Day 1

We meet Lily in 2 hours and 15 minutes. We came back from breakfast and had a little gift on our bed.
See photo below.

We just boarded our first plane headed to Shanghai. it's a little unreal that we are going. We got to the airport and got in the wrong airline check in counter. we had to go over to Korean Air  which had a huge line and we were a little concerned we might not get in in time. Praise God we made it with 10 minutes to spear to the gate so we got breakfast and coffee. neither of us slept last night really well waking up throughout the night.

On the plane we met some new friends who are adopting a 8 year old girl and we will meet up with them at the garden hotel. They adopted a little girl about a year ago and had such a great experience and decided to do it again.

Woo Whoo, it's really getting real. our new friends Chuck and Beth are adopting a 8 year old girl.. We have been able to share stories of the journey so far and things we hope for with our daughters. Wow even that sounds really strange to say.

As we were leaving we thought about when we step back into this airport we will have a daughter. Oh what will life be like.

We have an 1.30 hours flight to Shanghai and then We will change airports and fly to an nanning.

We got a metro train ticket from the first airport and figured out where to go. While on the train (if we have learned anything in Asia its when everyone does something and you don't chances are you are wrong) a kind lady was leaving with everyone and and told us if we were going to this airport we needed to change trains. Thank you Lord for sending her. We are now on another train and its glorious as the train moves it's a wind tunnel of breezes and ah it feels good. there is even a little girl singing let it go super loud in English!! Woot woot, this metro feels just like Korea except the language. Thankfully the destination names are in English.

We are headed to hongqio airport. We got to the airport, and had a gate change and are finally on our plane.
We just boarded  and we are sitting in an exit row. The funny thing is there's a spot outside the plane that says cut plane here. I laughed, but realized I wouldn't be laughing during it.

I am getting super excited. I found myself as we are checking in at this airport looking at the ladies behind the counter and my mind and heart wondered about Lily's mom. what is she doing now? We do know that Lil y was loved because her mother wrapped her and put her at the police station. So we know she loved her or she would have just put her anywhere and not wrapped up. 

There is no turning back. It reminds me of that song I HAVE  DECIDED TO FOLLOW Jesus.  We are all in with Jesus, not during back. Thinking about how when we are adopted into Gods family we are in. That's it. Nothing an separate us

Ready set GO!

Today after VBS we did most of the errands we had to do before we go and get Lily! Chinese money, rent, last things to bring etc... At this point in our journey we are stunned at what the Lord has accomplished and brought us through. The icing on the cake is that our friends who moved from Korea about a year ago will be adopting a little girl as well and will be there with us. What a joy to be on this journey together! 

The amount of overwhelming love and support has encouraged our hearts and has brought us unspeakable joy. I have said this before but it really has taken a community ( the Body of Christ) to bring Lily Hope Home!  All the funds, prayers, encouragement and hugs that all of you have given will be in forever written on our hearts and shared with Lily! She will know how she is loved already, and prayed for throughout the world before folks even met her. 

I know this journey is just beginning and we can't even comprehend what is about to happen in our hearts, our home and in our lives. We know the Lord has something special planned for Lily as He has made it so clear that she is our daughter well before things were finalized. We HOPED in Christ for our family and its amazing to see that the Lord is faithful to His calling so many years ago when he spoke to our hearts. 

Heres one last photo before Lily officially meets her mama and baba and officially becomes a Haas. WOOHOO!!!!!!! Let the sleepless nights and love begin.  

 

While we are gone I will write to a friend who will be posting for me since there are restrictions on what we can access and are not sure which VPN works.

Bags are packed!

Well, the bags are almost packed and we are getting things set to leave in 6 days to get our girl! 

We are extremely at peace but still wonder how she will respond to us. Will she cry and scream in terror or will she warm up right away. Its a waiting game now. 

Our cat is experiencing all the nerves as he is peeing on all things carpet. We are trying to figure out how to help him. Poor thing! 

We leave Sunday morning and fly to China. We will arrive around 7pm, and then meet Lily around 2-3 pm we will meet her. AH!! That would be about midnight Central time in the USA! 

Can't wait to meet her and see what the Lord has in store for our little family HE HAS built! 

We have Travel Approval!!!! Lily here we come!

Its with great joy I can share we have travel approval. What does this mean? The frenzy can begin. We have a gotcha day of the third of August. We will fly into China the 1st and have a day to have our guide take us around. We will meet Lily August 3rd!

Its amazing to my heart that the day that we prayed for since 2010 is finally here. Our adoption journey that the Lord truly has taken us on has been filled with twists and turns. We are not the same people now than when we started this journey. We have grown a ton and even moved to another country.

We are excited and are terrified at the same time. Our thoughts are filled with the questions of what if, and attachment, and language, and love, and cuddling. Yep we are all over the map.

We will have a friend of ours updating this blog while in China so be on the look out.

Woohoo! Here we go!

Happy Fathers Day

I surprised Dan with a framed gift from Lily for Fathers Day.
See below:

Visa applied for

Well, we are one more step closer. What does this mean? 

We are waiting for our Article 5 pickup, after that all the forms get sent to China and we await Travel Approval. Can it be its almost here? 

We are hoping to have travel approval by mid July to have a gotcha day of July 27th! 

Please also pray as a friend is adopting too and it might be that we are in China together since our kids are in the same province. That would be a huge blessing from the Lord if that happened. 

I will post when we get travel approval!!   

Hang in there everyone we are almost at show time! 

Happy Fathers Day! (Part 1)

A few weeks ago dan was messing around with some images and created a video of his little girl! 

So without further ado here it is! 

(P.S. don't mind the house I didn't know he was filming and it was cleaning day the following day! )

I will post a photo of what I got Dan for Fathers day this year soon!