The kids are delighted to finally have Josiah home and he is working wonderfully into our family. Thank you everyone for all of your prayers!!!
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Location:Bryan, TX
Saturday, February 2, 2013
We're home!!!
Things are crazy and we're dealing with jet lag but we are finally home!
The kids are delighted to finally have Josiah home and he is working wonderfully into our family. Thank you everyone for all of your prayers!!!
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The kids are delighted to finally have Josiah home and he is working wonderfully into our family. Thank you everyone for all of your prayers!!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Texas, here we come!
No time for pictures, I'm packing! We leave for the airport at 6 in the morning and arrive in Houston at 10:49pm on Jan31. You are welcome to meet us at the airport if you are awake at that time of night!
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Sunday Morning
This morning we are going to take the subway to a Christian Fellowship that meets here in Guangzhou. We will have to have our passports swiped as we enter because only expats (foreigners) are allowed to attend this church.
The Chinese people themselves are only legally able to attend the Three Self-Church which is not a true church. You can follow the link above to get some info about that "church."
We are so grateful for the freedom we have at home to attend a church that is not governed by the government. We are filled with a desire to pray for our brothers and sisters in this country, that they would be strengthened through the oppression and that their pastors would be able to receive training to shepherd their flocks despite the lack of resources.
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The Chinese people themselves are only legally able to attend the Three Self-Church which is not a true church. You can follow the link above to get some info about that "church."
We are so grateful for the freedom we have at home to attend a church that is not governed by the government. We are filled with a desire to pray for our brothers and sisters in this country, that they would be strengthened through the oppression and that their pastors would be able to receive training to shepherd their flocks despite the lack of resources.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Guangzhou, China
Saturday night
Here is a quick wrap-up of the last 2 days and some pictures.
Yesterday we ate breakfast, packed our bags, and boarded a plane for Guangzhou.
This morning Josiah had his medical exam for his visa. While he and Josh were doing that the rest of us stayed at the hotel. When they came back we had pizza for lunch!
Josiah liked the crust but didn't want any toppings on his pizza, not even sauce!
Then while some took naps, others went and explored the hotel grounds a little.
And for dinner we had noodles again!
Right now we are waiting to apply for Josiah's visa. In the meantime we hope to enjoy a little bit of Guangzhou. Please pray for our health during this time. We have been a bit sick with upper respiratory stuff and would like it to clear up before we begin our journey home.
To our sweet kids in Texas: it was a joy to talk to you tonight (morning for you) we miss each one of you and are praying for you daily. Love, mom and dad
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Location:Guangzhou, China
Thursday, January 24, 2013
A Little Fun
Today we had a little break from beating our paper trail through the Chinese adoption bureaucracy and enjoyed a day out and about touring the city!
First we visited an old park in the center of the city. The trees and landscaping were gorgeous and we enjoyed strolling through. In addition, they were decorating for the Chinese New Year so there were colorful lanterns and other decorations everywhere.
We came upon a group of older Chinese men and women singing and playing instruments and enjoyed listening to them.
Afterward they asked about us and our guide told them who we were and what we were doing. He particularly seemed to enjoy the look on their faces when he told them we had a total of 8 children! Though they were shocked one of the older ladies said she had 5 herself and thought we were doing the right thing :)
Part of the park included a sort of amusement park with games and rides. The kids enjoyed riding on a large carousel.
They then followed this with a lively game of bumper cars! Nothing more fun for Josiah than getting the chance to ram cars with his older brother Nathan!
Following our excursion to the park we took in some local culture by visiting the Walmart Super-center. Yes, Walmart is here too!
Some of the items are very similar but some are quite different (especially the food!). I was able to introduce our guide to the concept of pull-ups which he was excited to buy to help with potty training his 20 month old son. We also got a small stroller to push Josiah in on walks around town. That boy is heavy!
We finished off our day with a visit to a delicious noodle shop that is part of a local chain that has been here since the 1800s. They have definitely been perfecting their recipe because it was amazing!
Unfortunately all pictures are on other media so I'll get those up when I can. If all goes as planned we get Josiah's passport tomorrow then head back to Guangzhou for the next step of our journey! (Pictures are now added!)
-Joshua
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First we visited an old park in the center of the city. The trees and landscaping were gorgeous and we enjoyed strolling through. In addition, they were decorating for the Chinese New Year so there were colorful lanterns and other decorations everywhere.
We came upon a group of older Chinese men and women singing and playing instruments and enjoyed listening to them.
Afterward they asked about us and our guide told them who we were and what we were doing. He particularly seemed to enjoy the look on their faces when he told them we had a total of 8 children! Though they were shocked one of the older ladies said she had 5 herself and thought we were doing the right thing :)
Part of the park included a sort of amusement park with games and rides. The kids enjoyed riding on a large carousel.
They then followed this with a lively game of bumper cars! Nothing more fun for Josiah than getting the chance to ram cars with his older brother Nathan!
Following our excursion to the park we took in some local culture by visiting the Walmart Super-center. Yes, Walmart is here too!
Some of the items are very similar but some are quite different (especially the food!). I was able to introduce our guide to the concept of pull-ups which he was excited to buy to help with potty training his 20 month old son. We also got a small stroller to push Josiah in on walks around town. That boy is heavy!
We finished off our day with a visit to a delicious noodle shop that is part of a local chain that has been here since the 1800s. They have definitely been perfecting their recipe because it was amazing!
Unfortunately all pictures are on other media so I'll get those up when I can. If all goes as planned we get Josiah's passport tomorrow then head back to Guangzhou for the next step of our journey! (Pictures are now added!)
-Joshua
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Location:Changsha, China
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Culture Shock
We only brought enough diapers to make it for a few days since we knew that diapers would be available here in China.
Imagine our surprise when the first diaper we took out looked a little different:
Can you tell what is missing in this picture? The tabs! Apparently there are brands of diapers that don't have the adhesive tabs that hold them on. It seems there is some sort of diaper cover that they fit in but I am not sure I understood our guide correctly.
In the picture above can you see what else I have in my hand? It is some handy gaffer's tape which I was told to never travel without! The obvious solution to the missing tabs is to make some tabs ourselves.
Does she look a little dubious? No worries baby girl! We know what we are doing!
See? Pink and black look great together!
Are you waiting with baited breath for the verdict? Well, they say a picture speaks a thousand words....
Yup, nothing like familiar diapers!
Imagine our surprise when the first diaper we took out looked a little different:
Can you tell what is missing in this picture? The tabs! Apparently there are brands of diapers that don't have the adhesive tabs that hold them on. It seems there is some sort of diaper cover that they fit in but I am not sure I understood our guide correctly.
In the picture above can you see what else I have in my hand? It is some handy gaffer's tape which I was told to never travel without! The obvious solution to the missing tabs is to make some tabs ourselves.
Does she look a little dubious? No worries baby girl! We know what we are doing!
See? Pink and black look great together!
Are you waiting with baited breath for the verdict? Well, they say a picture speaks a thousand words....
Yup, nothing like familiar diapers!
Good posts on orphans in China
Love Without Boundaries is the organization that helped our son have a much-needed surgery. They have done a lot of work in China and know well what the environment is in the Chinese orphanages. This series of posts have some good information about the current state of affairs in Chinese orphanages.
The Changing face of Chinese Orphanages
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The Changing face of Chinese Orphanages
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Changsha, China
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