Sunday, August 7, 2011

We woke up to a beautiful day in Nanjing.. You would never imagine a Typhoon was threatening the coast. After breakfast we went back to the Xuan Wu Lake Park so I could take more pictures of the life and people of Nanjing. We all agree that Emme Jade is from a beautiful place. We learned today that Nanjing is the only city in China with a lake and a mountain in the city. The landscapes it offers are stunning.

We met our new guide, Jeanne at 1:00. She picked us up with our driver for the week and helped us get settled into our new hotel. Jeanne shared a lot of the history of Nanjing with us. It is not a small city, there are 8 million people here! In the city alone there are 37 college universities. It is known to be one of the safest cities in China. You get that sense when you are here.

The reality of why we are really here sunk in when we saw Emme’s crib, and discussed with Jeanne what to expect tomorrow. We also went shopping for some things for the room. We are all exhausted and pushing ourselves to stay up so we can sleep tonight! I will admit the parents are feeling a little anxious about “Emme Day!” It’s one of those days that you can only prepare so much for. We know that the Yangzhou staff has prepared her for tomorrow as much as they can. We are so thankful for that! Now we trust that God will equip us to meet her needs.

In just a few hours Emme Jade will sleep in her crib at the orphanage for the very last time. God has chosen Jeff and I to parent her to the best of our ability. We can promise her we will try to do just that! A little over seven months ago we saw her face for the first time… Tomorrow we will kiss those cheeks, and hold her if she will let us. We will love her and tell her it is going to be okay.. Trust will start to slowly be established. And, layer-by-layer we will come to understand who God created Emme Jade to be.

It is a privilege to be in Nanjing on Emme Jade Eve. Tomorrow night at this time, we will have our fourth child. Chosen, and hand picked by God to be part of our family.

Thank you for your prayers, and we look forward to introducing you to Emme Jade!

Blessings from Nanjing!
Jeff, Diana and Ainsley