On our way!

The children’s passports have arrived, we’ve been cleared for travel, and we’ve booked our plane tickets to leave in just a couple weeks!

Joel, Amy, and Zinnia will fly out of Minneapolis on Friday, March 16th, arrive in Mumbai 30 hours later, and drive to Pune (where the orphanage is located) the next day.  In Pune, we’ll spend a couple days getting settled in to our new surroundings while adjusting to the time zone (almost 11 hrs ahead) and the heat (in the 90’s).  We’ll be staying in a rowhouse apartment complex that has a swimming pool, thanks to the wonderful world of Airbnb rental!

On Wednesday morning, March 21st, we will finally meet our adopted children (daughter, age 7 and son, age 4) and spend the day with them at the orphanage. We can only imagine how emotional this day will be for all of us!  Later in the afternoon, the orphanage staff and children will a host a “goodbye party” for our family and we will return to our temporary home in Pune as a forever family of five.

Per our adoption protocol, all five of us will stay together in Pune through the end of the week – and from there we’ll fly to New Dehli.  While in Dehli, we’ll spend approximately half of our weekdays going to appointments at medical and government offices to finalize the documentation required to return home.  In between appointments and over the weekend, we will focus on building trust and positive attachment with one another – which is often quite challenging within the first several weeks and months following adoption.  Hopefully, we’ll be capable of exploring a few parks and historical sites in Dehli together as well, which would be a wonderful way to begin making new family memories. We will be in India almost 3 weeks and will arrive home on April 5th.

We plan to post at least once more before we travel, and several times while in India.  We’re looking forward to introducing our newest family members to you!

 

12 thoughts on “On our way!

  1. Oh so happy & excited for all the God has been doing dear Swanson family. May His presence go before you & grant you favor as you embark on this wonderful plan of the Lord.

    Much love
    Joy & George DSilva
    PS: here’s a video that I’ve been watching & often reminded of your family.
    https://youtu.be/xY2daNtdTLE

    1. Hello Joy & George! Zinnia also misses Geni and wants to say “hi”. We really wish we were nearer to Bangalore so that we could visit you! Thanks for sharing the video link. We’ve begun watching some of the episodes with Zinnia to help her prepare for the experience — and it’s been a good resource for starting conversations with her. Blessings and hugs to you from Pune! 🙂

  2. Isn’t this SOMETHING! I’ve been thinking of the 5 of you as you get closer and closer to meeting, and of Riya. Everlasting blessings on all of you, through the hard found in the joy and the joy found in the hard. So many miracles. Can’t wait to see that first photo of 5!

  3. This news is beyond exciting. We will hold you in our thoughts and prayers and will eagerly watch for updates!

  4. Wow! I had not seen your last update so this email is a praise to God! We will be praying for all of you, as you travel and become a family of 5.

  5. How exciting! God will walk ahead of you to show the way through the emotions, confusion, and unknowns. He will prepare not only your hearts, but your daughter and son, and the orphanage staff. Through the confusion, God will be praised – some praise you may see, some unknown to you for now.

  6. At long last, you have come so far with the greatest journey still ahead. I flew to meet Maia this very same time last year, 3/9/17. We became a family 3/15. I wish you joy in becoming a family of 5 and fulfilling their birth mother’s wish. May you find peace as you experience the grief from which adoption is born. Safe travels. Love and hugs from Maia and Rachel

  7. Blessings as you make this leg of the journey. I’ll be praying for your family in the weeks ahead as you bond, encounter culture shock, make memories, and build on the love that God has planted in you. I wish you joy and peace through it all (even when there are moments of seeming chaos– joy and peace in those moments, too). :o)

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