Nanchang - It's Gotcha Day!

It is 7:30am, Sunday here in Nanchang while you all are preparing to eat your Saturday evening dinners. We arrived in Nanchang yesterday and moved into The Gloria Hotel by 2:30pm. The room is small, but adequate and the bed is ... hard. Boy do my hips and shoulders ache this morning! We had hoped to receive Sarabeth by 1-2pm today, but will not go to Civil Affairs until 4:30 this afternoon to join our new daughter. It will be a very long day, I think.

We perused the back streets yesterday afternoon after arriving and took in the local village feel. Children ran by us, one girl about Sarabeth's age spinned by us on roller blades, shyly saying, "hello" in english. We replied Nihao while my heart pounded. Sarabeth will be so tall and "grown up" compared to when we rec'd Juls and Nate. May God soften her heart to accept us. I slept poorly - awakened every 2 hrs or so to stare at the clock. John slept better than I.

We ate here at the hotel buffet last night. There is a group of 10 adoptive parents here with another agency. One family rec'd a "double" blessing of twin girls!! How adorable - most of these nonspecial needs girls were under 10mths of age - CCAA must be processing them faster!

Hey, Steve - you would have loved the selections I chose for dinner last night - what I mistook for "another" seasoning in two of my vegetable sides was actually sliced red hot chili peppers - the really thin, REALLY hot ones! Yawza!! And you don't have water at the table!! I ran for some bread and more fried rice!! John, wouldn't even try them ... the weanie. We just spoke with Cait and Grace on our Panda phone - perfectly clear reception, but you all and the twins weren't home.

We will be posting more later today - hopefully with some pictures - but that will be when you all are sleeping. Catch up with us first thing on Sunday! Continue to pray that Sarabeth's transition will be smooth. We so appreciate all of your prayers!

Peace,
Mary and John