Safely in China

Nimen hao!

I've arrived safely in China and I'm having the most amazing adventure! Definitely different and already very eye opening.

I had a great couple of days in KL... I spent Tuesday morning roaming the streets visiting the Twin Towers, KLCC, Masjid Jame, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building (Big Ben inspired), St Marys, St Johns Cathedral and Little India. A bonus was just happening to stumble across a Christian Bookstore where the staff were very clued up about the Doulos arriving in Malaysia this week. Actually quite a few people I’ve encouraged to visit the Doulos already knew that they’re about to dock :) In the afternoon I caught up with a Malay girl who's been doing home-stay with one of my lecturers at BCNZ. We wandered through Central Markets, Chinatown and the Golden Triangle (shops shops shops!). Then her Dad picked us up and took us to their place before going out for some delicious Penang style dishes. 'Nasi lemak' was beautiful, however, 'durien', Malaysia’s national fruit was quite a new and difficult flavour for me :)

My hosts here in China have been so welcoming. We've been chatting non-stop about their experiences here and serving in other countries to date. They're involved in numerous outreaches, including pastoral care, medical care and rehabilitation for the disabled and leprosy victims, family support and education. This morning I had a Chinese lesson which was fantastic! It's so exciting to have all that Chinese I studied in Japan surfacing and being put to use! This afternoon a few of us have been out for 'Over the Bridge Noodles'. We've also had a look around some of the organisation's facilities. You sure have to watch where you're going around here - pedistrians, bicycles, scooters, cars, trucks, people on rollerblades, dogs, cats and horses come at you from all directions - not to mention the uneven roads! Tonight's going to be incredible... we're heading into the city centre for a worship service at the Three-Self Church. It sounds like there could be up to 1000 people there!

Tomorrow I’m flying to Mangshi, a town close to the Myanmar border. I'll be staying with a family looking into doing tourism consulting there. I'm hoping to help with brainstorming different ideas with them :) Then next week a group from Whangerai is arriving. I'll be back to join them tree-planting at two villages set aside for leprosy victims next Wednesday.

There's so much more I could write, but the photos are going to tell so much more. The faces, the streets, the sounds, the smells - all so new. Thank you again for your continued support while I'm on this adventure. I'm truly being inspired and I can't wait to share more face to face soon xxx

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer... He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters... the LORD turns my darkness into light... It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect... Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, I will sing praises to your name (2 Sam 22)