She likes it!

Today was a pretty fun day. We went to the Guangzhou zoo. It was not much of a zoo as far as zoos go. In fact, it was a little tough seeing the condition of the animals and the habitats. I'm sure the animals are taken well care of with the limited resources available. However, the resources are indeed limited which means the conditions are bare bones. We still had a nice time and saw some great critters.

But the best event of the day, as small as it may seem, happened with our new little monkey. Elani tried blue Gatorade and she liked it! So far she has not been willing to broaden her pallet but thanks to Abby's perseverance she got a drop of Gatorade into Elani and she took a liking to it. It was one small step for mom but a huge step for Elani's progression! For those parents out there you know it's the small things that are sometimes significant. Right?

The girls continue to love being in China and hanging out with their new sister. I told Malea yesterday she is such a good sister. She corrected me by saying "BIG sister." Elani continues to laugh and be more expressive. Daily she shows signs little by little that she is accepting her new family: reaching out, following us, touching our faces, feeling our hair, etc. The progress is subtle yet significant. For the first time she went all day without crying her silent tears. I pray for this precious little girl that she may find peace and embrace the love of God. By God's grace I am confident He will do a good and powerful work in not only Elani's life but in all of ours.

Tomorrow I leave early for a long day traveling to Elani's orphanage. I also hope to visit her finding site - the place the caretakers first discovered Elani. I have the address and my guide believes she can find the location. It's a 6 or 7 hour drive to the orphanage. For those with a map I'll be just northeast of Vietnam on the coast near a village called Suicheng. I leave early and get back late. I may not have the time or energy to post tomorrow night but we'll see. May be a tough day; I really don't know what to expect. Abby and the girls will enjoy a day by the pool trying to find refuge from the hot sun and humidity. We appreciate your prayers.