Thursday, August 2

Today we visited the 8th wonder of the world--the terra cotta warriors. It's just as magnificent as you would imagine. Our students are current on history, and they continue to enjoy learning more and more about China. We talked today about how important it is to know the history and culture of a country in order to fully understand how people think, live, and form beliefs. They've certainly been immersed in Chinese history.

This will be the last day I'll be able to update the blog until Monday. We leave in the morning for a country village about two hours outside of Xi'an. We'll be living and working in the small Christian orphanage there. This orphanage is not a government orphanage, so our circumstances might be a bit of a challenge, at least for those who have not been in less comfortable surroundings.

I met with the students today to take their pulse of the trip. The comments are so heart-warming. Cassey mentioned how blessed we are, and how much we take for granted in terms of our wealth and freedoms. Several mentioned being pretty exhausted, stating that this is the longest mission trip they've been on. We're just over the halfway point, so emotions are a bit raw and sensitivities are more acute. The good news is that we are being stretched and pulled out of our comfort zones, and our hearts are even more open to the working of God, especially as we move into the next few days of our work here in China.

The days of testing are upon us, and we covet your prayers that we will remain faithful to God's call in our lives here in China. We want our attitudes to be genuine and loving, our hearts to be open to all the possibilities before us, our minds to be keenly aware of all that we are learning about this wonderful country, its people, and its customs, and our mouths to be quick to express the love of Jesus in all that we say. We are about to live in close proximity with 20 or more special children whose lives are needing a special touch from the Lord. We want to be that special touch, and we are trusting that God will use each of us for His purpose.

Preston, Colin and I will be ready to take on the active boys. We've purchased two soccer balls and we're ready to learn Chinese soccer, and we have two badminton sets, a very popular game in China. Lauren, Julie, Katie, Jenny, Kellie, Korie, Cassey and Rebecca are great with the girls, and also with the boys. I'll have new photos to post on Monday.

Thanks again for your prayers. We're all safe and we're trusting in the Lord for each day. ~~Wayne