Finally the long awaited day has come. We got up and went for breakfast at 5:00a.m. and then caught the bus for the airport at 5:30a.m. We will be heading south for about 2 hrs by plane to a province called Jiangxi. They tell us it is a poor province. The plane ride was very smooth and before we know it we were there. We then grabbed our luggage and headed out to an awaiting bus! There we met our new guide Cindy (very wonderful girl). All the way to our hotel Cindy told us all about the province and how it is noted for its pottery. Each province has a specialty product and theirs is flower pots dishes etc. Soon we arrived at our hotel.
Now you must know the rules of the road first. There is no rule for buses, bikers and walkers. Picture this you are in 8 lanes of traffic and you see someone on a motorbike going the wrong way, or people just walking across the 8 lanes and not even looking. What an experience.
The hotel we are staying at is beautiful! It is situated in a very poor section as there are people on the streets everywhere.
Cindy told us we had a few hours before we would get our babies. We were to meet in the lobby at 3:30 p.m. Finally the time has arrived for us to meet. Everyone is nervous but yet full of excitement as we walk to the government building! On the way there we walked past the poorest sections that I have ever experienced. The whole thing (the paperwork, the wait etc.) seemed so trivial. Just to see what life might have been like for our little girl brought tears to my eyes. As we neared the government office building Catherine grabbed my hand and half yelled as she spotted the babies arriving in the vehicles. Everyone panned the area looking for there own. I knew we couldn't stay and I pulled Catherine along as she was still looking for our little girl. More babies were in the lobby and that was the first we saw Kennedy (Marvin and Carolyn's baby). It seemed like forever before they brought them up. Finally the hour was here and they started calling the families out one by one. We waited as everyone else was being called except the island folks. Stetson's I heard and away we went with tears in our eyes and there she was, a Princess right before my eyes glowing like no other child there. She was ours, I couldn't believe it! It was her the one we had been praying for! God is good! Catherine took her in her arms and you could see at that instant the bonding was starting, no tears and in just a few minutes she knew she was boss! She kept putting her arms out to me and when I would take her she would put her arms out to Catherine. Before we left the room she was smiling and giggling! God is good! We walked back to the motel and just enjoyed every moment!!
