Angels from Near and Far A Resource for Adopting Children

At the Hong Kong
train station.

Lost Luggage!
I flew Cathay Pacific from San Francisco to Hong Kong, and was met at the Hong Kong airport by two friends. My luggage got lost, I had a shower and put on a borrowed dress. I was grateful for something clean to wear!

We went out for breakfast at a Hardee's, so my first food in China was American, had a quick tour of Hong Kong, then headed to the train station for the trip to Guangzhou.

A Train Ride
One of my friends rode to China with me on the train. We ate rice, pickled vegetables, and chicken on the train, my first real Chinese food, and had a delightful ride. I could hardly believe I was in China! I had wanted to go there my whole life!

We're in Lia's Home Town!
We arrived in Guangzhou around noon and checked into the Cathay Hotel. Lia was supposed to arrive at around 3:00 p.m. I started getting butterflies in my stomach (which was well hidden in folds of this dress!) It fit, that I wore that dress when I was expecting our daughter! Lia arrived at 4:00 and sat quietly in the room while we met, and then accepted some things from me. After everyone left we bathed and dressed her in some clean, borrowed clothes. We decorated her with barrettes and plastic jewelry and she was perking up a lot, even laughing and smiling. Our first meal together was dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Oh, No, The Meltdown!
In the morning she woke up happy, took a bath, played, and I did her nails with sparkly pink polish. She played a bit more, and then the inevitable melt-down began. I tried to comfort her, held her, rocked her, and kissed her. That made her cry harder. Then my friend came in and told me she had not been held like this before and it was scaring her. Soon, the orphanage director arrived, and was concerned over what had happened. I was terrified they would think I had hurt her or something, but once it was explained to him, he relaxed.

After breakfast we shopped in a huge book store and I bought many children's books and music tapes in Chinese. Then we walked to another restaurant for a dim sum lunch. We walked past many tanks of fish, enormous lobsters, sharks, and so on, which were destined to become someone's meal. The lunch was delicious! We had been joined by another friend. During lunch our new friend offered to have us stay with her in her apartment, so that she and her maid could be available to help us. I took her up on her offer and moved in after lunch.

Grief Sets In!
Lia began to seriously grieve for her friends and her old life. She especially missed her best friend. I felt badly that I had separated them, and hoped that some day we could adopt her friend, or at least the friend could come here to another family and they could keep in contact.

This little store is at the back corner of the park on Shamian Island, near the White Swan Hotel. The people here were wonderful to Lia.

Please patronize this store on your trip! They sell toys, foods, and drinks.

Our adoption process took just 3 days, from first appointment on Tuesday morning to picking up the Exit Visa on Thursday afternoon. We crammed a lot into those 3 days, and must have set new records. Every day, God reminded me, "I have gone before you and I am with you now." I could literally feel His presence in a powerful way. He had greased the wheels long before we traveled.

She Was the First!
At the consulate, I was told she is the first "non-special needs" child to come into a "special needs" home under the new law! The office is very child friendly, with toys and a cheerful decor. This was an answer to prayer for the laws to change to allow this.

In Hong Kong we found a couple from Oregon who were returning with two children from China! They had gotten a boy and a girl, both born in February 1997, but from different provinces, using an agency in Washington, WACAP. They were on our flight to San Francisco!

Hello Golden Gate!
In San Francisco we got thru immigration, but just missed the last flight home and had to spend the night there. Lia was not pleased with this plan! I could not wait to get home!

Home at Last!
Lia fell asleep on the plane, sleeping the whole flight. I was grateful for the quiet. She silently regarded Portland once we had landed. When we got off the plane she quietly took her new daddy's hand and took to him quickly. After we ate McDonald's at home, she played the rest of the day with her new siblings. They all LIKE EACH OTHER! Praise God! They showed her the house, her clothes, her bed, then they all went outdoors to play. She had fun, smiled, laughed, and they all like her. Our friend from Hong Kong called us and spoke to her. She asked if she likes her Daddy, and she answered, "Yes." Asked if she likes her brothers, and she answered, "Yes."

A Close Call
As it turns out, we were in the air, on our way home, when the NATO bombs accidentally hit the Chinese Embassy in Kosovo, which led to delays in processing orphan visas. Our facilitator kept telling us that we would probably be there longer, because Monday, May 1 was a national holiday in China, and all of the offices were closed. I have to believe God protected us and made our appointments go smoothly and quickly, so that we would not be there while the demonstrations and hostility were going on. We were part of a miracle, the appointments went fast because God went ahead of us and laid down the groundwork for us. I felt very sad that our bombs had accidentally killed our Chinese friends in Kosovo. It was unfortunate and tragic.