Prayer Requests and Itinerary

Our first and main request is for Ella's health, specifically her heart.  We've had 3 doctors review her medical records and all agree that she is healthy considering the pulmonary stenosis. But we really won't know for certain until we are home and visit the cardiologist.


December 14/15: Traveling. We leave home at 5 in the morning! And we only have an hour to connect in Charlotte!  We fly from Charlotte to Newark, and then from Newark to Beijing the evening of the 15th. Please pray we make all of our connections. The last leg is 14 hours and I don’t think Will even knows how long 14 hours is;  there will be a lot of Dora episodes watched, that’s for sure.


December 16/17/18: Pray for rest. We will be spending 2 days in Beijing seeing sights and adjusting to the time change before flying to Ella’s capital city.  We are praying that we can all get good rest as we prepare for the upcoming 2 weeks.

December 19th: ELLA DAY! Please pray that we are able to comfort Ella as she goes thru this transition.  I know she will be confused and scared of us.  We pray we can find a way to reassure her and help her thru her grief.  Please also pray that we can quickly find a way to communicate with one another, even if just by sign language in the beginning.

December 20th: Is Registration/Notarization day.  This is the day that everything is finalized in China!!  Pray for clarity and patience as we fill out mounds of official paperwork again.

December 21/22: We will be waiting for paperwork to be processed and touring her province.  Please pray that everything goes smoothly.  Please continue to pray that Ella is learning to trust us.  Also continue to pray that we are communicating positively with her. And pray that Will is adjusting to this new change as well.

December 23rd: Pray for travel again. This is the halfway point in our trip.  We will be leaving Ella’s province and traveling to Guangzhou to complete the adoption paperwork.  This will be Ella’s first flight!  Pray that the flight goes smoothly for all of us.

December 24th: Physical and TB testing.  We are praying for comfort for Ella as she has her exam and testing done.  And praying they declare her “healthy” and that she passes her tests. Not passing means our trip will be extended.

December 25th: Christmas Day!  It is a free day for us and I believe there is a Christian church on the island.  We hope to be able to attend on this most special of Christmas Sundays.

December 26/27: Free days in Guangzhou.  We will also receive Ella’s test results;  please pray that all is clear. Continue to pray for our bonding and communication with Ella.  Pray for all of us to maintain the energy we need to finish the trip, and for good attitudes as I’m sure living out of a suitcase at this point will have gotten the best of us.  Also pray for my parents and Wyatt, that they are all getting rest and staying healthy.

December 28th: We will go to the US Consulate to take an oath and to process our visa to travel to the US.  Pray that all the paperwork is in order and handled smoothly.  This must be completed in order to bring Ella home.

December 29th: We receive Ella's visa and head to Hong Kong via train.  Pray that we can navigate the transfer from the train station to the airport hotel.  Pray that we can get a good night’s sleep in another new hotel and get prepared for the marathon flight home.  I also expect that leaving China will be very bittersweet.  Chris & I (and Will) will be overjoyed to finally come home with our daughter and be reunited with Wyatt and our families.  But taking Ella from the only home she has known for 2.5 years will be hard.  And taking her to a new home where sights, smells, tastes are completely unfamiliar to her will be so confusing to her.  Please pray that she continues to trust us and learns to let us help her.

December 30th: Fly home! Due to the time change, we will experience the 30th for more than 24 hours as we travel west to the US.  Pray that our flights leave on time and that we quickly make it thru customs and make our connection in Charlotte as this is the last flight HOME for the day!  Please pray for both Will & Ella on this long flight home.  I know this will not be easy for either of them.  Will is going to be tired and ready to be home.  Ella is still getting to know us and we do not speak Mandarin so I expect there to be challenges.  Pray that all of us have patience and maintain a good attitude (and sense of humor) throughout.