This will probably be my final email out of China. We leave very early tomorrow to catch our first flight to Shanghai.

My heart is full of so many emotions and my head is juggling so many balls right now
making that transition back to our life in the States. I want to thank all of you for your prayers and thoughts. Thank you for praying for my Mom, our kids and for our travel companions as well. As brothers and sisters under the same Father, we are connected in so many ways even across the miles.

I have met so many adoptive parents here. For some, this is their first adoption and for most others, this is their 3rd or 4rth. Almost all of them are believers and are
committing to children with special needs now. Looking back over our previous journeys here, this hasn't been the case. For Mike and I, we have been so blessed beyond words by all of our precious children. We are amazed at how God has selected each one (whether biological or adopted) and has knit us together as a family. Saying "yes" to the Father sometimes feels like sky diving, but our joy and peace has increased with each new "yes" (after the fear and trembling part =) LOL. You've had our backs and we look forward to returning the blessing someday.

I wanted to share something I keep reading over and over that takes on many shades of meaning if you look at it from an orphan's perspective."Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say this - those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them
from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, forhe satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." Ps. 107:1-9

I pray it may be so with every orphan looking for a place to dwell.

Today we finished the birth of Wyatt into our family with the citizenship Swearing In Ceremony. We weren't allowed to take pictures there so I'll try to describe it a little. We went through security and past many waiting Chinese citizens applying for visas, into a large room of chairs filled with American families adopting children of every size and age. There were 2 girls who were turning 14 years old tomorrow. There were babies and school age children. There was a family on their 5th adoption. All were happy and expectant. Children played, parents gabbed, new brothers and sisters interacted in such a beautiful way. We were put through a final paperwork check of passports and visas and then went back to our seats. Wyatt was totally intimidated and clung to me. The consulate representative, an American woman, came out and told us all to rise and raise our right hand. We repeated an oath that all our documents were correct and truthful and then that was that. Emotion overwhelmed me as we crossed the finish line. This was a difficult birth, but one full of joy nonetheless. We are celebrating tonight!

I'm hopeful our journey home will be uneventful and not have too many Wyatt inspired
chases. I will be able to post many things to our blogsite when we return.

Looking forward to seeing you all. I can't wait to hear about your new divinely inspired sky diving experiences!