Day 3

Tuesday was spent doing assessments on some of the children we met yesterday during play time. Our imaginations go wild with the possibilities as we watch these beautiful children respond and open up to us. The hard-won smiles, and seeing their delight in achievement, force us to swallow our victory tears until a more opportune moment. I cannot over-exaggerate the potential in these children. Because of you, they are being given a chance to leave their SN label behind and explore a new world of accomplishment, art, creativity, and just good, old-fashioned fun & games.

From the fearful child with CP of yesterday, today giving me a belly laugh because we are blowing and popping bubbles, to the deaf children who are picking up signs almost as quickly as they are being taught, we are overwhelmed by the potential we see. It's going to be a challenge to know exactly how to provide it, but we are confident that we CAN and WILL. It's difficult to put solely into word pictures to communicate what we are experiencing: the joy on their faces, the excitement at excelling in their given tasks. These children want so much to be discovered--they have been waiting for the opportunity. We must give it to them.

As for the rest of the day, we took the Open Arms aunties out to lunch to thank them for their hard work. They wore their uniforms which Vickie and I had just purchased. They expressed thanks and fulfillment they find in their jobs working with the babies. We reiterated the importance of their tasks, how vital their attention and affection is to the babies' well-beings. We expressed the thanks that you have asked us to convey, and they were grateful in return for your recognition of their role.

The afternoon was spent working again with the preschool assessments, and Vickie & I met the challenge head-on of shopping for replacement flooring for the Open Arms room. Until one needs to shop for specific items, the complexities of this task should not be underestimated. :o) This was my maiden voyage, and I'm happy to report that we were successful at the fourth shop we entered. Vickie's advice to me was to remind me of her 2hr. curtain rod-purchasing saga, and to not feel excited until the receipt is in your hand...good to know. Honestly though, it's wonderful to be here. Our translators are making sure we get to see "Real China" this week, as well as have a memorable time.

We returned to the hotel, declining an evening out, and debriefed over hot chocolate, juice, and lattes in the lobby's coffee shop. We are finding the need to try to get the rest we need to meet the next day's challenges. We hope to add some non-work activities to our schedule toward the end of the week. We have heard whispers from our interpreter friend, Ruth, of Saturday pedicures and massages. :o

Thanks for following us, Val for ZKO