It felt very familiar walking down the road from the bus stop into Lanxi SWI. Four of our child volunteers spent the better part of one year living in this orphanage. Most of the kids at this small facility have been placed but a few are still waiting. We invited families in the community to bring their children with special needs in to be checked and so once again our team spent a full day of examinations and screenings. Families were given therapy instruction and toys to bring home. Even though most of the children we saw from the community had profound special needs, our team was able to give hope in the way of therapy to some very dedicated families. And, once again, just to help us remember that we're really not in Kansas...or St Paul...or Mpls...or River Falls, a senior citizen dance ensemble performed a robust chinese opera on the orphanage grounds.

Having 10 child volunteers on the trip has been a delight. We have 9 girls with us: Mia, Ava, Quin, Zoe P, Zoe G, Jin Jin, Ellen, Grace, Paige and one boy, Jack. Our kids have been able to have the run of the orphanage and help with the PT /OT demonstrations by being models during the lectures. I think Jack has really enjoyed being the only boy on our trip. I look over at the kid's table at dinner and watch him going around the table pouring small amounts of Sprite into the girls glasses and toasting each one. This young man is smooth. Yesterday Jack slipped a note under my door that he wanted posted to the blog, so here goes: This is from Jack: "I really enjoyed being in the OT and PT rooms and being an assistant. The kids were all really fun and playful. I think they are all adoptable. I loved this trip to China and want to do something like this again...I think."

link to RTC 2009 photo album