Day 8 and Day 9

Day 8 / Day 9

I think Andrew realized that I'd had about enough Chinese food for awhile, so he took me to a German restaurant for lunch yesterday (Saturday). In the States, I never order French fries, but after eight days of food random to my taste buds, nothing looked better. I've been living on one meal a day with some nibbling along the way, so it was good to get a full-fledged meal of food I recognized.

Then we went to an area of shops and got a curling iron for me. It's cheap (made in China--) but will at least help me to feel a little more put together at times, since the one I brought from home does not fit the plug-ins here. We got caught in a rainstorm so ducked into the coffee shop. The shop is a small respite in a place of great darkness.

Andrew had several things going on, so I spent the rest of the day at his apartment. I've been doing some deep cleaning in this man cave. And Jackie came down again. Andrew came in and sang a couple of songs for her. She is a brave and wise woman to come here to teach at age 64. She is doing it for the sake of the Father.

Sunday morning--Meeting at 9 am. By design, the teachers have their own meeting. The first hour was spent in planning for upcoming camps. The second was spent in singing and watching a video from a meeting location in the States. One song, by the Gettys, includes the line "Bringing light to those in darkness." These men and women are doing just that. It was an honor to sing that line with them this morning.

The meeting was held at a local restaurant's back room. The video was slightly interrupted several times by the workers at the restaurant walking through the room carrying produce and other various items for the noon rush. Several of us ate there afterwards. We all ate from the same pot of beef, chicken, tofu noodles, and various greens, cooking over a propane burner in the center of the table. The price was 15 rmb (yuan) apiece--under $3.

Andrew had a basketball pickup game with several brothers, a Chinese lesson, and a goodbye to say to two team members who are leaving and whom he will greatly miss. So I have laid low today. Still working on the man cave. It's a mom's prerogative when she has flown halfway around the world.

This is how we roll!!!

The only downside to today: It is Mike's and my 29th wedding anniversary. On the 29th. I do miss home a little more today. I'm thankful for him!