Sunday, June 21, 2009

Our Last Sleep!

It's almost 9PM here in China. We are staying on Sha Mian Island in Guangzhou. Tomorrow is the big day.
My plan to have pictures up for you when you wake has been spoiled by the fact that Blogger is blocked here. Grrr.... But my back up plan is to email everything to my mom and she will post for me! So now you have to wait for her to wake up! LOL!
Leaving HK and entering China has definately been the most challenging portion of our trip. They took our temperature at checkin, then they riffled through my carryon because I had fingernail clippers and tweezers. My bad, but they've been in there all along. The funny thing is that I looked all over for those tweezers the night before and figured I had left them at home! Not! Then when we landed, we were unable to even stand up and get our bags. The 'guys in the white bubble suits' entered the plane from the rear and took each person's temperature. It hadn't even been an hour since we had it taken in HK, but oh well! A guy 2 rows up from us set the thing to beeping... twice! He had to remove it hat and lift his shaggy bangs and it still beeped. So the guy in the white bubble suit made him shut the blinds and turn on his air vent. He returned and tried again and he was fine! Whew!
Our hotel room is very small here, it's making me miss HK! We have a King size bed here as well, but it's about 1/2 the size of the one in HK. Oh, well, the room is about 1/2 the cost too. The food in the hotel is terrible, so we're going to HAVE to venture out.
Our guide is wonderful! She's so sweet and we're going to enjoy spending time with her. Tomarrow, at about 2:30 PM here, 1:30 AM there, is when we are scheduled to get Jia. This at times just overwhelms me if I pause long enough to let it. Mostly we've just been on survival mode... just get our selves through this 14 hour flight, just get ourselves through Japanese immigration, customs, get ourselves to and from the hotel in Tokyo because we missed our connection, just trust the airline will reschedule our flight, just get in the taxi and tell them where your hotel is, just do this, do that, etc.... etc.... I know once we get home, this is all going to hit what we've been through, but for now, we just do what we gotta do and don't think about it.
I can't even begin to tell you the emotions... there are just too many. Of course there's fear, doubt, fear, doubt, we're tired, we're hungry for some real food (oreo's), we're homesick at times when we let our selves think about it, and part of us is just ready to come home.
BUT.... tomarrow is the day we've waited over 3 years for! We're overjoyed. I really feel such peace about getting Jia. I know she's meant to be part of our family. I know she needs a Mama, Baba and 3 Ge-Ge's desperatley. I know she needs us. We will hold it together and get her home. The thought of 2 more weeks here though is excruciating. We'll certainly have to take it one day at a time. Once we have her I know it will be different. We'll catch that 2nd wind for a few days... then we'll just have to take it one day at a time again!
We did spend a little time walking around the island tonight. I must say, I can't wait to shop! All those adorable little Chinese dresses made my head spin! I can't wait to buy some! Our guide has a hertiage tour of 12 adoptees coming in the 26th, and she said when we have the big group, she'll take us in to Guangzhou to the pearl market. She's also invited us to her home to have her husband cook for us one night! And there's another family that will be getting their daughter with us tomorrow. Their daughter is not from the same orphanage, but the same city! So our guide is going to ask if our 2 families can travel to the city and visit the orphanage. I'm not getting my hopes up because of the swine flu... but I truly hope we can!
I can't think of much else to say except that if you're reading, please comment. Please email us... we get them just fine. Please leave me messages on Facebook! It's so lonely to get on Facebook when you're all sleeping! We've had a couple of emails from Brad and Tolane and we just look forward to them! Please leave us some encouragement, some scripture, some Rah! Rah! Ree! Something. It really is nice to hear from you all and feel connected.
We Skype with my parents and the boys most every night and morning, it's really working out well. We can talk free via the computer through a headset and it sounds like they're right here with us.
Anyway... 2:30 PM here for us, 1:30 AM there for you.... if you're up and feel compelled to pray for us, please do so! We need it!
Love you all....
Jack and Joy
PS... I just proof read my post and thought portions of it may sound a little troublesome. We truly are fine, we just feel very displaced. Can't wait to get our daughter and get home!

5 comments:

Jess Danielson said...

Following your wonderful journey! I can't wait to see you with Jia tomorrow!! Hang in there-your time in China will fly by!

Hugs

Briana said...

Only one more day..how exciting!! I hope everything goes smoothly. I will continue to pray for you and your family ass wel as Jia. Also Happy Father's Day Jack!
Briana

Briana said...

**AS** **WELL**

Cole's Mommie said...

I tried to warn you that you would feel very American and miss "HOME"!! We miss you here!! It's funny how just knowing you are gone made us miss you! Jadeth has missed you sooo much! Can't wait till you're back! We'll keep praying for you. Remember ... God has a plan for you ... a plan to prosper you and not harm you.

John and Paula said...

Welcome home and we hope the flight went well. Can't wait to hear from you all.