Arrival in Xining

We arrived in Xining (pronounced: "Shee-Ning') yesterday morning.  It is a beautiful city high up in the mountains of Qinghai ("Ching-Hi') Province.  On the way to the hotel, our coordinator told us some history of the area and we saw a lot of the city.  We were told that in the winter there is about 20% less O2 than what we are use to.  We can tell.  They also burn a lot coal for heat and you can smell it.  We are doing okay.  I think we will be glad when we can get closer to sea level.  I find that I get tired doing simple things and have to take deep breathes.  I am also having very bad headaches.  This is all normal for altitude sickness.  We are 7400 ft above sea level plus the 8th floor of the hotel.  Steve and Elias are doing pretty good.  I think they can feel a difference, but they are not having the problems I am having.

We have also learned the true meaning of culture shock.  It is very hard to communicate with people here.  At dinner last night we met a college student who was just starting to learn English.  She talked to us a lot, but it was very hard for both of us.  She was very sweet.  She is leaving tomorrow to go home so we may not see her again.  We also noticed that there are not many westerners that travel to this province.  We are in the nicest hotels in the city and no one speaks good English.  In Beijing and Taipei there were many people we could talk to.  

We are loving the experience though.  Sometimes going outside your comfort zone is a good thing.  We are so glad that Elias has been able to be with us for this.  This is going to be something that he is going to be able to share with Jade and Abram.  A kind of bonding for them.

In a few hours we get to go and pick up Jade.  Our 13 month paperwork journey is almost done and our life time family journey with her will begin.  Tomorrow we get to tour the orphanage and meet her foster family.  We are so excited for that.  We will try and post pictures and let you know how the family day went tonight if we have time.

Thanks for all the prayer.

Fun In Beijing

Today has been a fun day.  Well maybe not so much for Elias.  We went to the Great Wall today.   It was bitter cold and none of the vendors know the word "no" but it was a sight to see.  On the way there we saw a traditional ceremony.  Our taxi driver pulled to the side of the road so we could watch it.  We did not stay for long but we could if we wanted to.  He even tried to pull over on the way back, but we felt bad and did not want to take advantage of his kindness.
We also made it to the Harley Davidson store.  There were not many items that had Chinese writing on them. After we checked out, the sells lady gave us about 6 key chains for free.  We are tired and have an early flight in the morning.  I think it is time to relax and watch some TV we cannot understand.

WE ARE HERE!!!!

Just want to let everyone know that we are in China.  The flight was great.  Instead of a 14.5 hour flight it was only 12.5 hours.  We did somehow get some sleep on the plane and the food was OK.  Elias was excited because he get a special kids meal.
We are tired and need to wind down. We will try and keep this up to date.

Destination: China

Three Day Left

It is hard to believe that we leave in 3 days.  We have gotten a lot done but we also have a lot to do.  Our families have helped us a lot through this journey and I have no doubt that they will continue helping us after we return home.  We cannot thank them enough.  We also have a wonderful church family.  I know that they will continue to pray for us.  I am not sure that we will ever be able to express how much that means to us.  We are surrounded by such wonderful people.  Our kids are going to be blessed to have our families in their lives also.

Our first stop in China will be Beijing.  We will be there for 2 nights then off to Xining.  Xining is passed the middle of China.  We are going to be in the beautiful mountains.  On Monday Jade will become part of our family.  We will have some paperwork on Tuesday but then we wait until Friday.  On Friday we get her passport and the next morning we leave for Nanning.  Nanning will be a nice change, the weather will be warmer and we will be closer to sea level.  On Monday Abram will become part of our family.  Again we will have some paperwork on Tuesday.  We will then wait for Friday to get his passport and leave that night for Guangzhou.  Saturday and Monday we will have to take the kids to the doctor.  On Tuesday the 14th we have our CA appoint to finalize their visas and citizenship paperwork. Wednesday we will get their passports back with their American visas.  Then it is off to Hong Kong for a night before we fly home.

I think that we are just as excited to go as we are to get home.  In our mind the trip is not done until we are in our house.

We know that God is going before us preparing the way. We are thankful for a living God who is in control of everything.  Sometimes it is hard to remember that when things get stressful, He is our rock and we know that He will be with us on our journey.  He has been in control of our journey from the beginning and his perfect plan is being done.

Two Weeks Left!!!!

In two weeks, we will leave to finish one journey and begin a new adventure. We fly into Beijing for a couple days before heading to Jade's province.  We are going to welcome Jade into our family on January 30th.  We have a week to spend there in the mountains before we fly to Abram's province.  Unfortunately, there is no direct flight between the kids' provinces so we are going to have a layover somewhere.  On February 6th  Abram is going to become part of our family.  We will stay there for about a week and then head to Guangzhou.  At the US Consulate there, we will finalize the paperwork and get Abram and Jade's visa's.  Then we go to Hong Kong for a night before coming home.

Steve is great at making list and organizing. It has helped a great deal with getting the house ready and packing. Elias is nervous, scared and excited all at once (I think we all are). He likes the idea of having a playmate (or 2 ) but not sharing us.  He has asked if we could all pray for Abram and Jade every night.  It brings tears to my eyes every time but it is something that I would not trade for the world.  I am trying NOT to get sick or overly stressed out.  It does not help that the cat I have had for over 12 years is not doing good.  I think we are going to have to put her down before we leave.  I do not think that she could survive three weeks away from home.

I have packing and cleaning to get done so I better get off of here. Thanks for all the prays.

Anticipation!

During the holiday season, we couldn't help but notice that we have been on this journey for over a year now. The paperwork has been frustrating, yet we have prevailed.  The wait has been torturous at times, yet we have survived.  We are now nearing the end of this part of the process, which is good because we are really tired of filling out forms and signing our names without having something to show for it.  We have been "getting ready" to travel for the past month by making lists (things to do, things to remember, things to pack... Steve likes to make lists), cleaning, arranging, sorting, tidying up, and trying to prepare both the house and ourselves for what is to come.
We got a call Tuesday telling us we got our travel permission.  Finally we were all set to travel and there was a little happy dance.  However, we were not sure yet when this trek was to begin, so back to waiting.  Our wait was not long.  Yesterday we got the wonderful call telling us when to book our flights.  We got the Consulate appointment we wanted and now it is time to start making plans.  We are going to China in three weeks.
It is so hard to believe that this day has finally come.  But whatever hassle, it is all for two good reasons...Abram and Jade.