Two Years with Emerson

On June 23, 2010 the Dummier family will celebrate two years with Emerson Laing Ru. She was adopted from China on June 23, 2008. I am an International Social Worker at Lifeline and have the honor of working with China and our medical special needs program.

The following was written on our family blog on the day that we received Emerson and the day that we toured her orphanage. She was labeled “medical special needs” due to a cleft lip and palate, but the Lord has taught me through these two years that we all have special needs, some are just more visible than others. How grateful we are that we stepped out on faith that God had this under control and if we trusted in him that his path would be revealed and we would be the one getting the blessing. Emerson is now a thriving almost 4 year old little girl. She has her parents firmly wrapped around her finger and her brother’s constant protection. More than that we know that God loves her and someday she will understand that He loves her more than her earthly parents ever can or could. May God continue to get the glory for this little life that we have had the honor of seeing her blossom. I can not say that adoption has always been easy, but we as her parents are forever changed and that has been a wonderful transformation as well.


From our blog…

Emerson Day...
June 23, 2008
We left for the airport in Beijing today at 7:15am and took a 10:15am flight to Guangzhou, China. We were up early and excited about the day. We got to the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou around 2:15pm, and left the hotel at 2:45pm for the Civil Affairs Office.

When we got to the Civil Affairs office we had to show some I.D. and our TA approval. We are travelling with two other couples. It was an amazing time seeing all of the children who were meeting their families for the first time.

Emerson, or how she answers best, Ruru, is asleep now, sucking on her two fingers. She is quite the trooper and reminds me of some other little boy from years not so long ago. She is a stoic little soul and for now keeps her own counsel. However, we did see her laugh so when things settle she will add great joy to the other pearls of laughter that seem to surround us in our lives.

The bedlam we faced on the 8th floor of the Civil Affairs was akin to a market in a small village. Everywhere you turned couples were being united with their child or baby amidst the shouting of parents and staff to do that or this, it was hot and loud, but one by one the children emerged from behind a curtain, led by their caretaker towards their new parents and a new life. In a way it was kin to child birth, a lot of yelling, tears, pain, snapping of photos, but all having a joyous feeling that this little baby or child was yours.

Emerson Ru, did not shed a tear but sat quietly while her mother held her, afraid I think if she let her go it all would disappear. She smiled several times and giggled when we chased her around, and was quiet all the way to the hotel. But with all children, there is a calm and then there is a storm, Miss Ru did not disappoint. There went dinner and there went us going into the “Oh my God, they let us take her out of here!” At least for me, Amy does a better job of it.

So as we lay our heads down to sleep, as you all raise yours to go about the busy day, our world, our family, our friends, just got a little brighter and that is a beautiful thing. We thank God.

Dongguan CWI
June 29, 2008
It is Sunday afternoon here, and to those of you who have been following this odyssey it is, say it with me, "it is raining!” Yes I too was surprised, and to add to the forecast it is hot. Today we visited Emerson’s orphanage. Quite the experience I must say. The good thing was it was only 1 hour away rather than 4 or 5 as some others are that are traveling with us.

Emerson’s orphanage is really nice as these things go. Apparently the city where she lived till now is wealthy and therefore the government has plenty of tax revenue to spend. This is a good thing. The city where she grew up in these many months is Dongguan. It is a city with towering buildings, expressways, five star hotels and a lot of people, though small for China’s standards. Our guide made mention that some of the people do not work here as there is so much foreign investment that the farmers lease their land to the foreign companies, draw monies for leaseholds and enjoy the good life. However, I saw plenty of people working and plenty of people who must have a different standard when it comes to defining the “Good Life”. But it was a nice city, with landscaping on and around all the major intersections and expressways, as well as shops selling the most modern conveniences.

Her orphanage lay at the end of a tree lined street, several blocks off the main thoroughfare. A guard mans the front gate which opens to a circular drive and within lies a garden with a statute of women holding a child. The front entrance reminds one of an entrance to a modern clinic or hospital. Emerson’s room was on the second floor, up the stairs and turns right. Emerson’s slept in “Baby’s room number 2.” The crib where she slept was in the middle row, middle crib, amongst 15 others. The mattress was a piece of plywood. The reasoning is that it gets so hot the wood is cooler than the mattress one would find in other cribs. Though I doubt the adults practice that at their home. No matter, as Miss Emerson was the queen of the room. Her caretaker, a very nice girl, said Emerson was her favorite child. It showed upon our arrival on the second floor. In fact she is the only other person Emerson will go to voluntarily other than us.

The second floor houses dozens of children from one to maybe three years of age. We got to see where she played, given a bath, slept and danced. Yes she is a dancer! Amy and I could not understand why she would and does start hopping around, smile and all. One room is set up like a ballet dance room. It was something neither of us expected to see. Throughout the whole visit it was an honor to see where she lived and it was depressing at the same time. You felt melancholy as you saw all those other children, sleeping or awake looking at us and some looking, though without seeing. There were children there who may never be adopted due to the severity of their conditions that may be there their entire life.

We left the orphanage with memories and photos to share with our daughter when she is older. The Director showed us out and our car and driver picked us up at the front gate. We drove away with our daughter with us. The sky that seemed only to be threatening before we arrived let loose its burden and Heaven spilled tears.
It will soon be Sunday morning at home. When you go to church today go with a simple prayer in mind, pray that all those children go home one day. Good Morning and God Bless.

Forever Changed,
Amy Dummier aka one proud mom to Emerson Laing Ru