in approximately 29 hrs I will be on a China bound plane. That thought seems crazy, amazing, and yes, SCARY. Even though I've known I was going on this trip since March 18th, I don't think it fully sank in. Not sure if it even has yet. Once I step off that plane and am thrust into a mass of chinese people in the airport, then step outside and lay eyes on Beijing (!!!) I suppose then it will sink in.
I've been doing really well with not worrying about things, surprisingly, cause I can usually be quite the queen of worry. This morning, however, I woke up a little paranoid. I'm going to be 8,000 some miles away from everyone and everything I know. If I get homesick, I can't whine about it and come home; I have to suck it up. Emotionally, I'm not sure how I'll handle it. I'm pretty good at holding stuff in, but this trip is going to push that to incredible limits. Seeing orphans in itself would be really sad, but these are not just orphans we are seeing, they are all special needs orphans. They all have something wrong with them in some way. One of the 3 orphanages we are going to is for only blind children. Another orphanage has a whole floor with children in critical and incurable condition. They are sentenced to death and the people are just making them as comfortable as possible until they pass... is that not heartbreaking? These precious children are dealing with so much more than most of us ever have or ever will. I'm praying I will be able to just love on these kids that don't experience love. I pray I'll come away completely changed from seeing children is such a sad state. I pray I won't just shut down or freak out from the overwhelming sadness of it all.
Prayer would be much appreciated, for myself as well as the whole team I'm going with.
Anyways, apart from all that, here is an itinerary of my time in China - in case you're curious :)
July 30th - Drive to Bismarck, stay in hotel (early flight time made this unavoidable)
July 31st - Fly to Newark, NJ at 5AM. Meet up with whole team, have a meeting and dinner, getting to know everyone. We're staying in a hotel near the airport.
August 1st - Fly to Beijing at noon
August 2nd - Get to Beijing, tour and get introduced to Hope Healing Home
August 3rd - Play with kids in the morning, tour The Great Wall of China (!!!) in the afternoon
August 4th - Play with kids in the morning, work on the orphanages grounds in the afternoon
August 5th - Same as the 4th
August 6th - Same as the 4th & 5th, except at night we will take an overnight train to Luoyang
August 7th - Get introduced to Maria's Big House of Hope (MBHOH), play with kids and get settled
August 8th - spend the day at MBHOH
August 9th - sightseeing in Luoyang
August 10th - day spent at MBHOH, evening spent out on the town
August 11th - morning spent at MBHOH, afternoon spent getting ready to leave, then catching the train
August 12th - Spend the day at Bethel, then back to Hope Healing Home
August 13th - spend the morning with children, the afternoon souvenir shopping in Beijing area
August 14th - Sightsee at the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. We're also visiting the street food market and shopping at the Silk market
August 15th - morning spent packing and cleaning, fly back to the US at 3:45. We get back at 5:30 on the same day (that is what you get for having a 13 hr time difference!) my flight doesn't leave till the next day so myself and a few other girls have a hotel this night.
August 16th - fly home, get into Bismarck around supper time
And that is it! Quite the schedule, huh? It's nice to known what we're doing and when we're doing it, ahead of time. Here are links to websites for the orphanages. Check them out, they are very interesting. On the Hope Healing Home website, make sure you go to 'tour' and click on 'Yurts' these are what we will be staying in while at this orphanage, are they not so COOL?!!
2 comments:
So very exciting!!! Yes, it can be nerve racking but I am sure that part of God's plan in this whole experience is showing you how to COMPLETELY rely on Him. Place everything (worry, sadness, fear, homesickness, pride, shyness, sensitivities and on and on) in HIS capable hands! He will never dissapoint, He will accomplish HIS GOOD in you and through you and give you complete peace in circumstances that would normally bring you the complete opposite. Of course this isn't coming from someone who has this down yet, but someone who knows God's amazing power and strives to let it take over her life. We will be praying for you! Thanks for the itinerary, it will be nice knowing what you are up to. I will figure out the time change and can pray for you during specific events! Maybe when you return you can come here and visit - we can hear about it in person!!! We love you!
That is so exciting! I am so glad you are getting the experience and this opportunity. I looked at the hope foster home site and saw all those beautiful children you will be spending time with. I'm jealous! ;)
I am very excited to hear all about it when you return and will make it a goal for me to finally get my experience about my mission trip up by the time you are back! :) Pray, He hears you always!
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