Sunday in China

Hi Everyone,
Before we even begin to tell you about our day today, we want to say  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR SWEET DAUGHTER BRIANA ROE!!! So sorry that we are not there to celebrate with you honey... Hope that your day is Wonderful and that your year ahead is filled with JOY and BLESSINGS!!!!! A very special Thank You to you and Erica for setting up this blog and posting everything for us!!!! We are Grateful, and because you took the time to help, Samuel will be able to read all about his adoption journey someday:):):)
Today is Sunday and our time in China is drawing to a close :(  In many ways that is great, because we are anxious to get back home to see everyone we love and miss, and to just have the comforts of home..... But it is also bittersweet because Mark and I have come to Love China and love meeting all of the other adoptive families on these journeys:) We love the Chinese people, the beautiful countryside, and we love the special, end result of being here!!!! Bringing home a child whom God has chosen just for our family:):):) Believe it or not, there is a sadness when we leave as we are thinking, Wow, we are taking our little son away from the only home that he has ever known!!!! Even though we know that his new home will be a loving, good, secure place for him, there is still a sadness about leaving China:(  Our hearts are knit together in love for God and in love for this place, and in love for the orphans that we are leaving behind... They are all SO VERY REAL and there are SO MANY of them!!!!!  Please, please, please keep praying for them, they all deserve to be loved and held in a family's loving arms and they all deserve to have the chance to know JESUS and experience His love for them :):):)  
This morning we went to the Guangzhou Safari Park:) Abbie loved it, and we all were finally able to see some Panda's !!!!! I ( Patti ) have been to China   five times and this is the first time that I have been able to see the panda's:):):) The park was GREAT!!! We went with several other families and it was a beautiful day, although it was one of those really really hot and humid days!!! We were all drenched by the end of the day and couldn't wait to get something super cold to drink!!!! Samuel loved seeing all of the animals and kept calling their names out in Chinese:):):) He was a Trooper today as it was so much fun, but really hot!!! We bought some stuffed animals at the zoo.....like we needed more stuffed animals!!!!! But Samuel seems to like them, so he fits right in with all of our other kids and grand kids!!!! Stuffed Animals are always loved on at our house and played with at our house!!!! How many of you loved your stuffed animals when you were little? Could you ever have too many of them? Nope, Me neither!!!!
We came back to our room, cooled off a little, ate an early dinner,visited with friends,  went swimming and are currently getting ready for bed:) We have to be up at 6:00am tomorrow in order to be ready for our consulate appointment:):):)
I was sad that we didn't get to go to church today.... Every other time that we have adopted here we have been on Shamian Island and have attended Christ's Church there on Sunday!!!! This time the Safari Zoo trip was planned by our guide and we decided to go because it was all paid for!!!!! Please pray that Samuel will have a lifetime of getting to know Jesus and going to church!!! Please pray that God will draw his little heart to Himself quickly and in a strong, loving, passionate way!!!! Maybe someday his strong willed personality will be used in a powerful way by God.... Maybe He will preach to thousands about the Greatness  and Faithfulness of his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!!! Just like his Brother in law Bryan Roe!!!!! This is our prayer!!!!
Love you all :)
Goodnight!
Patti, Mark, Abbie, and Samuel Mark:)