Monday was spent exploring more of the beauty around us here is Guangzhou. In the midst of the many city streets and high rises, God's creation is very evident here...from the people to the animals and to the very beautiful green spaces.
My devotional for Monday was perfect for my day. If anyone is reading Jesus Calling, April 14 (& 15th as you will see later) were perfect for us and what we are experiencing in China. Love when God does that! Here is an excerpt from Monday's:
“HEAVEN IS both present and future. As you walk along your life-path holding My hand, you are already in touch with the essence of heaven: nearness to Me. You can also find many hints of heaven along your pathway because the earth is radiantly alive with My Presence. Shimmering sunshine awakens your heart, gently reminding you of My brilliant Light. Birds and flowers, trees and skies evoke praises to My holy Name. Keep your eyes and ears fully open as you journey with Me.”
We were set to leave for the Five Rams Statue and Guangzhou Zoo at 9am Monday morning. We went down for breakfast beforehand, and all of a sudden Brad started feeling sick. He had to make some quick trips to the bathroom and each time was looking worse and worse. It was becoming pretty clear that he was not going to have a good morning out sightseeing. He opted to go back to our room and lay down. I was bummed he would not be joining us, but it was the right decision.
So, Jedidiah and I, along with the other family from Lifeline, our adoption agency, and our guide, Miko, headed to a famous statue here in Guangzhou called the Five Ram Statue located in the city's largest park, Yuexiu Park. The park covers 212 acres! It is a very pretty park with lots of people and activity. The statue is a symbol of the city...legend has it that over 2000 years ago the people here were starving from famine. Five gods came down riding five rams with rice in their mouths for the people. They left the rice for the people, blessed them and the five gods returned to the heavens. The five rams turned into stone and the city grew rich and full of people. Guangzhou means the city of rams.
Yuexiu Park
Chinese women dancing to music in the park (this is a pretty common scene in China)
A piece of the original city wall of Guangzhou
The name of the Five Rams Statue written on a rock as you climb the stairs to the statue
The stairs heading up to the statue
The Five Rams Statue - Jedidiah and I with the Wanninger Family
See the twins in there? They did not leave their air conditioned room, so this is as close as we got to them, but even this was pretty cool. Just to see pandas live and in person was awesome!
One of the red pandas is in the tree above us.
A red panda playing on a bridge
The white tiger
We got to sit on some Panda statues. Jedidiah would not sit on them by himself...he was not too fond of them!
After the zoo, we headed back to the hotel. The rest of our day was pretty quiet. Brad was still feeling pretty sick, so I got some noodles for Jedidiah - because noodles continue to be his favorite thing to eat! - put him down for a nap, then explored the hotel some more, and ate some dinner in our room.
We are finding that Jedidiah will eat noodles for every meal!
By far his favorite food!
Poor Brad...this is what he did all day on Monday.
Jedidiah and I exploring the grounds at the hotel. They are breathtaking!
So beautiful!
All was quiet in our room Monday night, but Brad was feeling miserable and getting worse as time went on. I sent out an urgent prayer request on the Facebook page and through email to please pray for him. He had to be at the Consulate appointment the next morning and at that point, I did not see how that was going to be possible. But then God's people prayed! We were humbled by the response. And God answered in a mighty way! By Tuesday morning, Brad was able to function well enough to go. Thank you God!!
Tuesday, April 15
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the lord : He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. (Psalms 91:1, 2 NLT)
Today was our last full day in Guangzhou! I cannot tell you how overjoyed we were when Brad woke up Tuesday morning able to function and go to the Consulate appointment. COMPLETELY PRAISING GOD! AND THANKING HIM FOR FAITHFUL FRIENDS THAT LIFTED BRAD UP IN PRAYER!
Also, we were encouraged by my devotional today...totally expressed what we had been feeling the last 24 hours:
“TRUST ME, and don’t be afraid. Many things feel out of control. Your routines are not running smoothly. You tend to feel more secure when your life is predictable. Let Me lead you to the rock that is higher than you and your circumstances. Take refuge in the shelter of My wings, where you are absolutely secure.
When you are shaken out of your comfortable routines, grip My hand tightly and look for growth opportunities. Instead of bemoaning the loss of your comfort, accept the challenge of something new. I lead you on from glory to glory, making you fit for My kingdom. Say yes to the ways I work in your life. Trust Me, and don’t be afraid.”
We entered this day with renewed strength!
Our consulate appointment went without a glitch. It is an interesting process and a bit uncomfortable at times. Outside the entrance of the consulate, there are many Chinese people lined up waiting to try and get visas. We were brought to the front of the line and through the gates within seconds of arriving. It did not feel right just moving ahead of all those people, but we did not have a choice. This is how it is done. You then have to go through tight security. We were only allowed a gallon ziplock of items - and those could only be diapers, wipes, a drink for Jedidiah and one water bottle for Brad and I. And with those drinks, I had to take a drink out of them before we could enter to make sure they was nothing hazardous in them. We could bring in no electronics, including cell phones, cameras, and watches. Our guide was allowed to get one photo of us as we entered, but then we had to leave the camera behind.
(I have the picture to insert here, but sometimes the internet is really slow...Brad sent it over an hour ago from his phone and it still hasn't come through. I will put it in once I get it. :) )
Once inside we were in a room with all adoptive parents and their children. There were a lot of familiar faces there from the hotel. It was great connecting with more families adopting. There also were some fun toys in the room for all the kids. Jedidiah loved playing with the other kids! It was really fun to watch him interact with the others...it warmed my heart and gave me visions of him playing with his brothers and sisters. :) The whole process - taking an oath, handing in our paperwork, and giving fingerprints took only an hour. Now we wait for his visa to come, which should be tomorrow afternoon.
The rest of our day was spent exploring Shamian Island, a very beautiful and picturesque sandbar in the Liwan District of Guangzhou. The Island has great historic significance as it served for hundreds of years as an important port for Guangzhou's foreign trade. At Shamian Island, you do not feel like you are in the city at all. There are hardly any cars on the island, so it is very relaxing without all the congestion and honking of cars constantly (Have I told you how much Chinese people honk their horns when they drive?! It is non-stop, literally). It is a great place to shop with many little stores. The buildings and gardens are beautiful. There are these unique bronze statues all over the island...Jedidiah did not like being near them at all, we found out, but they are really cute. We ate lunch at a cute little restaurant, strolled along in the gardens, and did some shopping. It was a nice, relaxing afternoon.
After an early morning at the US Consulate, Jedidiah fell asleep in the van on the way to Shamian Island.
We saw many photographers taking photos on the island...a perfect place to do so! Lots of soon-to-be-brides...our guide told us the white wedding dresses are rented from the photographer only for the photos. The brides do not wear them for their wedding day. They wear them only for these photos, which are their engagement photos.
Eating lunch at Lucy's Diner
My new favorite fruit...the white one with black seeds...called pitaya...a cross between kiwi and a soft pear. A fruit found in southeastern Asia.
This is a statue on the island where many adoptive parents take their child's picture, but poor Jedidiah was not having it. He cried the minute Brad put him down. Poor guy.
We came back, and Jedidiah took a late nap.
Having a little playtime with ba-ba before naps.
The street on the way to the restaurant.
An apartment building above the stores.
This is what was at the table when we sat down for dinner...kind of like the chips and salsa ahead of time, except this was fish...each of these is a whole little fish, eyes and all!
Us and the Wanningers
Our selection for dinner
Looks like a typical WalMart...until...
Until you come across bins like this with all chicken feet in them. Yum!
Our nightly bath.
Tomorrow we will pack, wait to get Jedidiah's visa, and then take a night flight to Beijing where we will be for the remainder of our trip.
Thank you God for this awesome day!
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