Wo Ai Ni, Mommy!

I recently purchased a dvd called “Wo Ai Ni, Mommy” (I love you, Mommy). We watched it as a family last Sunday. It is a splendidly well done documentary about a family who adopted an 8-year-old daughter from China.

The parents, Jeff & Donna, have two biological teenage sons and a 3-year-old daughter adopted from China at 14 months. They’ve decided to adopt again, but their existing daughter makes it clear she wants to remain the “baby” of the family, so this time they chose to adopt an older child. Fang Sui Yong, whom they named Faith, was nearly 9-years-old when they got her.

The film begins a day or two before the trip to China to get Faith. Jeff is staying home with the children, as the family decided that perhaps their 3-year-old daughter might be a bit of a distraction. They knew during the two week trip that the focus needed to be on Faith. Donna’s father offered to travel with her, so Mom & Grandpa traveled, while Grandma stayed at the house to help out Dad.

I really appreciated the sincere and honest insight that was shown throughout the film…in regards to decisions about travel, the ups & downs during the two weeks in China, the struggles for adjustment at home and the emotional rewards as Faith begins to blossom.

Faith was confused as to why her parents would even want a Chinese daughter...not familiar with the way multiculturalism is widely accepted in the U.S.A. She balked at learning English at first, complaining about how difficult it was, but by the time she’d been in the U.S. 17 months, she’d lost her Chinese completely. She wasn’t able to speak with her friends back in China.

I highly recommend this film to anyone considering or in the process of adopting a school-aged child. It doesn’t sugar coat, yet is still inspirational. The “highs” are that much better, because you’ve seen some of the “lows” that were experienced in order to get there.

I truly hope our extended family will take the time to watch our copy of it prior to Shaling’s arrival.

Donna & Faith meet for the first time.



Donna & Faith, sitting on a couch as an interpreter helps them chat. We may be sitting on this VERY couch in a couple of months on the day we meet Shaling.


Faith, after a year and a half with her new family.