Bringing Nathan Home

So - the journey is complete.  And Nathan is now home.  Actually, now we really begin the journey of living life with Nathan.   I love to whisper to him all the time - "You belong to us and we belong to you and we will NEVER LEAVE YOU". 

 

Guangzhou to Shanghai:   We started the trip home by packing all day Wednesday (that would be Tuesday night USA time) and then got up bright and early Thursday morning to catch our first flight into Shanghai.  I wish that we could have gone into that city and located the Shanghai Children's Home where Nathan lived almost all of his 15 months.  We didn't even know it existed until after we had received Nathan and the discovery of this clean, warm and loving environment that not only housed our little boy but also cared for his medical needs is indeed overwhelming to comprehend.  But our layover was too brief to venture into the city and so we just hung out at the airport for 6 hours before getting on our Chicago flight.  The picture above is a little outing that Keith took Nathan on while in the airport.  He would be our most precious piece of luggage!

 

Shanghai to Chicago:  The looong airplane ride was surprisingly uneventful.  Nathan did wonderfully and was able to sleep on the floor on the bassinet cushion.  He slept 7 hours that "night", which was a major answer to prayer.  Above is Nathan discovering the earphones.  When I let him listen to music on them his eyes just got really wide and he started swaying to the music.  So sweet.    It was exciting to feel the wheels touch down in Chicago and to have a little celebration of Nathan becoming an American officially. 

Chicago to Orlando:  Then, we had a small layover and enjoyed our first American meal of pizza (as well as a cup of Starbuck's hot chocolate) before boarding the plane for the last part of the trip.  Nathan napped for about an hour and then played with us.  As we drew nearer to Orlando, my stomach was filled with knots of anticipation.  I was aching to hold our kids and to have us all together.

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All together at last:  So, at 11:35 p.m. on Thursday night after more than 30 hours of traveling, we exited the terminal .  Then we saw them.  We all ran towards each other.  Then there was much hugging and kissing and oohing and aahing over Nathan.  He was overwhelmed and you know what, I was too.  Even writing about it now makes my eyes tear up.  What a precious reunion and introduction it was.  Drew, Lauren and Emily are such amazing siblings for Nathan and they have quickly warmed up to each other.  There's just lots of love in the Johnson home these days, as well as some jet lag and tiredness (I feel like a new parent with my droopy eyes and tired body).  Please keep praying for us as we transition to one another.

Saying our good-byes

How can it be that the long time away from our kids and "home" is drawing to a close? On the one hand it feels like we've been away forever and on the other it is like we blinked and two weeks went by. Our whole world has taken a turn upside down for the better and very soon we'll be boarding a plane to head home with our precious son!!! While Nathan napped, Keith did his magic and got our bags packed up beautifully this afternoon while I went out and did some last minute gift buying.


This morning was the famous "red couch" picture time for our travel group of 16 families. All of our adopted children showed up in the hotel lobby around 11 a.m. decked out in their traditional Chinese outfits and it was quite the show. My favorite part was when we had all 16 of those little ones on the sofa. Imagine trying to get all of them to look at the camera at the same time.


It was quite an adventure for sure! Doesn't Nathan look like a cutie in his outfit? I love it!!

A highlight for me this afternoon was stopping in some of the little shops that I've been in over the last few days. And I especially loved meeting a dear Chinese woman who owned a shop here and told us she was a Christian. She had a copy of a English Standard Version Bible, an NIV Bible and a hymnal for sale in Chinese/English. They were so cool to look through. It gave me goosebumps! I asked her how she came to know Jesus and she said it was through her church. She told me that she prayed that Nathan would come to love Jesus some day (of course, we're praying for that too).


And I love it that I was able to find something really special in her shop. I've been toying with getting our family traditional Chinese silk clothes to coordinate with Nathan's outfit but could never decide whether to buy them or not. What I found were 3 beautiful red, silk scarves for the Johnson women and two red silk ties for Drew and Keith. That way our whole family can coordinate with Nathan's traditional outfit and dress up for Chinese New Year celebrations, etc. It is really special to me that I found these in her shop.

As we got ready to leave I asked her if I could pray for her family. She has a little boy too...one that is just a few months older than Nathan and if was my deep honor to pray for God's blessings on her family and her business. We took a picture of her with Nathan and I and then she pulled out her camera and took a picture of our family too. It was a very sweet conclusion to our time here in China. I'm renewed in my passion to pray for the Chinese people to come to faith in Jesus. There are many Chinese who know him already and many more that I pray will hear soon about who Jesus is.

P.S. I just remembered that I didn't tell you about our boat ride on the Pearl River last night. It was gorgeous to see Guangzhou at night from the river. There was a meal served and then we went out on the deck and just watched the city go by us. There are 6 bridges in the city and they were all lit up in a rainbow assortment of colors, as were many of the skyscrapers. It truly was a wonderful evening and we're really glad we did it!

Nathan's First Happy Meal

Nathan, Keith and I headed out with our tour group this morning to see some of Guangzhou. We visited the pearl market and it was in a 5-story mall filled with shops and shops full of pearls and other kinds of jewelry. I've never seen that many pearls before OR seen a mall just for jewelry. Let alone a huge mall like that one. When we were finished it was right around lunch time and the Johnsons were hungry.


But where should we go for lunch? Then we saw them - those golden arches that our three older children revere so much. Since Nathan was officially recognized yesterday by the U.S. government and since we'd been joking about him having his first "Happy Meal" before we left China, we figured the time had come to introduce him to the American icon, McDonalds.

In the end it was a good thing I ordered a Filet-o-Fish because those nuggets were a little too much for Nathan to chew. He had some of my fish sandwich and I had some of his nuggets. Overall, it was a good introduction . . . complete with a Happy Meal toy to boot.


Oh, and the other highlight was having his "Happy Meal" with a friend. Ron and Laurie's little boy John was there too. All in all, it was quite the experience.

Tonight, we are taking a dinner boat ride with our group along the Pearl River here. We're trusting that the ride will be relaxing and that the food will be good. I'm sure that it will be beautiful to see all the lights of Guangzhou at night. Maybe it will be a bit more elegant setting for a meal than our McDonalds lunch, don't you think?!!!

And then tomorrow is really a packing day for us. We leave for home on Thursday.

I am really aching for our kids these days. I know they are having a blast, but this mom is more than ready to hug each of them so tight that they are breathless. And it will just be so sweet to be together as a complete family!!!!! Thank you Jesus for that reunion to come!!!!

Made in China

How many things in your home have the tag "Made in China"? Long before God had put Chinese adoption on our hearts, we would talk about all of the things made in China and how hard it was to fathom all that came from there to our country. The most "American" looking things would still have that little tag.



Last night when we were out walking after dinner, I saw the little t-shirt that is on Nathan reading those words, "Made in China". Who could have every guessed that we would cherish those words like we do and that we would have in our hands a little someone that we would forever have and hold. So, now being made in China is a whole different reality for us, hmmm.

Along those lines, we are getting closer than ever to bringing Nathan home. Today we went with him to the American Consulate here and took the oath for him so that he could become a U.S. citizen. The woman in the room who walked us through the process told us that this year there will be about 24,000 immigrant visas from China and that adoptions represent 3,000 of those 24,000. Of the 3,000 adoptions about 2/3 of them are special needs adoptions. So, approximately 2,000 special needs Chinese children will find homes in the U.S. this year. Isn't that amazing?

There were 33 families (8 of which were from our agency) who stood together and raised our right hands repeating the words of promise and oath on behalf of our children. When we finished there was a round of applause from all of us and a huge lump in my throat. A few minutes later our names were called and Keith, Nathan and I went up to sign the last official piece of documentation before going home. And when that plane touches down in Chicago in a few short days, Nathan will officially be a U.S. citizen.



It's all such a whirlwind for me at times. How can this be real? At the consulate they mentioned that they knew that some of us in that room had been waiting a long time for this day and that they were excited with us that it had arrived. Amen and Amen is all I can say. We have waited and the Lord is good.

Now, back in our hotel room before dinner Keith and I have each taken our turns tumbling and giggling and playing with Nathan. He was pushing me over and then I'd sit up and then he'd push me over again. And when he really giggles, it is just enough to melt this mother's heart. I love holding him close and just telling him that he belongs to us and that we will never leave him. He has a home in America with us and we are so excited. Keith has even taken to singing the "Star Spangled Banner" a few times!!

Although Nathan Jiang Johnson was truly made by God, he was formed in his birth mother's womb here in China. He WAS "Made in China". And now, like all those things from China, he will make his way to America. But, he is, of course, not for sale!!!! He's totally ours and worth more than all the best jade China has to offer!

Our Day out with Ann

What a sweet day for me. We not only enjoyed some sightseeing and shopping in Guangzhou, but we also got to do it with my friend Ann. Ann and her family are living near Hong Kong this year and she was able to hop the train and get away for a day from them to be from us.

This morning she arrived in time to enjoy our breakfast buffet with us at the hotel. Then we loaded up on the bus for three stops in town. The first was to a Buddhist temple.


Amidst the strong smell of incense, we learned about the Buddha statues. First was the "Happy Buddha" to greet us and then there were others throughout the temple. As I watched men and women worshipping those statues, my heart broke. It is true that in the heart of man is that drive to worship. But what will we worship? Sadly, in China, many worship idols.

I asked our tour guide Grace if she practices Buddhism and she told me that she didn't and that was because she learned in school that there was no God. I followed up by asking her what most people in China believed and she said that only older people still came to worship for the most part. But then she surprised me and said that Christianity is growing. Isn't that interesting that she would say that?

After the temple we visited the Old Chen House. The "Chen" name in Guangzhou is like Smith or Johnson in America. It is a home for any in the Chen family and was a place to worship your ancestors. It was not Buddhism, but a place to honor your family. Now the government owns and operates it.

Then we went on to shop. Shopping in China is not like the U.S. There are places where you can barter and places where you can't. There are places that jip you off with fake things or might give you fake money in change and other places that are for real. We bought a little stroller full prices yesterday that we should have bartered for and today went to barter somewhere that you aren't supposed to do that. What a learning curve.


After that (while Nathan slept), Ann and I enjoyed lunch together and some time walking around and doing a little local shopping. I loved finding the little panda puppet for Nathan. He will stick his little hand inside it too and has already had fun playing with it!! It's been quite a day. A day out with our new son and a friend from our North Carolina days. Thanks Lord for time spent with those we love!

Moving on

Yes, life is moving on. My sickness has moved on and we've packed our bags and moved on from Zhengzhou and the place that we met Nathan. Yesterday was filled with packing up and going to the airport and waiting and then flying for 2 hours.

Keith and I haven't flown with a baby for awhile and that was a trip for us. He actually did really well on the flight and sat between us while the three of us ate the meal they provided. I've mentioned that Nathan is very friendly and he made a new friend in the man sitting beside us on the flight. By the end, this man had helped me put a new outfit on him (after he overflowed a diaper) and held him while we landed since Nathan was amazed by the lights of Guangzhou.

Below is a picture of us in the process of packing. We were mostly finished by the time Nathan woke up from his nap and had enough time to shoot this picture. Oh, we also found out that Nathan had a nickname in China. It was "Little Fat Cat". Isn't that something else? I love it. Those chubby cheeks say it all.

And now we are in Guangzhou. Our flight landed at 8:30 p.m. but we didn't get to our hotel until 10:30 p.m and didn't get our luggage until 11 p.m. As you can imagine, we had one exhausted little boy. And we were wiped out too. But we got up and going this morning to get a visa picture for him and have a physical done (see picture below). He was given a clean bill of health and our next big adoption thing is going for his visa on Monday.

I'm excited to share is that I did some shopping while Nathan napped this afternoon and it was really fun. Guangzhou feels like Florida, weather wise, and our hotel area reminds Keith of New Orleans. This is definitely "tourist" China, but it is beautiful to be here.

So, the next time we really "move on", it will be to come home. I can hardly wait to hug our kids and introduce everyone. We are enjoying this last stop, but also counting the days.

One last fun update is that I'm going to be able to see my dear friend Ann Brassard who is living a few hours away. She's coming in the morning and will be the first of you all to hold and meet Nathan!!! More later...

A quiet, healthy day

Today was a day for me to re-enter life after being sick most of yesterday. Thanks to those of you who were praying for me. I'm very grateful to be healthy again.

This morning there was an optional tour to a local museum in Zhengzhou that we could have gone on, but we realized that we needed some quiet time and space to relax with Nathan and recover. So, we leisurely enjoyed our breakfast at the hotel (which has been our favorite meal every day), took a walk with Nathan down to a nearby park with 2 other couples and their babies and came back and played in the hotel's little play room they have set up for our kids. For me, in particular, it was "just what the doctor ordered".


Having a quieter day like this for the three of us was sweet because we could just enjoy Nathan and play together. I loved it when Keith got on one end of the teeter totter (see picture below) and then invited Nathan to join him. You should have heard Nathan squealing in laughter. He really loved it and we were loving it with him.

When you think about all of the moments you share with your children...moments that are the building blocks of your relationship, you know that there are no substitutes for time spent focusing on them. I've loved those times with Drew, Lauren and Emily and now we are beginning to have those memories with Nathan. We were told by his "nannies" that he loves to laugh and every time that laugh comes out, it makes me want to cry (a good kind of cry, of course).

So, there's nothing life changing today but on the other hand it is all the little, daily things that make our lives so rich. And we are definitely having a "rich" life here with our boy. The longer we spend time with him, the more excited I get for him to meet his brother and sisters, his grandparents, uncles and aunts, 12 cousins and friends.

"This is the day the LORD has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it"

Good news

Rhonda is feeling healthy again for which we are grateful.

A Small Setback

Today we experienced a setback. During the night Rhonda got really sick. By morning she thought she was feeling better only to have it return again. She has been resting all day and 12 hours later is still not normal yet. Please pray that she would recover quickly.

Fortunately this was a "free" day for us. Some of the families were visiting the orphanage from which their baby came; however, our orphanage is 3 hours drive one way so we had already decided yesterday to stay home. It was a hard decision because we would really liked to have seen Nathan's home town (Pingdingshan) and especially the area near a large river where he was abandoned.

I spent the day with Nathan. Nathan bonded with Rhonda immediately but has been more reserved with me. (It's quite common that adopted babies will initially "prefer" one parent to another.) I feel like we connected today. Our hotel has a small play room we get to spend time together there. Nathan has the cutest little giggle when he is happy.