From Kelli: Jasmine Ellsbury just might be one of the sweetest and most genuine teenagers I know. Her attitude and perspective is amazing and gives me pause on a daily basis. Jasmine was adopted as a teenager by Dan and Lisa Ellsbury, and she currently lives in Iowa with her forever family. Jasmine created her own blog recently as she hopes that by telling her story and the story of adoption that others will be moved towards adoption.
Jasmine’s story is important and it will take your breath away. Yesterday many of us shared our stories and those of waiting children to our friends and congregations on Orphan Sunday. We know in our hearts that the need is real, but in reading Jasmine’s story, you’ll truly comprehend that adoption is so much more than giving a child a home, it’s about giving them a chance at life and all the opportunities that they deserve. You can follow Jasmine’s blog here.
Jasmine’s Story:
I was left at the orphanage.
I wasn’t an orphan when I was born. My grandma and grandpa took care of me, not my mom dad. My parents visited me once or twice (at my grandparents). My grandma was very nice to me. However, my grandpa liked to drink, and then he would hit me.
However, one day my life changed.
One time when I was in school, my grandma came to get me before the class ended. I thought it was strange. She and the teacher talked a little bit, but I didn’t know what they were talking about.
When we left, I asked her why we left so early and she said we were going to see my brother. Then I was very happy! I ask her really? and she said yes.
My grandma and me rode a couple of hours to Guiyang. Then there was a man who took us to the office. I didn’t know why they took us to the office. It was still a mystery to me.
When they finished talking, I was very happy because we were going to see my brother. However, when we got there, what I saw wasn’t my brother, it was a lot of kids. Then my grandma said she would pick me up at Chinese New Year. That’s when I realized that it was an orphanage.
I cried when I asked my grandma to not to leave me there, but she didn’t look at me at once. Why did she lie to me that we were going to see my brother? I can’t imagine that she lied to me. At that time I was eight years old and I was very scared.
I don’t understand why she abandoned me. I asked her many times when she left me, but she just left me and then she was gone.
Jasmine’s mom’s (Lisa) words:
We had brought clothes to donate to the orphanage. We were just going to give them to the orphanage workers who brought her to meet us but Jasmine really wanted to go back to the orphanage and hand the clothes out herself. It was a five hour trip both ways to visit her orphanage. We tried to talk her out of it. The guide said some of the roads to the orphanage were barely passable and it was in the middle of no where. But she kept saying, “Please, may I hand out the clothes?” Dan and I didn’t have the heart to tell her no. Plus, we wanted to see where she had lived the last six years of her life.
When we got there we toured the building. I can not imagine walking in and leaving your child in one of these buildings. We saw the room she slept in. We saw the room where she spent most of her days. We saw the steps that they had to piggyback her up. We understood how hard it was for them to move her from floor to floor. Months later when she told us they dropped her on those stairs, we understood what that meant.
In the end, although it was heartbreaking to see, I am glad we took the time to make the trip.
We pulled out the two big suitcases and the little children sat in front of her. Jasmine got to hand them outfits. She was so happy. We just stood back and watched her.
I can’t even begin to describe what that moment was like and now looking back after all she has told me, I don’t know how she did it. I can guess part of the why she did it. She wanted to show them her family. She wanted them to know that we did, in fact, want her. She wanted to be kind to them even after all the things they had said and done to her. The more I learn about her, the more in awe I am of her.
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