Exploring the Great Wall with our new extended family

I have so much to post but not enough time...of course.  We are on a very busy schedule of touring each day.  We are also trying to get together with some of our new friends in the evenings (the volunteers from "Baby Come Home").  Some of the foreign reporters we have gotten to know have been so helpful while here and we hope to get together for dinner with them (no more interviews though) as well.  I wish we had more time!

Yesterday was great.  The family enjoyed the Great Wall and we were all amazed at how agile Christian's 80 year old grandmother was.  She was with us the whole time and often ahead of us.  She won't let go of Christian's hand.  At one time I tried to give Christian a break so he could take photos.  I tried to grab her hand and she lifted up our hands, pointing to our hands, shook her head "no" with a smile and then scurried ahead to grab Christian's hand.  So cute!  It is so evident that this family loves Christian dearly.  The birth dad and uncle are getting a long well (no more arguments or bitterness) and laughing together now, so that is nice to see.  Years of anger and resentment seem to be healing between the two of them.  Thank the Lord for that.

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. -Ephesians 4:32

We are learning a lot more information about Christian's first family and his life before the orphanage.  I am so thankful his birth family are they type of people they are and that we all just want the best for Christian. 

After the tour of the Great Wall, we went to a Cloisonne Factory and then to an Acrobatic Show.  The uncle and grandmother were literally on the edge of their seats the whole time with a big smile on their faces.  This is all so new to them having never been out of Ningxia.  After the show we had a nice Peking Duck Dinner.  We laughed and joked around a lot with the family.  The birth father particularly has a great sense of humor.  We talked about how the alittude is much greater in Ningxia and the birth father said he was worried we would have a hard time adjusting and breathing, so he got us some oxygen bottles.  We think he was joking but not quite sure...after all he and his wife are doctors. 

We leave Beijing tomorrow to head to the village and won't have internet access until September 5th unlesss we take a day trip to Longde and use the internet there.  I will upload photos from yesterday later before we head off to the village.

Here is a great article from the LA Times:

Article on AOL- I haven't even had time to read this one yet.

Part 2 of CNN's original story

Thanks for all your comments on facebook and emails.  I haven't had time to read them all, but definitely will when things calm down some.

Love to all of you,
Julia, Christian, Kelly & Jamie