Thunderstorms and Fellowship

We have had a couple of eventful days. We continue to work each day with the kids and help them to get accustomed to the Chinese Culture. Yesterday mom and I took our group to the Wu Mart, which is a store that sells everything from duck eggs to toys. The kids really enjoyed it and each of them were given 10 Yen to spend in the store. The best part was walking around the meat department and watching their reactions to the types of meat they put out to sell. I promised on of them that by the time I left I would try chicken feet. I'm not quite sure what I have gotten myself into, but I can't back out now. A promise is a promise. I am pretty sure that my tummy will rebel a bit on that one, but hey it's worth it.
After the kids left yesterday my parents and I walked over to the Purple Bamboo Park. It was absolutely amazing. The park is set in the middle of Beijing and is beautiful. It reminded me a bit of being in Central Park. You have city surrounding you on all sides and suddenly there is the beautiful piece of land that offers a bit of a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. As we walked around I got a glimpse of family life here in Beijing. Parents were chasing their toddlers around and Grandpas were teaching their grandchildren how to fish. We watched as one boy caught a fish and the excitement it caused. His grandfather was patting him on the back and he was jumping up and down with excitement. It was so neat to see the love they have for one another. Americans can learn something from this culture on the blessings of having a child and being with family.
Last night we were going to take two of our student guides out for pizza at Pizza Hut. I was so excited to finally experience a bit of American culture and eat something that was familiar. As we walked out of our hotel it was drizzling a bit, but by the time we crossed the street we were in a full on thunderstorm. It was amazing. It came complete with thunder and lightening. I miss good thunderstorms, but Dad was good to give us one while we were here. We decided not to continue on and came back to the hotel to regroup. We found out the Pizza Hut delivered so we settled in with a card game called Killer that the Student guides taught us and waited for the pizza to come. The thing that shocked me the most about Pizza Hut delivery is that the man came on a bike. That's right...a bike! Can you imagine a pizza delivery guy on a bike in CA? It would never happen. The poor guy biked a mile in the rain to bring food to lazy Americans. The best part is that he seemed genuinely happy to do it. I love these people!
Our time here continues to be profitable and Dad has given us so many opportunities to fellowship with the people here. We continue to allow Dad to lead us. He is so wise! The fellowship with our Student Guides has been amazing. They all of such incredible hearts for the Americans.
We miss our families, but are thankful that Dad is here with us.
Lisa