In China
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Sunday, November 18, 2012 Today was the most interesting yet. Sorry if this post is too long to read in one sitting, but we experienced so much today that I don't want to forget. We started off our day in the Pritz coffee time fashion, which of course Shyla slept through, but that's not saying much since we've been crashing by 7:30 pm and waking up by 4am. More choices on the breakfast menu. Today there was an item labeled “French toast”, but it looked more like cabbage (the person on the label machine clearly didn't understand what french toast is), Pan fried noodles and a huge salad bar. I'm not much for eating lettuce and carrots with my morning coffee, but, to each their own. We checked out of our hotel in Beijing and headed for the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace was the Emperor's retreat in the summer time. The palace used to be located in the suburbs of Beijing, but with the rising population crowding around it, it is now an outdoor oasis in the heart of the bustling city. The land stretches as far as the eye can see, with Palace houses, gardens, pagodas and a huge lake with small islands. There are huge common areas with the original cobblestone where people gather to do Ti Chi, dance, play games and just relax. As soon as we walked into the Palace gates we could hear the same singing that we heard at the Temple of Heaven. We walked through the Palace grounds and climbed steps until we could see the people singing. It wasn't long before one of the locals took my hand and lead our whole family in front of the conductor and the band to lead the people in their song. We just clapped and smiled while the people pointed, waved and took pictures. After the song was over, we climbed down and soon found ourselves in a circle of locals holding hands. Not sure who was more intrigued, them or us. Marsha has been teaching us that so many people, especially older retired people, go to parks daily to gather because their homes are so small. They get together every morning to sing, and then again in the evening to stroll or dance. There is such a strong feeling of community in the middle of so many strangers. They all just gushed over the kids, touching their hair and kissing their cheeks. It was definitely a time we will never forget. On our way to lunch we stopped by the local convenience store to get our drinks for lunch that we would eat at a restaurant. Bottles of sweet flavored teas and juices lined the shelves of a cooler, but the cooler was just for storage. All of the drinks were room temperature. I guess we'll just have to wait another 12 days for a cold drink. :) Marsha took us to an authentic Szechuan restaurant where we dined family style on Sweet and sour pork, sliced mushrooms and noodles, Kung Pow chicken, spicy noodle soup and a platter of cabbage topped with rice noodles. It was all so delicious. At every Chinese restaurant that we have been to so far, there has been a box of tissue on the table that serves as napkins, and a big container of tooth picks. After the meal, everyone takes a minute to pick their teeth. We've learned quite a bit already about the Chinese culture. After lunch we had some time before we had to leave for the airport, so Marsha decided to take us to a few local places. Our first stop was a department store. It was about 4 city blocks long and contained just about everything you could want. It was as beautiful and classy as a really high end department store, but it was set up more like a trade show with booths on either side of a long isle that displayed every type of shoes or boot that you could ever dream of, then merged into cosmetics, jewelry, hats and coats, lastly, I thought the last displays contained chocolates, but it turns out they were boxed Sea Cucumbers. Just when we thought the store was ending, it opened up into a huge super market complete with everything you could find in a grocery in the states, but also quite a few more fascinating items. Instead of just a simple deli, there were open cases of pounds and pounds of ground beef and chicken, as well as huge shrimp and fish. What caught the kids' attention most was that the shrimp and fish were still alive, just lying there squirming around trying to catch their breath. After you got all the food you needed, you simply walk through the department store on the way out. The next place Marsha wanted to take us was to a local farmers market. There was just one catch, we had to cross the street to get to it. Can you say Frogger??? We arrived at the farmers market to find it set up like any in the states, but the first tent we saw were fish tanks, complete with air pumps, stacked four high and containing fish, turtles and oysters and squid. Moving down the market we found every vegetable imaginable. Randomly placed in between was a tent of hats, followed by a lady wielding a huge hatchet chopping up chickens. Once she was done chopping, she just threw them into some bins for people to pick up and take home. We ended our tour walking through another beautiful park. The serenity and beauty of the gardens and landscape is such a sharp contrast to the crowded city streets. There was the most gentle river running through the middle of the park with ornate Chinese red and gold bridges going over the river. Willow trees lined either side of the path that we walked down. There were people everywhere, playing badminton, chess or cards, but somehow it still didn't seem crowded. The weather was beautiful and it seemed a nice way to end our time in Beijing as well as begin the most exciting journey of our lives.

At the Summer Palace Hall of Longevity - the Summer Palace Leading the people in song! At the Street Market At the Street Market A peaceful spot in Beijing

We had a really quick flight from Beijing to Taiyuan, in the province of Shanxi. The one things that I can't forget to mention because I know we will get a laugh remembering this, was the snack on the flight. It was 2 half sandwiches on white bread with the crusts cut off. It looked liked someone's mom had packed them for everyone's snack. On a serious note, I have never really been such a minority as we were in the Beijing airport and on the flight. I have a much greater understanding for what my new little girl will be going through. It's so hard to get along in a world where everything is different and you can't understand what anyone is saying.  We arrived at our new hotel around 8pm. With the exception of the fact that everything is written in Chinese, you would never know you were in China. It is by far the most elegant hotel I have ever been in. The kids are in heaven! Tomorrow is our big day. We're all a bit nervous! Our new guide, Summer, will be by around 1:40 pm to pick us up and take us to the civil affairs office. A moment of reflection: Between my body getting used to this 14 hour time difference and the anticipation of this adoption on my heart, I have slept very little since arriving in Beijing and have had so much time to lay in bed reflect on this journey that we are on. It's the most surreal situation I have ever found myself in. Our journey has opened our eyes to how just how many people are touched by adoption. I know I mentioned it in our story, but John and I both just can't get over how wonderfully kind and generous some people have been along the way. It has been so incredible to see how God has changed people's hearts, including our own. We have been the witness to the work of the Holy Spirit right before our very own eyes. My favorite bible verse throughout this process has been Ephesians 3:20: Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory! As little as two years ago, I'm not sure either of us could have even imagined ourselves in China adopting. While for many years prior to this I have felt that my family wasn't complete, the thought of having another child through adoption seemed impossible due to the financial and emotional strain that comes from not only adopting but simply adding another child to our family. But... John and I are so thankful to serve a God who is able to more than we can ever ask or imagine. Even when a situation seems more than impossible, through prayer and thanksgiving, God will reveal His plan for all of our lives. As I look back and remember all of the times I prayed for God to open doors, I am simply awed by His great work in the hearts of my family, as well as others around. He laid the perfect path for us and never left our side. He put so many people in our path that, while they might not have realized it, were small contributors to His will being carried out. Although our human minds will never understand the depth of love God has for us, and the full understanding of His plan for us, we can fully rely on the fact that He puts obstacles in our way every day as opportunities to grow closer and closer to Him, whether or not we choose to accept this is completely up to us. My prayer throughout this journey has been that God will go before us and take our hands and gently guide us in the direction that He wanted us to go, and boy did He ever. Even in the bleakest of financial times, he opened the doors of opportunity for us to be able to afford this. He changed hearts right before our very own eyes, and He opened doors that seems impossibly shut. What an incredible and might God we serve! The power of prayer that has covered us, not only all throughout our journey, but especially in the whirlwind of the 4 days we had to prepare for this trip, and, all the while we have been half way around the world, has been felt immeasurably by all of us. We truly have been given a peace that passes all understanding, which can only come from knowing that we are exactly where God wants us to be right now. Thank you so much for your prayers along the way, as well as lifting us up while we are here. Our biggest prayer this very day is that the Holy Spirit will fill Taytum with a peace and understanding that God created her just for us, and that she belongs to us and with us. I just can't believe that tomorrow we will hold in our arms the daughter we have prayed for and dreamed about for so many months. But, the greatest thing about our adoption has been the affect on our kids. We are both so grateful to be able to let them experience this with us. They are every bit as exited to welcome Taytum into our family as we are. To be able to see things through the eyes of kids whose hearts haven't been broken by the world is such a breath of fresh air. And, while we want to take in her culture and celebrate her heritage, they are able to see past the color of her skin and the shape of her eyes and just see her as the child that God created, no different than themselves. The girls already talk about the kids they will adopt from all over the world. Just goes to show you just can never know what amazing things will grow from one seed that God plants. Thanks so much for all of the guestbook entries. They are so fun to read and make us feel so close to home in a world that is so different!

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