Thursday, July 26, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
Update!
We have been unable to access this site from China so our siblings in the states are helping to update this blog on our behalf. The trip so far has been amazing and we will have to share more in detail with each of you when we return. The first 2 weeks were packed with traveling to Hong Kong, Shantou, Guilin, Shanghai, Hangzhou and finally back to Shanghai.
We have now officially stayed in one city for more than 4 nights. We are so thankful that the kids have done well and have not gotten sick. They have actually been amazing eating Chinese banquet food every night and sitting through 3 hour long church services in Chinese, trying all the new foods, toughing it out in the heat and humidity, not to mention the mosquito bites. They started school last week and again have exceeded our expectations. They are the only English speaking kids in the school but are "shadowed" by a teacher who translates a little for them. Bethany, of course, has managed to make several friends already and takes care of JoJo too. They are already more willing to use the little Mandarin that they know and I'm sure will progress quickly.
It is clear that He is in the timing of our visit here to China. We had a very informative meeting with the head of social services of the church here who escorted us on a visit to Hangzhou. We joined a team of doctors on a visit to a local village where there were many who had never had seen a doctor before in their lives. This is probably the site where our first efforts will focus-to provide a medical mobile unit that can serve this and other villages on a rotating basis. We have also met up with several local Shanghainese doctors who are interested in helping with this effort. This group will be coming over for dinner at our place this Wednesday (7/11). We plan to head back out to Hangzhou in 2 weeks to meet again. So many times, we've been amazed at how "non-coincidental" these contacts seem to be. We only look forward to watching how things will fall into place in the future.
We are finally feeling settled and not eating out every night. We are able to go to the "wet" market and buy our own fresh meats and veggies. Unfortunately, some of it is so fresh that you pick the live chicken and they kill and pluck it for you to take home. (when in Rome...).
We feel so fortunate to have this opportunity to be here this summer. But we miss you all very much and covet your prayers to sustain us!
We have now officially stayed in one city for more than 4 nights. We are so thankful that the kids have done well and have not gotten sick. They have actually been amazing eating Chinese banquet food every night and sitting through 3 hour long church services in Chinese, trying all the new foods, toughing it out in the heat and humidity, not to mention the mosquito bites. They started school last week and again have exceeded our expectations. They are the only English speaking kids in the school but are "shadowed" by a teacher who translates a little for them. Bethany, of course, has managed to make several friends already and takes care of JoJo too. They are already more willing to use the little Mandarin that they know and I'm sure will progress quickly.
It is clear that He is in the timing of our visit here to China. We had a very informative meeting with the head of social services of the church here who escorted us on a visit to Hangzhou. We joined a team of doctors on a visit to a local village where there were many who had never had seen a doctor before in their lives. This is probably the site where our first efforts will focus-to provide a medical mobile unit that can serve this and other villages on a rotating basis. We have also met up with several local Shanghainese doctors who are interested in helping with this effort. This group will be coming over for dinner at our place this Wednesday (7/11). We plan to head back out to Hangzhou in 2 weeks to meet again. So many times, we've been amazed at how "non-coincidental" these contacts seem to be. We only look forward to watching how things will fall into place in the future.
We are finally feeling settled and not eating out every night. We are able to go to the "wet" market and buy our own fresh meats and veggies. Unfortunately, some of it is so fresh that you pick the live chicken and they kill and pluck it for you to take home. (when in Rome...).
We feel so fortunate to have this opportunity to be here this summer. But we miss you all very much and covet your prayers to sustain us!
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