Day 13 and 14 (kunming SWI and Foster Family visit)

We landed in kunming on Thursday morning and our guide called the orphanage (also called the SWI) immediately. We were able to get into the SWI by noon to meet with one if the directors. She seemed lovely and was probably a little overwhelmed by the 4 children creating chaos in her office.

The following day we were able to go to Emma's foster families home for a visit. It was very moving to meet the woman who cared for Emma for 12 months and the brother, sister, and father that clearly loved her.

Emma's foster dad

Emma's foster mother

Two families that love a little girl!

The foster mother gave Emma a very precious jade necklace. Very moving.

The foster family was so clearly in love with Emma. They still fostered the two older children that lived with Emma when she was in foster care. The older sister just bawled her eyes out and kept touching Emma's hand. It was so moving but so hard. Adoption is hard. Foster care is hard. That is the plain truth. This is Emma's history and we are forever grateful for it. We still don't know her birth parents but having uncovered this part of her life is just huge for her - and for us.

We came to Beijing and kunming on a whim that all of this would happen. At any point we could have been turned down like the countless other ppl before us. That did not happen though- doors were opened left and right and we were able to do everything we had hoped. Our guide has made it happen.

In addition, going forward, Matt and I will be helping Yunnan kids international, a non profit that supports Emma's orphanage. To that extent, While at the foster village, we scoped out future site of a special need playground for the rural villages that foster the cities orphans. Pretty cool stuff.