Home is Where the Heart is

This morning we woke up, or at least got up, at 5:00 to say goodbye to Steven, Pemma, and Joi since they had earlier flights than us and then just hung out until 6:30 when breakfast started. It felt nice to eat american food again but, but I am going to miss the traditional Chinese meals that you can only get in China. While we were finishing breakfast, Morgan and Genevieve came over to the hotel so we could all take the shuttle to the airport together, so we hung out in the room and talked about the trip and everyone we met on it. Then we hopped on the bus and headed over to the airport. Checking and security was pretty painless so we spent the remainder of our time looking through the shops. Then we walked Alexis down towards her gate until we got to the tram entrance when we said goodbye and rode it down to our gate. We had a lot of waiting time, but compared to Beijing it all seemed easy and short since we were with the group.

When we boarded the plane, I tried to trade seats with the guy near Morgan, Genevieve, and Emily but he didn't want to. That's okay though because I didn't know how much extra leg space you get if you're surfing in an emergency exit. Although I was sitting next to two kind guys, the one next to me kept dozing off and dropping his head really close to my shoulder. It was a pretty easy hour and a half flight though. Since it was so short, we weren't spoiled with fancy tvs and movies, but I had a movie on my iPad and a lot of music on my iPod, so I had plenty to do.

Once we landed in Atlanta, we met our parents at the top of the escalator by baggage claim. It was such a comforting feeling to see their smiling faces and opened arms when we got to the top. We were all pretty tired so once we got our luggage we went our separate ways. My parents were going to make a nice meal for me, but I was so tired I couldn't stay awake for it. Hopefully I can get to bed still tonight at a reasonable time and break my jet lag. It's a nice feeling to be home, but a little piece of my heart will always be in Shen Yang back with the kids.

An Extended Adventure

Today we told our final goodbyes to the half of the group going to Colorado. I didn't realize how close we actually grew to everyone until it was time to say goodbye.

Once we dropped them off at their terminal, we went to ours. Our plane to Detroit wasn't until 7:30, so we waited six hours before leaving. After we ate lunch and walked around, it was time to board the plane. The waiting time and plane ride didn't seem to take that long since it everything seems faster when you have friends. I switched seats so I could sit by Alexis and we ended up having one more seat free until Steven sat there. We started watching Noah, but Steven was the only one who stayed up for the whole thing.

Once we made it to the airport we had to make arrangements for a hotel since our original flight from Beijing was delayed making us miss our connecting flight. My parents got me a room at a hotel near the airport and since everyone else wasn't old enough to get one themselves, we had a party in my room. We didn't sleep much since we all slept on the plane and we were heading back to the airport at 6:00 a.m. So even though it was a little chaotic and frustrating that our plane times messed up, it all worked out and gave us another night together.

Day Eight - Shen Yang to Beijing

Well today was a relatively boring day since we just traveled back to Beijing. It was fun taking the bullet train again and less chaotic since Shen Yang is a lot smaller than Beijing. The five hour ride went by quickly too since we figured out how to turn our chairs around so we were facing the row behind us. We entertained ourselves by talking the entire time about our lives back home, so it was a nice opportunity to get to know some people better.

Once we made it to Beijing, we went to check into our hotel and then we went out to shop in the market. It was so fun looking at all of the vendors and bargaining with them. After our hour at the market, we went to eat dinner at the KTV. We had two small rooms to eat in and do karaoke but we ended up singing in one room anyways. The dinner really ran out quickly since it's a buffet; we ended up being too busy to eat anyways. It was a super fun way to hang out with the group on our last night. It was also a fun way to share Lilly's birthday and anniversary. After we were finished with KTV, we went back to the hotel to do what we wanted. Alexis, Grace, and I decided to go to the Walmart which was closed. Then we tried to walk into a closed Starbucks, so we decided to go to our rooms. Then Grace and I decided we were hungry so we went to KFC. We ran into Steven there so we hung out with him for a little bit and then we went back to the hotel to sleep. It was a pretty event less day, yet it was still a great way to spend our last night in China. I'm definitely not ready for it to be over, but it'll be nice to see everybody!

Day Seven - Last Day at the orphanage

Well today was the last day at the orphanage; I wish it wasn't because we didn't even get to be with the kids that long, but I'd take the few hours over nothing. It was kind of organized chaos since no one was on the same page. 

We had a ceremony to present the gifts and check to the orphanage that was supposed to start around 10:30 so we thought we could do a quick craft with the kids but when we got to the room no one was there. We later found out that they were already in the auditorium, so we met them there and hung out with them until the ceremony began. 

Then when it did we listened to the director give her thanks and then we took a picture with all of the toys and kids. With some of the money we donated, they bought a Bluray player, tablets, video camera, and a regular camera. I was a little disappointed to see that those were the "desperately" needed items they wanted and to see that the kids weren't fascinated by the new toys since they already have older versions of it. 

They were still plenty thankful though, but I think the true gift was being able to call Shen Jun Peng a friend. It was a bummer that we couldn't even be with them in the classrooms on the last day and the goodbyes were so quick, but I guess it's also a plus so Shen Jun Peng wouldn't see me cry. It's so amazing how someone so small who you can't even communicate with can move your heart in such little time. I wish I could adopt him on the spot and bring him home with me - I would in a heartbeat. We made up a secret handshake while we were waiting for the ceremony to begin, so that was a nice ending activity together. 

After the kids left, we toured the museum which is located in the old building for the orphanage which is now for the disabled kids. I also found out that there is another place where the really disabled kids stay at with foster families. It blows my mind how well off the orphanage actually is since I had a whole different image of the orphanage. 

It was still an amazing, life changing, heart moving, experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. 

After the museum it was time for lunch and we ate the best meal the orphanage had cooked us; it was noodles, broth, cucumbers, and spices. Once that was over I took a nap in the room since we didn't have any of the toys to play with on our break. When I woke up, it was time to go help out with the babies. 

I said goodbye to Shen Jun Peng one more time and then headed up to my room. It wasn't with the same room as last time, so I got to meet a whole new set of kids. These weren't as talkative but they were very sweet; they just preferred to play on their own. 

After that I went over to help the older kids paint. They were all natural artists who were really creative in their paintings. Once we were finished painting we went outside to play with the kids. 

When it was time for them to leave I was on the lookout for Shen but for some reason I didn't see him leave. It was so sad not to be able to say goodbye again since I thought I would be able to. I waited on the bus looking out the window in hope of seeing him, but he never appeared. It breaks my heart knowing that I won't be able to see him anymore. Hopefully I'll be able to hear updates about him with the help of the employee I am going to QQ! 

After that we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our last dinner in Shen Yang that the orphanage director was treating us with. After dinner we stopped at a park which is the old northern capital. It has been transformed into a night park where people just hang out and play tug of war, dance, and jump rope. After that we did some more local shopping to see the street vendors one more time. After we finished checking it out, we headed back to our hotel to pack for Beijing. It was all together a great last day but it was also the saddest. 

Day Six - Shenyang orphanage

It's crazy how I can wake up before my alarm clock, yet I cannot roll out of bed to that sound to save my life at home. It makes it helpful though so I know I'm wide awake for the busy days we have at the orphanage. I was super excited because I was working with the class I got to work with on the first day - the class that my friend Shen Jun Peng and his foster sister Shen Jun Xue are in. 

It is so special to be able to connect with a kid and know that he is just as excited to see you as you are to see him. It's going to be really hard to leave him since I've already connected so much and it's only been our second day together, but that just makes every second even more special. 

Today we made hand dragons, and he let me help him trace and cut out his hands and color the dragon's wings. I was watching this other little girl, Shen Junbing, trace her hands and I thought it was the most beautiful thing ever. One of her fingers was completely bent horizontally at the first knuckle, but she didn't let it affect her at all. It's sad because it doesn't affect her at all except her imperfection, yet she's still in the orphanage because of it. It also blows my mind that all those kids in the class haven't been adopted yet since they're only five and you can already tell how smart they are. Everything they touch, they make sure it is perfect. Like coloring in between the lines and doing their part to make sure the room stays clean and being talkative and able to share everything they have with others. 

On top of that, they also pick up English very well; by the end of our two hours, Shen Jun Peng learned my name and was able to tell me what it was after I pointed to him and told him is. When we left, I got so many kisses and hugs from him and we blew kisses at each other until we weren't able to see each other anymore. It's truly amazing to love someone so much after only four hours together. 

After we said goodbye to the kids, all of the people on the trip had a sponge race and the losing team got three buckets of water poured on them. Amy, our director, ended up getting them all poured on her though since there wasn't a definite winner. Then we headed off to lunch; we ate some beans, cucumber and chives, rolls, and rice. Once again the rice was the only "great" tasting thing, but we were all prepared with a lot of snacks to fill us up. 

After lunch was over, we went to hang out with the older kids. We made tissue paper flowers with them and while mine were not the best, there were some really pretty flowers made by the kids. After we used all of the tissue paper, we went outside to have a sponge race with the kids. It's amazing to see how fast and energetic the kids are and how much they loved hanging out with us. After the race was over we played towel volleyball and then had free time. 

When it was time to go, I naturally began watching for Shen Jun Peng to come out of his building and when I saw him, he was looking around on the sidewalk. I called his name and he ran into my arms again and gave me a kiss. It never gets old to see his ear to ear smile. I asked him what my name was and after a couple seconds of thought, he said Jennifer! It didn't surprise me that he remembered it, but it did surprise me that he was able to say it without hearing it first. I thought it was the coolest thing that he knows me by name and looks for me whenever he can. After we said goodbye, he and his sister waved and blew kisses until they were in the building. 

Once we got back to the hotel Jannelle, one of the directors for the trip, came to my room to give me a piece of paper with one of the orphanage employees name and QQ number, which is like the Chinese Facebook. I had talked to her yesterday while I was working with the babies and Jannelle told me she kept asking for me so she could keep in touch with me and tell me how the babies are. I think that's super neat that I not only made an impact on the kids and she saw a connection, but I also had an effect on her. I'm so happy that there is a way we can communicate and I will be able to keep up with the kids. I hope she gives good news soon of them being adopted though. 

After I finished talking to Jannelle about that, Alexis, Grace, and I went street shopping for some candy and to look for Pocki. We ended up finding Pocki in one of the stores and so we each bought two different flavors of it and then we bought our candy snacks from the same nice guy we did last time. He was really excited to see us again. After we looked at all of the vendors, we turned around to head back to the hotel. On our way back we found a dumpling stand with the amazing dumplings everyone has been talking about. We were a little hesitant about buying them at first but when we tried one, we ended up turning around to buy another box of them. Once we got back to the hotel, we went to the abandoned mall behind  it. I bought two skirts and they bought a couple of rings. Then we were drawn into the music store since we wanted to listen to the guy play the drums. When we walked in we saw some ukuleles and since the guy majored in English, he was able to teach me how to play some. He attempted to teach me but gave up and told me I lacked rhythm. Grace ended up buying one for her more talented than me sister though. 

After that we decided to go back to the hotel and relax. A couple of us ended up hanging out in Art and Steven's room; it was pretty interesting watching Grace try to teach Art the choreography she made up for my cheerleader of the year routine. I'm really excited to see how it turns out but I'm sure Art does it ten times better than me. All together, it was a great day I wish it didn't go so fast because I don't think I'm ready to say goodbye to the kids. I'm incredibly blessed to have had this opportunity to be here though! 

Day Five - Shenyang orphanage

Today we had our first rainy day in China. It was only small sprinkles though and then it cleared up so it reminded me of home, but the kids I'm meeting are gradually making me not want to come home without them. 

I had the opportunity to work with the kids 1-3 years old. I was in one classroom with five kids; all boys and one girl. Most of them warmed up to me immediately, but the one little girl took a while. 

There weren't many restrictions on what we could do with the kids and the nannies were super friendly, so we all just ended up playing together. It's amazing how the smallest things can light up a kids eyes and make them laugh; it's something as simple as blowing bubbles and popping them and picking them up and spinning them around. It was so rewarding to see them smile and laugh and jump into your arms. 

Sheng Tongde, Shen Ying Chao, and Shen Tonghou were my three little buddies I got close with today. It makes me happy to know that they are well taken care of. Shen Tongde and the little girl were foster siblings and Shen Ying Chao and Shen Tonghou were; I like the way they are all so close and I also like the way the nannies care for them as their own. 

After that part of the morning we went to lunch and ate a more normal meal. We ate rice, cucumber salad, and seaweed stuff. They offered fish, but I learned from yesterday not to take anything I knew I wasn't gong to eat. Once we finished eating we hung out in our room and played some games before it was time to go back into the rooms. 

When we were back with the kids we did the same thing as before except it was slightly easier since the kids were already warmed up to us. It's so funny how into selfies the kids are; I love taking pictures with them because whatever crazy face I make, they copy. 

Once all of the kids left, I rushed outside to look for Shen Jun Peng to say hello and when I saw him he ran up to me and jumped into my arms. 

It was probably the most amazing feeling ever to know that he remembered me and got that excited to see me. It's comforting to know that I am making a difference in these kids life even though it may not be some big thing, that hug was just enough. All together it was a pretty amazing day at the orphanage. I'm excited to see the older kids tomorrow! 

Once we got back to the hotel, Grace, Alexis, and I tried another local restaurant; the guy was really excited that we were eating there since we promised we would come back. We ended up eating dumplings, fried rice, fried tofu, and garlic sprouts and gave the leftovers to someone on the street. We didn't give it away because it was nasty, it was delicious, we just knew we wouldn't eat it but there was so much leftover. Then we walked around and looked in every store we could find for some Pocki but couldn't find the original flavors. After that we went to the hotel for reflections on the orphanage and had a really nice talk about being adopted. So even though it was a rainy day, it was still a very colorful, exciting day! 

Day Four - At Shenyang orphanage

Well today was definitely an exciting and eventful day! Today was the first day working in the orphanage. Since it was the first day, it was a little chaotic. When we arrived, we dropped our stuff and all the gifts in the meeting room and then got a tour of the orphanage. I was surprised to see how nice the orphanage actually was since I imagined it being really small with plain colors, but it was huge with different colors of paint everywhere, pictures on the walls, and a lot of fun toys. 

I was a little disappointed to see how developed the orphanage actually was but realize that it's the same as any other orphanage in the sense that the nanny to child ratio is large and cannot supply every kid with special attention. So after the tour, it was really fun getting to hang out with the kids. We had two hours with them before lunch and nap time and then another two hours after. 

I started off with the toddlers and we did a craft with them. We made paper aquariums with a paper plate, rice, cut out fish, and tissue paper. It was really fun bonding with the kids by helping them make it. Even though we couldn't communicate with the kids, it amazed me how close we actually got through sharing smiles and laughs. The two hours we got with those kids was not enough for me since we got so close in that small amount of time. 

I bonded with two boys; Shen Zhi Lei and Shen Jun Peng. It was such an amazing experience to get to know them along with their bubbly personalities. It was cool to see how developed their brains were since they were picking up English words I taught them and to see how they all colored perfectly in between the lines. After we finished making them we left to eat lunch at the orphanage. The kids get to leave with a foster family type thing that lives at the orphanage. I think it is a cool temporary family thing that allows the kids to get special attention. 

The orphanage food was definitely traditional; they gave us noodles, chicken neck and feet, beans, rice, sticky rice, and a roll. I can't say it was my favorite, but it was a nice experience. 

So after lunch we got to spend some time with the older kids. We helped them with art but their art was really elaborate and out of my artistic ability. Then we moved onto a more familiar area and we made the kids puppy chow. The kids really enjoyed making it but they enjoyed eating it even more. After that we took them outside to play and burn it off. We played soccer with most of them, which was really fun since the kids have no off button! While we were playing outside, foster parents were picking up their kids. 

When we were saying our goodbyes, my friend Shen Jun Peng ran up to me again and said hello! It really made me happy seeing him again since I won't be with that group any more this week. I think it's a sad thing that they are in the orphanage because of their medical paperwork when they're all great kids with unnoticeable birth defects, but it's comforting to see that they are well taken care of. 

Once we came back to the hotel, we were on our own for dinner again. Steven, Grace, Alexis, and I walked down to the KFC and then did some street shopping on the way back. We bought a whole lot of Chinese candy and had a testing party afterwards. It was a great way to end the day! I'm so blessed that my threads are bringing me together with all these people! 

Day Three - Shenyang

The hotel we're staying at informed us that there would be no cold drinks, but I was still really surprised when I sipped my boiling hot orange juice at breakfast. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good enough for me to drink since it reminded me of cold medicine. Other than that, breakfast was delicious! Once we were done, we gathered in the hallway to get our groups for the orphanage. I'm in group two with five really nice girls. I knew them before, but I got to connect more with them during our team bonding activities. We did activities like the human knot, two truths and a lie, and we even had a mini bracelet making party! It was so nice of them to help me make bracelets. We want to make enough for the seventy kids at the orphanage along with the twenty-seven girls on the trip. Even though bracelets are cool, the real fun begins with all of the goodies we bought the kids today. We went on a shopping spree at Walmart today and bought the kids so many fun toys along with some cleaning supplies.

 It was amusing to all of the locals by how many toys were were carrying around and purchasing! Once we got back to the hotel, we sorted it all out so it would be all organized when we brought it to the orphanage tomorrow! 

After that we got our arts and crafts prepped out for the kids. Then we were on our own for dinner; instead of walking a couple miles to the fast food joints, we decided to eat local Chinese food. There were tons of street vendors, but we decided to eat at a small restaurant. One of our friends, Alexis, knew how to speak a little Chinese, so we used what we had to make a guess on what we wanted to eat. Then we saw a the meal someone else ordered and decided to ask for some of that too. What we ended up getting ended up being a really tasty local meal. I'm a little worried about getting sick, but it's all part of the experience! Our meal ended up being 45 yuan which is equivalent to about 7 dollars per person between three people, which is really cheap for the amount of food we for. Even though you're not suppose to tip, we ended up giving her 50 yuan and it was completely amazing to see her light up when we insisted she keep the change which isn't even a full dollar in US currency. After seeing the happiness we brought to that lady just by being friendly, I cannot wait to see the amounts of joy we bring to the kids and how much joy they bring to us! 

Day Two - Great Wall of China, Beijing to Shenyang

Today I woke up to the sweet sound of my alarm clock at 6:00. Even though I would have liked to sleep in more, I was happy to see I slept through the whole night and was no longer jet lagged. I still fall asleep on the bus whenever we go places, but I'm also not alone. We checked out of the hotel after breakfast and loaded the bus to go to the Great Wall. I don't remember if it was the same place I hiked last time I was here, but it looked really similar. I saw the chain of locks there again which is said to be a symbol of someone's unbreakable love for another person. And then I hiked to the first two towers. It wasn't terrible hot today, but it was hot enough when I was climbing the steps. It's really hard to climb up because the steps aren't consistent with the height. There are some steps that are really short, normal, and then some that are so tall that my knees were reaching my chest to get up to the next one and the railing is the perfect height for only children. I stopped at the gift shop between the two towers to buy a water and cool off. After making it to the second tower, I decided to hike back down since we were meeting the group at a certain time. Instead of taking the stairs down, we took the newer, "easier" area. It cut off some of the time which we used to look throughout the gift shop, but it also cut off some stress on my knees going down all the uneven stairs. After that we ate lunch and then went to the train station to get on a bullet train to Shen Yang, which is the Provence that the orphanage is in. There were so many people waiting to get in and pushing to get in front of you, so it was fun having the experience of keeping your spot. It was different because you had to carry your luggage throughout the station and very rushed since it was a bullet train. After five hours, we made it to the Provence and had to rush off the train in four minutes before it started moving again. When we drove to the hotel, we found out that we didn't have reservations. We later on found out that the hotel were staying at was a little ways down the road. Once we checked in, everyone went to sleep but a couple friends and I went down to KFC. The lady at the desk told us it was only down the street, but we actually ended up walking a couple miles to it. It wasn't an argument when someone suggested to take a taxi back. It was crazy to see so many college students in there at midnight studying; it was like our Starbucks but there's one at every block too. All together, it was a great day being a tourist and exploring the Chinese train station. Tomorrow we get to sleep in and go shopping for the orphanage!

Day One - Touring Beijing

I woke up at three o'clock this morning and attempted to go running only to find out that the gym doesn't open until six. Since I missed my workout, I decided a good alternative was the local market and  I ended up leaving with a pair of knock off Nikes. Then I walked back for breakfast.

After breakfast we spent some time visiting the Temple of Heaven; I visited it the last time I was in China but it was still a fun seeing it all. It always blows my mind how healthy everyone is and seeing all of the elders out there dancing with each other.

Once we were finished touring, we rode bikes around the town and ate a locally cooked lunch in someone's house. I enjoyed getting a taste of culture through a household perspective.

After that we got to visit the CCAI building for adoption and talk to the director. It was very cool hearing him talk about the adoption process and how it is developing over the years. Because there are places you can drop off your kids for adoption, the number of abandoned children is decreasing. After that we went to a duck restaurant for dinner then returned to the hotel for free time. The exhaustion from being jet lagged is finally catching up to me! Hoping for a good nights rest tonight before our nonstop day tomorrow!

We made it

After a one hour flight to Detroit, a three hour lay over, and a twelve and a half hour flight, we finally made it to Beijing! The flights weren't bad at all, the plane had personal tvs with a lot of new movies. I'm surprised I haven't fallen asleep yet, other than a fifteen minute nap on the way to Detroit, but the excitement of meeting many new friends and traveling keeps me going. I met up with about ten other girls who live around Atlanta and Detroit, so I wasn't traveling alone. I did not get to sit with any of the girls on the way to Beijing though, but I had the experience to meet two college students who are going to China to teach kids English! My dinner that night consisted of airplane chicken, potatoes, salad, and a roll. Although the tray that it came on was cute, it was not my favorite chicken I've ever eaten but it wasn't bad. We ate two other meals on the plane; a sandwich and some pasta and then we landed in Beijing around 3:00 am the next morning, 3:00 pm China time, where we met up with our guide for just Beijing, Vivian. She drove us to the hotel where we met up with the rest of our group and I met my roommate. We formally met everyone on the trip and received a bag full of snacks and our tshirt which we were informed to wear three times on the trip. After that we were allowed to wonder around the streets near our hotel and so we ate dinner locally and then walked around then "Walmart." I'm already starting to connect well with some of the girls, but I still have a lot more to meet. Exhausted and excited!

My Story

Hello! My name is Jennifer Brandenburg and I am a rising senior at Carrollton High School. Although I have grown up in Carrollton, Georgia, my story begins in Hunan, China. When I was a baby I was found on the steps of a water wheel machine factory and brought to the local orphanage where my parents adopted me. I was adopted when I was fourteen months old and have lived in Georgia ever since. Three years ago, my mom and I had the experience of visiting China on a heritage tour. I got to visit my orphanage and meet my nanny and the director. I did not get to visit with my birth parents since I have no contact with them or any idea of who they might be. Some parents leave some food and a note with their babies with personal information attached like their name and birthday, but my mom did not leave anything but an unsolved puzzle. I got to visit some of the kids at my orphanage, but I did not have enough time to play with them. Seeing the kids for those few seconds was enough to make me want to go back and give them the personal attention that every kid deserves. I have been accepted to go back to China and work in a different orphanage for two weeks this summer which I actually leave for this morning! I am super excited to meet the kids and build relationships with them and to see how God opens my eyes and changes my heart through this experience. It is truly a trip of a lifetime!