Lost and Found

March 17, 2014… This date brings many emotions to mind. I think about a little boy who had lost a mother and father, lost a culture that I can never truly give him. This is the day Theo was abandoned in a market place in China. The day someone close to him put a baby in a tricycle and walked away hoping for a miracle. This is also the day Theo was found.  Found by a family that I will forever be grateful for. I wonder what it would have been like to see him there that day, or hear him cry out for someone to comfort him.  

Through a series of miraculous events and the amazing tool that Facebook is, 6 months into our adoption process we were sent a gift. We were sent a piece of hope that could one day provide us more information about our child. One day fill in a missing piece of Theo’s figurative heart. There was a video of the news broadcast from that day,  March 17, 2014. A video that we would question for months, “is this him?”  

It is unclear how old he is in the video, but we think he is only a few weeks old. After our friends translated the broadcast we could see that he was very ill and ended up having open heart surgery a few months later. This husband and wife in the video are the couple who found him near there local food vendor store. On our journey to adopt Theo we took a risk and found and met the couple in the news broadcast through nothing short of a miracle while we were in his Province. The blog post explaining that miraculous day is here: 

http://baumeisterblueprints.blogspot.com/2015/03/china-day-6-finding-spot.html

On that day, we did not have a interpreter with us so google translate was our only tool for communicating what was a very short, but sweet and emotional moment for us all. As the crowd grew larger around us, we decided to say our goodbyes. But it was too short. Walking away I only had two lines of Chinese characters a bystander wrote on a piece of paper in hopes we could contact them again in the future and a few photographs.  

Over the past two years I have thought about this family often. Wondering what these missing pieces of Theo’s full story could mean to him someday and how this husband and wife played such a intricate part in ensuring our son’s survival that day. As many of you know life has been a little crazy for us lately, but for some reason this year, Theo’s 3rd birthday and 2nd year anniversary of being a Baumeister, has been very emotional for me. Specifically toward his past and birth origins. I feel the tension of being so grateful for his life, but sadness for his birth family, and a little bit of still figuring it all out. I struggle with the idea that we will never truly know Theo’s real birth date. I think for me the its hard because the birth of my other three children was such a joyous, memorable day that I get to remember every year, and selfishly I wish I could have those memories with him. 

Working through many of my emotions, we decided to send a letter to the family that found Theo. The piece of paper I had from our encounter with them in China gave me something like an email address for their oldest son. 

You might not realize that in China people don’t have email, Facebook and other social media options due to the strict regulations from the government. In China this is called Policy of Internet Censorship.

This being said the family had given me a “QQ” address.  “QQ” is kind of like a social media used in China to communicate. I sent the letter and pictures. After roughly 2 weeks of not hearing anything back I was angry at myself that I had let 2 years go by without reaching out to them. 

At the end of February I took my three youngest to the park. I rarely go to the park anymore, but a friend had invited me. It just so happens that there were a lot of people at the park because it was a beautiful day.  Nora and Theo were on the tire swing when an Asian lady approached us.  She was young, beautiful, and appeared to be several months pregnant. She had a little boy about 18months old that she was running after.  She didn’t say anything, but I noticed her looking at Theo. It’s like she was trying to connect the dots between us. She smiled at me as I could tell she wanted to ask but didn’t. Eventually, I asked her where she was from and she said China. She responded and asked if he was “my boy” and I smiled and said yes. It always brings me joy to call him “my boy”.  As we continued making small talk I asked her what Province she was from.  Her eyes got big. Probably because most white people don’t ever ask where in China… because most white people don’t know much more than cities like Beijing and Shanghai. She said the Shandong province. I smiled and said that is where “my boy” is from.  She got very excited… really. I told her “yes, he is from Jinan”.  She got even more excited.  “That is where my brother lives”.  

I couldn’t believe it!  What are the chances this city in China would be a common denominator in our lives? We probably talked for the next half hour about many things, but at the end of the conversation I took a leap of faith and started to tell her about the family who found him, the letter I sent to the “QQ” address. I am not sure why I told her. We really didn’t talk much about adoption or Theo’s story at all during our conversation up to this point. It was like the Holy Spirit was doing the talking for me. She looked at me point blank and said, “We don’t use ‘QQ’ anymore in China”.  She was so confident in her answer that my heart sank. I said “really?”.  She proceeded to tell me that they change communication frequently due to websites being blocked. “We use WEE-CHAT now”.  

After hearing this it brought me joy to know that the family might not be ignoring my email after all, they just never got it!  That very moment my heart sank for a 2nd time as I felt sorrow that I may never find this couple again. Theo would never know his finding story.  

The lady at the park is named Vivian. Vivian and I exchanged contact information and went on our way.  She told me to send her a picture of the hand written “QQ” information I had from the family and she would try and search for them on WEE-CHAT. 

It must have been around 3pm when I sent Vivian a text with the family’s information in it. By 9pm that night Vivian text me with news that took my breath away.  As tears streamed down my face, I read the following text: 

“I contacted them and they are so excited to know the news about Theo! The man said he often think about the baby and wants to know if he is good now. I told him that the boy is perfectly healthy and strong, and you guys are taking good care about him. He is so thankful to you guys and would love to see Theo's photos and he said he missed Theo so much! I told him to add my wechat, so we can contact in the future.”

For those of you that know me, by 11pm that same night, I had my own WEE-CHAT account and was instant messaging the family directly. We exchanged pictures and warm regards. After finally seeing the photos of Theo and reading our initial letter, they sent us a letter the next day addressed to Theo. I will not share all of it but here are a few lines which don’t translate perfectly but you will get the picture: 

  

“Now we are a family of three and run the little restaurant, every day busy but we are very fulfilling, our eldest son now admitted to a good high school, but two weeks to go home once. We almost think of you every day, people often talk about you, that you are very lucky to have a pair so love your father and mother, in the United States take very good care.”

While I know Theo doesn’t fully understand the miracles that continue to happen in his life and he would just prefer “another cheese stick please”, John and I look forward to telling him his story some day. The full story. The good, the bad, the hard, the redeemed, all of it!  Because as much as I sometimes feel it is my story…it is not. It is his. And I will do everything in my power to give him truth. As much truth as I can find. I wish I could tell you we have found his birth family, but we have not. Maybe we never will, and maybe some day he will decide not to look. But something deep inside of me feels like they know he is safe, he is loved and maybe, just maybe those pictures of Theo made it to the market place where they will one day see his face and be able to know that their child is loved.

From a random park encounter to talking directly with the family in less than 12 hours.  And while their are still lots of unanswered questions… I can rest now, knowing that we found them…AGAIN…and I can assure you, this time, we won't lose contact! 

Doctor's Orders

It’s hard to believe we have been home almost 2 months!  This is just a quick update to many of you who are continuing to pray through our transition. And we are so thankful for it!

Theo is doing great!  We are definitely becoming pros at going to our many doctor’s appointments.  This is the run down on the doctors we have been seeing with Theo:

Cardiologist/ Surgeons- His heart is perfect.  No need to follow up for 6 months.  No limit on activity and no medications.  He will need another surgery around age 5 to 10 to replace a valve in his heart that was removed during his first surgery… interpretation- his heart is the least of our concerns at this point. YAY!

Neurosurgeons- many of you know after meeting Theo that he has a very flat misshapen head and his right ear turns out due to laying on his right side in the crib during his first year at the orphanage in China.  After seeing the surgeons, they encouraged us to get Theo fitted for a helmet that over time would “hopefully” reshape his head.  The down side is that during the appointment we found out that this is not covered by insurance and would cost about $4000.  John and I discussed this in depth and were prepared to spend this if we got a second opinion that felt it was necessary.  After talking to a few other doctors and a company representative who make the helmets, we learned that there is really limited information on the actual benefit of “helmeting” a child after the age of 12 months.  Theo is almost 15 months at this point and brain growth usually is limited to 18months.  So after a lot of thought, prayer and consults we have decided to hold off on the helmet at this point.

Urologist- At one of our first pediatrician appointments it was noted that only one of Theo’s testicles had fully descended.  I know… TMI. This is apparently not uncommon and therefore we were referred to the urology department.  Urology assessed him and did find 2 testicles and feel that they will descend on their own.  We are planning to wait another year and reevaluate.  If they have not fully descended by next year he will need surgery, but we have been reassured that this is very common and will not affect him later in life. 

Speech Pathology- As I have posted many times on Facebook, Theo really has struggled with food issues.  When we brought him home 8 weeks ago he was drinking 5 bottles per day and NO solid foods.  The orphanage had told us in updates, prior to bringing him home, that he was eating “boiled eggs” but I am not sure this was completely true.  Since then we have weened him completely off bottles and he is eating / drinking from a straw.  He eats a lot of baby food!  When I say a lot, I mean about 13 jars per day.  I know its crazy.  I spend 75$ on baby food per week.  I have talked  to the pediatrician and they do not want me restricting him at this point, so we will continue for now.  And yes… we have tried making our own baby food, and for many reasons… it just doesn’t work for us at this point.

                  

Can I first say that I TOTALLY under estimated speech pathologists.  Wow, they are amazing!  She spent over 2 hours with Theo and she pointed out that Theo’s tongue doesn’t really move… hmmmm I thought about it and my head went back and I started crying.  ARE YOU SERIOUS?!  Am I really a nurse practitioner? How have I not noticed this over the past 2 months? Our poor son can’t move his tongue, and that is why he can’t chew, which is why he hasn't learned to eat table food. AHHHHHHH… I am such an idiot.  Once I got past my feeling like an idiot, I called my pediatrician and immediately followed up with an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat doctor)  

ENT- We drove an hour and half to see a well thought of ENT in Orlando, which turned out to be the best appointment ever.  Theo has been diagnosed with posterior and anterior tongue tie.  So basically he can’t really move his tongue much at all, and it never comes out of his month.  Poor buddy.  He will most likely need surgery on his tongue before the end of the year but we will continue to work with the speech pathologists to get as much improvement as possible before resorting to surgery.  The reason everyone is not quick to do surgery is because of his heart condition.  When they perform surgery it will have to be done at Arnold Palmer Hospital with the Cardiac team in the Operating Room and a cardiac anesthesiologist.  So what is normally a quick easy surgery is made complicated by his high risk heart condition.

Yesterday we went to be assessed by a state funded “Early Steps Program” which evaluates him for Speech, Physical Therapy, Developmental Therapy, Occupational Therapy and a Global assessment.  There were 5 therapist in the room with us and it was quite overwhelming.  It was a 2 hour evaluation and Theo did great.  After the evaluation, they went over the results at the and feel like Theo is cognitively age appropriate.  He will need PT, OT and Speech for 1 hour each week.  The good news is that they will coming to our house for therapy….Thank you Jesus!!

I know this post of was kind of boring and packed with a lot of information, but I also know a lot of you have been asking me about all the different doctor appointments.  My head spins when thinking about all of them so I never know what or who I have told.  So there it was!   

Let me also say that Theo is exactly who God intended for our family.  Yes we only thought his heart condition was his special need (and that seems to be doing great) but we know God will continue to carry us through.  I so look forward to the day I can tell Theo his story.  He is truly a miracle!  

New Normal

-->We are adjusting to our “new normal”.  Sleep is not our issue.  Theo is a great sleeper and everyone has adjusted from the jet lag. 

My sweet Nora has struggled with some intense jealousy.  Poor thing was already a screamer before I left well multiply that by 10 (I have lost my voice from trying to talk to her).  She was already a hot mess before I left well multiply that by 20.  Pray for her.  We have been very intentional with her.  Having special daughter mommy time, taking walks, ice cream, but she still seems to need more.  More of me than I can give.  I sometimes feel like this may last forever.  I love her.  She is hard but I love her so much and it hurts my heart to see her desperate for my attention. 

Mommy and Nora walk...MUST be in tinkerbell PJs

John is so good with the kids.  What would i do without him??!!

Theo is doing great.  He has been a trooper with all the doctor appointments.  Friday we went to the hospital to have his head xrayed and ultrasound of his brain.  His head is very misshapen from months of laying in a crib.  The doctor isn’t too concerned but wants to see if he could benefit from a helmet to help reshape the skull. 

Theo is getting used to being outside.  He is not a fan of the grass so he stays in the wagon! 

 
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He loves to be held…..ALL THE TIME.  The moment I put him down he cries and tries to lay down on his back.  His poor little muscles just aren’t used to sitting.  We are trying to build his leg strength with the jumper/saucer.  Nora loves to help.  Because of Nora’s intense jealously I have been wearing her in the Ergo carrier and putting the boys in the stroller.  Theo seems to be ok with this set up. 

 
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Theo is 13 months old.  Most infants start solid foods between 4-6 months.  Well poor Theo started 2 weeks ago.  HE LOVES BABY FOOD!  So much so that I have had to start cutting him back.  He eats about 6 jars of baby food per day.  This is down from the 8 or 9 he was eating when I let him eat til he was full.  I have cut down on his bottle and slowly started introducing a sippy cup. I hope to have him completely off formula in 3 months.  I have to set goals just to work toward them not set in stone.   

Don't let those scars fool you!  I am one happy boy!

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Next week we will have someone come to the house to evaluate him for physical therapy, and Speech.  At this point he is developmentally around 7 months old.  Physically he can sit, and crawl.  As of 2 days ago I can stand him up and he will now put his feet flat on the ground.  He is still not able to bear much weight.  I pray with PT and lots of play time with siblings we can have him walking by Christmas.  I will say when that day comes my back will be VERY happy!  He is a heavy 26lbs.  

He is such a LOVE!

Thanks for all the emails and messages asking for updates!  It is so encouraging knowing that people are truly interested in Theo's story.  We still stand in awe of how God has brought this little one into our lives.  It is pretty crazy with a 1, 2 and 3 year old but we know one day they will be 21, 22, and 23 and screaming fits will be long gone and we will have other obstacles to cross.  But most of all we pray that they will have a heart for the Lord.

China Trip Day 14 - 3/18 - The long trip home

China Trip Day 14 – 3/18 to 3/19 – The long trip home!

The past two days have been crazy. Let’s be honest, the past two weeks have been a little crazy. So to recap, we will give you the rundown from travel day to arriving home to Theo’s cardiac appointment.

We woke up early on the 18^th in Hong Kong and packed everything up, fed Theo his bottle and checked out of our hotel. Ah, last day for the need to brush our teeth with bottled water! On the way to the terminal (because the hotel was connected to the airport and within walking distance) we ran into one of our good friends and were able to say goodbye for the last time. Although, maybe there is a trip to Disney World in their future?

Boeing 737 Taking us home!

At the airport, we found out our flight was delayed an hour due to crew availability… oh boy. Would we be able to make our connection in Newark? We scrambled to the gate to start asking questions and Laura was fortunate enough to see one of the pilots at the gate and talk with him about the time it would take to get through immigration in NJ. Not good. Add this time to the time it would take to get our checked luggage in hand and re-check, go through security again, and race to the gate… he said it was better to change to a later flight.

Laura handling the news

Later flight?? Didn’t he realize we were meeting friends and family at the Orlando airport? Couldn’t United hold the plane if we were a few minutes late? We had to try. And Theo didn't seem to mind that we would be in a rush.

Theo wondering what is going on...

Theo was great on the 15 hour flight from Hong Kong to Newark. Laura and I were a bit restless and continued to check the arrival time/ gates/ and keep our carry-on bags by our side for most of the trip. We had purchased an extra seat, so there was plenty of room for the three of us to stretch out from time to time. We each got a few hours of sleep between watching movies and keeping Theo entertained. Before we knew it, the captain had announced that we were making our decent.

Once the plane landed, Laura grabbed Theo and I grabbed the bags. We took off running towards customs, which in Newark is not a short run. The whole time we were talking with them, we kept saying “we are in a hurry, we need to catch our flight”, so we got an escort down to immigration for Theo. This area was right in front of the baggage claim and we kept checking over our shoulder for our bags to arrive. After the green light that we were good to go, Laura raced forward to the next security checkpoint while I waited for the bags. Longest wait of my life.

Our bags finally arrived and we were pushing time, so I ran towards the security checkpoint with my now 4 bags. I thought since they were small enough, and we had 3 seats, they would easily be able to fit under the seat in front of us or in the overhead. For any travelers, you know this is a problem. Only 2 carry-ons per person. So they wouldn’t let me through the checkpoint. Panic. I ran back down to try and check the bags, and finally back up to go though security again.

After what felt like an eternity, I ran back to the gate (felt like a mile) only to find that the gate had been switched somewhere between taking off my shoes and doing my best to keep my pants up while running to the gate with no belt.

Without her cell phone, it was impossible to know if Laura had made the flight or had been able to hold the plane for me like we planned. So I started running to the new gate (felt like 2 miles). Half way there, and with my heart beating out of my chest, my phone started ringing… it was a NJ number, and I stopped running.

Laura informed me that we missed the flight and a cart was coming to pick us up because our newly scheduled flight was departing from the other side of the airport. We had some choice words with the United staff about the inconvenience of running across the airport several times, and worked out a couple of meal vouchers since we would now be delayed arriving in Orlando until 9:00pm. Both sweating, we toured Newark from a golf cart.

You would think I was lying if I told you that our departing gate was changed 2 more times… but I’m not.  We rode back and forth through the Newark airport listening to the golf cart driver say “beep beep, coming through” for the next 30 minutes. We almost didn’t have time to rest before boarding the next flight.

3 hours later and we were landing in Orlando. Finally! After making our way to the  unsecured side of the main terminal, we could see two little children holding huge welcome home signs, and all our troubles from the day were instantly gone. Laura was wearing Theo at this point and we both went running up to Everett and Nora. In fact, we had a whole section of people supporting us when we finally looked up from our kids. It was so great having some of our closest friends around us during this exciting moment in our lives.

Our welcome committee

After giving everyone a chance to see Theo for the first time, we all went our separate ways. I can only imagine how tired people were from waiting at the airport for us since our flight was delayed, but it was so special for us. We loaded up the kids into our mini-van and took off for home.

Everett letting Theo know the rules of the stroller. Nora does not seem interested.

It was so nice pulling into the driveway after two weeks. We spent the evening (because we were still on China time) talking about the trip with Laura’s parents. We told them all about meeting Theo’s caretakers and his finding spot, they told us all about Everett and Nora’s activities for the past two weeks.

The next morning we had a cardiac appointment in Orlando and asked Everett if he wanted to come along for Theo’s “heart boo boo” appointment. He was very excited to come along. The doctors couldn’t believe that Theo had his full repair in China with the type of scar he has on his chest, but after reviewing the ultrasound images and listening to his heart, they were amazed to say that his full repair was complete, and barring any major issues, he shouldn’t need another surgery for another 5-10 years. Talk about an answer to prayer. We are all very happy hearing this news. Coming home, we were prepared for anything. If he needed to have surgery immediately, if he had a bad surgery performed in China, or if there were other things going on that may not have been listed in his previous charts. There is still a question about his head shape and size, we are still considering seeing a urologist to perform a circumcision, and we need to get blood drawn, stool samples, and immunizations evaluated/given over the next few months.

 

Taking Theo's blood pressure

Getting relaxed for the ultrasound

Dr. listening to Theo's heart

Regardless of where the Lord takes us from here, I think it’s safe to say that our daily blogging days are over for now. We have said this a lot over the past two weeks, that we are extremely thankful for everyone who supported us, prayed for us, cried with us, and followed us along this journey. Of course, we will still update our blog from time to time with pictures and stories from the happenings of our lives.  But for now, we love you all and are excited to start this chapter of our lives as a family of 5, especially Nora.

Needing a bigger chair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

China Trip Day 13 - 3/17 - Good news on a memorable day

China Trip Day 13 – 3/17 – Good news on a memorable day

Today we thought we didn’t have much to do since our consulate appointment had been rescheduled to 1:00pm, therefore we leisurely got up and headed to the hotel diner for breakfast. Upon walking in we ran into our guide. She quickly said hello and “be ready in 30 minutes, we are leaving for the consulate because the system is back up and working I think”. I looked at John and told him grab me a croissant and I am running to the room to pull all the paper work, bottles, Theo’s food and diaper bag together. It was a crazy 30 minutes but we pulled it together... the entire group of 15 families pulled it together too! We were all on a greyhound bus headed for the consulate AGAIN and praying for a better out come than yesterday. I thought I was smart today by packing a duffle bag instead of a back pack since yesterday they would only let diaper bags in. Well, guess that security lady really didn’t like me. She said no to my duffle bag today also. At that point I almost lost it. I think she could see the first burning in my eyes and as John pleaded with her, she gave in and let me take the duffle bag despite it not looking like a diaper bag. Phew.

Once we arrived back to the 2nd floor in the adoption consulate room it was crazy. Their were twice as many families due to combining yesterday’s and today’s appointments. It was very loud with tons of crying children and we could barley hear our number called. They called us into a room, looked through all of our documents, took one look at our now snoring Theo on my chest and then asked us to take an oath. It was not terribly intimidating but made me nervous knowing that all that paper work over the past year, (hours and hours and weeks of my life) all boiled down to this exact moment.



View inside the consulate

I am very excited and happy to say that the consulate came through and issued our visas within a few hours so we would not miss our departure from Hong Kong. Thank you for all of your prayers!



Theo’s Passport, Visa, and Adoption Certificate

Once we got back to the hotel we quickly packed up everything and headed to Hong Kong by van. We were able to ride with our friends the Richardsons, and even though John was getting car sick from being in the front of the van while trying to fill out entry and exit forms for China and Hong Kong. It’s a little trickier since in Hong Kong the steering wheel is on the other side of the vehicle. It was about a 3 hour drive and we had to go through border patrol when entering Hong Kong. It was a bit nerve racking because they scanned everyone in the van’s forehead checking for fevers. I had cranked the AC right before we got there in anticipation for the possible “fever” check. John is typically a furnace so I made him take some ibuprofen just in case. We all passed and made it safely to the airport hotel in Hong Kong. Phew….what a day.



China Customs - Checkpoint

As we received Theo’s visa today I smiled because it is also exactly the same day Theo was abandoned one year ago! March 17, 2014. It was also the same day he was found by the amazing couple we met last week, and one year later it is the day his visa was issued to become a United States Citizen. God continues to show us his providence through this trip. We continue to pray for peace for Theo’s birth mother, where ever she is. Maybe someone will tell her the story of two Americans coming to the market in Jinan with a baby who was found there last year…



Theo spending his last night in Asia (for a while)

As our trip comes to a close, we are so thankful for all of our guides getting us this far. China is in the rear-view mirror and many memories and friends were made. It will be sad to say good bye to the Richardsons tomorrow, but also such a relief to be headed back to the USA. We cannot wait to introduce Theo to his brother and sister!

China Trip Day 12 – 3/15/16 – Consulate Appointment Woes

Today we woke up early for our U.S Consulate appointment. Theo was dressed to impress in his Red, White, and Blue. We were nervous about the documents that were supposed to be sent express mail last night. We had a light breakfast and met the rest of our group (those with consulate appointments today) in the hotel lobby. Everyone was nervous as our guide passed out folders containing information regarding the consulate appointment. When she came to us, “good news, your documents arrived late last night and you are ok.” Phew… An answer to prayer! “but… (our hearts sinking) two of the families did not sign one of the other papers required. I think this may be a problem for them.” Good grief we thought. Could it get any worse? Just as we are about to take the last step needed to bring our children home, more issues?

Theo at breakfast

After confirming that we were not one of the families with a missing signature, we boarded the bus headed for the consulate. Unfortunately one of our close friends on the trip, who have had a tough time with their adoptive daughter’s health (coughing and fever), were one of the couples missing a signature. They have had it rough this trip, and the bad news keeps coming their way. If not for their strong faith in Christ, they would be a wreck I think.

Outside the consulate, they decided to press on and hope that this form would not stop the process for the day. Maybe the department could start on some of the paperwork while the rest was sorted out over the next day or so. We were all praying this would be the case.

Outside the Consulate

Line to get into the Consulate

There were hundreds of Chinese citizens waiting in line for a visa appointment. Some on benches, others crowding the entrance gate. We were not allowed to bring our cameras, but we did try to catch a few photos on our phone. Our guide took us straight up to the front of the line, said something to the guard, and we all were allowed to bring our babies through the masses. At the next line, our guide explained that she could not come with us but gave us directions to the 2^nd floor, window 7 for all adoptive family visas. Luckily, we had scheduled appointments for each family, and were able to bypass this line as well, as the guard looked over our passports and found our names on the 8:30am appointment list.

Once inside for the security screening, I will admit, Laura and I had a bit of a tussle. All of our baby supplies for the next 3 hours were in my backpack, and guess what… no backpacks allowed. We sorted through as fast as we could to pull out all the necessities as Laura made a case to the guard that this was all important to bring through and that it made no sense to bring everything in the backpack inside, but not the backpack. I was just willing to do whatever they wanted to let us through… hence the “tussle”. Someone from behind us whipped out a plastic bag, and after loading it up, we were through.

Once inside, now a bit frustrated, I pressed on to the door pointed out by our guide while we were walking up to the building while Laura followed. Don’t worry, we quickly made up J. On the 2^nd floor, we could immediately tell something was wrong as we stepped off the elevator. A man working for the Department of State had a group of adoptive families sitting down and was reading them something from a small piece of paper.

“Unfortunately, we are experiencing computer system issues, and are unable to process any visa applications at this time. We have rescheduled your appointment for 1:00pm tomorrow. We are doing everything we can to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.”

WHAT??!? I could tell that Laura was seeing red. For any of you that know us, this is a bad thing for the person responsible.

The next few minutes were literally a blur, the man and now a woman from the Department of State, with fresh coffee tumbler and a piece of paper gave us no more information than what was written on the piece of paper. I am surprised no one threatened him, due to his smug smile and continuous reading of the piece of paper when asked for any more insight by everyone who came off the elevator. I know they realize the inconvenience for all of our families. The possibility of an extra night’s hotel stay, a missed flight, or loss of deposit for another travel arrangement. But do they really understand? What about our jobs, the people watching our children at home, the medical appointments we have with various doctors in the U.S. Do they think of these things? Luckily, they did allow us to hand over a photograph and a copy of Theo’s passport at window number 7, which they claimed would start the process even without the computer system.

We left feeling defeated.

Our guide took us all back to the hotel, and we spent the next few hours trying to sort things out. What should we do? Do we cancel our hotel in Hong Kong for tomorrow night? Will the State Department be able to process our child’s visa within a few hours, or is this a 24 hour process? Should we call the travel agency or let our agency explore the options for us? Our guide asked us all to meet in the hotel lobby at 5:00pm to discuss the options and take a group photo.

We spent the rest of the day taking a trip to the park across the street and visiting the 5 Ram Statue. Laura went for a workout to relieve some stress, while Theo and I took a nap (he is already a boy after my heart). We met up with Laura’s Etsy friend Mallory, her husband, their son, and newly adopted daughter Norah. It was a nice reunion, but with all the action from the day, short lived. They are kind, loving and encouraging. We wish there was more time we could spend with them on this trip, but our hearts are back home right now. Maybe tomorrow we will be able to spend more time with them.

Five Ram Statue (yes we counted 5)

Laura and her friend Mallory with Theo and Norah

Bethany March 2015 China Families

Our group photos in the lobby were not as joyful as they could have been, but there are many encouraging families on this trip. We have all had time to bond in our own ways. God keeps reminding us through other families that things could be more stressful, more discouraging, more difficult. Our child is healthy. His personality and physical traits match his diagnosis on the referral. Some families have not had the same outcome. We continue to pray throughout this trip for all of our new friends. It is obvious that we are all ready to get home.

The plan for tomorrow is to wait and see. The first group leaves for the Consulate at 9:00am. This is when we will find out what our options are and have to make some decisions. Jokingly, we credited the issues today to Hillary Clinton’s email account. Seriously, we are praying that this slight timeframe extension helps our friends get the signed paperwork here before their appointment. Please pray specifically that the United States will resolve the computer system issues at the State Department and issue Theo’s visa before close of business tomorrow.