We will be leaving the states on Friday Sept 5th and returning on Sept 22. WOW....that is a long time! All of us are going, yes all five of us...we are all so excited. The last of the paperwork is complete, the visas have been obtained, the gifts have been purchased, all the fees have been paid...now we just need to pack. yuck...I do hate to pack! BUT, it will be worth every minute of it. In case you are one who likes to keep up with people as they travel, here is the itinerary.
Sept 5-6 traveling to Beijing
Sept 7 traveling to Zhengzhou
Sept 8 This is the big day!!!! we will get Ellie today and start the paperwork for her passport
Sept 11-13 we will be in Luoyang, the city Ellie is from. We will visit the orphanage, do a bit of sightseeing, visit with Michael and check on Maria's Big House of Hope (the new palliative care unit that Shaohannah's Hope is building).
Sept 13 we will travel back to Zhengzhou, pick up Ellie's passport and catch a flight to Guangzhou.
Sept 14-17 Ellie's US visa will be processed here in Guangzhou. We will have a lot of free time mixed in with a couple of appts.
Sept 18 we take an oath at the US Consulate and get her visa.
Sept 19th it is all over!!! We travel back to Beijing
Sept 19-22 we will have the privilege of spending time with a special family and doing some sightseeing
We leave Beijing on the 22nd and arrive home late that night. Once we go through customs in Newark, NJ Ellie will be a US citizen.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
from someone who knows her...
We had the privilege this past weekend of meeting the one person in this world who knows Ellie...at least the one person who knows her and can speak English. Most of the pictures in this blog are compliments of Michael. He has taught her a few English words, played with her, taken gifts to her, taken pictures of Ellie and her friends,taught her her new English name, made sure she understands (at least at some level) that she is being adopted, going to America and has a mom, dad, two sisters and a brother who love her; but most importantly he has shown her Christ's love. What an amazing gift God has given to us. We will forever be grateful for Michael and the way he loves all of the older kids in the orphanage.
So...what did he say? According to Michael...Ellie is every ones best friend (of the 20 or so kids in her room). She is very laid back, always smiles, very bright, loves to give to her friends, is slow to talk but always engaged with those around her, and is fun to be with. He says she loves to take piggy back rides and just be loved on. We were able to get a better feel for what her days in the orphanage have been like, which consists of a lot of time spent in her room. In her room the only place to sit is in her bed. It is really sad for me to realize that we have missed the first 9 years of her life; and because of the communication issues, it will be a while before she can even begin to tell us her story. As a mom I am struggling with this. But I have to rest knowing that our Heavenly Father does know her, for he created her. One day I will know her too. I will know her like I knew Erin and like I know Alex, David and Keeli. Thank you Micheal for giving this mom a glimpse into her daughters soul.
So...what did he say? According to Michael...Ellie is every ones best friend (of the 20 or so kids in her room). She is very laid back, always smiles, very bright, loves to give to her friends, is slow to talk but always engaged with those around her, and is fun to be with. He says she loves to take piggy back rides and just be loved on. We were able to get a better feel for what her days in the orphanage have been like, which consists of a lot of time spent in her room. In her room the only place to sit is in her bed. It is really sad for me to realize that we have missed the first 9 years of her life; and because of the communication issues, it will be a while before she can even begin to tell us her story. As a mom I am struggling with this. But I have to rest knowing that our Heavenly Father does know her, for he created her. One day I will know her too. I will know her like I knew Erin and like I know Alex, David and Keeli. Thank you Micheal for giving this mom a glimpse into her daughters soul.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Travel approval and consulate appt!!!
I can now make all of the travel arrangements....for six people! We have received the last little piece of paper from the Chinese gov't and the appointment has been made for us to get Ellie's United States...yes US Visa. Only four short weeks until we will be able to travel to China.
We have decided to take the kids. Crazy as it may sound...this is like a birth, yet what we will really see is where Ellie spent the first 9 years of her life. We will be in China for a little over two weeks; a week to get her Chinese passport and then another week to get her US visa.
Please keep us in your prayers as we all prepare for a larger and more complete family. I will update when I know the official dates and our itinerary.
We have decided to take the kids. Crazy as it may sound...this is like a birth, yet what we will really see is where Ellie spent the first 9 years of her life. We will be in China for a little over two weeks; a week to get her Chinese passport and then another week to get her US visa.
Please keep us in your prayers as we all prepare for a larger and more complete family. I will update when I know the official dates and our itinerary.
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