Travel and Day 1: Hutong, Silk Factory, Traditional Chinese Lunch,Tianamen Sqaure, Forbidden City

Ni Hao! It's been a whirlwind couple of days...we had an uneventful trip...flights on time, luggage all here, and we were able to make it from airport to hotel with no problem. We were sooooo tired-20 hours of travel with a 14 hour flight from Newark to Beijing was exhausting. When we arrived at our hotel (Crowne Plaza) we wanted to go to sleep, but since it was 3:30 pm here we tried our best to stay awake first, so we could talk to the boys...second, so we could try and get on the 12 hour time difference schedule. I was feeling pretty sad and home sick...I am sure some of those emotions were part of sheer exhaustion, but it wasn't a fun night. We got to talk to the boys and then went to sleep about 7:30 p.m. but woke up around midnight and could not go back to sleep. We watched Duck Dynasty (on the ipad...only a couple English shows on TV) till about 3:00 am and finally went back to sleep until 6:00 am. We went to breakfast and then had a full day of touring. With CCAI, we are always with a guide and have a travel group of around 20 people so far. It is sooo nice to be with people who are also adopting. Most of the families have their children with them though, so that does make me miss our boys even more.

Our tour of Beijing today started at a Hutong (old, traditional Chinese housing) on a rickshaw. The rickshaw right was my favorite part of the day. Next, we went to a government run silk factory. It was cool to see how silk was made, but we refrained from making any purchases due to the high prices. Then we went to a traditional Chinese lunch...our guide ordered for us and it was really very tasty, but made me sick...so I got my first experience with a squatty potty (which made me even more sick). Thank God for zolfran and immodium!!!!! And for tissues and antibac...there isn't toliet paper or soap in the yucky bathrooms. After lunch, I still didn't feel very good so it was kind of a blur, but my history buff husband enjoyed the square and Forbidden City. It was soooo smoggy though so our pictures weren't very good and we walked for MILES, but it kept me busy and my mind off wishing this trip would go quickly.

 

Richshaw ride

 



 

Forbidden City

 

Silk Factory

 

Chinese lunch with our group

 

Tomorrow, we head out for The Great Wall, chinese lunch (I won't eat), Olympic Village, and an acrobat show. It should be another full day!!! Then Sunday we say goodbye to Beijing to fly to Chloe!!! We will be united with her on Monday (China time) Sunday night (U.S. time). Goodnight from China!

Family Fun Day

No more work, no more to dos (well maybe a few) its just a day to enjoy with my precious ones!!! Ethan wants to go to Golden Corral-no joke  and Gavin wants to go to Disney World! Guess we shall see what today brings!!! It's sure to be memorable:)

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father! There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changes not, Thy compassions, they fail not : Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

God is faithful!! How do I know? We have trusted him for big, crazy, miraculous, move mountains things in this last year and a half. I was looking back at my testimony I wrote for church for how God was working in my life a year ago...here is the condensed version of what I wrote...

Until recently, I have lived most of my adult life as a spiritually complacent Christian....not rejecting God but not totally in love with him either. That all changed recently when various life circumstances led Nick and I to seriously seek God's will for our lives in the area of adoption. Specifically to adopt a little girl with special needs from China. I prayed God would break my heart for what breaks His and boy did he answer. I can no longer sleep at night and pretend this world isn't full of suffering or pretend there aren't orphans....millions of them living in conditions most of us would shudder at the thought of. I can no longer pretend that some aren't hungry, scared, and have never known love of any kind....some have incredible special needs. My heart aches. As I scoured the bible for verses related to orphans God began to change me, not just in my burden did orphans of this world, but he totally made over my heart, my marriage, our finances, my desires. I could share so many verses and passages that have spoken to meme over the course of these last months. I am so excited about what God's Word has done in our lives. Phillipians 3:16 says God is working in you giving you the power and desire to do what He pleases. That week there was no denying what God was telling us "to do" was to surrender to His call to adopt a baby with special needs internationally with limited resources to do so on our own. This seems crazy to even us-we have two small children of our own, limited resources, and time and why in the world China?! This is certainly not a safe, comfortable, easy plan in the eyes of man, but God keeps reminding me every time I open His word that my job isn't to have it all figured out. David Platt says in his book Radical that when we see a biblical picture of Jesus, we realize the greatness of who He is demands the surrender of all we are and all we have. Our job is to deny ourselves and follow him with radical devotion. James 1:22 says Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. For us this means living out James 1:27 to look after orphans and widows in their distress with sacrificial devotion.

I needed to read and write this today so I could be reminded how mighty God is....He has moved many mountains for us and He deserves all our devotion.

Life after TA

Life after TA is crazy, insane, emotional...its like a race that never ends, but you know the grand prize it worth it! Here's what's been done in these last six days-

-more passport photos
-book airline tickets (took 2 days for hours each day)
-print and read 30 page travel packet from agency
-print and copy ALL the millions of documents we need to bring
-have sweet friend's husband fix both our computers which were not working
-garage door broke (of course) get it fixed
-send cashier's check overnight to agency
-banking
-arrange all household things while gone (yard, bills, school for boys, etc)
-finishing shopping for necessary travel items
-contact international adoption dr. for scripts
-arrange surgery for once home
-schedule peditrician visit once home
-downloads VPNs
-Verizon for calling options
-PACK everything for 17 days in two bags under 50 lbs.
-pack orphanage donations
-set up house for Chloe's return (high chair, crib sheet washed, pack n play)
-LOVE ON MY BABY BOYS!!!

There's more...my brain is just totally on overload so this is all I can think of off hand!

Planning to do one more post before we leave, but if I run out of time (tomorrow is FAMILY DAY) then talk to you from China!!!

Travel Approval

Late last night we finally got these two little letters in our inbox! We are going to China!

Words will never be able to express the emotions...the enormity of what we are about to do...a dream that has been mine for so many years is happening shortly. Our daughter will be in our arms sooo soon! Chloe Rae, we are coming!!!!

Celebrating Chloe

Last Friday night our lifegroup celebrated Chloe! Pool, BBQ, and yummy cake! It was a great night!!!

Bumps in the Road (Thanks Maureen)

This has been a frustrating two weeks! We have been waiting on our travel approval (one little piece of paper that says we can come to China to get Chloe) for 18 LOOOOONNNNNGGG days! The most irritating part is that little approval hasn't come because of computer/printer issues/updates at the CCCWA. It is really hard to believe computers and printers are keeping us from our Chloe...and to add to that frustration...the US Consulate is closing for TWO WEEKS in July...so if we don't get our travel approval soon we won't be able to get a Consulate appt (to get Chloe's visa) till late JULY!!! I cry at the thought of that! It's been almost 90 days since we have seen Chloe's face!! 90 days...this mama's heart is about to burst...really need that travel approval soon! Our Pastor recently preached a message about us being on God's side and not God being on our side...a concept He is really trying to teach me through all of this. It's a hard lesson...and one that sure doesn't come naturally. Last night, I found out one of our fellow adoptive mamas came home yesterday from China with a new son and daughter. Her son had a serious heart condition and passed away after their return. This hurts my heart...and gets me to thinking why can't adoption be easier...why can't we get to our medically needy children sooner...why in the world are computers and printers stopping us from getting to China. God has a plan...I believe that...therefore, I have hope...despite my heavy heart and frustrations!!!

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will WAIT for him."
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:22-26

Here's a link to my friend Maureen's blog...she does a wonderful job of explaining the details of all the Bumps in the Road that we are experiencing right now. Love her!!!

http://www.findingmeimei.blogspot.com/