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