moving right along the John Paul road

Wait #1 of the four "waits" following our (very big deal) LOA is behind us. 

If I had to guess at this point, I'd say we are most likely to travel the last week of August.  Which as you know, is not what we're hoping for!  We are all praying along with Lydia that we will have John Paul by her birthday (August 15th).  

Actually, Julianna prays like this: "God, please let us get John Paul for Lydia's birthday.  And if we can't get him for Lydia's birthday then can we get him for mine in December?"

Unless something very unexpected and very unusual happens he'll be here well before December!   But Lydia's birthday?  Keep praying!

We have a surprise vacation in July that will help take our mind off the waiting.  "Surprise" since it kind of dropped into our laps.  We knew Matt had quite a bit of vacation days to use (or loose) so one night we sat down and started scrambling  - how? when? where? 

It might be hard to understand this unless you have lived outside your home culture, but for us... it's very difficult to vacation here, in this culture.  Part of vacation is getting away from some of the particular stresses and challenges of living here.  Can we (me, Matt, the children) really enjoy a vacation when we are still stared at? pointed at? stopped by complete strangers and expected to answer their favorite 5 questions that we get asked over and over and over again?  Not really.

On the other hand, leaving the country means air travel, and five seats on an airplane don't come cheaply!  So the night we sat down to crash plan a vacation - God just placed it in our lap!  Matt came up surprised to find great airfare straight into Hong Kong and we discovered a guest house that provides two meals a day and offered us a two bedroom suite.  (Because vacationing with six people in one hotel room is, well.... NOT ideal!)  Then we called some great friends and before long they were buying tickets too :) 

So July 7th we're off.  Staying on a smaller Hong Kong island with no vehicles - walk from the ferry dock to the guest house (which will put my minimalist packing skills to the test!)  It'll be our first and last vacation as a family of six before adding John Paul to the mix. 

My dream is that we'll be solidly into wait #3 ("U.S. consulate Article 5") before we head to Hong Kong.  It's possible.  And that's what we're praying for.