Sunday in Nanning!

This may be a shorter post because I am determined to get caught up with our blogging before we leave for Ally Kate.  The internet at the Majestic is so slow but it is free and we do have internet so not complaining! On Sunday after our breakfast buffet we once again met our guide.  She took us to an outdoor antiques market.  It reminded me of the US version of a flea market.  The majority of items for sale were books, jade, and coins. Please do not judge as I know it is bootleg but it is cold and I did not bring a heavy coat! I found a very thick North Face jacket for a whooping 35 rmbs. In case you do not know that is $6 - $7 US.  It is a great heavy coat! People were grabbing them like crazy. We are very super-sized here - it is a size XXXL which was the only size available! MB was colder than me so she ended up wearing it!  We got even more stares.  We were the only non-Asians that I saw this entire day. People were constantly taking our photos with their cell phones.  People were having fun using their English with us.  We heard many "Hellos" and "How are yous?".  There was a very sweet old lady who I would guess was in her 70s selling jade.  We wanted something to give to Jing Xin on her gotcha day.  We purchased four small jade dragons and the sweet lady added a small jade bead to each and placed them on red cording.  The total for all four necklaces was again a whopping 40 rmbs - $6 US!  She acted so pleased to be able to make them for our girls.  She took her time and it was so sweet watching her work-worn hands as she assembled the necklaces. She kept telling our guide how wonderful we were to adopt Chinese children.  I hate that I failed her get her photo. We truly are the blessed ones! On the walk back there were street vendors! YAY for them! We found ear muffs for Mary Bailey and Anneli, three pair of socks for Mary Bailey (she forgot socks - ugh), six headbands for Jing Xin, and Pleasant Goat clippies for Maya.  Total for all was less than $10US.  My kind of shopping.

Traffic in this place is insane as it is in all of China.  I have a minute video but will not even attempt to add it here.  I will have to Facebook it when we get back to the states.  There is no rhyme or reason to the traffic flow.  I would never attempt to drive any vehicle here! We returned to the hotel and had lunch with our guide.  We found a dumpling shop.  I had beef and carrot dumplings and they were very yummy.  I did not take a photo in here.  There was smoking and it was killing me.  We all five ate here for 86 rmbs - US $14. Adding prices for those who will visiting Nanning too.  We returned to the hotel and rested a bit.  We then ventured back out and found ourselves at the other end of the People's Park! Oh my is that park HUGE!! It is so lush and beautiful.  There was a not so nice by US standards area.  A monkey pit with one monkey.  There were rats running around in their with the monkey.  Grossed this female out! We saw an area with a skating rink. A museum.  A garden which we did not enter as there was an entrance fee.  As we were walking the girls spotted a pigeon feeding area.  The cost to feed them was 10 rmbs less than $2 US to feed them. While the big girls went there I spotted a playground for Maya Grace.  

 We found yet another amusement park area. Mary Bailey wanted to use more of her "lucky" Chinese New Year money to pay for a ride.  She rode a roller coaster in the front seat with her being the only one on the coaster for whole ride. A few random shots from the park.  My big girl loves to pose! 

Day One in Nanning aka Land of One Trillion Motorcycles

On our first full day in Nanning we had a great breakfast buffet at our hotel and then ventured out with our guide for the first time.  I have never in my life seen so many motorcycles and scooters - all colors, all sizes and shapes.  Pink with flowers for ladies, sleek black for the stylish male and everything in between was seen!  We saw from one person on a motorcycle up to two adults with two kids. Most of the riders did not have helmets. A scooter/motorcycle was even carrying a refrigerator going down the road.  The land of motorcycles will be my name for Nanning as it was my first impression!

Next impression was how "green" the city is in color.  Nanning has a tropical climate and the greenery is very plush and rich. We are lucky and it is in the 50s here now so very nice as compared to being in Southern China in the summer when the heat and humidity are unbearable even for a Deep Southern from Alabama! We had a very nice walk.  We spotted several Western businesses - KFC and Starbucks. The Chinese New Year decorations for the Year of the Horse are so pretty! 

Our first stop was the Wal-Mart to stock up on instant noodles and snacks.  I had filled two shoe box size lidded plastic containers with snacks, instant oatmeal, etc.  from home to last us a few days.  Mistake - told Billy on the long flight from Seattle to Beijing that we had snacks in the girls' carry-on = no snacks by the time we got to the hotel. (The instant oatmeal definitely came in handy as we had it for breakfast the first morning in Guangzhou).We also needed another item.  Billy forgot to pack enough underwear.  I will spare him the embarrassment from posting publicly the whole saga but we have had much humor from his XXXL colorful underwear purchase.  One pair has "vogue" written all over them!  For those who know my husband you will find this hysterical!  It is always interesting shopping in a Wal-mart store in China as compared to the US.  You can actually find someone to help you in each department and they are eager!  The meat department is extremely interesting.  I have to go back and take more photos.  We love the escalator in the Walmart which is grooved for the shopping carts. They have items in bins going down the escalator so you can keep shopping even while moving!  I know all Americans wish you could find PIG SNOOTS in your local Wal-Mart deli and the ability to buy rice in bulk!

After leaving Wal-Mart we headed back to the hotel.  The girls spied a McDonald's so we had lunch there. Another interesting cultural difference.  On the ground level there was a walk-up window where you could order ice creams, coffees, etc.  The restaurant portion was upstairs.  I approached the counter to order and was handed a photo menu.  Very difference offerings from our McDonald's although some were the same.  For a side with a Kid's Meal you had the option of french fries or corn!  The girls got their familiar cheeseburger and chicken nuggets. Billy got something that was a burger with what looked like polish sausage links on top.  I wanted a regular cheeseburger and fries but they did not have those only a double cheeseburger for an adult.  Oh and one other difference - they only had squat toilets! Another interesting observations is that the sink to wash your hands is OUTSIDE of the restroom area.  Everyone uses the same sink. I do not remember ever having to stand in line to use a McDonald's restroom before but Maya G. and I had to wait some time for our turn.  Another opportunity for more stares from young school girls!

We ventured back to the hotel and put away our food purchases.  Our guide then took us to the People's Park which is only blocks behind our hotel.  As I mentioned in the last post this hotel would not be my first choice by any means but the park is a HUGE plus. There is no cost to enter. I see us spending much time here during our stay.  It is amazing, awesome, beautiful, interesting, and fun! Upon entering we passed another land of motorcycles parking area.  How in the world they know which one is theirs and exactly where they left it is a mystery to me. They have locks that go on the front tires so that no one can steal them.  Upon entering the park we saw a beautiful lake with boats.  The park was very clean with wide pathways to stroll.  The girls spotted a "children's playground" on the map.  We headed in that direction.  The Children's Playground is actually an amusement park area! The girls had been given "lucky money" for Chinese New Year and they wanted to spend it here!  There are ticket booths with pictures and numbers of the rides on the booth.  You tell the cashier which ride you want to pay for and you are given a slip.  We realized quickly not to buy more than one ticket at a time if we were here by ourselves without the guide or we would not have known which ticket went to which ride.  Another interesting observation - on the small kid rides for Maya Grace on some you pay per "car" instead of per rider.  So if one little flying airplane has two seats you only pay for 1 ticket.  BUT some you pay per rider.  PERFECT sense right??  The rides were 5 rmbs or 10 rmbs so less than $1 or $2.  Adventurous Mary Bailey rode a roller coaster in the front seat alone.  They placed another child in the seat with her who was around her age.  She said the child kept talking to her and Mary Bailey said I had NO idea what she was saying. My child knows some Chinese.  Why she did not try to talk to her I do not know!   The girls loved our time there and have been begging to return.

We had dinner at a local restaurant with our guide.  I had a rice with beef dish.  Billy had barbecued eel something.  Anneli had a huge adult size meal.  This is a tidbit for those coming to China - The five of us ate three meals today for a total of US $32.  Our agency guidelines were so much higher as to what we should plan for in regard to meals.  You can do it so much more cheaply at small out of the way restaurants well and McDonalds!

Additional note about today while we were at the park our guide was able to speak with Ally Kate's orphanage director.  We learned she did indeed know that we were coming for her.  She had been taken back to the orphanage for a few days it seems for paperwork processing and a photo.  We were given an updated photo of her.  Her hair has been buzzed cut so lots of pretty hand band shopping in our future.  It is hair and it will grow back. We were told she is easy going which will hopefully help with her adjustment.  Her weight is 44 pounds so she is still a tiny little one to be almost 9 yo.  Her height is 46 inches so shorter than the last measurement we received.  We were told her weight was 37 just a few weeks ago.  There are scales in all Chinese hotel bathrooms so we can weigh her on Monday for an accurate one. We were told that we can not visit the orphanage nor the group home in which she is currently living in here in Nanning. This made me sad but hopefully we can meet her current caregivers. (Ally Kate is the taller child in the photo in case you do not recognize her.  Her hair will grow back.)

I spent several hours too today getting the word out on Facebook about the children from Maya's orphanage who need homes.  I love those ladies hearts! We emailed back and forth multiple times today as I asked for more info on a few on the children. 

This was a great day in the P.R. of China! 

Journey to Nanning, Guangxi

After Maya Grace's orphanage visit we returned to the Guangzhou Airport.  We went to the ticket counter, obtained boarding passes, and checked our luggage. We had hours until our flight to Nanning so we had dinner with our guide in the airport "food court".  I love watching the cultural differences. There were multiple restaurants.  Many people had their luggage on the rolling luggage carts that one finds in airports. The carts and luggage were left in the center of the food court as people entered the businesses to eat.  This would not have happened in America.  We ate at a very inexpensive dumpling shop.  Our guide said we are not going to buy drinks here, they want too much.  She said I will go buy them where they are cheaper.  She left the restaurant went to a 7-11 type store in the same food court area and brought the drinks back into the restaurant.  This would not have made an American restaurant owner happy at all! This seemed to be perfectly "OK".

We then proceeded to our gate.  Multiple stares as we walked.  Makes you feel very self-conscious. While sitting at the gate a man kept staring.  He started a conversation with our guide.  He questioned her about us and then the girls. She then told me that he asked her how old Billy and I were.  Again in America you would not ask a stranger's age.  He said I did not look my age! I LIKED him! As we waited we learned that our China Southern flight was delayed.  We were beyond exhausted so this did not make us happy campers at all. We were the only non-Asians at the entire gate. All three girls fell asleep while we were waiting. There was a smoking area near the gate and the smoke smell was very strong.  I am so thankful that there are smoking restrictions in America - one definite positive thing about our country!  One more interesting thing about the airport is that there are water machines placed about in the airport.  I found one to refill my water bottle.  While waiting in line there were multiple people with bowls of instant noodles.  The water machines have an option for very hot water just for making tea, noodles, etc.  Chinese New Year is celebrated for two weeks so the airports have been very crowded. Everyone seems happy and in a joyful mood!

Our flight to Nanning was less than one hour but due to the delay we did not arrive until after midnight! All six of us slept on the flight.  The Nanning airport is not very large.  After landing as we were taxing down the run way I saw a car with flashing lights which said "FOLLOW ME".  The plane was following the car and we were directed into a "parking space" at what appeared to be a huge parking lot for planes.  There was a bus waiting which shuttled us to the terminal.  We got in and out of there quickly.  Our guide had pre-arranged for a driver to meet us there to drive us to the hotel.  The drive to the hotel was around 40 minutes.

We opted to stay at the Majestic Hotel aka Mingyuan Xindu Hotel due to our very tight budget as it is $60 less per night that the other hotels where other adopting families stay.  This info is for other adoptive families coming after us and likely of no interest to others.  From what I understand in the early 2000s when there were many more China non-special needs adoption this was THE hotel where everyone stayed.  It was five star at that time.  It has since declined.  It is an older hotel.  I will share the good and bad.  Negative - we are on the 9th floor which is supposed to be the non-smoking floor.  The air is musty and there has obviously been some smoking on this floor.  The wallpaper is peeling in multiple places high on the wall.  There is some mold in the bathroom between the tiles. Positives - the lobby and restaurant are very nice!  We arrived after midnight and checked-in.  The staff was extremely attentive.  When we arrived to our room our luggage was waiting. We asked for a crib for Maya Grace and also a power converter.  They were brought within 10 minutes of us arriving in the room.  A breakfast buffet is included with our room.  The Garden Restaurant is located off the lobby area and the staff there is very attentive as well.  The first morning we were given slips of paper titled "Western Breakfast" which we could tic what we wanted.  The offerings on the buffet were completely fine without being offered this option.  Mary Bailey my huge eater did chose from that menu  and the food was brought to her within minutes.  There are restaurants near and the People's Park is just a few blocks away.  The room is a standard hotel room but is spacious. There were extra linens in the room including two extra down comforters, blankets, and pillows.  The girls are making pallets on the floor with them.  The beds are board hard but that is the norm in China and they also have fluffy pillows and the nice soft down comforters. We have a room safe and a small refrigerator. There is also a pot to heat water - great for those instant noodles.  

Visit to Maya Grace's Orphanage

Since we had a day in Guangzhou and Maya Grace's former orphanage was less than one hour from the airport we made the decision to visit.  I will readily admit that I was somewhat apprehensive even though I felt it was the right thing to do.  Since we do not know if we will ever return to China I hated to miss the opportunity to go.   Maya Grace was 32 months old at the time of placement I was not sure that she would remember.  I was also concerned that if she did remember that she might be traumatized thinking we were taking her back to leave her.  I imagined every scenario.

As we pulled into the drive I said to Maya, "Where are we?".  She immediately started acting excited and we realized without a doubt that she KNEW where we were.  We exited the van and she started running down the concrete walkway and turned the corner to go straight into the courtyard.  She ran directly to the door of the room in which she slept.  She made herself right at home and greeted everyone and then went to the play equipment.  Several of the older children recognized her and we heard "Xiao Xing"  Maya's Chinese name ringing out.  It made my heart very happy to see her response.  It let me know that she had happy memories there as she did not display any fear or negativity upon being there.  It was comforting. The orphanage director and nannies truly seem to care about the children and do the best they can with their limited resources. The orphanage is very clean and decorated attractively with bright colors.  They have a nice outside play area.  They seem to have every plastic riding toy one can imagine.  In spite of this it is gut-wrenching.  They currently have 70 children in their care.  Twenty of these children we were told have cerebral palsy.  They deem these children unadoptable.   Our visit at the orphanage took place outside in the courtyard and then in the conference room. We were not allowed in the room with the children as we were told they had colds and did not want Xiao Xing to get sick.

We had taken photos of two other children who had also been adopted from this orphanage and shared them with the workers.  This led to conversation about the children there who were available for adoption currently.  The nannies went into the room where the children sleep and started bringing them out a few at a time.  We were given information and the director with tears in her eyes pleaded with us to help find families for them.  One little boy is six years old.  He told the director that he wanted a mama and baba in American like Xiao Xing.  The director told him to pose for a photo so I could help him find one.  He did what I call a Bruce Lee pose.  There were four children with Down's Syndrome, one child who is blind, one with a blood disorder and the precious 6 yo whose only need is a repaired cleft lip and cleft palate. These children need a forever family.  One can not see these children and walk away.  I will do everything within my power to advocate to help them. The below photos are a few of them.

The director and nannies took us in the conference room and served tea, candies, and fresh fruits.  They thanked us for coming.  They said that Xiao Xing looked very happy, healthy, and was much more outgoing than she had been.  They thanked us for caring for her.  It was humbling to us.  She has been such a blessing. We thanked them again for caring for her the first years of her life.  As we were in the conference room they went and got an older child from school who is also in need of a family.  He has a family interested but we were asked to try and help him if the other family changed their minds.  At the end of the visit we all took group photos and prepared to leave.  Much to my dismay the nanny took Maya's hand and started walking away with her and told Maya to tell us "bye".  Maya started waving and saying "Bye Bye".  She acted content to stay - I think it was the trampoline on the play structure that was attracting her!  Please pray for those left behind.  My heart is so heavy for them.

OUR JOURNEY, PART ONE

Sorry everyone for my very delayed blog post.  It is Saturday night in China around 8pm.  We are so happy to be here and very blessed for those who helped us to be here.  Our journey started at noon on Tuesday. We drove from Birmingham to Atlanta.  From Atlanta we flew Alaska Air to Seattle.  We had an overnight stay in Seattle (yay for frequent flyer miles! free hotel room).  We stayed at the Marriott close to the airport. For anyone coming behind us the Marriott has an airport shuttle that runs every fifteen minutes so extremely convenient!  We left Seattle around 1pm on Wednesday on our Hainan Airlines flight to Beijing.

With the time difference and crossing the international date line we arrived in Beijing after an eleven hour flight on Thursday around 3:30pm.  I highly recommend Hainan Airlines.  The plane was a Boeing 787.  We flew economy and had a wonderful experience. The flight attendants were more than attentive. Each seat had a screen with a handheld device.  You had your choice of movies, games, e-books, language instruction, tv shows, music, etc.  This was a HUGE blessing as it helped the girls with staying entertained.  Our girls all did fabulously on the flight.  Even little Maya Grace did well.  As we landed this emotional momma started crying.  My girls were back on the land that gave birth to them and their ancestors.  Thankful they can once again be "home".  A surreal moment was when we landed in Beijing and as everyone was unbuckling, standing, and obtaining their carry-one luggage music started playing on the airplane intercom! Nothing other than John Denver "Country Roads" started blaring!  I started cracking up.  I was delirious with exhaustion at this point so crying and laughing at once seemed normal.

We had a four and half hour layover in Beijing. The airport is massive and it is most interesting when you are probably one of ten non-Asians in the entire airport. You have your Asian child on a "leash" (ok it is a cute little stuffed doggie back pack with a plush attachment that you hold in your hand but still works as a "leash") to keep her from running away! We opted to not bring a stroller and only the "leash" and Ergo carrier.  Nothing like fully realizing the change in cultures when people literally stop and stand and just stare at you. Completely normal in the great P.R. of China!  Oh and I must mention that right before boarding - my child on a leash who has just become potty trained, Anneli, and I found a "family restroom".  We all pottied, washed our hands, and well then realized we could not open the door!! The door handle was broken.  As panic set it I started knocking on the door as loudly as I could.  A janitor type man started yelling in Chinese obviously trying to give me instructions.  He finally was able to get the door open! As I was knocking Anneli was scouring the bathroom for a "hidden passage".  Love that kid!

We also flew Hainan to Guangzhou.  Smaller plane but still wonderful service. We finally got to our hotel about 2am on Friday morning.  YAY for more frequent flyer miles from our last trip! We stayed at the Pullman Guangzhou Hotel which is connected to the Guangzhou airport.  It was very convenient IF you knew how to actually get to it! We could clearly see it from the airport but HOW to get there was the QUESTION of the hour!  Arriving so late/early whichever you chose to call it many exit gates were shut down.  The signage directed you to gates which were closed! Oh and then through in the construction which had areas blocked off.  We asked several employees how to get there and were given different directions by all.  Obviously the language barrier was an issue.  We were told to go "upstairs".  We did! A guard immediately stopped us as we were trying to exit the elevator and said "no". We finally found someone who could direct us after wandering with three extremely tired children at least thirty minutes.  We checked in at the hotel and got to the room to find that there was only one king size bed for five of us.  We were too tired to even care! A shower had never felt so good! I pulled the foot stool up to the chair in the room,  piled it with pillows and made Anneli a make shift bed.  The other four of us slept in the big bed.  Kudos to our adoption agency guide! We had only been in the room for about 15 minutes when she called to make sure we had arrived safely.  She had set an alarm to wake up and call us.  Sarah ROCKS!  We planned to meet her later in the day to visit Maya Grace's orphanage.
Photo in the hotel lobby - Everything is decorated for Chinese New Year and it is beautiful!

Next post - Maya's Orphanage Visit

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!

ONE week from today we begin our journey to China to bring home Allyson Kate JingXin Campbell!  She will officially join our family on 2/10.  She will make #7 for our family! She is officially the caboose of our nuclear family.  I have said that before but sure of it this time. We will be complete.  My husband had NO idea what he was getting into when he married me in June, 2000.  He had one daughter then and now will have 6 daughters and 1 son and four grandchildren!

We need many prayers and positive thoughts sent our way.  Jing Xin lived at an orphanage from the time of her birth until she was three years old.  She was then sent to live at a group home where she remains.  She will be taken away from every single thing she has ever known.  We do not know anything about the home where she is living so we do not know the type of care she has been given.  She will be taken away from her caregivers, housemates, classmates, friends, familiar food, sights, smells, language, faces, etc. - anything that is current "security" to her and "familiar".  She will enter an unknown world. I look at my Anneli who is only eight months younger than Jing Xin and picture this happening to her.  I can't even imagine the grief, trauma, confusion, and turmoil she would experience. A part of me feels like I will be "kidnapping" her from her life.  In spite of this I know that God fully intended for her to be a part of our life.  There was clearly divine intervention with us being led to her.  I have shared the details with those very close to me. We know this journey in the beginning will not be easy.  We do not pretend that it will be.  We know that God will equip us with what we need.  Leigh Anne if you read this we will likely be calling you friend for professional guidance.  Mrs. Sue we will likely need you on speed-dial for translation.

We need prayers for patience.  We will be traveling with our three girls and then adding Ally Kate. As many of you know Billy's mother passed away while we were in China adopting Maya Grace in December, 2012. Since we did not have Maya Grace's visa to enter the USA yet and to change our airline tickets would have been astronomical he was not here for his mother's funeral.  He said his mother was gone and he knew she would not want him to leave us alone in a foreign country. He was raised in a single parent household and was extremely close to his mother.  To say he "worshipped" her is not an understatement.  He is still grieving her death as we were not able to have closure as most do when someone passes.   I wanted to travel alone with one of the big girls to China to bring Ally Kate home but he stated that he could not emotionally handle being separated from any of us for such a great distance. He said that he could not risk something happening to one of us and him not being there.  He said we would all go or no one would go.  Due to his strong feelings it was a battle I chose to not try and fight with him. We will be on planes, trains, and automobiles in a very crowded country and in one hotel room which will be very crowded!  I am thankful that my girls will have the opportunity to once again visit their native country and immediately begin the bonding process with their new sister.  We feel it will also make Ally Kate's transition easier by having them there.  We have plans to visit Maya Grace's orphanage the day we arrive in China since it is near the Guangzhou airport.

As most of you know as well this was a HUGE MAJOR leap of financial faith for us.  There are not sufficient words to express how thankful we are for those who have helped us to work toward the $30,000 that was needed to bring Ally Kate home.  We are proud people and do NOT ask for help at all.  We are very self-sufficient.  This process has been extremely humbling and totally out of our comfort zone.  I worked as a social worker for 17 years.  I am the GIVER and not a TAKER.  I have had to realize this is NOT about us at all.  It is about a little girl who has lived almost 9 years without a family. It is about a little girl who has no future in her home country due to her disability. At this point we have everything we need except for $6200.  We started our fundraising efforts in June, 2013 and to be in need of only $6200 is a testament of God's provision.  So many have helped us in various ways - financial donations with a very large one being given by a complete stranger last Friday, donations of items for our auctions, consultants have given us their profits from direct sale on-line events, bids in our auctions, a sweet friend sent me a box of new clothes for Ally Kate, many bought our T-shirts, dollar drive, etc.  Billy worked extra jobs.  I did craft fairs, sold my Usborne Books, Thirty-One, Trades of Hope, and Young Living Essential Oils, etc.  Little by little the money has come.  I compare it to the five loaves and two fish in the Bible that God multiplied to feed a crowd.  Matthew 17:20 also comes to mind "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."  The money to bring Ally Kate home was our "mountain" it has been moved. 


There are those who disagree with fundraising in adoption.  This was posted today and I love the words - 
 “When a family seeks help in raising funds for an adoption, it’s not like asking people to pitch in toward a new boat, or help pay for a vacation. What they are doing is committing to heal, with God’s help, a child who has suffered the profound damage of being unwanted and unloved. They are obediently living out the command given in James 1:27 to care for the orphan, clothing the gospel of Christ’s redemption in flesh and blood and now. When they ask for the body of Christ to come alongside them financially and prayerfully, they are giving us the opportunity to be a part of the miracles God works through obedience.” -Ashley Paradis Moreno


We are still in need of $6200 to be fully funded. Adopting two children in a span of 14 months has cost $60K.  Our yearly income is only slightly over that amount.  We live extremely frugally and can easily absorb the cost of caring for another child on a day to day basis but the amount to bring them home has required us to call on our "village".  If anyone who reads this would like to help us reach our final need  by making a tax deductible donation you may do so here - http://reecesrainbow.org/63380/sponsorcampbell-2 . A direct donation may be made to our paypal account at ajajd464@bellsouth.net . We are not told who donates into our Reece's Rainbow FSP so if we do not thank you personally please do not be offended.  Blessings to all of you!

Ally Kate/Jing Xin - We will see you in less than two weeks!!

December/Early January Update

Sorry for the late post from December.  Life... well ... life was a little crazy.  My two older girls danced in a Nutcracker performance which took up many days and nights.  We fundraised with a T-shirt sale and auction.  Then our sweet Maw-Maw (my former mother in law) passed away the week before Christmas.  She was the grandmother two my two older children and a major grandmother presence in my younger children's lives.  We greatly miss her but know she is in a better place.  We know she this is just a brief separation and that we will see her again one day! 

MAJOR progress in our journey to Allyson Kate! We received a copy of our pdf and approval from the National Visa Center.  This approval plus a form called the DS-260 was then sent to the Chinese Consulate in Guangzhou.  This requires an approval which is to be picked up on 1/7.  The final step will then occur. We will await travel approval from China! At this point we are expecting travel in early February. Chinese New Year occurs on 1/31.  This is China's major holiday so we will have to avoid that travel time due offices being closed. Beside that it is said that Chinese New Year is the largest migration of people in the entire world each year.  Think us slow moving Southerners need to avoid that too! 

We sent our Chinese visa applications off last week.  We should have those back the week of 1/12. Sending those off REALLY made it seem REAL! We also were able to send a care package to Ally Kate last week. We can't wait to hear that she has received it and knows that we are coming for her. This sweet little one will have lived eight years and 11 months without a forever family.  

We ask for prayers for Ally Kate aka Jing Xin and for us as well.  Ally Kate will leave everything she has ever known in her life. She will leave her group home, foods, friends, school, language, smells, sites, etc. She will see new faces, a new country, a new language, different food - every single thing in her comfort zone and in her life will change.  While we have been preparing months for her and anticipating the excitement of her joining our family she has been living her life as she knows it.  We pray that God will prepare her heart to receive us and that her grief will be minimal.  We pray for wisdom, patience, and understanding as we walk with her on her grief journey and adjustment to all of the upcoming changes in her life.  

I will not list our fundraising link efforts on this post but do want to thank those who have reached out to help us.  While we can easily absorb the day to day cost of caring for another child we did not have the $30,000 in fees which are required by various entities to adopt her.  We have been BLESSED with $5,200 in grants - $4200 from our agency and $1000 from Trades of Hope.  We have been BLESSED with Facebook friends who have offered to do direct fundraisers for us and donate their profits. We have been BLESSED with friends and family who purchased items through these direct fundraisers.  We have been BLESSED with donations into our Reece's Rainbow FSP and in our Project Hopeful account.  One sweet former homeschool friend sent us a check for $100! We were BLESSED and surprised the week of Christmas with a monetary gift from local homeschool friends which allowed us money to pay for our Chinese visas.  We were BLESSED with those of you who donated items to our auctions and those who bid on these items! We were and are being BLESSED by those of you ordering T-shirts.  Yesterday a box full of new clothes from Crazy 8 for Ally Kate showed up at my door which were sent by another China adoptive family!  This family recently lost one of the children that they adopted and are grieving.  For them to reach out to us really touched my heart.  I am BLESSED by those who ordered through our Amazon Affiliate link.  I am BLESSED that my husband will work every second of the day that he is given the opportunity to provide for our family.  I am BLESSED that my girls are willing to make material sacrifices to help bring their newest sister home.  I pray that they will always keep their servant's hearts and be mission minded. 

Those of you who know me personally  know that I worked 17 years as a social worker. I am a GIVER.  Being in the TAKER role is NOT anywhere on my radar.  I started supporting myself when I was 18 yo and  have very rarely in my life asked anyone for anything.  I am fiercely independent.  God has shown me that it is "ok" to lean on others through Maya Grace's adoption and this adoption of Ally Kate. It is difficult for me and so very humbling.  I have set my humility aside so that this orphan can have a forever family. God placed her before us and we are obeying His calling.  We know adopting an older child will be a challenge.  We do not pretend that it will not be.  We know God's grace and mercy will get us through whatever we face. We thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers and support.  Blessings and Happy New Year to you all!