Busy (and sweating) in Chongqing!

Greetings from Chongqing ! We want to thank all of you who have e-mailed us at Chad’s e-mail and offered encouragement. Most of all thank you for praying! Since Monday we have been on the MOST emotional ride of our lives and I can HONESTLY say we can FEEL your prayers! I hope this writing makes sense. Right now Liberty is running around laughing, and TRYING to communicate with me! Hannah and Tiffany are watching a movie and she just wants to play!

Yesterday was a really neat day. Tiffany and I (AND the other 2 mom’s in our group), went to Liberty’s orphanage and the place where she was found. The orphanage was really neat! It was beautiful and well kept. We met her 3 nannies and they gave me extra pictures of her. Just a few months ago she was a puppy in a play. The pictures were so cute. At her orphanage there was a school and a hospital. I was very impressed. We also got to see her bed where she slept for the past year. A few months ago we sent her a care package with some clothes and a few toys. One of the bears we sent her was in her old bed. It will be given as a gift to the next child who comes to sleep in her bed. :0) It gave me such peace to see where she came from and meet the nannies. I could tell that one in particular really loved her.

Next we went to the place where she was abandoned. She was left abandoned in a public park named Coral Park (Shan Hu means Coral) We saw the bathroom where it’s believed she was found. I won’t send a picture of that. It’s too sad and only Liberty will see it when she’s ready. As some of you know, I made a poster with Liberty’s picture and a picture of our family. In mandarin it said that she was being adopted by a family in America, and we just wanted her birthparents to know she was loved very much. When we got out of the truck to hang it up, it started a MOB! At least 75 people crowded around asking us what we were doing. They kept yelling for me to put an ad in the newspaper, that no one ever does things like this, and her birth mother would be more likely to see it if I put it in the paper. Our adoption guide told me not to do it, so I can only pray that her birth mother see’s it and receives some peace.
Speaking of mobs, it seems that EVERYWHERE we go, we get mobbed by people who are curious about our new family. Chinese people are fascinated by the girls blond hair. They crowd all around and tug on me asking me (In mandarin) if I have 3 children. I say yes and point to Hannah, Tiffany and Liberty. ( I really have 4 kids, remember Jesse, but I won’t EVEN try to go there! HA!). We were given name tags to wear and on the back it says in mandarin that we are adopting this child and we love her very much. People are very supportive and happy for us. Today when we had an unusually large group around us Hannah started getting annoyed and wanted to go back to the hotel room. I told her to just pretend she was a famous person and all would be OK. Then Tiffany said, “Yeah! This is how Hannah Montana feels!” So for the rest of the afternoon they pretended they were Hannah Montana. It was so cute.

Last night we went to a nice “fish” restaurant with the other 2 families and our guide. It was fun. We had a very “unique” cake ( with tomatoes on it!)

Today, we went to the Chongqing Zoo to see the Giant Pandas. It was fun. Liberty is such a trooper! She walked the ENTIRE time and never complained. She has such an endearing personality! She has a big smile and loves to laugh. Even though we can’t understand each other,
she and I crack each other up all the time. She’s very silly and talkative.

Lastly, after the zoo we went to the hotel pool to go swimming.( After being outside you HAVE to either swim or shower. It’s SUPER HOT and SOOOOOOOO humid! You just walk around being soaked.) Well, in order to swim in the pool you must wear a swim cap. We went to the store to buy them and Liberty LOVED hers! She walked around in it this afternoon and everyone we passed would crack up at her. She didn’t seem to mind either. She laughed too! The only problem was that she wanted it pulled down so low in the front, she could barely see to get around. She didn’t like the pool ( probably her first time ever) but I’m SURE she’ll get used to it VERY fast once we get back home!

I know I said this before, but before I end I HAVE to say again how wonderful Hannah and Tiffany have been (they are starting to get home sick, though...). They INSTANTLY fell in love with Liberty and are SOOOO incredibly helpful. In the beginning when Chad and I were freaking out, THEY helped to sustain US ( along with TONS of tears and praying!) I am so thankful for them. Liberty is one blessed little girl!

Sorry I went on and on. It seems that every night we fall into bed exhausted. Tonight I have a little bit of energy so I wanted to be sure to fill you in.

Blessings, with love, the Wood Family!