Sunday, December 3, 2006

Today, like many of you, means attending church – so that is what we planned our day around. We awoke to the alarm at 7:00 and Mommy & Kristen took a shower/bath together. After much rushing around to find the right clothes and such, we went down for our daily breakfast buffet. The café here is really great – it is surrounded by many plants and a two story waterfall. The entire outside wall is glass and looks out over the Pearl River. I get caught up just gazing out at the boats loaded with all kinds of materials headed up stream. Suzanne still maintains the MFP (Most Favored Parent) status but she doesn’t scream much when she leaves to get her own food if I continue to shovel food into her mouth – did I mention that she likes to eat? A meal with Kristen usually takes about an hour and that is mostly a function of her monstrous appetite and only 5 teeth. I have been amazed that we have not seen any food appear again from her nose, with the size of the gap in the roof of her mouth, it seems like there would be, but she has clearly learned to move the food through her mouth and get it swallowed in a very efficient way.

We scurried from breakfast just down the street to the Christian church we heard about yesterday and were expecting the first hour to be singing and the second to be teaching from the bible in both Chinese and English. However…instead, the first hour or so was actually a fairly traditional church service but in Chinese. They did sing some Christmas hymns so we could hum along or sing the chorus. Even though we could not understand a single word, it was still quite moving. The church was packed with people standing outside the door.

Before they started the bible study portion, it was really inspiring to look over and see the ten or so participants in the service, to gather together and circle in prayer. The second segment started with their “Youth Praise Team” singing four songs; two in Chinese and Two in English. I did not recognize either of them, but they were fairly simple so we joined right in. The Bible study was led by a guest who was a local female seminary student. It was a study on Genesis 32-33 on how Jacob learned to rely on God after they wrestled together and how we should learn to the same. It was really quite good and Suzanne & I were both amazed and pleasantly surprised at the straight forward teaching that we received from a “sanctioned church”. We had expected a “watered down” version of the gospel. Again, even though the faces changed within the building, it was again full, but with much younger faces. As, first time visitors, we received bookmarks with the worship schedule but also had the following phrase; “A CHURCH is not built on a construction but on worshipers of God”. We started at 9:50 and didn’t leave until 12:30 it was great – Kristen took a nap during part of the service, but again, behaved very well while snuggled up next to the Mama.

We roamed around the hotel, found the Mattel play room then all came back up to the room for some play then nap time. In late afternoon we went off about the neighborhood on an explore. We went to the playground equipment that is located in a park area a few blocks away. There were several photographers there – I, however, left our camera in the hotel room. We continued on, making a long lap back along the river. We met back up with the Douglass’, another couple traveling with us from near Evansville, headed to Lucy’s for dinner. Two other families of our ten were there also – it is quite the hot spot for our group. After a great dinner of some familiar food: Caesar Salad, Fettuccini with spinach and chicken, sweet and sour pork and ending with apple pie and ice cream.

After a few stops into some of the local shops, we are now back in the room and Suzanne is playing with the baby as I type this. I am trying to get this done before you all leave for church. We are indeed blessed and Pray for you that you will have a day that brings you into the presence of God also.

Good night and my God richly bless you.

Monte, Suzanne & Kristen