I'm Here!!!

Hello, everyone. Finally, finally I am writing! Sorry it has been so long. Since I got back from China, life has been so busy getting ready to leave for Colorado that I haven't had time to write.

Alright. So I'm here. In Winter Park, Colorado. At Snow Mountain Ranch. At the Summer Training Program. And I am so glad I'm here!

Let's see, this update will probably be more like a list because I don't have much time. I have very limited internet access. I only have it in the Commons (cafeteria) and in the Admin Building (which I just am not at very often). Problem is the Commons is closed a lot so I must make my Admin trips more frequent.

Weather: Freezing! I was very unprepared. All we have on our beds is a sheet and thin blanket. The first night we left our window open! Oh my, was it cold! Since then, we have kept the window closed and Mom is in the process of sending me a comforter. I was trying to be better at packing this year...hmmm....last time I try that one. Over-packed and over-prepared is always better no matter the teasing I get for it!

Work: First day of work today. This is my first real employed job. Totally weird. I had no idea what conference services actually entailed! Lots of moving lots of things. Lots of physical work. Basically I get a six hour work out in my eight our work day (subtract two hours for lots of driving a very old van around)! Today we worked nine and a half hours! What a first day of work for my first day of work ever! I think I like having a job though, well at least for the mean time.

Team: Ok, my team leader is fantastic. She loves the Lord so much and it is so evident. She has struggled with many of the same things that I have/am struggling with now. I didn't like her at first and that was because of PRIDE. After God took a chip out of that, I actually would talk to her and it amazes me how good God is. He is sovereign over which team we each were placed into and there is no doubt about that when it comes to my team. My team members are great!Kelly is bubbly and fun. She talks a lot and is super hilarious. Tanya is a bit quieter but as the night carries on, she begins to break out of that. :) We have had so many good laughs already--if we don't have abs of steel by the end of the summer something is simply wrong with our bodies. ;)

Me: Ok, so I'm adjusting just fine now. I was really really having a hard time the first few days--still am because of my PRIDE!! I always knew I was prideful but God really convicted me of it about second day here. I hadn't even been here twenty four hours! My prayer this summer is that He shatters it! I want it to be gone! My desire at the end of the summer is that my focus is completely and solely on Him. I want to be magnificently obsessed with my Savior and my God. That is my prayer.

I'm memorizing at least four verses a week. My desire is that I am able to memorize three in addition to that so that I'm essentially memorizing one a day. I want to know His Word. I don't want to have a vague idea of what this passage in Matthew says anymore. That doesn't cut it. I desire to truly know it so that I might pray it and that I can bring it up in times of struggle. Ah, combatting sin with Scripture. It is called the sword of the Spirit for a reason. I also want to read through the entire Bible this summer. I was considering it before I left and dismissed it because it was simply impossible. Right? Wrong! It is completely possible. It was one of the things that Drew challenged us with the second day we arrived. Every week, I spend a half day with God alone. It's called our HDAWG. I did mine on Thursday which wasn't as satisfying as I had desired because I allowed the things around me to distract me. I was first outside, then moved to my car, then drove somewhere in my car, then went back to my dorm. Distracting! I need to pick a place next time and not move! I moved because of the weather so maybe inside would be a better choice next time. Alright I gotta go. I will hopefully update more often. God is breaking me. I am so glad I am here.

The Garden at the Garden Hotel

Gracie watching the fish by the tea house.

One of two large waterfalls in the Garden.

The tea house

Grace and Sarah enjoy feeding the fish.

Sarah also enjoys feeding herself.

Going Out in Guangzho

Guangzhou is even hotter than Nanchang. I didn't think any place was hotter than Nanchang -- I was wrong.


Haagen Das -- more ice cream to cool down while we are out and about.

Trying tea at a tea house.

Hope the mail carrier is current with his tetanus shots.

---Baba Van Gilst

Airplane to Guangzho

Sarah's first plane ride -- one hour. Training wheels for transpacific flight -- 9 hrs from Tokyo to San Francisco.

Yes I do Love My Baba

As if I wasn't already wet enough from all the sweating -- now I have baby drool in my hair.

Two of Dad's Favorite Things

I like Sarah better than Coca-Cola!

Ice Cream

Sarah enjoys a Mc Donalds ice cream cone in Nanchang.

Even ice cream doesn't cool you off here. It is so hot and humid that you are drenched the whole time you are outside. I can't wait to get home to the desert. ---Baba Van Gilst

Sorry it's taken so long for new pictures to be put up. I know, Em, you've been checking back every ten minutes to no avail. Sorry everyone else---didn't know the blog would be such a hit. ---Lauren

Cutie and Carrots

Fengcheng

Views of Fengcheng, Sarah's home city. It is a small city according to our guide. 1,300,000 people call it home. He says that is small for China.

Who knows what this building is -- it's all Greek to me! (or Chinese)

Provincial government building

Fengcheng orphanage. Sarah only spent one day here. All healthy children are placed with foster families. The only children in the orphanage are special needs.

Everyone lives in apartment buildings like this in the cities.

The country side between Fengcheng and Nanchang

--Baba Van Gilst

Finding Sarah

This is Sarah's "finding place." She was placed beside this lion statue. These stone statues are everywhere.

Car Ride to Fengcheng

Rice paddies. We saw water buffaloes eating the grass at the edges.


Driving in China is CRAZY!!! It is a combination of bumper cars, Russian roulette, and chicken between automobiles, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. We have never experienced anything like it. The largest vehicle ultimately has the right of way. Four cars driving side by side fighting over two lanes and the shoulder is the norm. Everyone is about 6 inches away from each other,and we have not seen one accident. Literally, people drive any direction in any lane or on the shoulder (motorcyclists on the sidewalks). And nobody gets upset about it. They don't wear seat belts or have car seats. Today we drove between two semis coming straight at us -- one in the opposite lane and one on the shoulder of our lane. Want to change lanes? Don't bother with an over the shoulder head check -- just honk and yank the steering wheel in the direction you want to go -- even if it's a u-turn! Everyone will get out of your way and honk back. Want to cross a busy street? Just step out in front of the traffic and listen to them honk while they pass within 6 inches of you; Life must be cheap in China. We would never think of taking the risks they do here.


More rice paddies. There are also a few single family homes in the country rather than apartment buildings.

A duck farm! How cool is that?

It was long, dusty, and bumpy....REALLY bumpy! Bounce off the seat and hit your head on the roof bumpy!

--Baba Van Gilst

Dragon Fruit

Finding new fruits is one of my favorite parts of going to other countries. America just doesn't have a whole lot of variety sometimes. Last year in Ecuador, I discovered the granadija (spelling is very wrong). This was an orange circle shaped fruit with slimy fish egg looking pods inside. It tasted great! While in China, the first day at the hotel, we had this dragon fruit for breakfast. It was peeled so I did not discover the fabulous pink skin until later. Its consistency is somewhere between a cantaloupe and a watermelon with a lot of little seeds mingled inside. It's great!

Updates from a 5-year-old

Grace's "random" update:



I like to say that, "Sarah is not cute, she is adorable." I'm having a good time in China. I wish that I was in the orphanage, I have this weird book that's called The World's Weirdest Creatures.
I think it looks pretty in Nanchang. It was a long ride from the hotel to Feng Cheng. Yesterday when we were having a tour I got to buy this box of teapots. They were little teapots. Last night I had a weird dream. Sometimes when we were in the hotel, we heard fire crackers going on. We could not find out what they were. Today when I was done with my lunch and Lauren and Mom were eating I asked when are we going to go and Momma told me in just a few minutes. Then I asked again; I asked when are we going to leave. Momma said to play I Spy. Do you know what the funniest book is? Teacher Amelia Bedilia. It was a long plane flight to Beijing but while we were on the plane, me and Lauren read the Funny Man and it was pretty funny. I wish we were already home.



That's all I want. [Meaning she's done with blogging]



Recorded as accurately as possible by Lauren. Sorry for any misspellings.

Porcelain Shopping

The Nanchang area is famous for it's porcelain.



BaBa entertaining Sarah or is she entertaining BaBa?



Grace is very patient while we shop. One of the pieces we bought is entitled "one hundred girls." Very appropriate for our family.



Grace may have a future career selling fine Chinese porcelain.