WE GOT THE CALL!

Last Friday, I was hiking Radnor with Melanie and just happened to take my phone with me that morning which was unusual. We were about halfway up Ganier Ridge when she was asking me about our adoption and if we had heard anything. I told her that I expected to hear something in another week or two. Well-It was not 5 seconds later that a 703 area code popped up on my phone! I immediately answered and there was a precious coordinator on the end of the line that said "Congratulations-we have your travel date-it will be June 30th!" I must say-I was shocked, excited, and scared all rolled into one! We had been waiting for this day for soooo long. It almost felt like my "water had broken." I walked around in a stupor and Mel and I jumped around and celebrated and then both prayed and thanked God. June was never on our radar-we totally expected a trip more like mid-July. Wow-our travel approval came quicker than the average wait times. It was a lot to process...We had planned our last trip as a family of 6 to big cedar lodge in Branson for July 4 and to pick our boys up from Kanakuk with my side of the family. We had to do a total mind shift and wrap our heads around that we were not going to see our boys now for a month with the timing of camp and then our China travel dates. Thankfully-my sister and brother-in-law and parents are going to be able to pick our kids up for us.
America World said they would then be calling again Monday once our consulate appt was set and that they would be able to give us our return travel date home. On Monday morning, June 13, we received another great call! Our consulate appt. is set for July 11 at 8:30 am and we will be able to travel home on July 13. We also found out that we were going to get to travel to our daughter's orphanage during our time there-which was a huge answer to prayer for me! I had specifically been praying for this throughout the year and had journaled about this longing of mine.  I had hoped so much that we would get this opportunity BUT it is very rare to get to do this because of regulations. We have chosen to forego the sightseeing portion on the front end of the trip in Beijing in order to make the long trip to our child's orphanage in the province of Gansu. We are so excited to get to see this piece of her story/roots-the Qingyang city Welfare Institute- where our daughter has been for the last 16 months of her life.
We had about 24 hours to book flights and I was on the phone for hours yesterday hammering out the details of booking it all only 18 days out. Thankfully-we got a great itinerary on United and are set to depart June 30-July 13. One of the biggest highlights for us too...our dear family friend that is family to us-Belle Johnson-gets to join us for the first week of this wild adventure! More on Belle to follow...that will be my next blog!