We received the list of those traveling with our group. We have 9 other families picking up children, one family is picking up 2 little boys at different provinces, so will be with us through Guangzhou, but then will go to pick up their 2nd little boy. Everyone else has little girls right around Lizzie's age in Henan Province. So fun. It's been fun to communicate with them via email. I'm sure you will see many of them on our blog as we travel. We are so excited to meet these new friends as we experience this incredible journey with them.
We should have final travel plans for our in-china flights & accommodations tomorrow. We have a conference call with our group tomorrow night to go over it and answer questions. It is all happening so fast. It is so fun!
We are traveling home through Hong Kong and were able to get a direct flight from Hong Kong to SLC. It puts us leaving Guangzhou late at night and arriving in Hong Kong at 11:30 pm, and then catching an early morning flight. But, it puts us home at 11:30 am on Wednesday. We figure it's a great way to force us to adjust to Utah time....but it isn't going to be fun. Poor little Lizzie...hopefully she will sleep on the plane.
Thank you to those (in advance) who are helping with our 3 that are staying home, house sitting, feeding pets, and watering our garden. You are wonderful!!!
Our Little Zheng Lan
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Tickets Bought!!!
Our tickets are purchased, Lizzie is flagged to come home with us, we're flying first class (thanks to donated sky-miles....THANK YOU!!), and I am getting packed. I crashed yesterday (luckily it was Sunday). I guess I pushed too hard on Saturday and my body wasn't quite ready, but this week will be full of packing, cleaning, and lots of help from the kids.
Sometimes I wish the kids were coming, but I've followed those who have done it both ways, and it will save money and give Jake and I more time to bond before meeting the kids. We hope to be able to go back in 5 years, before Josh leaves on a mission (I know, scary thought!) and tour. Lizzie will be almost 7 by then, and we can tour her city as well as Beijing and Xian (our favorite places we have visited). It is funny how the Lord pulls your heart to a country that you never dreamed you'd love! But, my daughter will be Chinese, and I love her people!!!!
Sometimes I wish the kids were coming, but I've followed those who have done it both ways, and it will save money and give Jake and I more time to bond before meeting the kids. We hope to be able to go back in 5 years, before Josh leaves on a mission (I know, scary thought!) and tour. Lizzie will be almost 7 by then, and we can tour her city as well as Beijing and Xian (our favorite places we have visited). It is funny how the Lord pulls your heart to a country that you never dreamed you'd love! But, my daughter will be Chinese, and I love her people!!!!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Travel Approval
Travel Approval came yesterday!!! And our Consulate Appointments came in this morning. We are leaving on July 6 and can pick up Lizzie on July 10! Our Consulate Appointment is July 19, so we can fly home on July 20!!! Best news ever!!!!
Monday, June 20, 2011
No News Yet
We still don't have our Travel Approval! I called our agency, CCAI, and they expected it last week (we thought for sure we'd have it by the end of last week). They said they are expecting a large group of them any time. If we don't receive it by tomorrow, we'll be pushed back one more week to July 6. The good news is, that will give me one more week to heal. The bad news is that it will be one week longer before I'll be able to hold my little toddler girl. Through this, the Lord is teaching me patience. I am also able to better help my 3 other children deal with their emotions as they deal with all of these changes in our lives. We are all so anxious! But, I know it is all in the Lord's timing! I am so thankful for a husband and a very sweet mom who are helping me recover and prepare!
The Jon Schmidt concert was on Friday night and I heard it went really well. I was home in bed, trying to get some rest. There were several people who were there that had never heard of him before. And, we were able to earn some good money from it. We are so close! We know the Lord will provide for us in our hour of need, so we move forward in Faith!
Thank you to all who came and supported our concert! I was sad to miss it, but grateful that it was a success. I did have a friend take a photo of our display of China and Adoption. Oh, I love that little girl!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Jon Schmidt Concert-June 17, 2011
Come join us for an evening of fun & entertainment, and pure talent! Jon travels all over the world performing, playing his original songs, and keeping everyone of all ages entertained! To preview some of his songs, please visit www.jonschmidt.com.
Date:
June 17, 2011
Time:
7-8:30 pm
Location:
Tahitian Noni International
5151 N. 300 W.
Provo, UT 84604
Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
Seating is limited.
To purchase tickets, please click on the link to the right.
June 17, 2011
Time:
7-8:30 pm
Location:
Tahitian Noni International
5151 N. 300 W.
Provo, UT 84604
Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
Seating is limited.
To purchase tickets, please click on the link to the right.
If you have any questions, please contact Jake at 801-864-0790!All proceeds will go to help bring our Chinese daughter home. To read more about our adoption journey, please feel free to browse through our blog. We appreciate your support in helping us to bring our Chinese daughter home!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Delays
I found out on Tuesday that I had a cyst, and on Wednesday that it was large enough (football size) that it had to be removed before we could go to China. So, instead of a few weeks to prepare to leave, I had only a few days before I spent 3 days in the hospital. I'm home now, but am on bed-rest for 2 weeks, right before we leave. It's been crazy....I've cried, laughed, and then just moved forward.
We have our Jon Schmidt concert tomorrow....where maybe I'll attend in a wheel-chair, but don't know if I can sit that long:( I've had to turn it completely over to Jake!!! He's been a great sport about it all, and his work has been good to let him take some time off to make sure I'm taken care of. Today was the first day home with him at work and the kids at home. My sister-in-law came and helped....what an angel...but it's hard to not be able to get up and take care of everyone. Our church friends are feeding us:) They are so nice!!!
We are still waiting on our official "TA" (Travel Approval) from China. I'm expecting it any day. We hope to leave on the 29th...that is the soonest my Doctor will let me go.
We have our Jon Schmidt concert tomorrow....where maybe I'll attend in a wheel-chair, but don't know if I can sit that long:( I've had to turn it completely over to Jake!!! He's been a great sport about it all, and his work has been good to let him take some time off to make sure I'm taken care of. Today was the first day home with him at work and the kids at home. My sister-in-law came and helped....what an angel...but it's hard to not be able to get up and take care of everyone. Our church friends are feeding us:) They are so nice!!!
We are still waiting on our official "TA" (Travel Approval) from China. I'm expecting it any day. We hope to leave on the 29th...that is the soonest my Doctor will let me go.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
I took this post from a blog, Random Clarity, who is in China right now with their little boy from Henan Province. I've followed this little group who has gone through the same agency and same province as we will, as we've waited for our TA, and it has been so fun. She posted the following before she left for China, and it captured my thoughts and feelings exactly, so I had to re-post it. It is beautiful!
"Me? Without words? Takes a lot to get there for me. Those of you that know me are not shocked, I know. But truly, perfect, even adequate words fail me now to express my ..... see, I don't know what to even call it. Amazement? Joy? Wonder? Gratitude? Awe.
God has provided for us in a beautiful, all-sufficient way. Everything we lacked to bring Joel home has now been provided. We have all the funds we need to travel, get our son, and bring him home. God knows each one of us so well, and he knows who to bring alongside each of us in our journeys. Fundraising is one of the most daunting parts to an adoptive family. It shouldn't be. God has proven himself as a perfect provider over and over - in our lives, our extended families' lives, in our friends' lives as well. One man told me at the beginning of our adoption journey that raising the money would be the easy part.
Excuse me? The Easy Part??
I understand why he said it, and, truth be told, he was right. Compared to walking through the other difficulties that have come up? Compared to preparing to grow our family and prepare for a beautiful child who has many unknown pieces? Compared to the crazy paperwork chase? Compared to WAITING months and months to hold a child we know & so long for? Compared to raising another child for life?
No, raising the money on the front end of adoption is much easier than that. Well, it's all relative. Fundraising is hard; humbling oneself to ask for help is hard; saving and pinching pennies and working extra and selling stuff can be hard. But it is so worth it. We HAD to have help; we HAD to invite others into our story. We are not alone. God raised up a community around us. More people than just US are invested in our son. That's very cool.
And now, we can focus on getting everything ready to travel and ready here to have a toddler living among us again.
So, there, I guess I found some words. We are praising God for his provision. We thank YOU for listening to the prompting of God's heart to help us in this way. We are overwhelmed with joy and peace and amazement at how God loves and cares for His kids and how He allows us to be part of each others' stories."
-Random Clarity
"Me? Without words? Takes a lot to get there for me. Those of you that know me are not shocked, I know. But truly, perfect, even adequate words fail me now to express my ..... see, I don't know what to even call it. Amazement? Joy? Wonder? Gratitude? Awe.
God has provided for us in a beautiful, all-sufficient way. Everything we lacked to bring Joel home has now been provided. We have all the funds we need to travel, get our son, and bring him home. God knows each one of us so well, and he knows who to bring alongside each of us in our journeys. Fundraising is one of the most daunting parts to an adoptive family. It shouldn't be. God has proven himself as a perfect provider over and over - in our lives, our extended families' lives, in our friends' lives as well. One man told me at the beginning of our adoption journey that raising the money would be the easy part.
Excuse me? The Easy Part??
I understand why he said it, and, truth be told, he was right. Compared to walking through the other difficulties that have come up? Compared to preparing to grow our family and prepare for a beautiful child who has many unknown pieces? Compared to the crazy paperwork chase? Compared to WAITING months and months to hold a child we know & so long for? Compared to raising another child for life?
No, raising the money on the front end of adoption is much easier than that. Well, it's all relative. Fundraising is hard; humbling oneself to ask for help is hard; saving and pinching pennies and working extra and selling stuff can be hard. But it is so worth it. We HAD to have help; we HAD to invite others into our story. We are not alone. God raised up a community around us. More people than just US are invested in our son. That's very cool.
And now, we can focus on getting everything ready to travel and ready here to have a toddler living among us again.
So, there, I guess I found some words. We are praising God for his provision. We thank YOU for listening to the prompting of God's heart to help us in this way. We are overwhelmed with joy and peace and amazement at how God loves and cares for His kids and how He allows us to be part of each others' stories."
-Random Clarity
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