Sunday in Beijing....

Today was our last full day in China. It started off with a bang at Beijing International Christian Fellowship. This is a church for foreigners only that meets in the theater of a hotel. This is the third time we've visited this church, and it is always wonderful to worship with other believers from around the world. It feels like a little taste of heaven.

We then went on a Hutong tour, which is a rickshaw ride (see our "James Bond" driver in shades) through the old part of Beijing that is preserved. It was originally inhabited by the Mongolians, where one extended family would live around a courtyard, according to Feng Shui beliefs. Now the courtyard is gone, and four different families will live in each area. We got to stop at one of the homes, where the husband and wife (pictured below) served us tea and cherry tomatoes, and answered questions we posed about their life. It was very interesting.

We then visited a silk factory, then shopped at a local market where you barter your prices. This is always an interesting experience, but can be a bit stressful. The highlight of the evening was the acrobat show. It is amazing what the people in this show could do to their bodies. I was in pain just watching them:) Mike and Ying chose not to go to the show, so instead, walked around the area where they snapped this photo of the CCTV building that is under construction. They have the most fascinating architecture here in China. The sign in the forefront has the "One World, One Dream" slogan for the upcoming Olympics.

Tonight we had our last supper and our last devotional as a team. I think we are all ready for home, but it is amazing how we have all bonded as a group, and really gotten along well. It's not easy to throw 12 people together, who don't even all know one another, yet keep the focus on our mission. We are His hands and feet, and we are all taking this back home with us to continue walking out. If you haven't read Fields of the Fatherless by Tom Davis, that is what we have been having our devotions on, and I highly recommend it. It will speak to you in what role you may play in caring for the orphans, as the Bible instructs us to do.

This will be my last post from China (unless I am bored and their is wireless in the Beijing airport!). I will follow up when back in the states and feeling human again though. Thanks for following this journey and the prayers and support for our mission.