How to get 200 pounds of donations into a suitcase

Any ideas? :-)

I truly thought that we were loaded with supplies on the cleft trip, but for some reason this time it appears that I have even more. My foyer looks like Babies R Us has opened a store in my home. :-) I think it is because of the specific items that the foster homes in Beijing have asked for. For Hope, they requested soy formula, medical supplies, and baby socks. For Philip Hayden, it was board books, baby wipes, and toddler slippers. Lots of toddler slippers! Lucky for me I am traveling with a woman who knows how to hunt down bargains. Karen and I have had daily phone calls over where to find the best priced items. The minute she called to tell me Target had slashed prices on slippers I was off to the one by my house. I think she and I cleared Minnesota and Oklahoma completely out.

Thanks to wonderful donors, the UPS man got to carry box after box of board books to my front porch....over 50 books in all. I can't wait to see the kids with their new treats. Two different families made hand knit baby bonnets for us to take to Kaifeng, and another donor sent an enormous box of Gap kids hats that are just too cute. I know they will help keep the kids in Henan warm this winter. I still have no idea how all of this is getting to China but I suppose on Friday night I can have a few of my kids jump on the suitcases to flatten them down.

Sometimes when I go to China, I am filled with anxiety....like the cleft mission, where we knew we had to have every piece of medical equipment just right to make the OR run smoothly, so the days leading up to that trip were filled with worry and stress, double and triple checking to make sure we had the converters, adapters, supplies and every other thing we needed to do surgery on children.

This time, there is not that type of pressure....this will be a different type trip, and one that I know will accomplish so much with our programs.

Sunday we will be at Hope, checking on the new LWB critical care unit, seeing baby ChenChen whom we just sponsored for liver surgery, hugging and playing with Aurora, one of our heart kids, meeting two new babies that we have sent for casting on their club feet, and seeing all of the other beautiful children there. What a great way to start a trip to China.

Monday we will be meeting with the CCAA to discuss many things, including our new special needs training manual. We are all so excited about this, and so grateful to the volunteers who have volunteered to research medical special needs for this book. Our hope is that this book will encourage orphanages to send even more children with special needs for adoption, as well as giving practical advice for their care. That evening, we will fly to the Henan province.

Tuesday we will be visiting the Kaifeng orphanage, one of the newest orphanages in our nutrition program. I am so excited to see some of the babies that I met on the cleft mission, and I also cannot wait to get there and meet the kids we have recently sent for surgery. Many of you know the story of the little boy with the leg tumor. His leg had to be amputated but thanks to a wonderful donor, we were able to have a pediatric wheelchair delivered. I was so taken by his pre and post surgery photos. I always love meeting our surgery kids in person and I know that being able to hug him in person will mean so much to me.

Wednesday we have tentative plans to visit with CuiCui, the oldest surgery patient on our cleft mission. This 19 year old has inspired all of us, and we are really looking forward to seeing her. That night we fly to Guangzhou and then on to Shantou.

Thursday, we will have orphanage meetings in the morning and lots of time for play. Karen has bought a craft project for the school kids and I bought a small photo printer so that each child can have their picture taken and glued onto their project. Following an official luncheon, we will then visit all of the kids in foster care. I cannot wait to see little Miss Fen again. She is the little girl who used to super glue her body to mine when I would visit, and there is no worse feeling than having to peel off a crying 4 year old when it is time to go. Oh it used to break my heart! Well, she loves her foster momma so much. When the orphanage called her on the phone and asked her to come visit, she said, "no thank you....I have a family now." :-) I have no idea if she will recognize me or not, but I will have my kleenex ready because I know it will be very emotional to see her in a family.

Friday will be school day, with reports to be done on SO many kids, but lots of fun, I am sure. We also will be checking on the heart babies and those kids who just had cleft surgery, and discussing a new vocational program for teens. That night will be one of the highlights of the trip. We are taking 25 of the older kids out for beef hot pot! I am so excited to spend the evening with them.

Saturday it is off to Beijing to visit Philip Hayden. I have never visited there before, so I am really looking forward to seeing their family style homes. Sunday morning it is our visit to Hands of Hope, and then that afternoon we head back to the states. Doesn't that sound like a fun trip?

Only three more days to get ready. Time to go analyze this luggage situation again! :-)