Welcome to California

 Welcome Home to California Mariah! 

    I was greeted by roses in my room at Uncle Ron and Aunt Paula's "Bed and Breakfast." 

 It has been several years since I was home to visit my California Family and "Home."  So I was thrilled to have Aunt Paula arrive to pick me up once Harith was settled in.

   And of course on the road from LA to Atascadero Aunt Paula and I HAD to stop at the Cheesecake Factory for my first sweet bite of home!

Transport Travel

 March 12, 2012 - I said goodbye to special Beijing friends and boarded a flight for Los Angeles California traveling from Beijing with sweet baby Harith.  He did so good on the flight- thank you all for your prayers.  We arrived 15 hours later ready to start his medical care and treatment.

Time Out

March 9th was Will's Birthday which meant some time out in Town...

McDonald's for Lunch and Birthday cake

 Old cite and some Road Construction to add to the ambiance and adventure of it all... 

 Topped off with dinner at the Hot Pot where they dance with your noodles to stretch them out of course- "The Noodle Dance"

MMM Good

Strawberry Fields

 We were all excited to find some strawberry fields not to far from us and so we made the trek over there to see what we could glean and were pleased to come away with the perfect compliment to melted chocolate! 

Green Houses filled with rows of Strawberry plants, ripe for the picking

Owner and baby happy to see the foreigners

Inside the farm family's living quarters in the fields

A Thought...

 

 

“God did not call us to a playground,

He called us to a battleground.”

-Elisabeth Elliot

Ancient Words

 

March 5, 2012

Dear Ones,

    “Ancient Words ever true, changing me and changing you…”  In case you hadn’t noticed I love music, therefore the words to various songs often run through my mind and burst forth as I go about my day, I love it, it is the way I was raised.  Recently I have been struck by images that bring to mind a song by Michael W. Smith.  It played on the strings of my heart as I saw my Grandma lovingly cradle her worn Bible between her hands while she was visiting with us, those pages worn and thin, marked with colored ink, notes in the margins, tear stains melting words together and stroked until they are almost gone.  Ancient Words…

    I thought of it when I returned here to this place as I watched the loving care which turned the pages of another Bible, this one I could not read, the print before me is still so very strange in many ways and yet it was the same tender caress of pages, the same marked and worn edges, the tears that dripped and pooled to smear one character into another.  Ancient Words…

     I thought of this once again as little pudgy fingers turned pages of another Bible, simple, filled with pictures but still the same, little minds understand, little fingers trace the pages, sometimes with crayon.  Still they remain Ancient Words…

Ancient Words

Michael W. Smith

Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart.
Oh let the ancient words impart


Words of Life, words of Hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e'er we roam
Ancient words will guide us Home.

CHORUS:
Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you,
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart

Holy words of our Faith
Handed down to this age
Came to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the faithful words of Christ.

Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world.
They resound with God's own heart
Oh let the ancient words impart.

     My prayer for you and me today is that we do not forget these Ancient Words, these words that speak the very life breath of God’s heart for each of us into our lives. 

With Love for each of you,

Mariah

CCC Women's Retreat- March1-4, 2012

Once again the Women of Capital Community in Beijing came to the Big House for a retreat and Service weekend, building into not only the lives of little ones but also those of us who live and work here- What a joy to have them with us!

Of course the children loved the "dirt" that was served at our Leap Year Birthday party, complete with frog masks and gummy worms

 Devotion times, times for laughter, sharing, tears, coloring pictures and building bonds of love and friendship within the incredible family that God has placed us

Mariah and Melinda

Hearts and Hugs

Thank you Zoe!

Mariah and Jacey- Snuggle Time

 A package filled with love to wrap me and some little ones in special hugs!
  PS- Thank you Amelia Wren for the beautiful drawing of me and my babies, I love it!

Beijing- Retreat

Look Daddy- The Tundra has arrived!

For Ashley- Starbucks AND Land Rover/Jaguar! It made me think of You

                February 23- 28th I spent in Beijing Attending a Women of Compassion Retreat and visiting with friends along with a trip to the Embassy for some Passport stuff.  It was altogether a wonderful time of fun and refreshment...

Pretty Pedicures

Marsha - A friend from Japan was also attending the Retreat!

I loved the fun table decorations- sorry the chocolate was all gone before I snapped the photo!

Then there was my couple days with Gigi and family shopping, Embassy run and a Delicious lunch at "Fatburger"- complete with the menu that tells me where else in the world I will find this REAL beef!

KTV- Girls Night Out

Back again after a little battle with my VPN- "it's a China Thing!"  so now I can once again post and catch you up on a few of the happenings.  Caitlin came for a visit and we girls were able to slip away for a couple hours filled with lots of laughter over some great Karaoke.