Travel Journal 12

February 17, 2013  -  Sunday

We both got up early to pack, having made arrangements to rent a room for Sunday night at the Conference Center.  I read while Debbie packed.  Then we had a delicious breakfast together and commenced picture-taking! 

We loaded the car and left for The Fountains Conference Center.  Along the way we saw and heard LOTS of fireworks!  Jessica explained that today is the first official day back to work for most people!  The festivities will continue for another week or two, but many businesses will open again today!  As each business reopens, they set off massive amounts of fireworks in front of their shops to insure that their new year is prosperous! 

Although Mr. Jeong had looked up directions on the internet, we got terribly lost!  Frustration!  After examining the directions I captured enough to get us pointed in the right direction and then Randy recognized where we were and within two minutes we were pulling into the conference center – just as the shuttle left for the Union Church Grace Fellowship (10:04 AM)!  However, the director’s wife, DeAnn, was still on the grounds and agreed to take us in her van with her family.  We quickly stored our luggage and took off.

We arrived plenty early for church which was located on a seminary campus.  It is an unusual situation where Chinese and ex-patriots are allowed to worship together.  It was a lovely facility with theater seating.  The service was typical of what one would expect in the U.S.  A man led worship with his guitar.  There were announcements along with an offering.  It had a homey, informal style.  There was scripture reading and a long prayer.  Then, a message, a closing song, and a benediction.  I would guesstimate that there were 100-150 people present with a 50/50 mix of Chinese/others.  This is the church that our friends, Mark and Lena attend;  we sat with them and their son.

On the way to church with Andrea (the conference center director’s wife), while we sat at a stop light, a little girl approached her window and begged for money.  I noticed this little girl immediately – I was in the back of the van on the other side.  She obviously tried to ignore the little girl, but she did not leave.  Twice Andrea waved her off, but she was persistent.  She had a pathetic look on her face and was dirty and dressed poorly.  There was an older man standing nearby.

Finally, Andrea and Stacy explained to us that this little girl was probably being used by her grandfather to make money.  They explained that she was probably not as poor as she looked.  They never wound the window down and never directly addressed the little girl.

I opened my Bible to a scripture I had read that week and showed it to Deb.  Luke 6:30 (ESV)  “Give to everyone who begs from you…”

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 (ESV)

If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.  Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, “The seventh year, the year of release is near’, and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin.  You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.  For there will never cease to be poor in the land.  Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

I think God has made Himself pretty clear on this subject!    

Then we boarded a bus for the ride back to The Fountains where we participated in a church-family luncheon (which they do every Sunday).  It cost 25 yuan/person and was mostly American food.  They prepare for 180 people.  There was quite a rush for the food tables, we took awhile to catch on and didn’t get to sample everything.  It kind of caught us off-guard.  This crowd was faster than the Whippo family at a wedding!  J

Then Andrew Page, The Fountains director, showed us to our room (120 yuan for the night).  We settled in and unpacked.  Deb laid down to read and I walked to a 7/11 for a Coke and some candy.  The internet at The Fountains (WiFi) is terribly slow!!!  I sat in the café for awhile and spoke with Lena.  Eventually Debbie joined us.

She had invited us to her home that evening, but her invitation was very unclear, so we gradually drifted back to our room and read for a while.  Eventually she came and told us it was time to leave.  Then we realized that she had invited the whole ULS group (of early arrivals) to come to her home.  So, about twenty of us walked out of the conference center to catch a bus for a long ride and then a long walk to her apartment.  She served vegetable soup and other refreshments.  Some who were experiencing jet-lag were obviously struggling, but the younger members – who knew the way back – were not showing signs of leaving.  So Deb and I prepared to leave indicating that we would catch a taxi.  Everyone else set out to go too.  Lena walked us to a nearby street where we were able to stop three taxis and get back to the conference center (28 yuan).

Debbie did two loads of clothes.  I did some emailing and reading, then took a shower and went to bed.  She came to bed at 1:30 AM.