We Have Arrived...
Posted by Candace
I can only give glory to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for the fact that I am sitting in a hotel in China right now. Even as I write those words, I ask myself, "What am I doing here and how did I get here?" lol. We will find out today at 2pm. I have jumped off the cliff and now I am believing that God will catch me.
For some 20 hours of flight time, 2 layovers, a 12 hour time change, and a long taxi cab and train ride would be a piece of cake... for me it was smacking some of my biggest fears right in the face. I have this never ending whispering in my ear of the enemy telling me that I can't do all of this. God must really love adoption and this must really be leading to something glorious, because the spiritual battle feels constant.
We stayed in Hong Kong last night and it almost felt like America. Very westernized. People were friendly and most spoke English. As we took the taxi ride to the train station, the expanse of this city that we missed in the dark was revealed. It looked almost nightmarish in the fog as buildings were stacked on all sides of us, everywhere. Almost like a surreal dream... We wound through tunnels and crossed huge bridges.
The train station was also huge and overwhelming. Stores everywhere and people too. We boarded the train to Guangzhou without even thinking we were about to see the China countryside. The mood was tangibly different in Hong Kong then it is in China. The feeling of oppression hangs gloomily over run down high rise after run down high rise. Everyone hangs their clothes out to dry on the back of there units, so the buildings are littered with color that almost covers up the darkness and filth. Little shacks made of scrap metal are plentiful on the ground. And the most overwhelming part is that sheer number and volume of people that live in this country, loved completely and amazingly by God, but may never know it! How sad it makes my heart. And now I know why Satan hates this thing we are doing so much. Cause God is transferring her out of darkness and into the Kingdom of the Son He loves. In love, He predestined her to be adopted as a daughter through the Lord, Jesus Christ to the praise of His glorious grace. She is not just ours...She is His! I claim it.
It is difficult to be here. Difficult on the body, the mind, the will, and the emotions. So much that must be done and seemingly such a long time before we can return to our family and friends. But there is such hope in the glory that God will bring to Himself through this process. For once, I have chosen to make myself dreadfully uncomfortable for the cause of Christ (and I am not talking about the actual hotel we are staying at, because it is amazing!). For once, I have begged God not to let me run and hide in my idea of life. For once, I have asked Him to be glorified and to let that be the reward. Am I proud of myself? Not even close... I am nothing! I need Him with every breath that I take. I have only done a smigden of my duty and even at that, it has barely begun. But every time He reaches down into my heart and tugs me out of my self-focus and sets my eyes on His glorious face, it is worth it all.
Please pray for us... All of us. We have not been in contact with our boys yet because of the craziness that is being on the other side of the world. We will get our Kate today and a dream that I thought impossible just a few short days ago will come true as I stand there to be the first one to hold my baby and give her all the bonding love that should have been hers from the moment of her birth. There are still battles to fight. Pray that I will be strong, have a strong mind, endurance, perservereance and great peace. Pray that I can eat and sleep. Pray that Kate will not be traumatized in all of this and pray that David will stay as strong as he has been through this entire process. The man can sleep or eat anywhere at anytime, darn it!
Please pray... we need you. China needs you. Kate needs you. God never meant for us to do this alone. Thank you so much for sustaining us with your petitions to heaven. I will try to update again when she gets here... right now I have to go back to bed and try to get a little more sleep.
For some 20 hours of flight time, 2 layovers, a 12 hour time change, and a long taxi cab and train ride would be a piece of cake... for me it was smacking some of my biggest fears right in the face. I have this never ending whispering in my ear of the enemy telling me that I can't do all of this. God must really love adoption and this must really be leading to something glorious, because the spiritual battle feels constant.
We stayed in Hong Kong last night and it almost felt like America. Very westernized. People were friendly and most spoke English. As we took the taxi ride to the train station, the expanse of this city that we missed in the dark was revealed. It looked almost nightmarish in the fog as buildings were stacked on all sides of us, everywhere. Almost like a surreal dream... We wound through tunnels and crossed huge bridges.
The train station was also huge and overwhelming. Stores everywhere and people too. We boarded the train to Guangzhou without even thinking we were about to see the China countryside. The mood was tangibly different in Hong Kong then it is in China. The feeling of oppression hangs gloomily over run down high rise after run down high rise. Everyone hangs their clothes out to dry on the back of there units, so the buildings are littered with color that almost covers up the darkness and filth. Little shacks made of scrap metal are plentiful on the ground. And the most overwhelming part is that sheer number and volume of people that live in this country, loved completely and amazingly by God, but may never know it! How sad it makes my heart. And now I know why Satan hates this thing we are doing so much. Cause God is transferring her out of darkness and into the Kingdom of the Son He loves. In love, He predestined her to be adopted as a daughter through the Lord, Jesus Christ to the praise of His glorious grace. She is not just ours...She is His! I claim it.
It is difficult to be here. Difficult on the body, the mind, the will, and the emotions. So much that must be done and seemingly such a long time before we can return to our family and friends. But there is such hope in the glory that God will bring to Himself through this process. For once, I have chosen to make myself dreadfully uncomfortable for the cause of Christ (and I am not talking about the actual hotel we are staying at, because it is amazing!). For once, I have begged God not to let me run and hide in my idea of life. For once, I have asked Him to be glorified and to let that be the reward. Am I proud of myself? Not even close... I am nothing! I need Him with every breath that I take. I have only done a smigden of my duty and even at that, it has barely begun. But every time He reaches down into my heart and tugs me out of my self-focus and sets my eyes on His glorious face, it is worth it all.
Please pray for us... All of us. We have not been in contact with our boys yet because of the craziness that is being on the other side of the world. We will get our Kate today and a dream that I thought impossible just a few short days ago will come true as I stand there to be the first one to hold my baby and give her all the bonding love that should have been hers from the moment of her birth. There are still battles to fight. Pray that I will be strong, have a strong mind, endurance, perservereance and great peace. Pray that I can eat and sleep. Pray that Kate will not be traumatized in all of this and pray that David will stay as strong as he has been through this entire process. The man can sleep or eat anywhere at anytime, darn it!
Please pray... we need you. China needs you. Kate needs you. God never meant for us to do this alone. Thank you so much for sustaining us with your petitions to heaven. I will try to update again when she gets here... right now I have to go back to bed and try to get a little more sleep.
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