Catherine will be flying out tomorrow and will be in Lansing on Tuesday. We will leave from Lansing on Wednesday afternoon. It will be a long day with 2 layovers (Detroit and Shanghai). We should arrive in Beijing on Thursday at 11:40pm (11:40am your time). Please pray that we make the connecting flight in Shanghai. We will have 2 hours to get through customs and cross to the domestic side and find our flight. We are hoping our bags go straight through.
We will spend Friday and Saturday sight seeing in Beijing. Then, fly out Sunday to Emilyn's province. We will shop for everything that I don't have room for in my luggage to make Emilyn comfortable. I will finally be able to hold her at about 9:30am Monday morning (9:30pm Sunday night your time). We will tour her province and wait for her passport to be prepared. Friday, we will fly to Guangzhou to finish the process. She will have her medical and we will do more touring. On Tuesday, we will have her Consulate appointment. We need to wait 48 hours and then her visa will be ready and we can fly home!
We thank you so much for your prayers!! Here are a few specific requests:
- Health - Our family (including me) seems to be battling colds
- Mark - He will be single parenting for 2 weeks. This includes homework, lunches, dinners, managing kiddos at Half Time at church while preparing for the Worship Service, and coming to my rescue as I communicate with him at all times of the night.
- Catherine - She has a LONG trip here and then to China. She has to do the same thing on the way home. She has a foster daughter that is in the care of a nanny, please pray for her while Catherine is with me.
- Emilyn - She is about to have her entire world turned upside down. She will be leaving a nanny that has loved and cared for her since she was just a few months old. Please pray that she will allow me to comfort her and will begin the attachment process.
- April - Patience and love for Emilyn. Comfort in missing my family and best friend (who selflessly agreed to stay home and hold down the fort)!
- Most of all, Catherine and I would ask that you pray for our testimony. We pray that we would have the opportunity to pour Christ's love into everyone we meet: nannies, guides, other adoptive parents, locals, hotel workers, and the sweet kiddos we will meet when we tour the orphanage.
