4 Weeks Home!

Wow.

Its hard to believe Adam's been home for 4 weeks now. Life is surely not the same. Adam is doing very well. He had his first medical checkup last week and he is a very healthy, albeit skinny child. We are waiting on getting an appointment with the cranio-facial team at Dayton's Children Hospital to talk and learn more about his upcoming care.

Adam has adjusted fairly well. He gets along with Mackenzie and Makayla like any little brother would with slightly older sisters; they play, they laugh, they hug, they fight, they scream, they cry, they hug, etc.. And while his speech isn't that great, his understanding of the English language improves everyday. And yes, he is beginning to say a few words like Mama, No, night-night, and Steelers!. He addresses his sisters as "Enzie" and "Ayla".

Adam is also enjoying the Holiday Season. He loves the Christmas lights and really enjoyed putting ornaments on the Christmas trees (we have 2). We're not sure what he thinks about that fat elf in the red suit yet. He loves playing with our toy nativity set.

He has done well at church. We have put him in the 3 year old class with Makayla. He loves to participate as best he can. He is shy at first with people but warms up quickly.

And yes, he still tries to get into everything he can. We have added more child safety locks in the house and are doing our best to teach him his boundaries.

We still covet your prayers as he continues to develop. Pray also for wisdom for Karyn and me as we get ready for his medical care. Many thanks to all who have prayed and helped - and special prayer to the MOPs group for providing several meals upon return. We'll post again soon but as always enjoy the pics - and drop us a note.

Where's Adam? Part 3

On November 1st at 1300 CST at the Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport, Adam Zhang Bei (pronounced Jong Bay) Tkach became the newest citizen of the United States of America. At the same time, our connecting flight announced it's final boarding call. Because we still had a good 30 minutes to get to the gate, we got to enjoy an additional 3 hours in Chicago. But finally at 6 PM EST, we landed safely in Dayton and Adam and his sisters met for the first time!

The girls and Adam enjoyed the evening together. The language barrier did not seem to matter. Adam enjoyed exploring his new house.

Many thanks to friends and neighbors for watching over our girls and house the past 2 weeks. The peace of mind you gave us was priceless. Adam's next big step will be to take care of his cleft palate. We'll begin that process soon and keep you informed.

Where is Adam? He is home with his forever family!

Last Day in China

Two weeks ago we set out on a journey that actually began last March when God placed Adam on our hearts. The 13 hour plane trip from Chicago to Beijing was tough and we are not looking forward to the return trip tomorrow from Hong Kong to Chicago except that it will bring us, and especially Adam, home. This has been a truly remarkable journey. We met great new friends in our travel group, not just friends, but brothers and sisters in Christ. We'll remember the stares form the suspicious Chinese people, wondering what we are doing with a Chinese child, and how their suspicions turn to joy when they realized we were adopting an orphaned child and giving him a new life. We'll remember all the new places we've seen, the remarkable beauty that is China. And we'll remember the places we've been to before, that were not only a part of Adam's journey but our Makayla's journey as well. We'll remember the greatness of God, who brought Adam and us together, and has gone before us every step of the way. And we'll remember all the precious comments we've received from you all, who kept us close to home during the past couple of weeks.

Last night we went on a cruise up and down the Pearl River in Guangzhou. The lights of the buildings and streets were absolutely beautiful. Adam seemed to enjoy the cruise. At the hotel last night, we were startled to hear loud booms, only to realize that someone outside was treating us to a fireworks display. This morning is another relaxing morning, to be filled with packing and maybe some swimming. Adam loves the pool as long as he is being held. The pool here is actually very large, with a beach area and a wave generator.

This afternoon we head to the U.S. consulate to pick up Adam's visa and take his oath of ctizenship. They won't let us take pictures there. After the ceremony we will share one final dinner with our travel group. We wake up at 4:30 AM Wednesday and begin a 37 hour day that will end at home!. This is probably our last post from China. We'll post again from home by Thursday.

Mackenzie and Makayla - We'll be home after 1 more sleep!

Psalm 139

Today was a fairly relaxing day. I am posting this before we go on our River cruise so we won't have pictures of that till tomorrow. The internet here gets extremely slow at night. Today, I just want to share some thoughts and a scripture. Before we left I posted a segment on why we adopt. When I look at Mackenzie and Makayla play together, and marvel at how well Makayla has become a part of the Tkach family, there is no doubt that God had planned for her to become a part of this family. Adam too, has been uniquely created to become part of our family. You can look at each of the children in our adoption group and see how God has perfectly placed them with their new families. It’s absolutely amazing to behold.

Enjoy the pictures and Psalm 139:13-18

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Home in 2 days!

Red Couch Photos

Today (Sunday) we began our day in Christian fellowship with our travel group. We all met in a hotel room, shared prayer requests, sang, prayed, and one member of our group gave a sermon. It was a very special time.

In Guangzhou there is a hotel called the White Swan. We stayed there when we got Makayla. It is a tradition for all travel groups coming to Guangzhou to take groups pictures of their adopted children on a red couch in the White Swan. So today, we went to the White Swan to do just that.

The rest of the day was filled with shopping. We bought Chinese dresses for our girls and a couple Chinese outfits for Adam. We also bought souvenirs to commemorate our trip. In the afternoon, we went swimming. Adam continues to do well. He is a happy kid with great energy. He can be a little shy but warms up quickly. He loves to play. He can be mischievous.

Tomorrow we will enjoy a night cruise on the Pearl River.

For the most part, Guangzhou is a beautiful place to stay if you have to stay somewhere for 4 days. But most of all, we miss home and especially Mackenzie and Makayla. Girls, we’ll be home with your new brother after 3 more sleeps. We miss you so much.

As always thanks for your prayers. They are felt.

Guanghzou

We did make it to Guangzhou safely after a 2 ½ flight from Lanzhou. Adam did well on his first plane trip, although he did not like being constrained by a seat belt. We got to Guangzhou and had to squeeze 10 people and luggage into two small vans. After about an hours drive, we made it to the hotel.

I could not post yesterday because although the room had internet, I had no cable to connect with. The hotel graciously supplied one this morning.

Today we had Adam’s visa pictures taken and his physical examination. We also filled out all the paperwork needed to apply for his visa and citizenship. On Tuesday we will get his visa and take the oath of citizenship for him. When he arrives on U.S. soil he will be a U.S. citizen.




Last night and today we enjoyed the hotel swimming pool. As you can see from the picture it’s kind of small, but passable . Adam loved the pool. I had a hard time convincing him it was time to leave. We also had lunch at a place called Lucy’s where we ate cheeseburgers and fries that were delicious. We ate there the last time we were in Guangzhou and knew it to be a great break from Chinese fair. We also did some shopping.



Today was also a reunion of our entire travel group. Our group consists of 5 families who got their kids from 4 different provinces. Four boys and 1 girl ranging from 2 to 7 in age. It was exciting to hear all the different stories and how God has worked during the past week.

Five Springs Mountain Park

Today’s sightseeing was at Five Springs Mountain Park, home of the Lanzhou Zoo. Adam seemed to really enjoy the animals. We saw everything from bears, wolves, kangaroos, camels and Giant Panda. The views of the mountains and the city were spectacular.
I also posted a picture of Sally (left), our local guide in Lanzhou, and Susan, one of the three staff members in China from our adoption agency. Susan has been with us the whole trip.
Lunch again was at a Chinese restaurant that seemed to specialize in spicy food. OK for Karyn, not for me. Jeremy is ready for more Pizza.
Adam seems to be more comfortable around us each day. We also discovered he can blow bubbles and suck on a straw, not a usual thing for a kid with a cleft pallet.




The weather here has been absolutely beautiful. Days have been sunny and in the 60s, warm for Lanzhou this time of year. Tomorrow on to Guangzhou and a sunny 85 degrees. This will be Adam’s first plane trip. Not sure if we’ll have ability to post tomorrow. But we will if we can.

Mother Yellow River

Today we did our sightseeing along the Yellow River. Lanzhou only gets about 13 inches of rain each year. They rely on the river for irrigation. Water wheels were used to draw water from the river. They were the lifeblood of the city for a long time. The statue is called the Mother Yellow River. This is the most famous statue in Lanzhou. A baby lies on the bosom of his mother with a naive smile while the mother (unlike most of the mothers in Chinese arts who are old, weather-beaten, kindly but with a touch of sorrow) looks happy and affectionate. Adam helped me (Jeff) make it a little more special.


We also visited a park on the other side of the river. The sculpture here is of a dragon. The dragon is a symbol of Gansu, being the most powerful of animals.

This afternoon we got to visit the Lanzhou orphanage. It was a very special time getting a glimpse of what Adam and Makayla probably experienced, although the Lanzhou orphanage is probably much bigger than the one Adam came from. We got to play with some kids in the special needs section. The drive also took us through some poorer sections of the city.

Adam continues to do well, although today he began to show us his wild side. He can be a bit of handful, kind of Curious George on steroids. He seems a bit scared around dogs, so meeting our dog Gertie should prove an interesting experience. As for eating, he has quite an appetite. We haven’t found much he doesn’t like.

We did have pizza today, from a Chinese pizza restaurant. It tasted more like a Mexican Cheese pizza might taste. But all in all, pretty good.

God is good. More sightseeing tomorrow, plus we get Adam’s passport!

Lanzhou

Today was a very interesting day. We began the day visiting White Pagoda Mountain. We walked across the bridge that you see in the picture all the way to the top of the mountain where you see the pagoda. Adam did great. He walked a good deal of the way and was held quite a bit as well. On the journey up we passed a set of sculptures depicting the Chinese Zodiac. Adam (and Makayla) were born in the year of the ram. We also passed a Buddhist temple. At the top we had a beautiful view of the city. We bought a hand carved gourd that had a display of the Silk Road that passes through Gansu, and especially Zhangye (pronounced Jong –ya) where Adam lived.


After the trip down we had lunch at a Muslim restaurant. During the afternoon Jeremy and Jeff went to a music shop where Jeremy purchased a Papixian. This is a Chinese 4-stringed instrument that you play similar to a guitar, but it is held more upright. We had to wait for them to get one out of their storage unit. During the wait, they gave Jeremy a guitar to play, one of the store clerks played piano for us. Another, a university music professor played the Chinese 2-stringed instrument for us as well as an electric keyboard. It was quite a musical treat!



We were given directions earlier to a Pizza Hut that was supposedly in walking distance to the hotel. So we along with the Hewitts (the other adoptive family) set out in the evening for a pizza feast. Upon arriving at what should have been the destination, we realized a Pizza Hut was nowhere to be found. We also realized we were the center of attention. The streets of Lanzhou are very crowded with people. They rarely see Westerners, let alone ones with Chinese children. The Hewitts also have a 2 ½ year old daughter that reminds us very much of Mackenzie at that age. She attracts a crowd wherever she goes. You really can relate to the scripture that calls Christians alien and strangers in a world not their own. Well, no-one was able to give us directions, so we settled on KFC gain. Maybe tomorrow.

Adam is doing well. Jeremy and Adam are getting along great. We still have a language barrier, but trust is building up. Adam was given a jacket before he left the orphanage which he rarely parts with, along with his hat and Spiderman shoes. He hasn’t had much to call his own till now. We hope he’ll part with the jacket by Friday when the temperature in Guangzhou reaches 85 degrees.

We appreciate all your prayers. They are felt. God has truly blessed us. We got to talk to Makayla and Mackenzie today and they are doing well thanks to our friends Bev and Jerry. God is doing more than we could have asked or imagined (Eph 3:20).

Gotcha Story

We arrived in Lanzhou around 3:30 PM local time after an hour and a half drive from the airport. The Gansu countryside reminds us very much of New Mexico. The mountains are beautiful and the ground is very very dry. Our guide, Sally, met us at the airport and gave us a lot of interesting information about her province during the ride to Lanzhou. Lanzhou is a small city by Chinese standards (3.2 million). The city is full of high rise buildings and apartments, typical of most Chinese cities.

Now the good part. We met Adam in the hotel at 4:30 PM. As we walked into the room his caretakers showed him the pictures we had sent of us to show him that we were the ones. We gave him a car toy as we introduced ourselves and he played with us joyfully for about a half an hour. He rolled the car to us, we’d roll it back. He’d laugh. He let us hold him. It was a great time. But after a spell, he began to sense that things were different and began to cry. He’d still let us hold him, or hold his hand as we walked with him, but you could definitely tell he was getting scared. After his caretakers had left and we got him to the hotel room, he settled down again and we had a great evening with him. We went out for Chinese food, came back to the hotel and gave him a bath, and played for awhile. He slept great .


This morning we went to the civil affairs office and finalized the adoption! Adam cried a little bit when he was in the presence of his orphanage caretaker, but was OK quickly after they left. We went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch and them shopping. Tonight, we are going to KFC. A decision thoroughly endorsed by Jeremy.

Feel free to add your comments to our posts. We love hearing from you and it makes us feel closer to home. More to come later.