Ni hao!!! Linda just went to sleep... she did really well and was happy :)! We had a good train ride to Hefei, and we arrived at around 2:30. We had to go to the civil affairs office so that Dad could sign some papers so he doesn't have to do as much tomorrow, which is good. Then we came to the hotel(which is really nice) and checked in and just hung out. We ordered room service for dinner and then we gave Linda a bath and got her ready for bed. She has done sooo well today and is continuing to warm up to us!
Here is what David added . . .
As Mia said, we had a great day! I woke up this morning to see Linda sitting up in her bed around 7:00. When she saw me, she gave me a big smile! That was super encouraging since she went to sleep that night before feeling a bit sad. We got dressed and ate at the breakfast buffet in the hotel. We were curious to find out what Linda likes to eat. Well, as it turns out, she pretty much likes everything and will eat it all!
We took the bullet train from Langfang (just outside Beijing) to Hefei, which is the home province where Linda was born. The train was a lot of fun and Linda did really well. It took us only four hours to travel 700 miles! It was sad for us to watch Linda say goodbye to special Lily who has been a part of Linda’s life for over four years. She did well though and didn't cry. Not sure if she fully understood that the goodbye would be permanent.
(This is sweet Lily . . . she runs Harmony House. She has loved and cared for our girl as well as countless other children. I'm sure that good-bye was hard for her. We are so grateful to her and to Harmony Outreach for truly caring for the least of these.)
"Defend the cause of the fatherless." Isaiah 1:17
We met our guide, Faye, in the hotel lobby. She is super sweet - she looks about 18 years old, but I know that she is at least out of college. Linda fell asleep in about 3 minutes tonight without crying! She was exhausted from a long day! Tomorrow morning we head over to the civil affairs office for the official adoption ceremony!
