On our way!

Tonight we leave for Charlotte! Bright and early at 6am tomorrow we will be on the first of our many flights. Our layover is in D.C. and then on to Beijing. After a little rest and recovery from jet lag (and hopefully seeing the Great Wall), we will fly to the province of Henan. We will finally meet Elijah face to face for the first time!!! I cannot even fathom how emotional this will be. I will probably cry harder than he does. We are taking snacks and toys to help win him over. While in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan, we will register the adoption, apply for and receive Elijah's passport, and obtain adoption finalization documents. Next we will fly to Guangzhou, where the U.S. Consulate is located. We will prepare Visa paperwork, complete Elijah's Visa physical and photo, and receive his American Visa. Lastly we take a van to Hong Kong at 5am and fly out at 11am. This will be a really long day of travel, especially with a child that is grieving the loss of everything he's ever known and leaving with a couple he just recently met. We will have a 14+ hour flight to Chicago, a 6 hour layover, a 2 hour flight to Charlotte, and then a 2 hour drive home.
We are incredibly grateful that you've joined us on this exhilarating, exhausting, extensive journey! We really appreciate your prayers for safe travels, good health, accurate paperwork, and Elijah's emotional attachment to our little family. We probably won't communicate back to the U.S. much while in China, but we will definitely share stories and photos when we return! Lots of love!

"It's the breath that's breathing new life
Into what we thought was dead
It's the favor that takes orphans
Placing crowns upon their heads
It's the hope for our tomorrows
The rock on which we stand
It's a strong and mighty fortress
Even Hell can't stand against

Some may call it foolish and impossible
But for every heart it rescues, it's a miracle
It's nothing less than scandalous
This love that took our placeJust call it what it is, call it grace"

Call It Grace, Unspoken