So, I spent a month in China and a lot of you have asked what I actually did while I was there. For some reason this question is taking a lot of energy for me to answer, but I will try to summarize my experience for you.

 

We left the Philippines early on Tuesday, October 9th. After riding on 4 busses, catching one plane, going through several customs terminals, and running frantically to make our train we finally made it to our destination – JiaoZuo China in the Henan Province – almost 40 hours later.  I've got to tell you just a little bit about the train ride.  First of all, our bus driver dropped us off at the train station.  We knew there were several stations so we asked and clarified that we were indeed at the correct station.  He promised we were so we were on our way.  Welcome to China!  Everything in the train station was printed in Chinese.  I know, shocker!  But seriously, there was no English.  We were lost.  We looked at our tickets and even though they were in Chinese we could tell something was off.  Turns out we were NOT at the correct station. Well, we had a train to catch so we were already pressed for time and NOW we had to get to the other end of the city to get to the correct station.  Luckily when we went down to get subway tickets we ran into (quite literally) a woman who spoke some English. Whew! What a huge help!  We got the tickets, found the subway and got on board.  On the train we befriended someone else who spoke English.  He was very excited to talk to us and help us find our way.  Once we got off the train he pointed us in the right direction and went on his merry way.  Turns out he couldn't read Chinese either – either that or he really didn't like us and decided to send us on a wild goose chase – because went went upstairs, around the terminal, back downstairs, and around again before we actually got to the correct location.  Then, just when I thought I could relax because I could see the train I heard my team yelling, "RUN!"  As I trotted along with my 40 lb pack on my 35 year old, tired, and swollen body, I responded, "I am running."  And I was, at least in my head I was – but I don't think it was visibly obvious at all.  As soon as I stepped on the train it pulled away. We wrestled our way to our seats, found spaces to lodge our packs and sat down to rest.  What a day!  At last, we could finally sit down and relax.  We could even sleep if we wanted to – if we could manage it . . . The train was filled with smoke and people. There were 6 of us stuffed into the equivalent of a restaurant booth. It was hot, but only when it wasn't cold. Yup, I would love to say it was fun but all I can really say is, "it was an experience." After 20 hours couped up like sardines in a can, I was so happy to get off the train and into fresh air – well, there really is no fresh air in China but I was still happy to get off the train.

 

I spent the month of October working with an organization called COAT – Chinese Orphans Assistance Team.  The goal of the organization is to improve the lives of special needs children in China.  Not too many years ago, the conditions found in Chinese orphanages were horrifying, with a 99% death rate in 1998. Fortunately, those conditions are rapidly improving, but this improvement means that many special needs children who would not have survived 5 or 10 years ago are now surviving and need to be cared for.  Children with special needs continue to be abandoned simply because the cost of medical care far exceeds the ability of the average Chinese person to pay. Parents will leave their child in the hospital, at a park, or on the steps of an orphanage because they have no other option. At least 5 infants with special needs were left at the orphanage during the time I was there. 

 

While some special needs children will be adopted, most will remain institutionalized for their entire lives. Unfortunately, many of the people working in the orphanages don't understand the needs of these children. Consequently they are often treated harshly or ignored. Organizations like COAT provide equipment, training, medical help, and foster care for kids with special needs. COATs Eagle's Wings project is the foster care program that I worked with.  Eagle's Wings has 6 group homes for children with special needs.  I lived and served in one of these homes for the entire month.  Three of the kids I lived with were blind, 4 had CP, one had downs syndrome, and one had epilepsy. They were/are are wonderful, beautiful children who love to laugh and play and color and sing and dance and be silly and be loved. I had so much fun getting to know them, playing with them, teaching them English words, and giving them hugs every morning and every night.  It was sad for me to realize that even though they were being well taken care of – they were fed and clothed and cared for – they still had no one to sing them to sleep, no one to cling to during a nightmare, no one to call mommy or daddy.  4 year olds shouldn't have to console each other. They shouldn't have to wonder if anyone will love them. They shouldn't wonder when the next group of volunteers will come so they can get another hug. I didn't like that realization at all, but I did make every effort to hug them as often as possible from theta moment on.

 

If you would like more information about COAT or the Eagles Wings project you can find them online at www.eagleswingschina.org