August 23, 2009

August 23, 2009

Dear Ones,
It is late Sunday evening for me, and the beginning of a new week. For most of you, just like me, the last week has flown by with its various activities and opportunities. I would love to share a glimpse of mine with you.
Tuesday- Melissa flew home with little Janessa who many of you have already met. I am sure she can tell you of the adventures of her journey home from the time that I left her on the curb at the Beijing airport. For both of us that last hug was a challenge. I guess I really should back up to Monday night before she left as that was when the separation from home really started to sink in and I began to cry. I am once again so very grateful that my Heavenly Father understands all that my heart feels and that His Son has experienced all things so that He, better than any other, understands. I could not help but think about the fact that by allowing me to consider the separation from my family I caught just a glimmer of what must have been going through His mind the night before His separation from His Father. There was an acute agony in knowing that a fellowship so precious would be broken. I can only understand and feel that from a finite human perspective one filled with e-mail, instant messaging, and knowing that there is the possibility of flying home but I was reminded that He is the “All Knowing One” who watches over and cares for my heart above all others. So all of that to say yes, parting was sweet sorrow and I am sure in the weeks and months to come that waves of that same alone feeling will well up and I will need to be reminded that He is the “Ever Present Comforter.”
Thursday- Visa Health Screen. OK, so after a little more serious opening to this note I am sure that this day will provide you with a few smiles. Marsha (our visa coordinator) and I along with her 2 children ages 9 and 4 left Hope at 7:30am to drive across town to the Health screen office, I was glad it was early and traffic was not bad as it took us over 2 hours to get there. Once inside it was quite a show. Hundreds of people from every country imaginable all standing in lines waiting. I smiled and told Marsha that it was like being at Disney world only instead of having rides at the end there were exciting health stations! First line was the fill in the paperwork blanks, next photos, then payment for services, the blood draw line- she got it in one stick and used a brand new needle! I had carried my own just in case, as I had been warned. Then, the EKG line- yes you will all be glad to know that my 12 lead was a health NSR. As I stood in the next line for my chest x-ray, I could not help but smile as I watched them shoot the films with watches, and glasses in front pockets and shoulder bags still on. Then came the line for checking eyes and then the ENT line, they shone a flashlight in your mouth and scribbled an OK on the line. The next 2 lines were labeled “surgery” and “internal medicine” when you reached the front of each line a gentleman asked you if you ever had any surgery and in the next line another asked if you were sick. The last line was to turn in the completed package of information. By this time it was well after lunch and Marsha’s 2 children had been wonderful through the long morning wait so time for a special McDonald’s lunch treat!
Friday- I had a special lunch appointment with Iris Lowder wife of the Senior Teacher Tom Lowder at Capital Community Church (CCC). What an incredible blessing, we had Italian food and Starbucks! What an afternoon of conversation and fellowship. She was such an encouragement to me and she was also able to give me lots of survival tips for China, coming from someone who has been here since 1982 that was some incredibly valuable information. Some interesting little bits of trivia- Tom Lowder spoke at CBC the very first Sunday we visited there 14 years ago, he and Pastor Broggi were roommates and they are supported by CBC. It was so good to hear Ms. Iris talk about “Carl and Audrey,” somehow it made me feel much closer to home.

So that is a brief look at a couple of “days in the life…” I am still waiting in Beijing to complete some paperwork, I look forward to sending you my next letter when I am settled back in Luoyang.
My love to you all,
Mariah