Not long now! Tiffany

Well it is the night before our last day in China for a couple of months.  Tomorrow I finish up the last 40 of my over 300 finals!  So many emotions flood through my mind as we get ready to leave.  We couldn't be more excited to see family and friends but we will certainly miss the people we have come to know and love here.  After one of my classes last night I found a student/friend waiting for me in the classroom next door just to give me a precious letter and walk me home.  So sweet and loving - so many precious relationships have been brought our way and many, many seeds have been sown.
I recently found a fun way to connect with some of the students.  I invite a couple of girls over at a time to paint and make cookies.  They seem to enjoy it - most of them have never made cookies before so that is a fun experience and our time sitting around the table painting has been a real natural time to talk.  We now have an entire wall of paintings!
I have to share a story that is long overdue, but too funny not to mention.  After our COLD, COLD winter, we were incredibly excited to see the warm weather come.  One of the first especially warm days, I broke out a short sleeve blouse and headed out to teach class.  Everything was in full bloom along the way, sun shining and birds singing.  I walked into class and all my students let out a gasp at the same time!  I wasn't really sure why, but I knew that it must have something to do with my new choice in clothing.  After class, a student came running up to me with total concern on her face and asked that I please take care of myself.  She didn't want me to get sick because of the "cold" - although it was no longer cold!  I smiled and said thank you.  Then I noticed that as I walked back among hundreds of Chinese students, I was the ONLY person in a short sleeve shirt.  Not only were they not in short sleeves but they were all still wearing their jackets!  I obviously didn't get the memo!  Well come to find out, in China they dress by the calendar - not the temperature.  So I had certainly upset the norm by breaking out the short sleeves too early.  It was so funny to watch though, because as the temperature continued to rise but the "day" was not yet right, the students would continue faithfully with their jackets even though they all arrived to their destinations very hot and sweaty.  Then, just like that, one day everyone had put their jackets away and brought out the short sleeves.  I just love cultural differences!  They make for so many memorable, funny, challenging, special moments!
I will close for now.  We are really, really looking forward to getting to see many of you over the coming weeks!  So grateful for your love and friendship.  Many blessings to you all~
Tiffany

 Some of the End of the Year Events that they asked us to take part in.  We sang in one, the kids did a Snow White Presentation in another, and Ayden did his Magic Tricks in a couple - he was pumped!

Latest (adoption) ~Wendy

Well, a lot has happened since last writing.  

Refresher:  The last update was that they reopened the orph*nage to Chinese visitors.  They also allowed Brinson to go with a group of students to play with the kids.  During that visit Brinson learned that Pierce was, in fact, still alive and well!  Praise!  

I waited at home that day, prayerful and nervous.  Then I received this simple text on my phone, “He’s there!”  I can’t describe the feeling.  This is huge after not knowing for nearly 3 months if anything had happened to him during the winter months.  Every day of not knowing ticked by as though a month had passed. We firmly believe that God has led us to this particular boy.  We have felt confident in His ability to see us through the multitude of hurdles and this was one of the ‘biggies’.  

Brinson wasn't able to get Pierce's Chinese name at that time (his name is very important info needed by our adoption agency) but the next day a friend of ours was able to point him out in a group photo to a student who is very familiar with the kids' names.  Finally, we had a (Chinese) name!!!!  Praise! 

Immediately, I e-mailed it off to our agency to get the following response:  “I heard back from China today, and I am sad to say, but********** is not available for adoption, and the orphanage has no plans to make him available.   It is totally up to the orphanage.

Sorry about that!  Have a good day, and I hope we can match you with another special needs child.”

Yet another devastating day in this process.  Again, we are happy to adopt a different child but we have been led by our Father to this one.  The response just didn’t measure up to a ‘promise’ so to speak that God has given us; that ‘Pierce’ is ours.  

The answer “No”, is simply not in my vocabulary at this point.

Soon after this email I found a friend to go to the orphanage with me as my translator and see if we could make any headway now that we had a name.  The director was in a meeting but we were invited to a big city wide program that was to be held at the orphanage the very next day.  We were shocked that we were invited.  The program was partly to present a fresh start before the community.  If we hadn’t shown up on that particular day we never would have known about the program.  Praise! 

The next morning I had knots in my stomach.  Finally, I would get to see Pierce and hold him!  I hadn’t seen him since October.

We arrived at the orphanage to find them setting up for the event.  Later government officials, college students, doctors, nurses, and many others began to trickle in for the big day. 

As the older children from the orph*nage began coming out they proudly came up to some of us displaying their new clothes, fresh haircuts, and new shoes.  There were reporters and TV crews there as well.  Later I found a giant video camera in my face while a reporter asked me multiple questions.  Praise!  God provided a platform for me to talk about why we like to come visit the orph*nage and that we are trying to adopt- for the whole city. 

During the interview, I saw out of the corner of my eye, about 20 little ones parading out of the doors in a line.  I wanted to jump up, run over, and scoop Pierce up.  I did restrain myself since I was on camera though. 

It was wonderful to get to then spend the next 3 hours at the program talking to his nanny, holding him, telling him he was loved, and taking a million photos of him.  It was a perfect day!  Such a beautiful gift considering all of the questions, unknowns, and fears.  Pierce must wonder who the crazy white woman is that keeps whispering, "I love you" to him.

While talking with the nanny I learned that the name we were given (after identifying him in a photo) was actually wrong and I got his correct name. 

After the program my translator and friend talked with director about Pierce.  She proceeded to tell us that he isn’t available for adoption because he is healthy.  (I beg to differ on this one b/c his has a history of heart surgery, his head is enlarged, and he is developmentally delayed).  She also said that they will never allow him to be adopted because they need to keep orphans in the orphanage (so they can stay open).  I will not use this as the place to share my opinion about this but I’ll just give you the facts for now. 

At this point, I hear info like this and just see it as another way that God will Wow me!  Again, “No”, isn’t an answer in light of His leading.

So within a day or so I had contacted a government official in our city and he suggested speaking with the Civil Affairs office.  I headed there to meet a kind man that was very helpful and hopeful about the possibilities of us adopting Pierce.  He seemed to not agree with the director’s viewpoint that she shared.  Whew!  Praise!

My adoption ‘file’ will arrive in China sometime in August or September.  Prayerfully, Pierce’s file will get started around that time and then arrive in Beijing to meet up with my file in maybe January or February. 

The big hurdle ahead of us now is that we are not allowed to mention him by name in our paperwork.  His paperwork can recommend our family but the orphanage is not supportive of writing this letter because they say it is not allowed. 

This is what you can pray for next!  Our 2 files must come together and the Chinese government must match us together.  Thank you so very much to all of those who are lifting this up and coming to Him on behalf of Pierce and our family.  We are encouraged, strengthened and challenged throughout all of this. 

Genesis 18:14 Then the Lord said..................."Is anything too hard for me?"

I think not!  :) 

~Wendy

Adoption Update by Tiffany

Well an adoption update is long overdue and I have some exciting news to share about God's faithfulness!  As you knew we were at a standstill for quite some time waiting for a letter from Deryk's doctor clearing his health.  We had done everything else possible, but needed this letter to be able to progress to the next step which was the home study. The home study is a vital steps in the adoption process.  This is where a social worker comes and looks at your home and your family and asks many, many questions over a 2 day period of time.  Well the social worker was on her way to evaluate Eric and Wendy and we had hoped that we would be able to do ours at the same time to make the most of time and money as our social worker was traveling quite some distance, but at a week out I told Wendy to go ahead without us, that our letter still wasn't in.  Wendy said, "It could still happen."  However, after waiting for months, a week seemed very, very unlikely to get the letter and get everything in order.  I guess my less than hopeful face was obvious so Wendy said, "God can move mountains, He can totally get a letter here on time!"  It was just the reminder I needed and just the perfect opportunity for God to work, and work He did!  Within a weeks time, our letter arrived, our agency went into fast gear to move paperwork along so that we could meet the deadline, a generous friend anonymously donated  5000 dollars towards adoption expenses not even knowing that was almost the exact amount needed for our next major payment in the process, and to top it all off, our University had a holiday that allowed us the extra time we needed to fill in the mountain of paperwork that had to be completed before our social worker arrived!  INCREDIBLE!  That is exactly what God meant when He said He will give us more than we can ever ask or imagine!  Praise God! 

Pierce~By: Brinson

So as you probably know on May 19, I (Brinson) went to the orphanage.  Just to remind you we are trying to adopt Pierce.  The first time we ever saw Pierce he ran up to my dad, held his leg and called out ‘Ba Ba’ which in Chinese means “Dad.”  He pierced all our hearts so we named him, Pierce.  As my mom said, last winter seven children in the orphanage went to be with the Father.  Since that time they haven’t allowed any visitors into the orphanage.  So for the past 3 or 4 months we didn’t know if Pierce was even alive.  A friend tried to find him but couldn’t.

First of all, a few years ago, an old man working at “Shiyan Da Shuai” (one of the local Universities) learned about the orphanage.  He was touched by visiting the orphanage and ever since then a group of 8-9 students from that school visit the orphanage every weekend. 

So today I quietly joined that group of students.  One of our friends (who is Chinese) went with me and the other students.  As we walked up to the gate of the orphanage I was feverishly talking to the Father.  We passed through the gate!!! Then a guard came up to our group and talked with one of the students with very suspicious glances at me, finally she let us in!!! We walked up a large hill then turned left.  There facing us was a tall, menacing steel wall surrounding the orphanage. 

Ever since the deaths in the orphanage, a huge steel wall was built around the orphanage.  Surprisingly, the door was all the way open which is a miracle because it’s always closed and guarded.  We walked into the orphanage and up to the desk were I guess they sign in or something.  No one was there, which is another miracle.  We walked up the stairs to the second floor, where all of the kids are. 

There is one long hallway filled with doors leading into many rooms.  The older kids stay on one end of the hallway and the younger ones are on the opposite end.  We looked left and right down the hallway.

There standing the middle of the passage was a nanny, a new nanny.  She was like Goliath and I was David, later on in the story ‘David’ and ‘Goliath’ will face.

One of the students approached the new nanny asking if we could play with the toddlers and babies.  She said no and along with that she added an excuse saying, “Some of the children have colds, so you can’t play with any of them.” 

So our only choice was to spend time with the older kids (which I enjoy) but it was especially hard on me because I didn’t know if Pierce was alive at this point.  About 50 feet from me was a doorway that separated me and finally knowing if Pierce was there. 

For about an hour we played with the older kids and then I met an eighth grade boy and he took us to his room.  He has been trying to learn English and he wanted me to do his homework.  A fifth grade kid trying to do an eighth graders homework?  Thankfully it was all in Chinese characters so I couldn’t do it.  So he pulled out another book and wanted me to grade the work he already did.  It was in English so I graded it, showed him what he got wrong (my friend translating), and then we went back to the play with the older kids.

 For some reason I looked up and my good friend had gone to the toddler part of the hallway and was beckoning me to come.  I felt like a secret agent as I ran down the hallway to her.  She quietly opened the door to the toddler room and they all squealed in joy and ran to the door.  The nannies were preparing lunch and would be back any second.

     ‘David’ had made it passed ‘Goliath’!!!

 I looked around the room and couldn’t spot Pierce through the toddler crowd.   I kept looking and finally thought to myself, “At least he’s in paradise and doesn’t have to suffer on this earth anymore.”  I was at the point of tears. 

A little girl named Summer approached me.  I said sadly, “Hi Summer” and then suddenly he was right there in front of me.  It was Pierce!!! 

The second he saw me he broke into a huge smile.  He recognized me!!!!!!!!!

I murmured, “Pierce” and enveloped him in a big bear hug.  He hugged me back. 

He was alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Praise the Father!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you G*d!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It had been 4 months of torturing anxiety and finally the tsunami of relief came.

The second time I’d seen him (back in September of 2012) I taught him to press the start button on my stopwatch and then 1 second later it would beep.  I also taught him and a few others to clap and say, “Yeah” after it finished beeping.  After all these months they’d still remembered!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those of you who have little brothers or sisters.  Imagine losing one for 4 months and not knowing if he or she were alive, then finding them and hugging them, that’s how it felt.

Then ‘Goliath’ stomped in about twenty seconds after I’d walked in and shooed us out of the room.

What I’d come for had been completed.  Thank G*d!!!

                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                                            Please join us in praise for Pierce’s life and that he can come home to us soon………………………

Pierce~ by Wendy

Today Brinson (only Brinson) was allowed into the orphanage to play with the kids and see if he could find Pierce.  This is the first time they have allowed any foreigners inside in 8 months.  He is ALIVE!!! We are overjoyed!  He was only able to stay in the smaller kids' room long enough to spot him, scoop him up in his arms and give him a giant hug.  Thank you Father!!!

Our journey is FAR from over to get him but He has seen us through this far and will continue to.  He has moved some mountains!  Please join us in prayer that He will move more and more until we have Pierce in our arms forever.

Adoption update-Davenport

Well I've been wanting to write an update for some time now but knew it would be painful to do so.  I suppose I'm ready.  The mechanics of adoption and paperwork are moving along slowly but surely.  No big hiccups there.  Certainly because we are in China some things are trickier than if we were in the states.  There are many interesting stories that took place to get all of our Chinese documents but I won't delve into that.  We had our home study completed last weekend and the weekend prior we traveled to Shanghai to get our fingerprinting completed at the US Embassy.  We also received another contribution toward adoption expenses from dear friends-- 2,500!!  What a tremendous blessing!!  I'm still floored by generous people like this who give sacrificially.
In March, we learned that tragically 7 children died in the orphanage that Pierce is from during the winter months.  (Pierce is the boy that we fell in love with and are pursuing adopting).  Since that time the orphanage doors have been closed to all visitors.  Upon hearing this news we didn't know if Pierce was one of the seven.
This situation has brought me to my knees in prayer and weeping on countless occasions over the last few months.  It is no longer unusual for my boys to see Mom in a puddle of tears.  I have never felt more out of control of a situation in my entire life.  I have no access to the orphanage, I can't speak the language, no one can enter, no one can give me any information, the list goes on and on........
But.....I love that God is doing a mighty work in me and bringing my faith in Him to new heights.  I trust Him and know that He can move the mountains in front of me.  After all he did part the Red Sea!  This cannot and will not happen because of any act on my part.  He brought us to the path of adoption on His own accord (and how thankful we are!).  He will see us through and He will continue to work mightily in ways that we can and cannot see.    
Thankfully, the doors opened back up last weekend (only to Chinese people).  We had a friend armed with a description of Pierce go in and try to find him.  I waited at home, prayerfully, pacing the floor while we awaited word.  She wasn't able to find him.  We were devastated.  As Brinson and I cried together he wisely said, "Mom, Pierce is 50 million times happier in Heaven than he ever would be with us". Well said my boy, well said.
After talking with my friend later she didn't feel confident that she was able to really get to all of the kids and see if they matched my description.  She will try again soon.
Please pray about this situation for us.
If he is still there we ask that we will be a 'fighter' and fight through this tough time being away from his family (us).  Also that as the King of Kings wraps His arms around him he can be protected, be at peace and be comforted.
It is absolute torture not knowing.  We sit at our table, eat our meals, go about life while all along he is a 10 minute bus ride away from us and we can't get to him!  It's maddening really.  He feels like my flesh and blood. And then again He may be with Jesus.
Please join us in prayer!
~Wendy

China travel-Wendy

We were told before coming to China that we would encounter numerous situations and experiences that would be frustrating and likely maddening at times.  These frustrating moments would come and go living in a country where you can’t speak or read the language and where the culture is vastly different from your own. 

It was also suggested to us to look at the many ‘frustrating’ experiences yet to come as ‘fascinating’ experiences instead.  And so the term stuck.  We have repeated amongst the eight of us, time and time again, how wonderfully ‘fascinating’ some moments and days are.  When something is going awry we often smile across the way at each other and talk about how ‘fascinating’ it is! 

And so…..I will share with you my ‘fascinating’ day of travel. 

The boys and I traveled to Xian to do some sightseeing during a long weekend. (Eric needed to study for classes he is taking this summer in the US)  Xian is 4 hours by bus from our city and we were excited to see the infamous Terracotta Warriors, the Muslim Quarter, and much more. 

We were headed back to our city from Xian on a Monday morning.  I had to teach at the school from 2:40 p.m.-6:10 p.m.  Our bus left at 9am and would arrive in Shiyan at 1pm.  It’s then 45 minutes on another bus to the school.  That would give me nearly 1 hour to change, eat and head to class.  Perfect scheduling if I do say so myself. 

I am a meticulous planner when traveling so as to lessen the mishaps.  I had asked our hostel staff to call ahead to confirm the location of the bus station and write it down for me.  It was an obscure little station and I was worried that a taxi driver wouldn’t be able to find it.  They got the needed info and so I had my bus ticket which had the bus station’s location on it as well as the paper written by the hostel staff.  It was fail proof.  Right?   

May 13^th 06:30-Up and at ‘em.  We woke up, had breakfast, finished packing and checked out of our hostel

07:30-Stood on the street to catch a taxi with our trusty handwritten paper to guide the taxi driver.  It is a 45 minute drive to get to the bus station.  We had an hour and ½ before our bus’s departure. 

08:05-We waited and waited and waited for a taxi to no avail.  How can a huge city have so few taxis?  Every taxi we saw either already had passengers or were flagged down just before us by others waiting.  I even resorted to putting Brinson on a different corner than Aiden and I to wave down taxis going the opposite direction.  No luck.  I was getting quite nervous now knowing that I only had 55 minutes until our bus left and the drive itself was 45 minutes.  Missing our bus didn’t feel like an option b/c we would have to pay for our bus tickets again and I needed to be back to teach my classes and had no time to spare.  (The next bus would leave about 2 hours later)

I was getting desperate.

As we continued trying to wave down taxis that passed us by with happy passengers in them, a motorcycle pulled up.  In that moment every bone in the body of this nurse, mother, daughter, sister and wife screamed DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.  I’m pretty much anti-motorcycles.  My first week here I witnessed a horrible scene of a motorcycle accident victim lying next to his bike with blood pouring out of his head and a group of about 50 people standing in a circle staring at him. 

I couldn’t fathom this situation where it felt like my only logical choice was to ride on one of these death machines (Sorry to all of the motorcycle fans out there).  No seatbelts, no helmets, no cushion between me and the ground.  UGH!

After talking to him in my scant and broken Chinese I communicated where I needed to go and that I needed 2 motorcycles to carry all 3 of us.  He waived down a motorcycle buddy and we worked out an astronomical price (I didn’t have time for bargaining at this point).

Then I proceeded to act out that I wanted the motorcycles to ride together and that I didn’t want to crash, fall and/or die.  I think they thought I was funny.  But I wasn’t laughing nor was I being funny. 

They seemed to agree to all of my dramatized stipulations and agreed that they knew where the bus station was.  They needed the boys together on one and me on the other.  “Dear Lord, please get us ALL there and ALL safely”.  I wrapped my arms around his middle and held on for my life.  I demonstrated for the boys how to hold on too (hoping the men weren’t ticklish) like this.  My driver kindly turned around and moved my arms from his midsection and onto the tops of his shoulders.  I then told the boys to do the same.  Off we went.  As we sped along I made a quick call to Eric to pray that we survive the long ride. 

Our drivers stuck right together just as I had somehow managed to ask.  Thankfully I didn’t have to worry about that!  I glanced over many times to see the boys smiling ear to ear, giggling and taking in the sights. 

“Mom, why aren’t you having fun?” Brinson shouted to me.  I told them I was scared to death and that I’d smile when we arrive. 

As we weaved in and out of huge buses, taxis, parked cars, bicyclist, and pedestrians, I kept praying. 

08:35 a.m. Finally we arrived, intact.  I snapped a quick photo and they motioned where to go in. 

Upon entering I was met quickly with a frown and an adamant statement that I was at the wrong bus station. 

You must be kidding me.  Hurriedly, I asked if she could write down where I needed to go so I could attempt to find a taxi (again).

She led me to a smoke filled room, with men in uniforms lounging around with their feet propped up, to borrow a pen to write instructions down.  (I didn’t have a pen and neither did she). 

They looked at me like I had three heads and discussed among themselves my problem and if anyone had a pen.  A young man emerged from the back and quickly motioned to me that he would take me in his personal car to the right station.  This sort of thing happens routinely in China- people quick to help the foreigner.  We’d never even consider this in many parts of America but, as counterintuitive as it seems, China is much safer in this regard.  

Oh boy, there’s no telling what this guy is going to charge me, I thought.  I asked him and he said nothing.  What!?   Wow—he is an angel!

As we crept along in traffic, he called a friend asking for directions.

08:50 a.m.—At last ……10 minutes before departure he pulled in to the correct bus station.  Then I breathlessly hurried our luggage out of his car.  I had decided that culturally it would be inappropriate for me to hug him, although I wanted to.  We said in Chinese, “Thank you very much friend” and I snapped one more photo. 

We made it –in the nick of time.

But…..our bus ended up being delayed and leaving at 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m.  All that craziness for nothing!   ‘Fascinating’.

This will cut my arrival home time extremely short to make it to my classes to teach. 

We stopped at a rest stop at 12:00.  I decided on a type of Ramen noodles, bought my bowl, put hot water in it and hurried back to the bus to enjoy my lunch.  I was actually going to savor this bowl of noodles b/c I was pretty hungry by this time. 

As I climbed onto the bus the attendant told me I couldn’t eat the noodles on the bus.  At this point, I may or may not have huffed onto the bus, irritated and upset that I had to throw away the uneaten lunch I just bought and prepared (and was really looking forward to eating).  Great –no lunch today.

I sat back down and continued listening to our book on tape with the boys.  The story of Corrie Ten Boom.  Well that put me right in my place.  How ridiculous of me to pout over my noodles after reading a story such as hers.  Shame on me.   

Thank you Father for our safety, for ‘fascinating’ days and experiences, and for your extravagant love.  And for noodles of course.

Note to self: next time take the 7:30 bus.

2:30 p.m.-I pulled up to the school, Eric practically threw a ½ PBJ sandwich and my books at me and I hurried off to teach. 

2:38 p.m.-Arrived in my class with 2 minutes to spare.  Ah…sigh….What a day. 

2:40 p.m.-Hoping I don’t have peanut butter on my face I smile and tell the 47 smiling faces looking back at me “Good Afternoon”!