On their way home!

Please say a prayer for Marye, her mom, Anna and Joel. They are on their way home. The first stop is Hong Kong and then Newark and then home. They arrive home tomorrow. Please say a prayer that everyone has a good flight.

Marye

Jennifer here. Marye is doing well. Here is an email that I got from her on 1/30. She has been really busy and they were moving on to Guangzhou. I sent her an email tonight to let her guys know that you are thinking of her.

We are all doing great. Staying at an amazing Hotel. Really fancy with wonderful staff. Anna is doing great and is a big help. She climbed to the tower of the great wall and came down without a complaint. It has been REALLY cold. Of course my mom is wonderful help too. Joel is doing great . Very sweet and silly. He is all boy. Pushing buttons, stacking cups and looking at books.

I'm sure that Joel is keeping her very busy.

Pictures!

We have Joel (from Marye)

We Have Joel!!!
Hi Everyone,
Our flight from Beijing to Xian arrived on time -amazingly as we landed to find
we were in a snow storm. While getting our luggage in Xian, flights were being
cancelled. We checked in to our hotel and rested for a few hours then went to
the Civil Affairs Office around 6:00PM. After eight months of waiting the wait
was finally over!! Joel was waiting for us at the government office.
Joel was seriously checking Anna and I out but never cried and let me hold him
without protest. He had a good evening . He is eating and drinking well and
slept most of the night. However he has a cough and ran a low grade temp last
night but today he is much better .
Today , Monday we were back at the Civil Affairs Office and completed documents
for Joel’s passport and to make the adoption official. Joel has been a really
trooper and he and Anna are playing under my feet as I am typing this note.
Joel’s orphanage is about 4 hours by car but the orphanage staff had to endure
a 10 hour train ride to bring us Joel. All the roads are presently closed due
to the snow. We just heard on the news that many trains are not in operation
due to the severe weather. Please pray for the orphanage staff as they are
traveling home tonight.
Attached are some pictures from Joel’s “Family Day” on Sunday. Anna has been
such a big help and Joel adores her.
Of course it has been wonderful to have my mom with me. She is such a great mom
and friend and she has the ability to anticipate what needs to be done
before it even crosses my mind.
Will try to post more pictures tomorrow.
Thanks for all of your prayers
Iris and Gary we love you and wish you were here.
Marye

Marye has Joel

I just wanted to let everyone know that Marye has Joel. He did not cry and he played well with Anna, but he has a bad dry cough. He had to travel 10 hours by train because all of the roads to Xian were closed due to the snow.

Hopefully she will be able to send pictures later on. She appreciates all of the prayers and just keep praying for a smooth transition.

Jennifer - Cannon Fishbowl

Beijing Fun

Today we visited a few of the famous sites in Beijing with our guide and our new friends, Andy and Eric. Andy is the dad of Gabe who will be adopted along with Joel on Sunday. Eric is Andy’s best friend from college. Eric came to help Andy with Gabe since Andy’s wife Dana is on the home front like Gary watching the children.

First we visited Tian’an Men Square the worlds largest public square and the resting place of the body of Chairman Mao Zadong. We saw many student group’s on tour with their teacher’s in 28 F weather. It was cold but we were well dressed.

Then we visited a small portion of the Forbidden City where in days pasted only the royal family, imperial court and Emperor resided. The Forbidden City has 9,999 rooms. It took 11 year to design but only 4 years to build with a labor force of 1 million workers.

After the Forbidden City we ate a great lunch at a Sichuan Restaurant and off we went to the Summer Place.

The Summer Place was were the Empress Dowager aka Dragon Lady spent her summers in extravagant living. The great Lake Kunming was completely frozen about 5 inches thick and people were out walking on the lake. (Don’t worry Gary I did not walk on the lake). Summer Place looks very different in the winter but is still a beautiful place.

After the Summer Place we went to a Tea House and learned about making and drinking of a wide variety of teas.

We are so proud of Anna as she held up very well with the 13 hour time difference and the REALLY cold weather. Andy made her “best friend list” when he gave her a small Ziploc bag of Jelly Bellies.

Saturday we will visit the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs. Then off to Xian to get Joel.

We thank you for you thoughts and prayers as we will start our real journey to Joel on Sunday morning
Marye

In Beijing

Hi Everyone ,

Good morning from Beijing!! We had an excellent 15 hour flight . Anna as always, was making friends. We met an American Family living in Iris and Anna’s home town of Chengdu.

We are staying in a nice 4 star hotel in the city center. The Hotel is near the new construction of the CCTV Building which has been name an architectural wonder of the world. It is an amazing building . It is still under construction and will be completed before the Olympics.

Our guide is a dynamic young man named Tunk. He is going to show us all the great places in his great city. He will be picking us up in an hour or so.

We have learned that we will be getting Joel Jia He Sunday around 6:00PM in the City of Xian in the Shaanxi Province of the PRC. Continue to keep Joel in your prayers. The transition can be really hard on these children . Joel will have traveled 6+ hours from his orphanage by train or bus to meet us . Then he does not really understand what will be happening to him as he leaves his loving HanZhong family at the orphanage to join our family.

We will tell you all about our day.

Love Marye , Anna and Sara Lee (Marye’s mom)