Our day in Shanghai

I think that there are pictures below this in a separate post - I don't think I can post pictures and write a post at the same time, and since I'm unable to actually see the website, I'm assuming that's the case and am posting an update separate from the pictures.  The pictures are:  Tanner in front of the Maglev train (the fastest train in the world, it goes 270 mph), Jon and Tanner in front of the Oriental Pearl tower, Tanner and I in front of the old Shanghai American School (where my Grandfather attended) and Tanner and I waiting to take the train to Nanjing (I look happier than I felt at that point)

Sooooo, we all got some sleep and woke up early and ready to go!  We decided to brave the traffic and take another taxi to try to find the school my Grandpa DeKorne attended when he lived in Shanghai in the 1930's (I think it was during that time).  It was exciting to find it - the school still exists, but, no longer in the same building.  We went to the building that Grandpa attended and wondered if he rode his bike on the same streets we were on!  We also surmised that he would be astonished at the differences now (including the Papa Johns pizza next door.)  I was really excited to see this as it was the thing I most wanted to do in China.  While I'm so happy for him that he's in heaven, I was sad that I will not be able to share this experience with him, as China held a very special place in his heart.

We then went back to our hotel to pick up our train tickets and have a cup of coffee.  Tanner would have been content to sit in the lobby and watch the glass elevators go up and down all day long.  He pointed them out about every 30 seconds :).  Then, we walked around our hotel area and enjoyed walking by the river.  We took a boat tour and had fun seeing all the buildings and a different view of Shanghai.  There were some things that we saw here that were very different from what I expected.  Some great things, and some that made us long for something different.

We then took a taxi to the train station.  Today is the 3rd day of a 3 day holiday in China, there apparently are normally a lot of people (@23 million in Shanghai), but, there were many more because of the holiday.  It made me extremely nervous and concerned with Tanner and our luggage - Jon did a great job of putting up with me and we were happy to pay some workers to help us get our luggage up several escalators, through all the people and to the right place at the train station.  One very kind gentleman who spoke English helped us figure out where to find our seat numbers on the tickets.  I was thrilled to finally just be ON the train and headed to Nanjing. This train only got up to 205mph along some stretches of track.

We arrived in Nanjing and our guide met us at the train station.  They finally had a vehicle big enough for us and all our luggage (we've been in small taxis where our luggage needed a trunk and a seat of its own), and we didn't have to worry about where we were going for once.  We are now checked into the Holiday Inn in Nanjing.  It's a nice, new hotel with a big pool (Tanner's favorite).  We walked around the mall, ate McDonalds (Tanner's request) after ordering from a picture menu, came back to the hotel and unpacked (since we'll be living here for 2 weeks) and are settling in.  

Tomorrow morning we will meet our guide at 9:00am and then off to go meet our new son!  We are excited, and nervous.  Wondering what is going through his mind (if he knows we're coming, how much does he comprehend?), wondering how it will be for all of us adjusting to a new family member (and becoming a part of a family), wondering how nervous he will be, how nervous I will be?!  I'm glad to be experiencing this culture and country, even if for a short while, to help me see how difficult it can be coming to another country, not knowing the language, different smells, different landscapes, different everything!  During the many hours of traveling and not sleeping, I've been thinking back on some verses in Phillipians 3:20-21 "but our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body"

So, friends, tomorrow is the big day!  I hope I'll be able to upload some video, but, we may have to wait until we arrive home.  If I can't, we'll definitely download pictures as soon as we're able!  Thank you for following along with us, and for your love and prayers on this journey!

Shanghai Pictures

We've Arrived!

We've arrived!

We are safely in Shanghai!  It's 4:30 in the afternoon.  We are worn out, but, thankful to be here!  We're so grateful that Tanner slept a lot on the plane.  Neither Jon nor I were able to sleep much, but, we're glad it's the afternoon so that we can get some dinner and go to sleep!

It was a little stressful getting to our hotel, Jon and Tanner enjoyed th Maglev train (that went 270 mph), then we took a taxi and then waited for our room to be ready and are now here in a nice room for the night.  Tomorrow we will take a train to Nanjing.

It's a bit overwhelming being here in a new country, being tired, and in a few days, meeting our new son!  Hopefully a little sleep will make everything better!

 

Travel update and a test

This is a test to see if the blog updates ok from e-mail. In case
we're unable to connect to the website, I wanted to make sure this
worked as a backup!

So, we're leaving Wednesday morning at 6am. We fly to Newark & then to
Shanghai. We just found out on Friday that we'll need to stay a week
longer than we originally planned. Some of us are excited about this
and some of us aren't excited about this (well, just one of us isn't so
excited :)). This is due to being unable to get an appointment with the
US Consulate. So, it looks like we'll be coming home around the 15th of
October (though that's not set in stone yet). Though it will be a
little harder to stay longer, we're thankful we'll be together and know
that God arranged everything up until now - and are confident He'll
continue doing so from the other side of the world!

We're going to meet Jian for the first time (and keep him with us) on
Saturday, Sept. 25th at 9:30am! (that's 8:30pm CST Sept. 24th). WOOHOO!

OK - back to packing. Hopefully next time you hear from us, we'll be in
China!!

Meet Jian

Well, it is finally official!  Meet our new son, Jian Lee Bergeron.  This is a picture that was taken a few weeks ago when he learned that we were trying to adopt him.  September 22, which is exactly four months after our home study, we will be departing for China!! 

We will be flying to Shanghai, will spend a couple of days there, then take a train to Nanjing.  The adoption will take place there.  We will then fly to Guangzhou to complete the paperwork to bring him back to the United States.  We hope to be back by mid-October.

Tanner is thrilled, both to be flying on a big plane, taking a fast train, and getting a brother!  He prays daily for Jian and thanks God for making his brother.  We are thankful to have many people in our lives helping us to prepare both for the trip and for having an older son!  I guess we'll need to change the name of this blog at some point too. :)

Tanner has been doing pretty well lately.  We have some prescriptions to take along with us in case he has a migraine in China, to help us avoid having to go to a hospital there. 

We want to write out all the amazing details that God orchestrated for this to happen, because you can't help but be amazed! But, for now, we wanted you to know that it's official, and we need to get back to preparing for our trip!


We would love your prayers for safety and protection on the trip, good health for us all, especially Tanner to not have any migraines, and for our bonding as we become a family.  We hope to be able to update this blog as we travel if you'd like to follow along!