We have her passport and visa and we are free to leave China! We leave in the morning to ride a train to Hong Kong. We leave Friday morning on a jet plane back to the wonderful USA!!! It is bittersweet leaving. I can not wait to get home, but we are leaving our new friends in our adoption group and we are leaving Renee's birthplace.
Yesterday Renee had very short meltdowns and really did very well. Today was amazing! No meltdowns(some stubbornness and wanting her way. normal 2 year old)! She was so sweet and really could tell she is feeling more comfortable with us. Tomorrow we change everything all over again. She will be in big crowds and she really doesn't seem to like this. So who knows what the next two days hold, but I have today to remember.
Today we went up the mountains, well it was probably more like the hills, but they call it the mountains. It was beautiful(sorry no pictures tonight. we didn't download them. We spent the afternoon repacking) I am missing spring in Indiana, but I have spring in China and it is lovely! :) (wrote that for you Nancy C.) I think Renee really enjoyed the freedom to run and explore without crowds of people. She liked the fresh air.
Thank you so much for your prayers! Truly your support made a huge difference. God has been so gracious on this trip. We asked, you prayed, and God answered. Sometimes He says no,(He is God and He knows what He is doing even in the trials) but I can't imagine the trip going any better than it did.
Four years ago we started down the road to adopt. In 2008 we were looking into China special needs program. But I clearly heard God say to me in church one Sunday morning, "Do you trust me? Even if it means a delay in getting to your daughter, do you trust me?" I knew what he was asking. I was focused on what was the fastest way to get to our daughter. My focus was on the wrong thing. We had said yes and were ready to walk through the doors of this journey, but God wanted us to trust Him to lead us the direction He wanted us to go. So through tears by the end of the sermon, I told God I trusted Him. This journey has taught me so much. I will never completely understand the twists and turns. But God has shown himself very clearly. He asked me to trust Him on Mar. 30, 2008. Our daughter will land on US soil and become a US citizen on Mar. 30, 2012! Four years to the very day! Can God be trusted? Oh yes! He is so good!
Love how the dates matched! God keeps asking me if I trust Him. And I do! It's been so hard lately to live in limbo the way we have for almost a year now while trying to complete the adoption. God is clearly protecting our house so that our daughter can come home first, but I just don't understand His ways. I still have no idea what home we'll bring our daughter home to -- CA or NE. It's crazy.
ReplyDeletePraying for your long trip home. Oh, I'm praying! I'll be traveling alone, so I'm worried how it will go by myself. Be safe!
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI suppose it will be a while until time allows us to have an all-nighter talking again, but reading this post makes me want one -- and like you -- I don't want to be patient. :) I'm still waiting for my March 30 and don't know when that will be or what it will look like in the story God's woven for me. Also, I don't know if it will work for me to meet you at the airport Friday. Your parents weren't sure what time your flight arrives. I'm working 'til 4:30 Friday, plus gas prices have gone up again. Thanks for the update. Praying for safe travels, courageous good-byes, and that God will prompt you in every step along the way. See you soon!
Annette
Love your heart - good luck on the trip home. For us, it was a lot of sleeping and food so it passed the time. Praying for you guys! Safe travels!
ReplyDeleteHey, do I hear inklings of a daughter who loves being outdoors in the wild? :) She and I might have fun hanging out together, exploring the forest, looking for frogs, watching birds, and picking flowers! Woohoo!
ReplyDeleteAnnette