Bringing Hannah Home

Travel to Tianjin

I apologize that I did not get anything written and posted yesterday. We traveled to Beijing to church services which were held in a very large building downtown, you could not get inside without a passport, services were held on 3 different levels, lower level is where we had to go for English speaking, the service was very good, not like home but very good, over 300 in our service, I do not know how many in the others, looked like it all could hold about 2000. I had to take a picture of the Chinese toilet…you will see. It takes great skill to master one of these which I sadly have not found that skill in myself yet.

After service our driver “CU” took us to the “Pearl Market” it is 7 stories tall, has thousands of shops in it. Everything from watches, pearls, all kinds of electronics, clothing of every kind, luggage, purses shoes, jade, onyx, silks, rugs, the list goes on and on, we only had 1 ½ hr and I only got to see 3 floors. Lots of people grabbing you and calling to you and trying to sell, you HAVE to barter, you NEVER pay the asking price, I was VERY good at this, ask my husband who is “the LAST OF THE BIG SPENDERS”….anyway I really enjoyed this.

Then back to the compound get our suitcases, lock the rooms, We had to leave half of our things here due to fact the next plane ride only allows 1 suitcase each and only 45 lbs. Then back in van with Cu and on to Tianjin which is 1 ½ hr ride, I am finding that everything is 1 ½ hr ride no matter where you go.

The ride is great; we see a lot of the country, lots of farms and shepherds with sheep. Many many people working on the farms but no houses close by. Cu explains that the farmers do not live where they farm, but travel a little while to do this. There is so much beauty in this country; I can scarcely take it all in. The people are all beautiful, such character in their faces smiles and waves.

We start to get close to Tianjin and the population increases greatly, I thought that we were going to a small town, it has about 200,000 people and I think they are all on the road, half on bicycles or scooters, ¼ in cars and ¼ walking, I do not believe anyone is at home.

We finally make it to our hotel, “The Golden Ocean”. The hotel is very nice as you will see by pictures. We get our bags upstairs; girls in one room boys in another, the beds are just a little bigger than twin size.

By this time we are very hungry, we walk 2 blocks to; you’ll never believe it, Pizza Hut! No tables big enough for all of us, so girls at 1 table boys at another. I am beginning to actually like this plan.

Back to the room, showers and bed.

In the morning we meet our Liaison, Chandler, He is a young (26) Chinese man that speaks great English. He will go with us to the orphanage to get Hannah.

We take gifts (it is expected) for the official at the orphanage. We get there at the gate, we are stopped, they have to take our temperatures in case we have touched a pig, then on into building where Hannah is, we are getting closer. Up to the office, then no, no we have to go back down stairs to see the nurse, she has to look in our mouths, at our throats, and then our hands, I do not understand this reasoning, but to get Hannah I will even show them my feet. We go back up to the office finally…we wait …then it is more paperwork, I am very fortunate to be here at this moment, they do not usually let anyone except the parents come, but they let us all go.

And then all of a sudden there she is, what a moment! I have been delegated to film the occasion with the video camera, she is frightened, but after a few minutes with the boys she is completely at ease. As you can see in the pictures. Then a day of getting to know each other….more later…God be with you all.

Labels: Travel to Tianjin

# posted by deemercerRN @ 8:55 PM