It's not that bad- really- you just need a keen sence of adventure. China has been AMAZING. I was able to get a camera when we left Malaysia - so I thought I'd put up a photo blog:)
Leaving Malaysia we made lots lo friends on the train- though the train trips can ger very tiring- and the trains are usually jam-packed! Our team won the last challange and were able to go eat KFC- and we met a brother- it was really cool.
In China we had to catch a 32 hour train to another province the next morning. The hotels were too expensive so we decided to sleep in the subway and had a HUGE crowd gathering arround us while we tried to sleep. We used the public basins to wash up- wetwipes come in very handy!!! ( it wasn't the first time we sleep in a random place - so we'er use to by it now:).
& nbsp;
As I was sitting on the train and writimg my family a letter it hit me- I"M IN CHINA!!! How many years I've dreampt of this and what it would be like and now I was living it. The train ride was LONG- but I made some really amazing friends. I exchanged bracelets with a girl (in the middle pic) and was able to share some Word with her- we still email eachother. The little girl on the right wanted me to do her hair the same as mine- I tried to share with her dad - but he wasn't open- my heart was so sad as I left them- I just prayed that one day that little girl would know my Father.
After arriving in our main town "X" we did the real tourist thing, and hit the streats to see the lights and enjoy th Ice-cream (which, by the way, is super cheap here!) The next morning we were sent out in our teams to go to other towns and villages and just be open to what we need to do there. We as a team felt that we needed to trust the Lord for provision in every area: food, accomodation, transport, divine appointments... it was really amazing to witness little miracles of God's provision daily.
We made so many friends and also had lots of fun! The one thing we had to get use to though was the fireworks- that never stop. I'm not sure but I think they think it is like a good luck thing and that it chases away evil spirits..?
The one Girl (we called her our woman of peace) really blessed us- She invited us to eat with her family and she also helped us with directions to the next town that we needed to get to. We met with her again on our last night and I played her a song that I'd written for her and shared my heart with her- it was so special! When we left town that next morning it was really sad to say goodbye.
It was so encouraging (we had set off with a map and really no idea exactly where we are going -just trusting the Lord to show us) - On our way we had to cross a river- so I decided to make the most of my time and journal a bit. As I opened the page, there was a picture of mountains on it- that I'd painted randomly in my diary three days earlier- that looked exactly like the ones infront of us!!! We did get to a few turns where we wern't sure which way to turn- but found a Guy who gave us a lift.
He took us to a small town where an old lady lert us stay for free at her house. That evening She invited the whole town and we had a little show for them- singing and acting:). There are so many testimonies of how God provided food! Even dry bread or sunflower seed was very welcome!
What a GREAT team! These last three weeks have been so good for us- We have really become like family.
I can go on and on about stoies of the places we saw and the people we met- but this blog it getting too long and I don't want to boar you. There are also Details of people we met that I have not shared - for their sake.
God Is AMAZING! What a priviledge! Thank you Lord.