China Trip Day 4 - Little improvements

Today we had a free day and walked to the Confucius Temple area where there were some interesting street vendors. We also took a tour with our group of a very old home that belonged to a government official. Nanjing seems to be a somewhat high economic area with many prestigious stores in the mall. We are here one more day, waiting for William's passport. Then we will fly to Guangzhou in the south where we will have our oath taking ceremony and receive his Visa. I have been so very disappointed that we didn't get to visit his orphanage. Considering how fragile he is, we just didn't feel it was a good idea to take him back there. Thankfully, we were told that he was able to say goodbye to all his friends and Nannies that morning. Sometimes returning to the orphanage brings healthy closure, but this time we just weren't sure enough to take him back. 

William is showing a little improvement each day. Today he was happier overall, smiled more, and played more. He gave me a high five and some little grins. Dan bought some toy guns and he had fun shooting. We have a long way to go, but each day shows positive changes. Last night we got him showered and into pajamas, but not without tears. He doesn't mind the shower, but hates pajamas because he has never worn them before. He took his dirty clothes and rolled them up and slept on them for a pillow. About 5am I heard some movement and realized later that he had changed back into his dirty clothes under the covers.  Tracy talked to him and he agreed to allow us to wash them and he will wear other clothes in the meantime. But tears rolled down his face as he agreed. Poor thing. So we face that tonight. It is so heartbreaking. Nighttime is extra hard for him and he sits staring by the window, doing the orphanage rock, and often has silent tears. We are grateful for everyone's prayers during this challenging time. 

“I’m not afraid to grieve. I’m afraid of what will happen to these children if no one took the risk to love them.” – Unknown

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18