t's Thursday today, and Denise reminded me that I hadn't posted anything since Sunday.  I guess the reason for that is that each day looks like the one before.  Not that I'm unappreciative of being in China.  It's been a great experience, both for me and Kimberly.  Yesterday we had the famous Red Couch photos.  Every family that comes through Guangzhou usually stays at the White Swan hotel.  There are several red couches in one sitting area, and everyone gets their photos taken on the red couch.  Here's one of all the families that were part of our group.  We've made some good friends, particularly one christian family from Fort Collins, Colorado, the Atteberrys (they're at the bottom of the group photo with the boy in his mom's lap).  They adopted a sweet little 5-year old boy, Timmy, whom we knicknamed "T-bone".  That's because he has several surgery scars on his little chest that make him look like a street fighter.  He kept going around saying "Ya-ma-ha" to everyone. 

 

This afternoon we went to the consulate to finish Sarah's visa paperwork.  This was the final step of her adoption here in China, so we get to go home on Saturday!!!!  Most of the families in our group leave tomorrow, but we have one more day to get packed.  We can't wait to get home.with a set of chopsticks.  Totally not  

 

Earlier today, I explored the area around the hotel with a couple of the other dads.  We some some strange wares, including centipedes on a stick, live snakes, eels and toads, and various other things we can only guess at.  There was one young lady sitting at a bowl of live scorpions, counting them out one by one.

 

We very much appreciate all your prayers.  The whole process could not have gone more smoothly than it did.  Sarah has really taken to Kimberly and I, and so we pray that she will do so with Denise as well.  She had a cold, but is getting over that.  She does not have an ear infection, which was a big concern for her flight home.  Please pray that our travel time home goes well.  We fly from Guangzhou to Beijing, then to Newark, NJ, then back to Tampa.  It will be a very long day, almost 30 hours. 

 

Much love from Guangzhou,

 

Martin