Hello from Beijing
Linda, Shane, and I all arrived on time and without any difficulty. Tina, the nurse from Heartbridge, met us at the airport. It was a beautiful evening in Beijing. I wouldn’t call it sunny, but the sky was clean and you could see the mountains on the horizon. Once we arrived at the campus of New Hope Foundation, we were shown to our accommodations and got started playing with the babies. I immediately recognized baby Heng from last year’s cleft trip. He let me play with and cuddle him. Two other boys each took turns tickling my feet. Shane found friends in each room he went into, and Linda could usually be found reaching for one of the babies to cuddle.
We are all three so impressed with the organization and beauty of this home. After a fun stop at all the rooms on the bottom floor, we finally made it up to the two Heartbridge rooms upstairs. I love meeting and seeing the children whom I have seen so many times in the Heartbridge reports that come to me. Today my most successful play dates were with Xin and Zhou.
Shane hit it off with Nui, and Linda cuddled baby Jian. I didn’t quite win over baby Ni or baby Cong, but I plan to tomorrow.
We then were invited to dinner with Dr. Joyce Hill and her husband, Robin. Robin is a wonderful cook, and it was the perfect ending to the evening. When the three of us were falling asleep in our dessert, we excused ourselves so we could be ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow’s plan is to play with the kids and hopefully find ways in which we can serve the lovely staff of New Hope Foundation, who so wonderfully run Heartbridge.
Wendy Petersen
Medical Trips Coordinator
Heartbridge Coordinator
