Yay Jet Lag!

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to let you all know I made it home safe and sound and on time! I arrived in Cleveland at 10:00 last night, and went to bed around 1:00. It's now 4:30 am, and I've been up for about an hour. Needless to say, this will not be a long blog entry!

A blog will not do justice all I learned and saw in China, but more importantly, how I saw God there. It was the hardest but one of the best things He has ever led me to do. He is amongst the least of these, and He invited me to be a part of caring for His children. God didn't need me, but He gave me a great gift, turned my world upside down and allowed me to experience things I didn't even know I needed to experience.

Looking forward to sharing pictures and stories...but not now. Even though my stomach is about ready for dinner, I should try and get some sleep :)

Looking forward to seeing you all!

Love,
Megan

Psalm 68:5- A father to the fatherless, defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009, 6:15 pm

Hello Everyone!

My team just finished dinner and I wanted to share what we've been up to the last couple of days. Each day I feel a little more settled here. God is stretching me in big ways as I discover no God-sized adventure is safe or comfortable. I am learning some hard but wonderful lessons and what it truly means to lean on Him, as only He can sustain me. I am so grateful for all the prayers of everyone back home. Keep 'em coming :)

Yesterday was an awesome day as we visited and walked the Great Wall of China (see the picture above)! I consider myself to be in at least descent shape, but my goodness, that kicked my butt! Between the stairs, the heat, and the vastness of it all, I was sweating like never before. I couldn't control my legs from shaking after our hike! It's quite decked out for tourists, though. A ski lift takes you to the top and a toboggan-like shoot returns you to the bottom. It was so much fun! I got my first taste of bargaining as well. Wow! Quite overwhelming! It's pretty intense with not much time to "just look." But we got some pretty good deals, if I do say so myself!

Today we spent time with these precious ones. We were also able to serve the Hills be cleaning out and organizing their "shed" (more like a HUGE warehouse) of supplies and donations. I was so happy that our team was able to serve New Hope in this tangible way.

The next few days we will be spending time at New Hope and in the surrounding villages. On Thursday we will travel to Maria's Big House of Hope. No internet there, so I may not be able to update until mid-next week.

Thanks for your love and support! Love and miss you all :)

Ni Hao from China!

Monday, August 3; 8:15 am

We arrived safely yesterday (Sunday) around 2:00pm.  The flight was 13 hours and we flew over Greenland, the North Pole and Russia to arrive in Beijing.  We were all exhausted, but had a little time to interact with some children last night before we all crashed.  I was a bit homesick last night, but it's amazing what a good night sleep will do for you!  I feel ready to go now.  Much more like myself :)  

We are at New Hope foster home, where we will stay until Thursday, before heading to Maria's  New Hope is the home to about 80 special needs orphans before and after medical treatments and surgeries.  The babies will usually stay here until they are adopted, though New Hope doesn't have anything to do with the adoption process.

Below are a few pictures of where we are staying, it's called a Yurt, and, of course, those precious babies!

We are heading to the Great Wall today. 

Thanks for all your prayers.  More to come!