We're in Guangzhou

Hey all, we made to to Guangzhou late on Friday night and to the White Swan about 10:30 pm. It's Sunday afternoon right now and since we didn't want to pay the high cost of internet at the White Swan, we walked down to the Starbucks and are enjoying a caramel machiatto & a mango smoothy on the porch of the Starbucks in the very tropical city of Guangzhou....it's beautiful!! (Sorry no photos today as I left the camera cord in the hotel.) :(

We checked out of the hotel around 2pm and had to wait around in the lobby for Megan's passport. We finally received it at 4:15 and left for the airport. Our flight was late due to thunderstorms but once we were in the air all was good. Megan did wonderfully on the flight, especially once the dinner came and she ate all of her rice plus some of Natalee's. Unfortunately Natalee did not fare as well. She was sitting with Kyle in the row ahead of Megan & I and almost immediately fell asleep. She was saying her head hurt really bad. Once we landed in Guangzhou (1 1/2 half later) she had quite a temperature and was not feeling well at all. I'm so thankful that we met the American doctor with the other agency in Guiyang - he was very willing to check her out once we got to the hotel. The White Swan is about 40 minutes away from the airport and both girls slept the entire way. Once in our room we just let both girls sleep. The night was rough!!! Both Kyle & I were very worried about Natalee! She spiked such a high temperature (silly me did not even bring a thermometer - oops!) and was complaining that her stomach hurt so bad. I was so worried that it was apendicitis. We gave her tylenol and said many prayers.

Dr. John came in the morning to check Natalee out. He said everything sounded good and thought that she most likely picked up a local Guiyang virus. She was in bed all day Saturday with a high fever and not feeling well at all. She started to perk up late afternoon on Saturday and her fever was down to 99.9 (I borrowed a thermometer from another mom). Mom & Megan had to go do the Medical visit alone - it was very hard to leave Nat & Dad in the room alone not feeling well. It's really hard to see your little girl so sick and be so far from home - I know that your prayers, even if you didn't know she was sick - have helped. We met up with the rest of our Bethany families too and they also were praying for Nat.

Medical exam....Megan had to see 3 doctors for the medical reports...ENT - passed no problem....height & weight = 27.2 kg, 97 cm....physical exam the doctor said all looked good but he doesn't think she has had heart surgery. hmmmmm?????? this will be interesting to find out more once we're home. She did so well, not crying at all and was very cooperative.

Back at the hotel we had our noodle lunch and let Mom rest with Nat while Daddy took Megan out and did some shopping and sight seeing on the beautiful Shamian island. It was great that she actually asked to go out with Daddy - isn't that awesome! When they returned we all played in the room for awhile. Then, Megan & Mom were going to go out with the group to Lucy's for supper. However, we had torential rain & thunderstorms which prevented us from going. We waited about 40 minutes and things let up a little so we tried only to go out and get soaked from the flooding in the streets. So...back to the hotel. A few other families & us decided to order pizza from Papa John's which was about a 2 hour ordeal and we didn't even received all the pizza's we ordred. Oh well, it was good and we had good fellowship with new friends.
Natalee was able to join us for pizza and is feeling better - thanks for all the prayers - God is good!

The past two days have been great with Megan! We didn't have any grieving and only a few times of whinning that were not related to normal 3 year old issues. She has been having lots of fun goofing off with Daddy and smiling quite a bit. She is starting to parrot our words and saying some things in English. She will say her name "Megan" but it's not just "megan"...it's "Megan Zhang HuiYi".

This morning I had a meeting for all the finalization of the paperwork for the Consulate appointment...there are mounds of papers so it's wonderful to have our Bethany China Director help us organize all of it and help us...Thank you!. And now...we are enjoying our drinks, updating the blog and will now go shopping!

We hope all is well! Hopefully I'll get a chance to update again before we leave and I'll try to remember my camera cord. Tomorrow (Monday) we have a free day, Tuesday we have Visa appointment and pack up, Wednesday we leave. Wow....it's hard to believe our journey here in China is coming to a close.

Zai jian - talk to ya later!

Only 6 days left - by Natalee

Yesterday was a really cool day. We went to a Miao Village and met some nice people there. We looked through some of their houses. They were not like ours. We played some fun games with them. They were dressed in their traditional costumes. One of the games my dad played with them and he was bopped by some of the girls, which was supposed to happen. When the game ended they took my dad and another Mr. Kysle and Miss Ellen into a small room. They put lipstick all over their faces. The boys were outlined in kisses. My dad looked really weird. Megan was wondering where he went and was glad he came back. The kids got to dance with the people, too. I think my dad may have got some video of me dancing. There was a very hard bamboo game, I didn't try it, but Megan and mommy did. Megan wasn't too sure about it.

Today we are going to fly to Guangzhou. At breakfast we saw our friends Cole, Tian Tian, Miss Beth, and Mr. Kysle. Today is going to be a great day:) I hope I don't go deaf on the plane, like before.
Love,
Natalee

Last Day in Guiyang - Friday, March 27

The sun just broke through the clouds. It has been cooler the past two days, which has felt wonderful to us Northerners. If you have followed the weather on our blog it has said rain, but we only felt a little yesterday at the Miao Village and it was quite tropical and refreshing. Today it is mostly cloudy, low 60's. Forecast for Guangzhou is for rain and thunderstorms the next 2 days. We'll see, rain was in the forecast here, too, but we have had fine weather.

Today Megan is having her best day ever. She woke up well, no grieving. We played games before bath time, and had good breakfast, with a 3 year old mischief. We have come back to the room to pack up, we have a late check out for 2PM local time. We leave for the airport at 4PM, we are still awaiting Megan's passport. We were told it needs to be signed by the governor, but this should not be a problem. We are not concerned, as everything in China waits til the last minute.

Megan has had one brief grief moment as she sees mommy packing, but it was very brief. She has no problems with daddy carrying her today. This is good, because mommy has a very sore back. Megan and Natalee are playing well, laughing and using the Chinese Ling Doll. Megan is teaching Natalee some Chinese. It sounds great, can't understand it, but it is so cute. I hope we can hang on to this language. The girls will have to do some catch up in Chinese class when we get back. Megan said her name today. She prefers the whole name: Megan Zhang Huiyi.

Have a great night, day, evening, wherever you may be. Blessings, kyle.

Our last night in Guiyang

What an incredible day we experienced. We were truly blessed today, we actually are blessed everyday, but somedays you may recongnize it more. I cannot say thank you enough to our new friends; Dr. John & Sandra, Ellen, Gretchen, Beth&Kysle, and guide Jessica. We had a great adventure with you all today to the Miao Village. I cannot wait to see the video of the dancing and games. Kysle, Dr. John, and I at one point had a new bride, but I think we gave back the red scarves, so are no longer committed. Words are hard to express this experience. We will share pictures and video upon our return. Thanks new friends!! Looking forward to the next leg of our trip as we all share the same flight to Guangzhou.

Tonight is bittersweet. Our journey takes another step. We sleep for the last time at this hotel. And tomorrow evening Megan will experience her first airplane ride (Only 1 hour 15 minutes). Megan and I continue to bond. Today I received a hug, not out of affection, but out of keep me safe, which is just as good. I even got to pick her up after her nap, which is the most difficult time for her, to try to bring some comfort. (She mourns the hardest after nap times) I wasn't too successful, but she let me hold her.

Megan loves her sister. They have bonded well. Tonight the girls are playing in bed. They are supposed to be sleeping or at least trying to, but are laughing and goofing on their mom. And tonight, I heard it, for the first time, Megan said, 'da da'. It is soft and sweet. God is so good. I can imagine how He must feel when one of His dear chilren addresses Him, 'da da'. What a great feeling this must be. Tonight at prayer time, Megan did not interupt, like past nights. She listened and at the end, I think she was about to try to say, 'Amen', but couldn't quite figure it out. I am so going to enjoy teaching her about our precious Lord and Savior. What a privilege it is that our God chose Kristin and I to teach this little girl about Him. And she has such a bold personality, I know she will accomplish what He has for her for the Kingdom. Baby steps..............................

What beautiful countryside we saw today. What handiwork of our God. Thank you Lord for giving us the opportunity to witness your beauty!! You are the Great, I AM!!

Blessings to all, as some slumber, and as some get to activities; know our God never sleeps or slumbers - He is doing a new thing (Is. 43:19) With love and prayers, kyle.

Miao Villiage trip

We went to the Miao villiage which was an hour drive south of Guiyang city. The country side along the ride was incredible - photos just don't capture the beauty. These photos are of the lake and fields around the Miao villiage complete with water buffalo. The people were very friendly and welcomed us with a buffalo horn full of rice wine. Our guide told us to make sure we didn't touch the horn or that meant we wanted to drink the entire thing - yikes.

After touring their village we went to watch them perform traditional dances. They invited us to dance with them and then they played traditional games (finding a spouse). Both Kyle & I were involved but Kyle's dance was hilarious! You'll have to see the video!
Natalee thought it was great that Daddy chose a new bride. :) Oh, and she took many of these photos.

There are several different Miao tribes this one is called the "tall hat" Miao and the single point means the lady is married.

Here is Kyle's dance. :) The Miao are a very happy people.

It felt a little like being on "survivor" (my favorite show) it was a great trip and experience! Thank you especially to our new friends Dr. John & Sandra, Beth & Kysle, Ellen and guide Jessica for allowing us to join them on this trip. It was amazing and we enjoyed being able to share it with you all!

Steph - you mentioned that our journey is your new favorite "amazing race" - well it sure has felt like that at times.

The girls just woke up from their nap so I'll have to get going...It's very bittersweet to think that this is our last night in Guiyang. We have enjoyed being able to "be Chinese" in a small part these past 10 days here in Guiyang. Getting to know the people, experience daily life to a point, see the sights, hear the sounds...these are all so important to sharing with Megan her birthcountry. Tomorrow afternoon we fly to Guangzhou to finish the adoption process. We'll meet up with several other Bethany families and do our last bit of shopping. Thanks again for all your support, prayers & comments we love it. Blessings to all, Kristin

Thursday, March 26 - Miao Village

Today we are privileged to get a tour of an ancient Miao Village. We thought we were going to do this the other day, but the cost was too high. We will be touring with another adoption agency's group; the cost is much more reasonable, less than half of what our travel guide was going to charge. The trip will be about 50KM, and take about 1 hour 20 minutes by small bus. (They had room for us and invited us last night at dinner to join them.) This was supposed to be the day we tour the orphanage, but the details for that are still being worked out. Tomorrow is our last day in Guiyang City. We continue to be blessed with wonderful weather. Another high 60's today, with part sun. Our flight to Guangzhou is scheduled for 6:40PM Friday, which is 6:40 AM in Michigan, the same day. Only 1 hour 15 minute flight.

Some quick facts on the Miao People:

• Animists (believe in spirits)
• More than 8 million lost without Christ (89%)
• Trapped by persecuting governments
• Isolated by high mountains
• Only 3 of 80 Miao languages have Scriptures
• Poor and oppressed
• Friendly and hospitable
• Lovers of music, dance, and art
• In need of the Good News

Have a blessed day!!

Kyle, Kristin, Natalee, and Megan Zhang Huiyi

Wednesday - Hebin Park

Big sister & Little sister - these shirts were gifts from a friend and they both look so adorable today. Megan woke up in a good mood today and was giving everyone "high 5's". She's not much for smiling for the camera unlike her sister, but we have had quite a few smiles today and yesterday afternoon. Today we went to Hebin Park near the center of the city. It was a beautiful, peaceful park with lots of flowers, trees and people enjoying the day. Today the weather is quite cloudy and a very refreshing 55 degrees. Daddy carried Megan all day today and she did so well!

The girls rode on their first amusement park ride together. At Hebin Park there are several fair type rides. Megan said she wanted to but once the ride started she wasn't so sure, Natalee liked it though. After the park we walked to the People's Square where there were many flying kites and remote control planes. The Wal**art is located here - it's an interesting building with these two triangle "tops" that you enter into and go under the ground. We couldn't go in because shortly before we got there they had a fire in the store. The tv news crew was there and you could smell the smoke in the air. We then walked trying to find the "bird and pet market" but took a wrong turn. After figuring out our mistake we walked to where we though it was - not sure we really saw it though we did see nice things around the city.

We had our usually lunch of noodles and the girls played for awhile before nap. Megan still grieves alot after waking up from naps. We sure are enjoying the city of Guiyang and spending time with our girls. I just mentioned to Kyle that I'd like to go to Margaritas restaurant for supper....I miss the variety of foods available at home... I guess that will be one of my first meals once home. Hopefully Megan will like Mexican food - the resturant here in the hotel has a "mexican" buffet during the night but let me tell you...it is nothing like the authentic stuff at home and there are some very interesting dishes???

Blessings to all! Zai jian! Kristin

PS - thank you Rachel for your advice on skype... unfortunately the laptop we brought with us is an old one and it doesn't have a microphone built in. :( Bummer...we'll know better next time.

Playing with Daddy

Last night after dinner we had some fun time. I think Kyle already mentioned that he was able to carry Megan on our walk. She is starting to open up to all of us and show her personality. There are still times of mourning and then there are also times that I think she is just being a 3 year old and exerting her independence. I hope you're able to see the video and hear her laugh - it's too cute.

Day 7 with Megan - Wed. March 25

7:25AM in Guizhou China. No fog this morning, just a lot of clouds. We will have to take an umbrella with us to the Park today. Our guide is taking us to Hebin Park. Tomorrow is another free day, but we have arranged with the Bethany office in Beijing to take a tour of the orphanage. We will see how Megan is doing and proceed with caution.

As for Megan, after her nap yesterday, she saw mommy looking through the video camera out the hotel windows and wanted to see, too. She is too short to see on her own, so I reached down, picked her up and showed her the street life, the buildings, and anything else that caught our eyes. She whimpered a bit at first and then enjoyed the view and probably forgot who had her. Mommy quickly put our walking back pack together, with snacks, water, gatorade, silverware for dinner, and she said lets go for walk. We left the room, Megan still in my arms. We took a 40 minute walk, and Megan never left my arms. It was a very good feeling, whenever she got a little fussy, I would lightly sing, 'Jesus Loves Me', and 'Jesus Loves the Little Children'. We saw some new sights, got some new pictures, and crossed some busy streets. (We've realized if you can cross a street in China, you can do anything).

After our walk we ended back at the hotel and it was dinner time. So we went once again to the hotel Aroma Restaurant. Megan didn't like the dish we ordered for her (fried rice/pork chop - it came covered with ketchup). She did however love the french fries on Natalee's plate, she also helped herself to the fresh sliced cucumbers on Natalee and Daddy's plates. Daddy's sandwich was served without the cheese, so they gave us a complimentary plate of fruit. Megan loves watermelon, so this was helpful. After dinner we went back to our room, Megan let me carry her again. We played some games, laughed a lot. Megan still won't let me get too close for affection, but this is a step. Thanks for your prayers. (our struggles are turning to breaking old habits that her 'foster grandpa' may have contributed to - whenever things don't go her way, she cries for him- 'ya ya') I am confident that she will continue to bond with us all!! Afterall, we are a nice family - and the locals always tell both our girls that, 'lucky little girl'. It is actually Kristin and I that are truly blessed by God, to have such the privilege to care for two China dolls.

Dinner cost 124.20 RMB. This converts to less than $19 USD. The last conversion rate we received was 6.7584. Rates have ranged from 6.6000 - 6.7689. There is a $16.89 difference per $100 USD. We are doing ok with our budget. All monies that were set aside for the adoption are still accounted for. We still have some fees in Guangzhou to pay. We found a friendship store yesterday on the map. It is a bit of a further walk, but friendship stores are for the tourists. The only bad part is you cannot bargain for prices. You must pay ticket price. That is what I miss, we haven't had much bargaining for souvenir opportunities. We couldn't bargain at the Museum the other day, either.

Everyone have a blessed day and/or night. We already are!!
Blessings,
kyle.
PS. I received my first 'five' today from Megan, she has given fives to Mommy and Natalee, but not til today for daddy. We are making steps. Thanks again for the prayers!

About Guiyang - 1:25PM, Tuesday March 24

I actually am losing track of what day it is. I think it is Tuesday in the afternoon. If you are looking at the weather on our blog, today it is not accurate. It did rain last night while we were all sleeping, we woke this morning to heavy fog, which burned off by around 11:30am. Today it is actually another 70 degree day, partly cloudy. The blog says its still raining and 49.

Guiyang City is about 3,300 feet above sea level. The city sits in a pocket surrounded by mountainous hills. Visibility is not the best, so it is hard to see the mountains in the distance. The population of the city is over 2 million people, making it a rather smaller China city. There are over 150,00 people belonging to over more than 30 ethnic groups. Such as the Maio, Dong, and Hui, which Megan gets her Chinese name from (Huiyi).

The Bouyei people are famous for making the Batik material. Natalee bought some of this yesterday. Yesterday we also got to see a more modern part of the city, overlooking the main river Nanming He. It is very beautiful scenery, but very dirty. Our guide said that the river use to be 'crystal'. It ain't crystal no more. The park we were in saw many locals playing games; cards, chinese dominoes, and some strategy game on a board similar to chess, all pieces were made of wood and looked hand made. The people continue to be very friendly, and light up when you say, 'hello'.

There are many schools around the area of our hotel. All children attend in uniform, according to there school. The children really enjoy speaking with Americans. They are very friendly and will wave and say hello to get you to respond. We were out today during lunch break. As best as we can tell, the children get a break at lunch and can go home, or explore, or whatever; I'm not sure.

Today, on our free day, we attempted to find the bottom of that 300 foot hill. We walked and walked. Megan and mom did really well, the walk was mostly uphill. We found that the apartments are built at the foot of the hill. So we claimed this hill to be private and unavailable to be climbed by foreigners. We did however, get a better look at the Guiyang Tower (Guiyang City's version of a space needle). (It is a TV station) We can see this Tower well from our hotel room, but cannot get a picture of it from street level, because of all the tall buildings. We had a good walk, and it got better on the way back, as we got a treat; bing qiling. better known in the states as ice cream. It was wonderful. And not too far away, so we will be back.

The city has over 20 hospitals. We saw the one yesterday from the street where Megan had her surgeries. We also saw a big screen monitor, like you would see in Time Square. It was playing an NBA game, I saw the Milwaukee Bucks, but we were in taxi so didn't see who they were playing as it was in Chinese and we were moving. That part of the city is very modern, with high rises like Beijing. We drove through what looked like the business area, very professionally dressed people. We are located in the Central Eastern part of the city. Central Southern is where the river is and more modern buildings. But the ancient parts are preserved. We saw a very old structure that looked like an old fort. We asked our guide about it, and he said, 'that is an old strucure made of ancient stone.' We could have figured that part out. Communicating english is still difficult. But we laugh and go on and fill in our own blanks.

Right now Megan is taking a nap. Today she walked a bit with her sister and gave mom a break. This is a good step. She still misses her 'grandpa' very much. (my professional opinion: he gave her a sense of entitlement - this will be a battle to break) She does let me help her, just won't let me touch her, comfort her, or carry her. She is playful today with Natalee. Day 6. I am very much reminded of how our God so freely gives His love to His people and how He must feel when they reject it. I am right there. But, this, too, is making me stronger, and I know God is preparing me for such a time as this. Megan did sit in bed last night and listen to me talk with her. I spoke of how great our God is, and His plans for her, and how much I love her. She listened, she listened. She is so precious. Only a few short days of no holding her, but a lifetime full of love. Natalee brings me great comfort. She is such a special gift from God. She has been great. I know she must feel left out sometimes, because Megan needs more attention. But she is handling herself well. I am very proud of her!!

Have a blessed night, or day, whatever time it may be in your part of the world.
Blessings,
kyle.

Message for my cousins

Hi Emily & Aaron, I miss you a lot and I can't wait to show you Megan. It's been a fun time here but I'm not sure I want to live here. It's a fun place. Today is very soggy, I couldn't see anything out the window this morning. Not counting today it's been very sunny and hot. A couple of days ago in QinLing park we met some girls at the cave in the park, it was really fun and we heard the second best song in all of China. We have more Americans at the hotel now and um....sometimes we see them at breakfast. I hope you're having fun at school and Caravan. Miss you, love Natalee

(Hi Emily & Aaron - we miss you too and look forward to you playing with Megan! Love, Aunt Kristin)

We have a toddler in the Thompson house!

Natalee with the video camera. Like Father...like daughter. Those of our China family from Natalee's adoption will get a kick out of this photo. :)

Here's Kyle watching the play-by-play of the first round of the U of M game. It's amazing that this die-hard fan of the Final Four basketball tournament can not even care about it because he is with his family in China! Some of you will know the story of our honeymoon and the UofM game about 16 years ago - all I'll say is "Weber & time out". You'll know what I mean ;) He honestly isn't even concerned with it this year - I'm sure next year he'll have Megan filling out the brackets though. :)

The iPod has been great for calming Megan down. I put on the children's Chinese songs and she quieted right down.

This was yesterday (Sunday afternoon) playing "Find a friend" in Chinese (similar to hide-n-seek). We had so much fun and Megan laughed a lot.

This lady is keeping her top spinning by whipping it with a "bull" type whip. It was quite interesting and our guide said that many peoople do this as a form of exercise.

Jiaxiu Pavilion

Today Megan has exerted her toddler three's - her will! There have been a few times we've had to establish boundaries and she is not liking them so much. We sense she was the "little empress" in her foster family, getting her way many times. I guess we'd forgotten those trying moments when Natalee was three. But, to make those moments even harder is that we don't really understand each other very well.

This morning after trying to brush Megan's teeth - which has been unsuccessful - I was finishing getting ready when I see Megan go to the counter where all the food & snacks are and find the roll of Oreo cookies. Now, up to this point she has not wanted most of our "American" snacks although we did buy these in Guiyang. She reached up and grabbed the bag, openend it and helped herself to a breakfast oreo. Way too cute!

We didn't see many smiles today - she has been quite sad and often breaks out in tears. It's hard for her when we go out around town because many times she sees older people and they remind her of her foster parents. She especially doesn't like it when they talk to her. It's good that she grieves as that will lead to healing and full bonding and attachment with us. Keep praying for us, we can feel the presence of God with us. We have all been healthy....safe...and happy... praise God!

(Thanks for all the comments too.. Natalee especially looks forward to hearing from home.)

Oh...speaking of hearing from home...we tried again to call both our parents but our hotel is not equipped to handle an international calling card. Go figure????? So...since we don't have the PandaPhone (China cell phone to call internationally) I'm not sure we'll be able to. You do have our hotel number but it would be too expensive and you'd never be able to tell the front desk staff who you wanted to talk to. Having our blog has helped a lot but I know Nat really wants to talk to her Grandparents. Please know we've tried - sorry.

Good night from China - hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Kristin

10 days in and what do I know

We are more than half way through our trip. It is hard to believe that what you wait for, 3 years, finally comes, and then its half over. I know that I am enjoying our time in China. I know that our God is so great that all things are possible. I know that God's love extends way beyond Michigan. I know we are a very blessed people back in the States. Life is so much simpler here in China. It seems more busy, but that is just because it has so many more people. I know that I appreciate what I have and our precious little gift God has given us. I had a client mention to me right before leaving on our trip that they wished they could do things over. They felt like they have wasted life. My thought is that as long as you are breathing, you can still make a difference, you can still turn out to be somebody. I have learned a few things in China, just by observation. The people are so much more helpful. They seem to care more. And I keep coming back to that Brandon Heath song, 'Give me Your eyes'. So many people going somewhere, why have I never cared. Well, I know that the time is now, for such a time as this. The harvest is white, and the workers are few. We must be about our Father's business. And that business, is all over the world. And I am called to West Michigan, that I know. Thank you God for giving me your eyes. Help me make a difference in your world. What a blessing this trip is to our family. Thank you for all your prayers. We sense them daily. Please know we are safe, feeling well, and excited to see the next site.

Tomorrow is a free day for us, and Kristin has high aspirations. Our hotel room looks across at a very large hill. From the street level it must extend over 300 feet. Kristin wants to climb it. She's feeling light on her feet. It does look quite interesting, and I bet the view is incredible from up there. We see many people flying kites from about the 150-200 foot level. We haven't really seen people at the top. We'll see, we've been blessed with great weather, so you will all have to ask Kristin if she climbed the Guiyang Hill. Two days ago at the park, she didn't feel like climbing the 378 feet to the top to view the buddhist temple, and that was with stairs. We don't know if this hill has stairs. Like I said, we'll see. (Oh, and mom, yes, we will be careful)

So wherever you may be today, make a difference that is eternal.

Blessings,

kyle.

Natalee's thoughts - Monday, March 23

Today was such a cool day. We went to Jiaxiu Tower and a cool Chinese Museum. When we were at the tower we saw a cool looking game, it had a little top thing hand made of wood, and a guy had a stick with a string on it and he whipped the top with the string to keep it going, it was really neat. Make sure people aren't close by you or you may accidentally whip them.

At the museum there was more like a store than a museum. But they did have many artifacts or fossils from way times ago. We spent time in the store buying stuff. I bought a Chinese flute, it is a traditional Miao instrument. I also got a batik. This is something I can hang on my wall in my room. It has butterflies on it and my mom told me that it is special to Guizhou. We met a nice man at the museum, too. He spoke very good english, mom says he is self taught by listening to BBC. He gave daddy a business card and asked him to email him when he gets back home. He was impressed to speak with us Americans.

It has been a great day. Megan and mommy are taking a nap now. Mommy is very tired because she has to carry Megan a lot. But this is getting her good exercise.

love,
Natalee

Encouraged by friends - Kyle's thanks

Today is Monday, March 23. The time is 7:09AM. The temperature is the coolest it has
been so far, around 60, with the most fog/mist we've seen. The sun has been good at burning
off the fog, so hopefully today, as well.

I want to say thank you to my good friend Jimmy in North Carolina for some encouraging words.
It is good to know someone knows and can understand what us western dads go through. We are
popular with the locals, but our hearts break, because we just want so much to hold our daughters.

Megan did sit on my lap yesterday, when Kristin had to take Natalee to the restroom (toilet - in China).
And she wimpered, but she at least sat with me, looking and anticipating her mommy's return. I am so
glad that Megan has bonded well with Kristin, she really needs her mom. And I know in my heart that
she will soon warm up to me.

Today we are going to visit Jiaxiu Pavilion and a local minority village - called the Mao people (its pronounced Meow, like a cat says). We have word that 2 other American families are in town now to adopt their little
girls. They are from different adoption agencies, but at least it will be good to see someone who speaks our language. On our walk yesterday to the grocery store it was very obvious that we are the only Americans in the city. But, the local people are very friendly, and light up with smiles when you speak to them by just saying, 'hello'.

Sundays in China are no different than other days, maybe less traffic, but the workers keep working, construction keeps going, and life is still very busy. We had a treat last night at a store called Holiland. It's a cake specialty shop. We were hoping they had ice cream, but we had a piece of black cherry chocolate cake and it was very good. (Priced reasonable, too, 10 yuan- converts to $1.48 USD) The USD is just not worth what it use to be, and things are more expensive 6 years later.

Have a great night, or morning, depending on when you get a chance to read this.

Blessings,

Kyle.

PS. Jimmy, technology is amazing, I actually got to follow play by play of the second half of the Michigan, Clemson game. Wasn't able to do that with the Oklahoma game, so thanks for the update, and I hope you're right! Thanks friend!

Random Thoughts from Kristin

• it's about 70 degrees outside, somewhat sunny, and there's a slight humidity in the air but almost everyone has long sleeve shirts and jackets on - we are quite warm
• Natalee wonders who "ben gay" is :) I said I wish I had brought "ben gay" along and she said "why, who's he?" :) My back is not used to carrying around a toddler again, just further proof I'm getting older
• I will have buns/hips of steel though carrying Megan around (the hip carrier has helped greatly) :) and if our math is correct I'm down about 10 pounds - easy weight loss = a trip to China :)
• Megan is very neat and clean little girl, always wanting to wipe her nose or mouth if anything is on it-sounds like Kyle's daughter right! ;)
• Natalee is very patient with us as we tend to Megan's needs and she is also extremely helpful!!
• Peek-a-boo and hide & seek are universal games
• Taking Chinese classes for the past 3 years has helped us communicate immensely! Thank you to our teachers Becky Laoshi and Joecy Laoshi!
• I was remembering back to just before we received our referral and Kyle asked me how well I thought I could communicate in Chinese. My response was about as well as a 3 year old. Isn't God amazing...that's how old our daughter is! Between Natalee and I we are able to remember most things and answer or reassure her in Chinese. Praise God for his goodness! (Oh, and I took a "cheat sheet" with me just in case I forgot things. :))
• Megan loves "sashi" aka shrimp, watermellon, noodles, and "tata" aka candy. Natalee likes the "tata" too likes her noodles a little less spicy, likes the pineapple and yogurt and wishes she could have the shrimp too.
• Our adoption agency is awesome! The China specialist, Shiyan, has called us several times to check on us and make sure everything is going well and to our satisfaction. She is such an encouragement to us as well and we appreciate all she has done for us!
• I'm hungry for a taquito dinner from Margarita's restaurant - chips & salsa! MMM - there isn't many choices around here, no McDonald's, Starbucks or KFC. I think Natalee would love a big spaghetti dinner with garlic bread. I better stop thinking about food right now, my Teddy graham's just aren't cutting it. .....
• Okay, my brain is slowing down now. 9 pm is "late" for us here in China. Our guide told us it wasn't safe to be out in the town at dark and this hotel just doesn't have much for us to do plus we have two tired out girls by about 7:30 so...early to bed.
• Thanks for listening to my rambling...good night - or good morning for most of you as you're probably getting ready for the day - I believe it's Sunday. Enjoy the Lord's day.

QinLing Park

QinLing Park was beautiful (and hot)! There were people everywhere and everyone was very friendly -smiling at us and wanting to talk to either Natalee or Kyle. Kyle even met a group of college girls (I think he already mentioned that - but here's the proof). The monkeys were everywhere and not shy at all! One even stood up and grabbed at our guides legs getting the bag of bananas he had brought us as a gift. These monkeys were cute but very greedy. It was a very nice day and wish we could have spent more time there. We had a quiet afternoon trying to rest and then went back to the playroom. Megan didn't want to eat much dinner and we even ordered her favorite - seafood rice. We opted not to have the local favorite of braised dog Guiyang style or roasted dog with vegetable spring rolls. I'm doing much better with my sensitve system and only had that one bad incident at the Great Wall. We are so blessed to be in this beautiful country with our beautiful girls.

Photo Update

We are having so much fun with our two beautiful Chinese blessings! As Kyle has mentioned, Megan is going through some rought grieveing times but with our love and patience it seems to be lessening. Just pray that she will bond with Kyle now as there is very little that she is letting him do these past couple of days.

As you can see in the photo, Natalee has taken to Daddy's love of video-taping. We don't have nearly the number of hours from Natalee's adoption trip - which is okay as we had to have "dramamine" to watch it all.

Thank you all for posting comments, we love to read them, especially Natalee. We had hoped to call home last night (Sat here - Sat am at home) but Megan was struggling so we all ended up falling asleep. Kyle has done a great job posting what's been going on so I'll just share a few more photos. Blessings everyone, thanks for your prayers!

Daddy's thoughts continued

I just got that last post in. Our computer completely shut down and Windows conducted a complete diagnostic test. Fortunately things are ok. Our anti-virus program has caught some viruses trying to get in, and all is currently healed.

My thoughts have been mostly on Megan and remembering how hard it was when Natalee didn't want much to do with a 6'3" blonde guy with blue eyes. I can understand why Megan doesn't want me too close. However, she does ask for help when Mommy is not available. So baby steps are good. And I did get to hold her on adoption day and she was good with this. Its mainly the grieving process, and I'm not the main comfort, or any comfort at this point. It will just take time. Just keep praying for this healing. It is completely natural for her to go through, but painful to experience. Just love on her, just love on her, just love on her. Natalee has been a big help.

Thanks for all your prayers,

Blessings on this Lord's Day!

kyle (daddy)

Daddy's thoughts

It is Sunday morning at 7:47AM. The temperature is around 70. Before we left for the trip rain was in the forecast everyday, but we have been blessed with wonderful weather. Hope we can bring this all home with us. Yesterday would have been perfect day for our April 21 golf event. 78, sunny, and light breeze.

Every morning we wake up with a light mist, fog, then the sun burns it all off. The sun is once again bright orange this morning. A little less traffic today, but still alot of people going somewhere. Reminds me of the Brandon Heath song, "Give me Your eyes". God cares so much for these people, and I am certain His heart breaks for them.

Megan continues to grieve. She has happy moments. Seeing her yesterday at the park was a real joy. She was pointing and laughing at many things. It does us good to get out of this hotel and go do stuff. Unfortunately, today is a 'free' day for us, so nothing officially is scheduled for us to do. We will most likely go for a walk. We have found the taxi drivers quite accomodating. I think they are privileged to have Americans in their cars. They speak to us and make jokes, and drive very excitedly to get us to our destination. We have not felt unsafe, as everyone drives crazy in China. With all the craziness and amounts of people we have only seen one accident, and this was just a fender bender. We do hear sirens from time to time, but don't know where they are going.

Yesterday at the park I got the opportunity to speak with some Chinese college students. They wanted to try their english. Then they wanted a photo with me. I remember the days when you wanted just one college girl to even look at you, but yesterday, I had 6 or 7 so excited to meet an American and speak with them. They invited our family to tour their University. However, we heard it is too far off to take taxi. They attend Guiyang University. They were helpful for Megan, as they shared some sort of bread snack with her, this was good, because Megan didn't eat a good breakfast. (Her grief moments are spread more out, and have come at meal times - this is a concern, because she needs to eat) At least she is drinking plenty of water and she likes lemon lime gatorade, so yes - a Western drink.

I have been warned that my time on is shutting down 28 seconds and counting , so I will post herea.


Blessings,

kyle.

Natalee experiences

Today (Sunday)we got up early, this was unusual. Megan normally sleeps in alot, but was the first one up today. We are kind of being lazy though, we are still all lying around in our PJ's. Last night was my best sleep; I slept on the couch and it was much more comfortable than the bed. The bed is rock hard.

It's really fun being in China. Yesterday was a lot of fun, we went to Qin Ling Park. It is a very large park, Michael said over 450 hectares, whatever that is. The first thing we saw was the golden monkeys. And they were jumping everywhere. They really like bananas - and Megan looked jealous. They also like water or anything out of a bottle. On the way back down the path the golden monkeys stole our guide's bananas. Mommy tried to kick the monkey away, but it was determined to get the bananas. (golden monkeys run around this park, like chipmunks in the states) - it was quite interesting. We bought Megan a golden monkey (it was a stuffed wa wa)

After the golden monkeys we saw some white birds. And Megan seemed to like the birds, too. We did not buy a bird, because they are just birds. And we don't need a tweeting bird anyways. We took a taxi home from the park.

We were going to make an international call home last night, but we all fell asleep before we could do this. So maybe today we will try again to make a call.

Love,
Natalee

Photos

Guiyang

These are some photos of Guiyang looking out from our hotel room and one along the road as we drove into the city. The others are on our walk back from the grocery store the first day we arrived, notice the construction right along the road as we walk by - no safety features - oh and there was a big bus on my right as I was walking & taking the photo.

Good Morning - Friday March 20

The local time is 7:18AM in Guiyang City. It is warm, very tropical, a light mist is falling and the sun is not quite awake (hiding behind fog/clouds).

The girls are still sleeping, Kristin is getting ready for the day, and I just finished reading the comments posted to our blog while we slept in China. Thanks to all of you who have been following our amazing adventure. Technology is amazing that I can be sitting here in Guizhou, China and within seconds send a message to USA. And what is more amazing is that I actually am able to do it (I know some of you are laughing right now).

Today is a free day for us, nothing on our schedule. We hope to do some local exploring. Taxis are farely reasonable, if you can trust them to get you back to the hotel, because no drivers speak any English. That has been our biggest struggle with our hotel staff, as well. On our trip yesterday to the Civil Affair offices for the finalization of Megan's adoption we saw beautiful parks and scenery. Our immediate view from our hotel is very facinating. (very third world). I haven't figured out directions, but it is possible that our hotel views are east/southeast. As I type I can see the sun peaking through the clouds and fog coming over a very large hill probably a half mile from our hotel. We are on the 14th floor.

The sounds are of many car/truck horns, and of consruction workers. The street in front of the hotel is being repaired. We can cross the street by going under through a tunnel passage. We do not have to go far to find a local shop that sells snacks and pop and bottled water. We will have to find some ice tea sweetened with lemon for Megan, as this seems to be a favorite of hers. We are not sure about the caffiene, but at this point are not too concerned about it. If it brings her comfort, we are all for it.

Megan has a very unique and beautiful smile, her laugh is deep. She knows what she wants, and communicates in Chinese very well. Unfortunately, her parents and sister are struggling with understanding. Megan has been very patient with us. Yesterday afternoon, we found that the hotel has a small play area, so we spent some time there with the girls. They enjoyed playing together. Megan demonstrated hopping on one foot, and is very good at this for extended time period. I am definitely facing east. The sun this morning is bright orange, and is going in and out of clouds as it rises. Despite the street noises, it is very peaceful.

The girls are still sleeping, it is now 7:35AM. I am going to try to find the Michigan game on-line. I saw they made the big dance. This is the first year in our entire marriage that we did not fill out brackets, and you know what? I am totally good with it. Our family is right where God needs us right now, and I am thrilled to be here. It is a true pleasure and privilege to serve our God. He has richly blessed us. Thanks for your prayers. Keep praying for Megan's grieving process, this will take time. She is so precious! A gift from God!

Blessings to all,

Kyle

PS. You know that Panda (Polly) we sent Megan in January, well she has it with her all the time. Isn't God good. All the Time!!

Gotcha Day

Our flight was early today (8:50) and went smoothly. We landed in what seemed like the "tropics" as it was much warmer (although Beijing was unseasonably warm while we were there) and you could feel some humidity in the air, plus there were trees with leaves and flowers blooming too. (Hopefully the cold will all be gone by the time we get back home!) Our guide brought us to our hotel and explained the day to us...we'd be getting HuiYi around 4 pm. So...we needed to get everything in order. Our guide got us a taxi and we went to get some groceries at what could be considered the "Guiyang Wal**mrt" - it had everything (and our guide is a young man who obviously doesn't do the grocery shopping;)

This afternoon we were busy setting up our little "house" for the next 10 days and trying not to get to nervous about what is about to happen.

4:00....we go down to the lobby and there sits this beautiful smiling little girl with a "grandma & grandpa", our guide and an adoption official. We were totally shocked to find out that Megan has been living with a foster family for the past 3 years, we knew she had been with a foster family after her heart surgery but were not aware she still was. This was really great news as she has received excellent care!! But, it has also made the transition that much harder and we weren't fully prepared for that. The foster mom had so much to tell me that I could hardly take it all in, there were so many people all crammed into our hotel room (which is fairly large but still)...yes, we were in our hotel room. The hotel did not have a meeting room for us and later we found out that this meeting was to take place off site at the Civil Affairs building. Well, it didn't and I think that may be an extra part of Megan's grieving(more on that later). So...grandma is talking and giving us all kinds of "instructions", Megan is playing and is quite friendly with us....all sorts of "officials" are talking and asking us questions....yikes. God has answered a huge prayer of mine....that we would recieve some information and photos about Megan's early years! Praise God! One of the first things "grandma" did was hand me a black bag and inside was a baggie with a personal letter and dozens of photos. She didn't want me to open it then but when I did I was overjoyed at the treasure she had given us and Megan. We also learned that "grandma" believes in Jesus and is a Christian - how incredibly awesome is that!!! She did however indicate that she had not talked to Megan about Christ but you know for sure that grandma has been praying for her! What another blessing to this mom's heart! "Grandma" & "Grandpa" left quietly without much notice...they had said their goodbyes and such and Megan did really well. We had more discussions with the orphange and adoption officials and played ball together. It wasn't until we started getting ready for bed that she realized what has happened and the tears started flowing. It just broke our hearts that the only thing we could do for her was to hold her and love on her....nothing could make the pain go away. She cried for about two hours and then fell asleep next to me in bed. She slept okay but was still weepy in her sleep even. It will be a process of grieving and we pray that God would speak to her little heart and help her to know that she is with her forever family.

Her smile is precious and infectious...her laugh is deep...she is tiny and determined...she is friendly and yet reserved...she knows what she likes and knows when she wants things...she is our daughter!

PS...

I'm posting this on Thursday night at about 10:30 Guiyang time...so first our computer is set to home time and will post the time according to Zeeland...second...I can't seem to get photos to load tonight and I'm tired of fighting with the computer...so I'll try tomorrow.

I'm tired and heading to bed...I know I'm behind on sharing what's going on as there has been lots going on...appointments and officials....not being able to speak much Chinese and NO one speaks English here at our hotel so that's a challenge....anyway...more later. Thanks for all your comments we did read them today.

Blessings to all back home!

Beijing Day 2 - Part 2

Okay...so this afternoon I had Megan on my lap sleeping and I tried to nap too but I couldn't. So, Kyle tried his hand at blogging as did Natalee and I walked them through the steps. He was so amazed that he could check his email and post a blog from CHINA :0 the world truly has gotten smaller with all our technology.


Well, on to Beijing Day 2....last night was a rough night...Natalee has been dealing with allergies/cold due to the environment and such so she was really restless last night. I was going through a ton of different emotions...being overwhelmed...feeling like we weren't prepared....grieving the loss my girls may experience at leaving their homeland and someday coming to the realization that they have biological family in China....worried how Megan would react....just about everything came out tonight. But after many tears and prayer together with Kyle... I woke up this morning feeling much better and no anxieties at all. God is so good....his mercies are new everymorning and great is his faithfulness!


We first went to Tian'amen square and Natalee danced. It was very crowded and busy and there are still security checks left after the Olympics so it took a few minutes just to get in. We then walked across the street and through the gates & courtyards to the Forbidden City. Although we have seen this before, it is still such an amazing site! Natalee was intrigued by it all and it's enormous size. Our guide was very informative but right now I couldn't reacal alot nor could I even type all that we learned. After these walking tours we received a "riding" tour through the Hutong area on a rickshaw. The Hutong area is a serious of quadrangle neighborhoods of old China. The specific Hutong we visited had been in the family since 1932...it's a very culturally rich tour and one in which we'd have to show you some photos and explain everything (so ask us about it sometime).

In the afternoon we had a few hours rest (well that is Nat & I - Dad had to go exchange money at the bank). In the evening we went to the Beijing Flying Acrobatic Show....which was really neat. This was our first time seeing this show and Natalee loved it.

Back to the hotel to pack & get to bed for our early morning flight to Guiyang....we're almost there Megan!

Experiences in China from Natalee

I am really happy that I got Megan, even though later on we might not get along. To me it seems like that whenver we push something on our Ling Doll, Megan laughs (Ling is a little Chinese doll that speaks some Chinese phrases). I think China is a great place. Beijing is much different from Guiyang City, because many people were selling things in Beijing. And in Guiyang City there is no one around us bothering us (Beijing has many street vendors - peddling to the tourists). Our hotel in Guiyang City is like an apartment.

And I miss my family a lot.

But if I got a place to choose from living in USA or China, I might not know which to choose.

When we are done with something we don't pick it up, because its a hotel and its not our room, so we only have to be tidy at the end of the day. (Random Natalee thought)

Love,

Natalee

China Blessings!! - Esther 4:14

Disclaimer: this is Kyle posting, and not the English teacher

What a whirlwind of emotions. It has been such a blessing to bring Natalee back to her birth country. And it is just that to her. She is 100% American and proud of it. She came to climb the Great Wall - did that, she came to dance in Tianemen Square - did that, she came to see the emperor's throne @ the Forbidden City - did that, but most of all she came to become a big sister & yes, she did that yesterday. She is so helpful, and we are so blessed.

Many before our trip got to hear my testimony of how God revealed to me, through the book of Esther - how special Megan is and she is His child and we have been chosen by Him to go get her and raise her. This trip continues to remind me of God's amazing grace. He cares so much for His people. One of the officials from the orphanage has chosen the Western name Esther and she has played a key role in our adoption processes. (She speaks English better than I write it) - I didn't need any further confirmation, and do not have any doubts, but last night was a rough one, (as I am sure Kristin will update you on) and our God is Great! Out of all the names someone could choose????????????? I cannot wait to get little Zhang Huiyi home, actually, I can a little. I absolutely love being in China. Kristin will probably tell you mostly about Guizhou, so I will keep you in suspense - one hint: the countryside is gorgeous!!

My post is mainly to express God's goodness! And how I know that our little Megan will accomplish great things for His Kingdom someday. She already has brought much joy to the Thompsons with just a little wave today at our adoption meetings. Her and Natalee get along well. They will be great sisters.

And to let you know it is really difficult to express emotions through typing. We are happy, excited, sympathetic, concerned, sometimes anxious and even frustrated, but our greatest is blessed!! We are so grateful to our God for His amazing gift, because every good and perfect gift is from above!!

Blessings to you all and thank you for your continuing prayers. Please be praying specifically for little Megan as she adjusts to her new family and grieves her past.

Beijing Day 2 - part 1

Okay...I'm going to have to go back in time right now as we just now got internet service figured out in our room. I'll just give you a hint right now but will save the rest of the news for the next post....but all is well and she is beautiful!! I've got to get some lunch for everyone right now and get the girls down for a nap but then I'll post more...It has been very very busy these past two days.

Beijing day 1

Tonight as I sit here in this beautiful hotel my mind is racing....thinking so many things that I'd like to share with you all...too many to really put into words....and often so hard to express too. So...I'll share a little about our day today and some of my thoughts.

Our day began with a short meeting with our Bethany worker and then we were off on a long day of touring and shopping. We started at the Cloisonne factory...and shops :) ...had lunch at a nearby Chinese restaurant (Natalee now understands what we've been telling her for so long about trying new foods even if they look different - she didn't do too bad - fortunately one of our dishes was sweet & sour pork so that was good)....then a long ride to the Badaling section of the Great Wall. Natalee's first words were "cool". She was pretty overwhelmed I think....just the size and grandure of it all but also the people! She loved the gondolla ride up the mountain....Mom however didn't fair so well. :( Even though I've done this before on our first adoption trip, it didn't go so well (I didn't have my gondolla buddies Tim & Margo to keep my mind off the ride and make me laugh). My dislike of heights combined with motion sickness and a very sensitive "system" all sent me to find the first restroom I could at the Great Wall. Let's just say that I've added another very unique location that I've needed to use the facilities!! It was not a highlight of my trip...but I did feel much better.

We walked for quite awhile on the wall...which is incredibly steep and I don't remember being so winded and weak-knee'd before...I guess that's what 6 more years does to the body. Natalee fell asleep on the ride back to the hotel but perked right up when we got back. Our guide gave us a map of our neighborhood so we decided to take a walk to find some supper and a few groceries. Her "few blocks" were quite long but we found a KFC and grocery store.

We've realized that over the past 6 years since we've been here the price of everything has drastically gone up (as it has everywhere) .... but we were looking for a nice piece of jewlery for Kyle's mom at the restaurant/store we ate at for lunch...anyway...we were looking at a jade/silver bracelet. The lady pulled it out and placed it on the counter for us to see...then she explained that it was some specific type of jade set white gold. I asked the price and she said some astronomical number in yuan so I did the conversion on the calculator to find that the cost was.......ready Mom?.......$6,256!! Yes, that 6 thousand and some change! So...sorry we didn't get you a jade bracelet but does the thought count? :)

It's been a good day...tiring and tomorrow we go to Tiannamen square, Forbidden City & Hutong tour then rest at the hotel and to an acrobat show in the late afternoon. Continue to pray for us...safety & good health...bonding with Megan....health for Megan....we'll keep you updated and please post comments, we'd love to hear from you too.

Thanks!