Morgan Girls Return To China - Part 2

By Susan Morgan
Thursday, November 8, 2007

As we drove through the gates of the Guixi Social Welfare Institute (SWI), two young men set off firecrackers to welcome us. A long red banner, hung across the front of the main building, proclaimed "Welcom Guo Hongxiang Back to natal Home". Director Shao and several other officials and staff greeted us warmly. Then a woman approached, hesitantly at first, then smiling broadly as she recognized Anna, her foster child of almost a year. It was a moment full of emotion and I knew then that returning to Guixi was the right thing for us to have done.

As we entered the main building and walked up to the second floor, Anna and her foster mother hand in hand, workmen were busy renovating the inside courtyard area. Inside the second floor conference room, we sat and were offered fresh fruit as we were formally welcomed to Guixi SWI and introduced to those present around the table. Our gift of baby formula and cereal (which Anna had helped pick out) was graciously accepted. Director Shao presented Anna with a green jade necklace and brochure about Guixi.

After the formalities, we walked back downstairs and took some photos in the courtyard outside the building. It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the upper 60's. As we had a little time before lunch, we were invited to visit one of the baby rooms in the new infant building across the courtyard. The room, painted a bright white, was very clean and the babies were similarly well cared for and healthy in appearance. Several tiny infants were in cribs lining the two sides of the large room while some older babies were moving freely in plastic walkers like tiny "bumper cars" nudging each other. One older toddler entered the room and the nannies told us that he was a three year-old boy, the oldest child in Guixi SWI, who needed a family and was eligible for adoption. He spoke Chinese, they said, and would help the nannies by getting something for them if asked.

Soon it was time to leave for a local restaurant in Guixi downtown area. On the way, about a half mile from the orphanage, someone pointed to a house alongside the roadway and announced that it was the home of Anna's foster mom, Mrs. Huang, the house where Anna had spent her first year of life!

The lunch was held in a small private room on the upper floor of a local Guixi restaurant, a loud and boisterous place filled with local people enjoying the good food and company. Mrs. Huang glowed as she sat next to the now grown child she had cared for ten years earlier and helped serve her from the many dishes in the center of the table. There were numerous toasts back and forth around the table during the meal and I appreciated Tammy's whispered coaching in my ear on the correct way to respond!

After a long meal with much good cheer, Director Shao and the other officials and staff said goodbye. We would meet again the next morning to review Anna's orphanage file, ask any questions, and then walk to Mrs. Huang's home for lunch. We were all excited about this opportunity that Tammy had helped arrange. It would be wonderful to spend some time with her and find out more of Anna's past life in China...





China-Babies Research