The Next Chapter

Welcome to the second part of our journey for JOY, Gaungzhou! This is where all China orphans adopted by American families are granted visa to become legal US citizens.

Friday, November 14th ... A day of waiting

Our day began with waiting to leave Zhengzhou. After breakfast, packing, nap, lunch and a walk in the park, we were ready to leave Zhengzhou and move forward in this adventure. We left our hotel in Zhengzhou at 3:30 pm for our departing flight scheduled for 6:30 pm. We were headed to the airport with our guide and our trusted driver Mr. Joe. Our guide Emma said it might take awhile to get to the airport so we should leave early. It is always an adventure when you get into the van in Zhengzhou, or in any China city for that matter. We actually witnessed a wreck in China! This one happened right in front of us. Not sure if I can describe this well enough for you to get how CRAZY this was...There is enough space on this road for MAYBE four lanes of cars. But, because of lane closure for construction, we had six lanes of cars all squeezing into just two lanes. It was chaos. A fight to get to the hole! Honking and edging up to the next spot. Cars were so close a very small person could not squeeze through between them. Then a side swipe happened a few cars in front of us. Both Chinese men get out, one of them yelling at the other, very upset. HONK HONK HONK! Every car behind trying to get around them examining their cars. One car is pretty scratched up and a little dented but they decide "Holla" which means "it's OK" in Chinese. So they proceed to get back in their cars. The older man got back in his car and began to edge forward. The younger man was not in his car yet. So the older man almost took off the door of the car he just side swiped. We rarely ever see Chinese men get upset or yell at each other. They usually just honk or look displeased. But the man standing with his door open in the middle of TRAFFIC CHAOS proceeds to yell at the old man, just as we were passing around them. We all laughed so hard. It is quite comical to watch a Chinese man go off on another. Soon after, we squeezed through the 2 lane hole and it opened up. It's like green flag on a race track so you better be ready to accelerate quickly. Thankfully we had a very good driver. He never honked and was always carefully making a way through the tightest of situations.

Our plane was supposed to depart from Zhengzhou at 6:30 pm and arrive two hours later in Gaungzhou. We had plenty of time when we arrived at the airport at 4:30 pm. Boy did we ever! Waiting again...and waiting...and waiting! When we arrived at the airport we discovered our flight was already delayed an hour. Since we had plenty of time, let's eat! Downstairs in the Zhengzhou airport we were able to find Dicos, which is a fastfood place supposedly like KFC. We ordered two chicken sandwiches, two fries, two soft drinks, and a chocolate ice cream sundae. Sounds safely American. Right? The chicken meat was dark and the breading was too spicy for Keyanna. Something we have been noticing is Arayla has a funny way of smelling her food before she will take a bite. Keyanna tells her she is just like her G-daddy smelling her food before she eats it. I can hear her G-daddy now saying smart girl! Arayla smelled the fries and decided she liked them.

Our awesome guide in Zhengzhou, Emma. We loved her!

After our tummies were somewhat "full" we headed upstairs for more waiting. Made our way to our gate. We started to get excited because they were about to board. Uhhhh, No. Sorry. That line was for a different plane headed to another city. We admittedly jumped up two more times to line up until we found a nice Chinese man who spoke English and happened to be on our same flight. The loudspeakers are constantly blaring announcements, but of course we don't understand Chinese! Our new friend informed Keyanna that our Guangzhou flight had been delayed an additional one and a half hours! So she sat down with all of our carry on luggage, and Arayla and I went walking. She loves to be moving in her stroller. Thankful for our pink Angel stroller and the fact the airline let us carry it on! While waiting we met another adoptive family from South Carolina. This adoption is their fourth child and second adoption from China, just like us. How cool is that?! A family to hang out with while we wait, and not only do they speak English, they speak it with a southern accent. Keyanna was thrilled! This family has a eleven year old boy, two nine year old girls, and a new baby girl two years old. The time with our new friends really helped pass away the delay. Although our bodies were saying it's bed time, we were enjoying our time. Arayla loves watching the other children, and I know she will adore her brothers and sister at home. Just after we finally boarded our plane and sat, Arayla had her first crying meltdown that lasted five minutes. I know that is a short one and we are ever so thankful. The girl is a trooper just like her big brother Nathanael! Ten minutes later she fell asleep in her "Yah Yah's" lap (becoming a regular occurrence!!) and did not wake up again until we had to get off the plane. So thankful for another great sleeper in the family!

Not so sure about airplane travel.

Is it safe, Daddy?

Ok, if you say so.

Let's go then!

We arrived at the Garden Hotel at 12:30 am. It is gorgeous and elaborately decorated. Exhausted from a long day, all we wanted was a BED!!

This nice lady greeted us at check-in. Notice her name tag. ANGEL! God keeps loving us and reassuring us in such specific ways!

Saturday, November 15th - Medical Exam Day

Outside view of the Garden Hotel. Our room is on the 19th floor.

Waking up on Saturday morning is hard to do after a late Friday night, but it's time for the medical exam.

View from the 19th floor

Another shot of Guangzhou

Time for Arayla's medical exam.

Crowded waiting room, We have seen so many American families, most of them adopting special needs orphans. Cleft lip, missing fingers, hydrocephalus, partial blindness. Many orphans are given up because the birth parents are not able to provide for the child's medical needs. So happy to see adoptive families stepping up and saying you are WANTED, you are LOVED, and you are WORTH IT!

It's going to be OK. This will be over soon.

We've come to the right place.

Walking around while we wait

.....and WAIT.....

You are going to put that WHERE?!

Eh, what's up doc?

That's enough. I'm going for the door!

Exhausted and ready to go!

Glad that is over!

Back at the hotel. Time for some noodles!

Yes, proud to say our entertainment has become watching Arayla eat noodles.

Get it all in there!

Big bite!

No problem. I got this!

Ready for more.

After nap, exploring the hotel. Fountains and waterfalls are all around this place.

Yah yah! Check out this pool!

Another shot of the outdoor pool on the 4th floor of the hotel.

Looking out the front of our Garden Hotel

Chilling by the pool.

Mama posing in her green shirt and the green lights.

Garden Hotel lobby. That is a three story mural inlaid with gold.

The lobby ceiling.

This is a clothing shop on the bottom floor of the Garden Hotel. Reminding us we are surrounded by angels on this journey to bring Arayla home.

Big sister Trynna picked out this shirt for her. Cutie!

More on Arayla Joy...

Every day we are bonding with her and learning to communicate with her. Baby steps. She is also learning us. She now recognizes her name and our voices. She is usually easily soothed and comforted by Yah Yah holding her or Mama (which she has said twice now) singing to her. She can switch from a cry to a laugh when she hears her Mama singing her silly songs. We are curious how much music Arayla heard in her orphanage because clearly music is Arayla's happy place. Ray-ray's got rhythm!




Last day in Zhengzhou we found out from Arayla's orphan announcement she was abandoned on the street.

Let that sink in....abandoned. LEFT.

My precious, helpless baby alone on the street. It floored me and the tears immediately welled up.  It is likely she was taken to the hospital soon after she was found. We know from her medical file her head was severely swollen from the hydrocephalus, and she was suffering a respiratory infection and fever as well. She made it through one surgery. It failed. Then she got sick again and had to wait two more months to get over the infection before a second surgery could be attempted.

Honest truth. It's a MIRACLE she is alive.

And let me tell you, just being in a room with her, you know this is a girl with significant developmental delays. Disabilities that will be with her for a lifetime.  On top of all her physical issues, three and a half years in an orphanage, sensory deprived, only able to get limited human interaction for a fraction of the day, damages a child more than we realize. She has suffered more than any child should ever have to. It's tough. Your heart BREAKS.

But...You notice determination and FIGHT in this girl. Something we know God put in her. Then you see that smile, hear that laugh, and your heart MELTS.

BUT GOD.

His mercy has brought this precious angel to us. Out of abandonment and despair, into HOPE. Yes, adoption is messy and born from pain and loss, but that is not what we dwell on. We look forward with HOPE. Jesus carried scars from the cross, but our hope is not in the scars. Our hope is in the resurrection. We celebrate the glorious fact that though we were orphans, now we are ADOPTED. We don't know Arayla's future, but we know this. She will be LOVED. And that changes everything.

Read these words of hope... the reality we celebrate for Arayla and for all of us, God's adopted.

Though I was an orphan, ABANDONED and alone

enslaved and bound in darkness without a HOPE or home,

the God of grace and mercy from his eternal throne

ordained to be my FATHER and claim me as HIS OWN.

That I might be ADOPTED, the Father sent his son

to live in full obedience and die for what I've done.

Now through faith with him I'm one,

A member of his household, I am an HEIR, a SON.

John 14:18 [Jesus said] "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."


Troy