Patty, Showdan and Shanna - two new sisters!

Another Starbucks outing!

Ginger and her friend, Showdan (who will be in Wala Wala, WA!)

A little better!

Thank you Ryan....

Looking at "airbag" goldfish!

Watching brown bears

The Guangzho Zoo

Day 3 & 4 in Guangzhou

Hey everyone!  Two more days in the capital city of China and we have lots of ups and a few downs to share.  First of all, the good news!  Ginger's passport got issued today, and our guide, Sarah, went to the airport today to meet whoever was flying it down here.  So we are on schedule to fly back up to LuoYang on 7/1!  We have enjoyed shopping here and have found some very nice gifts and souveniers at great values!  Best of all, the shopping is much less stressful because the shop owners just extend a friendly invitation to their shop instead of 20 people a minute shouting for your attention in heavily accented English!  The city near our hotel has beautiful landscaping that has a relaxed park feel instead of a rushed city feel.  We've had a much more relaxed schedule too, although my body has somehow forgotten how to sleep inl!  The kids have continued to do great together, and although we know it's kind of a "honeymoon" time with challenges ahead, we are so thankful to see energy, laughter, running, teasing, tickling, mutual language learning, bonding, silliness, good communication and getting to know each other going on just about all the time.  We enjoyed a morning at the zoo and it was very well done with animals - new kinds and old.  These are the ups...here are the downs.  Maggie continues to struggle with car sickess and actually got sick on the way to the zoo.  As a result, she has decided the solution is to not ever get in a car.  Yeah--that's going to work well in Atlanta!  She is compliant, but understandably fearful and miserable.  I've consulted the internet for help and know we'll be ok once we're home with extra resources, but pray she doesn't develop a phobia before we get home!.  Ryan and Joel found some new friends while out shopping (Ryan is amazing in a foreign culture - he is so likeable, outgoing and fun interacting with the people) and decided to go explore Guangzho last night without letting us in on their plans, which derailed our family fun run for awhile, as you can imagine.  The girls can turn into couch potatoes in front of the TV for as long as we let them, but knowing that Chinese TV is fast coming to an end, we're being flexible on that (and we've learned about the Chinese legend of the Monkey King on TV, which to Jenna and I looks stranger than anything we have ever seen as our eyes widen in disbelief while they just calmly watch it.  We had to have Sarah explain it to us!)  We're getting a little stir crazy and bored in our room, as nice as it is on day 4 today, and I'm longing for the TV to speak English again!  But overall, we are praising the Lord for His blessings!  Tomorrow we go to the American Consulate Office to pick up the girls' Visas to travel home, and THAT will conclude the adoption process!  WOOHOO!!!  We are looking forward to seeing the Chapman's and all who are coming with "Show Hope" to dedicate the building, as we know that will be a great party!  I'm not doing any pictures tonight because I'm too tired!  Thanks for making it to the end!  Good night (and good morning to y'all!)

Never a dull moment!

Jenna and Ginger over Starbucks!

Jenna wants to bring home this home from China too!

Medical Exams - they've been real troopers!

More paperwork...!

Reconnecting over wonderful coffee!

I'll hold her, you tickle her...

Big sister's teddy on loan

Their first flight!

Supporting a car sick Maggie

The Amburgy Five!

Tony & Michael

"Strength & Wisdom" pose

On the way to Longman's Grotto - take 2

Buddha, Buddha & more Buddha - over 100,000 carved

Notice the similar pose...

The biggest Buddha....

On the way to Longman's Grotto

The next two days--LuoYang and Guangzho

Our day started with sightseeing to Longman's Grotto in Luoyang, which is an amazing collection of Buddha cave carvings--over 100,000 of them.  It proves that mankind are incredible worshippers--it's a matter of who or what we worship.  The weather is an oven and we melted slowly!  We discovered that Maggie gets carsick, and was scared to get back on the bus.  Pray for her!  We had a last lunch with Michael and got to meet his ministry partner, both who helped us get out of the rooms by 2:00 sharp to avoid an automatic charge!  Back on the bus, this time with a Chinese Dramamine working in Maggie for the crazy, hot van ride (I will NEVER say that Atlanta traffic and driving is bad again!) and their first flight on quite a small plane from LuoYang to Guangzhou, China's capital where lots more paperwork needs to get done.  The girls did well, holding on to Ryan's pillow and Jenna's Teddy Bear, both on loan to them!  We got in late at 10:30 pm after starting at 7 am, but arriving at the White Swan Hotel was a breath of fresh air with beautiful rooms, beautiful artwork, an indoor waterfall with a beautiful fish pond...I felt myself relax as I took in the atmosphere AND the morning not having an official requirement until 10:30 am.  Tony and I snuck out of the room at 7:00 am the next morning (our sleep is still messed up!) and had lots of wonderful coffee and actually had real heart to heart conversation instead of just logistical conversations getting 7 people and 7 suitcases from A to B to C to D...  Then, we got to have a wonderful American breakfast buffet at a table for 7 and watched the kids having fun interaction again.  The Chinese people here might think we're a little crazy, but they'd have to notice the happiness and fun too!  We've had several friendly comments of "What a BIG family!" There are so many families adopting here and it's very cool to be a part of it.  Today we got through the girls' medical exams and more paperwork, and then our new guide, Sarah, helped us go to a Chinese version of Walmart for some things we needed.  It was just about like driving here--lots more people and noise than we're used to.  The girls are so fun to be with and are doing great - they just light up and play with Ryan, Joel & Jenna, and they are adorable to watch.  We feel so blessed! Tomorrow we're going to the zoo, and then we have complete free time.  Please pray for a problem with Ginger's passport that got issued with a wrong birth year.  It could cost us an extra day here, which will keep us from going back to LuoYang for the celebration of "Maria's Big House".  Pray that they get it done in time for us to leave on schedule 7/1!  Sorry this is long, but it has been a full 2 days!

Finally...some more pictures

Meeting the girls!

Our 2nd day as a family of seven!

Today was incredibly awesome and a blessing in so many ways.  Some of the awkwardness was gone, better communication is happening, and the girls are amazingly bright, fun and motivated students (in math, English, Chinese, and reading.) We had breakfast today at our hotel- a very Chinese one with rice and vegetables and fish...but the girls ate well!  We didn't have to be anywhere official until 3:00, so we enjoyed time with Michael having lunch at his friends' restaurant, and sight-seeing at the ancient wall of the original city of Louyang.  It is HOT here - 42 degrees Celcius, whatever that is, and it's just as humid as Atlanta!  The difference is that A/C is very sketchy in most places and we are spoiled Americans!  We went to the office to get our documents notarized, and 2 hours later, the job was done.   But this time we came prepared with lots to do, and it was a JOY to watch our FIVE children have a blast playing Uno, the card game, for well over an hour and laughing and communicating well!  Ryan, Joel and Jenna have been amazing with their new sisters - and it's a gift from heaven.  They have been resilient, cooperative through crazy schedules and lots of waiting, very sensitive to the girls, and have poured love and fun into them.  We visited the outside of the orphanage and some of their friends came out (we weren't allowed in because of the swine flu risk).  This was a very emotional time for the girls that included tears, understandably.  They've lost so much in life, and their choice is to change everything about their lives for a new family, or grow up alone.  It was good to see that they are loved and well cared for there, including their teachers.  The day ended with a meal with Director Pei and special teachers and friends  of the LuoYang Children's Home in a very nice Chinese restaurant.  I'll let the pictures tell the story for that.  Tomorrow...another flight to Guangzhou for lots more paperwork...and sightseeing in the morning.  Now, for the pictures!

JUNE 24, 2009!

The day started at 4:30 am getting packed up and ready for a 7:40 am flight out of Beijing to Zhengzhou.  The Beijing airport is beautiful, modern, and the people able to communicate in English to help us through the process.  At our arrival, we met our guide and translator in charge of guiding us through the adoption process, Celine, and another mother and her 13 year old daughter who are adopting a 13 year old girl from the same orphanage.  We have made a new friend in Patty, the mother; this is their 3rd Chinese adoption, their 5th child, and they are a beautiful Christian family.  The first stop was a government office, and this is where we met the girls!  June 24, 2009 is the 5th biggest day in the Amburgy family!  We sat down with them, had to sign many documents with the guide explaining them since they were in Chinese.  Overall, it went very well!  Of course there was shyness with the girls, lots of waiting, and the huge words of "you are now the legal parents of Ginger and Maggie!  We had a 2 hour drive to LouYang in the same day, arrived at our hotel, and had to figure out how to sleep seven, how to tell the girls we were going to eat, (Pizza Hut, Chinese style!  The girls had spaghetti!) and then getting them through showers and in their new jammies!  Michael, our wonderful friend and friend of the girls, came over and we had a good visit.  He is able to speak anything he wants in Chinese and this, along with sharing a mutual love of Christ has made a miraculous friendship between us.  He truly loves the girls and the other kids and has a great relationship with them that is fun to watch - it was good to see them together!.  We gave them a backpack full of fun things to do and help them learn!  My favorite thing was climbing into bed between them with "My First Bible Story Book" in Chinese and English.  They read to me the story in Chinese (it is amazing that those characters can ever be learned and have meaning and phonics!) and they are great readers.  Then I read it to them in English.  We read 4 stories before we said good night and tucked them in, and they slept very well!  We are very thankful for His incredible provision for this day!   

Tuesday, June 23rd.

The past 3 days have been amazing, life-changing, challenging and wonderful all wrapped up in one, and definitely too full to update this blog as I wanted to.  I'll give a recap of these days and then add pictures.  6/23, Tuesday: sightseeing and shopping, China-style, and back to the hotel to get ready for an early flight (up at 4:30 am, to the Beijing airport for a 7:40 am flight).  It was quite a sleep deprived night, partly from jet lag and partly from being really overwhelmed about the next day of meeting the girls and becoming their parents! 

WE ARE HERE

We arrived safe and sound in Beijing at 2:30 P.M. China time, with our bodies feeling every bit of 2:30 A.M. Atlanta time and 14 hours of sitting on a plane attempting to sleep!  But the trip was uneventful and went smoothly every step of the way!  We are without a guide while here in Beijing, so when we passed a McDonalds walking on the streets of downtown Beijing, we decided that was just what we needed, along with the Starbucks!  Tomorrow we will venture out and tour the Forbidden City on our own, and find a fun, modern market that we went two years ago for shopping.  It's midnight now, I'm WIDE awake at the moment, but Jenna is anxiously awaiting the computer for much-needed contact with friends, so I'll sign off until tomorrow!

 

Another test...

Great!  It worked.  Here's test #2 - can I email a picture to the blog?

A test...

I just found out the this blog site is blocked in China, so I'm trying out an email posting.  I'm way in over my head, btw...

Meet Michael, our friend and our new daughters' friend. He has been an incredible blessing to us all as he works on behalf of the LuoYang children these past 3 years, and bridges a very large gap between two little girls and their new family! Thank you, Michael! How could we have done this without you?

Our Itinerary

Here's our schedule. Remember that once we're in China, we're exactly 12 hours ahead of EST, so just change the p.m. to an a.m. and back up to convert it to USA time!

Sun., 6/21, 9:30 AM Fly United to Washington DC, arrive 11:30
12:30 pm Depart for Beijing
Mon., 6/22, 2:30 pm Arrive in Beijing
Tues., 6/23 Tour the Forbidden City and Hutong Tour; our last day as a family of 5!
Wed., 6/24 Depart for Zhengzhou 7:40 am, arrive 8:55 am, travel to the Henan Provincial Civil
Affairs Office to meet Ginger and Maggie. Travel by van to Luoyang (their home
city) to get the girls' Chinese Passports
Thur., 6/25 Sight-seeing in Luoyang to Longmen Buddha Cave and Luoyang Children's Home (at
this time they aren't letting any visitors in until they've been in China for 7 days
because of Swine Flu)
Fri., 6/26 Flight to Guangzhou at 5:00 pm, arriving at 7:05 pm, stay at White Swan Hotel
Sat., 6/27 Girls' Medical Examinations
Sun., 6/28 Sightseeing in Guangzhou
Mon, 6/29 Visa interview in the American Consulate at 9:00 (this is to get the girls' US Visas)
Tues., 6/30 Go to the Consulate to take our oath and pick up their Visas. They are "officially"
Amburgy's at this time!
Wed., 7/1 Fly from Guangzhou back to LuoYang to visit the orphanage (we'll be 7 days in the
country by then) to meet the girls' friends and caregivers
Thurs., 7/2 Attend the Dedication Ceremony with the Chapman's and other "Show Hope"
friends of "Maria's Big House of Hope". We visited the grounds 2 years ago and
were a part of seeing this vision come true - a 6 story incredible facility for children
Fri, 7/3 Fly from LuoYang to Beijing, departing Beijing for home at 4:10 pm, arriving in
Chicago at 4:30 pm USA time (a 20 minute flight!) :0) Chicago to Atlanta arriving
home at 10:30 pm 7/3
Sat., 7/4 Celebrate the Fourth and our new girls' homecoming!

A little history...

How does a family go from having no idea about orphans and no intention whatsoever to adopt to getting on a plane in 5 days to go get twins from China who are 9 years old going on 10?

It's simple: hang around Steven Curtis Chapman just a little and get to know his and Mary Beth's friends at their "Show Hope" orphan ministry events, who just happen to be the "heavy hitters" of the orphan cause. THEN, go on a short term mission trip to China, only with intentions of continuing your giving ministry and meet these orphans face to face and watch God lay His heart on your husband and transform him before your eyes. Then just go ahead and try to go home and resume your life, but you may as well get your white flag out, wave it around, get ready for the paperwork adventure of your life, pull out your checkbook, book your tickets, and get your heart ready to expand by 2! :o)

5 days unt

After a 2-1/2 year long journey, our family is getting ready to leave for China on 6/21/09 to complete our adoption of two sweet little twin sisters whose English names are Ginger and Maggie. We are very excited, and more than slightly overwhelmed as we try to get everything done. One of those very important jobs we're overwhelmed about is to make sure we have the ability to communicate with every person of our family and friends who have been cheering us on. We couldn't have done it without you.