Last night we had the privilege of Skyping with Evan's Chinese foster family and his beloved, Mei-mei. This was something I have wanted to set up for months, but just wasn't sure, and it didn't seem like a priority.
It should have been.
Nearly everyday, Evan asks to see his Mei-mei, Polly. She too is at New Day. She is a sweet little 3yo girl. Her special need is that she has Downs. Of course, Evan doesn't see that...he sees Mei-mei and how she was 'fearfully and wonderfully made."
The time was set.... 8pm here, 9am in Beijing. Evan was poised and ready! He'd been ready and waiting all day. Quite patiently, I should add.
At 8pm, we dialed China. How exciting! New Day answered, and there was Mei-mei and his foster mom. Polly didn't seem like she had any idea of what was going on, but Evan's foster mom was thrilled to tears to see him. It had been way too long. She talked to him, only knowing Mandarin. We think he understood everything he said, but did not talk back in Mandarin. I know he can (will have to blog about that sometime...very funny!) but I think he was so overwhelmed he couldn't think straight.
Stating that his foster mom was thrilled to see him is an understatement. He sang to her. In fact, he sang his three very favorite songs, "The B-I-B-L-E" "Jesus Loves Me" and the theme song from Elmo's World. She had no idea what he was saying, but she and Polly clapped when he was finished. The translator asked us some questions the foster mom wanted to know. The most heartbreaking was about how he did after they handed him off to us. This is where a letter to her, or a Skype conversation set up earlier would have been nice. All that time, she was wondering how he's been, and didn't have to. Stink. I think she knew in her heart he'd be fine. They prepared him very well for us, and I'm sure New Day let her know he was fine.
Still, she was visibly reassured to see his animated little self, and to know he did fine after we took him. She liked hearing that he prays for them nightly and that he has a special book of pictures of them that he treasures.
So, we chatted for about a half hour. It was hard for her to say 'good-bye' but it won't ever be a final good-bye if we can help it.
Evan really enjoyed his time to see them. He really as adjusted so well. What a super blessing that we can do this with his foster family in China. So many...well, the majority of families that adopt from China never know who took care of their little ones. They never get to connect with them. And..these foster families (if the child was so blessed as to have one!) never get to see the other end of adoption. I'm so glad that Evan's family did! They know he is a regular, wild, little 4 year old boy...doing just fine. :0)
Now doesn't that just bless your blesser?
8 comments:
This is one of the sweetest posts. If I was not already in tears with all the moms and their first-day-of-school and last-days-of-summer posts. Oh my!
I look forward to your post on Mandarin and Evan. I've heard that once adopted children sometimes shy away from the Chinese language ... but since Evan had such a positive experience with a beautiful foster family I pray that it will be a blessed asset for him one day!
And what great timing that I mailed that Thomas the Train DVD to you yesterday! Maybe you'll get it in the mail tomorrow So hopeful that he'll be thrilled with it. :-)
Hugs,
Valerie
Oh, Molly, I am in tears right now. I agree with Valerie, this was one of the sweetest posts.
Drew talks to Elva quite a bit, and I have been thinking about contacting New Day to set up something for him to talk to his foster parents.
I guess I am off to e-mail Karen.
Hugs
Okay, you went and made me cry!!! What a SWEET thing to experience!!! Such a blessing for all involved!
It certainly blessed me, and motivated me to make those type connections more of a priority! THank you for that reminder!
I find myself thinking about Sarah's foster parents (and birth parents) a lot.
Like you, I am sooo thankful for the connection we will always have with Sarah's foster parents and with New Day.
When we met Sarah's foster parents, the foster mom tearfully asked if we could send pictures of Sarah with our boys. I was also in tears when I promised I would.
And I have, but it's time to send some new ones!
A very sweet post. Thanks.
I got to see his foster mom and Polly on their way in to skpye she was so happy she stop to tells us that she was going to talk with him you could tell that it made her day.
Seriously, this is the second blog post today that put me in tears.......where are the TISSUE ALERTS??? :) You know exactly why this one got to me......oh, wow, the privilege! I would have more to say, but I seem to have been rendered speechless at how great this is!!!1 :)
okay...wow. I was not prepared for the emotions that were attached to this post. I seriously cannot stop the tears from POURING down my face, and the lump in my throat won't go away!
Truly a precious and priceless moment for all of you. It reminds me of just HOW great a gift we have in our connections to NewDay. Khloe wasn't in a foster family, but she loved her 2 main nannies and her 'roomies' as siblings, just the same. She too, enjoys looking at photos. Our experience is different in that she doesn't talk alot about it. Probably because she's younger. A couple weeks ago when we were looking at the photos though, I asked her if she wanted to go and see 'Annie and Robert' (her bedroom roomies) again sometime, and she shook her head yes and said "yah!" Then when we turned the page to her nannies, I asked her if she wanted to go and see them again, and she quickly shook her head and hands saying "no!" and reached out to hug me. Then she layed her head on my chest and said, "Khloe's mama... mother." I know it isn't that she doesn't miss them, I think she was just worried that she had to go back. There was some security to me in knowing that she feels safe and such a part of our family already, yet also a tinge of sadness in her thinking I would give her back. For the last 2 weeks, every time she looks at the book now, she tells me, "no mama Sophie, no mama Rose" and then taps my chest and says "Khloe's mama. Khloe stay here." I continuously reassure her that she will always stay here. That maybe we'll just visit sometime. Though I'm not sure she understands that. But I definitely did not expect that reaction when I first asked that question, and had regrets that I did. Now when we look at it, I always tell her that mama Sophie and mama Rose are nice and that they love Khloe, too... but that now I'm Khloe's mama." She shakes her head 'yes' and repeats "Khloe's mama. Bye-bye Mama Rose and Mama Sophie" I'm not sure what else to do. It can be a tough spot to be in sometimes. But I just LOVE that you were able to SKYPE with them and keep in touch. I have such love for 'Mama Sophie and Mama Rose' too, and they will always be near and dear to my heart. This makes me want to do something special for them.
Thanks for sharing such a neat story with us.
Love you,
~ Tanya
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