Painter's on Tour

After the Great Wall, Rocky, our tour guide, had a few other things planned. We did a Hutong Tour. We got to ride in rickshaws to visit a family and see how they lived. This is a very old part of Beijing and we learned alot about how families live. Each room in the family home is significant and is set up based on very old customs. The Grandparents have a very special place in the family and have the most spacious and best living quarters. Our guide for the tour was awesome. His name was victor. See him below in the blue coat. He was so enthusiastic and really made us feel welcome. Rocky our tour guide and the very nice lady who lived in the home we visited is on the left.

After the Hutong Tour we went to the Tea House. We really enjoyed relaxing and trying all the different teas. Our hostess told us about each tea and showed us around the Tea House. We found some great Tea to buy.

Great Wall of China

We had trouble connecting to the internet the first couple of nights so let's go back and catch up!

On Sunday we visited the Great Wall. The steps to climb the wall were much steeper than we thought and they still had some ice and snow on them. It was very cold at least until we started to climb the stairs. We warmed up really quickly. Here is a picture of our family including Heather, our Pastor's daughter, who has been such a huge help to our family.
(Thanks Heather!)

Heather,Emily,Megan,and Tiffany. Tiffany,who joined us for the first part our journey, works at All God's Children, our adoption agency out of Oregon. It was great having her on our trip. She helped us out so much and we really enjoyed getting to know her. Thanks Tiffany!

A Dad's View

What an awesome morning! At 8:30am we headed to the orphanage to meet Lily for the first time. As we passed through the gate, it was very surreal. The day had finally come. After more than 15 months, it was finally time. In the reception area we met another family who was waiting to meet their daughter. They are from North Carolina and their daughter was about the same age as Lily. After more paperwork, they brought Lily in. She was holding a chocolate snack cake in one hand and a cookie in the other. We could tell right away that this girl loved her sweets. Stephanie held her in her lap and she was very calm, at least until we tried to take the little chocolate cake out of her hands for a minute. That didn't work at all. She was not happy. After a few moments of crying we distracted her and it was time to leave. We got everyone bundled up and headed for the bus. Tianjin is very cold right now. Lily did great on the bus trip back to the hotel, laughing and throwing her head back. The kid took turns playing peek-a-boo and making funny faces. It was an awesome morning. We are taking the rest of the day to stay close to our room and the hotel to spend time with Lily. Lily seems to be bonding quickly with Stephanie. She is already calling her Momma and running into her arms. It is so precious! God is so good!

A Dad's View

What an awesome morning! At 8:30am we headed to the orphanage to meet Lily for the first time. As we passed through the gate, it was very surreal. The day had finally come. After more than 15 months, it was finally time. In the reception area we met another family who was waiting to meet their daughter. They are from North Carolina and their daughter was about the same age as Lily. After more paperwork, they brought Lily in. She was holding a chocolate snack cake in one hand and a cookie in the other. We could tell right away that this girl loved her sweets. Stephanie held her in her lap and she was very calm, at least until we tried to take the little chocolate cake out of her hands for a minute. That didn\'t work at all. She was not happy. After a few moments of crying we distracted her and it was time to leave. We got everyone bundled up and headed for the bus. Tianjin is very cold right now. Lily did great on the bus trip back to the hotel, laughing and throwing her head back. The kid took turns playing peek-a-boo and making funny faces. It was an awesome morning. We are taking the rest of the day to stay close to our room and the hotel to spend time with Lily. Lily seems to be bonding quickly with Stephanie. She is already calling her Momma and running into her arms. It is so precious! God is so good!

In Tianjin

We made it!!

Tomorrow is the big day! We are going to the orphanage at 9:00 to finally meet Lily! We are very excited. Hope to post more with pictures soon!

OHMYGOSH!!


Here we go...we are leaving tomorrow...YEAH!  In 4 days we will be united with our daughter!  So I wanted to send out our itinerary so family and friends at home could have an idea as to what we are doing and how to pray.  Just keep in mind we will be 13 hours ahead in China.  This is so exciting for us and we are just so blessed to have so many people praying for us and encouraging us....thank you to everyone!

March 2nd- Fly out of Washington D.C. to Beijing on United Airlines at 12:29pm
March 3rd- Arrive at the Capital International Airport in Beijing at 3:30pm and stay in Beijing for 1 night
March 4th- Hutong Tour and Great Wall for sightseeing then travel to Tianjin (Lily's province)

March 5th- Forever Family Day-This is the day we meet Lily for the first time.  From this point on Lily is    
                   with our family!!


March 6th-Visit the Tianjin City Bureau of Social Welfare Affairs for adoption registration and document      
                  notarization
March 7th- sightseeing in Tianjin
March 8th- Family bonding day
March 9th-Leave Tianjin and head to Guangzhou at 5:00pm, scheduled to arrive at 8:00pm
March 10th-Medical exams for Lily
March 11th-Guided sightseeing
March 12th-Return to medical clinic for results of testing
March 13th-Guangzhou Safari Park
March 14th-Visa appointment with the US Consulate General/Oath ceremony
March 15th-Visa package available for pick up
March 16th-Leave Guangzhou to fly back to Beijing...5 hour layover...board plane to fly back to
                    Washington DC to arrive at 7:52pm
Home with Lily! 


So today we will be in packing mode...my next post will be from China most likely!

Lily...here we come sweet baby girl!


"And I heard the voice of the LORD saying, "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
                                                              Isaiah 6:8

Traveling to China in 2 days!!! 


We officially began this adoption journey about 16 months ago by sending our application to All God's Children adoption agency.  After all of these months of 'labor pains';  praying, paperwork, waiting, praying, finger printing, notarizing,  praying, more finger printing (because I have no finger prints apparently), crying for joy, crying from fear, praying, researching, picture staring, imagining, waiting, more paperwork, more prayers and more waiting...the day is soon to be here!

Now we are in packing mode and let me just tell you that I have never packed for 2 weeks, I have never packed for 7 people, I have never packed for 2 separate weather climates, and I have never packed for an international flight of 14-15 hours.  You could say that I am feeling slightly overwhelmed right now.
However, the excitement and joy is keeping everything in perspective.

Our family is soon to be 7!  Everything is about to change!

I also know that everything is about to change for Lily, too.  As I type  L-i-l-y I am reminded that even her name is about to change.   From Wei Ya Bei to Liliana Lee Painter.  We are praying for her.  She will no longer be an orphan.  She will be a daughter and sister.  She will be a granddaughter, a niece, a cousin.  She will hear a new language, see a new culture, taste new foods.  She has already taught us so much about God's love and it has been an amazing journey.  God loves us so much and He loves this little girl.   John Piper has said that 'adoption is the visible gospel' and as we have followed this call to adopt, we have seen the gospel more clearly.  Without Christ we have no hope.  Jesus Christ is the redemptive plan for us orphans.   God in His mercy and grace has sent his son, Jesus, to rescue us and adopt us as heirs to His kingdom.  Thanks be to God who has allowed us to be a small part of His glorious plan!  He will not leave us as orphans. (John 14:18)

"In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he has lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."
                                                             Ephesians 1:5-10