Saying Hello to Guangzhou and Rebecca

Hey everyone,

Just trying to get caught up on keeping everyone up to date. First, we thank God for all He has done for us and we pray for the children we have seen in the orphanage in Jiangxi. Thanks to everyone for continuing to pray for us, but please pray also for the children as yet unadopted and for the people of China. We asked for prayer for a friend who was in Nanning, site of significant flooding from two typhoons. Thanks to God and to your prayers, she made it to Guangzhou late last night and is safe and sound.

We made it to our final stop here in China last night. We had a very good flight on China Southern airlines. The flight attendants were extremely nice to us and carried our carry ons off the plane for us (remember all the luggage!). Lily Grace seemed ok with small and large airports and the whole airplane thing in general.

We arrived in Guangzhou around 6:00 pm. Our host here is Rebecca. She is just as helpful and as nice as Sally was in Jiangxi. Rebecca will support 9 different families here in Guangzhou, so I doubt we'll get the personalized service we enjoyed in Nanchang. Lifeline and the local facilitators have done an awesome job of finding people to help with this adoption. Whatever they are doing, it is working. Kudos! Oh my, I've never seen anything quite like the size and density of this city. Guangzhou is a much larger and more modern city than Nanchang (I think a little over 8 million people live in Guangzhou). The US consulate is here.



We do have internet access here in Guangzhou, but still cannot see our own blog site. We get some emails and do not get others. Some emails never make it out and some never make it in, so if we don;t respond, please don't take it personally. It probably just means that we weren't able to make a connection. I have not been able to communicate with anyone at work since we got here, so I'll have some 'splaining to do when I get back! If anyone at my work is reading this, please pass on that we are doing wonderful, but ready to get back to good ol' USA.

The White Swan Hotel is probably the most upscale hotel we have ever experienced. It reminds us of the Opryland Hotel, but maybe not quite as large. We are on the 26th floor. The hotel staff are dressed in full tuxedo and nice evening dresses and are some of the nicest people we have met thus far. There is an attendant for each floor who learns every client and tends to your every need. They even get the elevator for you, often saying "Please, to step this way!"

Lily Grace has had some wonderful days here. Each day, she becomes more and more beautiful as she begins to learn that we are her family - forever. This seems to comfort her and she smiles more and more. Her skin is becoming soft now, like a baby's skin is supposed to feel. Connie gives her a bath often and applies Chinese herbal medicine and American prescription medicine - what a difference a week makes! Lily Grace has become accustomed to riding around in the stroller, even likes it when big brother gets up too much speed for Momma and Daddy's comfort. She's learned to sit in a high chair and feed herself - she eat's everything we put in front of her. She's still very attached to Jerry and gets whiny sometimes if he's not holding her. But she's beginning to get out of that a little.



Connie got her first kiss from Lily Grace this morning and reports that it was very wonderful. Last night, Connie had Lily Grace dancing in the hotel room, wiggling and wriggling her little body to something that sounded like rap music in Chinese. Austin and Jerry were rolling with laughter! She likes to sleep with a Panda bear that Austin gave her for valentines day.

Austin has met some American boys here with their parents and has enjoyed spending time with them shooting pool. There are 8 other families in our group and each has adopted a child from some province in China. Some brought their children, including the boys Austin has met. He is excited about having some new friends and reports that he is looking forward to getting home to some good ol' American food! I think he's probably lost 5 to 7 pounds since we got here. It's really good to see him playing and enjoying their company. One of the boys is from Huntsville, AL and another is from Montgomery, AL. Look out China, it's an invasion of the Bubbas!


Lily Grace had her physical this morning. It went about as well as could be expected. She saw an ENT, was weighed and measured, and was inspected by a team of medical doctors and surgeons (all Chinese). There were probably 20 or so babies being evaluated, so it was a little like an assembly line. I think we'll get some sort of paperwork back tomorrow. I think tomorrow is Sunday, not sure. (I really miss going to church and can't wait to get back to Isom's Chapel!)



While Connie and Lily Grace napped this afternoon, I went to a meeting with our facilitator and spent two hours completing and going over paperwork in preparation for our visit to the US consulate. They leave no stone unturned. It was grueling and Connie was glad that I drew the short straw!

Well, that's about it for now. Tomorrow, we have a group trip to the shopping mall. Oh no, will I need another suitcase? More later.

Love,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, and Lily Grace