Final thoughts before heading home

Beginning the journey home!!

It's our last night in China.  We are so excited to be coming home.  We got Molly's visa today, so everything is ready for us to head out in the morning.  The last 24 hours have been a little tougher because both Paula and Daniel have not been well.  Both of them appear to be on the mend now.  Hopefully that will be the end of our sickness. 

For those of you interested, our schedule is as follows.  We will be leaving the hotel at 5:30am local which is 4:30pm  at home.  We fly out of Guangzhou at 7:30am to Shanghai.  We have a layover there until our plane leaves for Chicago at 5:00pm which is 4:00am at home.  We land in Chicago just after 4:00pm cst.  We have only a couple of hours layover in Chicago until we fly to Knoxville with a scheduled arrival of just after 9:00pm est.  I don't care how exhausted we are, that will be one happy moment. 

Several have asked about Molly's citizenship.  She is a Chinese citizen at this time.  She has a Chinese passport.  China does not allow dual citizenship with any country.  We are carrying some documents with us that will be received and processed in O'Hare Airport in Chicago.  Molly will actually become a US citizen there in the airport.  We will receive her SSN within 45 days.  We will have to apply for a US birth certificate. 

It is so remarkable that she is a part of our family.  If we had our way, we would have come to China several years ago.  Of course that means that we wouldn't have Molly.  The long wait was incredibly frustrating at times.  There were times when it seemed like nothing was happening.  There were times when we even lost track of what was going on with the adoption process.  Now I can see some of God's plan unfolding.  Molly just fits in with us so perfectly.  There is no way anyone in either the Chinese or US government could have worked that out.  I cannot tell you how incredible it is to see Elizabeth and Daniel so easily interact with Molly and love her so genuinely.  I don't think that would have been the same if we had traveled to China a few years ago.  Furthermore, we have grown so much together as a family.  This trip has given us opportunities together that we would have never had any other way.  We are so much more invested in each other.  We have seen the necessity of working as a unit and supporting each other fully.  We have developed an increased level of gratitude for so many blessings that we often take for granted at home.  We have been humbled by the love of so many good friends. 

Our Lord is mighty.  His ways are beyond our comprehension and understanding.  His power is limitless.  His love is unending.  Whatever may happen in the world around us, we can rest assured that He is in control and His ways are best.


"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever.  Amen."  Rom.  11:36

McDonald's and pearls

First Trip to McDonald's

Seahorses anyone?

Is this a flyswatter, a fan or just a lizard on a stick?

 

On the streets of Guangzhou

Today started with the bad news that we had expected.  My uncle Frank had died.  The hemorrhage in his brain had been massive and proved fatal.  I had a hard time with it for most of the morning.  It was so sad to me that he would not be able to meet the two new little girls in our family.  I also struggled to try to remember what I had said to him when we last spoke.  I can't remember for sure.  We all need to make sure that the ones close to us, the ones we love, are constantly aware of how we feel about them and what they mean to us.

Molly's personality is coming through more and more.  She just loves to play and have fun.  When she laughs, you can't help but laugh along with her.  She was mesmerized today by Elizabeth blowing bubble gum bubbles.  You could tell that she just didn't understand what it was that was coming out of Elizabeth's mouth.  One of the last things we did today was going to a designated play room for small children here in the hotel.  She laughed and crawled and played and just had so much fun.  It put us all in a great mood as we played with each other like we hadn't in a long time.

Molly got her first taste of McDonald's today.  Elizabeth and Daniel were so excited to see a somewhat familiar menu.  Molly had some chicken nuggets, fries and part of a strawberry shake.  The shake was definitely her favorite.  Just before eating at McDonald's, we spent a few hours shopping in the pearl market.  I have never seen so many pearls in my life.  There were so many vendors with so many pearls that it was not hard to find bargains.  Strands of pearls that would cost hundreds or even in cases thousands of dollars in the US could easily be purchased 10-15% of that amount here.  A small group of families went together and looked at pearls at several stores.  When we got a pretty good idea of what we were looking at and what the general prices were, we went back to one of the stores and began bargaining with them.  That was much of the fun.  Our little group bought 11 pearl necklaces in all.  Once we had finished, you couldn't tell anything was missing from the shop's shelves.  This one little shop had literally thousands of pearl necklaces.  This one shop was only one of many stores.  It was really overwhelming to try to take it all in.

We decided to walk back to the motel from the pearl market.  Our path took us through a part of the city that exposed us to elements of the culture that we would not have seen anywhere else.  There were hundreds upon hundreds of street vendors selling everything from cats, dogs and rabbits for pets to dried seahorses, frog skeletons and lizards on sticks.  (I will include a picture to help you understand).  It was fascinating.  I wish we had had someone with us to tell us exactly what we were looking at and for what purpose it was all being sold. 

The major theme is this--we are ready to be home.  Tomorrow we will get Molly's visa.  That's all we lack at this point to get out of China and on our way home.  We are so anxious for the familiarities of home.  We are terribly excited to be back in the company of all the people that we love so much.  It just can't come soon enough

An intersection in lives

It has been very difficult for me to put this blog entry together.  This day has been a roller coaster of emotions.  I am having a hard time keeping my mind focused.  So please forgive me if this turns into an incoherent, rambling stream.

This is a day that we had been looking forward to for a very long time.  This is the day that we went to the US consulate in Guangzhou to apply for Molly's visa home.  We had anticipated a somewhat elaborate occasion with much pomp and ceremony.  But it was not that at all.  We simply took an oath to tell the truth, produced our passports and gave them one signature.  That was it.  Listen, we brought nice clothes for this specific occasion.  It seems like there should have been just a little more to it.  Even though it was a relatively quick and simple undertaking, we still end up with tears and hugs at the end.  It was the culmination of a lot of prayer, work and patience.  It was the final legal step in a very long process to bring our daughter home.  Now all that is left is picking up Molly's passport and visa on Wednesday and then heading back to the US.  It couldn't come soon enough.

This afternoon I got an email from my dad telling me that his brother, Frank, had had a stroke and was being moved to the ICU at the hospital.  Only last week Frank was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia.  Early this morning he had a large hemorrhage in his brain that was a direct complication of the leukemia.  My dad got the call and headed straight for the hospital.  Frank had already been there for several days because of the leukemia.  My dad is Frank's only sibling.  Their parents both died several years ago.  Frank never got married or had any children.  So Frank has no other family except my dad.  So now my dad has to make all decisions related to his brother's care.  The doctor's have described the hemorrhage as large and expanding.  There was no way to predict that it would happen and absolutely nothing that can be done to try to treat it.  It makes me wonder when I last saw Frank and what I said to him.  What would I have said or done differently if I had known this would happen?  It makes me wish that I could be at the hospital with my dad to help him with these decisions and just to be with him.  It just makes me so sad.  AHHHHH!  Why now?  Why did it have to happen?  Why can't I be there?  I don't know and I don't like it.  But at the same time I wouldn't be anywhere else than where I am right now so that my family will be complete and we can all come home.  It makes me even more sad that Frank might never get to see his two new great nieces, Molly and Laura.  I just know that he would have fallen in love with them as we have.

Above all it gives me great comfort to know that God knew this very set of circumstances was going to take place long before time began.  For reasons that we may never know, He specifically orchestrated the events of our lives to lead us to this very intersection.  It's certainly not the way I would have done it.  But then I am not God.  So what are we to do but trust Him?  There is nothing else.

"In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will."  Ephesians 1:11

Elizabeth and Daniel enjoying time in China!!

                                                    Elizabeth finds her man in Guangzhou.

Mr. Incredible

It has been a good day. All of us getting a good nights sleep the previous night was the key to a good start. Everyday we have had a great breakfast. An expansive all-you-can-eat buffet has been included at each hotel. There has been a tremendous variety of choices each day none of which were pop tarts or Eggo waffles. We have all thoroughly enjoyed breakfast each day.
Today was the day that Molly decided I was an ok guy. She spent a lot of time just sitting, playing and "talking" with me that she had not done up until this point. Of course I just soaked it up. It was good for Paula that Molly didn't have to be in constant direct contact with her. We can also are Molly quickly advancing in her physical abilities. On day one with us she crawled slowly and awkwardly. Now not only does she crawl all over the place with some speed and agility but she will also pull herself up to a standing position, walk along the edge of the bed and slowly walk around the room while holding our fingers. Today also she turned to us on several occasions when we called her name.
Still the neatest thing for me to watch has been how Elizabeth and Daniel have taken to her. I just never realized how emotionally that had also become throughout this process. It has been a great affirmation that their coming on this trip was the correct decision.
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18. That verse has strategically popped up for me there different times today. The obvious parallel is that Molly and these other children being adopted will no longer be orphans. That is an awesome thing. Please don't think that was our motivation in this. We don't in any way are ourselves as saviors of a little girl. We believe that God gave us love for another child and we found her here in China. We do hope that He may use this adoption to help bring Molly into His kingdom someday. That is the greater parallel. God has promised not to leave any of His chosen as orphans. I love the firmness of that verse: "I will not. . .". There's no maybe or possibly or any condition in that promise. He said that He will not leave us. Period. End of story. This is in stark contrast to how we treat each other. We as people and even Christians are constantly breaking our commitments and leaving people behind. We were all so terribly saddened here when a prospective adoptive family decided after meeting their new child to send him back to the orphanage and go back home without him. Despite repeated pleading and reasoning with them they sent him back and left. We all asked ourselves and each other the obvious questions: how could you? Why? After considering it further the answer seems plain enough: we are all sinful, selfish people capable of any gross atrocity. That's what makes Christ all the more amazing. He didn't have to come down here. When He did come anyway He could just as easily have said, "Forget it. They're not worth it. They are the most ungrateful lot I can imagine. I believe I'll just head back home, kick my feet up and enjoy some angel music and send a giant meteor their way to put them out of thru misery and forget this whole human experiment. I just don't need the headache." But He didn't. He came, stayed, paid the ultimate price and promised to come again. "I will never leave you or forsake you." (Deut. 31:6, Jos. 1:5, I Chron. 28:20, Heb. 13:5). Once again it's "never" without condition or alternative. He won't ever leave. That's something in which to take great comfort.
There are so many orphans around the world who have seemingly been forgotten and left behind. Even if adoption is not right for you, there is still so much you could do. Give to the Lottie Moon and other offerings for missions, fill a shoe box for Samaritans Purse, support a child through World Vision or similar organization, support a family who is adopting, pray or just teach your kids about this need. Even better reach out to those around you with Gods love. One of Gus orphans may be waiting.

tired

Its really been a long couple of days. We are all so tired. Paula has been asleep for the past hour in the jeans and shoes that she wore today. Mollys sleep pattern has been very inconsistent over the past few days. We are looking forward to s more relaxed day tomorrow.
We did have a required medical exam for Molly today. All was well. She weighed over 17lbs and measured at just over 28 inches long.
Since I am having difficulty holding me eyes open Abe putting coherent sentences together, I must cut this short tonight. Please know that appreciate all the prayer and support.

Molly loving life with her family

Yum.  Mashed potatoes!

Baths are definitely nor her favorite

I have never been to Las Vegas but I wonder if it must look a little like this place. Guangzhou is another huge Chinese city. But this one is wildly decorated in lights of all colors and patterns. As I look out my window I see lasers shooting across a lake, paddle boats cruising up tha channel that are lit up in such a way as to look like a giant dolphin and a spinning windmill with neon lights on aLl the spinning spokes. It is truly remarkable. Currently the 2010 Asian Games are taking place here. So they may have it decorated more brightly than normal.
Molly got through her first plane ride without too much trouble. We were glad that the flight was just over an hour long. We have taken to calling her spider monkey because of how she constantly climbs, squirms and jumps. She was going full speed during this flight which meant that Paulas legs were pretty sore from all the jumping. If our flights back home are similar, we may be quite a bit more frazzled than what we had expected. We are all tired right now and doing good to just keep up with what day of the week it is. No matter how exhausted we are, we are all so ready to be home.
Mollys personality is coming through more each day. She is laughing much more and beginning to interact with people around us. All the Chinese people comment on how beautiful she is and how they ove her hair. So far she is the only Chinese person of any age that we have seen anywhere with curly hair. At least two have told us that they thought she was a western baby and not Chinese. Frankly we dont really care what her heritage is. God made her. He made her for us. We love her. What else matters. ("red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.).
Tomorrow Molly will have a medical exam. We hope to find out that she is perfectly healthy. There are several families with us who have adopted children with special needs such as severe cleft lip and palate to heart problems. Thwy have incredible challenges ahead of them. But because somebody loved them enough to leave their home, travel to a distant land, and pay whatever price and to to whatever length necessary to get that child, each of these lost, abandoned, little helpless orphan child will be taken to a new land and a new home where they will have their bodies restored. That sounds a whole lot like another story I began learning as a small child in Sunday School. That picture--That reflection of something and Someone so much greater is the main reason that adoption is such a beautiful thing.

No its not a Disney parade. Its the view from our hotel window.

Arrived safely in Guangzhou

did I say that she loves her mama?

Merry Christmas from Beijing

New Pictures

The biggest news of the day is that my sister had her new baby last night. Laura Danielle was born at 6PM and was 9lbs 1oz and was 22 inches long. Laura was born with a full head of hair (which makes me jealous). Mama and baby and everyone in the family are doing great. We are very excited. We think it is pretty incredible that two beautiful little girls were adfed to our family this week.
We went to a big public park this morning. There were so many people there. Our guide said that was typical. As we were leaving the park, we met a large group of students coming in. They were 13-14 years old. One large group stopped us and began talking. They were interested in Molly but were most fascinated by Paula and Elizabeth. In just a moment they were pinned up against a wall by about 20 Chinese students. You would think they were some kind of celebrities. I think it is because they are tall amf pretty. They asked them lots of questions and wanted to take their picture.
We ate dinner in the restaurant in the hotel. They had a seafood buffet. This was much different than any seafood buffet we have ever seen before. Some of the new and unique foods tried by Elizabeth and Daniel included mussels, caviar, Korean beef, snake and duck tongue. It was a lot of fun.
Our relationship with Molly is getting better each day. She most definitely has a strong preference for her mama right now (and who can blame her for that?). But she is loosening and more at ease with each of us. She is laughing more. She will imitate sound and motions we make. If we sing to her she will hum and coo and "dance". It makes us think that she might have been sung to a lot over the past year. Daniel is very attentive to her when she is distressed. He is quick to do anything possible to help at all times. He also actively tries to take pressure off of
Paula when he can. Elizabeth and Molly have absolutely fallen in love with each other. Its almost like long lost sisters who have been reunited. I've seen her be more selfless in the last few days than eve before. That's really the purpose for these free days. The more time we spend together with Molly, the better we know each other which yields great rewards. Helps me realize that the more time we spend with Christ, the closer we will be to Him. The rewards that would come with that would be immeasurable.
Tomorrow we leave Changsha for Guangzhou. There Molly will have a medical exam and we will have an interview at the US consulate to obtain her visa. That's the last step before heading home. That's just one week away and we can't wait.
We love you all so much. Thanks so much for your emails and FB posts of encouragement. Please continue to pray that everything will continue to go smoothly.

Free day in Changsha

There were no official activities scheduled for today. It was left open so that we could spend the most time possible with Molly. We spent the majority of the day here in the hotel. Molly us obviously more at ease and comfortable. Paula said that she found her giggle. Her laugh and smile will light up any room. You might think that we would begin to get w little crazy all crammed together in a hotel room. But the truth is that it had been relaxing and enjoyable. God has been good to us in so many ways.
As we speak my sister Jennifer is having labor induced to deliver her second daughter Laura. We are so excited for her. Please be in prayer for both of them today.
Thanks for all the encouraging emails and Facebook posts. Its so great to know that you have the love and support of wo many.

Daddy and Molly

Precious Molly

It's Official

Today our family officially increased by one. Molly is now legally one of our own. Of course she has been ours in our hearts for a long time. Now its written down, stamped, witnessed and notarized. Chen Yajing born October 21, 2009 is now Molly Catherine Yajng Trentham. We couldn't be happier.
We continue to be impressed by Elizabeth and Daniel. They have shown love, selflessness and maturity that we didn't know they had. It has been such a blessing to see God continue to shape them and work in their lives.
It has been so much more of a joyful experience to have so many of you share it with us. There have been times in the last two days when it was hard to keep up with all the emails and Facebook postings. We know you are rejoicing with us. It struck a much deeper chord with me today. First you need to understand exactly what we die today. We took this child we had already accepted to the local adoption official. We paid the necessary fees required to complete this adoption, promiard him that we would always love her and never abandon her. I thought of what Christ did for us. He chose is long before the world ever began. We were lost wothout any hope. Jesus came to our world, paid the price we couldn't pay and promised to never leave us or forsake us. If we thought the celebrating for Molly was special, the party that goes on in heaven will be without equal. The Bible tells us that there will be great rejoicing in the presence of the angels when even one lost soul comes to Christ. Then when everything here us done, He will take us home with Him to a place of such beauty and grandeur that we could never imagine.
Praise Him for His incredible gift and thank Him for the glimpses of heaven that we sometimes get here.

Molly Loves her Mama

Gotcha!

She loves her brother and sister.

Gotcha!

"O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago."  Is.  25:1

 Paula and I actually first discussed adopting a child together before we were ever married.  While dating we discovered that this was a mutual interest.  Then it just seemed like a far off fanciful idea.  Now it is reality.  The even more incredible thing is to realize that God had this all planned out long before the universe and everything in it was created.  What has at times to us seemed like a tedious and frustrating process to Him was merely the properly timed unfolding of His perfect will.  So now here we are just like He had planned all along with three beautiful children.

The best way I can describe the day was joyful.  Where I thought there would be tears, there was only smiles all around.  That's because it was all just as it should be.  We were complete and whole.  It was hard to believe.  Here in front of us was the actual "Baby China" that we had talked about for so long.  God has been so faithful.  And right now it doesn't seem like life could get any better.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and kind words.  So many have been so supportive.  Please continue praying as there is still much to do to get our new daughter to her new home with us.

Sunday in Beijng

The word for the day was traffic. If there are 20 million people in this city, I believe they were all on the road today. It took us much longer to get around than any other day. We were also struck by the sheer size of this city. Do something for me. Imagine yourself sitting in your car in your driveway. Now travel for 45 minutes by car in one direction. For me this would put me in Maryville, near Knoxville or somewhere south of Cleveland. We rode for that length of time today in a bus and never saw anything but skyscrapers. In city I have ever been in is dwarfed by this place. It is absolutely massive.
We spent part of the morning at the local "silk market". It is a large shopping area with hundreds of vendors of all sorts. We had a great time bargaining with the vendors. It was somewhat of a game to see how low you could get them to drop a price. We got some nice jackets for the kids and two adorable dresses for Molly among others.
Later in the day the whole group went to see the emperors winter palace. It was an impressive spread. The highlight was a magnificently beautiful temple on top of a hill with a 20 foot tall Buddha statue. This thing was gilded bronze covered in pure gold. It was an impressive thing to see. We felt sorry for old Buddha because he was dirty and corroded and looked like he had about 20 years worth of dust on his shoulders and heads. We were also struck by the number of people stopping to pray. It reminded us that we are blessed to live in a special little corner of the world and that the cast majority of people are searching in the wrong places for the One true Lord. Sad.
We are especially thankful today for our beds and pillows at home. We miss the lack of traffic at home. We are so proud of the kids. They have had the best attitudes. Too often I don't give them enough credit. Thank you Lord for them.
We want to say a special "go get 'em" to the Mtn View Tigers as they play Etowah City tomorrow night. We are counting on you guys to do great.
Tomorrow is the day we have been looking forward to for over five years. They call it “Gotcha Day”. We will finally get to see, touch and hold Molly. It just seems so unreal right now. We have no idea what to expect. We just know that God brought through this process to this point for a specific purpose. We are confident in Him and pray that we will be faithful to His calling. We will leave the hotel at 5:30AM to go to the airport. We will fly to Changsha where we will meet her for the first time. We so wish that many of you could be here to experience this with us. We know of your prayers and your love and are so grateful for both. The only thing that could top it off would be for our niece Laura Danielle to come into the world on the same day. For that matter I know Jennifer is ready too.

windy and cold

There are some families with us who believe that Chicago should give up its title as the Windy City to Beijing. We spent much of the day outside and the wind was punishing and brutal. We were in the Forbidden City for about three hours. The wind and cold made it difficult to appreciate what we were seeing. It was an incredibly impressive place. It had one building that served no other purpose than for the emperor to have a place to change his clothes and rest. I couldn't help but draw an obvious contrast with the Eternal City. The Forbidden City was called such because the common people were forbidden from entering on account of the royalty and majesty of the emperor. Yet our Lord, the sovereign king of all, calls is all great and small to come to Him. "come into Me all ye who labor and I will give you rest." we also spent some time in Tiananmen Square. It is a massive open square used for many official and public functions. Our guide was reluctant tongive is any information about the student uprising that occurred there in the 80s. Then tonight we saw an incredible acrobatic show. We were told the performers had begun training when they were 2-3 years old.
I've got to brag on the kids. They stick it out through the wind and cold today with very little complaining. We were all quite rosy-cheeked when it was over.
We are all well--just very tired. Going to sleep has not been a problem. We have been waking up quite early as our bodies are not sure what day it is yet. We are looking forward tomorrow to going to an open market and touring the emperors summmer palace.
Today we are thankful for gloves, blankets and ear muffs. We miss Oreo and ESPN. Thanks for your prayers.

Beijing

Hello from Beijing! Its been quite a whirlwind for us so far. We landed ahead of time. No problems in customs. There are 14 other families from all over US here with us adopting through Bethany. Some are here for the second time. All really super people.
Beijing is huge--16-19 million people. It has been quite cold with highs in 40s. We got to go to the Great Wall today as well as a Cloisonnen factory. Great Wall was awe-inspiring. Had traditional Chinese food for lunch and Pizza Hut for supper. Tomorrow will be going to Forbidden City and Tiannamen Square. Really looking forward to that.
We are definitely not but fans of our beds here in hotel. Ita just a box springs with a thin padded cover. Everything else is great.
We are so appreciative of all your prayers. Please join us in prayer that this mess in the Koreas doesn't affect us negatively. Also praying that our new niece Laura will arrive safe and soon.
Things we are thankful for today--our translator Joy and gloves. Things we miss--ice in drinks, clean tap water and large drinking cups.

Final night in USA

It has been a very hectic but fun few days.  From Thanksgiving X 2 with our families over the weekend, celebrating Paula's birthday, basketball, getting Elizabeth off to Nashville and back, work, surprise parties at work and a day full of final preparations, we have done it all.  We finished it off by having a great evening with some great friends.  You have all made us feel incredibly loved.

It's hard to believe that our departure day is here.  It has seemed so far away for so long.  Sometimes it just didn't seem real.  But now it's here!  Daniel told me that he was excited, nervous and a little scared.  I think that would probably sum it up for all of us.  I just keep thinking about how wonderfully different it will be when we are back in this house.  I am excited to see what God is going to do in our family during this trip.

Schedule for the day--up at 4:00AM, arrive at airport 5:30am, lift off at 8:08am for Chicago, lift off for Beijing at 12:01pm cst, estimated flight time--long.

So for now, it's time to get some sleep.  Hope to post another update on Thanksgiving Day from Beijing

One week until we leave for China!

Well the countdown has begun!  One week from now we will be on our way to China to bring Molly home.  We will continue to update our trip on our blog, and we hope you will follow along.   Thank you for your prayers. 

"The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3

ps-A big thank you to Lauren Surwic (one of Union University's finest Seniors and Grant Barnett's sweet girlfriend) for helping us to set up our blog.  Lauren you did an awesome job!

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