1/2 The rainbow's end

Since we last wrote, our little Dorothy clicked the heels of her red slippers and has made it home at last. Since we had trouble posting pictures in China and finding the time to share our experiences with you, we are planning to finish the blog in the next few days. We want to tell you the rest of the story and share some pictures of Jen. We hope you enjoy it....

In the past several days, I have been thinking a lot about rainbows. When I look at Jen, wonderful thoughts about rainbows come to mind. I can't help but think of Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz and her singing about that land somewhere over the rainbow. As you know, Dorothy makes it all the way to Oz only to discover that there is no place like home. It is just a children's story but the message is powerful...

In this troubled world, it is amazing to me that there can still be a "somewhere over the rainbow" kind of experience for a child. A child who longed for a different life in a different place was given that gift. Can you imagine longing to have a mother and father for 10 long years only to have it happen one day? All the care and love that the orphanage provided could never fulfill that longing. And now, in a twinkling of an eye, she has gone from orphan to daughter.

Just as with every child and in every life, there will be sunshine and rainclouds ahead. But for now we are basking in the glow of the rainbow which stood at Jen's feet and led her over to a new life and a new world with us. Adoption is the gift that says to a child, "You are a person of worth, you matter, you are loved and your life has meaning and purpose. You are dear to us."

Jen has found like so many others that be it ever so humble, there is no place like home...there is no place like home.

12/27 The Pearl River

The Pearl River flows by our hotel as I have said and in some ways it is symbolic of the China that we have seen during our visit. Actually, we haven't seen China. Instead we have seen a small corner of big city (~12 million) in the midst of a vast country. But from what we have seen, China, like the Pearl River, is on the move.

It is a mix of old and new here. There are at least 3 Chinas it seems and maybe 4 or more. There is rural China with its 700 million farmer/peasants that we didn't see. There is the inner city of China which we have caught glimpses of and that represents millions upon millions more. Then there is the China that looks and acts much like the West. We have seen that mostly in the young people. I suppose you could drop many of these folks right down in Houston's Galleria mall and they would not feel out of place. Cell phones, trendy clothes and fashion are all the rage here among the young. We have come half way around the world to be reminded that people are the same wherever you go -- the same hopes, the same dreams. We may speak differently and eat different food but we are part of the same world. The Olympic theme for Beijing 2008 is "One World...One Dream"-- that kind of sums up what I am saying. There is much of China that I have enjoyed. The Chinese are physically fit and active -- you see people of all ages playing the equivalent of Hacky Sack using a feathered, weighted thing instead of a bean bag. You see the older people doing their daily exercises in public places. A soldier asked me to take a picture of him and his family at the garden. His smile and the kindness in his eyes made me see again that people are just people. I thought I should be afraid -- but he was just out for a day of sightseeing with his family. We were from two worlds but for a brief moment we were just two people sharing a pleasant moment in a beautiful place.

12/27 Reflections on our journey

We have a few days left here in Guangzhou before we pack up for the long journey home.
Jen is doing very well and we are begin to learn more about her as her personality is emerging.
She continues to be a thoughtful child and is expressing affection toward us on her own. Now that she has made the initial adjustment to us, we are learning to make the adjustment of being parents. Out of necessity, our initial relationship to her has been almost like playmates since we have so many barriers to cross. Besides great fun, activities like pillowfighting have been great ice breakers that have enabled us to show affection and relate to Jen at a very basic level. Ambushing Kristy with pillows after she emerges from the bathroom always gets a huge grin from Jen. Now we are transitioning to the more traditional roles of parenting -- setting boundaries and setting the groundrules for life. The situation has put a lot of expectations on Jen -- we are in public constantly to eat, to shop, for adoption procedures, etc. She has behaved spectacularly but it will be nice to finally be home where she can just be a little girl without so many burdens placed upon her. There we expect to see yet another side of her.

You may wonder what one does in Guangzhou for two weeks. The actual adoption procedures here require less than a few hours stretched out over 3 or 4 days. Once we got Jen, we had to return to the adoption offices for some very brief paperwork to finalize her adoption. After a quick trip to a health clinic for a routine check of vital signs, etc. we went to another office to receive her adoption decree. Ever since then, our guide has handled the remaining issues which pertain to obtaining a passport for Jen and a visa from the US Consulate. We'll make a trip tomorrow to the consulate for Jen's sake and then we are free to leave China.

In between those required procedures, we have shopped and shopped, shopped and shopped some more...did I mention shopping? Not that we have bought that much but it is what one does to pass the time. Not that I am complaining because sometimes I go shopping on my own -- I enjoy just being here and experiencing life here. Guangzhou is the mandatory stop for all US citizens who are bringing home adopted children. With 7,000+ children headed to the US each year, that means some 7,000 families pass this way with money and time to spend as they wait. As a result, an entire cottage industry surrounding adoption has sprung up in this little corner of Guangzhou --- perhaps 10 blocks long and 5 blocks wide. Shops and more shops of baby clothes, Chinese arts and crafts, luggage, laundry services and various stores support the flow of Americans and others who come and go. Most storekeepers speak some English and they are eager to show you their wares. Buying is a game of haggling and those who enjoy haggling would enjoy the game here. Guangzhou is not a tourist destination for Westerners so by and large, if you are in this quarter and are American, you are here to adopt a baby. Shop clerks want to know your child's name, home province, age, etc. Most presume that Jen was adopted years ago and that we have returned for seconds. Many speak to her and comment on her beautiful looks.
I guess I am partial but I think cuteness and beauty is a special gift that God has given to these little babies and children.

During our time, we have seen a few museums, visited the zoo and saw a beautiful mountainside garden (Yun Tai Gardens, I think). The highlight of the zoo was the giant panda who was eating bamboo. The gardens were beautiful -- worth a visit to anyone who comes, I think. Otherwise we have been studying English in the room. Jen has also been doing paint by numbers, a simple needlepoint for beginners and watching Doraemon and Tom & Jerry (popular here).

Each day has been about the same with respect to our schedule. We have a final day today of shopping before we try to pack tomorrow. We have met some nice American families from all over who are adopting as well. The hotel buffet is the gathering ground for families and I would say on any given day that 1/2 of the people we see there are Americans. This is a 5 star hotel of 25+ stories. In terms of total Americans here at any given time it is hard to say. We are seeing maybe 20 families at breakfast. They come and go as they arrive from the provinces with their bundles of joy and then fly out to the States. It is an amazing thing. We have been here long enough now to see an almost complete turnover of families.

I'll post again this morning. Pictures are still a problem -- I am sorry. I so wanted to post them and will try again before we leave.

12/25 A Christmas Gift

Merry Christmas to everyone. We hope you are having a wonderful holiday with those you love.

This Christmas, Kristy and I received a treasured gift for Christmas. It was the gift of love. But the gift wasn't for us -- it was for us to give away. It was a gift that cost us nothing but is worth everything. The gift came to us but was always intended for another person.

We gave the gift to Jen. Never has giving a gift felt so wonderful. It is the kind of love that enables you to love a child you have never met and know little about. It is the kind of love that keeps you up at night -- wondering from far away how she is and what she is doing.

Last night on Christmas Eve, Jen lay snuggled between her bear and her pig in between us as we watched "The Polar Express". She was basking in the love that was surrounding her. The more love we give her, the more she soaks in.

That is all that I need to say tonight. We received a great gift and were able to give it away to a child. I never knew it would be like this. Her smile tells the tale. No more words are necessary.

Tonight in Guangzhou, China, a little girl will lay in her bed cuddled up to her bear and know that she has a Momma and a Daddy. And when she wakes, we will be there to greet her. That is a Christmas gift that is too great for words.

Merry Christmas !!

12/25 Visit to Jen's orphanage

Hi everyone,
We want to wish you a Merry Christmas from Guangzhou, China!! We have had a wonderful day here. I want to catch you up on what has been happening here. Thank you for your love and prayers. They are bearing fruit as things continue to go so well for Jen, Kristy and I.

I wanted to tell you about our visit to Jen's hometown last week as it was a very important journey for us. Ever since we began to plan our trip to China, we had hoped to visit her orphanage in Zhuhai -- a city by the sea which has a thrived due to the economic boom in this province. You can watch a promotional video of the city on this blog (it launches a YouTube clip). Zhuhai is a modern city but still has the mix of old and new like so many other places we have seen.

On Thursday, Dec 20th, we took a van with our guide to Zhuhai (about 2 hours). The countryside is dotted with factories and they are building more and more infrastructure to support the growth. Since our guide and driver were not familiar with the location of the orphanage, it took a while to negotiate the streets to locate it. While they were looking, Kristy noticed that Jen began to smile as she realized we were nearby. As we turned in to the drive, she was grinning. At that point, her smiles were few and far between so this was a welcome sign. To give you a bit of history, it was our dear hope to go inside the orphanage. That was a privilege that I was looking forward to. So along the way our hopes rose and fell and we heard we couldn't get in and then that we could and then that we could not, etc. In the final days before departure, we go a definitive no to our great disappointment. However by then, we were so close to getting Jen that its importance had faded somewhat.　

Emotionally, I　ｈａｄ　ｐｒｅｐａｒｅｄ　ｍｙｓｅｌｆ　ｆｏｒ　ｂｅｉｎｇ　ｕｎａｂｌｅ　ｔｏ　ｅｎｔｅｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｒｐｈａｎａｇｅ．　Ｓｏ　ｕｐｏｎ　ａｒｒｉｖａｌ，we hopped out of the van and Jen, though smiling, was "stand offish" as we walked up. The orphanage director and several staff came out to greet us. We exchanged greetings and told her that we knew a number of parents of children from Zhuhai and that we were aware that more were being adopted soon. She said, in fact, that 4 children were at the photo shop getting pictures made in preparation for their adoption. Jen responded to the staff but was mostly indifferent which we have come to realize is her demeanor around adults in public. I took some pictures and thought how odd I felt -- I had dreamed of this moment but it wasn't exactly how Ｉhad　ｉｍａｇｉｎｅd it.　Ｉwas thinking that music would be playing in my mind with a great swell of emotion to go along. Instead it seemed normal to be there for the both of us and for Jen it was if she had already come to terms with leaving the orphanage. No tears or sadness for her. So then two exciting things happened which were unexpected. First，we noticed their bulletin board outside the gate and on it were the pictures of a number of children we recognized. In fact, we knew them by name (and their parents) from our Internet group. We had been following these children via their parents for months and months. I began to snap as many pictures as possible. We were so excited. Rattling off names and seeing them --- asking Jen to verify who they were...it was awesome. We saw a picture of a girl that we know about who turned out to be Jen's best friend and bedmate. Capturing those images was a thrill for me -- it was kind of the holy grail of what we hoped to see (except for seeing the girls in person). Before we left, they invited us inside the gate to use the restroom. I was surprised but we accepted the offer. Then the orphanage director offered to show us Jen's favorite tree. We walked around the corner and up Jen climbed. It was a citrus tree with little green fruit that looked like limes. The director stood beside for a picture. Jen grinned.
In that moment, there was something healing about watching Jen come back to her tree as a visitor and no longer as a resident. The fact that there was fruit in the tree conveyed the idea of healing to me...making me think about the fruit trees in Revelation that are for the healing of the nations.

As quickly as it all began, we expressed our gratitude and goodbyes and left. Jen walked away with us -- away to her new life. There were no sad goodbyes. A new orphanage is being built and if we are able to return someday, her home for the first 10 years of her life will just be a memory for her.

In reflecting upon those moments, I realized that I didn't need to go inside. Jen didn't need us to go inside. She just needed us to come get her. I told her tonight over a cup of noodles that on Saturday, we are going to "meiguo" (America). She nodded with a knowing approval. She is ready to go. In her heart, she has been ready for a long time. It was evident on adoption day that this little girl was prepared for the road ahead wherever it led and whatever it meant for her. That was an answer to prayer - such an answer. She has many mountains yet to climb but she made it over the first big one. She has left Zhuhai and that life behind. Tonight as we walked the streets of Guangzhou, she grabbed our hands and swung between us. We looked at the Christmas lights and jumped and ran and giggled.

We will never forget the love and kindness the caretakers of Zhuhai gave to Jen. They have given her so much and for that we are very thankful. The China chapter of her life is almost over...we have a few more pages to write here and then it is off to America. Zhu Hai Zhen has left Zhu Hai behind and now she is just Jen...a citizen of China and soon to be a citizen of a new world.

12/23 Things are going very well here

We have finally finished all our paperwork and tours and have a week to ourselves before we come home so I have time to blog again. Thank you for checking in on us. I want to pick the story from last Monday 12/19 and let you know how the week has gone.

As I wrote before, we met Jen on Monday and she was in shock as you can imagine. We had prayed that she would be brave and she was. Our Chinese guide/facilitator saw her in the waiting room before we met her and said she was doing great. The actual meeting was in a crowded room with many families waiting on their babies. After some pictures and the exchange of gifts with the orphanage vice director, we left for the hotel. I've written previously about Jen's first moments at the hotel in a previous post. So this is where I'll begin tonight.

Kristy and I studied Chinese for about 3 months before coming it has been very helpful. Just so you understand, we can't speak Chinese or communicate with adults but we learned enough so we could talk to Jen. She was able to understand us when we said simple phrases like "do you understand?", "do you need to use the bathroom?", etc. So on that first day we tried our best to say what we could. We walked her around the hotel and showed her the waterfall and the Christmas decorations. Then we came upstairs and let her choose an outfit to wear to dinner.
At first, she had difficulty with more than 2 choices. A choice from 3 options was too much for her. But she enjoys picking either this or that shirt, the pink vs the red pajamas, etc. On Monday evening, we met our guide for dinner at a nice Chinese restaurant just down the street from the hotel. We posted 1 picture from the meal. By then, she was comfortable enough to eat an entire meal. Our guide, who has been fantastic, talked to her throughout the meal although she would only respond with a headshake or not at all. She is extremely shy in public and it takes a while for her to speak to adults although many try to engage her. When they speak Cantonese she usually acknowledges them but rarely responds. We are not sure whether that is just her personality or if it is something else...the orphanage said she was very quiet.

On Monday, we tried to follow the routine she had in the orphanage so she took a bath and got ready for bed on her own. We showed her the bed and she crawled right in with her bear beside her. She was not speaking at that time or making eye contact. She let us touch her but wasn't engaging us at all. I held her hand a lot on day 1 just to comfort her as we walked around but her grip was very loose. We went to bed just so amazed that she was doing so well all things considered.

On Tuesday, we began what has become our usual routine of going to the breakfast buffet overlooking the Pearl River. This has been a blessing because she likes the food (Chinese and American offerings) and it has given us some much needed structure. The serving dishes are labelled in Chinese and English so that has helped us and her. She can read (in the 3rd grade) and can make decisions about food choices with no trouble. The buffet gives us tranquil and dependable start for each day. That morning, we had to go through a short interview with the local officials to finalize her adoption. Then we took Jen to see the doctor because she arrived from the orphanage with something like bronchitis. We are still watching that but for now we aren't treating it -- she is not showing symptoms except for a cough. They don't do a thorough medical check so that will have to wait until we return to Houston.

Jen has been a super compliant child and wants to please us. I think part of it is that she was told to be that way by her caretakers as they prepared her for adoption. But I think it is mostly because she is truly a sweet child that has a wonderful heart. I told Kristy that she is the kind of child I wish I could have raised. If my natural born 10 year old was this well behaved and had this kind of sweet spirit, I would be very thankful. We have the orphanage staff to thank for placing such a well-raised child in our care. I think about Paul's words to the Corinthians when he is talking about the role that he and Apollos had in shepherding the church... he said...I planted, Apollos watered but God gives the increase. What I mean is that Jen's life is a gift that began in the care of others and now the job of raising her has been transferred to us. We are thankful for the job they did and hope we can do as well as they have done to raise her up to be a sweet young woman.

Tuesday was a typical day for the week....very busy...and Jen was doing very well but not talking and not engaging us. We met again for Chinese food that night with our guide. Jen has immaculate table manners and it is a marvel...really. She eats slowly like Kristy and enjoys her food.

Wednesday we got the final adoption decree and then went clothes shopping for Jen. That was an experience -- we went to Chinese equivalent of Macy's and found some nice clothes for her. There are lots of baby items near our hotel but for children her age we needed to go a store like this. Then we went to McDonald's -- it was her first time.

I still can't post pictures but am trying...

I'll pick up the rest of the week in the next post. The highlights of the week so far have been going to church 2 times, meeting a couple from SC who adopted a little girl and the breakthroughs we have had with Jen in the last 3 days.

To give you a preview: Jen is calling us Momma and Daddy, hugging us, having the time of her life in the bathtub, correcting our Chinese, learning English daily and she is bonding to us.
She followed along today in church and understand way more than us as it was largely in Mandarin with English translation.

Will post more soon

12/18 Gotcha Day Reflections

First let me say thank you for visiting. It has been difficult to find the time to post but now I will hopefully be able to catch up on things. It couldn't be more wonderful here and we are having the time of our lives with our precious little girl.

I'll mention a few things and then go back and catch up. Our daughter is known by about 3 names: Hai Zhen, Pian Pian and Zhen Zhen. Since we have chosen to call her Jen (same pronunciation as her Chinese name but with an American spelling), we can now add Jen Hope to the list. Depending on her mood and ours, we are using most of them interchangeably. Pian Pian is the nickname given to her by the orphanage and it means essentially "side sleeper". Last night I wanted some better rest so I took Jen's roll away bed and she slept with Kristy in the king size bed. Kristy turned on the light to show me the proof that Jen is indeed a side sleeper. She was perpendicular to the pillows with her feet against Kristy's side most of the night.
We know that her best friend and bed mate's sweet personality must have taken it all in stride sleeping with Pian Pian all those years.

Jen took what may have been her first bathtub bath tonight and she was so excited. The Cantonese kept bubbling out which was a joy to hear. If ever a child wanted to be adopted, it is our Hai Zhen. She has bonded with us and is now calling us Momma and Daddy. We have spent the last few days playing in the room...pillow fights, Uno, Go Fish and more pillow fights. We mailed her a teddy bear with clothes in November and she was holding it on adoption day. We brought pajamas for it and every night at bedtime she changes the bear's clothes along with her own. Tonight for the first time, she answered the question, "What is your bear's name?" She has named it "Shuma"... we don't know what it means yet but will find out in time. That bear has been a great thing. It was a bridge between us when we were in the US and she loves it dearly already.

We are having image posting problems again. The website is unaccessible in China but I can post with mixed results. Will get some more on the site as soon as possible.

Before I catch you up on things, I wanted to go back and reflect on Monday (Gotcha Day).

At 7am on Monday, we went down to breakfast and sat once again overlooking the Pearl River -- contemplating what would happen in a few hours. I stared blankly thinking about Jen as she was making her way from the orphanage which is 2 hours down river from Guangzhou. She was leaving the orphanage for the last time and couldn't even imagine how difficult this all must be for her.

As we sat quietly, a lady at the table next to us was feeding a Chinese infant. Eager to talk, she apologized for disturbing our quiet moment. When we told her we were just a few hours from meeting our daughter, she excitedly told us her story. Her daughter was from central China and had pneumonia. She was in the pediatric field so she was handling that OK. The conversation was encouraging and we were glad to meet someone who shared our feelings. She said she would pray for us as we met Jen. Back in the hotel room, we were literally pacing the floor and Kristy's heart was racing. She said she had never been that nervous and it had been many years since I felt anything like that. At times in the process, we felt like we were jumping out of the plane without a parachute because as others have said, adoption (and parenthood in general) is a leap of faith. You don't know what you are getting...we had a 1 yr old photo and a two word description of her personality. There are so many unknowns...you just have to leap.

Anyway, those last moments were maybe something like standing outside a delivery room. The nerves, the anticipation, the apprehension, the joy...all rolled into one.

We have already written about what happened next when we met Jen. But here is a thought we wanted to share for others who might consider adoption. If you believe God has called you to it and that He is in it, then don't be afraid to take that step. Our story was a little unusual -- first time parents adopting a 10 yr old. It didn't fit the pattern and that was a source of some heartache for us along the way. We were stepping into some unknown territory without meaning to. There was a point in the process when we had to make a blod step and I remember crossing Lake Woodlands after work one day crying out to God saying, " I will not let her go unless you make me let her go". It was a desperate moment. I had been thunderstruck with Jen and was holding on with all my might to the hope of bringing her home to us.

It was maybe 5 days later that we made the decision to adopt her. The next day, I called Kristy one last time before calling the agency. There would be no turning back from then on. I called the agency and took a walk along the canal by the building where I work. And as I walked along, I could see in mind's eye the vision of a little girl skipping along in front of me. It was then I knew for certain that this decision had been a no brainer from the start. Our heart had always been to give a home to a child who needed one. Jen was the one who needed it and that would become so very evident once we got her.

12/21 Between two worlds

Between Two Worlds is the name a book by John Stott which addresses another topic but I thought of the title as I reflected back over Gotcha Day.

Kristy took a picture and we are unable to post it but I will describe it for you.

About 1 hr after we met Jen, we came back to the hotel room. Not knowing what to do, she walked to the window and stared out across Guangzhou... a city of millions. There she stood with 2 strangers dressed in a beautiful red Mandarin suit. The quilted suit was too warm for the room so I pulled off her jacket. I kneeled beside her and looked out the window with her. We didn't know what to expect and she was definitely shell shocked. Just an empty stare -- looking at the buildings and who knows what was whirling around in her head.

So there she stood...red silk pants with golden cuffs and red slippers and a little pink shirt with her jacket laid to the side. She looked like a half dressed Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. She was peering out from the 15th story of an unfamiliar Western hotel across a Chinese city that was not unlike her hometown. We were caught between two worlds...she was now in our world but still looking out on hers. It was such a touching moment that we probably need to keep the picture to ourselves.

Before we left home, I searched for that special thing to give Jen on adoption day. I wanted to stand in front of her and put something around her neck which said "You are my child". I looked around and never found the right thing. We had some ideas but they never panned out so I just let it go.

When the moment in the window came, I thought about a little panda bear necklace we brought to give her on Christmas. It was not expensive. I went and got it and showed it to her and placed it around her neck. Just a silver chain with a panda with 2 hearts on its feet. It turned out to be the pearl of great price. A simple little thing ended up communicating everything I wanted to say. She has loved it and wears it everyday. I hope one day she'll look back when she is old and remember the day she got that panda from her daddy.

12/18 Comments

Can't see anyone's comments but thank you for posting. Will enjoy reading them upon our return

Blogspot is not working well in this environment for some reason

12/18 Some more pictures

Here are a few more pictures of gotcha day (adoption day) and eating breakfast in the hotel (noodles, sausage, fruit, cuttlefish balls, dumpings and hashbrowns -- using a fork and chopsticks)

Jen is so precious. We heard the wonderful news that ten of her friends are being adopted by Americans this year. We know some of their parents already and are sharing in the joy. To give you since of size in these photos, I am 6'2" and Kristy is 5'7". The vice director of the orphanage is standing next to Kristy.

My thoughts are disjointed at the moment so I know we are lacking for content here but the photos should tell the story for now. Thank you for all your love and prayers.

We can't wait for you to see her and share our joy.
Steven and Kristy

12/18 Sweet and Sour Pork in Guangzhou

When we were young, our parents used to take us to the Canton Cafe on Hillsborough St in Raleigh. In the old style they would bring out our food in silver looking dishes that clanged a lot. Underneath would be sweet and sour pork with pineapple and peppers. How I enjoyed it and cherish those memories. Who would have ever dreamed that 30 yrs later I would sit in old Canton city in China and watch our new daughter eat sweet and sour pork!! We can't begin to tell you how thrilled we are about Jen. She is just absolutely precious. She is so little. The Cantonese are smaller in general but she is small by their standards. So cute!!!
Sorry for the weird layout but we can't see or barely control it from this end.
Went shopping today and went through the final process with the Chinese. Just waiting in Guangzhou for a week on a passport and the visa to enter the US. Your prayers for us have been answered in such abundance. Jen is handling things so well but she is shell shocked --- very quiet and facing so much. But she really wanted to be adopted and has been waiting for us.
Her orphanage was Zhuhai ("Joo hai"). I can't help but think of that Robert Frost poem, The Road Not Taken... it goes something like this...

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...
And I...I took the one less traveled by...

Well tonight we are changing those words a little

We took the road that led to Zhuhai
And that has made all the difference.

We are beyond overjoyed and so thankful that Jen has come home. We can't wait until you see here. We almost passed out when we saw her...she was so cute and she has the sweet spirit to match. Her personality is like a carbon copy of Kristy. This was a match made in heaven.

All our love from Guangzhou...we'll post again soon
Steven

12/18 Pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok...the format here is crazy but we hope you can see these...

Here is precious Jen on "gotcha day"

12/17

We can't get this computer to upload images...but will try tomorrow again...

Getting late and need to go.

Promise to send photos by email tomorrow if necessary

12/17 The stars are shining brightly in Guangzhou tonight

This afternoon at 4pm, I leaned against the window of our hotel room and pondered the last few hours of this day. Beside me stood a girl, staring out over Guangzhou, contemplating what had just happened. There are no words really...there just aren't. At 2:30pm we arrived at the Civil Affairs office for adoption in Guangdong province. There in that crowded room we waited and Kristy was able to peek into the adjoining room where the children were waiting to be brought out by their caregivers. We saw the familiar face of Mrs. Zhong and beside her sat quietly the very definition of preciousness. A beautiful Cantonese girl, dressed in the traditional red silk, was clinging to the bear we sent her in November. Then out she came with Mrs. Zhong and we just about came unglued. How do you express thanks to God for such a precious gift?



I wish we could explain to you what it all felt like. She is so precious. As I type this post, she is sitting in the chair with me watching me type as Kristy reads our notes. She is doing wonderful...very quiet trying to take it all in. We found out today that she has known about the adoption for some time and has always wanted to be adopted. She is very familiar with our faces from the pictures we sent.



Okay...we will have to post details later but a few pictures will have to suffice. We went out to eat for dinner and she enjoyed it. She is not talking yet but is very engaged and watching everything we do. She is mimicking Kristy's every move...washing faces, brushing teeth, etc.



For our fellow Zhuhai families...you wouldn't believe the way they blessed us. A new set of clothes, the silk Mandarin outfit, school supplies, lots of photos and lots of other personal touches. Especially photos of her friends...



Here are a few pictures of her and we will post more tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers. We have a tired little girl to get to bed.

12/16 Life as we know it changes tomorrow

It is Sunday evening here in Guangzhou, China. We just sat in outdoor cafe by the Pearl River eating fried rice, quesadillas and listening to "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" with lighted Christmas trees beside us. At the next table, a family from the East Coast shared a meal with their 10 year old whom they just adopted. We saw them earlier in the day and followed them around. We couldn't get up the nerve to speak to them but when we walked in the restaurant tonight and sat down by them we knew we had to do it. They said that it was going well and their daughter was adjusting to her new life.

Today as we shopped, we saw the babies pass one by one in strollers.
As we ponder our new life which begins tomorrow, our heart goes out to all the orphans around the world. Most of us have had the love of some family member -- a mother, father, grandparent, aunt or relative who raised us or cared for us. So many, like our Jen, have never had anyone. I think of the song from "American Tail" which goes something like...Somewhere out there, beneath the pale moonlight, someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight. To us this is the orphan's dream...of someone to care about them. Well we have been stargazing many a night since March -- waiting and loving and thinking of her and looking forward to this day. In less than 24 hours we will be united. We have been practicing our Chinese for that first meeting. We tried it out on a few shopkeepers and it is working with a lot of kinks.

We are having trouble seeing the blog or posting pictures at the moment but we can post -- can't see the comments either. But we hope to get pictures up after we get Jen. Sorry this post is kind of scrambled -- my thoughts are a mess. Kristy is still sick but we hope she will shake off the cold. Her heart raced a little today when the Papa John's pizza delivery guy went by on a bicycle. You can't keep a Wisconsin girl and her pizza apart for long...even in China!!

For me, the easiest part of the journey has been coming to China itself. This paperwork makes the trip seem like a piece of cake.

Tomorrow, we'll have Jen and so we will have a lot to post. Please pray that she will have courage to face all the changes that will come her way.

Thanks for checking in on us. We really appreciate your interest.

At 2:30pm our time (12:30 am Central) our little Jen will finally be home...10 years and 4 months after she came into the loving care of her caretakers in Zhuhai.

With the sight of so many precious babies rolling by, we are so thankful that her time has finally come as well.
With love from China

12/15 Arrived safely in Guangzhou

Kristy and I have arrived safely in Guangzhou, China. We are approximately 2 hours west of Hong Kong in the province of Guangdong. Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton city) is the ancestral home of many Chinese-Americans who immigrated to the US in the last century. This province is the home of the Cantonese people and culture. Our beautiful hotel sits right on the Pearl River which flows past us down to the sea and Zhuhai...our daughter's home on the sea.

We are so thankful for your love and prayers that have carried us thus far. One clear example of that happened on the flight from LA to Guangzhou. In the middle of the night, Kristy began to feel very ill from something she ate on the plane. Because we chose to fly a Chinese airline, our communication with the stewardesses was limited and we were riding in the economy section with mostly Chinese passengers. We felt alone and the only thing I knew was to put my hand on Kristy's shoulder and pray. And as I did so, I asked God to remember the prayers of so many of you and have compassion on her. The sickness passed and we made it safely off the plane and to our hotel. She is feeling better although has caught a cold. Hopefully that will pass as well.

How do you describe another world in a few short paragraphs?? This morning we ate breakfast at our hotel in a dining room overlooking the river. We watched other parents pass with their new children and thought about meeting our daughter in just a few short days. The whole experience is surreal...we feel like actors in a strange drama that is unfolding before us. On Monday, a child whom we have never met will walk through the door to begin her new life with us. We feel so insufficient for the task which lies before us but are certain we have been called to this. We are so excited and nervous as well.

A very nice store near our hotel is letting us post this today. We hope to post again before we meet her on Monday 12/17.

12/10 Into the wind

As a child, my father often told us about his years in the Navy...how he sailed to far away places. He told us of being at sea at night and watching the glow of the phosphorus in the wake. He told us about the Mediterranean and the places he sailed to. But one thing I especially remember was the stories about those carrier planes. The courage and daring of the young pilots taking off and landing on a ship at sea. In the days of prop planes and steam catapults, the ship had to maneuver to provide the planes maximum lift for takeoff. And so when it was time to launch, the order went out to bring the planes up the elevators, ready the flight deck and turn the ship into the wind.
And so here we sit, strapped in and ready on the catapult...ready to fly off into the great unknown of parenthood. We don't know what to expect but we are trusting that all will be well.
Adoption is a great thing and the new life that awaits Jen surrounded by the love of her family will be worth whatever lies ahead.

We are off to China...

12/7 The great paper chase is almost through

If you have ever adopted internationally, you know what a mountain of paperwork the whole process requires. There are documents for your adoption agency, your state, the Federal government and the country you are adopting from. Fingerprints and fingerprints again, forms, visits to the notary, seals, fees, certifications and authentications. Doctor visits, shots, financial statements and clearances of all kinds. There were trips to the consulate, documents sent to Chicago and Washington and Houston. Long hours of preparing documents phrased just so to communicate exactly the right thought. The matrix grows ever larger with time. At times we felt like we were fishing with lots of lines in the water...just waiting for something to bite. Fedex, UPS, USPS and by personal courier, our documents crossed America. All along the way, we met and talked to people who spoke a kind word of encouragement. Touched by some aspect of our story -- knowing that a child would be coming home. Then there were the late nights, the hours spent peering into every nook and cranny of the Internet looking for some glimpse of our daughter.

In the Internet age, I got the crazy notion that somewhere out there we would find her... and we did. 5 years ago someone snapped a picture of a little girl sitting in a chair

with one foot pointed out...watching her friends play musical chairs. The picture sat on a long forgotten web site just waiting for us to find it. We'll never have those years back but it gives us a window into her world and where she's been all this time. It is further confirmation that she has been loved and cared for. We are so grateful for that. It is almost time to transfer the flag of her life -- from her caregivers to us. We are so thankful that a camera shutter caught our little sweetheart. It is a window into her world on a happy day long before this all began.

12/5 We've a got a ticket to ride

Our tickets arrived tonight!!!! We're flying out on Dec 12 -- just a little over 1 year since the whole process began. In black letters her Chinese name is printed on that ticket from Guangzhou to Los Angeles. It is hard to believe. Last March 2nd, an email arrived on what was just a regular Friday evening. It was the waiting child list from our agency with her picture. I got up from the computer, went to our bedside and cried. In the intervening months, there have been lots of tears. Now the tears are tears of joy...for her and for us. The wait is almost over.

For Thanksgiving, we went to the beach to mark the holiday and make a final memory together before Jen's arrival. We drew a big heart in the sand with her Chinese name and the words in pinyin "wo men ai ni" which is "we love you". The tide washed away those words but nothing will ever wash away the love we feel for this child across the sea. To our precious Jen Hope: we love you so very much and hope that someday you will understand that God moved heaven and earth to bring us together

12/4 Whale song

I marvel how the bonds of love have grown so strong as we wait with a great ocean between us. Like whales in the deep, our song has gone out...wafting its way into the depths and across the wide Pacific...calling to a calf far, far from us. And in the quiet moments, we hear the faint echo of our child's song...coming from across the sea. We are swimming hard now, with all our might, to close the distance, to meet her in the shallows of the South China Sea. With anticipation and joy that can't be expressed, we look forward to that happy moment when we will be united

12/2 Love needs no translation

We are leaving for Guangzhou in 10 days and can't wait. We bought our tickets and just finished up the little remodeling project we've had going since August. Her room is finally ready.

As we were buying an electronic translator in Chinatown on Friday, we told our saleslady that it was for an adoption. When she didn't understand the word "adoption", we typed in "adopt a girl" into the translator. When she saw the translation, a big smile came across her face and she reached across the counter and hugged us both. And in that moment, we were reminded that love is universal -- it transcends nations, languages and cultures. There at an ordinary store in our little corner of the world, we shared together the joy of knowing that a child who was once an orphan had become a daughter. We shared the joy of knowing that love needs no translation.