Only One More Sleep in Her Orphan Bed

I am sitting here in Zhengzhou, sipping green tea, and reflecting on the fact that tomorrow we will have a new family member--so very surreal.

Our flight Friday from Dulles to Beijing was uneventful--so nice to have a direct flight! Arriving in Beijing in the mid-afternoon presents the challenge of forcing yourself to stay awake until a decent bedtime so as to try to sleep though the night. Tom and I did a pretty good job, getting out of the hotel and wandering through Wangfujin Shopping Street and food market, hitting Starbucks to use some free wi-fi, and finding dinner at a dumpling restaurant at a nearby ritzy mall. We made it till about 9pm and then crashed.

I was up at 5:30am and hit the hotel pool to work the kinks out of my stiff body from the flight. Breakfast in the hotel was delicious and when we realized there was free wi-fi in the hotel restaurant, we skyped with Wen and the kids at home. It was SO good to see their faces and (sort of) hear their voices...the distance and lack of instantaeous communication at will has been tough for me! They are doing great and it sounds like Aunt Wen is spoiling them!

We got to meet the rest of our travel group this morning--they spent the previous two days touring in Beijing (we skipped it this time to keep the trip as quick as possible) and it was fun to meet them and hear a bit about them! What special friends we are privileged to make on these trips!

After arriving in Zhengzhou, we went to exchange our $ for Renminbi for the various fees we will pay tomorrow and the next day as we take care of the official adoption. While I was out changing money, Tom was able to meet with Clay Williams, an American man who--with his wife Pam--runs several foster homes here in Zhengzhou and works with the orphanages to make sure the children are well cared for.

So the rest of tonight we simply prepare for the momentous day tomorrow! We leave the hotel at 9:30am to head as a group to the registration office--not sure what time each group of kids from the various orphanages will arrive. Posting to the blog and posting photos is very difficult here so I hope to have pics up asap, but please be patient if they are not up right away! It may be early Monday morning US time before there is any update from us.

Being here in Zhengzhou has brought floods of memories to both of us. Memories made with our amazing travel group from 2009 are popping into our heads at every turn. The excitement and anticipation of finally receiving Isabel tomorrow is well-tempered this time with a sense of trepidation, knowing how difficult this transition could be for her.

Being here without Jared, Anna, or Lilly seems very quiet--though how nice for Tom and me to have an extended "weekend getaway!" (far away!)

We are thankful for God's gracious and sovereign hand on all of this--both here and at home. We are grateful for your prayers and support as well.

Stay tuned...