Catching up

Thursday morning we visited Selah's orphanage.  Very emotional day for her and me too.  I think it was the first time I cried in country and my family knows that's a miracle since I cry very easy.  She lived in a big orphanage probably a city block big.  We went to her classroom first where she was the only girl in her class.  Kind of explains the tomboy behavior.  Most of the kids in her class had special  needs and aren't even able to be adopted.  Makes your heart hurt because some of their special needs could be corrected in the states.  One thing I don't understand is why some can be adopted and others not.  At her orphanage they live in family units.  We went and visited with her foster parents and saw where she lived.  She was in a family with 5 other kids where she as the oldest and the only one without special needs.  Her foster dad loved her a lot and it was very obvious he spoiled her.  We know from our training that her living in a family setting will be a good thing since she will understand about love and family workings.  After being there it kind of explained why she likes Andrew better.  What she hasn't learned yet is that Andrew isn't a push over and she won't get extra favors from him.  She cried a lot which I'm told is closure for them and it's a good thing.  About 15 mins after leaving she was back to her spunky self and eating all her snacks she had collected at the orphanage.  That evening we went out to dinner with the only other English speaking adoptive family at our hotel.  Ordering food in Hefei was a challenge or should I say ending up with what you thought you ordered was a challenge.  It made for many good laughs.  Friday was spent packing, making a trip to Walmart which is a lot different than ours, and flying back to Guangzhou.  Selah talked with her new friend the whole flight and was super excited to fly.  What a blessing for us!  When arriving back in Guangzhou it felt like coming home.  Not near the smog here plus it's a beautiful city with lots of English speaking people.  It's called the flower city.  Last night we finally made our first visit to McDonalds.  In the states we never eat there but I will admit it tasted wonderful.  While there we met a man from Netherlands who started asking us questions about our adoption which led to sharing the Gospel with him.  He maybe didn't know it but it was a divine appointment. Today began with meeting our adoption group of four other families from Indiana, Texas, Florida, and Alabama.  Then it was on to get physicals done for all kids coming to America.  The dreaded day!  It's an office full of crying kids and doctors running everywhere.  Well we lived to tell about it!  Shane had to get several shots and after he got them he came out and told Selah she had to get a TB shot which set her to wailing.  He kept walking around holding his arm and acting like it hurt really bad which caused her to even be more scared.  And he thinks she's the only one who has drama!  After another McDonalds lunch where Selah refused to even taste her her cheeseburger even when drugged in ketchup we got all our consulate paperwork compiled.  At this point we are moving forward with a Feb 2 consulate appointment in hopes that Shane's half brothers paperwork will be in country.  If not we will need to stay until that is all cleared up.  Prayers for that are appreciated.  Today it also really was becoming more real how long we still have to be here yet.  We are missing our kids at home so much.  We listen to all the families in our group talk about when they get to go home and that makes it hard knowing we will be here with the next group.  Then this afternoon our guide came and spent an hour here helping communicate with Shane some boundaries with TV and making sure he's really interested in having family since he's been acting like he really didn't want one.  Things are better since the talk.  About an hour ago all three were having a ballon sword fight and jumping from bed to bed.  Music to
my ears!  Tomorrow we are going out shopping and a museum visit.  We are all doing good and working hard to become a family.  We feel so blessed to set back and watch God show off and work out everything perfectly.