I hope this is chicken.........

"I hope this is chicken........" and we heard other funny comments from our other adopting parents in our group. What a joy to be able to share this journey with other families that have been called to the same journey.

Yesterday was a full and exhausting day. We went everywhere! The Forbidden City, The Silk Factory, The Pearl Market, The Summer Palace and finally a peking duck dinner. There is much to see and do in Beijing! It did keep our minds occupied and prevented us from sleeping during the day. =)

Today we went to Church, The Great Wall and a "western restaurant". This basically meant that they had forks rather than chopsticks, because us westerners know that you just don't put peas on pizza cause well, it's just WRONG. =)

KEN WRITES:

The last couple of days have been pretty taxing! We have been shuttled about with little time for rest and it isn't getting any easier as we are getting packed for a 6AM departure for Fuzhou tomorrow morning. This is the city where we will finally meet Samuel.

The touring has been nice, if not paced a little frantic for my liking except for the long stops at the shopping destinations. How much time can one reasonable expect to spend in a store that deals exclusively in jade? Two hours that's how long! Lucky for this boy there were comfortable chairs and large a/c machines that took the edge off after baking in the non a/c bus. But still, the days were sufficiently packed to help us dust off the jet lag and prepare us for the reality that is to come. For we are all here to gain a child that we will call our own.

The highlight of the touring so far has been Tianenman Square and The Great Wall. There is something about seeing that portrait of Mao at the entrance to the Forbidden City that is both ominous and awesome. There is much that has happened here of great historical significance and it is not lost on me. As for the Great Wall, I did hike up at least to the first tower and got a pretty good idea of the enormity of the task to build something 4500 miles long. My trek was but a few city block, albeit at a 45 degree angle. See the photo above. As I took the steps upward I imagined soldiers of an era long gone by climbing on foot to keep their posts and keep an eye on the marauding Mongolians.

And now, for the most part, the touring is over and we work our way to the prize, which is our son. It's less than 48 hours now and our new life begins. It still seems strange and a bit surreal, yet we walk in faith knowing that this is our Father's will for us. This much is clear.