All the families who have adopted with us on this trip!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
This will be the last blog update before we return home to the US. Tomorrow we will be taking care of final visa processing and will be packing and preparing for the 5 am bus ride to Hong Kong on Friday morning.
Today was quite eventful as we went with our group to the US Consolute to sign paperwork and take our oath. It was very moving to stand alongside about 50 families from around the United States and take our oath together. There was every age, gender, and special need child being adopted. One family was there adopting their fourth child from China....my first thought...."how sweet"....my second thought..."wow, they must be rich....or broke!" All kidding aside, it was a wonderful day filled with memories we will treasure always in our hearts as we were not allowed to take cameras past security. Rosalie Grace Kennebeck is legally our daughter after today's ceremony! After the oath, there was a huge cheer from the families as we all kissed and hugged our children. It was funny because you could hear a lot of children starting to cry....they just have no idea what is going on! Yet, it is very evident that each one of them has a new sense of belonging like never before. I pray even now for one family whose little boy never stopped crying the entire time we were there (about an hour and a half). He was really struggling and we don't know why....then there was the family sitting in front of us with their 11 year old adopted daughter who could not stop hugging and interacting with her father...these little girls adore their daddies!
Well, I had my official cry for the lost souls here last night...I wondered if it would come as my heart is so very burdened for them to know Truth! Our hotel has many tables throughout the lobby where they allow hotel guests to sit. We decided to try roasted chicken from a deli last night for dinner. Instead of eating in the deli, we brought the food to the lobby to eat. As the three of us were spreading our little "picnic" out, two men came and sat right next to us. Both of them locked a stare on us and literally did not stop staring at us for the entirety of our meal. I smiled at each of them a few times and neither of them changed their expression. At one point, I just looked into their eyes and saw such emptiness. I can't describe what I felt inside. When we came back to the room, I was fine, but for some reason, when I climbed into bed and Peter and I were reading our Bible, I begin crying for these men...it turned into a cry for the Chinese people. Or rather a weep!! I love these people!
We never cease to be amazed at the organized chaos here...there is literally no crime rate compared to the US...we can't imagine having all of these people living in the cities of America and feeling safe on the streets. The streets here feel so safe. One reason we discovered is that the penalty for drug sales (buying or selling) is DEATH. That sort of limits the accessibility of drugs. Also, the penalty for murder and bribery is death. They don't "play" around here! Things are steadily changing here...the western world has shaped and influenced these people in such a way, I guess many of them wonder what in the world is going to happen next...the cities are as modern as New York City, yet there still lives the "ox cart generation"...this is an amazing time in history to be here. The fields are certainly ripe for harvest.
Our stay has been exhilarating and memorable! We pray above all that God will bless the efforts made in His Name to reach these people with the gospel of C----! Our guides here, Linekar and Amy, a married Chinese couple, will too, receive the gospel of John upon our departure...please pray for their salv-----!
We are SO ready to meet our family at the airport in Charlotte on Friday night. It will be so incredible to be reunited again. Our family can never thank you enough for your prayers and support on this endeavor we have made to bring Rosalie into our family. We ask for your continued support as she and all of us adjust to one another and begin a new life together..
Merry Christmas with much love!!
This will be the last blog update before we return home to the US. Tomorrow we will be taking care of final visa processing and will be packing and preparing for the 5 am bus ride to Hong Kong on Friday morning.
Today was quite eventful as we went with our group to the US Consolute to sign paperwork and take our oath. It was very moving to stand alongside about 50 families from around the United States and take our oath together. There was every age, gender, and special need child being adopted. One family was there adopting their fourth child from China....my first thought...."how sweet"....my second thought..."wow, they must be rich....or broke!" All kidding aside, it was a wonderful day filled with memories we will treasure always in our hearts as we were not allowed to take cameras past security. Rosalie Grace Kennebeck is legally our daughter after today's ceremony! After the oath, there was a huge cheer from the families as we all kissed and hugged our children. It was funny because you could hear a lot of children starting to cry....they just have no idea what is going on! Yet, it is very evident that each one of them has a new sense of belonging like never before. I pray even now for one family whose little boy never stopped crying the entire time we were there (about an hour and a half). He was really struggling and we don't know why....then there was the family sitting in front of us with their 11 year old adopted daughter who could not stop hugging and interacting with her father...these little girls adore their daddies!
Well, I had my official cry for the lost souls here last night...I wondered if it would come as my heart is so very burdened for them to know Truth! Our hotel has many tables throughout the lobby where they allow hotel guests to sit. We decided to try roasted chicken from a deli last night for dinner. Instead of eating in the deli, we brought the food to the lobby to eat. As the three of us were spreading our little "picnic" out, two men came and sat right next to us. Both of them locked a stare on us and literally did not stop staring at us for the entirety of our meal. I smiled at each of them a few times and neither of them changed their expression. At one point, I just looked into their eyes and saw such emptiness. I can't describe what I felt inside. When we came back to the room, I was fine, but for some reason, when I climbed into bed and Peter and I were reading our Bible, I begin crying for these men...it turned into a cry for the Chinese people. Or rather a weep!! I love these people!
We never cease to be amazed at the organized chaos here...there is literally no crime rate compared to the US...we can't imagine having all of these people living in the cities of America and feeling safe on the streets. The streets here feel so safe. One reason we discovered is that the penalty for drug sales (buying or selling) is DEATH. That sort of limits the accessibility of drugs. Also, the penalty for murder and bribery is death. They don't "play" around here! Things are steadily changing here...the western world has shaped and influenced these people in such a way, I guess many of them wonder what in the world is going to happen next...the cities are as modern as New York City, yet there still lives the "ox cart generation"...this is an amazing time in history to be here. The fields are certainly ripe for harvest.
Our stay has been exhilarating and memorable! We pray above all that God will bless the efforts made in His Name to reach these people with the gospel of C----! Our guides here, Linekar and Amy, a married Chinese couple, will too, receive the gospel of John upon our departure...please pray for their salv-----!
We are SO ready to meet our family at the airport in Charlotte on Friday night. It will be so incredible to be reunited again. Our family can never thank you enough for your prayers and support on this endeavor we have made to bring Rosalie into our family. We ask for your continued support as she and all of us adjust to one another and begin a new life together..
Merry Christmas with much love!!
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