Hi everyone!!
Our first full day in Guangzhou started off rocky--and continued that way for most of the day! I should have known there was trouble when I blew a fuse in our room and then had to go to Breakfast with my hair wet. By the time the awesome breakfast buffet was over--I could have passed for Rosanna Rosanna Dana!
Then off we went to the Medical exam---which we were so happy to learn that our little cherub has gained 3.2 pounds in only 8 days with us!! His cheeks are filling out--and his energy level is up!! He was also deemed very healthy--which is really the most important thing!! But then--he needed 4 immunization shots---which is a new requirement in the past year. He had a shot in each arm, and each leg. I don't know who was crying/sweating more--he or his distraught mama!! Top it off by a bunch of sick Chinese at the clinic, pulling back the curtain to watch the crazy Americans pin down their new son for shots....not fun at all!!
However--there was an amazing story that unfolded at the clinic. An American woman came in with her adorable new daughter--who appeared to be about three. The little girl looked oddly familiar to me. Shortly after---Cordelia--our guide from last year came in--so ironic--we were the ONLY families there for a medical exam, and we are with a different agency this year!
I asked Cordelia if this was a family from Hope's agency--sure enough--yes they were. Then it clicked---I knew this little girl was from Wuxi--Hope's orphanage--and sure enough, she was. She is Hope's exact age, and when we visited Hope's orphanage last year, and saw the children sleeping in their little bed's--I looked right at this beautiful little girls face--and I promised myself, I would not forget her. Today--I looked right at her face again--just one year later, as she was happily united with her Mama--and getting ready to join lots of brothers and sisters at home. We showed her a picture of Hope--and she grabbed the album and yelled Shu Shu!!!! She remembers her!! Amazing. I know there was no accident in this--and it only served as a big reminder that this is actually a much smaller world than we think---and we are all related in some way shape or form. In this same vein--it also made me realize that we truly are all brothers and sisters---maybe not by blood--but purely by our humanity. What an amazing moment that was!!
That--was definitely the high point of the day.....
After that we were to go over our paperwork for our consulate tommorow. It turns out---our guide in Chongqing failed to give us the ESSENTIAL form that is necessary to get Sam a US visa so that he can eneter the US. We NEED that form to leave this country. We called her--and yes--it was left at the Chongqing registration office--and in Deborah's defense--we are the first "Hague" family to come through--and this is a new document that she obviously wasn't told was necessary for us. And we needed it by ...well yesterday.
So now--it is being Fedexed (or the Chinese equivelant). We are going to the Consulate for our swearing in tommorow--and will be the only family to not get the Visa---It is supposed to arrive sometime tommorow afternoon--and our guide will rush it to the U.S. Consulate Thursday AM first thing--and exchange the form for our Visa so we are allowed to leave Friday. This is if all goes according to plan. If it doesn't---in Simon's words--"it will be very,very bad"
Please--please pray for us---we NEED to come home friday---one more day--or even hour here is unthinkable. We miss our kids--and our house--and our doggie.
Thanks--and hopefullly we will be giving good news tommorow!!!!
