Unexpected gifts

First off, I wanted to share a picture of Y. and J. This is pretty much what we've seen for the past two days. Just sheer cuteness.

So today was another trip to another police station to do more paperwork. There seems to be a little snag with getting Y. her passport because she didn't have a second identity card which the police required to process her passport. Today was to apply for that card. Our guide assures us she will be able to send the passport to Guongzhou before our consulate appointment on the 20th. I'm working very hard not to stress about it, but wouldn't turn down prayers that there are no further difficulties with it.

On Thursday, when we had asked about seeing Y.'s orphanage, the orphanage representative was hesitant to agree because of how strongly Y. was grieving. She felt it would be too difficult for her. I was a little disappointed, but there are some things you have no control over. With the passport difficulties, it was decided that after the police station we would need to go to the orphanage so they could make a copy of another type of residence card which would allow us to take Y. on a plane before we have her passport. We were going to see the orphanage after all.

The way the Urumqi Social Welfare Institute is set up, the children live with foster families on the orphanage grounds. This building we are walking towards is the foster family housing. Inside are multiple apartments where foster parents live with no more than four children. It is like a little village in that each family group has their own individual quarters, yet it is contained and the children have access to each apartment. Y.'s teacher said that on Saturdays, Y. was known to make the rounds and visit each family and had many friends there.

We got to visit her foster family's apartment and see her foster brothers. She showed us her room and where she slept.

After her grieving on Thursday, we were a little concerned about how difficult it would be to say good-by once again, but more than anything, I think this impromptu visit provided some closure. She went around and said good-by to special friends and then smiled and headed out the door. Y. was a little subdued afterwards and was definitely back to wanting P. and not me or J. That's OK, and it lasted until we got back to the hotel room and things were fine.

This is right after our visit and before we got back in the van to head back.

We also got to see the Urumqi Museum where the Urumqi mummies are displayed... another thing I have wanted to see. These mummies were found near the Taklamakan Desert and are from ~800 BC and earlier. What was the most amazing thing, other than the actual mummies (which were naturally preserved by the elements, not mummified as in Egypt), was that the textiles they were wearing were also preserved. I'm glad we were able to go, though I'm not sure that Y. (or P.) was as excited as I was.

And now it is time to finish the packing and get people into bed as we leave very early tomorrow morning to fly to Zhengzhou, where we start this whole process all over again.