The China Post

Long time, no blog. Like, so long that I couldn't remember how to log in. I've been told by one person that I was missed, so that's good... Anyhow, chances are, if you know me, you know I went to China last month. So I thought I'd tell you a little about it.

I visited Maria's Big House of Hope in Luoyang, China, with a group of Show Hope Sponsors. There were 16 of us, including my roomie Jess and me. These people are some of the coolest people ever and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to serve alongside them.

This is going to come as a big surprise (please sense sarcastic tone), but I have decided the trip can best be summed up with lyrics from a song by Steven Curtis Chapman.

From What Now

I saw the face of Jesus in a little orphan girl

She was standing in the corner on the other side of the world

And I heard the voice of Jesus gently whisper to my heart

Didn't you say you wanted to find me?

Well here I am, here you are

So, What now?

What will you do now that you found Me?

What now?

What will you do with this treasure you've found?

I know I may not look like what you expected

But if you remember this is right where I said I would be

You've found me

What now?

I wish I could answer that question, "What now?" But I'm not there quite yet.

What I do know is that orphan is no longer an abstract word. It is Lydia giggling as I sang her Bon Jovi and Reba songs. It is Claire, still happy even though she has a fever. It's Jackson, who has the most amazing smile I have ever seen. It's Isaac, pointing to the floor next to him saying, "Come here. No bye bye." It's Emerson, who is tiny and loves to be held.

Saying goodbye to the kids at Maria's was hard. More than hard. Not a day goes by that I don't think of those sweet kids. But I know they are well cared for at Maria's. And I know there is Hope.

In other news, we were also able to spend a couple of days in Beijing, where highlights included:

• Visiting the Great Wall... we went up via ski lift and down on slides, Gatlinburg-style. Super fun.
• The Pearl Market, where we all worked on our bargaining skills. I think I even got "family price" on my "Jimmy Choo" purse. Unfortunately, my "Cartier" watch broke less than a week after coming home...
• The Rat-aurant. Not necessarily a good highlight, but definitely a memorable experience. A rat decided to join us for dinner one evening.
• Seeing things like seahorses on sticks at the night market... and watching a couple of my teammates partake of a scorpion.

We all know I'm no salesperson, but if I were, I would definitely talk you into becoming a Show Hope Sponsor. They are doing some amazing things in China, not to mention giving grants to families who are adopting.