China Adoption Photo Essay, by Donna Scholl Photography

Journeys of the Heart: A Chinese Adoption Journal
Part One

The adoption process begins with a hope--a hope that must sustain through months of waiting and mountains of paperwork. Adoptive parents must initially complete a dossier for the adoption agency, which is then translated into Chinese and processed by the Chinese government. Many months later, from out of the files of the hundreds of thousands of babies orphaned each year in China, a single baby is selected. Miracles do happen.

After waiting 14 months and traveling 10,000 miles, Jim and Ramona Chin of Batavia, IL, rejoice at meeting their new daughter, Jenna, from Dianbai, China, in western Guangdong Province. For reasons of privacy, the new parents were not allowed to visit the baby's foster home but rather were taken to a local police station to wait for the baby to arrive with her caregivers. More papers to sign, more money to deliver, but this time, the long wait is over.

The bureaucratic formalities continue, this time with a visit to the U.S.Embassy in Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton). The newly adopted infant, full of innocence and wonder, is nonetheless a Chinese citizen and is subject to standard U.S. immigration interrogation. Mike and Jane Mielenz of Elk Grove, IL, respond to questions about whether or not their new daughter Jessica has ever been involved in seditious activities.

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	The adoption process begins with a hope--a hope that must sustain through months of waiting and mountains of paperwork. Adoptive parents must initially complete a dossier for the adoption agency, which is then translated into Chinese and processed by the Chinese government. Many months later, from out of the files of the hundreds of thousands of babies orphaned each year in China, a single baby is selected. Miracles do happen.
	After waiting 14 months and traveling 10,000 miles, Jim and Ramona Chin of Batavia, IL, rejoice at meeting their new daughter, Jenna, from Dianbai, China, in western Guangdong Province. For reasons of privacy, the new parents were not allowed to visit the baby's foster home but rather were taken to a local police station to wait for the baby to arrive with her caregivers. More papers to sign, more money to deliver, but this time, the long wait is over.
	The bureaucratic formalities continue, this time with a visit to the U.S.Embassy in Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton). The newly adopted infant, full of innocence and wonder, is nonetheless a Chinese citizen and is subject to standard U.S. immigration interrogation. Mike and Jane Mielenz of Elk Grove, IL, respond to questions about whether or not their new daughter Jessica has ever been involved in seditious activities.