It's Official!

Our official business finally concluded today with a "Swearing In" ceremony at the Chinese Consulate. After wielding passports, yielding cell phones to airport-level security, and waiting our turn in a DMV-deja vu, sitting room full of other adoptive families and their children, (all of whom apparently had the same 3PM "appointment"), we listened intently as our children's Chinese names were announced one by one. To most of us, these all sounded pretty similar, and we each feared we would miss our call. We finally heard "Tang Yang Zhi 21" and went up to window 21 to sign our DS230 form and receive an entry instruction sheet and photocopy of her Chinese passport.  Once all names had been called, a cheerful official addressed the entire room, welcoming & thanking us, giving us statistics like how 3000 of the 30,000 immigration visas granted each year are for adopted children to the US, and how these have increased from 47 to 67% special needs children in the last 3 years, then congratulating us on the completion of the long and arduous process. She made special note that none of the delay was due to any appointment back-log in their office, and wanted to be sure that we spread the word. So here it is: there is no back log of apptmts at the Chinese Consulate in Guangzhou!?!?  After acknowledging birthday children and families who have previously adopted, she asked us all to stand, raise our right hands, and repeat a string of promises, guaranteeing that all the information we have given is true and correct to the best of our knowledge and ability etc,etc. The oath was simple, but the exultation afterward was enormous. We clapped and cheered and enveloped Kaylee in a big group hug. We can now say that we are DONE... we have only to get her home, and we are most ready! At 3PM tomorrow our guide, Amy, will pick up the original passports containing US entry Visas for our group of kids, while we check out of our hotel. Once she returns, we will bid a fond farewell to Guangzhou, our home for the past 2 weeks, then board, with overstuffed valises, a 3 1/2 hour, south bound bus for the Hong Kong Airport, Regal Hotel, where we will spend our final night. It will be a short one, as our plane departs at 8AM, which makes check in about 6, alarm clock 4:45! Now that is a prayer request we would really appreciate!

 For those of you who have asked and/or would like to greet us and welcome Kaylee, our Delta flight 2284  from Salt Lake City is due to arrive in Nashville at 9:12PM this Thursday, Sept 30. All are welcome! Thank you again, so much for your love, encouragement and prayers throughout the past year and a half. We are so grateful and anxious to see you all again!