Thursday Update

Hey Everyone!!

So far so good on our trip! Sorry for not being able to post more. We have been super busy!

We landed on Monday, and spent the last half of the day having an orientation and getting settled in.

On Tuesday we woke up early and prayer walked a local fish market, which is like a whole different world. They literally sell things that you could never imagine there. As we walked, I noticed the emptiness in the workers eyes. This is life for them - every single day. Some arrive as early as 5 am.

On Wednesday we prayer walked a local huge Bhuddist temple and climbed the mountain it is located on. Being in the temple is always oppressing... between the smell of incense, the chants and huge idols, it is crazy. It is so so sad watching these people worship and work so hard for these ugly, scary, deformed chunks of rock. The people are so poor, yet still bring offerings of bags of fruit and other things to give to Buddha. It is crazy.

Later that day we girls on the team went to a fabric and silk market, where we picked out silk and are having custom traditional dresses made. (Mine is actually a shirt.) It is amazing because the total cost of my shirt: silk+labor of the tailor, is only going to cost around $13 American dollars!! They have amazing prices here. After the market I met up with a Chinese friend from last year, who is a Christ follower. She is so so sweet, and we had a great time. That night we went to an English corner at the University, where I talked to one particular man, Jason, for a long time. Long story short, (due to time,) when we started talking he was lost. He is now found, the old is gone and the new has come into his life!! Praise Father!!!!

I will write more about this in the states. At the English corner a wonderful musician on our trip brought his guitar and was playing praise music. It was awesome, and the people loved it. However, one young lady politely came up to a girl on our team and explained that because there were 3 days of mourning for the earthquake victims, that we are not supposed to be singing and doing music in a public place like that. She was very sweet, and suggested that we sing one song and pray for the victims. That was especially neat coming from her, because she is not even a C.

Today we took a bus and traveled 3 hours to tour a place I will post more about when I get home... Just for safety, you never know in China how they can get hints at my location.

Tomorrow we will be chillin' and making more friendships and ministering to people. I might possibly have a modeling job in the afternoon, like I had in 2006. They crave American models. It may just be my friend doing it though, but Mrs. F said to come along and they will probably have me do it too.

I will try to post some pictures tomorrow, but I need to go to bed now! It is late at night here, early in Mei Guo. (America)

Thanks for the love, support and prayers!!!