UNKNOWN

It is Tuesday March 10, 2009. I have a window seat at the Crowne Plaza Hotel restaurant in Zhengzhou, China. Drinking coffee. Move over Starbucks! Very strong coffee!

It is overcast and windy. I scan the horizon for the familiar. With the exception of an occasional grouping of numbers on a license plate or billboard and a ‘no parking’ sign - the fact remains – I am a stranger here!

The entry signs at Chinese Customs in the Beijing airport made it very clear. One sign marked “Chinese Nationals”. The other read “Foreigners”. We were the foreigners. This is not our home. We are strangers here. We are unknown.

Chinese cannot understand our English. We cannot comprehend Chinese. Chinese say - English is too hard to learn. And, this comes from a land with about 3,000 characters in their alphabet!

Our “foreign” wonder quickly gives way to our smiles which announce to all those around us – strangers perhaps – BUT – we belong! We belong because our journey brings us half way around the world to connect with our 9th grandchild – a beautiful, rosy-cheeked, dark haired – almost 2 year old Chinese girl.

We cannot speak her language – but her precious little face is forever etched in our minds.

We cannot understand the culture in which little girls seem to have little or no value – but she joins 3 other beautiful granddaughters who have the mysterious ability to add immeasurable joy to Grammi and Grampy!

We will never know her past. But we will do all within our power with God’s help to influence her future.

Sweet little Mia! Mia ShyAn Xin Singer! How her life is getting ready to change! How our lives have changed already!

For all we do not and may never know or understand about Mia’s background and/or culture – we will forever remember and be grateful for the awesome blessings we received allowing us to travel with our children to China.

And, we will forever remember and be grateful for the experience of becoming “unknown” so that Mia can have a home!