English, Naturally!

"A Day of Shopping for Mommy!"

For Nancy ...

At first, all she spoke was Chinese. This was certainly different from our first little China doll, Lily Grace. Lily didn't have much of a vocabulary at all, Chinese or English, when we first met her, but I'm sure she understood quite a bit of Chinese. Since we barely knew a word of Chinese, Lily had to pick up English fast ... or risk being given a glass of milk when she asked to go potty! And she did. Her English skills began developing even before we left China and by the time we departed Guangzhou, she could communicate most of what she needed and understood quite a bit of what we were saying. Once she got home, her English skills took off like a rocket. Her first complete English sentence, of course, was "Roll Tide!" Courtesy of her mommy, not her daddy. Now, fast forward two years ...

"Wei, Ni Hao! Boo Yow, Xie, Xie. Tai Guala"

"She won't know how to talk English will she Daddy?" Lily asked before we left for China a second time to bring home Lia Faith. "No, sweet baby girl, she won't. That's why Austin and I are taking Chinese lessons. So maybe we can at least understand what she needs. And maybe having her hear something in her own language will be comforting." "Well, daddy, we'll just have to teach her to talk." Lily replied. And so she has.

"Granny's Grandkids!"

As expected, when we first met Lia Faith in Taiyuan, she couldn't speak any English. An Angel who occasionally visited Lia Faith at her orphanage in Datong informed us that Lia was easily the most vocal child in the orphanage. Uh oh, what does that mean. Now we know. Lia talks incessantly, sometimes not even able to keep up herself with what she wants to say. Our Angel in Datong had spoken with Lia many times and had prepared her to meet us as best she could. When we met, Lia Faith wasted no time in talking, issuing a number of Chinese 'orders' the first day back at the hotel after we brought her home from the Civil Affairs office. Of course, we didn't know what she was saying, even though Austin and I had completed six or seven lessons - like we'd really understand anything after such a short training regimen.

"My Very First Baseball Game!"

Complicating matters was that Lia's version of Mandarin was not common in China. It appeared to be a local dialect, spoken only in Datong. Our interpreter/guide, Emily, could tell us a little of what she was saying, but didn't know all the words she was speaking. Mostly Emily would laugh when Lia talked, partly because she understood part, but not all, of what she said and partly because Lia talked so fast. Great, not even the Chinese can understand this 'most vocal child in the orphanage!"

"Do You Like My Dora Tricycle?"

"Let's Go for a Ride!"

So we spent a few weeks in China, listening carefully and noting expressions on her face to figure out what she was saying. Not once did we give her a glass of milk instead of taking her to the potty! She finally said something that the interpreter understood when we went back to Datong to visit her orphanage. Translated to English, she said "the train is coming." After a block or two, we came to a railroad track and sure enough, there was the predicted train. Apparently, Lia was familiar with her surroundings at that point, which is curious, given her time spent in the orphanage - they don't usually go anywhere. I expect that Lia hadn't been in the orphanage long and that her time with foster parents had lead to her knowledge of the train.

"Lia, Say Lemon Cake for Mommy!"

By the time we left China for home, Lia Faith had begun to mix in a few English words that Lily and Austin had taught her. It was funny to watch them try to teach her English. No patience. "Dad, why doesn't she know?" Lily would cry. Thankfully, laughter and play are apparently a universal language amongst toddlers, because Lily and Lia did a lot of that in China. We weren't fully aware of how much Lia was picking up from Austin and Lily Grace until we got home and got over the flu. The flu was something of a setback, because there wasn't much talking at all by any of us for the entire month of January.

"Eee, Er, San!"

Gradually, we all got better and Lia decided she'd have to start trying a little English, forgoing her native tongue on occasion and mixing a few English words with a few Chinese words to convey her thoughts. We called her new language "Chinglish," pronounced "Cheen glish." It was certainly a funny thing to behold. She'd say something with all the authority of a grade school teacher on the first day of class and wait with great expectation on our response. Sometimes, she would be rewarded with a correct response from her confused new family. Most times she'd have to try again and again. Since the word we had learned for potty apparently didn't match the Datong dialect of Mandarin, Lia decided the best way to inform us of an impending problem was to jump up and down and point where she thought a potty might be located. We learned this one very quickly! Now, both Lily Grace and Lia Faith use the jump up and down method to gain access to potty.

"Two Peas in a Pod!"

It was also interesting to see Lia teach Lily how to count in Chinese. Now they both can count to ten, with absolute correctness in their tones - which is very critical in the Chinese language. They both love to watch Ni Hao, Kai Lin and are learning quite a bit of Chinese language from that. They even have a Dora episode that we got in China that's completely in Chinese. Hilarious, watching this little Hispanic girl speak in Chinese. I guess that's no different from watching these little Chinese girls speaking in English.

"Reflecting"

After a time spent exercising both her native tongue and her newly discovered English, Lia decided to drop most of the Chinese. Apparently, she finally figured out we weren't getting it and she wasn't getting what she asked for most of the time. So she went boldly into the unknown and began uttering complete English phrases that actually meant something. Her ENT asked us one day "How many English phrases does she say?" Our answer of several was quickly followed by a "that I can understand!" Oops. On second thought, not many. We understand, but probably no one else could. In fact, Connie and Lily could understand her better than I could and that's still true today. But I know that her English is improving greatly. Tonight, Lily Grace had her book taken away because she had pulled out a few pages. A few minutes later, Lia Faith, aka the messenger, appeared in our bedroom, hands on hips, and issued a stern warning from her big sister "Lily Grace wants her book back!" It was hilarious to see the expression on her face - she knew without a doubt that she was delivering a demand from on high, though she didn't know the consequences of her complicit involvement with her big sister's plea. "Oh, yeah, gimme your book too, you little co-conspirator!" Lia also knows when the tone of our voices means someone's in trouble. As soon as she hears something that sounds like the least bit of trouble, she begins singing like a canary - "I not do nothing, Lily did it!" Ah, the joys of the twin twisters. We'll never again know "Who done it" and will be left to conduct investigations and inquiries for the serious offenses of these two, while laughing off the misdemeanors.

"Daddy, Do You Think Mommy Will Like It?"

Today, Lia's English is more than sufficient and we fully expect that she'll be able to communicate well enough by the end of the summer to join Lily Grace at school. In fact, Lia's already planning for it. She has a backpack on her wall and won't let anyone move it, because she knows that one day she'll need it for school. Wait'll she springs the Chinglish on those poor, unsuspecting teachers at Lindsay Lane. If their response is anything like ours, the cute expressions on her face and the beauty of her eyes will ensure she never gets more than a slight nod when time comes for dishing out discipline. As for the other children, Lia will be able to choose between English and Chinglish as she wishes to keep 'em guessing!

Love,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, and Lia Faith
Green, Party of Five

Three Mothers ... Only One Mommy

They each have a different mother, but all of them have the same Mommy. Since they were adopted at ages two and three, Lily Grace and Lia Faith each have their own birth mothers, separate from Austin's. But the one thing they all have in common is one Mommy. Her name is Connie Jo and she is mommy to Austin and the two China dolls who now dominate the landscape of our happy and humble home. Austin and his two sisters are most certainly blessed to have such a mommy. A mommy who is pouring herself into her kids, investing in their lives, and expecting nothing in return. Today we say Happy Mother's Day, mommy. We love you.





Fifteen years ago, Connie Jo celebrated her very first Mother's Day, with family and friends, adoring a six month old, smiling baby boy named Matthew Austin Green. We had decided to call him Austin. Her choice, but I kind of liked it, manly sounding name I thought.





Her two best friends from high school had both had children at the same time - literally. One was even still in the hospital with her new son when we showed up to welcome Austin into this world. You can imagine the surprise on the doctor's face when she showed up to deliver the baby, only to find two ladies in PJs! Alas, though, Dr. Kakani figure out who was delivering on this day and made quick work of bring Austin into our lives at 3:28 am on November 15th, 1993. I still remember telling my mom that he was 7 inches long and weighed 19 lbs, news she received, I'm sure, at quite some shock. Of course, I had the numbers backward. We had a normal little boy, not a bowling ball! Over the years, God blessed us with many happy times as Austin grew into the young man he is today.



Many Mother's Days came and went, but mommy stayed the same. Always loving, always caring, always making sure her Austin knew he was loved and cared for like no other. We never had other children, for reasons that would become obvious later in life, and so mommy poured out her life into her little man. I am a firm believer that if you shower your children with love and teach them about the Love of the Father, they will turn out fine. And Austin has. We are so very proud of the young man he has become.



Four and a half years ago in Juijang City, a young mother gave birth to a baby girl. A girl that, for reasons known only to her and to God, she could not keep. And so she placed her at the gate of the orphanage on the day she was born. Sadly, while the birth of this little girl certainly qualified her as a mother, this Chinese mother would never know the joy of being a mommy to her little girl.



She would never hold her as she cried out for the emotional nourishment so important in the early years of a child's life. She would never see her take her first steps or offer her first words for an unsuspecting world. She would never see her grow to become a little girl, then a young lady, and someday perhaps a mother herself. Oftentimes, I wonder if this Chinese mother is broken over the loss of this baby girl from her life or if her life is so difficult that she finds it a heartbreaking experience to even try to remember.



I am certainly guilty of not praying as often as I should for this Chinese mother, so today, I offer this prayer for her, in hopes that she is still able to benefit from its request. "Father, I beg of You to bring joy into this unknown mother's life. I pray You will make her days easy and that she enjoys the full abundance of Your love, even if she doesn't know that it is You. I pray that You comfort her, as it must weigh heavy on her heart that she wasn't able to keep her little girl. And I pray that she knows that her little girl is loved and cared for and that her 'mommy' is pouring her life into to her, just as she is doing for a son of her own born 11 years earlier. Father, most of all, I pray that, if this Chinese mother is unacquainted with Your love and the offer of salvation that Your son gave to all of us, that today will be the day that this becomes known to her. I pray that she is given the opportunity and accepts the gift of Your salvation this very Mother's Day. So that one day, she may see her little girl again and be filled with joy through a Heavenly reunion. And Father, I thank You for the privilege of witnessing mothers and mommies given in love to do Your will. Amen."



A little over three years ago in Datong, another little girl was born to her Chinese mother. Though she had every desire and intention to keep this little girl, she soon discovered that she could not. She was born with a physical anomaly that may have lead to her mother's decision to give her up, hoping that someone else could provide medical care that would be necessary. The condition, likely present at birth, did not seem to be getting any better. And medical care was a luxury not available to her, as she worried about her little girl. So after four months of wishing and hoping, she finally decided to leave her little girl at the hospital so she could be treated, while she, herself, returned to her own life. And so there she left her, maybe even watching to make sure that someone took her little girl inside before something happened to her at that busy intersection. Probably very sad at losing her little girl, but relieved that the little girl would have the chance to receive the care she, herself, could not provide. How difficult it must have been to watch, as the policemen came and took the little girl inside, never again to be seen by her Chinese mother.





We don't know what name she was given by her Chinese mother, and I guess we never will. But we know that the name given her by the authorities in China means "To Praise Glory and High Honor." How fitting for our little Easter miracle baby girl. And for her Chinese mother, we also offer a Mother's Day prayer. "Father, please, on this special day, we ask that You show favor on our little girl's Chinese mother. That she would be comforted in the knowledge that, while it was difficult for her, the decision to leave her daughter at the hospital was according to Your plan. That others may see her and know that You are still in the miracle business. That she is healed and growing more and more each day comforted by the knowledge that she is with her forever family. And that she now has a 'mommy' that will pour out her life into her. We pray that somehow, today she knows that her little girl, given up at four months, has been healed by Your mighty power and that Your grace and mercy will follow her all her days. We pray also that she hears of Your love and the salvation offered through Jesus Christ. And that she gives herself for Your glory, claiming the victory that is Yours and giving her also the opportunity to see her little girl once again in Your presence. We ask these things of a most gracious and giving Father. Amen."








Today at church, we played something of a secular song called "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle," which has the line "There ought to be a hall of fame for mamas, Creation's most unique and precious pearl." So, with all due respect to the mothers and mommies of the world, we nominate our own for the Hall of Fame! Happy Mother's Day!!!!



Love,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, Lily Grace, and Lia Faith
Green, Party of Five