Update

I'm finally to get an internet connection in Nanjing. I don't know how long it will last, so I'm going to type quickly.

When we flew out of Beijing Monday morning, there was a 4-hour delay because of a snowstorm. We were supposed to get to Nanjing by 10:00 or so, check into the hotel, have lunch, and then go get Jonathan at the adoption center at 1:30, but because of the delay, we didn't touch down in Nanjing until 12:45. By the time we got our luggage and found our driver, it was after 1:00. We were still a little under an hour away from the adoption center, so when we got, the kids were already waiting for us. We didn't know what to exect. WE walked into this run-down business building. To the left of us were double glass doors, and there was Jonathan looking out at us. We recognized him immediately! The first thing we noticed was how BIG he was. We were expecting him to be very small, but he's a little bruiser! He's very active, good natured, and smart. He took to Scott and I immediately. The orphanage director and the director of Children's Serviced for the Yangzhou district (where Jonathan's orphanage is - about 100 Kilometers from the Adoption Center) were there and had taught Jonathan to say 'Mama" and 'Papa'. He sat on my lap and gave me a kiss! The trasition was very smooth. Jonathan laughed and played with us, and he did not cry at all. We did some paperwork and went upstairs to have our 'family picture' taken for the adoption certificate. We then took the van to the hotel to check in.

The hotel we're staying in is even nicer than the one in Beijing! We spent the rest of the day getting to know Jonathan and having fun in our room.

The next day, we went back to the adoption center to finalize the paperwork. When we got there, other families were being united with their adopted children like we were the day before. A little girls started squeeling when she saw Jonathan. They gave each other a hug, and it turns out they are from the same orphanage! Then Jonathan ran up to another little girl about his age and hugged her. She was one of his roomates!! It was so precious seeing these kids reunited and getting adopted. I almost started bawling.

Scott and I met with a government official who asked us why we were adopting and why from China. They then had us sign some paperwork, and we had to put our thumbprint on top of our signatures. We paid the paperwork and orphanage fees, and it was official. Jonathan is now our son in the eyes of the Chinese government!

It is Thursday today, and we are going to do some more sightseeing. We will get the notarized copies of our adoption paperwork tomorrow and fly to Ghuanzhou to deal with the US government paperwork so Jonathan can get a visa into our country. This has been a wonderful journey, and God has blessed us more than I can even tell you.

I have been keeping a daily journal about all of our experiences here and the Chinese culture and traditions. When I get back, I will type it all up and email it to anyone who is interested.

I'll try to write more later. Please keep us in your prayers. We have stayed healthy this first week in China, and Jonathan is healthy too. Many kids come out of the orphanage sick. We have been truly blessed!

In Christ's Name,

Julie