Tong Gu County with Maelyn

Another couple of incredible days with Maelyn. On Thursday, we traveled to Tongu County, which is the location of Maelyn's birthplace. It was a 4 hour bus ride full of water buffalos, near collisions and honking, a norm in China. We were given the chance to meet the foster parents (see picture), which was quite an emotional experience with 8 children saying a final goodbye to their foster care givers. Then, we toured the new orphanage, which was also the "abandonment site" (see picture of Kelli and Maelyn at gate), and returned to our hotel. Today, we traveled to a Buddhist Temple in the mountains of Tongu County (see picture). We traveled accross a lake via a traditional Chinese boat (See picture) to get to the path that led to the temple. At the temple, they burn incense, papers, and firecrackers. Another interesting experience. Prior to returning back to NanChang, we stopped at an elementary school, where the kids were full of energy and very interested in our digital cameras (See picture). Maelyn is doing well. She seemed very remote and distant most of today, but toward the end of the day she returned with her smiles and playfulness. I can only imagine how traumatic this is for her. Thanks again to everyone for their support and thoughts.