A Full Day and Full Hearts...Part 2

Well, the word for this part of the day should be “astounding” or maybe “miraculous”.

I had ordered all the information about Jia’s finding place, but the orphanage had even more info.  They had the police report and the name of the man who found her.  Much to my surprise, our guide and the orphanage director started making phone calls and asked if I’d like to meet the man who found Jia!  They said they had his name!

After four years?  Is it possible to find this man? 

Well, we went to the police station where she was brought to ask them about it. They were all extremely helpful.  We went to an office upstairs and someone started looking on the computer to see exactly who the person was who found her.  (I can’t believe they keep such good records.) 

It turns out that the man who found her worked at the police station, but he had retired.  That didn’t stop them.  They asked around and found out his current phone number.  As they tried to figure that all out, we went down the street to look for her finding place. 

It was tricky finding it, because the address was on the back side of the building. 

Here’s what the area looked like.

Here’s the small alley type street where the building is.

Here’s the front door of the building.  I think it was an apartment/hotel.  It looked like a person worked at a front desk.  Our guide asked for permission to go in.

We walked through the building into a courtyard area in the back.  This is the police officer looking for the exact address.

We found the exact spot and took pictures and video to remember it.  It is right by an exit.  Since this location is close to the train station and another mass transit system, our guide thought that maybe her parents were from elsewhere and took the train here to make sure she was found quickly and taken to the police. 

It was an emotional time.  I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been for that mother to leave her sweet little baby there on the sidewalk.  Medication for her epilepsy was found with her, but there was no note.  I imagine that her parents were very poor and probably couldn’t care for her medical condition.  So sad.

We walked back to the police station.  While we were gone, they tracked down the man who had found Jia.  He was happy to come and talk to us and he showed up a few minutes after we returned.  There was a second man with him, but he said he had found so many children that he couldn’t remember the exact details about Jia. 

We chatted with the man for a while and thanked him for taking care of Jia and for coming all the way to meet us today.  He was a very kind man.

I think I’m still in shock over the events of today.  Such an amazing experience at the orphanage and then to meet the actual person who found Jia.  I can hardly process it.  I’m sure it will hit me soon and I’ll be a puddle of tears. 

But for now, I’m just enjoying my happy, giggly girl and thanking God for so many things.

I haven’t mentioned it, but my back is doing remarkably well.  I have even picked Jia up and carried her!  Amazing!  I’m still wearing my brace, but I’m astounded by how well it’s doing.  Thank you, thank you, for all your prayers!

After we left Jia’s finding place, we stopped by the Forbidden City.  It didn’t seem all that important after the day we’d had.  We didn’t stay long, but just outside the City gate was a Bible scroll shop.  A friend that I met online who lives here in Shenyang told me about it.  Across the street from it is a Christian bookstore, but they were closed.

 I went into the scroll shop and looked around.  They said we could pick a scroll and then pick a scripture verse and they’d write it in Chinese on the scroll. 

Here’s what they looked like.

We picked a beautiful painting of the Great Wall and had them write Jeremiah 29:11 on it.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

He really has given Jia a hope and a future.  We have so much to be thankful for today.