This will be a short post. This morning was spent packing. It actually came together quicker than I thought it would. We have a lot of stuff but I think we got it all in somewhere in one of our 6 suitcases!
This afternoon we went to Danshui which used to be a fishing village on the East China Sea. It is now pretty much a tourist attraction. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we really enjoyed it.
We really have loved Taiwan despite dealing with our emotions. It is a beautiful country with beautiful people. They are all so warm and friendly. But as much as we have loved it here, we are so ready to come home! Our flight leaves at 9:30 in the morning. We have to leave the hotel at 6:30 so we will be getting up early.
Looking forward to seeing my boys! Well, at least 2 of them very soon.
I will plan to post again when we got home
Goodnight from Taiwan.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday in Taiwan
Each day continues to be a roller coaster of emotions. Today I think there were more ups than downs. This morning we took the MRT (Mass Rail Transit) to church all by ourselves.
We went to Grace Baptist Church. It was an English service and we knew all the songs! It was really wonderful. For me, it was a gentle reminder that this whole process is not about me. I knew this was going to be extremely difficult before we got here. But I also knew that we were being obedient to what the Lord was telling us to do. It was just so good to be worshipping with other believers and experiencing God's presence.
Pei Fang was really quite good in church. I don't think she is used to having to sit still and be quiet for that long.
After church we came back to the hotel and had a skype call with Jeremy. It was the first time he had gotten to see Pei Fang on the computer. He was doing all kinds of silly things and Pei Fang loved it. He had her laughing most of the time. It was good to see her being so responsive to him. After talking to Jeremy, we had a second skype call with Logan. It is so good to be able to see their faces and talk to them half way around the world!
This afternoon we went to Ulay (oo-lie). It is up in the mountains and it is famous for natural hot springs. We rented one of the indoor tubs for an hour. We didn't go to the outdoor tubs because it was raining. It was really quite enjoyable and I think both girls had fun. We then walked around for awhile looking in stores. I think we both agree that we have never seen so much food for sale anywhere. Everywhere you go there are restaurants and food carts. Even with the massive amount of people here, we can't believe they can eat that much food!
Pei Fang seems to have a stubborn side. There are certain things she wants to be in charge of. Most of the time she doesn't want anyone else touching her things. Perhaps she feels those are the only things in her life she can control right now.
She is consistently calling us BaBa and MaMa now. She also likes to help us with things that she can see are routine such as opening the hotel room door and helping us get the stoller up and down stairs. She is also making an effort at more English words every day. Much of the time she is happy and smiling. All of these things are outweighing the difficult moments. It is just that those difficult moments are so emotionally draining. She is continually testing the boundaries to see where they are. We feel it is very important to be consistant so she will know what to expect. But we also know she is in a grieving process and we need to be gentle and patient. It is a very tough balancing act for which we often feel ill-equipped.
Tomorrow we get to pack and get ready to go home. We really covet your continuing prayers, especially for our trip home. Thank you all again for your love and support. We will continue to need it for many months after we get home.
We went to Grace Baptist Church. It was an English service and we knew all the songs! It was really wonderful. For me, it was a gentle reminder that this whole process is not about me. I knew this was going to be extremely difficult before we got here. But I also knew that we were being obedient to what the Lord was telling us to do. It was just so good to be worshipping with other believers and experiencing God's presence.
Pei Fang was really quite good in church. I don't think she is used to having to sit still and be quiet for that long.
After church we came back to the hotel and had a skype call with Jeremy. It was the first time he had gotten to see Pei Fang on the computer. He was doing all kinds of silly things and Pei Fang loved it. He had her laughing most of the time. It was good to see her being so responsive to him. After talking to Jeremy, we had a second skype call with Logan. It is so good to be able to see their faces and talk to them half way around the world!
This afternoon we went to Ulay (oo-lie). It is up in the mountains and it is famous for natural hot springs. We rented one of the indoor tubs for an hour. We didn't go to the outdoor tubs because it was raining. It was really quite enjoyable and I think both girls had fun. We then walked around for awhile looking in stores. I think we both agree that we have never seen so much food for sale anywhere. Everywhere you go there are restaurants and food carts. Even with the massive amount of people here, we can't believe they can eat that much food!
Pei Fang seems to have a stubborn side. There are certain things she wants to be in charge of. Most of the time she doesn't want anyone else touching her things. Perhaps she feels those are the only things in her life she can control right now.
She is consistently calling us BaBa and MaMa now. She also likes to help us with things that she can see are routine such as opening the hotel room door and helping us get the stoller up and down stairs. She is also making an effort at more English words every day. Much of the time she is happy and smiling. All of these things are outweighing the difficult moments. It is just that those difficult moments are so emotionally draining. She is continually testing the boundaries to see where they are. We feel it is very important to be consistant so she will know what to expect. But we also know she is in a grieving process and we need to be gentle and patient. It is a very tough balancing act for which we often feel ill-equipped.
Tomorrow we get to pack and get ready to go home. We really covet your continuing prayers, especially for our trip home. Thank you all again for your love and support. We will continue to need it for many months after we get home.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Saturday in Taiwan
I woke up feeling really good this morning because I slept for more than 8 hours. That was the first time I had slept more than 4 hours at a stretch since we have been here.
It rained most of the day so that changed our original plans. This morning we went to see Shrek 4 in 3D. It was great. Makenna slept through most of it and Pei Fang slept through the last half. But Galen and I enjoyed it a lot. After the movie we went to eat lunch at TGI Friday's. It tasted just like home.
We finished lunch about 2:00 and then went to a weekend Jade Market. It was fun walking through and looking at all the things for sale. We found some great souvenirs.
After that we went back to the hotel for a couple of hours. Then we went and got ice cream at Cold Stone and walked around a little bit at the underground mall again. We went ahead and bought a new suitcase for all the gifts we have been given and a few of Pei Fang's clothes that are currently in her backpack.
Tomorrow we are going to church! We found a church that we can get to easily on the train. It is an English speaking Baptist church. Just as today was a little taste of home with the movie and the restaurant, we anticipate a refreshing time worshipping with fellow believers tomorrow!
Things went fairly well with Pei Fang today. When Jill was with us, she gravitated to her. However, she did not completely ignore us. Most of the time she seemed happy. When we got back to the hotel she started asking if she could call somebody. We assume she wanted to talk to her foster family. That seems to be her grieving time.
Please continue to pray for her and us. All of us need prayer for bonding and that the Lord would increase our love for each other each day. We need wisdom each day in how to handle the lack of being able to communicate, her grieving process, and her busyness. It is very hard for her to sit still for long.
Makenna has been a trooper through everything. I'm not sure it has made as much of a difference to Pei Fang that she is here, but it makes all the difference in the world for us!
Only two more full days before we can come home!
It rained most of the day so that changed our original plans. This morning we went to see Shrek 4 in 3D. It was great. Makenna slept through most of it and Pei Fang slept through the last half. But Galen and I enjoyed it a lot. After the movie we went to eat lunch at TGI Friday's. It tasted just like home.
We finished lunch about 2:00 and then went to a weekend Jade Market. It was fun walking through and looking at all the things for sale. We found some great souvenirs.
After that we went back to the hotel for a couple of hours. Then we went and got ice cream at Cold Stone and walked around a little bit at the underground mall again. We went ahead and bought a new suitcase for all the gifts we have been given and a few of Pei Fang's clothes that are currently in her backpack.
Tomorrow we are going to church! We found a church that we can get to easily on the train. It is an English speaking Baptist church. Just as today was a little taste of home with the movie and the restaurant, we anticipate a refreshing time worshipping with fellow believers tomorrow!
Things went fairly well with Pei Fang today. When Jill was with us, she gravitated to her. However, she did not completely ignore us. Most of the time she seemed happy. When we got back to the hotel she started asking if she could call somebody. We assume she wanted to talk to her foster family. That seems to be her grieving time.
Please continue to pray for her and us. All of us need prayer for bonding and that the Lord would increase our love for each other each day. We need wisdom each day in how to handle the lack of being able to communicate, her grieving process, and her busyness. It is very hard for her to sit still for long.
Makenna has been a trooper through everything. I'm not sure it has made as much of a difference to Pei Fang that she is here, but it makes all the difference in the world for us!
Only two more full days before we can come home!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Making Progress
Sometimes it seems as if we take 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. We do pretty well when it is just the 4 of us. And then when we get together with our guide(s) Pei Fang pulls away from us and towards them. Of course, this is completely understandable because they speak her language. And each one of them has been so good with her.
This afternoon we felt as if we had a breakthrough of sorts. She got into one of her 2 big suitcases. We sat down on the floor with her and she began showing us everything she had. We let her look through it all and talk to us about it, even though we didn't know what she was saying most of the time. Then after we had finished one suitcase, she went through the other one. From that time on her attitude has been very different towards us. She has even begun to try saying some words in English. I can't tell you the relief it has brought to us. We know that it may not be the same when we wake up in the morning, or especially when Jill comes to take us sightseeing tomorrow. But that is ok. It gives us hope for what is to come.
It seems as if, if we give her the freedom to look through her pictures and keepsakes, it helps her to warm up to us.
She asked Jill today if I would let her come back to Taiwan when she was 18. I told her I certainly would. She held up her pinky finger and we locked pinkies and touchesdthumbs. Apparently that meant we had a deal. She talked to Jill about it a lot after that. And she has asked us several more times this afternoon and evening. At first, we didn't know what she was saying. But then she held up her pinky finger and I knew. It gives her a lot of comfort to know that we have that understanding.
We went to the Taipei Zoo today. It is a beautiful zoo and we had the opportunity to see giant pandas and koalas. It was pretty hot and humid so we only stayed a couple of hours. We met another family who was adopting 2 little boys. It seemed to encourage Pei Fang to know that those boys were going to America, too.
She also said today that she didn't mind if we called her Nikki. I think that will be almost as big of an adjustment for us as it will for her. We have been calling her Pei Fang for a year now!
Overall, it has been a good day. We had our AIT appointment and that went very well and we received her VISA this afternoon. So, we are free to leave anytime! If only we could.
I can't begin to express how grateful we are for all the prayers, comments, e-mails and facebook messages. All of those things, especially your prayers, have made all the difference in the world!
Goodnight from Taiwan.
This afternoon we felt as if we had a breakthrough of sorts. She got into one of her 2 big suitcases. We sat down on the floor with her and she began showing us everything she had. We let her look through it all and talk to us about it, even though we didn't know what she was saying most of the time. Then after we had finished one suitcase, she went through the other one. From that time on her attitude has been very different towards us. She has even begun to try saying some words in English. I can't tell you the relief it has brought to us. We know that it may not be the same when we wake up in the morning, or especially when Jill comes to take us sightseeing tomorrow. But that is ok. It gives us hope for what is to come.
It seems as if, if we give her the freedom to look through her pictures and keepsakes, it helps her to warm up to us.
She asked Jill today if I would let her come back to Taiwan when she was 18. I told her I certainly would. She held up her pinky finger and we locked pinkies and touchesdthumbs. Apparently that meant we had a deal. She talked to Jill about it a lot after that. And she has asked us several more times this afternoon and evening. At first, we didn't know what she was saying. But then she held up her pinky finger and I knew. It gives her a lot of comfort to know that we have that understanding.
We went to the Taipei Zoo today. It is a beautiful zoo and we had the opportunity to see giant pandas and koalas. It was pretty hot and humid so we only stayed a couple of hours. We met another family who was adopting 2 little boys. It seemed to encourage Pei Fang to know that those boys were going to America, too.
She also said today that she didn't mind if we called her Nikki. I think that will be almost as big of an adjustment for us as it will for her. We have been calling her Pei Fang for a year now!
Overall, it has been a good day. We had our AIT appointment and that went very well and we received her VISA this afternoon. So, we are free to leave anytime! If only we could.
I can't begin to express how grateful we are for all the prayers, comments, e-mails and facebook messages. All of those things, especially your prayers, have made all the difference in the world!
Goodnight from Taiwan.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
A Pretty Good Day
After a very rough night, today went pretty well. I was up for a couple of hours in the night in agony over everything that went on yesterday. Galen said he didn't think he slept a total of one hour.
This morning we went to Chung Yi, the orphanage in charge of Pei Fang. I felt I had some questions that I had to have answered. They were able to confirm that if Pei Fang had not been adopted, she would have gone back to the orphanage within a year. They use foster homes for younger children and usually a child doesn't stay with a foster family for more than 2 years. Pei Fang's case of being there almost 6 years was very unusual. It made me feel so much better to have that confirmed. As much as that family loved her, she wouldn't have been with them much longer anyway.
We completed some paperwork and then took some pictures. After that we went back to hotel and walked to McDonald's for lunch. We rested for a couple of hours and both of the girls slept. This afternoon we went to an indoor swimming pool. It was a great place. Unfortunately, you will not see any pictures of Galen and I in our lovely swimming caps!
After swimming, we came back and dried our hair and then walked to Pizza Hut for supper. Then we walked around an underground mall. It is underneath the train station. We bought a few things and then stopped for ice cream.
I have never seen so many people in one place. It is crazy walking around here at night. It is a mass of people everywhere you go. And there are so many places to eat. Even with this many people I can't believe all the eating establishments can stay in business. I know it was like this in China but we didn't walk around in it much at all.
I don't think we ever appreciated the support system that we had in traveling to china with 11 other families. There was always somebody around to talk to who spoke English. We are really missing that comraderie this time. Our guides and the orphanage workers have been awesome. But after 2 two days of spending a great deal of time in rooms with people having conversations among themselves in Chinese, we realized how great it was to travel with a group.
I feel like we made progress today. Pei Fang has begun to attach to Galen like she did in California. Sometimes Makenna and I get a response from her and sometimes we don't. But all of that was expected and we know it will get better with time.
We need a lot of wisdom in dealing with her. It is sometimes hard to know when to be firm with her and when to let her have her way. It seems to us that maybe she is very used to getting her way a lot. But we also aren't sure if she is acting up or if something has triggered her grieving. She likes to wander and explore things. So, we continue to covet your prayers.
Tomorrow is our AIT (American Institute of Taiwan) appointment. We will receive Pei Fang's VISA in the afternoon. We would then be free to go home on Saturday but we didn't know that until after our flights had been booked. So as much as we'd like to go home, we believe the Lord has a reason for leaving us here another 3 days.
Jeremy, Kyle and Logan - We really wish you were here. We love you like crazy and hope to talk to you soon!
This morning we went to Chung Yi, the orphanage in charge of Pei Fang. I felt I had some questions that I had to have answered. They were able to confirm that if Pei Fang had not been adopted, she would have gone back to the orphanage within a year. They use foster homes for younger children and usually a child doesn't stay with a foster family for more than 2 years. Pei Fang's case of being there almost 6 years was very unusual. It made me feel so much better to have that confirmed. As much as that family loved her, she wouldn't have been with them much longer anyway.
We completed some paperwork and then took some pictures. After that we went back to hotel and walked to McDonald's for lunch. We rested for a couple of hours and both of the girls slept. This afternoon we went to an indoor swimming pool. It was a great place. Unfortunately, you will not see any pictures of Galen and I in our lovely swimming caps!
After swimming, we came back and dried our hair and then walked to Pizza Hut for supper. Then we walked around an underground mall. It is underneath the train station. We bought a few things and then stopped for ice cream.
I have never seen so many people in one place. It is crazy walking around here at night. It is a mass of people everywhere you go. And there are so many places to eat. Even with this many people I can't believe all the eating establishments can stay in business. I know it was like this in China but we didn't walk around in it much at all.
I don't think we ever appreciated the support system that we had in traveling to china with 11 other families. There was always somebody around to talk to who spoke English. We are really missing that comraderie this time. Our guides and the orphanage workers have been awesome. But after 2 two days of spending a great deal of time in rooms with people having conversations among themselves in Chinese, we realized how great it was to travel with a group.
I feel like we made progress today. Pei Fang has begun to attach to Galen like she did in California. Sometimes Makenna and I get a response from her and sometimes we don't. But all of that was expected and we know it will get better with time.
We need a lot of wisdom in dealing with her. It is sometimes hard to know when to be firm with her and when to let her have her way. It seems to us that maybe she is very used to getting her way a lot. But we also aren't sure if she is acting up or if something has triggered her grieving. She likes to wander and explore things. So, we continue to covet your prayers.
Tomorrow is our AIT (American Institute of Taiwan) appointment. We will receive Pei Fang's VISA in the afternoon. We would then be free to go home on Saturday but we didn't know that until after our flights had been booked. So as much as we'd like to go home, we believe the Lord has a reason for leaving us here another 3 days.
Jeremy, Kyle and Logan - We really wish you were here. We love you like crazy and hope to talk to you soon!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Today turned out to be Gotcha Day!
It is hard to put today into words. Not much of what we thought was going to happen did happen. The important thing is that we now have Pei Fang!
It was probably one of the most difficult days of my life. We met with her foster family and they were absolutely wonderful. We could tell how very much they love her.
As expected, Pei Fang did not want to have anything to do with us. We had a ceremony where a couple of government officials spoke to us and presented us with gifts. Then Pei Fang's foster family gave us an abundance of wonderful gifts from Taiwan.
We then met with them for about an hour so they could tell us what we needed to know and we could ask questions.
We thought Pei Fang was going home with them tonight and would come to Taipei tomorrow. But the plan was for her to come with us today! Watching her say goodbye to her foster family was gut wrenching. If ever we had doubts if we were doing the right thing, it was then.
Fortunately, after they left Pei Fang settled down pretty quickly. We went across the street and had lunch and her mood was fine. She still didn't want to have much to do with us.
After lunch we took the high speed train back to Taipei and little by little Pei Fang warmed up just a bit.
I neglected to tell you that we had four ladies with us all day. That in itself was quite an experience. Every decision seemed to require a conference. Even which way to go to get to the elevator! They are all wonderful ladies and we really did appreciate all they did for us today.
We did not meet with the birth mother and we did not get interviewed by the reporter. We were very grateful for that because by the time we left we were exhausted.
This evening has gone relatively well. It was pretty awkward at first. The most difficult part, of course, is that we don't speak the same language.
Please continue to pray for Pei Fang. This is so hard for her. And pray for us, too. If ever we needed wisdom, it is now. If we can just see a little improvement each day we will be encouraged.
We are so thankful for your prayers and support.
GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!
It was probably one of the most difficult days of my life. We met with her foster family and they were absolutely wonderful. We could tell how very much they love her.
As expected, Pei Fang did not want to have anything to do with us. We had a ceremony where a couple of government officials spoke to us and presented us with gifts. Then Pei Fang's foster family gave us an abundance of wonderful gifts from Taiwan.
We then met with them for about an hour so they could tell us what we needed to know and we could ask questions.
We thought Pei Fang was going home with them tonight and would come to Taipei tomorrow. But the plan was for her to come with us today! Watching her say goodbye to her foster family was gut wrenching. If ever we had doubts if we were doing the right thing, it was then.
Fortunately, after they left Pei Fang settled down pretty quickly. We went across the street and had lunch and her mood was fine. She still didn't want to have much to do with us.
After lunch we took the high speed train back to Taipei and little by little Pei Fang warmed up just a bit.
I neglected to tell you that we had four ladies with us all day. That in itself was quite an experience. Every decision seemed to require a conference. Even which way to go to get to the elevator! They are all wonderful ladies and we really did appreciate all they did for us today.
We did not meet with the birth mother and we did not get interviewed by the reporter. We were very grateful for that because by the time we left we were exhausted.
This evening has gone relatively well. It was pretty awkward at first. The most difficult part, of course, is that we don't speak the same language.
Please continue to pray for Pei Fang. This is so hard for her. And pray for us, too. If ever we needed wisdom, it is now. If we can just see a little improvement each day we will be encouraged.
We are so thankful for your prayers and support.
GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tuesday in Taiwan
We met Rosa this morning at 10:00. She took us on a gondola ride up a mountain. We visited some tea plantations and tea houses. The picture you probably have in your mind of a tea plantation is not quite accurate. Each farmer had very small patches of land. The gondola ride was really something and we enjoyed it very much. I posted a couple of pictures of the gondolas.
On the way down we stopped at a Taoist temple. It was built into the side of the mountain. It was very interesting but also sad. Rosa told us that when people come to worship they have to start by telling the deity their name and where they live. I'm so thankful we serve a God who already knows that!
We next went to a great place which was an indoor amusement park for kids. Makenna had a great time going on all the rides. There are a couple of pics of her on some of the rides. We are hoping to go back there before we leave with Pei Fang.
When we got back today we asked if we could have some extra bedding to cushion the hard beds. They sent housekeeping up with some mattress pads. Apparently, this is not the first time they have had this request. I'm looking forward to waking up tomorrow without a backache.
Well, tomorrow is the day we have been waiting for. At 7:30 in the morning we will board the high speed train to travel to Kaohsiung where we will get to see Pei Fang! It will probably be a hard day for her because they are having a farewell party for her. We will meet her foster family and her birth mother. Also, we will be interviewed for a tv show. Needless to say, there are lots of matters for prayer.
We were thankful to be able to talk to Kyle and Logan again today. It's hard to believe that Kyle is on a train on his way to Michigan. And we know Logan is in good hands. Thank you Bill and Miss Yo! We didn't touch base with Jeremy because it was his first day at his new job.
We are also thankful that the Lord is with us and very soon we will become a family of 7!
On the way down we stopped at a Taoist temple. It was built into the side of the mountain. It was very interesting but also sad. Rosa told us that when people come to worship they have to start by telling the deity their name and where they live. I'm so thankful we serve a God who already knows that!
We next went to a great place which was an indoor amusement park for kids. Makenna had a great time going on all the rides. There are a couple of pics of her on some of the rides. We are hoping to go back there before we leave with Pei Fang.
When we got back today we asked if we could have some extra bedding to cushion the hard beds. They sent housekeeping up with some mattress pads. Apparently, this is not the first time they have had this request. I'm looking forward to waking up tomorrow without a backache.
Well, tomorrow is the day we have been waiting for. At 7:30 in the morning we will board the high speed train to travel to Kaohsiung where we will get to see Pei Fang! It will probably be a hard day for her because they are having a farewell party for her. We will meet her foster family and her birth mother. Also, we will be interviewed for a tv show. Needless to say, there are lots of matters for prayer.
We were thankful to be able to talk to Kyle and Logan again today. It's hard to believe that Kyle is on a train on his way to Michigan. And we know Logan is in good hands. Thank you Bill and Miss Yo! We didn't touch base with Jeremy because it was his first day at his new job.
We are also thankful that the Lord is with us and very soon we will become a family of 7!
Monday, May 24, 2010
We are Here
We made it safely to Taiwan. Our trip went very smoothly even with 3 different planes. The last 2 planes were great. Each seat had it's own TV screen with a remote control in the armrest. We had access to movies and tv shows on demand, as well as games. I watched 2 movies and played solitaire and bejeweled! The food was good and Makenna was incredible. She actually slept about 10 out of the 23 hours.
Our hotel is very nice except for the infamous hard chinese beds. We were definitely ready for bed last night. Makenna woke up about 4:30 AM and said she was hungry. She hadn't eaten in a long time.
We had a great breakfast buffet this morning. We were able to skype with Kyle, Logan and Yuyu this morning. We toke a nap after breakfast and then had a skype call with Jeremy about noon Taiwan time. We also figured out how to use the cell phone they gave us to talk to the boys, too. It makes all the difference in the world being half a world away when we can still communicate with our boys!
I need to mention that 2 doors down from our hotel is a Cold Stone. So after we talked to Jeremy we went and had ice cream!
This afternoon we met our guide, Rosa. She took us to Taipei 101 which, up until 2 years ago, was the tallest building in the world. It also has the world's fastest elevator. The weather was nice and the views were incredible.
After that we went to a Wal-Mart-like store called RT Mart. We got a few snacks to have on hand for Makenna. Then we headed back to the hotel.
This evening we met Yuyu's parents for dinner. After spending time with them we can certainly understand why Yuyu is so special. We had a great time visiting with them. They are so sweet!
Hopefully, we will being seeing them again this weekend.
Even though it is only 8:00 here, we are just about ready for bed. Jet lag, you know.
We found out today that when we go to the city where Pei Fang lives on Wednesday, we are going to be interviewed by a reporter for a tv news show. That should be interesting.
I'll try to post some pictures from the day. Love to you all!
Our hotel is very nice except for the infamous hard chinese beds. We were definitely ready for bed last night. Makenna woke up about 4:30 AM and said she was hungry. She hadn't eaten in a long time.
We had a great breakfast buffet this morning. We were able to skype with Kyle, Logan and Yuyu this morning. We toke a nap after breakfast and then had a skype call with Jeremy about noon Taiwan time. We also figured out how to use the cell phone they gave us to talk to the boys, too. It makes all the difference in the world being half a world away when we can still communicate with our boys!
I need to mention that 2 doors down from our hotel is a Cold Stone. So after we talked to Jeremy we went and had ice cream!
This afternoon we met our guide, Rosa. She took us to Taipei 101 which, up until 2 years ago, was the tallest building in the world. It also has the world's fastest elevator. The weather was nice and the views were incredible.
After that we went to a Wal-Mart-like store called RT Mart. We got a few snacks to have on hand for Makenna. Then we headed back to the hotel.
This evening we met Yuyu's parents for dinner. After spending time with them we can certainly understand why Yuyu is so special. We had a great time visiting with them. They are so sweet!
Hopefully, we will being seeing them again this weekend.
Even though it is only 8:00 here, we are just about ready for bed. Jet lag, you know.
We found out today that when we go to the city where Pei Fang lives on Wednesday, we are going to be interviewed by a reporter for a tv news show. That should be interesting.
I'll try to post some pictures from the day. Love to you all!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Pei Fang Here We Come!
We leave today after lunch for Denver and then fly out tomorrow morning for Taiwan. I really can't believe it. Gotcha Day is Thursday!
It has been almost a year since I first saw Pei Fang's sweet face. What a journey. God is faithful and I am so thankful He goes with us!
Pei Fang, here we come!
It has been almost a year since I first saw Pei Fang's sweet face. What a journey. God is faithful and I am so thankful He goes with us!
Pei Fang, here we come!
Monday, May 10, 2010
We're Almost Ready To Go!
The countdown is on. We leave for Taiwan in less than 2 weeks!
We fly out of Denver on Saturday, May 22. We will arrive in Taiwan on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday will consist of sight-seeing, as well as having dinner with Yuyu's parents. (Yuyu is our foreign exchange student from Taiwan!)
On Wednesday, we will travel to Kaohsiung where we will get to spend some time with Pei Fang. We will also have the opportunity to meet with her birth mother. We anticipate a very emotional day.
Thursday, May 27th is Gotcha Day! We will get Pei Fang in the morning and she will be ours. Our AIT appointment will be on Friday. At this time it looks like we won't leave until Tuesday morning unless something changes. So we will have a few more days to do fun things with our girls.
As I type this itinerary I can hardly believe it! Please continue to pray for Pei Fang. Half of her is excited and the other half is sad and scared.
We will use this same blog to post pictures and info. while we are in Taiwan.
We praise God for all He has done and trust Him for all that is yet to come!
We fly out of Denver on Saturday, May 22. We will arrive in Taiwan on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday will consist of sight-seeing, as well as having dinner with Yuyu's parents. (Yuyu is our foreign exchange student from Taiwan!)
On Wednesday, we will travel to Kaohsiung where we will get to spend some time with Pei Fang. We will also have the opportunity to meet with her birth mother. We anticipate a very emotional day.
Thursday, May 27th is Gotcha Day! We will get Pei Fang in the morning and she will be ours. Our AIT appointment will be on Friday. At this time it looks like we won't leave until Tuesday morning unless something changes. So we will have a few more days to do fun things with our girls.
As I type this itinerary I can hardly believe it! Please continue to pray for Pei Fang. Half of her is excited and the other half is sad and scared.
We will use this same blog to post pictures and info. while we are in Taiwan.
We praise God for all He has done and trust Him for all that is yet to come!
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