Kala's birthday is March 12th. We leave for China to go get Maelin Brooke Parker on March 12th-happy birthday Kala!!! That's right, we finally have a date for travel. After over 2 years of waiting for our family to be completed, we will get to see it come to pass next month. We actually will fly out of Lubbock on March 11th to San Francisco. We will stay the night in San Francisco then get up the next morning and board a plane to Beijing. The flight will be just under 12 hours.
Temporary Itinerary
March 11--Lubbock to San Francisco
March 12--Leave San Francisco
March 13--Arrive in Beijing
March 14--Tour Beijing
March 15--Beijing to Hangzhou
March 16--GOTCHA DAY!!! (get Maelin)
March 17-20--Paperwork and touring Hangzhou
March 21--Hangzhou to Guangzhou
March 22-23--Tour Guangzhou
March 24--American Consulate Appointment
March 25--Back to the American Consulate to pick up passport with visa and to take oath
March 26--BRING MAELIN HOME TO HER FOREVER FAMILY!!!
Okay, now imagine packing for this trip and only getting to bring one bag each. ONE BAG-MAX 40LBS.!!! Maybe that wouldn't be a problem for most of you, but we are the type that travel with everything and the kitchen sink. One piece of advice we have gotten is get out everything you want to pack and only pack half of it. Pray for us!
Is there such a thing as good stress? I say yes! All of this preparation for travel is stressful to say the least; but in the end, we get Maelin.
In all seriousness, please start to (or continue to) pray. Here is the list of things I would like you to pray for:
1. Pray that Maelin will have a smooth transition from foster family to us
2. Pray that we will be able to take care of her diet while in China
3. Pray that the trip can be more about bonding-sightseeing than paperwork
4. Pray for safe travel
5. Pray that I stay awake driving home from Lubbock on the 26th!(our flight arrives in Lubbock at 9:40pm
Thank you in advance for your prayers. They are greatly appreciated! The next month and a half are going to be exhausting, emotional, fun, slow, fast, and most of all a blessing from God! Happy Birthday Kala!
i have friends who travel abroad often, they use space bags. then they have room to also pack a small portable vaccuum and have space to bring home souviners. good luck
ReplyDeleteYeah!! I can't wait! That is so awesome...that will be a great birthday present Kala!
ReplyDeleteWe'll be praying for you guys! This is so awesome! Can't wait to meet that beautiful China Baby!
I've heard that about the Space Bags too...although I don't know what you would do on the way home? I'm sure that packing will be the least of your worries once your there though!
Love you guys!
I look forward to carressing those precious little cheeks! What a beautiful gift! Enjoy the experience of a lifetime and take LOTS of pictures so that Maelin will know what you went through to bring her HOME! She is so blessed to be matched with an equally blessed, loving family! Go Parkers!!
ReplyDeleteHappy, Happy Birthday, Kala! God is GOOD!!
Love you!
Donna Ocheskey