Moon Festival

On Thursday we went to the B* A* orphanage for their Mid-Autumn Festival. It was wild and wonderful. It was quite an elaborate show for the children and I am posting some video clips so that you can get the feel of it. Abbey loved the "princesses" that danced and sang. Our friend Heidi got up impromptu and did two songs with her violin. In another one of our surreal China moments we ended up on stage with the supervisor for all the orphanages in this area. We somehow were honored guests and all these people were clapping, TV cameras rolling, etc. The children were all given toys and special attention had been given to getting them ready, lots of pretty hair things for the girls. I sat right behind them and could not stop thinking about the adoption community at home. Here are all these waiting children and my heart ached for them and for all the waiting parents. Why are things at a standstill? I thought of Alison and Mali, who came from this very place. If Alison had not gone through all the paper work, red tape, waiting, etc., Mali might still be there and would be sitting in front of me. I mean yes, she could have been matched with someone else, but if everyone stopped, or never started the process, this is where these children would be. I walked through the new class rooms of our school that started two weeks ago and was so thankful for what can be done for the ones who are still here. They have a wonderful new teacher that is giving her life away for theirs. Still, the whole situation is hard to swallow. I don't understand. But we must do what we can, where we can, while we can. And inspite of trying to take the whole situation in, the show was really amazing and fun.