Today is the anniversary of our nation's independence and is usually spent having social gatherings to enjoy food, fun and fireworks. Sadly, many Americans do not even give one thought to the men and women who selflessly sacrificed their lives so that we may enjoy our picnics and fireworks. It's a tragedy that most American children do not even understand what the 4th of July celebration truly stands for.

I've been hearing some very negative responses to the impending rain that is most likely going to put a damper on the evenings festivities. I can assure everyone that the rain did not stop our men and women from fighting for our freedom! We may not see fireworks, but we can still join together in fellowship to remember those who died so that we might enjoy all of the liberties some take for granted today.

Today also marks another anniversary. On this day in 2001, a passenger on bus # 24 in Anshan City found a deaf little boy, approximately 4 years-old, abandoned by his parents and took him to the police station. They searched for his parents, but could not find them. This day marks the anniversary that An Sheng became an orphan.

This morning, I was awake at 3am again, which seems to be a daily ritual since being home. There were so many thoughts about what today holds in store for people, and I began to recollect what I experienced while in China. I would like to share some of these with you now.

Before I traveled, I was sure in my mind that Brighton's parents were not good people because they had abandoned their child. I felt that it didn't matter the circumstances, this is something no one should EVER do! We spend so much time and energy making sure our children are safe at all costs, why couldn't they? After much thought, I had planned to make up a positive story about Brighton's parents so that he wouldn't have any negative feelings towards them when he becomes and adult.

When I arrived at the airport in Chicago, my connecting flight to Beijing was delayed due to mechanical problems. Over the next 6 hours, I went from being frustrated to upset, until I found the area where most of the families returning to China were waiting. There were no happy faces in the crowd, and the children were crying and miserable. Little ones have a much harder time waiting than we adults do, although sometimes we adults act more like children in these situations than the little ones do.

As I looked around the room, I was curiously stared at, which was my first taste of being in the minority. I wondered about what they must be thinking about this lone, white American sitting amongst a large group of Chinese travelers. All the seats were taken, except for the seat next to me. A weary Chinese man entered the room with his luggage, and I quickly patted the seat next to me to let him know it was okay for him to sit there. He quickly struck up a conversation in his broken English, which was a relief. I would much rather have someone ask me what I'm doing rather than just sit there staring at me. He was so kind and taught me how to say several Chinese words. In return, I taught him to pronounce several English words. We both laughed at how hard it was to learn to pronounce letters and tones differently.

After a little time had passed, they announced that my flight would be leaving from a different gate. I quickly stacked my bags onto the cart I was pulling and headed to the other side of the airport where I finally met some of the families from Christian World Adoption that I would be traveling with. We had a few more delays, such as sitting on a hot, stalled plane for nearly an hour with no air conditioning or lights. The free gift United promised us was of little importance to the mothers trying to keep their sweating, hungry babies soothed. The lack of air conditioning was just a precursor to what I would come to experience in China.

Beijing is beautiful! The sights we saw were amazing. The Great Wall was an experience I will never forget. As I stood atop one of the highest points on the portion I climbed, I looked down in astonishment at the huge man-made structure. What flooded into my mind was wonder. Wonder at how many men it must have taken to carry the large stones up the mountain, and how many men must have fallen or had been crushed under the weight of the stones.

Every pre-paid sightseeing excursion we went on, we saw beautiful things, beautiful people, and beautiful buildings. We experienced the Forbidden City, with its many buildings and were able to peer inside the glassed in rooms to see how the emperors and empresses lived in the years long ago.

One of the families I was traveling with suggested that we take a tour that wasn't on our destination. It was called the Hutong Tour and it was by far the best part of the trip to Beijing. We were transported by rickshaws throughout the narrow streets of the ancient city surrounding the Forbidden City. We were able to see how most truly live, instead of just those more fortunate. There were so many people and places that truly looked so poor that I wanted to cry for them, but they seemed very unaware that they were even poor. There were children in the narrow streets with no underpants that were very dirty. They were playing happily with no cares in the world.

We visited Mrs. Chou's (not sure about the spelling) and were invited in to see her home and hear how she lives. We were fascinated to find out that most of the families there are able to leave, but do not want to. They live in tiny, close-knit communities that are more like large families. Ten families share a public bathroom and this is a very important meeting place every morning to say hello and get caught-up on daily happenings. This sense of community and the large family atmosphere are what ties the people together and they can't imagine leaving.

We also visited the a large marketplace there and were amazed at what they had to sell. Some of it was a bit scary, and there were a few things for sale that turned my stomach. There were many children running around the marketplace unsupervised. This shocked me at first, until I realized that everyone knew each other and they were looking out for one another. The children were really fascinated by us and were very happy to wave and smile for cameras. My ideas about poverty and living conditions were greatly challenged by this tour.

While in China, I learned that the Chinese have no social security or retirement funds to fall back on in old age. The sons are the ones who care for their elderly parents. This is the reason that it is so important to them to have a son and not a daughter. Times are changing, and so are values, but the old ways are still clinging to life. For the millions who are unsaved, they feel that there truly is no hope for the future unless they produce a son. This results in thousands of baby girls being abandoned each year in China. Children with disabilities are also abandoned so that families can try again for a healthy child. For most families, this is a heart-breaking, traumatic time for them, and they leave their warmly bundled children in places that are safe and that they know someone will find them in. The parents hope that someone kind will adopt their babies and keep them safe.

Most children who have physical deformities or medical conditions requiring surgery are abandoned by parents who have no way to care for their medical needs. They know that if they leave them on the steps of the hospital, their children will be cared for. I can't even imagine having to make this decision.

When I traveled to my son's birthplace, Anshan, China, it was a very cold, dirty place. It was a very sad trip and this, coupled with the problems I dealt with at the police station, made me want to get out of there as soon as possible. Being yelled at by communist police who know you are with a Christina adoption agency is a very frightening experience. There is so much more I want to write, but I was told not to and that all forms of communication are watched. In the United States we have no fear of writing what we feel like writing, or expressing ourselves, but in China, one must be very careful. Please take a minute to reflect on this freedom next time you talk on the phone, send a letter, post something to your blog or send an email.

I left China with a very different view of its people than I went in with. The people there are trying to live the best way they know how. Although the government is harsh, corrupt, and sometimes brutal, most of its people are beautiful and kind, and our Father loves these, His children, also. The bread of life is spreading like a wildfire amongst the Chinese and is a flame that will not be extinguished.


The Lord changed my heart on what I feel about Brighton's abandonment and how I feel about his biological parents. They are heavy on my heart and mind now, and I am so thankful that they left him in a safe place where they knew someone would take care of him. Brighton was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa and is deaf. These conditions are hereditary and he may be blind by the time he's an adult. His parents might be blind and deaf and may have had no way to care for him. I can not jump to conclusions because I have no idea what was going on in their lives at the time. This is true of all people. We never know what a person may be going through at the time, so we should always strive to be kind to everyone, regardless of what we may think or how they may be treating us.

Brighton's biological parents must have experienced overwhelming grief as they exited that bus. There is no anger left in me towards them, only love and a thread that binds us together forever. I will always be thankful for the opportunity to raise our child (theirs and ours) in a safe, loving home. I will be praying for their salvation for the rest of my life and hope that one day, in our Father's house, I may get the chance to meet them.

As I lay in my bed this morning thinking about all of these things, I found that I have a new respect for those who died so we can be free in this country. I am so thankful to our father in heaven for the gift of being able to raise this sweet boy to know the freedoms fought for and lived in the US, and most importantly, the hope and the freedom that can only come through our salvation through Christ who died for us so that we can have eternal life with Him.

Happy 4th of July!
Love, Tina

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17

"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 hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16