Life on the Range

It has been awhile since I've offered a "newsy" sort of update.  I suppose this sleepless night offers me the opportunity to do so, though I have tons of writing to do for the school play/musical/English performance...

We have good news on the Qian Qian front...looks like in about 3 weeks he'll be traveling with his parents to have his palate surgery!  We've been waiting all winter for him to gain enough weight (now that his lip is closed, it has been much faster) so that he could undergo anesthesia under the hospital protocols.  We'll be sending the family to a city in the South where they will meet up with a team of foreign doctors.  The foreign team will do one week of surgeries and then Qian Qian will remain there for about 2 more weeks while his sutures heal.  Many heartfelt thanks to all of you who have continued to carry Qian Qian in your hearts!  How wonderful it will be to see him taking another giant step toward his future!  We are so blessed that He arrested us on the side of the road and gave us the privilege to participate!

In other amazing news...

We saw Little Kevin (young boy hit by a truck last September)...and he is WALKING!  What an enormous answer to prayer this is!  The last time we saw him, in January, he was unable to walk and was confined to a stroller.  He came to visit the Kindergarten (and Bub's classroom) last week and we're told that if he continues to strengthen, he may soon return to school.  He's lost nearly an entire year of his life to his injury and rehabilitation...but we are so thankful to see how he has been restored!  We are giving praise for this development!

Related to school...

Our character eduction program headed up by the Dean of Students (aka our Daddy) is taking off!  The school has had weekly lessons on various character traits.  This week, Justice, is the morality issue and Daddy produced a 70 page powerpoint depicting visually some of the injustices in the world.  Our students will be confronted with the disparity between images of wealth and poverty.  Please be lifting this up, that seeds will be planted!

We had a huge meeting with local officials (one that I've been hoping for over our 3 years here!)   We are eager to provide our students with a practical outreach, an opportunity to put this character education into practice within the community here.  We were blown away at how positive the meeting went, though less than 12 hours before we were told it was a non-starter!  It was staggering for me to consider that in this meeting,  the language, cultural understanding, and credibility required to not get tossed out the door simply couldn't have culminated until now.  So often we have great ideas, even vision for our future, but we have to be careful not to be too hasty.  We must get in sync with a time schedule far beyond our understanding!

Related to family business...

We are so thrilled to report that The Bruiser has been accepted for treatment into a major charitable hospital this summer!  This is a profound answer to prayer!

His acceptance through us a bit of a curve ball as we found out that his treatment required 10 weeks to correct his feet...not the 6 weeks we had been told by another hospital previously!  We have only 6 weeks furlough each summer before school begins again.

We were astounded to discover that His plan has provided for a long-term substitute for my position (allowing me to remain in the US for The Bruiser's treatment!)   Due to Daddy's Dean position, he must return after only a four week furlough, so this situation will cause for a significant separation of our family, something we are not accustomed to!  Additionally, our dear Grandma D will have her first trip to see our home Here, when she travels with the girls to bring them back before the start of school!

So the boys and I will remain in the US for 12 weeks (living like squatters off friends and family members!!!) ;)  The girls will have 8 weeks to visit their home culture (and will be able to attend their first Fair in 3 years, which used to be the ANNUAL HIGHLIGHT of our summers.)  It is a beautiful picture of how He takes care of our every need, the finest detail, even BEFORE we understand what our needs will be!

On the adoption front...

We are fully in the throes of paperwork now.  We're back in the line-up waiting for immigration approval for Nehemiah.  This wait will be a tough one as we know that he is in a tough spot...and he's getting older...we so hope to have him home before his 5th birthday!  Please lift up with us the need for speedy approvals and the next $2800 we need to send our paperwork on to the next step...we wait and watch for the miracles to unfold!

Now to make a long post, even longer...

These photos are from our recent Spring Field trip for the Elementary school.  I'm mostly posting them because they show a little bit of how many people we rub shoulders with on a trip to "the zoo."  These photos were taken on a Thursday, prime field trip day, in our little city of 10 million.  

 Above:  While we were lining up to go into the "seal show" these folks were doing their daily routine...we see this often...groups of people gathered from morning to night...to exercise.  It is one of the charming things of Here, I think.

Below:  This shot is of a fraction of the seating area for the "seal show," there was not an empty seat in the place...the sound was deafening...throbbing masses of school children!

Below: this was the line for entering the "elephant show"...we stood in this amusement-style line for 30 minutes...every inch of the four winding lanes was jammed with people...everywhere throngs of people!

Below:  walking through the zoo/park with some other patrons...

It is because of this population where we live now that when I visit my home culture I keep thinking, "WHERE ARE ALL THE PEOPLE?!" Truly, it is the strangest thing to me during a furlough in the West...where are all the people?

Below:  These students where snapping photos and practicing their English with Daddy...a daily phenomenon for us...they were so cute...and so excited about seeing a foreigner!

 Below:  another shot of some park patrons on Field Trip day...

 Below:  one of our students...(he's the one in the hat)

Below:  a few familiar students pose for a shot

Below:  Tomb Sweeping holiday has just concluded Here.  As we did not have any ancestors' tombs to sweep, we took advantage of the extra day off school to go to our local shopping area...these are a few photos of that...

Potato gets a ride on Magpie...

Below:  The Bug and Brownie sporting her new glasses...we found out a few weeks ago during a routine eye check by the school nurse that Brownie's eyes were not seeing distance very well...so off we traipsed to the eye doctor...upon wearing her new eyewear...she said after about 20 minutes..."Momma!  I can see!"  I felt SO BAD!  Immediately, her work in Chinese class (where she has to identify hundreds of characters comprised of fine strokes often from flashcards or written on the whiteboard) has dramatically improved!

Below:  Daddy and the tribe...no, we're not too conspicuous while out shopping...

Below:  In front of the main entrance to our little shopping area...it supposedly has the "longest pedestrian shopping area" anywhere...well, it sounds impressive!

We should be able to blend in with all this activity around us...right?

 Below:  Since we're in year 3 with no personal vehicle...we ride the city bus.  This is a photo of a typical bus stop where we must fight for position, run to an approaching bus, press ourselves (sometimes shouting) on the bus...it is always high stress!  This line up of people, here extending several feet OFF the bus stop and into the street, was nearly 1 city block long!

Okay, enough for this ridiculously long post.  Sorry that I've been off my normal rhythm of writing...I do hope to be past my adoption paperwork, writing the school play, and tax stuff soon!

All for One!