Day 3: Take a Long Look

Today, we went to the Hangzhou History Museum. 

We traded vans today...getting ready for our bigger family :)

Moon Gate

Shopping!

The time we spend in China will never be forgotten. Trent and I are also praying that somehow our visit will make a small difference to the people we encounter here. Since landing in Beijing,  we've gotten lots of attention. Many are interested in our beautiful blonde Mary Ashtyn, our pale skin, our southern accents...especially Reece's. Our sweet little Lily has drawn the most attention. People stop dead in their tracks and stare for a really, really long time.  It was really uncomfortable at first and I worried it would upset Lily. Luckily, she isn't affected much. This Mama's heart has been breaking though.

We talked about it today and realized that the Chinese don't encounter children in wheelchairs. They 

are the abandoned babies, the ones who live in orphanages. It's our prayer now that people WILL stop and stare long enough to see the smart, vibrant little girl who is so much more than the wheelchair 

that they see.   It's starting to happen and  we see faces soften and little smiles as people watch our Silly Lily. 

Today, as Lily played at the museum, one of the workers stopped to help her. Our guide said he asked if Lily could read. She explained that she spoke and read English since she had been adopted almost 3 years ago. As he continued to watch her figure out the game without being able to read the Chinese instructions, he quickly told our guide that she was very smart!!  It thrilled me. I have honestly wanted to stop and scream at people to get to know my baby before they judged her....finally, this
man did. He saw the worth of our daughter.  The smart, sweet, absolutely perfect child that God created. It is our prayer that Lily will plant a seed of tolerance and acceptance in at least one person.  Now, we want them to take a long look and see what we see...a perfect child that deserves a life. Here in China, I'm even more thankful that God kept Lily alive and safe for seven years before He gave her to us.