the hardgrave family

Well, Lord willing, this will be our last post from China.

Today we went to the US consulate and took the oath for Lily’s IR3 visa. Once we go through customs at the Detroit Airport in the U.S. and they accpet Lily’s paperwork and stamp her visa, she will be a U.S citizen. Though, of course, she’ll be none the wiser, it will a great moment for our family.

(Angela and Lily getting ready to go to the “swearing” ceremony)

We’ve had an incredible journey here in China, but know where our home is, and as with every trip away, whether near or far, we appreciate it all the more. As cliched as this is to say, being away from the states really helps you to realize just how blessed we are as a nation and how much we take so many daily blessings for granted (such as drinkable tapwater for one).

On to some details. . . .
We’ll be be taking off tomorrow at 8:30am our time (6:30pm, CST, Tuesday) from Guangzhou, China and arriving at 4:30pm in wonderful Birmingham, Alabama on Wednesday.

No guarantees, but we’re going to try to make it to Cole and Joy Portis’s home on Thursday night for Morningview’s “Adoption Ministry” open house. If you can make it out, we’d love to see to you all and to tell you more about all the great things that the Lord has done to get us through this incredible journey. We know that there is still going to be lots of adjusting left to do for the whole family, but we just can’t believe that we are now the parents of THREE beautiful daughters and we can’t wait to have them all together!

Living in the evidence of things unseen,
David and Angela