Hello~
We bought jade necklaces to give to the boys when they grow older--an ancient Chinese tradition. And, after several hours of trekking around Shamin island (think Asian NOLA or Charleston), we finally found the place to buy Chinese/English Bilingual Bibles!! I was so happy to find the shop that I hugged its owner when we arrived...ha! We bought 2 Bibles & a plaque for our home. Such sweet treasures to remind us that the Lord does indeed love each & everyone of us, despite language or ethnicity differences.Guangzhou (GZ) is much prettier than the other cities we've been to & the weather is pretty nice. The boys are getting a little stir-crazy, so we spent the morning exploring the Pearl/jade market & Shamin Island. Great weather but what a trekk with 3 kiddos in tow! I'm not sure I'll ever get used to keeping up with 3, but I know many a Mama that did/do it well & my hats are off to you all!
 |
| He is SO proud of his Jade! |
 |
| He was more concerned about the box :) |
 |
| Honing in on his "big brother" skills #pandapals |
 |
| I know I have more pictures of the BEAUTIFUL Shamin Island, but I can't find them right now, so this will have to do. |
During quiet time today (which is almost over), JP graciously allowed me some "mama" time: I hit up Starbucks for the first time in several weeks & am feeling like a new woman...ha!
 |
| BTW, this is my 'souvenir' (as if the boys don't count or something)! |
I also walked back to McDonald's--where I bought our lunch--& looked for the homeless guy JP & I have seen for several days in a row. He is an older guy with a twinkle in his eyes. He doesn't appear to move very well. I asked him if he was hungry & he said 'yes'...so I bought him a meal & took it to him. He cried, I cried, & was reminded that sometimes the Lord only needs a small act of obedience to truly touch someone's life. Maybe it was only a meal, but JP & I will forever remember him & hope to see him in heaven.We are all pretty tired of living in 1 room with 1 bathroom & JP, Jayson, & I are ready to come home. People stare here. Not in the (relatively) polite way that Americans do…you know the “try not to let them see me staring at them way,” but full-on, stare you down, walk up to you & rattle off things in Chinese kind of way. That is hard for me. Usually the boys seem unaffected by it, but sometimes I can tell it really bothers them too. It's uncomfortable for us, but has really shown some light on how our boys could feel when we come to the US with them.
Most of the people are very welcoming, kind, & willing to help these 2 frazzled parents. Maybe one day we'll get used to corralling 3 kiddos!
Please continue to pray for my Mama heart: the language is very difficult for me--as opposed to JP--& I'm struggling to comfort our kiddos when they are upset. I can't understand what they need & they can't tell me how I can help them. JP is solid as a rock & doing great with them & I am so thankful to be on this journey with him.
 |
| The "Kopok" tree, my new FAVORITE! It has no leaves, but is covered with BRILLIANT red blooms. Chinese tradition believes these trees are good luck & will literally build roads & buildings AROUND Kopok seedlings/trees to make sure they don't bring bad luck on the building or shame to their family. They were STUNNING! Think they'll grow in NC?? |
We love you all & greatly appreciate your prayers!!
No comments:
Post a Comment