Day 10 - Medical Examination & Immunization Day (Saturday)

Day 10 - Medical Examination & Immunization Day (Saturday)

We love this hotel in Guangzhou!  It’s called the China Hotel now (used to be a Marriott) and is absolutely beautiful.  It’s breakfast is our favorite, with an amazing spread of options and some great juices too.  Not only are we at a great place, but we got the coolest room number in the hotel..1234! Impossible to forget lol.

After being the lone adoptive family in Guizhou (and only obvious Westerners), it was neat to see many other adoptive families (maybe 5-6) at our hotel as well as our AWAA friends from Beijing (mother = Michelle, son = Shepherd, & grandmother = Doris).  Seeing familiar faces with similar steps ahead this next week brings a bit of extra comfort.

One of the most traumatizing events in our adoption with Ali was her appointment at the the international travel clinic where she was poked and prodded and given an additional  immunization shot.  When they give the shot to the child they take the kid away from you and don’t let the parents come into the child.  Last go around the immunization section was a blubbering screaming mix of newly adopted kids.  We were hoping for it to be a bit easier on Mia...

Unfortunately our experience was a bit more difficult.  Some of the doctors were harsh and unkind towards her, which may be typical of the culture, but made Brittney’s mama claws want to come out.  Mia handled her first shot like a champ and we thought we were in the clear but then received the unexpected news that she was due 4 more shots because she was older.  Lots of tears.  But thankfully in this second round of shots Brittney was able to be in the room and Mia welcomed Brittney’s love and affection.  While she’s been very open to Sophia’s attention and proximity, she’s understandably been a little more standoffish with her new parents.  Although we hated to see Mia hurt, we loved having the opportunity for Brittney to give Mia some love and affection!  On Monday we receive the results of the medical exams and pray that there is nothing that would delay our return to the United States! 

On the way back to the hotel, we did a very American thing...we went to Walmart!!! Tucked away in a larger office building was a two story Wally-World.  We loved the opportunity to shop in a more familiar setting but with many unfamiliar goods.  We went home with some yummy snacks including more ramen, dried mango, and special cakes along with some fun pens and PJs for the girls.

After our return to the hotel, the “Paperwork Party” was about to begin.  The “Paperwork Party” is where we compile our papers that we’ve brought to finalize our visa application for Mia.  Although she is officially our daughter in the eyes of both the US and Chinese governments she is still a Chinese citizen so she needs a visa for her trip to the US.  Once we land in Dallas though, she officially becomes a US citizen!

A local Chinese artist name Mr. Chen came to the hotel with some of his wares to show and sell.  Along with Chinese calligraphy he also does artwork using his hand, fingers, and fingernails.  He made some beautiful pieces of work for our family.  We especially loved the banners he made for Mia and Ali that incorporate their Chinese and English names along with their “Gotcha Days” and province of adoption. 

We hadn’t fully explored the hotel yet since our last trip, so it was neat to take the girls through it for the first time to see the gym, pool, courtyard, and other areas.  Since our last trip the hotel has added several new restaurants alongside Starbucks, so now we have access to a Burger King and Dominoes Pizza all under one roof! Nice! 

We met for dinner with our AWAA friends and celebrated Michelle’s birthday with a yummy fruity cheesecake-type dessert.  Jonathan was able to order one of his favorites, a stuffed crust pizza while Britney and Sophia split a thin crust cheese lovers pizza (it was hard to get a plain cheese pizza in our last province) and Mia stuck with her usual spaghetti bolognese...but we were in for a surprise.  To date Mia has been mostly comfortable with only Asian food, dried fruit, noodles, and rice.   She isn’t much of an adventurous eater so we were a bit shocked when she tried pizza, and loved it! 

It has rained most of the day so we weren’t sure if we’d get the chance to swim since the hotel’s pool is outdoors, but we gave it a shot anyhow!  The pool was cool but once you got in and started swimming it wasn’t noticeable.  We had the pool mostly to ourselves and Brittney watched Jonathan and the girls swimming in the sprinkling rain before it was time for bed.  Our first day in Guangzhou was busy but good!

Day 9 - Last Day in Guizhou & On To Guangzhou (Friday)

Day 9 - Last Day in Guizhou & On To Guangzhou (Friday)

We all slept well again and finished with a delicious final breakfast in Guiyang!  The girls wanted to swing by the gym one last time and workout/play :) Jonathan enjoyed getting to know the gym worker (Jie) a bit more and had one more chance to share Truth on Good Friday :)

In many ways it was a fitting day (Good Friday) to leave Guiyang as the departure is a necessary step to a new sort of life for Mia to join her forever family.  Just as Jesus died to provide us life through His resurrection, and calls us in Christianity to die to ourselves to find life and unity with Him forever, there are some similarities with adoption.  There is a separation/death from an old life and a resurrection/life that is found in a forever family.  Mia is a smart girl and though quiet, she is obviously processing and grieving real loss of her foster family, friends, and cultural environment.  At the same time her endless smiles and giggles show she is already experiencing the joy of her new life with her forever family...we just can’t wait for her to meet Lydia & Ali as well as the rest of her family and friends.

Mia really loves Chinese food so that change alone is tough.  We’ve had lots of noodles for most every meal lol.  We experimented with some instant noodles (Ramen) for a quick lunch and she loved it!  After a few hotel room games we grabbed our bags and headed to the lobby to head to the airport.

China has some nice, modern airports that are pretty navigable for English speakers!  We arrived at Guiyang’s airport over three hours early and relaxed by our gate only to discover our flight was indefinitely delayed due to weather in Guangzhou, our destination.  We ended up boarding about 45 minutes late and had a smooth 1.5hour flight to Guangzhou.  Mid flight we had a unique chicken sandwich, made with sticky-rice for the buns...maybe that’s what Chick-Fil-A needs to branch into China’s market! All four of us enjoyed the tasty snack! 

We arrived in Guangzhou and had no problem getting our luggage and finding our new guide, Helen.  She sweetly connected us with a speedy driver and had an adventurous one hour drive to the China Hotel.  Once we arrived we quickly got settled into our room and Jonathan went across the hotels driveway to find some delectable McDonalds and MACROONS!  After filling our bellies we enjoyed watching some Chinese TV (“World’s Got Talent”) with Mia :) a great finish to Good Friday. 

Day 8 - Practicing for Real Life...while in a Hotel (Thursday)

Day 8 - Practicing for Real Life...while in a Hotel

So today we waited.  In the hotel.  All day.  Don’t get us wrong, it is kinda nice to have no responsibility and chillax at the hotel all day, but parent/child drama always emerges wherever you go.  So today we had some parent/child practice with both girls.  New relationships.  New dynamics. New drama. Girls (Jonathan’s note lol).

But also new love.  When boundaries are tested and pushed, love becomes the glue to pull us back together.  We had wonderful opportunities to love our girls through the tough moments and to push forward.  To learn and live on.  To enjoy one another in this unique time of bonding. To make memories and become closer.

Adoption is a beautiful thing but there are still many obstacles to overcome. Obstacles for everyone involved! Today was one of the first of many obstacles. Mia is realizing all the changes about to occur even as we begin to depart from the province she has called home her whole life. Our hearts break for her. If only she could see and understand the big picture...if only we all could! It hurts to see your daughters hurting...one being overwhelmed with so much newness and the other feeling as though her new sister being upset is her fault. So today we loved on and prayed A LOT over each of our girls! We prayed for protection, for peace, for understanding, for love and for God to imprint our hearts together as a forever family like only He can! 

We did the usual breakfast routine with new steps of progress.  It is such a joy to see small building blocks of trust and love grow.  We had a blast for three hours at the pool before returning to our room for some rest.  Mia and Soph are great swimmers!  We have to use swim caps here (bought at the pool for $4) and Brittney found a Chinese bathing suit for $20 (she forgot hers but we wanted a much better deal than the $100-$200 options at the mall).  We had a blast swimming and playing pool games with one another.

We received our official, government-approved certificates in triplicate today.  Our guide brought them to us from the government notary to ensure all was correct before we leave Mia’s province (Guizhou) and head to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou.  Since we already had Mia’s passport we are ready for our next city!  The documents today were basically a Chinese record of birth, of being an orphan, and of being adopted.  Three important pieces of paper that tell a bit of the greater story of how Jesus has arranged Mia to be a forever part of our family.

Since our room doesn’t have a microwave we had to figure a unique way to try and heat Sophia’s leftover rice (Jonathan and Mia ate cold leftovers and Brittney ate some snacks she brought along for days like today) by putting the rice into coffee cups and surrounding them with hot water in the middle of the tea tub thing (not sure how otherwise to describe it).  For dinner Jonathan wandered out to get a few options from a small convenience store and a bakery.  We love the bakery and ended up finding a mango roll, strawberry roll, tart, grilled cheese, hot dog, and our favorite MACROONS! A dinner of mostly pastries...what a treat! 

The slow day ended up being a good time for bonding and processing all of the changes.  We got to do some video calls back home with Lydia and Alia, we miss them so much.  Mia was able to video chat with her foster mom which made a big impact on her day.  The reality of all the significant change is sinking in.  It was a blessing to see her joy return after some tough times and to hear her love of and from her foster family.  Mia has been loved so well the past few years which makes the transition even harder for her in some ways.  But all of that love has prepared her for bonding with a forever family.  Her smile is contagious and her laugh is a joy to hear.. 

Day 7 - Wish-We-Were-Home Day (Wednesday)

Day 7 - Wish-We-Were-Home Day (Wednesday)

So now that Mia is officially our daughter, we are ready to be home!! But...unfortunately we still have days of appointments and governmental paperwork.  So we try to make the most of each day!!

Today ended up having no adoption related appointments so we slept in.  Boy did we sleep last night.  For the first time we all slept through the night from about 9pm thru 7am!  We needed that!

Breakfast was great again and little by little our sweet Mia is opening up to us.  Although she understands most of our English, she is a very quiet and shy little lady.  Every little word she chooses to share with us warms our hearts.  She’s especially opening up with Sophia.  They are so precious together.

One big slumber party.  That’s how Jonathan describes this adventure.  Sophia and Mia are constantly hugging and giggling and being silly.  We spent the morning giggling away through crafts and game time together before heading to “Monkey Mountain.”

Monkey Mountain is really called Qianling Mountain Park.  Can you say, “Planet of the Apes”?!?!  Monkeys everywhere.  Wild.  Free. Roaming.  Occasionally aggressive. This is a beautiful place but made Brittney a little uneasy!

The park involves a beautiful but challenging trail of steps up the mountain.  Along the way monkeys are on the path, in the roads, on the railings, in the trees, dangling above you.  The monkeys want food and water.  If you have it, and they see it, they are coming for it.  We came here in 2014 and experienced monkey anxiety.  We saw people ignore the warnings of the guides and get their bottles or food stolen.  Not much has changed lol.

Our guide Dolores shared with us about her monkey anxiety when she had been kicked in the gut by a monkey while taking a photo.  What!?!?  So as we were adventuring in the midst of the most crowded section of monkeys Dolores decided to buy food.  First we thought it was for herself.  But apparently it was monkey food and the vendor promised her that the monkeys were kind and would not steal her food.  Guess what happened?  Wish we got it on video.  Within seconds of her opening up the food pouch...she had a monkey scrambling up her legs and climbing onto her arms to get the food.  A coordinated attack.  Dolores screamed in panic and threw the food.  Other monkeys, in a well rehearsed scenario, stood ready nearby and scrambled to collect the thrown foodstuffs.  Our guide, though traumatized, continued on while muttering about the vendors lies about the kind monkeys. We all just laughed!

At the top of the ascent lies the most significant Buddhist temple in Guizhou, the Hongfu Temple.  Sad.  Empty. Hollow. False worship.  So many bought incense.  Clouds of incense streamed up the paths and across the temple.  Dozens of statues filled the temple buildings.  It reminded Jonathan of Paul in Athens at the Areopagus (Acts 17:16-34) where he is grieved by the many false gods and idols.  But Paul was given an opportunity to share so he explained that the God that was “unknown” to them was Jesus.

Back at Hongfu Temple...guess what happened?  An elderly monk grabbed Jonathan’s hand and wanted to talk religion.  So a mini-Areopagus moment arose.  Unfortunately the monk didn’t come to believe, but he heard the Truth 🙂 and so did others! May the Lord grow the Gospel seeds that were sown! While Jonathan was sharing with the monk, Brittney walked around with the girls and stayed just enough back that Mia opened up and said more words to Sophia. They were pointing out different things on the statues and saying words for what they saw. It was beautiful to see and hear even though Mia was very shy and not wanting Brittney to see or hear.

After the temple we ventured down the beautiful lake and the girls voted for a paddle boat ride.  So we rented a paddle boat for about $5 and crossed over to the furthest side and back.  So peaceful and serene.  A great time with our girls.  After finishing we took a tunnel path under the mountain back to the other side.  There we saw badminton players, top spinners, and Chinese line dancing (older ladies mostly).  So Brittney and Sophia danced in their public debut in China!   So fun!

On our way back to the hotel we grabbed a few groceries so Mia had some familiar snacks.  Outside the park we met a man with a profound tumor across his entire face to where he could barely see or breathe.  It was a stark reminder of the physical differences found in many orphanages where kids who age out may have a very difficult and dark future.

Back at the hotel our guide helped us order some Pizza Hut again and after dinner we had another fun night at the pool.  The girls were worn out from the hiking and swimming and crashed shortly after they laid down in bed.  So although we’d rather be headed home (9 days to go), it was a sweet day of bonding together with our amazing Mia 🙂

God is so good and it’s neat to see with each passing day...hugs are a little tighter, there are a few more spoken words and there is a brighter glow in eyes that have gone through so much. Brittney made a comment today about how she would love to just be able to enter Mia’s mind for a few moments to know the tough journey she has endured! What a brave young lady we are now blessed to call our daughter!

Day 6 - Adoption Finalization Day (Tuesday)

Day 6 - Adoption Finalization Day

So Mia and Sophia slept until about 5:00am...Mom and Dad, not so much.  We had another great breakfast with a wide spread of both Western and Asian options.  Jonathan sampled a few unknown things (maybe one was a buffalo-sauce-flavored chicken foot?!?!) while Brittney and Sophia stuck to some Western familiar foods.  Mia stuck to her favorites...noodles and fruit. We’ll see how Jonathan’s stomach holds up bhaha.

We knew it was coming, but didn’t know when or how it would express itself. Grief. Sadness.  It started when we noticed Mia not eating much at breakfast.  And then the tears started.  Our sweet girl’s heart is broken.  Even though she couldn’t communicate it to us in words, it was obvious.  She missed her foster mom, her foster brothers, her “aunties”, her friends.  She had been loved so well that her full heart now poured out grief because she got it.  She was leaving.  She wouldn’t likely get to see them again for a long time, if ever.  In the middle of the breakfast room we simply cried with her.  Hugged on her.  Loved her.  Played with her.  Joked with her.  We know more of these grieving moments are ahead.  We can’t anticipate the when and how.  But we know Jesus can heal a broken heart.  His love never fails. Psalm 136.  Jonathan’s T-shirt of the day was a reminder of those needed truths. We all needed this reminder in that moment. 

Adoption Finalization time!  So although the paperwork was started on Gotcha Day it is not finished formally until the next day.  We journeyed back to the adoption office where we signed a few more pages, paid some fees, and have a traditional donation to help the orphanage continue to help orphans find forever families.  Although the process involved some waiting, the girls did great playing together.  It has been so precious to watch Sophia and Mia hold hands and skip around together wherever they go!

Wang Yang Ming.  Ever hear of him?  Neither had we! But apparently he was a famous teacher who came through Guiyang hundreds of years ago and taught on a rock in the midst of the Manming River.  The Jiaxiu Pavilion now commentates the history of his teachings and is a beautiful assortment of traditional buildings in the midst of a large modern city.

This short excursion is designed to helps us bond with our new daughter and to enjoy some of the culture of her home country.  These trips also help pass the time between government appointments.  Even though Mia is now our daughter in the eyes of both China and the US, we still have several procedural steps left involving medical testing, vaccination, paperwork certification, visa issuance and more before we can return home (in 10 days!).  We wish we could come already but we understand the purposeful steps that are still in front of us :)

We returned to the hotel with an order of Chinese food placed by our guide.  We were shocked at what $8 can buy!  We were so thankful to see Mia’s appetite return with some white rice and noodles.  She’s an expert at using chop sticks and she’s tried  teaching us, but our skills are still clumsy at best!

After a hotel room lunch we rested for a bit, letting the girls watch a movie together.  We then ventured out to attempt to find a mall about 1km away.  We wandered through a few tunnel crossings beneath the intersections and eventually found the mall we were in search of.  Surprisingly the prices were pretty high end, $100-200 bathing suits, shoes, and shirts a plenty.  

We found a grocery store (like a mini Walmart) in order to give Mia a chance to pick out some snacks and foods that she’d prefer.  Her top choices?  Lays chips (cucumber flavor), spicy chips, and dried strawberries and mangos (her two favorite fruits).  We had a weird experience with trying to buy a few snacks and some pens that they wouldn’t let us buy for some reason.  It was a bit frustrating but we couldn’t figure out what to do in order to purchase the items.  We left before creating too much of a scene.

Although this is a big city (around 4.5 million), out of the thousands of people we’ve seen we’ve maybe only seen two Westerners ( at a distance ).  It’s strange being in a place where everyone looks different than you.  We draw lots of stares, especially with a blonde haired child holding the hand of her Chinese sister.  It’s been a good reminder for us though, of what Mia will experience over much of her life, being looked at as different from many of those around her.  I love the reminder from the story of King David in the Bible that God doesn’t look at the outward experience like people do, He looks into our heart.  Even with that Biblical truth we know it will be uncomfortable for Mia in many ways in the future.

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7

After returning from the mall, the girls swam once again then ate leftovers for dinner. They enjoyed making a craft with Brittney. Mia loves to color and do anything artsy so she is fitting right in with the Carl girls! After craft time, both girls were very sleepy(maybe the 5:00am wake up did it?!?!?!) and they fell right asleep. So did Jonathan and Brittney!