Update: thank you for your prayers for health. We all fell like dominoes in the course of 4 days, but, thank God, we are all now well!!!! The antibiotics did their job, and God answered our prayers.
Wow, I can not believe the day has come. We get to go get our daughter in China and bring her home. We’re having a baby girl!!!! Before I say anything else, I can NOT type another word w/o thanking each one of you for prayerfully, emotionally, and financially supporting us on this journey to our daughter. God has used each one of you to help bring Tahlia home…..there will now be one less orphan in the world! Thank you for your faithful encouragement and prayers….but, you’re not done yet…right? 😉 Cause we still really need your prayers!!!
If you could please pray for the following for us:
1) health for all 4 of us traveling and for family staying home! PLEASE PRAY WE ALL STAY HEALTHY!
2)for Ethan, Helaina and Ashton. 15 days is TOO long to be away from mommy and daddy and big sister! Thank God they are in good hands (thank you Grandparents) so, please pray for their little hearts! (oh, you better pray for those G-parents too!)LOL
3) for mommy, daddy and Isabella….15 days is TOO long to be away from all those giggles and hugs and kisses! (sigh)
4)for Tahlia’s heart. She will be leaving her family in the orphanage, and will be placed into strangers’ arms. She won’t understand what is going on….everything will be unfamiliar and scary.:(…. Has she ever seen a bald man and blonde girls, I wonder??;) …..pray for her…she will be grieving and confused :(…and her heart will be broken..
5) for safe travels to and from China…and safety while there.
6) for Tahlia to bond and attach to us so that her grieving heart can be comforted easily and that she may feel secure, nurtured and safe. Pray that she comes to trust each one of us quickly. Pray for giggles, joy and smiles to replace the fears she may have.
7) that she will eat for us, many grieving children will refuse to eat..:(
8) that God would equip us with exactly what she needs to feel loved and safe…and comforted.
9)that the adoption process and all paperwork would go smoothly
10) for the plane ride home….14 hours with a toddler in a lap seat could get pretty interesting….so you might as well pray for our patience and creativity too! ha!
Our itinerary is as follows:
Dec. 7 fly out
Dec. 8 arrive in Beijing, China
Dec. 9 (Fri) – Dec. 10 (Sat) tours to the Tienanmen Square, Forbidden City, Great Wall,and Summer Palace and shopping at the Pearl Market.
Dec. 11 (Sun) Beijing to Guangzhou Flight
Dec. 12 (Mon) Afternoon: Go to the Civil Affairs to receive your child (TAHLIA DAY!!!!)
Dec. 13 (Tue) Morning: Go to the Civil Affairs To complete the adoption registration and notarization procedures (She will be officially ours 🙂 )
Dec. 14 (Wed) Morning: Pick up the registration card to apply for your child’s passport
Dec. 15 (Thu) Morning: Tour at Guangzhou Xiangjiang Safari Park
Dec. 16 (Fri) Morning: Have visa picture taken and medical exam performed for your child
Dec. 17 (Sat) Free
Dec. 18 (Sun) Free
Dec. 19 (Mon) Free
Dec. 20 (Tue) Free
Dec. 21(Wed) Morning: Submit visa application documents and have the group-oath ceremony at the U.S. Consulate
Dec. 22 (Thu) Afternoon: Obtain the Visa for Tahlia
Dec. 23 (Fri) Morning: Guangzhou to Beijing Flight
Afternoon: Beijing to HOME!!!!!!!!
So glad to hear that the Lord has healed your family! Thank you for listing the prayer requests. I will be sure to keep them in prayer! May the Lord bless your travels and give your hearts encouragement along the way. Blessings and many prayers, Colleen
If I were Thalia and I saw to living dolls like you and Bella walking towards me and picking me up I would feel immediate comfort. The beauty inside radiate on the outside in blonde curls and loving smiles. Oh then to know there are more curls at home, I'm sure she will wrap her lil fingers in the curls and feel like she's being held by angels. Good luck and congrats…best wishes and happy early Xmas/ mothers/ fathers/ big siblings day
Yay!!! Enjoy the next few days!!!