Passport Day in Tianjin

Good news! Art and our guide traveled over to the police station in Tianjin to pick up Benjamin's passport just hours ago. The passport is the reason we have been sitting in this city for no less than seven business days (at least, so we thought). The passport is Benjamin's ticket to leave the provincial capital and travel to South China, Guangzhou, where we will meet with the U.S. Consulate in order to receive clearance to travel to the U.S.A. These final meetings allow Benjamin to be received into the city of entry as a U.S. citizen. That's worth rejoicing over.

We celebrated passport day with some special friends from our humble abode here at The Westin. We ordered up spaghetti, pizza, soup, pop, and french fries for all those who shared in our joyous celebration. Benjamin was clueless of our reason for celebrating but thoroughly enjoyed the luncheon fare and festivities.
Take some time to read Psalm 34 today as this happens to be one of the chapters we have chosen to read daily over the course of our trip. Picture with us our great God victoriously making a way for His children to be placed in families and given a hope and a future. God's plan will prevail. God keeps His promises.
As we travel to Guangzhou tomorrow, please continue to pray for us as we have appointments with medicals and the consulate. Our dear Chinese friend whom we have known for almost fifteen years will be meeting up with us for the weekend. This will surely be a sweet reunion.
We are so ready to wrap up our business and prepare to travel back to see our family in the states. The difficult part of adoption travel is having to be separated from our loved ones for so long. We are so thankful for our married children who have helped us out by staying with the family back home so we could be about this business.
Please pray for God's strength and special blessing upon them while we are apart.