We are here!!!!

Landing in Tokyo - it was so beautiful with the sun streaming through the clouds.

Gracie on the long flight

Flying over Alaska!

We made it!!! The trip took almost exactly 24 hours. We are so grateful (so grateful) to God for bringing healing to Gracie. Thank you to so many who were praying. The evening before we left she had a temp of 103 and was so miserable. She woke up a new girl the morning we left. She is still coughing but nothing like she was. Thank you for interceding for our family! God is so faithful.

The trip went perfectly - seamlessly as we have been praying. We even ran into my best friend growing up in the Minn. airport, Stephanie Hoogeveen! How crazy is that! It was so good to see her and had been a long time. I still can't believe out of that whole place we ran into each other (it probably helped that her boyfriend Kyle is a huge football player so he was easy to spot!)

We also met a Taiwanese family in Minn. and traveled on the same flights with them. They had 2 children and were such sweet people. The children waved and smiled at us every time we saw them. They gave us their number in case we needed anything - wow!! We also traveled with a group of teenage students from Taiwan and they were so adorable. They also gave us big smiles everytime our paths crossed.

The 12 hour flight went great! I am amazed at how well Gracie did. She watched movies most of the way. So cool that you have your own tv with movies, music, games - made it go so much faster! I watched "Gone with the Wind" because when else in my life (with 5 children) am I going to get to see that 3 hour movie again! I loved it =). The flight from Tokyo to Taiwan was during the middle of the night for us so we were exhausted and tried to sleep but it's hard on an airplane. We arrived around 11 pm and were at our hotel by before midnight! And here's the amazing blessing - we all slept the entire night and woke up ready for the new day, which is so wonderful since we are now on "Taiwan time". Maybe it was the "No Jet Lag" that helped (thanks Sara!!).

We are at the City Suites Gateway Hotel right now and will head to the high speed train soon and travel to Tainan, which is the city Zachary's orphanage is in. The City Suites Gateway is right next to the airport and was a great place to stay our first night. It was about $100 US dollars. (I want to use this blog also to help other families who may adopt from Taiwan because we are SO grateful to the families who did it before us and gave us lots of priceless information and advice!)

Gracie was fun at breakfast and ate rice with chopsticks. She is being so fantastic. Whenever I think about the people who have been so faithful to pray specifically for her in the last months I begin to cry. You have been a rock for her and have showered your love on her and it is such a gift - thank you.

As we traveled, we often thought about what it will be like on the way back with a 2-year-old! Please pray for that too! The support and love from our family and friends is completely overwhelming. I believe with my whole heart that God has surrounded us with a community of prayer warriors. Our church, The Crossing, is family to us, and our friends have been so close to our hearts. Sara, Erica, Joy - I love you so much.

We were able to skype with my mom and our kids this morning too! That is such an amazing thing. They were so squirrely - mostly watching themselves on the screen - haha. It was awesome. It is indeed a small world after all! Mom you are amazing!!!!!

Time to move on to the next part of this journey! Thanks for checking in!!