In China
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Tuesday, February 14, 2012 DAY ELEVEN "Oh LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." Isaiah 25:1 "Sometimes, the everyday routine of my life feels so normal to me. At other times the idea of raising all these children seems like quite a daunting task. I realize that since I have chosen an unusual path it is easier for outsiders to look at my life and come to the conclusion that it is something extraordinary. That I am courageous. That I am strong. That I am special. But I am just a plain girl from Tennessee. Broken in many ways, sinful and inadequate. Common and simple with nothing special about me. Nothing special except I choose to say "yes." "Yes" to the things God asks of me and "yes" to the people He places in front of me. You can too. I am just an ordinary person. An ordinary person serving an extraordinary God." (Kisses From Katie pg. 118) Last Day In China/ Travel to Hong Kong And oh, it is so bittersweet. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here in China. We are missing our 4 at home though, and are looking very forward to wrapping our arms around them! They've been in excellent hands with Bill's 2 sisters and his mom. I've not worried a bit. The Aunties arrived with cars packed full of goodies and activities, science experiments to do, and the like. We've had 2 furry friends at the house, too. The kids were delighted to have Sassy and Sadie come for a visit! AC's day was made when she was treated to a milkshake during a lunch at Chick Fil A. Aunties are such fun! Mommies watch their pennies more carefully. Anyway, she deemed the "milkshake day" as her BEST day ever! Thank you so much, Aunt Linda, Aunt Deanne, and Grandma H! You made our time away such fun for our children. You've kept them so busy and having such fun that I don't think they even thought much about our being away. And we didn't have to worry about them at all. Your help with the littles has played a huge role in helping us to bring Ellie home. And we are SO appreciative. Just one more sleep and we will be HOME! Our day today began with me waking up not feeling very well. I had a minor sore throat yesterday, and figured I was coming down with a cold. Instead of waking up with cold symptoms, though, I awoke with a VERY sore throat and swollen glands, which felt a like lot strep. I did not want to take any chances, so Bill asked the hotel concierge where we could get a prescription locally, and there happened to be a hospital within walking distance of the hotel, so off we set! We took our lives into our hands as we played frogger going across 2 major streets to get where we were going. I told Bill that the plan was this: to find some Chinese people that were crossing the street, and walk with them! It proved to be a good plan, and we made it safely across. We got to the hospital, located the pharmacy section and walked out with a couple of boxes of Amoxicillin for $1 a box. Bill asked how many boxes I wanted, and I teasingly told him to buy a case! :) Mission accomplished. Walking through the hospital was quite the experience, I must say. Makes me thankful for our healthcare in the US. We also stopped on the way back and bought a couple dozen of those little oranges that Ellie so loves. We'll see how far we're able to travel with them. They've been a lifesaver, I must say. Also, I think Ellie gets the bulk of her liquids from those, as she's still not big on drinking much. On the way home we stopped at McD's for lunch. Yes, after braving the traffic and the hospital, we settled on "easy" for lunch. We were fortunate to be able to delay our checkout time 'til 4:00 today, so we came back to the room and napped Ellie while we finished up with the packing. At 4:30 we met our guide downstairs, and she delivered Ellie's visa so we were good to go! Next we hopped on a bus and headed to Hong Kong. The bus really has been convenient for us. It picked us up right at the Marriott Hotel and delivered us to the Hong Kong Airport Marriott Hotel. Very easy. Ellie did great on the bus ride, as you can see from the photos. When we arrived at our hotel, we fed her dinner in the room, and she went right down to sleep. I cannot believe what a flexible baby she is. I'm hoping she will remain that way on our flight home tomorrow!

Outside the Hospital Pharmacy Meeting Ronald in China On the Bus to Hong Kong Silly Girl! Playing "Peek" with the Curtain LOVE Her Smile!

And as I sit here at the hotel tonight in Hong Kong, in the same lounge where I satthat very first night, only 10 nights ago, yet it feels like a lifetime ago, I feel such a sense of contentment and peace. That first night was filled with great excitement, but also some anxiety, fears and doubts. What are we doing???? How would Ellie do? Would she accept our love and comforting? Would she begin to attach? Would she sleep? (keepin' it real, here) A hundred unanswered questions swirled through my mind. And now here we are on the other side, and those questions have been answered. She's done REALLY well. She does accept my love and comforting. She is showing all the signs of attaching well. And yes, my girl SLEEPS! I know our "process" is not over yet. I know there will be bumps along the road. Jet lag to overcome. Siblings to get used to. A daddy to learn to trust. But my heart is assured that it is good. All is well. And that we will be able to navigate any rough waters that lie ahead. Together. As a family.   I also reflect tonight on God's faithfulness. He called. We questioned. Oh, yes, we did! "BUT our hands are full. BUT our house is full. BUT our finances are stretched. BUT we are not getting any younger." And then God assured us. Very clearly. He showed us beyond any shadow of a doubt that SHE was His plan for us. We stepped forward. In faith. And we obeyed. NOT in our own strength, because the glory belongs to HIM alone. But in HIS. He has given us all we've needed for this trip. And I know he will continue to meet any needs that arise in the future. He has entrusted US (a very imperfect and inadequate US) with FIVE precious children from China. I can hardly believe it. "ME." These children have BLESSED us. And He has BLESSED us. Beyond what we could have ever imagined. He is faithful. Our God is so very faithful. So this is my last post from China. In the morning we will head home. "Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will bring me home." (lyrics from Amazing Grace) Full circle and complete. Amen.

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