Day 1 and Day 2 in Beijing

Day Two in Beijing

Once again I am posting in a state of exhaustion so please forgive me if I don't make much sense.  Today was a very full and very fun day.  We toured Tienanmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Summer Palace.  Additionally we went shopping at a pearl factory, silk factory, and participated in a traditional tea ceremony.  We had a wonderful breakfast buffet, a traditional Chinese lunch and a Beijing duck dinner.  I loved it all and learned so much.  It was however VERY cold, very, very cold.  With the optimism of our guide and group members, we all still enjoyed it and made the best of it.  I'm really beginning to appreciate each family in our travel group.  It is such a neat experience to be with people who share your passions and who have gone through similar things in the last five years in regards to adoption.  Each journey is both unique and shared and I never tire of hearing how people came to the decision of adoption.  What strikes me most is that we are all so different..moms ranging from my age (34) to a fifty year old, three first time parents and one with seven biological children at home, couples from as far as Texas, representing all different denominations...these things makes me realize that you don't need to be special to adopt.  You don't have to fit a profile or have prior knowledge/experience. You just need to be willing to let God take you where He wants you to go.  Willing to open your heart.  I'm so glad Scott and I were willing and that in less then 48 hours we will be able to embrace our blessing and be a part of a miracle where a child transitions from an orphan to daughter/sister/granddaughter/cousin/niece.  Today I found myself tearing up at random moments or feeling my stomach flutter with anticipation...we are SO close. 

We're here in Beijing!

We've arrived safe and sound.  The plane ride was long but we filled it with movies, music, eating, reading and sleeping.  Can't complain since we had an extra seat between us...thank you God.  Our travel group members seem really nice and our guide Sherry seems amazing!  She's very funny and sweet and I want to adopt her as well.  After we checked in we walked around a bit and shopped at a Walmart equivalent for some snacks and then ate dinner at Pizza Hut.  Don't judge, we are eating nothing but authentic Chinese food for the next couple of days and also we didn't have a guide with us so it was the safe and smart option.

I'm sure your (whoever you are) looking for some profound, emotive post about how we will be meeting our third child in less then 48 hours but honestly we are both beyond exhaustion.  Must sleep now.

Keep those prayers coming, bless you all!
Lynne

Tomorrow we leave...

Our trip officially begins tomorrow at 7am when our friend Amy drives us to Newark airport.  Our bags are packed, the fridge/freezer is stocked with food, the house is mostly clean, and a folder of caretaker information is complete.  Now all that is left to do is go bring our daughter home!  Oakley prayed the other night just like this..."thank you God for the earth, for the lakes and the rivers, and the people, and the China people, and thank you for giving us a Chinese baby."  I expressed how much her prayer blessed me and then she said she had more..."please Lord give all the Chinese babies parents and a big sister and little brother."  It was a very sweet moment.  In all my fears about my kids adjustment to a new adopted sibling God has been moving silently to prepare their hearts.  I know things could still be rough when we get home but the very fact that He is sowing the seed of compassion for orphans in my daughter's heart is very encouraging to me.  She never prays like this (usually it's me praying and her adding something about God healing a boo-boo of hers).  As much as I love my daughter, compassion has not really been her strong point.  She's well...a little self-centered.  I was worried she would never understand our decision to bring this stranger who gets a lot of attention into our home.  But I see now that this adoption process is already starting to produce good fruit in all of us.  I'm so grateful and my faith has been increased...and we haven't even left yet.

Prayer Requests

THURS. Feb. 10th : Pray for safe travels as we drive two hours to the airport and fly to Beijing on a 14 hour plane trip. Pray for good weather so that there will be no delays. Pray for Kathy and Amy as they care for Oakley and Colston here at home.

FRI. Feb 11th : Pray for our America World travel group as we bond and get to know the other eight adoptive families. My hope is we will be a supportive, encouraging group and positive US representatives. Pray for safe travel for Lynne’s parents driving up from VA.

SAT. Feb 12th : Pray for our guides (Chinese nationals) who will be taking us to Tienanmen Square and The Forbidden City. Their names are Lineker and Sherry.

SUN. Feb 13th : We get an amazing opportunity to worship at an international church. Pray that we see and are changed by the glory of God reflected in creation through the different nationalities. As the group tours the Great Wall pray that our energy levels would continue and the time adjustment would be complete before we meet our children.

MON. Feb 14th : Pray for safe flights from Beijing to Guangzhou (the very south of China). Today at some point we will meet and gain temporary custody of Joni. This will be an emotional moment for her, us and possibly the nanny that brought her. Pray that Christ will meet all of us in the grieving and rejoicing process. Pray for safe travels for Scott’s parents as they drive down from Syracuse.

Tues. Feb 15th : Pray that God would begin supernaturally bonding parents and baby. That a strong sense of healthy attachment would begin. Pray for patience, understanding, and strength as we help our daughter through her grief.

Wed. Feb 16th : Pray for the small details like being able to blog, weather, organization of documents, sleep at night, finding things Joni likes to eat, etc.

Thurs. Feb 17th : Pray for the health of everyone, including Oakley and Colston. In particular pray for no headaches for Lynne and no stomach issues for Scott.

Fri. Feb 18th : Pray for Oakley, Colston and the grandparents. It is now over a week since we left them and both they and we are missing them. Pray that they would behave for their caretakers and feel comfortable communicating their needs. Pray also for the grandparents that they would have the energy and patience to get through each day.

Sat. Feb. 19th : Pray a special blessing on all those who’ve supported us through this process including our family, friends, LC family, Grace Fellowship family, online adoption forums, America World family, and Show Hope.

Sun. Feb 20th : As children grieve and attempt to bond with their new parents it is common that they attach (physically and emotionally) to only one at first. Please pray for the one parent experiencing rejection and the other parent who might not be able to even go to the bathroom alone.

Mon. Feb 21st : Please pray that as we take trips to the orphanage and founding area that we can gather as much information about Joni’s past as possible. Pray for open doors and helpful people.

Tues. Feb 22nd : Please devote this day of prayer for Joni’s birth family. Especially her birth mother who probably carries an unspoken emotional wound and was pressured to abandoned by her husband/elders. Pray that she would come to know a person named Jesus who loves her unconditionally so that Joni may one day meet her in heaven (if not sooner).

Wed. Feb. 23rd : At this point we are likely ready and anxious to be home. Pray that we would finish the race strong and still look to be loving and serving to others. We want God to help us appreciate each minute spent in this amazing place and the two-on-one time devoted to Joni.

Thurs. Feb 24th : Please pray for Joni’s transition into our family as she takes on new roles of daughter,
sister, niece, and granddaughter. Pray for acceptance by Oakley and Colston and that they would not feel displaced or overlooked. Help all of us be patient and serving as God molds us into a family that depends on Him. Pray for our journey by road from Guangzhou to Hong Kong.

Fri. Feb 25th : We come HOME! Pray for the 15 and half hour plane ride and two hour drive with a 14 mo. Old who we don’t know and doesn’t know us. I am dreading this. Pray also for Aunt Stacey as she drives up from Balt. A few days earlier and drive out to pick us up at the airport. Please PRAISE the Lord for all the good things He has done. He has been faithful throughout the long 5 year process and His heart for the orphan has been reflected in Joni’s adoption.

Finally, if Joni ever crosses your heart in the future, please pray for all her Chinese brothers and sisters left behind.

The Year of the Rabbit

International adoption has its downsides...one of which is the HUGE amount of paperwork it takes to prove your worth as a parent...but it has some really cool things about it too.  Like for instance, we now have another culture to graft into our family.  A culture that has some pretty cool traditions and some very yummy food.  It is important to me that I give our future daughter a sense of her birth culture and that the rest of our family learns about it too.  So this year instead of going to get Chinese to celebrate CNY, I invited 11 friends over to join us for a more traditional celebration, complete with lantern and character crafts, eight traditional Chinese dishes (okay so the brownies weren't traditional), red envelopes with candy money, and fireworks (Scott's favorite part... it was kinda strange to see them lit while it's snowing).  I even made everyone attempt to use chopsticks...everyone was such a good sport.  It was really so much fun and I think a great start to what looks like an awesome year!

A Poem for Waiting Parents

May you be safe and sleep soundly, through the night.
May you be safe as you wake in the morning's light.
May you feel our love from so far away.
May it comfort you and protect you throughout each day.
I will pray for you my little one:
Safe from harm,
Until the child of my heart,
becomes the child in my arms.

 

(I do not know the author's name)