We arrived at our hotel last night around 12:00am. Our traveling was smooth and uneventful. Thank you so much for all of your prayers. Our guide, Sherry, met us at the airport and she and the driver brought us to our hotel, The Grand Mercure. This morning we've had free time to get things unpacked and get settled in. We've been down to the breakfast buffet already and now we are getting ready to go out with Sherry to pick up some basic things we need. We are also going to try to find some shops with local items so that Mia can have some things from her native province. We are going to try to get that done today since Mia may not be up for shopping.
There's already a small bed in our room for Mia and we have it made up and ready for her. We will be meeting her tomorrow afternoon around 4pm. (3am Sunday your time). She'll be with us from that point forward.
This morning we got to talk to our families by Skype. It was so great to see the kids' faces. It is snowing at home and they were all excited to tell us about that. Lainie couldn't understand why we were "in the computer".
Thank you all for your comments and prayers. We certainly feel them.
Love to all....
Join our family as we live out our lives to the fullest with God as our guide. It is crazy and it is chaos, but it is more abundant and full than we ever imagined!
1.29.2010
1.27.2010
Last Minute Thoughts
Today I am home finishing up the packing, cleaning, etc. I'm also having some very long conversations with God today. I'm not a very courageous person, and this trip requires courage that only He can grant. It will be quite difficult for me to walk out of my house in the darkness of the early morning tomorrow. Leaving behind four children and traveling without them to the other side of the planet is not easy for me. In fact, it has been my greatest struggle during this preparation. I'm at peace with however Mia may react to us and I'm at peace with the fact that my little family dynamic is about to change dramatically. However, as a mother, I'm struggling with the thoughts of kissing my kids goodbye tomorrow morning and not seeing their sweet faces until February 12. So, please do pray for me. I could use it about now.
Also pray in the days ahead for this journey.... Here's our itinerary....
Thursday 1-28
Fly from Charlotte (6:40am) to Newark, Newark to Beijing, and Beijing to Xi'an. Arrive in Xi'an late Friday night China time. (Mid-morning on Friday for you.)
Saturday 1-30 - Free Day (trying to recover from Jeg Lag and get settled in )
Sunday 1-31 - Meet Mia in the afternoon. She will be with us from this point on.
Monday 2 -1 Adoption registration
Tuesday 2-2 - Thursday 2-4 Sightseeing in Xi'an
Friday 2-5 Recieve Mia's passport and final paperwork. Fly to Guangzhou.
Saturday 2-6 Medical Exam and TB skin test. Pray she passes the TB test or we have to do a chest xray. It is common for them to fail the test. I've read why but I can't remember right now.
Sunday 2-7 Sightseeing in Guangzhou
Monday 2-8 Receive TB test result Fill out forms for Visa application for Mia
Tuesday 2-9 Free day
Wednesday 2-10 Swearing in Ceremony at the Consulate
Thursday 2-11 Pick up Mia's visa
Friday 2-12 - Fly from Guangzhou to Shanghai, Shanghai to Newark and Newark to home!!!!!
Thank you for your prayers and your encouragement. Please continue to leave comments on the blog. Blogger is blocked in China and my niece Katie will be updating it for us as I email her info and pics. Your comments do come directly to our e-mail which we can access in China. We love to hear from you!
Also pray in the days ahead for this journey.... Here's our itinerary....
Thursday 1-28
Fly from Charlotte (6:40am) to Newark, Newark to Beijing, and Beijing to Xi'an. Arrive in Xi'an late Friday night China time. (Mid-morning on Friday for you.)
Saturday 1-30 - Free Day (trying to recover from Jeg Lag and get settled in )
Sunday 1-31 - Meet Mia in the afternoon. She will be with us from this point on.
Monday 2 -1 Adoption registration
Tuesday 2-2 - Thursday 2-4 Sightseeing in Xi'an
Friday 2-5 Recieve Mia's passport and final paperwork. Fly to Guangzhou.
Saturday 2-6 Medical Exam and TB skin test. Pray she passes the TB test or we have to do a chest xray. It is common for them to fail the test. I've read why but I can't remember right now.
Sunday 2-7 Sightseeing in Guangzhou
Monday 2-8 Receive TB test result Fill out forms for Visa application for Mia
Tuesday 2-9 Free day
Wednesday 2-10 Swearing in Ceremony at the Consulate
Thursday 2-11 Pick up Mia's visa
Friday 2-12 - Fly from Guangzhou to Shanghai, Shanghai to Newark and Newark to home!!!!!
Thank you for your prayers and your encouragement. Please continue to leave comments on the blog. Blogger is blocked in China and my niece Katie will be updating it for us as I email her info and pics. Your comments do come directly to our e-mail which we can access in China. We love to hear from you!
1.22.2010
Mia's Journey Home
We will leave for China at 6:40am on Thursday, January 28th. We will arrive in Xi'an on January 29th at 10:25pm (China time).
The end of the wait is in sight, but the journey for Mia to become part of our family has only just begun. Today when finalizing details with our agency, our caseworker warned me to be prepared for the worst when we meet Mia. She wanted to be sure I was aware that she MAY NOT be happy to be with us. She reminded me that rejection is normal, and that attachment takes time. Thankfully, I've spent the last 6 months reading everything I can about older child adoption. I've read some inspiring stories and some terrifying ones. All I know for sure is this: I am sure God called us to this journey and He will see us through. That's it. That is all I know for sure. That is enough.
"We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life. But those who make their journey home across time & miles, growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands."--- Kristi Larson
This will be my last post until we arrive in China. Please do continue to pray for all of us as our family welcomes Mia. Pray for our children who will be staying here. This all will be a big transition for them as well.
Love to all of you and thank you for your continued support, encouragement and prayers. We are just amazed by how God has blessed us during this time. We began not knowing how we would fund Mia's adoption. God has been faithful. All the funding is in place. That is a miraculous story for another day.......
The end of the wait is in sight, but the journey for Mia to become part of our family has only just begun. Today when finalizing details with our agency, our caseworker warned me to be prepared for the worst when we meet Mia. She wanted to be sure I was aware that she MAY NOT be happy to be with us. She reminded me that rejection is normal, and that attachment takes time. Thankfully, I've spent the last 6 months reading everything I can about older child adoption. I've read some inspiring stories and some terrifying ones. All I know for sure is this: I am sure God called us to this journey and He will see us through. That's it. That is all I know for sure. That is enough.
"We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life. But those who make their journey home across time & miles, growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands."--- Kristi Larson
This will be my last post until we arrive in China. Please do continue to pray for all of us as our family welcomes Mia. Pray for our children who will be staying here. This all will be a big transition for them as well.
Love to all of you and thank you for your continued support, encouragement and prayers. We are just amazed by how God has blessed us during this time. We began not knowing how we would fund Mia's adoption. God has been faithful. All the funding is in place. That is a miraculous story for another day.......
1.19.2010
Sooner Rather Than Later
We have our Consulate Appointment for Feb 9! We ARE going to make it in and out before Chinese New Year! We will be leaving on Jan 28 or 29 - working out those details today.
Today we are so thankful to be leaving sooner rather than later. God is good. Please continue to pray for Mia's heart to be prepared as only God can do. Pray for Bobby and I as we spend this next week getting things ready. It is very hard for this mama to think about being so FAR away from my children that we will leave behind. I've been praying through Psalms 91 and it helps to know that none of us - no matter how far we go - are never too far from the Father's right hand. Thank you for your prayers thus far. They have made all the difference in our journey.
Hold on Mia. Hope is on the way.
Today we are so thankful to be leaving sooner rather than later. God is good. Please continue to pray for Mia's heart to be prepared as only God can do. Pray for Bobby and I as we spend this next week getting things ready. It is very hard for this mama to think about being so FAR away from my children that we will leave behind. I've been praying through Psalms 91 and it helps to know that none of us - no matter how far we go - are never too far from the Father's right hand. Thank you for your prayers thus far. They have made all the difference in our journey.
Hold on Mia. Hope is on the way.
1.16.2010
We Have TA!
We have Travel Approval!!!! Now - only 1 thing stands between us and travel. We are waiting to find out if we got a consulate appointment before Chinese New Year. We should know by Wednesday. If so, we will leave on January 28th. If not, we won't be able to leave until Feb 20. Praying for the 28th!!
Right now we are following along with the Horton family as they are in China to adopt Isabelle. Their daughter, Sarah Mei, was one of Lainie's orphanage friends.
http://www.thehortonhome.blogspot.com/
Right now we are following along with the Horton family as they are in China to adopt Isabelle. Their daughter, Sarah Mei, was one of Lainie's orphanage friends.
http://www.thehortonhome.blogspot.com/
1.09.2010
Waiting on Travel Approval...
1.02.2010
Happy 7th Birthday Mia!
We did receive notice that our article 5 has been signed. Now all we wait on is Travel Approval - and we are hoping to have it in the next 10 days. Then, as soon as our agency can make arrangements - we're on our way!
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