Guangzhou-Part Five

We arrived in Guangzhou on Saturday, June 17th, one day before Father's Day.  Nate did fantastic on his first ever plane ride!!!  We had strawberry gum ready, per his request, because he was nervous about his ears hurting (based on other's reports to him about flying).  Let me just tell you, that boy can out-smack me (and I am a gum smacker-just ask my family) and swallow it so fast.  I am not sure how many pieces he went through before we were actually up in there air.  Haha.

Adam's 20th Father's Day and Nate's first time to have a father to celebrate on Father's Day was spent in China.  However, this was not Adam's first Father's Day to spend in China.  He had taken a group of college students over in June of 2004-the month and the year that Nate was born.  I mean, only God!!!!! Wow!!!! But Father's Day fell during the 10 days he was in China all those years ago, at least this time we were all together.  We had adoption meetings to attend during the day with our group, but we managed to head out on an adventure during the afternoon and evening.  Adam found a Mexican food restaurant, and although it was not like Tex-Mex, it hit the spot. Not to mention there was live music too. 

As we were leaving the restaurant area, knowing we could not walk all the way back to the subway to go back to the hotel, we waited in line for a taxi.  Of course six people cannot fit in a taxi car so very quickly it was decided that Adam would take Nate and both the girls and Jack and I would take the next taxi, whenever that might be.  I did have the hotel address on my phone to show the driver.  I admit I was very scared.  At that moment there was a man, not from China, also waiting for a taxi and he spoke English!!!  I asked if we could take the next one and told him that I was a bit nervous. He assured me in that in the nine years he has lived and worked in China he has always felt and been safe. He very kindly assured me we would be ok and that I could have the next taxi.  Up it rolled and in Jack and I went.  I showed the driver the address and off we went.  Jack and I were holding  onto each other very tightly when we figure out we could not put on the seatbelts.  His face was scared and then I just got a strong sense of peace.  I looked at him and told him that I had absolute peace and that I knew we would be ok that God was with us and that people were praying for us.  I did figure out a plan in my mind if it seemed he was not taking us where we need to go, although I wasn't 100% sure myself.  Somehow Adam managed to get a quick call to my phone and that also made me feel better. Jack felt so peaceful he fell asleep and I watched for landmarks we had passed before and prayed.  I cannot tell you how thrilled I was as our hotel came into view.  And seeing Adam, Nate and the girls waiting for us..... precious.  It was so neat to tell them how I moved from fear to peace.  What a memorable Father's Day!