Sunday Update: A Little Preview of Heaven?

Our first (and only!) full Sunday in China led us to visit a local church we had heard others recommend to us.  The Guangzhou International Christian Fellowship church is a church that meets at the local Hilton Hotel each Sunday morning.  It is a church specifically for foreigners and ex-pats to gather, join together, and worship.  Jared meet and joined up with us, and we had a great time being together with other like-minded believers, worshiping, singing, and connecting with them.  The seats in the ballroom of the Hilton Hotel were filled up, and a line of people were standing around the perimeter of the area the service was being held in.  Residents from the U.S, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Congo, Philippines, parts of Europe, and other countries from around the world joined together and had a great time with one another.  It reminded us of how amazing it will be in Heaven as we experience worship and community with believers from all around the world.  It was exciting for us to think about and experience on a small scale during this service!  If we had to estimate the number that were in attendance, we'd have to estimate approximately 350-450 people.  The service was in English, had a strong and clear Gospel message, and was a very warm and welcoming environment to everyone who attended!

After a time of worship in the main service, all the children were dismissed for a special children's church time.  Jill and Hannah slipped out, and had a great time interacting and being with other kids and their caregivers.  They all enjoyed some singing, a short lesson, coloring and crafts, and of course - snack time!

After church, we grabbed a quick lunch with Jared, said good-bye to him (thank you again for coming, Jared!) and came back to our hotel to rest, recoup, and clean up a bit (including doing some laundry by hand in the bathroom sink!  Yep, the glorious life of living in a hotel for 3 weeks....jealous?)

Later on, we met up with others from our group and our guide, who had two different restaurants she wanted us to try out.  One was specifically for xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), and another was more traditional Chinese food.  Both were tasty, and filled us up (again!).  Afterward, we went out for a great evening walk along the pedestrian mall plaza (Zhujiang New Town) and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city - complete with light displays from the nearby skyscrapers, Canton Tower, and pedestrian walkway itself!  Since this whole area of GZ was created and designed in preparation for the 2010 Asian Games, it has a very modern and dynamic vibe to it.  There is an opera house, different museums, a public library, and a lot of shops and stores for people to enjoy in this area.  But our guide took us to our final destination - ascending to the 99th floor of this grand hotel for a beautiful overlook of the entire city! (this was FREE!)

Loving the noodles at dinner...and the attention she gets from slurping them up!

The outside of the skyscraper hotel we ascended!

Inside the hotel (Floor #99)...looking down into the middle of it - rooms on every floor!

The view from the top!

After a quick ear popping descent to the ground level, we enjoyed some more beautiful views of the Canton Tower, some nearby buildings/architecture, and let all the kids run off some built up energy.  It didn't take long for the kids (including the 'big kid' adults) to get to sleep this night.  Tomorrow is a big day - early to rise and off to our appointment at the US Consulate Building to wrap up the last official details related to our adoption!  Off to bed and catch some much needed sleep!

A Walk In The Park

Someone is ready to hit the town in style! #divastatus

 While we have been here for almost an entire week already, we have had limited opportunity to go out and explore some of the landmarks and historical areas of the city we've considered our home for these past few days.

Our guide picked us and the other two families up and we headed out to Yuexiu Park, which is one of the most popular areas in town, because of the statues and history behind it.  This area once formed the northern most point of the city and was defined by the large massive brick and stone wall that was created here to designate the city boundary.  As time went on, the city expanded and most of the wall was torn down, except this section that still remains.

On top of the big hill inside the park stands the "Five Rams Sculpture".  As legend has it, when Guangzhou was founded (over 2,200 years ago), five immortals were said to have ridden rams into the city with stalks of rice in their mouths.  Their intent was to teach the residents how to grow rice and feed one another, ending the famine that was present in the land.  This well-known statue commemorates this legend, and is a very popular spot for residents and tourists to visit.  The city of Guangzhou has been given the nickname "City of Rams" because of this legend.

Entrance to Yuexiu Park

The Five Rams Statue

Part of the old city wall that still remains intact!

We spent about 1-2 hours in this park walking around the paths, exploring the old city wall, and making our way through a few other monuments and memorials to well-known city leaders and rulers.  Of course, there's *always* time for some selfies, and our little girl wasn't afraid to take them....

After heading out from the park, we went downtown near the Pearl River.  Guangzhou is built along this river, and is considered a major port and transportation hub here in China.  With over 13 million residents, Guangzhou is one of three largest cities in China.

We took a quick walk to the Canton Tower - a massive free-standing skyscraper built back in 2009-2010 and located in the heart of the city.  This tower reaches almost 2,000 feet in the air, and held the record for the tallest tower in the world (for a brief time, anyway).  It was built for the 2010 Asian Games, and remains a beautiful landmark that lights up at night and creates a very fun and lively environment around it with shops, entertainment, and a walking pedestrian mall. (More pictures from this area tomorrow!)

As we continue to spend more and more time with Hannah, we're encouraged to see her become more relaxed and open to us!  Her smiles and giggles continue to brighten our day, and she's beginning to pick up a few basic English words and associate names with each one of us.  She continues to be a great eater at meal times, but is slowly beginning to show us her clear opinions and thoughts on what she wants to eat and not eat!  = )

Thanks for your continued support and prayers - we are feeling them and appreciate them greatly!

Friday: Doctors, Orphanages, & Xiaolongbao

Although we had planned to have a casual and relaxing Friday morning after a long day at the Safari Park on Thursday, our guide told us that there was an inconclusive medical test that came back for Hannah from the doctor's office, and that we needed to run another test and clarify the few remaining questions that were on her medical report before she was given the "ok" from the doctors and CDC to come to the US with us.

With that in mind, we added a return trip to the doctor to our Friday schedule (sigh), but thankfully the remaining test was quick and the results revealed that her medical report was clear and ready to go!  Praise God!

Jared, Eric, Nathan, Brooke, and Joshua went out on a little exploration in the morning, as we were in need of some simple groceries and supplies.  We heard of this place called "Wal Mart" - a very peculiar name for a store, perhaps?  But it was located a few blocks away from the hotel, so we headed out to investigate what it had to offer.

This Walmart was quite unique in that it looked small from the outside, unlike the Walmarts we know in the States.  However, once you got inside, it was a multi-level, low-ceiling store, with very small aisles, shelves stocked to the top, and little bitty carts or plastic baskets (with wheels!) you could drive around and put your items in.  The grocery section was in the lower level...next to the bulk candy section (of course!) and the fresh seafood section.  And when we mean "fresh seafood"....we mean "still-swimming-in-the-tank-fresh-seafood".  Being Walmart, the expectation is that you go fish your own catch with the fishnet they provide at the counter and then you haul it to the butcher behind the counter to slice and dice before your very eyes.  Did we mention they also offer fresh squid, octopus, and chicken feet for your next family reunion dinner?

After finding some PB&J supplies, Oreos, chips, and snacks, we walked back to the hotel and prepared for the afternoon.  Today was a special day as we were scheduled to visit Hannah's orphanage and learn more about how and where she spent her early years.

Her orphanage was located about 1 - 1.5 hours outside of Guangzhou, in an area that is surrounded by factories and manufacturing plants.  When we arrived, we were greeted warmly by a few of the workers, who took us on a tour of the many buildings, outdoor play area, and common spaces they use with the children.  Hannah's orphanage is one of the larger ones in the area (approximately 700-800 children in total), and care for children that range in age from infant to 17-18 years old.  The level of special needs also varies greatly with these children, and they provide different opportunities and facilities for those who would benefit from them.  With a limited staff and this many kids under their care, they do a great job at trying to provide the best environment and opportunity for these kids.  And yet, there is such a great need for additional support, care, and love for these children.

While we were there, we were able to see Hannah's classroom, meet a few of her teachers and nannies (who were so excited to see her again, meet us, and wish her the best), see her cafeteria and play rooms, and even look at where her room and bed was.  It was a special day, filled with a variety of emotions and thoughts, and one we didn't take lightly as we acknowledge how the time Hannah spent her is part of her life story and history.  We're so thankful for the staff and caretakers who cared for her, and the ongoing work they do for the children that are still residing here.

Hannah showing us the fun outdoor play area she loved to play in!

One of her teachers who worked with Hannah often, and gave us some of her artwork and classwork!

Family picture outside the front of the orphanage, with two of the orphanage officials

Once we arrived back at our hotel, Jared recommended a great Taiwanese restaurant that was known for their soup dumplings (Xiaolongbao), among other things.  We hopped into our first cab ride through Guangzhou and headed out for dinner.  Available in either pork or chicken, these dumpings are special in that they add a small portion of soup inside the dumping before they come out to your table in a traditional small bamboo steaming basket, ready to be consumed like candy.  Dip them into your little bowl of vinegar and soy sauce blend, and you're set to enjoy!

We became big fans of these little steamy dough pockets of love, and couldn't stop eating them.  We also tried out their noodles with sesame and spicy sauce, some fried pork and rice, and a few others, but the xiaolongbao took home gold medal honors by the entire Groezinger clan!  (how rare is THAT?!)  We had a great time eating there, and really appreciated the time we were able to spend with Jared (and his coaching us on proper eating techniques!).

This started with 10. 3 were consumed before a picture was even taken!

Thumbs up from EVERYONE around the table!

Chopstocks = your utensil of choice for this meal!

We arrived back at our hotels after another long day here in GZ, but not without a few reasons why we're thankful today:

• No additional medical concerns for Hannah - she's cleared and ready to come home!
• The opportunity to spend time at her orphanage and better see, feel, and understand the time she spent there.
• Friends here and back home who encourage us through their prayers, financial support, and even recommendations of the best xiaolongbao to eat in GZ!

Lions and Tigers and...PANDAS!!! Oh My!!!

Since arriving in China last Sunday afternoon, each day has seen a significant amount of our time here focusing on appointments related to filling out or processing paperwork to finalize our adoption process and get the necessary details worked out to bring Hannah home (Chinese passport, visa, etc).

Thursday became our first full day where we had no appointments or agenda.  Our guide was planning to take us and the other two families who are here on an afternoon sightseeing and shopping trip, but we decided late Wed night to skip out of that optional time and go off to spend the day doing something else.  After some quick research and investigation, we told the kids Thursday morning we were taking them to a Safari Park (aka - a massively large zoo located here in Guangzhou).  This safari park/zoo has over 400 different types of animals (including a koala bear exhibit, rainforest, African themes, and an entire section of panda bears), a few animal presentation shows, cable cars/gondolas, and a safari tour that takes you through the African savannah to see the animals up close.  Did we mention they had PANDAS?

To add to the fun, a friend of ours, Jared, who currently lives with his wife in Macau, offered to come up and spend time with us in Guangzhou and celebrate our adoption with us.  We met Jared five years ago in S. Korea when we adopted Joshua, as he lived there at the time and was a huge blessing to us as he helped us navigate Seoul, translate the language, and offer incredible support to us during that time.  When we found out we were only an hour apart from one another, he graciously offered to come visit and be a part of our process again.  We loved the idea and are excited to have him hang out with us for the next few days and agreed to meet him near the park, after we jumped onto the subway to get us there.

The subway.  How shall we begin to describe this?  Although not difficult to manage and navigate, the volume of people coming and going on the subway trains made you re-evaluate your need for personal space and double down on your supply of Germ-X.  We saw many overfilled trains, and in one case, a man (who was the last to get on the train), keep budging himself in, determined to make it work even though there was no space for him to squeeze into on the train.  He tried to keep himself away from the door, but to no success.  Once, twice, three times the doors opened and closed (and prolonging the train from departing the station).  Although it would have been quicker and easier for him (or those he was leaning against inside the train) to push him out and wait for the next one, he persisted for the fourth time, and the doors finally closed.  Off the train went, with a sardines-tight train of passengers.  Hope ya'll took a shower!  B.O. is our friend?

Our time in the Safari Park was packed with seeing every animal and species we could find.  We saw everything from a Giant Anteater to the Zebras, and everything in between.  In some cases, you were allowed to get very close to the animals, or (for an extra fee) feed the giraffes or elephants.  Since we were already feeding the monkeys in our family, we opted to stick with those snacks and treats throughout the day.  Despite the extensive amount of walking and standing we did throughout the day, we were able to get a "this is the best day ever!" comment out of Joshua after we walked through the snake exhibit and he got to see every snake under the sun - including a few 30 ft Anacondas, pythons, and rattlesnakes.

Hannah did great throughout the entire day, but her smiles became quite large when we walked into the panda exhibit.  Although other parks/zoos here in China also have pandas, this location is known for having the only live panda triplets in existence in the world, born back in mid-2014 (the chance of survival of panda triplets is only 1%).  This safari park/zoo not only had these three triplets, but many others as well, that we were able to see up close and enjoy - with very few crowds!  By far this was the highlight of the day for her...and for the rest of us too!

Enjoy the fun pictures of our day at the safari park/zoo - more appointments are scheduled for tomorrow (including a trip to Hannah's orphanage).

Jared & this guy were like best pals all day long! A great joy to have along!

Hannah loves riding the zoo train with her big brother Nathan!

The amazing subway experience!

#twinning

Doctors, Gardens, Pearls, & Love

On Wednesday our day started off with a quick stop at a passport photo shop so Hannah could begin getting her passport finalized and processed before departure next week.  A quick 1-2-3 photo and we were set to go upstairs to her next appointment - the medical checkup.

Before allowing them to leave the country (and enter the US), each child is required to have a medical check up/exam and TB test.  Thankfully our guide is extremely efficient and well-versed in helping us process the paperwork and needed details for this to happen smoothly! A team of doctors, specialized in pediatric care and focused on the area of adoptive children, did a number of routine assessments and checks to make sure Hannah was in a healthy state.  Because of her thalassemia blood disorder, we requested some additional blood work and labs be completed to help us understand her current levels and needs as we prepare for departure.  Parents aren't able to go along with their child for the blood draw but Hannah did well going in by herself.  She is a brave little girl who has much experience with getting poked by needles!

After this morning round of appointments, we had some time to relax and explore some of the area around our hotel.  One area is known as "the garden", and is a beautiful natural area of landscaping, walking paths, a pond filled with fish, some beautiful architecture, and a large waterfall.  Seeing the need for our kids to get some exercise and stretch our legs a bit, we spent some time outside enjoying the sun and beauty.  Once you came into this area from the outside, you would never have known we were in the middle of a bustling, hustling, car and taxi saturated area of a large metropolitan city in China!  The beautiful trees, flowers, water, and grass provided an opportunity for a few pictures and some time to unwind from the ongoing demands of appointments and checkups.

Later in the afternoon we were taken to another government/civil affairs office to pick up the official notary book and adoption decree, and then head out to visit a few shopping markets with our guide and other families who are with our agency.

Our guide took us to some of the more traditional, old town markets, where many types of jewels, stones, and silks were being sold by various vendors.  One of the first shops we all stopped in was a reputable dealer of pearls, and they had plenty!  This small store was filled with rows and rows of bags that had varying types and sizes of pearls.  Nathan and I tried to come close to even estimating how many pearls were in this store alone....not to mention the 10-15 other stores we could see within eye sight.  (our estimate - impossible!)  If you love pearls, this is your spot to find them!
 
After looking over some options, we picked up a beautiful pearl necklace and earrings for Hannah as a gift for when she's older.  While they were preparing the necklace, we joked with Joshua how his future girlfriend (and wife) may like to have something like this.  Joshua, who is in a funny stage where the thought of kissing, love, or having a wife is seen as "ewwww - gross!", seemed pretty intrigued with what they were doing!  Someday your perspective will change, Joshua, someday.  = )

Overall, we had another great day here in China, and the appointments are getting closer to being finished!  Enjoy the photo updates of our day here!

Almost a set up for a photo shoot, but it's actually just for her passport photo

Hannah getting a pep talk from our guide to explain she will be pricked

Photo with the nurse!

Our afternoon walk "in the garden" in front of the waterfall

Joshua is pretty interested in these pearls...for his future wife?  = )

She likes them! She likes them! (but are being saved for later!)