Hi...

Okay, so I feel a lot of pressure writing this.  Jamey has been doing all of the posts and I keep hearing how well he is doing (which I agree), but I am not sure that I can live up to his writing abilities.  So bear with me!

 

It is Sunday afternoon and we are in Guangzhou, China.  I must say that we are really thrilled to be here.  The city is very nice and much cleaner than where we have been.  We have a new guide whose name is Aron and she is so nice and her English is wonderful.  We are now with four other families who have adopted and it is very fun to be with Americans this week. One family has been here three times already and another has a set of four year old twins.  Sophie is the youngest in our group. (and of course, the cutest!)  I have already enjoyed socializing and doing things as a group. 

 

To back up a little bit, Sophie did pretty well on the plane.  She has started getting very comfortable with us.  We are really seeing her personality emerge and blossom.  She has even thrown a few fits in the past two days!!  She has also had some more milestones that we are excited about.  She is smiling a lot more and at other people other than us, she can sit up by herself from lying down, and she is going to sleep on her own without fussing now.  We are so proud of her and how well she is doing.  She also just adores her big brother and the bond there has been so natural. 

 

Today we went to a shopping mall and did some shopping for some China souvenirs.  The malls here are so different than where we are.  For starters, they are not air conditioned and very hot.  Also, people smoke inside them.  This is just crazy to us.  I think that all the families enjoyed the day and we all bought a few small things.  Tomorrow we are going to the island here to have the medical exam done and visa picture taken.  This should be an interesting trip with Sophie.  She does not like anyone taking her from us.  I am sure that there will be a lot of anxiety.

 

Several things on the trip have kind of surprised me.  First, I realized something I already knew....I am NOT a traveler.  I am not good at it and I get very homesick for my Gabe and Hallie.  Second, the people of China are very genuine and very nice and friendly.  They are so accommodating to Americans and very helpful when they know what you are saying.  Lastly, I realize how much prayer the people of China need.  So many of them are so lost and need a Saviour.  Everyone that we can communicate with so far has told us that they have no religion.  They are trying to be as good as they can be so that they will make it to Heaven in the afterlife. 

 

I have not been sleeping at all here, so I have a lot of time to think and pray.  When the orphanage director handed Sophie to us, one of the things they gave to us was a paper with finding ads.  One of the ads was Sophie's sweet picture and writing that was looking for her family. Obviously, they never claimed her.  I am not sure the reason she was left and probably never will, but I am so glad that her orphanage found her and took care of her.  Sophie's birth mother has been on my mind so much.  I have been thanking the Lord for her and her decision of life for her daughter.  All of these mothers had a decision to make and thank goodness they chose life!!  I am not sure why there are so many abandoned babies, but I know that the Lord has a plan for these babies and Jamey and I are so thankful that the He chose Sophie to be in our family.  What a precious gift her mother gave to us.