Last post from Guangzhou... next stop USA!

      Last night our friends Vince, Mary and Malia stopped by the White Swan (our hotel) to see us.  We ended up shopping with them for a bit and then we all ate dinner at an Italian restaurant on the "island".  I meant to take a picture of it, but I never did.  Oops!  Anyway, it has the same feel as the rest of the island, European.  The difference here is they act like Europeans.  They are Chinese people, but I am pretty sure someone flew over from Italy or somewhere in Europe and taught them how to act.

     I talk like I am a world traveler since I have made it half -way around the world to China.  So, I have never been to Europe, but I read a lot and that counts for something.  

     Anyway, the servers at the restaurant act like dinner is supposed to take all evening to enjoy. Now, never mind that the island caters to adopting parents.  A lot of these adoptions are for very small children who DO NOT like to sit very long in a restaurant.  And, not only do they take their good ol' sweet time, they sit around and watch the people eating.  I am not kidding, there were at least 8 people working and they all just stood and stared.  And, the Italian restaurant has many pizza options on their menu, but they have ONE oven to cook them in.  SO, Paul and I are completely finished eating and Vince and Mary don't even have their pizza. 

      Needless to say, by the time dessert came (check out the photo below), it was difficult to enjoy because even the adults were tired of being there.

     Beautiful fruit plate though, huh? 

Emme is thinking... "WHO CARES!!"  You can see it in her eyes.
     We are on the 18th floor of the White Swan hotel.  This is what we saw outside of our window.  If I had to do that job, I WOULD DIE!  I was getting sick to my stomach watching them!  He's just hanging there!  It look very unsafe!

     Emme in the bathtub.  She was getting clean and beautiful for her swearing in at the U.S. Consulate today.

      The appointment at the Consulate is the most anti-climatic thing!  All this time to raise our hand and say that everything we've said for the last several years is true.  At any rate, she is ours and when that plane hits Detroit on Thursday late afternoon, she is a United States citizen.
     This is the beautiful palm tree lined street on the way back to the hotel.  The White Swan is the tall building at the end on the right.
     If you could see inside the windows, you would see aquariums filled with various foods that you could pick out for dinner.  I'd like to this it's fresh catch, but I wouldn't put my money on it.  And, I certainly didn't eat it to find out.  I did get really adventurous tonight at Lucy's and order Sweet and Sour Chicken!  The other two times I ate there I had a BLT.  I like to live on the wild side.
     This is Emme back at the hotel after our appointment.  She is thrilled to be a citizen of our great country.  Adorable outfit thanks to my friend Amber.  She is wearing this outfit home too!

     I think the White Swan is a beautiful hotel.  That picture was taken in front of the waterfall- inside the hotel.
     Tonight, we we returned home from our consulate appointment, we thought we'd just ewat dinner at the restaurant we eat breakfast at in the morning.  After all, the food is fabulous.  It overlooks the water and just has an all around great atmosphere.

     We asked if we could look to see what was in the buffet before we ate but before we had a chance to look around, we decided to ask the cost.  Breakfast was included in our package, so we are clueless about the pricing at the restaurant.  

     It is a darn good thing we asked.  The price 348 RMB.  That is $51.40 per person.  We left and went to Lucy's for the 3rd time this week.  Lucy's is ok, but it's not worth 3 visits in 5 days.
     Emme was nice to mom today!  She just didn't want her hat on.
     Paul and Emme do this EVERY SINGLE time they get in the elevator.

     So, this is it.  Tomorrow we are being picked up at 5:45 am.  U.S. time that is 5:45 on Wednesday evening.  We arrive home 25 hours later.  A quick little jaunt.

     The bags are packed and we are ready to go home.  As I look at little Emme peacefully sleeping in her crib, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and thankfulness for the people who helped with the process of giving her such a home.  We are far from perfect but we love each other and we love the Lord.  I think that's a great start.

     When I look at her skinny, frail arms and legs, I know she may not have been able to make it much longer.  It is because of so many of you!  Thank you so much to all who have prayed for us during this very challenging process.  I am surprised some people still want to be my friend because of the emotional rollercoaster I let myself ride.  And, there are many, many people who gave us money to make this possible.  When we started the process, we knew we didn't have the money, but we also knew God told us to do it.  Thanks for letting him use you!  Thanks for letting him use you to change a life.

     The next little section was written by Steven Curtis Chapman.  He summed up so many things I wanted to say.  If God has laid it on your heart to adopt, don't wait any longer to start the process.  If you don't feel the call to adopt, find someone to help out financially who does want to adopt.  You will be blessed for your obedience!

    Can't wait for Emme to meet all of you!

In America alone, there are half a million children in foster care, and approximately 120,000 of these children are waiting to be adopted. In many countries, children are too often orphaned or abandoned because of poverty, disabilities and disease; every 15 seconds, a child loses a parent because of AIDS. These are staggering facts that can seem overwhelming and discouraging, but I believe that God has a loving plan for each child, and that plan is you and me.

Caring for these children is not the job of governments or institutions; instead, it is the job of families, people and communities. As Christians, our compassion is simply a response to the love that God has already shown us. Mother Teresa would constantly remind those who worked with her that the Bible clearly teaches that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Jesus. So in a very real sense, caring for orphans is a chance to meet the person of Jesus in "the guise of human suffering." This is an invitation from the heart of God to know him and to experience his love.

Nine years ago, my wife and my eldest daughter, Emily, traveled to Haiti on a mission trip. Having been exposed to extreme poverty for the first time, Emily returned home with a determined passion to make a difference in the lives of at-risk children.

Only 12 years old, Emily went on an all-out campaign to persuade us to adopt. She bought a book on international adoption with her Christmas money and would read it to us regularly. She began fervently praying and writing letters to Mary Beth and me, encouraging us to consider giving a waiting child a home. Emily knew God was leading us in the direction of adoption; however, Mary Beth and I were not yet convinced.

My wife and I had always supported the idea of adoption, and as Christians, we understood the importance of loving and caring for others. But what I had not yet grasped was that adoption is a physical picture of what Jesus has done for me. I did nothing to deserve God's love; in fact, I was living as an orphan, without hope. Yet God chose to pursue a relationship with me, and through the death of his son Jesus, I was adopted into God's family. Watch Chapman and his family discuss their tragic loss »

My wife and I began moving toward adoption with fear and trembling and asking all the questions people ask. I remember Mary Beth crying herself to sleep at night saying, "What are we doing? I can't do this." However, God kept reassuring us that this was the direction he was leading us. It was a huge journey of faith for us.

In May of 2000, we found ourselves in a hotel room in China's Hunan province, welcoming the newest member of our family, Shaohannah Hope. From that moment, we began our journey into the world of adoption, orphan care and Shaohannah's Hope. iReport.com: Send a video question for Chapman

We went on to adopt Stevey Joy and Maria. Recently, our youngest daughter, Maria, passed from life on this earth and is now safely in the arms of Jesus. We have been completely overwhelmed by the love and support of so many during this time of deep, deep sadness. Through all that we've experienced, one thing we still know is true: God's heart is for the orphan. 

If only 7 percent of the 2 billion Christians in the world would care for a single orphan in distress, there would effectively be no more orphans. If everybody would be willing to simply do something to care for one of these precious treasures, I think we would be amazed by just how much we could change the world.

We can each do something, whether it is donating, adopting, fostering, mentoring, visiting orphans or supporting families that have taken in orphans. You can change the world for an orphan.