Abandoned, But Not Lost

We (Barret and I) made it! After seven log hours of treacherous driving over mountains, through jungle areas, between tiny villages, around rocks, and crossing rivers, we found the exact spot where our little Qing Zu Qiao (Poppy) was abandoned a little less than three years ago. The journey was half the excitement, but when we saw these beautiful people of the minority Yao tribe, many whom still wear their traditional native attire, we were stunned by the remarkable facial features that resembled Poppy's. We photographed a grandmother and her grandchild who we thought looked so much like our little Qiao Qiao that we couldn't stop staring at them. They were kind enough to let us photograph them (see photograph to the left). Poppy certainly lived among some lovely people for six months of her life, and also among some of the most beautiful terrain we've ever seen. The picture in the upper left hand corner marks the spot where Poppy was abandoned, and where she was also found. She would have been wrapped in some blankets and placed, early in the morning, on either side of this road. Needless to state, it was a bit eerie being there, standing in the very place where it all started for us Kruggel's with this remarkable gift from God.

The girls all stayed back (a wise choice), and are zonked out in bed right now. In fact, it's about midnight and I really need to hit the hay myself. I'll try to write and tell you more tomorrow about our exciting adventure to find Poppy's home town, but for now I'm going to call it a day. We're (all of us) exhausted. (Barret and I spent over 13 hours in the car.)

Thank you for praying for our trek. It was dangerous driving conditions, to state the least, and we're glad to be back with our family.

Gratefully in Christ,

Tom