We're Here

We made it to Beijing without a hitch! I was worried that we or our luggage would not made the connecting flight between our landing in Chicago at 12:17 and our next flight to Beijing leaving at 1:00, but our flight out of Birmingham left early and we landed in Chicago at 11:45. We found a shuttle to Concourse C and had time to stand around for 30 minutes before boarding. The flight to Beijing was SO LONG!!! I don’t want to do that again for a while…at least for two weeks! We arrived in Beijing at 3:30pm and thankfully after we went through customs and luggage pickup, we had a guide waiting for us who had a cab ready to take us to the hotel. As we rode to the hotel, Greg and I were both struck by the cloudy haze that engulfed us. It is nothing we have ever seen. Like fog that hangs around all day. Greg and I halfway joked that God was leading us by day with a cloud the way he led the Israelites. Our guide said it is always like that. The smog never leaves! How sad not to see the blue sky!

Once we were checked in to the hotel, Greg and I decided to just eat supper in the hotel restaurant. By this time we had been awake for 26 hours. I was feeling overwhelmed and tired and didn’t feel like leaving the hotel. We did not know yet how to convert the Chinese currency to American dollars. We finally got in bed at 8:00pm, Thursday, March 22^nd (7am Thursday in AL). As I collapsed into the bed I prayed for our boys back home and tried to imagine what time it was there and what they might be doing and then I prayed for Xin, and as I tried to imagine what she may be doing, the thought occurred to me that for the first time ever, we are on the same time! So tonight as we sleep, she is hopefully sleeping peacefully too. This morning I woke up about 1:00 and couldn’t sleep. I am eager to talk to my boys back home. I miss them so much! This morning I turned to Psalms for some encouragement and I happened to turn to Psalm 121. The Lord provided the perfect encouragement at a time when I feel very lost in this world where I can’t communicate with the people or understand the ways. Thank you so much for your prayers!!!

I raise my eyes toward the mountains, where will my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip; your protector will not slumber.

Indeed, the protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.

The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side.

The sun will not strike you by day or the moon by night.

The Lord will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life.

The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.