Monday, May 16, 2011

Ni' Hao.....Hello from China!!!

It was another super HUMID day!!!! Our guide said that the humidity today was at 100%. You could see the air today, it was thick like pea soup, with a cloud of fog above. It rained off and on this morning and into the afternoon, but we were able to enjoy the day anyhow!

We started off the morning at the big breakfast buffet and then headed to the Medical clinic again for the TB test to be read. There were 4 families who had to go back and have their child's TB test checked. Emma Claire passed with flying colors....PRAISE THE LORD!!! So did the other 2 girls, but just before Emma had her test read, her little friend Rebecca Grace had her arm read, and her family was told that she did NOT pass her TB test. Her parents, especially her sweet mama was very upset. Now Rebecca would have to have an x-ray and if her x-ray wasn't clear, they would not let her go home. The other mamas whose children had passed the test decided to gather outside in the rain and pray for Rebecca Grace and her impending x-ray. We prayed that God would allow the results to be negative and show nothing and of course peace for her mama and baba. We waited for a few minutes after finishing up praying, and out came Rebecca Grace with her mama and baba.....she had passed her x-ray test.....NO TB!!!! Thank you Lord for hearing and answering our prayers.....you are faithful ALL the time!!! This was a HUGE relief to the family, as a child with TB is not allowed to travel home and sometimes requires treatment in China that can require them to stay an extra 2 months! Praise God this famiy did not have to endure that!

After the clinic check in, we decided to be adventerous and go for a walk! We crossed the bridge and went off the island into a big market where there were many CRAZY things being sold. It was very interesting to experience. I wish we could have taken more pictures, but it just felt too intrusive. Jason snapped a few with the camera around his neck, but they really don't do it justice. The sight and sounds were of the real, everyday life of the Chinese people. There were so many market stalls and many of them were selling the same things. We saw giant bags filled with dried herbs, seahorses, mushrooms, and other medicinal items....not sure what they were?!?! We were trying to find the "pet" market, but didn't quite see the pet area and I think that is a good thing, as we just read that there are lots of animals in cages that are used for human consumption and it's just too disturbing to type!!! We did see and smell some very interesting things. The thing that struck me was the amount of garbage and waste in the streets and the unsanitary conditions where people were preparing food to sell to customers. I sure hope the places we eat don't buy their goods from there!!!! We walked back to the hotel and I came right up to change clothes and wash my feet and legs, yes, it was that bad! Note to self: flip flops are not proper foot attire when walking through the market!!!!!

We all took good naps this afternoon and recovered from the loss of fluids on our HOT, HUMID walk! Jason and I know how to sweat! Jay thinks he lost 5 pounds on our walk this morning! After naps we got ready and headed down for browsing through the hotel shops and then we met our group at 5:00 for dinner at the Cow and Bridge, a Thai restaurant. It was very good! Emma Claire LOVED the steamed noodles and chowed down on those and cheerios! We will probably head back there sometime this week!

After dinner we wandered over to Jenny's Place. A GREAT store here on the island!!! Jenny and her husband Mark own the store, and carry really beautiful products. They have very fair prices and the best part is they love Jesus and aren't afraid to share it!!!! It was a blessing to meet them and do some shopping there! If you will be on Shamian island Jenny's Place is a MUST visit! They have beautiful scripture plaques and bibles in English and Chinese.....go Jenny and Mark!!!! Stop into their store and help support this sweet family who loves Jesus!!!

Emma has been very good today! She LOVES attention from all the children in our Bethany group! She loves to show off and make them laugh! I can't wait to get her home and see her realize that she has a brother and 2 sisters who are ready to love her and have fun with her. Tonight while she was drinking her bottle, I was talking to her telling her about all the fun things we can do this summer. I don't think she understood too much, but someday she will realize that she has a beautiful family who lovers her unconditionally! We will make so many fun memories together!

Well, I'm signing off for tonight. I am sick and can't even breathe out of my nose tonight. I took some Nyquil and am hoping to sleep well. Please pray that I will feel better in the morning! Pray for strength and endurance as we run this race here in China! Love to you all! We still so appreciate your comments! It's the first thing we do when we wake up is check for new comments, so keep them coming!

LOTS OF LOVE TO AVARIE, EVAN and ELLA FERN!!!! ONLY 4 MORE SLEEPS!!!!! BE GOOD AND DO YOUR BEST IN SCHOOL!!! HUGS AND KISSES FROM MAMA, BABA and EMMA CLAIRE, YOUR MEI MEI!!!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxo