Day 1 Traveling to Tianjin

When I made it to Se*ul, SK I thought that I was home free…little did I know that even after all of the events of the past week that it still was not over. I arrived at Se*ul early and every flight had been uneventful…finding my terminals was fairly simple also. It started the same way as I landed in Beijing; I even cleared customs and got my baggage in only 30 minutes, so I am thinking that making the trip to Tianjin should be easy. Even my guide did not expect me to be ready so soon. As I came out to where I was supposed to be picked up by my guide, she was no where in sight…I know that I was really early because she expected me to take at least an hour did get through the customs. That extra 30 minutes seemed like an eternity. I called Alisa and asked what I was supposed to do next but it was pretty clear that I needed to hold on, she would be there soon. Waiting on a guide in an airport as large as Peking International can be a little scary. It did not take long for Mary to stroll right up to her next client-”Jimmie.” I guess that a lost American male does stand out somewhat in the middle of an airport in Ch*na.

We quickly made our way down to our van which was to rush us to the first of 3 appointments that had to be completed by 5 pm. Since it was 10:30 am and the drive was only a couple of hours away, this did not seem like too much of an issue. After about an hour of driving, things began to slow down. Highway #2 which led to Tianjin was closed. Our driver did not seem to be too bothered as he quickly exited and took another rode which put us on Hwy #2 just a little further down the road. Much to our dismay, it was closed also. I finally had the courage to ask Mary when it would be open and she said that she had no idea. It was closed because of the haze that made visibility nearly nothing and it might be closed for quite some time. Our plan-make the hour long trip back to Beijing to catch the “fast train.” We were back at Beijing at 12:30 and still needed to catch a 30 minute train ride from Beijing back to Tianjin.

When Mary said fast, I had no idea how fast she meant. The “fast train” got up to 309 km/hour…translated:192 miles per hour. The trip to Tianjin was certainly faster the second time than the 1/2 trip the first time. A cab drive to the orphanage and it is now 2:30 with three appointments to make. I strode up the steps and already awaiting was a smiling 13 (but soon to be 14) year old boy who instantly hugged his new daddy’s neck. Seeing the smile made me realize that all the work in getting Eddie home was worth it all. The orphanage workers told me that he had been smiling all day in anticipation of me getting there. I quickly signed the papers and headed to Civil Affairs. After signing all the documents there, we had to make one more stop before the 5:00 deadline but this one would require Chinese currency which I had failed to get because of all the rushing around. The time was now 4:00 and we quickly headed over to the Bank of Ch*na to make the transaction. Little did I know that the two customers in front of me would be trying to do the paperwork to try and purchase “who knows what.” My guide was clearly frustrated at the speed that this was taking place and made several attempts to speed things up but to no avail. Finally everything was transacted and we scampered off to the notary. Time was now fast approaching 5:00.

We made it just in time to complete the signing without a minute to spare. As most of you know by now, the entire adoption could have fallen through if we had not made this last critical deadline. All government offices would be closed on Saturday and Sunday and Eddie’s birthday was Sunday…the deadline for his adoption. I am not sure what God has in store for this little man, but it must be special because Satan has tried to prevent this adoption in so many ways…more than most of you could have possibly have known. Sometime I will write about the events of the last week alone and after reading those, I am certain that you will understand that only through supernatural work could this have even happened. But this blog is all about Eddie.

Well, after a quick stop into the hotel, a quick freshen up, Eddie and I headed out for a quick bite to eat at the famous Chinese restaurant – Kentucky * Chicken. To close for today, communication has been difficult at times, but we are both learning quickly to speak the other one’s language. He “speaks” Chinese Sign Language and I “speak” NASL…No American Sign Language (well maybe just a little). I can’t wait for you folks to meet this sweet child. He is consumed with kindness and joy as he seems to want to live life to the fullest. He can’t wait to fly and I can’t wait to get him home. Please keep praying for us all and we look forward to seeing you soon. Take care and we love you all.

Eddie and Jimmie