...pray about everything...Phil 4:7

One more prayer request added to the list:

I'm praying we go from this...

...to THIS!!!

Getting Close

The time to leave is getting close. I've traveled enough that my preparation for this trip is lax. I think about all the things to do, but won't do them until Tuesday night. We have been encouraged repeatedly to bring only three pairs of clothes, that we can have them laundered regularly at very cheap rates. Dawn and I went to Kohl's today and I thought about buying several shirts...but wait...I can get that $13.00 shirt for, what, $3.00? So I will wait.
I have been thinking lately what will this trip entail. Obviously, priority number one is to get Sean. (You may see me refer to him as "En" as well, as that is part of his Chinese name and what the nannies are calling him). But I also wonder what impact this will have on Liz and Will. Liz just came back from Guatemala and said she is ready to be a missionary. If she really means that I say go for it! So will going to China have the same result? What about Will. We may not know for years. Will is not at that stage of really sharing what's down deep. Unless it is something I have done that annoys him.

Anyway, here is a small list of things I am praying about:
1. That God will work in Sean's heart and work in him a peace that says it will be OK. These tall white people will love you and protect you.
2. Patience for me as Sean has to work through his grief; usually that is done through crying.
3. God will provide me an opportunity to get 6 Chinese/English New Testament bibles into the hands of 6 people who need them. I would love to come back with 6 stories of God's divine working. (Thanks to Jim Elwell from Tyndale House who provided them to me).
4. That the 16 hour flight won't seem like 16 hours.
5. That we stay healthy
6. That God uses this trip to be a stepping stone to something even bigger.
7. That all paperwork is in order and we don't forget anything.
8. That Sean's heart will be healed
I'm sure there will be more. Stay tuned.

Translate

I may be the last to the party on this, but there is a feature on Google called TRANSLATE. You can find this in the "even more" sevtion. It allows you to copy any url line, paste it in the translate bar and it will, well, translate the page for you. This has opened my world to other blogs done in another language, as well as foreign newspapers. Some things don't always translate over quite the same, for example, we went to a Chinese newspaper that was covering the NBA finals and it referred to Kobe Bryant as Peter Pan Bryant. Must be because he can fly. I wonder what they would call Michael Jordan?

Waiting for Dawn and Liz

While waiting to go get Dawn and Liz, Continental has a feature where you can see where the flight is.

$5900

Yea, that's how much it costs to go to China. Or, that's just the flight. I haven't paid for our hotel yet. But you know what? It's worth it to bring home my son. So much is happening at the moment. We all got up at 4:30 am this morning so I could get Dawn and Liz to the airport. They are now in Guatemala. They get back on Sunday and are home for a week and a half, then off to China. I'm pretty jazzed...we fly into Hong Kong and spend a few days there, then we'll take a 2 hour train ride to Guangzhou, rest a day, and pick up En (Sean). One place we wanted to tour on the mainland has been hit with floods, so I don't know how that will work out.

More to come!

Travel to China

We received word on Tuesday that we received our Travel Approval and will be heading to China sometime between July 2-4th. Reality is starting to set in and now time seems to be creeping by. Since we have been thinking about this day for three years, I want our time in China to last, but I have a feeling it is going to go by so quickly, and with some sadness, we will be leaving China to come home. If it's like other trips I've had to Asia, after two weeks, you are very glad to get back to your homeland, we you are able to read the signs, understand the annoucements on the loud speakers, and just plain fit in, or at least not draw any attention to yourself.

I hope this will not be our last trip to China. I hope thi kids have a great experience and desire to travel more themselves when they reach adulthood. Though my parents enjoyed travel here in the US, I never really had a chance to go anywhere internationally until I was about 34 years old.

Right now, my thoughts begin to settle on how Sean(Shan An En) will react that first week, and maybe months. I try to image a total stranger taking me from the only people I know and taking m places I've never been. He is two, so he has some understanding of his own language, not ours; how is he going to hear us? My heart already goes out to him. What he does not know is I only want the best for him, I will not harm him, and I desire that he loves me as I will love him. As I write this, it is a familiar story, about another father who loves me like that. I'm not trying to be overly spiritual, but I can't help but draw the comparison to God's love and desires for me, even when I don't think He cares.

Anyway, in the coming days, I hope to make some sort of permanent mark on the internet with our trip to China...right here!

Days gone by

The kids and I came across these abandon train cars in Orrville, Ohio.I would imagine they've seen a few miles.