Thanks so much for visiting us during our journey, Charles, Terri, Dalen and Annalei!
March 21, 2006
Hi to all of our family and friends at home! We are still getting along well. Annalei is amazing us at how quickly she bonding with us and developing. There's something new everyday, but, before we get into that, let's talk about today's events. First thing this morning we had the White Swan's breakfast buffet. Many of you have asked about the food in your emails. This buffet is awesome. Whatever you want, from western food to Chinese and Thai. I prefer the made to order omelet's, bacon, and dim sum (sausage wrapped in a thin bread crust and boiled). I try at least one thing new every morning, but nothing has really impressed me except for the dim sum. Terri is pretty traditional - fruit and juice. The food is very good though. It must be, I have gained 5 pounds so far. I have been eating like I'm on a cruise. Regardless, after breakfast we headed for the local clinic to have physicals for our children. They performed a basic exam, a hearing test and a weight and measurement. Annalei weighed 16.5 lbs and was 27 inches long. They said she was in great health. Which was great to hear. Unfortunately we did have some unsettling news in our group. David and Debbie's child, Jenna, is very sick, mostly in her chest and a very high fever. They put her on antibiotics. Then there was the very somber news from Tom, Leah and Jordan's baby, Evelyn. The doctors told them that they believe Evelyn is deaf. It was a very emotional time for us all. We have all become such a close group and this was very shocking news, not only to Evelyn's family, but to all of us since we have essentially all become family to one another. The support our group showed was simply amazing. Tom, Leah and Jordan are holding up well and have accepted the challenge as God's will. They are at peace with the situation and plan to move forward. We continue to keep them in our prayers.
After we returned from the check up we had some time to explore the island. It is a beautiful place. The immediate area around the hotel is almost park like. Not a lot of open space, but tropical with many trees, a recreation area and nice areas to walk. There, of course, are shops everywhere which is to Terri's delight. We spent a couple hours this afternoon exploring the area and the shops. We entered one shop named after it's owner - Jordan. Somewhat of a strange name for a Chinese man, but that is how he refers to himself. Jordan was extremely kind. And he is a Christian. I was a bit nosey because I thought Christianity was taboo in China. He indicated not, told me of a Church on the island he is very active in and stated that Christians are being accepted more everyday here. Wow, I would never have thought I would have learned that here. Naturally we patronized his store and he asked if we came back to bring bibles for his people. I thought that was pretty neat. Following the visit we headed back to feed Annalei. Once back a few guys wanted to venture off the island, across the busy thoroughfare. Things are a little different over there. Well to be exact, it's a different world. We ran into Jordan and her parents on the street, so she tagged along. As soon as we crossed the over pass and reached the bottom of the stairs, we encountered a lady selling tiger paws (yes, real tiger paws), goat horns, and I really don't know what else. I tried to video the spread, but the lady came unglued. I have no idea what she was saying, but it was quite obvious she did not want us to video. Regardless, Jordan was glued to my arm from that time on. As we walked I wanted to video everything, but that lady was pretty convincing, and I was a bit nervous. I eventually got the nerve up though and took a few candid shots. The streets were narrow and smelled a bit. Within the small shops that lined it you could buy anything your heart desired - chickens, ducks, rabbits, cats (and not for pets), dried snakes, live scorpions, turtles, fish by the basket, you name it and it was there. We walked several blocks just in awe of how the people live. It was truly a different world. I did not necessarily feel unsafe (I think Jordan may have, evidenced by the five finger nails now protruding from my left arm!), but I did feel a little uncomfortable. It was interesting and I am glad we had the experience.
Let's talk about Annalei a little. She just becomes more precious everyday. She is smiling more. We are definitely strengthening our bond. She is continuing to smile and laugh more. We got her to finally sit for a little while on her own this evening, which was great. She is also starting to stand on our lap if we hold her arms. It is actually somewhat comical. We will hold her up by her arms as she stands then she will start to bounce. All of the sudden she will stop and look down at her legs as if to say "so that's what those things are for!". It is really neat to see her learning and developing so rapidly. It is amazing what a child can accomplish if given just an ounce of love and attention. We are having so much fun. She had been trying real hard to talk to us. As a matter of fact, today I think she was trying to tell us how excited she was about getting home to see Dalen, her big brother. She thinks he's going to be pretty cool. We can not wait for them to meet. They will be great together.
As I close tonight, I want to share a thought or two. I have really enjoyed my time in China. But one thing that has become very evident is the fact that I definitely take for granted what I have - a loving family, great friends and a wonderful country to live in. Many of the people here, though rich in spirit, live a hard life. It is crowded, the income is low (averages ~$2800 US/year), the food sure would not fit my tastes and there is a lot of pollution. I am not saying they are unhappy with their lives, I am just realizing that I should be more happy with mine. I am truly blessed to have what I do and I will attempt to make a more concerted effort to appreciate this luxury in the future.
