A day in China!

A day in China!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Yi Chang-Dragon Boat Festival!!!

Well last weekend was the Dragon Boat Festival here in China:-) You may be thinking, "What in the World is that?"...Well If I could remember I would tell you:-) But more importantly, my friend Yola and I decided to take a trip together:-) She had 2 days off work and so we decided to go to another city in Hubei called Yi Chang(sounds like E-chong). She talked me into using a travel agency to book the tickets and so we did. I went with her to get them and we chose the trip that included the 3 Gorges dam and a few stop at some historical points...and best of all...a 4 star Hotel:-) So when I arrived to meet her at the bus station at 7am Saturday morning she told me that the travel agency had to make a change to our original plans. Instead of the historical points we will be going to Waterfall in some mountains!! i was thrilled...I don't read Chinese and my listening is getting better but not quick enough to understand everything about the historical landmarks described by the tour guide:-( HA So I was beyond thrilled by this change!!! As we got on the bus I saw that it was going to be a very interesting 2 days...I must admit that this week I have struggled with CHINA!!!! I mean, I guess I should say that I am beyond the brim of my breaking point with some things right now. Well, basically I just need more love and patience...like A LOT!!!! I think it has something to do with so much change in my life right now and so many people in my life leaving. The adjustment has been a little trying at times:-( But, I thought, "2 days is no big deal"...Oh I really had no idea what I was getting into!

 Yola and I were very excited to be together for 2 days:-) She comes over to my apartment when she can but she recently graduated fromt he University and got a very good job so I don't get to see her very much. 
 After the 4 hour bus ride we arrived at the falls!!! I was really taken by all the children...surprise, surprise:-) This little girl was precious...she didn't really want to take her pic with me but her parents wanted her to and I thought she was really amazing:-)
 This little angel was right up my alley!!!! Such a cute chinese cowgirl!
 As we started our walk I was amazed at the beauty that surrounded us!! It was great!
 The Water mills were very cool!
 This bridge and pagoda in the trees was quite a sight! So surreal!
 This little path across the water was like huge stepping stones with the different provinces on them!
 I found Guizhou...That's my new home!!
 Yola said she would stay in Hubei and be sad because I will not be there anymore:-(
 This bridge was pretty rickety! The guys behind Yola were being crazy and he almost didn't make it to me...I was hollering in Chinese and they were laughing at me....it was really funny:-)
 Then I climbed into the river on these rocks and had quite the crowd taking my picture...Chinese people can be very fearful to take risks and have an adventure...I was just paving the way for them:-)
 Our walk to the falls was about 2 hours and Yola was getting pretty tired...she kept asking if we were almost there...I told her that's what children say on long road trips:-) 
 She said we must have a crazy pic:-)
 This way to the falls:-)
 Finally we arrived! It was beautiful!!!
 She was so happy!!
 We got to walk behind the falls!
 It was so much fun!!


 We walked to another fall and as we looked up at all the stairs I was excited to make it to the top...she was worried...
 Then we realized it was impossible to climb...It made me think of the movie National Treasure...Chinese people LOVE that move...maybe they did this to recreate the movie:-)
 A man walking by really wanted us to climb the rocks so he could take our picture:-) I guess he saw me climbing the others and figured i would like these too:-) 
 Yola was enjoying the shopping area!!! 
 I think she makes a cute cowgirl!
 This was our bus...we headed back to the city of Yi Chang for dinner and then to our Hotel...but there was a slight problem..when our tour changed many things changed...like our 4 star hotel turned into a 2 star hotel:-() Oh such an adventure!!
 Next morning we left bright and early to head to the 3 Gorges!!! This is one of the largest Dams in the World! I have seen many pictures of this place and was so excited to see it in person. 
 Like many other places in China...the pictures are not exactly what the real place looks like...But one thing that really surprised me was the quality that was used to build this place! It was one of the first places I have seen such quality and technology in the building of something. As you can see there are escalators that go up to the top of the structure...they are 4 levels...the one you see in front, then one going to the left and then up again to the right and then up to the top.  
 Random pic of our matching rings we bought to remember our trip together:-)
 This is the entrance:-)
 Unfortunately the day we were there was VERY "foggy"...that's the politically correct was to say it was extremely polluted:-( We couldn't see the entire structure of the Dam.
 Also no water was flowing the day we went. Apparently there was not enough water in the river at that time. But we were still happy to take to trip there and see what we could:-)
 This was another baby on our trip...this little friend could work the iphone better than her mom:-)
 So it wouldn't be a chinese tour without a trip to a temple...
 Much to my surprise when I first came to China I learned that many temple are not just to worship Buddha...they are for all different people that did good things in the past and they decide to make them into gods after they die. 
 This art work was painted to depict the memory of the man who they are honoring in the temple. It is not a place people normally worship...it's just a tourist trap.
 The outside was very intricate!! 
To make a VERY LONG story short...we were suppose to be back in Wuhan by 4pm. But because of the whole "change in tour" we had to wait in Yi Chang for 4 hours and then take the 4 hour bus ride back to Wuhan:-( It was a little less than fun but His ways are more perfect than mine...i got to share with some people while we waited and then on the way back this little girl sat next to me on the bus. She and her mom were on the trip too but not our tour so we didn't meet them until the end. She cold speak about 5 sentences in English, "Hello, My name is Candy. I am 5 yrs old. My favorite color is blue and I like cats. I live in Wuhan. Thank you for listening." It was really cute the first few times....haha...but after about 10 or 11 times I taught her some new words and then let her play with my ipod:-) She was really sweet and wants me to come to her house:-) It was fun and it was great to spend time with Yola. It will probably be our last time to see each other for a while so we will have good memories forever:-) We got home about 10pm:-) Oh China!!!!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

My New Journey!

As I begin this blog I am thinking about how different one year has made in my life. It is almost hard for me to remember what my life was like before China...I don't mean I have forgotten all of you:-) That is quite the opposite...I miss you like crazy!!! But I have become so comfortable here and made my home here that life before China is sometimes a blur to me. Now I say that first because I had planned on continuing my life here in Wuhan...I love Wuhan(except for the horrible pollution that makes it hard to breathe on almost a daily basis)...i really love Wuhan and the people here. My plans were to continue the work I had started here and enjoy this life to the fullest. I mean, I'm in CHINA!!!! This is the place I wanted to be for SOOOO LONG and I'm finally here and I'm enjoying it! I was so excited to be in a place for longer than one year!! I have moved every year since 2005...I can't even believe it but it's true. My heart was ready to commit to Wuhan:-) Then, out of almost no where, MY plans were ruined:-( This is a trend in my life...ha! You would think i would catch on to the danger in counting on the fact that MY Plans are going to work out!!! But No...I keep making them:-)

Last fall I had dinner with a couple from the UK that were "M"s here for many years. They came to visit and see friends and happened to come to the foreign fellowship I attend. I really felt like I was supposed to take them to dinner and share my heart with them. I sensed they would have good counsel. So we did, and we shared with each other for about 2 hours. At the end of this meal the lady told me she had a friend in another province here that working in an orphanage. She asked me if I would be interested in going there to visit sometime and I was so excited! I would love to visit and help if I can! So she told me to wait and she would email her friend to see if it was possible. a few weeks went by and I got an email from her friend asking if I would like to come visit. I told her I would but that I was very busy and couldn't come at that time. Months went by...I really wanted to visit but I never had time...finally in April I was able to go. Before I left I shared with some friends about going and one of my friends, Kirk, asked if he could go too. So we went to Guiyang, Guizhou to visit this place. 

 This is us ont he train...I think back to some of the conversations we had on the train...like "What do you think we are getting into?", "Will we be sleeping in the same room as the children?"...most of these questions Kirk was verbalizing and I had no clue the answer...it was like walking into a very unknown situation, an adventure! The train was 16hrs from Wuhan to Guiyang and when we arrived we were trying to guess what the friends would look like that would pick us up. I said, "Well, they are Dutch so I think they will be tall and have white hair." At that moment we see a small woman with white hair coming through the crowds. It was very easy to see each other..we were for sure the only foreigners around:-)
 We met Marianne and she walked us to the car where we also met her husband Hans. Then we met the family that was in the car who had just just finished adopting a little boy from their home!!! It was so cool to see this happen and the love these people had for their new son. We drive from the train station to their home, about 45min away. They live outside Guiyang in a village. It is very beautiful!! 
 Before we got to the village we saw some of these crazy cars:-) 
 This is Marianne and Hans:-) They are a precious couple who have lived here for 10yrs. They love hte children so much and have such a heart for the Father!
 Now for the best part...the Children:-) This is Rosa and Daniel...they are 3 and 1. Most of the children in their home have down syndrome. They are so precious!!! I fell in love:-)
 This is Xiao Bai Bai...She is 2 and a very lovable little girl:-) She really loved Kirk!!
 While we were there I stayed mostly with the little ones and Kirk stayed with the older ones. But we made our way to see both of them!
 These are some of the older children! The lady on the Left is one of the Ayi's(woman who works to take care of the children)...she is a sweetheart! 
 This is Mo Xi and Kirk...He was very excited to have another guy around!!! There are only 2 boys in this home...the rest are girls.
 Can't you just see the thoughts going through these girl's minds:-) I love them! XiXi and Rejoice...they are 8yrs old and very smart! They both go to a special school and love to sing!

SO, after Kirk and I left, we had not been on the train for very long before I started bawling...The Father was really breaking my heart for these kids. I mean, look at them!!! They are amazing!! I was being broken almost immediately. Marianne had invited me to come and live there and help her with the work. When she first asked i didn't really even think about it as an option. I mean, I had already signed my contract with the University to stay another year and teach and I have so many things that i do in Wuhan...how could I leave that?? 

But as the went further away my heart was even more sure of the decision I needed to make. When we got home I had some intense time of PR and crying out to G about this decision. I knew what He wanted but I kind of fought it for a little while. I emailed my fellowship leader in TX and talked to my parents(bawling the whole time) and realized that I had to go! My plans were being ruined and I had to follow the only plan that I can trust! HIS PLAN!!! I emailed Marianne and asked her if she was really serious about what she said...I thought maybe she was just saying this to be nice to me...lol but she email back and said she was quite serious. So, I began the process of transitioning my whole world into this new plan. it has been quite the process!!! But I can not even begin to tell you how HE has proven HIS faithfulness to me and given me so much peace!!! I have experienced some very hard things since making this decision and having to tell my school I won't be coming back. Saying so many goodbyes and trusting that HE will provide for ALL my needs now that I won't have a "job" here. Through all of this I have experienced HIM in a new way and for that I am forever grateful:-) I went back to my new home for a week in June to get things prepared...I will be studying Chinese at Guizhou University in order to keep my visa in China. I am really looking forward to getting MUCH better at speaking Chinese!! Since my new friends are Dutch...i hope I will pick up a little of that as well! The Children all speak Dutch and Chinese:-) I have a lot of learning to do!!!
 This is a picture of the front of our house and our van!!
 one of those windows is my room:-)
 This is the view from the front of the house looking out. 
 This is my potty:-) Happy Squatting...HA
 This is my room! I bought some furniture while I was there and will be making my Texan Haven very soon!! 
 This is my little man Daniel!! He really is such a sweetie!!
 This is what happens when your neighbors want to pour concreate infront of your house when it's time for the Ayi's to go home...they must make a bridge and jump over!
 This is Xu Wei! She is 17 and the oldest child at the home. She is so awesome:-) She calls me "America"...ha...one of my friends here said we need to fix that...She will start calling me "Texas":-)
This is very close to our home...it's the fruit orchard we went to to get apricots! So beautiful!!! I am very excited about all the adventures that are coming! I will be moving to my new home on July 7th. I have truck that will come on the 8th with all my stuff, including my piano!! I'm excited to have music class with the kids and also a class about the Book!! My parents and friends back home have been so supportive with my new Journey! We are in the midst of starting a no profit foundation "The Journey of a Joyful Life Foundation" to help the orphans here! I am so excited about this!!! i will be updating you on everything as it happens. I covet your PRs during this time and ask that you lift me up as I transition into this new place. Many things will be so different. I am a little nervous and extremely humbled to be apart of this new work. You can send me an email or comment if you have any questions and I will respond! Also if you are on instagram you can follow me!!! I will put pics of the things going on and of course i will be blogging! I promise I will be better....at least once a month! I miss you all and love you! Thank you for your love and support as I take this new Journey with Him!