Red Thread to Her

We're in Guangzhou now..  Abigail had her first airplane ride yesterday.  About a 2 hour flight from Nanjing to Guangzhou.  She did well..  normal toddler squirminess but no major issues.  Of course, this flight was only 1/6 of our flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco..  then we'll have another four hour flight to San Antonio.  THIS will be the real test.

After arriving in Guangzhou, we had an hour of "international adventure".  No one was waiting for us with a sign at the airport.  After about 15 minutes, I started making phone calls..  trying to find someone who speaks English..  trying to figure out how to safely get to the hotel.  My dad did a great job entertaining Abigail while I fluttered around.  I finally spoke with someone at the hotel who understood English.  I told him what gate we were at and he told me to look for a black van with a specific license plate.  We were happy to finally be on our way!

Feeding her a bottle of warm milk

This morning we joined up with 3 other families in our travel group to go for the Visa medical exam. The place was swarming with other adopting families..  all ages of parents and children.  New moms and dads trying to figure out the needs of their new children.  It is exciting to be part of such a beautiful story of adoption.  How God brings people together from all different backgrounds and brokenness.  How He will knit hearts together..  though it won't always be easy.

Out to dinner

I'm glad this is the final stretch of the journey..  Although we've had some really yummy authentic Chinese food, I'm ready to get back to my normal diet..  I'm especially craving fresh vegetables and can't wait to eat a big salad (we can only eat cooked veggies here to avoid tummy troubles).  And I really, really, really want to be back with my boys.  I miss them so much!  Please pray we will stay healthy (my dad is coming down with a cold and Abigail has congestion too) and pray we will stay strong during these final days of the trip.

Grace and peace, Marianne