Another piece of the puzzle

(Please note, there is another blog post before this one.)

Saturday morning we were up bright and early (make that 1am – we haven’t yet been successful at switching Maelyn’s clock), to head to the town where Maelyn was found. Our goal was to be able to take a picture of her finding spot. What we ended up getting was much more than that.

The road to the town was very, very rural. We were driving over dirt roads that were not well maintained and very, very bumpy! We even drove through/around a few small mountains, driving on no more than a dirt path. It made for an interesting/nail biting drive! Paul and I love the adventure, so we were grinning the entire time. We passed through rural China and it was fascinating and breathtaking – the scenery and the villages were so very beautiful and interesting.

There are portions of our day and/or information that we received that is not appropriate to share in a blog setting. Most everything to do with where Maelyn was found is her story, not ours. When she is older, this is the portion of her story that she can share when she feels it is appropriate and with whomever she feels comfortable. However, there were many things we experienced that day that we can share.

We arrived at the small orphanage in the area and were met by the director and the staff. They ushered us inside and told us that they also had a file on Maelyn. I was shocked – I had no idea that they might have any information to share, as she was there less than 24 hours. As a family, we received the greatest gift – an original note that was left with Maelyn. They told us we could take a picture of it, but I begged them for the original, insisting that they note truly belonged to Maelyn. They agreed and took a photo of it for their own files.

We then drove out to Maelyn’s finding spot – which we learned was not in the location indicated in her paperwork.

We were then taken to a local restaurant where we were treated to yet another wonderful lunch. We had the greatest time!! They were soooo friendly and kept saying cheers and good blessings for us. One of the orphanage staff was the same age as Paul and they had a great time eating and drinking together – he kept telling Paul, ‘bottoms up’ in very broken English. It was a blast!

Towards the end of the lunch, the director presented Maelyn with a pearl necklace, welcoming her back to her home. They told her that she would always be a part of their community and in their hearts. It was very moving. They were such genuine people.

After taking pictures and exchanging emails, we got back into the van and headed towards Nanchang to catch our flight to Guangzhou.

It was a whirlwind homeland tour, but one that we won’t ever forget.