Day 1 - The Departure

Thank you for following our trip to China!  
Welcome to Day 1!

To catch everyone up, I (Mama Missy) am back home in NC after a "failure to launch" during our first departure to China.  You can read about that here.  I am home with the rest of our children and will be doing the daily entries for this trip via pics and updates from my friend Becky, who is traveling with Paul and Lilly.  

Becky has done such an amazing job keeping me updated on each day.  These posts and pics are only possible because of the level of dedication and love Becky is pouring into this trip as she lugs her camera around, remembers all the instructions I gave her, remembers everything that is happening and updates me continually, and cares for Lilly and Haven (and Paul and Aaron)!

A big "Thank you" to Becky and to all of her children, husband, and extended family who are missing her right now.  We could not have done this without you guys - literally!  The Body of Christ has shown itself to be a living, breathing thing in our lives through all of you, and we thank you for being our Family.

Day 1 began when Matt Lauffer, a fellow China Dad, picked up Lilly and Paul here at the house and took them to the airport to meet Becky and her family.  Matt led the group in prayer and has continued to pray, and we thank him for that.

Matt being the one to send them off is a very full-circle moment for us, since his daughter (also named Lily!) was the young lady God used to move China into our hearts, and is the child we know has been praying as hard as MY Lilly for these kids to come home.  Thank you, Lauffers!  Wo ai ni, Lily.

They boarded the flight to Detroit, and we covered their departure with prayer.  The connecting flight direct to Beijing would leave only 1 hour after the Detroit flight landed, so we all breathed a sigh of relief when they made that tight connection and were in the air to Beijing.  

No turning back this time.  

It was a long flight on Delta.  They ate a few times and watched movies, and Lilly did well until they were disembarking 14 hours later and she got sick in her chair.  Luckily she wouldn't be sitting there anymore!  She also got sick in the van over to the hotel, but as of Day 4 this was last incident of motion sickness.   

They checked into Sunworld Hotel with their guide Helen's help, ordered Pizza Hut (Lilly ate a whole cheese pizza plus pasta), and were asleep by 6pm.  

The next morning they had scheduled to visit the Great Wall, so I am grateful they were able to get some rest.  I am certain that the "rest" they got on the plane was not sufficient:  

"Resting".

Back here at home on Day 1, my faith was being tested.  Getting them out the door and seeing them off was followed by the arrival of my mother, who came to care for me and the children.  

While I felt so blessed and comforted to have her here to serve my family in this way, I felt the wake of the past 3 weeks hit hard in the silence of Paul and Lilly's departure.  

At the airport 2 weeks ago right before we ended up at the hospital.

Lilly is my best friend and never leaves my side, and we have never been apart.  This trip was something we whispered and giggled about late into the night for almost a year now, and it was hard to let that go.  

The 3 weeks that now lay before me without her and Paul, the reality of me having to leave the first trip, and everything that has followed hit me hard...  

But He remains.  

After everything falls away, amidst the disappointment and the crumpled plans...there is a Stillness.  

There is Fullness of Joy. 

How blessed I am to need Him so much during a time when everything is about to change, because He is my Rock and without Him I am hopeless.  He is always there in equal measure, but I am more aware of His presence during times like these...and this is not my first rodeo in The Waiting Game.  I already know He is Faithful.

So for all of you who are wondering if "you" can handle adoption, or worry about all the things that can go wrong in life in general, let me assure you that Christ is sufficient in ALL things...  

He is enough. 

Thank you to my Father, who does not leave me alone during the departure.

Coming Up:  

Day 2 - Great Wall and Hefei!