The Great Wall

Last night George never even shut his eyes because he was so excited about going to The Great Wall. I have to admit, I was excited too! We headed out at 9:30 here for the 2 hour drive to the section I wanted to visit. When we arrived we had to get a cable car to get us to the section so we could begin our climb to the wall. Unfortunately it is a cold and rainy day here in Beijing. So when we reached the top we could not see but one tower at a time because of the fog. When got to the stairs that access the wall, I saw our friends the Sislers coming down. It was so wild to run into them there. Of course they wanted to have their picture made with George, so he could commemorate the momentous event! I can't wait to meet them at the airport tomorrow as we go to Hohhot to get our girls. We were very fortunate that a wind came and pushed the clouds back for a few minutes and it revealed the majesty of The Great Wall. Here I am at the forth watch tower. Notice how wet my legs were from the rain. Here we are just past the 6th tower. This is where things got extremely slippery and we decided to head back. Even though you can't tell, it was raining pretty good, and as you can see the wall was pretty much empty. We headed back and Paul started sliding down one of the steep hills towards a tower. David, our trusty guide, grabbed a hold of Paul and stopped him. I'm super glad he caught him, seeing as George and I are quite fond of him. We ended our trip by going to the jade factory and then eating a traditional Chinese lunch. George enjoyed his sweet and sour soup, and I enjoyed the best Mongolian Beef I have ever had. Tomorrow is Hope Day!!!! I can't believe that it is finally here! We leave Beijing at 10:55 a.m. and arrive in Hohhot at 12 noon (11pm for my friends back home). I am so excited, yet so nervous for her. I can not imagine the feelings a 6 year old little girl must be having as she sleeps tonight knowing that tomorrow she will walk away from everything that she has ever known. I am prepared for her to reject us, but praying that she won't.

Please pray for our sweet Hope as she leaves Baotou for Hohhot in the morning. Pray that she will have a peace about what is happening to her. Pray that she will adjust into our family, and that we are able to help her grieve all that she is losing. Pray for us to be what she needs us to be during this time of uncertainty. Pray for my kids back home as they are so excited about getting their new sister. Pray for my mom as she deals with all the excitement. Pray for our travel partners, the Sislers and their new daughter Emma Lael, as she makes the transition tomorrow too! You can follow their blog at www.onegirlpeacefulandsafe.blogspot.com Thank you for your prayers! We can see God already answering some of them!