CHINA. Inner Mongolia. 1992. Sister Maria (70 years old) with an orphan, who she has adopted. The baby must have been a “Chaoshengzi”, the second child of a ‘one child family’ policy. In this village, if a “Chaoshengzi” is found, the parents are fined 3000 Yuan. Those who have adopted “Chaoshengzi” are also fined.Sister Maria helplessly hid the babies in a sheep barn, or left them in the care of distant families, but authorities still did come to investigate her upon catching a rumour. The Sister kept insisting that the babies had died, and she was finally released. Sister Maria is a Sister in laity, and she looks after the villagers who are ill, baptizes villagers and devotes herself to other religious activities voluntarily.
Lu Nan. Yunnan Province (1993). Miao tribe Catholics visiting the grave of a relative.anniversary of the death of a Miao tribe Catholic.