Well, approximately 17 months of prayer, planning, paperwork, waiting, more prayer, more paperwork, more planning, and more waiting has culminated in this week: we leave tomorrow morning for Beijing! We spend a few days touring Beijing and allowing our bodies to adjust being on the opposite time schedule. We will be exactly 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard time (2pm is 2am and vice versa).  We will see the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and several other historical sights (see itinerary attached below).

On the 29^th, in the afternoon, we meet Grace.  It will be sometime in the middle of your sleep Sunday night. We covet your prayers. Our sweet girl will be leaving all that she has ever known, with people she has never met, seeing and doing things she never imagined. It will be a time of major transition and most likely grief. Please pray for us and for our little girl. Pray that we can meet her needs with love and patience and Grace! Pray that she can come to trust us quickly and we can somehow communicate with her well enough to comprehend her needs.

God is so good. He has led us here and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for us and Grace.

Keep watch on Facebook or the blog. We will try to post updates if at all possible. We’ll be back on November 8. We plan to cocoon ourselves for at least a few weeks to give her a chance to process her new life, her brothers, and what it means to have them and this Mama and Daddy as her family.

Much love.

Christine

CHINA ITINERARY

Christopher & Christine Klemstine

Thursday  October 25, 2012             Arrive in Beijing via UA851@2:40 p.m.  Airport pickup.  Stay at Jianguo Hotel.

Friday        October 26, 2012             Orientation meeting at 3:00 p.m.  Acrobatic show at 4:30 p.m.

Saturday    October 27, 2012            Visit the Great Wall, Cloisonne Factory, Bird’s Nest.  Lunch included.

Sunday      October 28, 2012             Visit Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Hutong Tour. Lunch included. 

Monday     October 29, 2012            Flight CA1351 (8:00-11:15) to Guangzhou.  Airport pickup.  Stay at the China              Hotel (Marriott). Receive your child in the afternoon.

Tuesday     October 30, 2012            Adoption registration and notarization.

Wednesday October 31, 2012          Apply for passport in the afternoon and medical exam.

Thursday     November 1, 2012        Visit White Cloud Hill Park.

Friday         November 2, 2012          Visit Guangzhou Zoo. 

Saturday     November 3, 2012         Afternoon meeting to prepare consulate documents.
             

Sunday       November 4, 2012         Visit Guangzhou Folk Art Museum or Safari Park with Shelley
            

Monday      November 5, 2012         Visa appointment. 8:30am

                

Tuesday      November 6, 2012         Pick up child’s visa in the afternoon.
              

Wednesday November 7, 2012        Free day. Shopping with Ann 10:30 starting at the Holiday Inn Shifu.
               

Thursday     November 8, 2012        Depart Guangzhou via NH934 @ 9:15 a.m. Arrive PIT 6:41pm.