Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Great Wall

This week has been super crazy. There is a high school group here from Georgia, we had a rummage sale the past two days and Children's day is tomorrow. I will post all about that later! But, last weekend we went to the great wall! Sarah and Rebecca had to go  in order to tape a promo video and take some pictures for a project they are starting. They are starting their own foster home in southern China called  Hope Station. So, Taylor and I, obviously, tagged along on that trip! 


We took a chair lift up to the wall.


Sarah!



Oh hey tay!




Prime example of chinglish right there

So, we came to the end of the wall and there was this sign. However, the trail kept going so we just had to venture farther. How could you not?


Sarah "falling" off the crumbled wall

On top of the crumbled down wall



We could see so far. It was absolutely break-taking 




Marissa and I 

Taylor, Marissa, and I 

So beautiful. These pictures can't even do it justice

Marissa, Rebecca, Sarah, and Taylor



 It was so beautiful! 








On Sunday, we went to Hidian Ch*rch in Beijing. It was a wonderful service. I have never gotten chocked up in a service, that I can remember. I have never had to hold back tears. But three times in the past three weeks, I have. Being in a foreign country, at a ch*rch, and feeling g0ds presence, being surrounded by foreigners who are worshiping the same g0d. It is so beautiful, such a glimpse of he*ven, and every time I have had to hold back my tears. Our g0d is so great and he is so much bigger than my small "mist" of a life. He is working here and why would I have ever thought that he wouldn't be? Our g0d is so great and so mighty and so loving. I am being reminded daily of his great love for me. 


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

This life



Another week has come and gone. I apologize (mommy) for not posting very regularly. Everything has been going very well, except for the fact that Emily left us on Tuesday L. I hated to see her leave. Emily is one of those people that is so open and so herself that you feel like you have known her forever instead of the two short weeks that we did. She was so good to us and really got us settled in here. I really don’t know what we would have done without her. Taylor and I would probably still be sitting in our room, unable to sleep, and not sure what to do with ourselves before Emily busted in with her Memphis shirt on, some awkward hellos, and the beginning of a sweet friendship. Ha, Emily I miss you! Every time I eat a Magnum ice cream cone, make a munto doughnut, watch a movie in the movie room, hear Ling Ling yell your name, say pretty in Chinese, or pretty much any word in Chinese, I will think of you. Miss you miss you!

Here are a few pictures of the children on Saturday. We went and got them ice cream. A nice treat for the hot day! 

Jay Jay

Elizabeth, or bei bei, upset about something!

Adrienne!



Ting ting and Eric. They are boyfriend and girlfriend about every other day. 

Mickey! 

 For Emily’s last night with us she cooked us chicken. Not just frying some chicken, but literally cutting the entire chicken up. In China, you buy them fully intact with a smiling chicken on the outside of the package. So Emily, the wonderful cook that she is, butchered the entire chicken and then cooked it for us. It was delicious. I did not get a picture of the final product but I did get pictures of the butchering.
 




Hey there chicken head. 


Taylor, being the vegetarian that she is, sat as far away as she could!



 Here are some pictures we took before taking Emily to the airport. Once again, miss you tons Emily.
 


Me, Taylor, Emily, Sarah, and Marissa. The cliche Chinese peace sign pose. 


Emily, Sarah, and Marissa

The roommates

 We started teaching our classes on Wednesday. Taylor and I are both teaching the primary class which has six kids in it. They are all so sweet and doing such a good job, thanks to Emily, with speaking English. I have always thought that g0d had a sense of humor. It is really evident here in the fact that, I absolutely hate English. I always have. It was my worst subject all through school. I just couldn't stand it with all of the rules and everything. Spelling and grammar are still my biggest weaknesses in school. I don’t know what I would do without spell check. So, you may be thinking, Ju you knew you would be teaching English in China!  And, yes, I did know that, but I thought it would be like with kindergartners, not older kids and actual grammar rules. However, g0d laughs and says, "no Julianne you will teach your most hated subject and you will enjoy it". Ha! So here I am, and can I say thank the l0rd that Taylor is the opposite of me and LOVES English! So far it has been going well. Taylor and I will be kind of switching off with the teaching and right now Taylor is teaching the lesson and she is doing great! Please pr*y for us as we continue to try in all of our failings to teach these kids English.

Yesterday, I taught my first Kindergarten class. My class is so precious. I will post a picture of each of them and tell you about them on my next post. I am seriously in love with all of them. I am starting off teaching them time. It is going pretty well. The lesson only takes a little while and then the rest of the time we sing English songs. I am so thankful to Emily for teaching them some great songs. I will post videos later as well. 

I feel like this blog is going to be a little update about what is going on and then something that the l0rd is teaching me. I read this verse earlier this week and since then it has been on my mind. It is so convicting and something that should be convicting us daily.

Whoever claims to live in him must walk as J*sus did.
1 john 2:6 


We aren't supposed to become chr1st1ans and then just go to ch*rch on Sundays and have an occasional quiet time. Oh, and be nice to others. We are called to walk as he did.

Friday, May 18, 2012

The least of these...

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His discip1es asked him, "R*bbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said J*sus, "but this happened so that the work of g0d might be displayed in his life." John 9: 1-3

Precious Liam!


This is Leah. Today, I was holding this precious child. I could feel her tiny,slow heartbeat next to mine as she drifted to sleep. She was content in my arms being held and loved to fall asleep. What a blessing it was! 

Taylor with Shana and Heather

Melanie

Josiah and I




Cody


Cindy

Robert making a funny face

Mikey

Leah

Leah and Heather


Sweet Liam

Shana


Amity

Taylor and Kennedy

Susan and Vincent

Taylor and Cindy

Kennedy and I 

Most of these pictures I stole from Taylor! You can also follow her at taylor-createdtoserve@blogspot.com! 

These are just a few of the children that I have gotten to know over the past week and a half. Please pr*y for each of these children. That they will heal, be adopted, and come to know our s*vior.