Arrived in Lanzhou about 11:30 am local time. Met up with Amanda and Hannah and Alana -- so awesome to see them!
Headed to the hotel. We will get Rachel (Gotcha Day!) in less than 3 hrs (around 3 pm local time, which will be 1 am back home)!
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Silas: On sightseeing in Beijing -- the Forbidden City and the Great Wall
To you guys it's Friday and for me it's Saturday when this happens.
Today I went to the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was very beautiful, it had a lot of gold and paint. We had a big lunch (i didn't eat much). By this point we were on our way to The Great Wall Of China!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I climbed very high but I had to stay with my partner who couldn't catch up so we had to turn around and go back...and of course I beat him.
We finally got to the restaurant near our hotel and we had chicken and rice and...........................
Today I went to the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was very beautiful, it had a lot of gold and paint. We had a big lunch (i didn't eat much). By this point we were on our way to The Great Wall Of China!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I climbed very high but I had to stay with my partner who couldn't catch up so we had to turn around and go back...and of course I beat him.
We finally got to the restaurant near our hotel and we had chicken and rice and...........................
Sightseeing in Beijing (Great Wall and Forbidden City)
We get up early Sunday morning for our flight to Lanzhou (capital of the Gansu province), where we will meet up with my good friend Amanda and two of her daughters (Hannah and Alana). At the hotel in Lanzhou on Sunday afternoon will be our Gotcha Day. Can't believe it's almost here!
Here are some pix from our day in Beijing:
Friday, January 10, 2014
Silas: On traveling to Beijing
Today I got in China from OKC to Chicago to Beijing and it took like a
full 24 hours to get from Stillwater to Beijing. When we got to Chicago
we had to run to our Beijing flight. Also I slept over the International
Date Line. They also have TVs you can watch stuff on and play games
even!
Sarah and Silas are in Beijing
Sarah and Silas arrived safely in Beijing about 12:30 am local time. The plan is to get some much-needed rest, then enjoy sightseeing with other adoptive families tomorrow.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Travel update -- Sarah and Silas are en-route to Beijing!
Sarah and Silas arrived at Will Rogers Airport around 12:30 pm today (Thursday) for their 2:30 pm flight to Chicago. However, the flight ended up being delayed about 3 hours due to "ramp congestion" in Chicago.
Fortunately, their connecting flight ended up delayed a couple hours also. They are now en-route to Beijing and will arrive there about midnight Friday (Beijing time), which is about noon Friday CST.
Fortunately, their connecting flight ended up delayed a couple hours also. They are now en-route to Beijing and will arrive there about midnight Friday (Beijing time), which is about noon Friday CST.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Travel plans
I (Sarah) thought I would give a timeline of what we expect to happen over the next few days as well as a few things you could pray for us (aka the list of things I am most worried about!)
Silas and I are going to get Rachel this week! We leave this Thursday afternoon out of OKC and fly to Chicago. From Chicago we go to Beijing, arriving late Friday evening their time. Saturday will be spent sightseeing in Bejing with 2 other families from our agency. Then, Sunday morning, we fly to Lanzhou (in Gansu province) along with another family who are adopting a baby girl from the same orphanage. When we get off the plane at the Lanzhou airport, we will be met by my friend Amanda along with two of her daughters, Alana and Hannah.
Then the most important part: We get Rachel that day (Sunday, 1/12/14) in our hotel in Lanzhou!
The next 5 days are spent doing paperwork and appointments in the province. We will get to do some sightseeing also. I am so thankful that Amanda will be there to help us navigate everything. We will have a guide there, too, but I am so excited to be able to spend this exciting time with such a good friend. We just this week found out that a young man from our church is working in Lanzhou also, so we will see him and his sister too. Amazing how things work out!
Friday, we get Rachel's Chinese passport and then we fly to Guangzhou, where the U.S. consulate is located. In Guangzhou, we will be with 3 other families from our agency. While there, we have several more appointments. We have to do a medical exam including a tb test on Saturday. Wednesday is our official consulate appointment. Thursday evening, we pack up and take a van to Hong Kong, spend the night there, then get on the plane and fly home via Chicago! We will be home Friday, the 24th, in the late afternoon. Rachel will become a U.S. citizen the moment we touch ground in Chicago.
Here are a few things you could pray for us if you think of us over the next couple of weeks:
We plan on "blogging" almost everyday that we can. Silas is going to add his own section in also, so he can let his class know how things are going from his perspective. I don't think I can get to facebook while I am in China, so be sure to stop in here to check on us.
Silas and I are going to get Rachel this week! We leave this Thursday afternoon out of OKC and fly to Chicago. From Chicago we go to Beijing, arriving late Friday evening their time. Saturday will be spent sightseeing in Bejing with 2 other families from our agency. Then, Sunday morning, we fly to Lanzhou (in Gansu province) along with another family who are adopting a baby girl from the same orphanage. When we get off the plane at the Lanzhou airport, we will be met by my friend Amanda along with two of her daughters, Alana and Hannah.
Then the most important part: We get Rachel that day (Sunday, 1/12/14) in our hotel in Lanzhou!
The next 5 days are spent doing paperwork and appointments in the province. We will get to do some sightseeing also. I am so thankful that Amanda will be there to help us navigate everything. We will have a guide there, too, but I am so excited to be able to spend this exciting time with such a good friend. We just this week found out that a young man from our church is working in Lanzhou also, so we will see him and his sister too. Amazing how things work out!
Friday, we get Rachel's Chinese passport and then we fly to Guangzhou, where the U.S. consulate is located. In Guangzhou, we will be with 3 other families from our agency. While there, we have several more appointments. We have to do a medical exam including a tb test on Saturday. Wednesday is our official consulate appointment. Thursday evening, we pack up and take a van to Hong Kong, spend the night there, then get on the plane and fly home via Chicago! We will be home Friday, the 24th, in the late afternoon. Rachel will become a U.S. citizen the moment we touch ground in Chicago.
Here are a few things you could pray for us if you think of us over the next couple of weeks:
- Safety and smoothness in transportation and weather. Rachel has to make a pretty long trip to get to Lanzhou. Her city, Qingyang City, is several hours away, through mountainous terrain, from what I understand. Not to mention that I don't really love airplane rides......
- Good health for everyone.
- That Rachel trusts us quickly and experiences genuine peace with this process that is disrupting everything familiar to her.
- That I pack wisely.
- That we are a blessing to others around us.
- For Steve, David, Jonathan, and Caleb as they hold down the fort at home. And that we are all able to communicate easily through technology.
We plan on "blogging" almost everyday that we can. Silas is going to add his own section in also, so he can let his class know how things are going from his perspective. I don't think I can get to facebook while I am in China, so be sure to stop in here to check on us.
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