The Heart Of Hanna

Nine days from this moment, I am in the air to Vietnam! Five days ago, I re-ran a post entitled, In Search Of A Child. It was the story of Hanna McAdams, one of my student teacher aides, and her Christmas Day trip back to Vietnam, the land of her birth. In her own words, this is the tale of her journey with her wonderful parents who made it possible. Above, she is surrounded by family and her grandfather, who cannot believe how tall she is! How blessed Hanna is to be loved on two continents by two families! This is from January 15, 2010

On Christmas day I left Houston, TX to start my journey to Vietnam. Traveling to Vietnam was not easy but it was worth the trouble. We landed in Ho Chi Minh City. We spent our time walking around exploring and keeping cool in the heat. My parents and I soon met up with our group. We really liked our group and we soon became like one big family.

After four days in Ho Chi Minh city we took a plane north to Hanoi. I am from and was born in Hoa Binh which is about two hours driving from Hanoi. The weather in Hanoi was much more bearable. The temperature was 60-70. Being a tourist was great but I was ready to meet my birth family. I met my birth family at the orphanage where I stayed before being adopted. Although I did not meet my birth mother or sister, I met other family. This family included my grandfather, two aunts, cousins, and uncles. Upon seeing me, they all bawled and came up hugging me. They also immediately pushed back my bangs looking for the birthmark that since then has been removed. When I saw my grandfather crying, I could not hold back my tears.

Tears were soon replaced by laughter. We talked briefly through a translator. We mostly communicated through gestures. My family kept touching me all over. The translator said they were checking if I was healthy and strong. My grandpa kept touching my legs and chuckling. They probably thought I was fat but not in the same way as Americans perceive fat. I gave them a photo album of me through the years and various other gifts. They gave me homegrown fruit, which was delicious.

Talking to my birth family and the orphanage director, I discovered what I was like for the first three years of life. My grandfather said that I used to cry a lot for his attention. He also he used to carry me on his back while he worked in the field. He is seventy -three years old and still works twelve hours a day. The orphanage director said I had a good voice and I liked to sing songs. She also said she knew I was smart because I learned songs quickly.

Saying good-bye was sad but I plan to come back soon to meet my birth family. I think we all felt like we found the part of family that we thought was missing. Finding each other filled a place in our hearts and minds. I have come from Vietnam with a deeper understanding of where I come from that will stay with me the rest of my life.

Sincerely from the typing fingers of, Hanna McAdams

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

http://www.hawleybooks.com

E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com