Ready for take off. Not so ready for 24+ hours of travel.

I hope we get to fly on a Hello Kitty plane!!!

Finally! Today is the day! Grace and I leave for LA tonight at 8:00, then take off from there at 12:30 for Taipei. I have so many feelings about this trip I just might burst. First, I feel so blessed – blessed by the friends who have supported us, blessed by the people praying for us, and blessed by God for putting us on this path. I am so excited and Grace is so exited and I’m so excited to see her so excited. I am anxious to see our Canadian friends and our Catalyst friends and our sweet adoption coordinator, Thuy. I’m nervous about returning to the orphanage where Grace lived the first few years of her life. I’m nervous about how she’s going to feel after being there again. And I’m nervous about crossing the street (the first time always makes my legs shake, but then we’ll be off and running.).

I am so happy that Grace will have this experience. I can’t imagine what’s going through her mind (she’s almost 13, so I don’t always have the privilege of knowing).  I’m hoping she’ll share and allow me to share, and I’m hoping she’ll post on her own blog. I can’t imagine how this trip is going to change her and how she sees the world. It’s my hope that she will be captivated by Vietnam and will leave with the desire to return again and again. Vietnam is catchy like that. Something about it gets into your soul and doesn't let go. I don’t know if it’s the beauty, the people, the food, or a little bit of each. I just hope she catches it. And please, Dear Lord, nothing else.