We spent a beautiful morning at the Chen Family Memorial Hall. It is also called the Guagnzhou Arts and Crafts Museum. Housed in what was the living compounds of the Chen family clan, a powerful, rich and influential family group before the Cultural Revolution, the Chen Family home has been turned into a museum. We were treated to displays of some of China's most famous artwork: embroidery, ivory carvings, jade, watercolor, calligraphy. The art was beautiful and the surroundings were magnificent. It was one of the more peaceful (and orderly) mornings we have spent. We all enjoyed it immensely. Definitely a "must see and do" for anyone traveling here.
Our afternoon was spent wandering the island. We ate lunch at Lucy's, which is a western style restaurant. We chose it because of its al fresco dining. It was relaxed and a lovely day to sit outside in the sheltered courtyard and enjoy lunch together. We shopped a bit, and ended up praying with Jordon in the hallway of his shop area. It was a treat to meet with him and he was so excited to share the common bond of brother and sisterhood in faith. Jim called him, "brother" at the end of our short time, and my eyes welled with tears.
There is another woman who keeps a shop that shared that she is Baptist and is a member of one of the churches on the island. My understanding, from the reading I have done, is that there still is a vast difference between the house (underground) churches and the state-approved churches in China, especially in terms of some of the theology the underground teaches profess that the state churches agree not to teach. A wonderful read about the beginning of the house church movement in China is, "Heavenly Man". It is a beautiful account and very inspirational.
Once again we dined at the Thai restaurant "Cow Bridge", and it was divine. This was after Emma kept escaping the room to try to run away from me into the hotel hallway. Jim and the boys were not here, and our connecting rooms were opened. She kept darting from one room to the other to go look for them in the hallway. Despite my use of the translator to explain what they were doing, that they would be back and etc...she didn't really care to be all alone with me. Ugh. One of the women we know from our travel group "happened to be walking down the hall", which I call a divine appointment where the Lord stationed her in that hallway on Emma's behalf. I was unnerved and rather frazzled by the time we finally met up with Jim and the boys. So while dinner was great tasting, I was working on steadying my heartbeat and resisting beginning a countdown to liftoff to Hong Kong.
We are longing for home.
Is it mean if I declare that I am done? Ready? Finished?
I think it is indicative that the trip is drawing to a close. The reality that I can even entertain the idea of being home and being done here allows the "feeling" of being done to surface in a new way. I am done. There, I wrote it. It's official and a statement. Tomorrow we leave, and that is a good thing. Thanks be to God who wathes our going out and our returning home.
Next up tonight is a bath for Emma and getting her very overly tired self to bed. Getting my overly tired self to bed is next on the list. Jim and the boys are cooking up "magnum bars", which a akin to a Dove bar, and the movie Bourne Identity in the boys room. I think I need to rally to join them for this last night before travel. Pray for me! :)
So tomorrow afternoon begins the long sojourn home. We yearn to be there and to see everyone. We long to worship with Emma at church and declare the faithful hand of the Lord to the heavens. Our hearts are full and our arms finally are, too. It has been a beautiful and momentous trip. Emmacakes is the fulfillment of every single promise the Lord made to Jim and to me all those months ago when we prayed with both fear and trepidation, joy and anticipation at a call that made no sense to us, and yet one that made us stop in wonderment and love. God is sooooo good. Never would we have conceived that we would return to China again to adopt. Never would we have thought we would be blessed to parent five children.
As Emmacakes and I colored today, we were listening to the playlist of songs that the Lord sang over my heart all those months of waiting. My tears flowed freely (and in secret from Emma) while I praised my God who has brought everything to pass as He said He would. And my heart was truly rent with joy and gratitude, awe and overwhelmed love at his mercy and grace for my family. The lyrics from the song, Jamie's song, by Kristene Mueller, were particularly sweet this day, and so I leave you tonight with her song. Today our hearts sang it for our Emma, found and safe- with us and in Him. She is His sparkle, and through Jim she will learn about the love a father has for a daughter, and how much more her Heavenly Father for her. I testify before you what my eyes have seen these last weeks. She is a sparkle.
She's a sparkle in her Father's eye,
Kind of like the moon tonight.
She's destined for divinity,
Her portion is His purity
And a glance His way comes across her face.
He sheds a tear, oh, oh,
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
Amazing love,
Oh, she's been found.
A sparkle in her Father's Crown.
Holy love come raining down,
Come storming in, be jealous found.
Come violent love,
Come stormy sea,
Sweep fear away and joy shall be.
And even if He had ninety nine
That stayed at home and stayed in line,
He would not be satisfied.
He would still go out to find
The one who's always on His mind
And bring her back, arms opened wide.
He sheds a tear, oh, oh,
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
Amazing love,
Oh, she's been found.
Holy love come raining down,
Come storming in, be jealous found.
Come violent love,
Come stormy sea,
Sweep fear away and joy shall be.
Holy love come raining down,
Come storming in, be jealous found.
Come violent love,
Come stormy sea,
Sweep fear away and joy shall be,
Sweep fear away and joy shall be.
She's a sparkle in her Father's eye,
Kind of like the moon tonight.
2 comments:
Sara -
We are done too - done with your lovely blog and eloquent ways of giving us pictures of how it's been there. As wonderful as it's been, we're done and we want you guys home!!! Praying for safe and easy travel - and that Emma, who maybe is bonding to 3 men in her life - possibly the first men at all - which is such a gift, but pray that she sees how great of a mom you truly are - how much she is loved - and that through the flight back and beginning her life away from China, she is prepared to enter fully into your family with another extraordinary brother and a fun, excited sister and grandparents and friends - who all love her too!!
Oh, and I pray for good sleep when you're able to get it : )
I second what Michele said. Come Home! Missing you all.
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