They're not sure about the one they're going to.

But they also don't care.

"When we started planning this, I said if we're going to do it, let's just go to the most rural orphanage there is," said Trisha Gilbert.

They decided that an orphanage in the city might be their best bet: after all, they don't speak Chinese, so the stay will have enough challenges without adding lack of basic services to it.

Trisha, 20, and Bonnie, 22, plan to leave for China the day after Christmas. They'll do most of the legwork themselves, like buying the airline tickets and collecting bottles, diapers and baby clothing to bring to the orphanage.

But they'll get some help from the China Care Foundation, based in Westport, through which they will be working.

The China Care Foundation is a relatively new group that facilitates Chinese adoptions and also helps disabled Chinese orphan babies get a second chance at adoption.

There are many orphans in China. Those who are deemed disabled in any way face an even slimmer chance of being adopted than others.

"They count anything as a disability," said Trisha, "something like cleft palate or club foot that could be easily fixed in the United States."

China Care amasses donations that allow these poorest of orphans to have surgery to correct their disabilities, thus making them more likely to be adopted.

The babies are sent from their home orphanage to a special China Care facility, where they await surgery and recuperate afterward.

That's where Trisha and Bonnie will be heading: to one of those special orphanages where babies mend after their operations.

"A lot of our time will be spent staying overnight in the hospital with the babies who are having the surgeries," said Bonnie.

When they're back at the orphanage, they'll spend their time tending the wounds, dressing them, changing diapers - generally caring for the babies as a mother would.

It might sound like an unusual thing for a couple of college girls to do during their school break.

But it's not unusual for these two. Both of them spend time volunteering through local charities, and they love children.

Trisha is a former Miss Emerald Isle, the queen of Milford's St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Alderman Marti Hardiman, parade chairman, said he wasn't surprised when he got a letter recently asking for a contribution to help fund the Gilbert's China mission.

"Both of them have always been around young children," said Hardiman. "They've always been around babies. They're just loving, caring kids.

"I'm pleased they're doing this. They'll be great at it. They'll probably want to adopt a half dozen of them," he said.

The two Gilbert sisters will certainly have to fight that urge. Their mother, Linda, runs a daycare, and she said Trisha and Bonnie have been her right hands; they're naturals with children.

Trisha has helped teach dance to autistic children at the Dance Studio in Milford, and Bonnie has always had a passion for helping to outfit needy children.

"Bonnie and I have an obsession with buying things for little children," said Trisha.

Bonnie has always talked about one day adopting a baby from China, and the family is sure she will one day.

Why all the selflessness from a couple of college students?

"Bonnie and I want to help kids," Trisha said. "Kids don't have a lot of say in their lives."

The Gilberts live in a modest home in Devon, but their hearts hold more than a modest amount of compassion.

"We had a pretty nice life growing up," Trisha said. "We have a mom and a dad who've always worked hard. We're the typical middle class American family."

She and Bonnie said they want to share some of that with the babies they'll find in China, babies who otherwise might come back from surgery to an orphanage with no loving arms to hold them.

The girls are looking for monetary donations, which may be sent to Bonnie Gilbert or China Care Foundation, 7 Robert St., Milford, CT. The check memo should read Gilbert volunteer.

They recently sent letters to friends and family asking for donations to help foot the $10,000 bill. They need about $5,000 for the travel and food, and the rest to buy items to donate to the orphanage.

In addition to funds, Bonnie and Trisha are looking for items to bring to the orphanage, including cleft palate nursing bottles, bibs, infant spoons, non-electric baby food grinders, disposable diapers, pacifiers, baby Tylenol, baby socks and clothing, toys and baby blankets.