City and Country Tales

If I keep going to Bethel, I may very well end up adopting one (or two or three) of those kids. On Saturday a group from my church went to the Bethel Foster Home to help harvest crops and do whatever they needed us to do for the day. It was hard work, but it was so worth it.

We drove west of Beijing to Bethel which is about 90 minutes from Chaoyang. There were about twelve of us who went. I had no idea what to expect, but I was just eager to help in whatever way I could. I had my greenhouse working chops to put back into practice. While there, we harvested winter melons and beans; then, we planted lots and lots of garlic. We also cleaned some dormitories. It was really neat to see the facilities and hear the stories of the people there.

Bethel was founded by a French couple (they call them French Papa and Mama) who felt called to sell everything they own. They then decided to start an orphanage in China for a group of children who are often forgotten about: those who are blind. You'd think it would be a sad place when you think of orphanages or foster homes, but it is actually so full of joy and hope! It was overwhelming.

At the end of the day, we had the chance to spend some time with the kids. I really wish I could speak more Chinese so that I could have asked them more questions. It's surprising though how insignificant the language barriers are when you are just showing each other love. They just wanted to play and be around us. They loved playing clapping games and giving hugs :)

It was a short experience, but it was the highlight of my holiday week. It was the last thing I did after spending a whole week in Shanghai.

This is not to say that seeing Shanghai was unimpressive. I could not get over the number of people that swarmed the streets because of the holiday. The lights were amazing to see as well. We went on a night cruise along the Huangpu River and saw the cityscape all lit up. I really was just a wide-eyed country girl trying to take in one of the world's largest cities. I would try and seem relaxed - like being in a city like that is no big deal. It was a big deal though! I've learned that I love cities and the energy in them. I love all the different kinds of people that you can meet who you would not normally meet, especially when one foreigner comes across another. It's like an instant bond.

This being said, I'll always come back to the country. It's my home. It's in my blood.

These are some photos from our day at Bethel:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gleefully/10100094733/in/set-72157636213878224/

This is a photo from one of our days in Shanghai: