the statue is (as we all were).

We strolled around the statue and met up with the park ranger who was to be our guide. She made Gong Lu a Junior Park Ranger and took her hand to lead us on our tour. It was so much to learn so much about the construction of the statue – our guide was so wonderful! After our tour, she crowned Gong Lu with her own liberty hat. Gong Lu is just so much fun to tour with because her excitement is so infectious. I think that this was her favorite part of the day.

On the return boat ride, she sat with Dorie and me on a bench and showed us how she could use the cameras on our cell phones. I was floored! I was thinking I was so smart by turning off my cell phone and handing it to her. I thought that she would use it to just pretend to talk. The next thing I know, she is taking a picture. Again, I was thinking she was just pretending. Imagine my surprise when she turned my phone around and there was a picture there! This child, turned my phone on, turned the camera on and knew how to take a picture. Next, she showed Dorie how to use her phone’s camera too. Our phones are two different brands and the buttons were in different places, how she figured this out was beyond either of us. This kept her busy for almost the whole return ride. We lots of close ups!

Our next stop was lunch. We decided for convenience and comfort of Ms. Xu and Gong Lu to go to Chinatown again. The Hop Kee restaurant was suggested to us by our driver. Ms. Xu had a Chinese version of a menu to order from and soon our table was filled with many great choices. I think she and Gong Lu really enjoyed their lunch – Gong Lu ate 4 helpings of a fish soup that was their specialty. Again, traveling with a celebrity, Gong Lu had everyone talking. When the restaurant owner heard why we were there – he wanted pictures of Dorie and Gong Lu to put on his famous wall with Bill Cosby and Conan O’Brien – Dorie worked for NBC Today Show and that was good enough for him! Gong Lu was quite the ham as always.

After lunch, we went to Ground Zero. There is nothing I can say – it was so unbelievable. I focused on the cross of scaffolding that was left that they have now mounted and prayed for all the families and loved ones lost.

The last stop on our scheduled tour was the Empire State Building. Because of the TV crew, we once again had our own escort and private tour. The head of security, a tall man and a retired police officer, was our guide. Gong Lu was really taken by his authority and how he told people what to do. She was quite animated telling him that he was just like Ms. Xu who was in charge of her orphanage. Hand-in-hand, they lead our tour. It amazed me how quickly she had this big man wrapped around her finger – another person in love with this sweet little girl. What beautiful views we had of the whole sky line. Gong Lu chatted and chatted about what she saw.

Once we were done with our tour, we dropped Dorie off at the NBC building so that she could edit the last tapes into tomorrow’s show and we went to see the bull on Wall Street. After quick pictures, we went back to our hotel. Ms. Xu, Gong Lu, and I decided to take a walking tour of Central Park located right across the street from our hotel. What a beautiful park. Without a translator, Ms. Xu and I communicated with my limited Chinese language and gesturing. We were able to go see the beautiful flowers she showed me by picture that she wanted to see. Tulips and azaleas were in full bloom and we had a wonderful stroll, taking many pictures along the way. Unfortunately, we were too late for the carousel that I hoped to take Gong Lu on, but it was a beautiful walk.

I settled Ms. Xu and Gong Lu into the hotel. Ms. Xu wanted to get Gong Lu something to eat and tucked in for an early night. Dr. Buckmiller and her husband arrived this evening and I was able to visit with her for a while tonight. She is the most incredible surgeon and such a kind person, I feel like she is an old friend.


The show should be on around 8:40 according to Dorie and Katie Couric will be our interviewer. Before the live segment, there will be a 4-5 minute segment taped in Arkansas and from today’s tour. I know that Gong Lu will steal the show and everyone will see the lovely child we all do.

Karen Maunu

New Gong Lu Pictures!


What a difference the surgery has made in for Gong Lu! She is still healing, but we just love to see the wonderful changes taking place!

Back to the Doctor

Her swelling has greatly reduced but it will take weeks maybe even months to completely go down. Her skin is still bruised and that will take awhile to return to normal color as well. Dr. Buckmiller thinks one more cosmetic surgery and some laser is all that will be needed. The hope is to either bring her back to Children’s (our hope) or for Dr. Buckmiller to treat her when she is over there in October. Gong Lu got her drain out and soldiered through it without a whimper.

This morning she sat on my lap and we looked at the blog on the computer. As we went through the pictures—you could see she was so interested in her old face and the change. As we looked at each picture—before and after—I taught her to say “beautiful girl, beautiful girl”. After awhile every time her picture came up, she’d say beautiful girl. It was a lovely sound as she truly is beautiful from the inside out.



Lisa

Weekend after Surgery


Gong Lu is even perkier today than yesterday. She would so much like to smile but the bandages and swelling get in the way. The swelling is going down more and more each day.


After dinner, Gong Lu opened presents that have been sent by so many caring families. She shared her toys with everyone giving each of us a gift. We all thanked her so much. Later I gathered up her new toys, clothes, dolls and other presents and I slipped the toys of hers that she shared back in with her things. At bedtime, we took everything down to the room she shares with Ms. Xu. A little while later, I went by the room and she and Ms. Xu were sitting happily on the floor playing with all the toys.

On Sunday afternoon, Gong Lu went to an Easter Egg hunt sponsored by the Chinese community. Gong Lu soon got the hang of finding eggs and the treats inside. Everyone was so impressed with her new look even with the stitches and the drain tube.

Gong Lu is Discharged!

Yesterday morning, there was no oversleeping. After the morning before, I woke up at 4 am J. Ms. Xu had asked me to be at the hospital at 7 am. Gong Lu, after sleeping much of the surgery day, had woke up at 1am and 4 am and was “chatty”. I was happy to see she was feeling better.


She had master ed the smiley face pain chart, but was really feeling good. I was amazed at how little pain she was in. In order for her to be discharged, we had to push to fluids. She ate a nice breakfast and was such a good girl. Her face was quite puffy and she had one eye swollen shut when she awoke. After a while of being awake and sitting more upright, the swelling started to go down and she was able to open her eye. All of this was totally normal for the type of surgery she had just been through. She was discharged late morning with an Ark ansas Children’s Hospital t-shirt and a wagon ride to the front door.



Before we left the hospital, I was able to run upstairs and visit with the doctors and medical staff. After spending a week with all of these people in China in September, they seem like old friends. It was so much fun spending time with them again - they are all so kind and caring. I will miss them all!!



What can I say, she is truly beautiful. She was adorable with her old nose. In fact I didn’t even notice her old nose; you see beyond that immediately after spending time with her. I look at the old pictures and even with the swelling there is a remarkable difference in this little girl. But the bigger question is what does she think? If the amount of time that she has spent looking in the mirror is any indication – she is mesmerized by her appearance. We all keep telling her she has a beautiful nose and she keeps staring and staring at herself.



I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon and evening playing and holding her at the foster family’s house. She just wanted to sit and be held. The active, bubbly little girl was gone today - understandably. I loved being able to cuddle with her. She was so cute as we were looking at books, we came across one of the toddler books with a mirror – she kept turning back to that page to just gaze at her face.



While sitting around, I had fun trying to communicating with Ms. Xu. I have a very limited Chinese vocabulary as she does with English. But we both started trying to teach each other our languages – what fun!! She is such a sweet lady and is so good with Gong Lu. It was actually amazing that we were able to understand each other. I really enjoyed my day with them!



There have been some wonderful cards and packages that have arrived for Gong Lu. Yesterday, she received some beautiful cards. Gong Lu loved looking at every one of them. In addition, she received an adora ble pair of Strawberry Shortcake light-up tennis shoes. She loved them and wouldn’t let them out of her sight. Those shoes were right next to her bed as she went to sleep.



I had the pleasure of helping to get Gong Lu ready for bed, getting her comfortable, and then tucking her in. She was very tired and I hope had a good night’s sleep – Ms. Xu needs one too. As I left the room and gave her a kiss and told her I would see her again soon in New York – I am so excited that I get to see her when she is healed. Tears came to my eyes as I looked again at this miracle. Someone will truly be blessed to have this child as their daughter.



I also thought, as I droved back to my hotel room for the last time, about all of the other children that we have been able to touch and what a gift each one of these children is.



Thank you for helping to make this child’s dream come true.

Sincerely,

Karen Maunu

Surgery Day!

I arrived in Little Rock yesterday after lunch and immediately got to go over to the foster parents' home to meet Gong Lu. I have been thinking about her ever since that meeting. I was trying to think about the exact right words to describe her spirit, but then I decided it would be like trying to describe a sunset with only simple words or trying to describe standing on the shore of an ocean. You just have to BE THERE to fully understand the depth of it, and so nothing I could ever write would do justice to this little girl who can capture your heart within minutes.

I quickly learned that she is a master bike rider who does NOT want to follow the helmet safety rules despite everyone's insistence :-), that she can shoot hoops like a pro (she was three for three when she was playing with me), and that the smallest of things bring the hugest of giggles. We had brought her some very small presents, and one of them was a bubble necklace that she immediately wanted to try. When the first burst of bubbles came out of the wand, she clapped her hands with glee and her smile just lit up her face. Within two minutes she was a bubble blowing pro, and then quickly mastered blowing bubbles and then CATCHING them on the wand.

While the Today Show interviewed the extremely kind foster family, I took Gong Lu and the rest of the kids downstairs to the playroom, and for the next hour we had an absolute blast getting to know each other. Earlier in the day, she had announced to everyone that her dreams for the future included getting "this thing" off her nose, finding a family, growing up, getting married, and definitely becoming a doctor who could heal other kids. Well, Lu found a pretend doctor's kit on a shelf and proceeded to show me that she knows every single thing a doctor does. She insisted I lay down on the floor and then she took my blood pressure, checked my heart, and even gave me a shot. After each check, she would say "hao de, hao de", (good, good) like she was very impressed with the results. :-) Next it was the two year old's turn, and she got a long pre-exam explanation all in Chinese, and I assumed Lu was telling her "this won't hurt a bit". Her second patient also got a clean bill of health. We then began playing a rousing game of hide and seek, made all the more funny by the fact that Lu chose the same place to hide each time and was giggling so loudly that she quickly gave away her location. At one point, she accidentally closed her finger in the closet door, and she tried very hard to be brave while a dark blister began forming on her pinky. Without thinking, I kissed her pinky and she gave me a look like she had never seen that done before, but she decided it wasn't so bad, so for the rest of the night, every time I saw her she presented her pinky to me for a "get well" kiss.

The funniest part of the day was when we took a walk on the beautiful golf course behind their house. It was evening and so I didn't think anyone would be out golfing. We walked down to a cool stream and she learned how to throw stones in the water, and then we were coming back on the fairway when someone yelled "FORE!". The ball came flying right in front of all of the kids, and suddenly I saw Lu go running out to grab the ball, and then she took off running down the course! The golfer was yelling "Stop! Stop!" and I was laughing so hard as I took off after her. She did NOT want to give up that nice ball that someone so conveniently had hit her way. She definitely improved their lie! :-)

The foster parents had a wonderful dinner for many of the people who had helped make Lu's visit to the US possible, and all too soon it was time for her to go to bed. She had a very big day coming, and had to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m.

The next morning (after the alarms Karen and I set did NOT go off...oops), we hurried to the hospital within minutes of waking up. We got there just as they were taking Lu's blood, and she was so very sad. After it was over, I walked over to the bed to rub her leg and she must have recognized me as the "pinky lady", because she held up her arm where they had drawn the blood for me to kiss. Isn't it amazing how that works with kids? :-)

One of the wonderful things about Lu's surgery was that the anesthesiologists from the cleft mission had found out about Lu being helped by LWB and so they signed up to do her anesthesia. One of the cleft team nurses was there as well. So it was such a happy reunion in the hallway before surgery, and we all got goosebumps thinking how this whole story had unfolded and brought us all together once again. I knew Lu was in the absolute BEST of hands.

Karen and I were allowed to gown up and go into the OR to watch the entire surgery. We were so very grateful to be able to have this opportunity to be there, and it was nothing short of miraculous to watch Dr. Buckmiller's incredible skills as she removed the tumor. It took her almost two hours to fully release it, and then several more to sculpt and create a new nose for Gong Lu. Dr. Buckmiller not only has a heart of gold and is a wonderful person and doctor, but she is also an artist, as we watched her meticulous methods to get Lu's nose as close to perfect as possible. After over 5 hours in the OR, we all stood around Lu and many of us were crying at her beautiful new face, that now matched the beauty of her spirit. I know we say it over and over, but every child we can touch IS a complete blessing......and as I stood by the operating table and stared at Lu's new nose, I was filled with such an incredible feeling of happiness and joy that this little girl was given this opportunity. I have no doubt that Gong Lu is destined for great things.

When we went up to her room after recovery, she was sound asleep and looked so peaceful. What a momentous day for such a wonderful little girl. She had waited five years for a new nose, and I am so thankful to every single person who helped make her wish come true.

Amy Eldridge

Surgery Day Advent for Gong Lu

We had a wonderful full day with lots of excitement, play, and busyness. Hopefully, it kept us all from worrying about tomorrow’s operation.

The Today Show filmed Gong Lu most of the day. She made lots of new friends and all had presents or encouraging words for her. She loved playing with bubbles, riding bikes, playing basketball, and playing to the camera.


We had a potluck party this evening as a thank you to some of the people w ho have helped Gong Lu. It was supposed to be a small get together. So many people have helped her that it was big crowd. If we included everyone that has helped Gong Lu from all over the world, we’d have to hold it in Madison Square Garden practically. So many people have advocated for her, prayed for her, assisted in her travel, sent her gifts, and more.



The nurse anesthetist came this evening and played with her for quite awhile. When she goes into surgery tomorrow, she will know him and Dr. Buckmiller so she will feel secure.

Director Xu is understandably nervous about tomorrow’s operation. Her concern is for Gong Lu and her safety. The doctors and nurses have reassured her as best they can. She cares a great deal for Gong Lu and is a wonderful caregiver for her.

The operation will start at 7:30 a.m. and should last about 4 hours. We have to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. for bloodwork and paperwork. She will stay in the hospital one night and come home on Thursday.

I know many people will be thinking of her and praying for her during those crucial hours.

I’ll try to get an update out somehow tomorrow from the hospital. I know everyone will want the latest news.

Lisa

Pre-Op Day for Gong Lu

We had a wonderful morning at Children’s hospital. Dr. Buckmiller did an extensive exam and then said the operation is a go for Wednesday. She said it would be challenging but not life threatening. Dr. Buckmiller will do her best to remove all of the growth and begin reconstructive surgery. She gave a very hopeful prognosis. Gong Lu was a very good patient. Director Xu was appropriately concerned about the safety of the operation and the outcome. Gong Lu asked about if it would be painful. The folks at Children’s did a good job of reassuring them both. The operation will take about four hours and she will only stay in the hospital one night. Gong Lu is in good hands.

The Today Show crew was there to film the comings and goings at Children’s. I have heard that a segment will air about Gong Lu on Wednesday. I don’t know if that is correct but you might want to get ready to tape just in case. Gong Lu is ready to be a TV star and is not at all afraid of the camera.

We went shopping today at the local mall for a little while—literally everything we looked at was Made in China. Ms. Xu brought Jim and I some beautiful hand stitched items from China. I also think she is experiencing sticker shock at prices.


Lisa

Gong Lu and Ms Xu in Little Rock!

Gong Lu and Ms. Xu made it in Little Rock!!! YEAH!!

Their plane landed 30 minutes late, due to a missing flight attendant in Chicago. I do have to mention one very special person in this whole story yesterday and his name is Ron. He is the Deputy Director at the airport in Little Rock. It was because of him that everything went so smoothly in Chicago and also last night in Little Rock. He was another of yesterday’s heroes! Ron, along with the host family, Lisa and Jim, their friend Jamie, and Vivian, a translator, were all waiting for them as they came off the plane. Not only was this group waiting for them, but because so many people from the airport and American Airlines were involved, they ended up with quite a welcoming group waiting for them. Soon after this greeting, they were met by the TV crews from the Today show and Tom, from Arkansas Children’s hospital – what a wonderful welcome them had!!

Gong Lu and Ms. Xu were greeted with signs and balloons. Gong Lu LOVED the balloons and had so much fun playing with them. One of my favorite parts of last night’s story was at the end of the night, as they were all getting ready to leave, Gong Lu handed the balloons back to the person who had given them to her. She thanked them very much for letting her play with them. This sweet little girl didn’t realize that these were a present to her. When she learned that she could keep the balloons, she wanted to save a balloon for each of the three host family children. What a kind and giving little girl she is!

In addition, I think that Gong Lu has a calling in TV. She was not at all fazed by the cameras and just went on charming everyone. When asked what she most wanted to do in America, she said “Find a really good place to play!” I am sure that can be arranged!

Gong Lu continued to chat with everyone asking lots of questions – she is a very inquisitive child! She is very curious about her surgery and seems to understand that something big is soon going to happen. As they loaded her into the car to take her home, Gong Lu informed Lisa that she gets carsick J. Luckily, they had a smooth ride and no incidents!

After a bowl of congee, it was off to bed for Gong Lu. They are currently still asleep, but lunch will soon be delivered by a Chinese family. Lisa told me she was going to start making some noise so they can try to adjust to the change in time. After lunch, it will be off to grocery shopping for some goodies at the nearby Chinese grocery store.

Thank you all – every one of you – you have all played a major role in this story. Whether you made a donation, are keeping them in your thoughts and prayers, or have helped in some way to get them here, we couldn’t have done it without you!

THANK YOU!
Karen

Gong Lu in Chicago

There are times that I get so overwhelmed by the generosity of people and today was one of those days.

We have been so worried about Ms. Xu and Gong Lu – on the LONG plane ride, because Gong Lu get’s carsick (how would she handle the plane ride), not speaking the language and having to navigate customs, and because Ms. Xu has never flown on any airplane ever before. She was so nervous about this trip and what would happen – she was worried about the bathrooms on the plane, about customs, and about the food. I can only imagine what this trip, out of the safety of her town, would be like.

We have had some VERY kind souls who have helped to make Ms. Xu’s trip a trip to remember forever. First, it all starts with the travel department at a company named Autodesk. This company has spent hours making reservations for their travel – in addition to pooling their money to buy one of the international tickets. They also arranged for security passes for at least one person to accompany them to their AA gate (but put a request in for the whole group that was greeting them) and tried to get an escort to walk them through customs. Just last night, we found out that the escort wasn’t going to work, because the escort service is meant for small children traveling alone.

When we found out there would possibly be no one to escort them in Chicago, Lisa, the foster mother in Little Rock, started making some phone calls. She has a friend who is in the security department at the Little Rock airport. There are some great connections between the Little Rock airport and the Chicago airport, because this afternoon, Lisa’s friend had confirmed that there would be a bilingual person accompanying them all the way through customs. In addition, because of thunderstorms in Little Rock this evening, Lisa’s friend was continually updating them on the weather conditions, just in case their flight was diverted (which we also started thinking of contingency plans for every city they could possibly land at if they were diverted :).

Back to Chicago, the greeters starting gathering. Earlier this afternoon, a mom, Patricia, of a little girl who was just adopted from Gong Lu’s orphanage last summer, drove from Milwaukee to Chicago (with her 18 month old). This drive is an hour and a half one way. As she left, she knew there was a possibility, because the flight was 2 hours late, that she might only see Ms. Xu and Gong Lu for a few minutes. That didn’t seem to bother her; she just wanted to see them!

Michael, a father of another little girl from Gong Lu’s orphanage arrived at the airport an hour before the flight arrived, just in case it got in early, he wanted to be prepared. The security at the airport allowed him through the first layer of security, not all the way back to the customs area, but right outside. He was able to greet Ms. Xu and Gong Lu as soon as they cleared customs. Michael said it was so cute, because Gong Lu came out holding their escort’s hand. The escort noticed that their bags should have been rechecked and instead of making them do it, took the bags and told them that she would walk them over to American Airlines for them. Michael said they both seemed very relaxed and bright-eyed – remarkable after that long flight and jet-lag.

In the meantime, Michael’s wife, Diane, their two girls, and Patricia and her little girl, went to a nearby Chinese restaurant for a quick dinner. While there were there, they grabbed some take-out (something spicy, because they knew that Ms. Xu loved spicy food) and also took with them someone who agreed to help translate (Michael had arranged this the day before). This second group made it to the airport just in time as Michael, Gong Lu, and Ms. Xu came out of the International terminal.

They then traveled over the collect the boarding passes and the security passes at the American Airlines desk. At this point, they thought that only two people (Michael and the translator) would be able to go on. Amazingly, ALL 7 PEOPLE were allowed through security – not only that --- they were escorted to the Admiral’s Club!!! There they took pictures, ate the food the group brought and sat and visited. Patricia had brought an international calling card with her, so Ms. Xu could call home and let everyone know she was safe and sound.

Michael told me that Gong Lu just charmed the socks off of everyone. She has such a fun outgoing personality. How fun for him to be able to see this little girl that he first saw 2 ½ years ago when she was an inquisitive toddler. He told me that he vividly remembers this little girl – she was so curious and bright.

Not long after they had a chance to rest and relax, their flight was called to board. American Airlines personal came and escorted them on the plane first! So as I write, they are probably above Missouri somewhere, soon to land in the new home for a month, Little Rock. At the Little Rock airport, they will be greeted by their new foster family – Lisa and Jim, and friend of theirs through the local FCC – Jamie, and a translator. They have made a sign and have balloons ready to meet them. The also got security passes to meet them at the gate. After this quiet meeting, they will meet the television crew from the Today show who will be there to film their arrival.

Michael and his wife took some pictures at the airport that I will be soon sending out – what a night!

I can’t even begin to think of all the wonderful people that made this flow so smoothly and made this a day to remember for Gong Lu and Ms. Xu. As I thought of each and everyone one of these people I was overwhelmed by SO much kindness.

Every one of these people deserves a HUGE THANK YOU for reaching out and touching this little girl and making a difference in her life!!!

With gratefulness,

Karen

The Story of Gong Lu

The sequence of events for this has been amazing, and shows that love TRULY knows no boundaries between countries.

In September of 2005, Love Without Boundaries sent a cleft mission team to China to operate on 106 orphans and rural children with cleft lip. Dr. Lisa Buckmiller traveled with us on that trip to repair cleft lips and changed SO many lives. Dr. Buckmiller is also one of the world's foremost experts on hemangiomas, and a mom who followed our online blog contacted Dr. Buckmiller to see if she could possibly help Gong Lu, a little girl she had met when she adopted her own daughter from Gong Lu’s orphanage. LWB then made arrangements for the little girl to have an MRI in China, and once Dr. Buckmiller said she was operable, we arranged for her to get a medical visa to come to the US. Arkansas Children's generously agreed to waive all fees for her treatment. Without their kindness, none of this could happen.

To say that this child has been lifted up and surrounded with love is an understatement.

We have the families around the US who have adopted from Gong Lu’s orphanage. They are so excited she is coming and all of them want to see her and the director while she is here. Everyone who has met this child in China came home loving their new baby but remembering this little five year old who greeted them with such kindness in her orphanage in China. They ALL want to see her healed and then hopefully adopted.

We have the Little Rock FCC group (Families with Children from China). They are donating toys, clothing, arranging meals, and organizing donations for the orphanage. A family within this organization with no connection to this orphanage, but with three children from China agreed to open their home to the orphanage director and Ms. Xu. Having their whole life changed for this time. The foster family has been fabulous!

We have the Chinese American community of Little Rock, who are anticipating their arrival and who have agreed to provide Chinese meals and interpreters while they are here so they won't miss the food they are used to and they will be able to communicate at all times. They have even bought the orphanage director a local cell phone and given her a list of phone numbers so she can always call someone at all times.

We have the orphanage director, who was in a car accident recently and who still doesn't feel well, but who agreed to come to the US with Gong Lu for a month because she loves this child and wants her to be healed. This woman writes personal letters to the families who have adopted from her orphanage to keep in touch with them. She has been invited by the families to visit them in their homes around the country but she said she cannot leave to do that until she knows Gong Lu is doing well and only if Gong Lu is comfortable with the foster family and agrees that she can leave. Otherwise she said she must stay by Gong Lu's side.

We have the employees of a company in San Francisco called Autodesk, who have donated frequent flier miles and funds to get Gong Lu to the states. The workers there have Gong Lu's photo on their desks and everyone is counting down until she arrives.

We have Chinese adoptive families from all of ever the US sending donations, packages and cards to Gong Lu and the foster family. We even had a 12 year old girl adopted from Gong Lu’s province that raised almost $1000 from her birthday party.

The excitement and JOY surrounding the University of Arkansas' invitation for this child to get medical treatment is palpable. The day Gong Lu was granted a medical visa in China to come to the US, our facilitator in China

took them out to celebrate. Before leaving to travel to the US, the local officials in Gong Lu’s town threw her a party and hung a huge banner outside the Social Welfare Institute wishing her well.

This is truly a story of the Chinese adoptive community rallying around one special little girl who watched baby after baby leave before her. And now it is HER TURN to have a chance at being healed and then adopted. We are so thankful to everyone who is making this possible.

I tell people all the time that I will never believe the world is "going downhill" as many say. Every day of my life I get to see the kindness of others. I get to see people rally around children who need surgery and raise the needed funds. I get to see doctors and nurses and volunteers sign up to pay their own way to China to heal kids (we are all volunteers and no one gets paid or get travel expenses). This world is filled with the kindest people ever....and Gong Lu's story is the perfect example to me of people realizing that love is colorblind and that ALL children deserve a chance.