Day 5 - last full day in Guangzhou

Hello Friends,

Whoa, what a full day!  We had a nice breakfast then had to get Jack in his native festival outfit for the formal "Red Couch" pictures that have become customary at the White Swan Hotel.  I think there were 20 families present, so it obviously took a few tries to get everyone in a good spot. I thought Jack looked like Hugh Hefner in his satin outfit surrounded by a bunch of girls!  He did great.

 

Then, we had to eat some lunch and be ready for a 45  minute bus ride to the American Consulate for our swearing in.  No cameras or anything were allowed.  Just us.  So, about 29 families headed over and we began a very long wait in line.  Up, up, up we went to the top floor, by escalator.  Then, in the middle of this non-descript room, we stood with all the other families and swore that all the information we gave was true and that we would provide a loving home, and bam!  He's all ours!!!!!  There were a lot of happy tears shed.  It felt so good to be truly done with all the governmental junk that goes with this.  Upon landing in the states, Jack is an immediate US citizen!!!!  We will apply for his birth certificate later.

 

We had some time to kill so we headed to the play room.  While we were there a beautiful thing happened.  I was visiting with another mommy.  She is obviously Chinese, but speaks perfect English and even has a Boston accent.  She asked me lots of questions and I found out that she was born and raised in Boston to a Chinese mother and a Portugese father.  She lived in the states until her Junior year of college, when she came to China and taught English to kids here.  She later told me that she and her husband had been waiting for a long time for their baby.  He has a heart condiditon.  Anyway, her practice is in Chinese adoption post-placement bonding, with an emphasis on older children!!!  So, she talked with Jack at great
length.  He answered her questions and told her he loved his momma and babba very much!!!  I had her tell him about the train and flight we had coming up and he said he understood.  She also told me that he understands very clearly what is going on.  I had her tell him about his brother and sisters and friends and meme and pappy back home.  He said he understood that more people were coming!  Then we talked about bonding and she said that she had been watching us with him for a couple days in the dining room and such and that he was VERY bonded to us.  I told her I hoped she was right.  Then she asked me if I wanted to test it.  I said sure.  So, she picked him up.  She said that when kids know she speaks Chinese and are not bonded they will prefer her, as she represents familiar and will ignore the mom.  So she said if I hold my hands out and he comes right to me that is the best sign there is.  So, she walked a few feet around with him and said, "Are you ready?"  and I said, "Sure".  I held out my arms and said, "Jack!" and he flew into my arms, smiling and hugging me.  She said, "There, you believe me now?".  Oh, what a gift that was!!!  We think he's bonded great, but what a gift to have a professional tell you!!  So, Chris and I both cried and it was another way God showed up huge and blessed our socks off!!!

 

Later we went on a dinner cruise and ate Papa John's pizza.  It was a blast!  Then we came back and got baths and crashed.  Life is good with Jack, and everyday we continue to be blessed and surprised by God's goodness.

 

Please keep my friend, Angie Akeman in your prayers, she is in the hospital with aseptic meningitis, and is in need of prayers. Also, my cousin JT Elder is in the hospital, and is in need of lots of prayers, too.  Thank you for that.  Love to all,

Chris, Les, and Jack