8.01.2008

Farewell Nanchang....

It's hard to believe that one leg of our China trip is coming to an end.  How can so much happen in so little time?  We can hardly remember a day without our sweet Emily Wan Ye......

This was a day of unwinding for us after no shortage of hustling around to arrive here and complete all the required paperwork.  We went to the beautiful park for a stroll.



Although at times Emily does get that look in her eyes that says, "You're not going to leave me, are you?" most of the time she is giggling and very playful. The aggressive behavior that we saw previously has lessened, and now she welcomes our hugs and touch.



This afternoon we received Emily's completed Chinese passport!  Tomorrow we fly to Guangzhou to the South for the next leg of our journey.  We will get Emily's visa next week at The U.S. Consulate so she can travel home!!

Our guide, Shirley, has been invaluable to our survival.  She has taken us to a number of restaurants and on quite a few tours that we would never have been able to navigate without her.  

This evening we took a walk around the square in Nanchang to say goodbye to the capital city of little Ling Wan Ye's home province. (Note the square's monument (bottom image)--The date 8/1/1927 happens to be the beginning of The Nanchang Uprising--a momentous aspect of The Chinese Revolution).  OK, history lesson is over....

So tonight we ventured out to the square WITHOUT our guide Shirley, and when we went into KFC so that Harrison could eat some Western fare, we were LOST without our translator--clearly we thought that after a week here we would suddenly be fluent in Chinese...  Anyway, after speaking to the cashier really slowly and loudly in English (thinking it might come through to her as Chinese), we basically took whatever ended up on the tray with a smile!  After a good laugh, we strolled and reflected on this past week and how God has grown our faith, leading us to Nanchang to welcome Emily into our family.

Once again we want to thank all of you who are bringing us before The Lord in prayer--we can assure you that we are blessed by your prayers for us!   This has been an exciting adventure, and we will do our best to keep everyone up to date!  Good night..... 



13 comments:

Andrea said...

Look at Baby girl hugging mama's leg....beautiful! You are going to love the WHITE SWAN. Tell Dad that my husband was soooo glad to see the buffet! He will know which one I am talking about , when you get there.

Rachael said...

Reading your updates always leaves me smiling with tears in my eyes. Even through pictures we can all see God working. He is truly amazing!!

Tell Harrison nice shades and War Eagle. The picture of the bike with all the people on it made me think of Harrison and the boys...I hope they don't try that at home.

Love you all!

Pajama Mama said...

The pic of Emily hugging your leg with your hand on her head says it all.

Love you....

Anonymous said...

Oh, Christine, the picture with Emily hugging your leg and your hand on her head could be a prize-winner. How absolutely precious.

I look forward to seeing the pictures every morning.

Hope you have seen our friends, the Bradleys. Any update on their little one?

Susan

Sara said...

This is such an inspiration. Emily hugging your leg leads me to believe that some of the rough spots are over.

Harrison keep spreading the Auburn luv.

Love
Sara

Rebecca Lily said...

Christine, I have SO much I could comment on but I think I would have to write 10 paragraphs... Emily is BEAUTIFUL... she is just exquisite and I love seeing her smile! She seems very thoughtful & introspective... very smart. :) Your photos of China are amazing. WOW.

Anonymous said...

HEY GUYS,
IT'S THE GIRLS FROM THE OFFICE. WE JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE ARE PRAYING FOR CONTINUED PROGRESS WITH EMILY AND YOUR SAFE RETURN HOME. WE CAN'T WAIT TO MEET HER!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Gef, Christine & Harrison,
I'm so glad things are going well for ya'll! You've been in my thoughts and prayers.
Emily is soooo Beautiful!!! Such Great pictures!!
I hope things continue to progress smoothly!

Jake and Alana said...

We are so overwhelmed see Emily with yall! Awesome! We cant wait to meet her and spend time with her!

Anonymous said...

What an incredible journey!! Been away so had some catch-up. Loved every moment, every picture. I love Emily's dimple...it has been so tender watching her find that security in her new family that allows her to blossom. It is no small thing that she is finding that "all is well" in her daddy's arms...What a beautiful picture of the heart of our Father. I have no doubt that she will cherish every moment of her mommy's nurturing and amazing love. Thank you for sharing this very precious time with us. We love you all and look forwrd to seeing you again soon. Adrianne

Anonymous said...

This is all so new...still trying to figure it out. The Anonymous one is really Adrianne!! Can't figure what I did wrong.
xxoo

Maria Carroll said...

Echoing everyone else...The sweet photo of Emily hugging your leg is a familiar pose every mama knows well. My heart just melted seeing it and I couldn't help but have a little taste of the joy you felt at that moment, Christine. What a blessing from the Father to have her connecting with you so naturally. We're praying and He's answering...
love, Maria C.

Lynn said...

God is awesome indeed. Words are truly inadequate to express the way your story, your love and your family touch the hearts that encounter them. Peace to all of you, and many prayers for this family to continue to grow together.
with much love,