Stinkin' Cool...Stinkin' Cold!

It was so cold today that we bundled little Cory up in multiple layers to keep him warm. We quickly figured out that we didn't need to be worried about keeping him from freezing. This little guy is a matchbox! He almost immediately fell asleep when we got on the Great Wall and didn't wake up until the last 5 minutes or so of our sightseeing. As you can tell, Cory hasn't quite developed an appreciation yet for being on one of the Seven Wonders of the World! We do know that he has a healthy appreciation for his Mommy and his Meat though! In fact, as soon as he woke up, he raised his head, looked at Mom and said,"Ma-Ma...meat!" We all just started laughing. All of us really are aware that this little boy has truly added so much joy to our family! God has blessed us with a new addition to the family that couldn't have fit more perfectly if we would have chosen from a book of personalities! We praise God everyday for how amazingly the Bickfords prepared Cory for his new home! We are looking forward to coming home and can't wait to share the blessing of this heaven sent angel!

During part of the day, when we were on the Great Wall, the wind was blowing in one direction and then 10 minutes later it began blowing the other way! The cold whipped at our faces until the stinging sensation felt like little knives stabbing into our already numb faces. The thrilling realization that we were on the Great Wall of China quickly distracted us from the pain of numb fingers and faces. The way that we managed to continue enjoying ourselves was by constantly reminding each other that this was a once in a lifetime experience and we should make the most of it!
Did we mention that there were a lot of stairs? I know that some people imagine that the Great Wall stretches in a straight line across China, but that is definitely not the case. The first thing we noticed when we got on top of the wall, was the rising and falling of the path. The twisting, turning, rising, and falling proved to be an excellent workout! At one point, each individual stair came up to the top of my Mom's knee! Merriella had a very difficult time climbing these!

As much as our family has enjoyed this trip, we are ready to come home. Our stomachs are quite past ready to have American food. We are exhausted and anxious to sleep in our own beds! I also think that our family has had enough airplanes for some time now! 7 is quite enough for the 18 days that we have been gone! We can't wait till we are back in the United States and get to share our stories with you in person. Most importantly of all, we look forward to sharing our newest addition with you! God Bless and thank you for following our journey to get Cory! Thanks for your prayers and support! We love you all and will be home tomorrow!

Snakes on the Plane, What's on Aisle 6?

Dad Reports, or Rambles: Laura and I have been laying low in terms of this web log. Both of us have been fighting allergies and colds since we arrived in China. Some OTC medications help a little; lack of sleep, not at all. Cory also developed a cough so the doctor who examined him for his visa prescribed an antibiotic. It’s a powder that comes in little 125 gram packets – four fifths of which is mixed in solution for each dose. Other than the cough, he’s doing exceptionally well. He loves airplane rides!

While receiving Merriella from the Shantou orphanage was a joyful experience for us, it was different with Little Haohao. We feel a incredible joy along with profound sadness that a couple who love him very much experience pain and loss at releasing him to join us. Sunday at their House Meeting was very emotional for all of us. Dave and Susie did a magnificent work preparing him for the transition to our family. They are a lovely couple serving G faithfully. Little Haohao recognized us at first sight and has shown none of the distress that Merriella felt during her transition last year. Cory loves his Mommy and prefers to be with her over any of the rest of us, yet he obviously is comfortable with all of us and enjoys his big brother and Merriella tremendously. He is very wary of people he doesn’t know. The Chinese people we talk to (in our limited abilities) are impressed that he understands both English and Chinese.

In America, major retail chains deliberate whether they will greet customers with Merry Christmas! In China, I see "Merry Christmas" and hear the following (among others) all over the place: “Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem”, “Silent Night”, “Away in a Manger”, and “Oh Come all Ye faithful”. Interesting.

If you’ve ever communicated in another language, you know translations don’t always fit quite right: On the flight from Guangzhou to Beijing, our flight attendant announced something in Chinese, then followed in English for the 6 foreigners (us!) aboard: “soon we will be serving snakes.” We were relieved they served snacks after all. In a Beijing supermarket, the aisles are labeled in Chinese with English sub-titles. On one side of aisle 6 are various “chips”, while the other is “crack”! While some things don’t translate smoothly, others come through with painful clarity: One Guangzhou shopkeeper with a puzzled look on his face asked, “you adopt a boy?!” I responded yes. He examined Haohao in the stroller, saw no apparent problem, looked back at me and said, “He not very good boy...” It was part statement, part question - a qualitative assessment. If a boy were available for adoption, something must be wrong with him. I said, “Oh yes, he’s a very good boy”. And a wonderful boy he is: bright, beautiful eyes, a contagious smile and a cute sense of humor. And he’s got a big family of people who love him and pray for him – in China, the U.K. and in the United States. Some of you know how Merriella has been saying that she’s never been to China. This morning she told me, “I once went to this China by self!” (that's "by myself"). I responded, “Really?” Then she said, “Yeah! I was waiting for you and Mommy to come get me!”. There are many children still waiting. God is big and sovereign over all things. It’s probably a good thing to ask, “How big is God in my life today?”. It’s been a long trip and we are eager to take Cory home. Thanks for your love and prayers.