China Visas

We received all six China Visa’s today! The three of our visas, and the three visas for three of the four grandparent’s, now all we need is our Travel Assignment (TA).

Bliss sent us a Movie of Penelope from 7/14/2010!!!

The Gift of Life:
I didn’t give you the gift of life, But in my heart I know.
The love I feel is deep and real, As if it had been so.
For us to have each other, Is like a dream come true!
No, I didn’t give you ‘The gift of life’,
Life gave me the gift of you.

I will post the video as soon as I can convert it.

Our Travel Meeting

This is the tentative plan:
2 days in Beijing: Sight seeing: Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Great Wall, Summer Palace, etc.
5 days in Changsha: The capital of her province (Hunan) finalizing civil affairs paperwork.
The first day: Sounds like we might even get Penelope the night we get into Changsha otherwise it would be the next morning. We meet at the Civil Affairs Office where she will be given to us by her caregiver and we will have the opportunity to ask any questions we’ve composed.
The second or third day: we meet back at the same place to let them know if we “are happy with our child” at that point we receive her abandonment decree and her finding ad.
Last day in Province: Receive Penelope’s Adoption Decree
We have requested to see her orphanage, it is an hour train ride by bullet train.
5 days in Guangzhou: The location of the U.S. Embassy finalizing paperwork.
Second day: we go to Penelope’s medical exam and take her Visa photos
Fourth day: we go to the swearing in ceremony at the U.S. Embassy
Fifth day: get her Visa that night and are allowed to leave the next day
1 day in Hong Kong: just catching our plane
As soon as we touch down on American soil she becomes an American citizen.

More photos taken by Bliss from 7/12/10

In the second photo Megan is looking down into Penelope's crib, you can see her thru the crib.

Photos from 7/10/10 taken by Katie another 2010 volunteer

Photos from 7/11/10 taken by Bliss a volunteer from Team Chenzhou 2010

Penelope would have just turned two months old when these were taken.

Another Lead - Team Chenzhou July 7-18,2010 – Last Year’s Team

I found the web site for last years team and have contacted as many of the team volunteers asking for photos of Penelope from last year, she would have only been 2 months old! How exciting, I feel like a private detective tracking down every lead I can find! Too much fun!!!
Info gained from the Team Chenzhou 2010 web site:
Chen Zhou pronounced “chin joe” is located in southern China, about 3 hours from Beijing by plane. The city is not a very small city, but it’s definitely not one of the biggest. About 74% of the population is rural, while the other 26% is urban.
We don’t know much about the orphanage, but what we do know is that there are about 80 children. There are 40 babies 0-2, 30 kids from 3-6, and about 10 school age children from 7 and up. In the whole orphanage there are approximately only 7 boys.

Red Thread China

We purchased a basic care package to be sent to Penelope thru Red Thread China. It included a letter with questions, camera, candies for the nannies, foster family or children and a self stamped envelope for the Institute to reply to our questions more conveniently. Ann, from Red Thread China, puts her address on the return envelope and if the Institution responds she emails us the translation. Once we arrive in Guangzhou she delivers the original letter to our hotel so we have it as a keepsake, how perfect. We asked in our letter to the Institute that they use all the film on the camera to take photographs of Mei Qi at the orphanage, with her nannies, and playmates. These were the questions we included:
(1) What are her updated measurements?
(2) Is she speaking any words or making any sounds?
(3) Has she received any surgeries?
(4) Has she had any common health problems or allergies?
(5) What medical treatments has she received?
(6) Is she close to a particular nanny? Name of nanny?
(7) Was a note or any other memento found with her? May we keep it?
(8) What are her favorite foods and activities?
(9) How would you describe her personality?
(10) Does she have any likes/dislikes/sensitivities?
(11) What makes her happy?
(12) Do you have her finding ad? Can we have a copy?
(13) Who chose her name and why?

Chenzhou Kids in Bumbos

These are photos of the kids in bumbo seats. To explain this I’ve included an excerpt from the Team Chenzhou blog on June 18:
One of the things we really noticed at Chenzhou is that the babies do not have good upper body strength. The directors asked for our opinion on how they could improve things. This was one of our suggestions. A bumbo seat helps them to sit up, causing them to use the upper body muscles. Since I think there is so much MORE to all of this than just talking about what they should do, I am ready to do something. So with the help of my brother in China, I am going to collect money and have bumbo seats sent straight to Chenzhou. Each seat only costs $35. I know not everyone can adopt, go on mission or give tons of money. BUT, you CAN help. And this is a small way. Once I collect enough money to deliver these bumbos, I will be collecting for a few exersaucers. Bit by bit we can help those who are left behind. Thank you so much for your support!