Busy in QZ

July 15th, Sunday, 4:20pm (QZ time)
Greetings!

It has been several days since I have had time to sit down and write you all an update on our trip, but we have been that busy! On Thursday, we visited the market and bought some fruit for our apartment. May not sound that big, but everything is new here. I would like to tell you all the stories about being grossed out by all the things we saw, but really we weren't. I really feel the L has prepared our hearts in many ways and haven't really been shell shocked about anything here. The only thing that may come close is the traffic. The rule is, if you make eye contact while walking, you are responsible for making way for the bike, scooter, pedi cab, motor cycle, car or bus. Otherwise, you just walk and they are responsible to work around you and I mean around you, maybe giving you a couple of inches!! So we have made a practice of crossing busy intersections next to other bikes and people. I don't think I can adequately explain our experiences in taxi's or pedicabs. It is beyond words, I tell ya!

I guess the funny story of the day would be that while we were together with other friends today to talk about the word, Paul flung a huge cockroach off of his chest. That was proceeded by, "don't let it get away...kill it" and people running to try to stomp on it. The stomping was referred to the likes of being back in dance class because the cockroaches are not cooperative in letting us stomp on them!!

Friday, we were taken on a pryr walk to the local temple, mosque and then to the earliest Budha of QZ. It is disheartening to see the people searching so earnestly after the wrong thing. It breaks your heart for the people here who follow their g's mostly out of fear. They so desperately need to know the truth and be free from such oppression. But as we know, they must be exposed to the truth before they can even be aware of something different. The Budha that we visited was on the outskirts of town and we started the climb about 11am. When we reached the top, we were pretty much dripping wet and I really mean dripping. It has been around 100 with the "feels like temp" being around 15 degrees hotter. One day, it only got to 95 degrees in the shade! Our purpose for visiting such sites is to pry for the people who are searching and who come to such sites to worship their gods. I think one reason why the tour we get taken on happens at this time of day, "crazy" as the money taker put it, is so there are not many people there. At a somewhat lower point, we could see the whole city, well sort of. We couldn't see much of it due to it being so hazy.

We have mostly been observing different level of english classes given here at the center. Today, Paul and I each had a topic class to teach and will teach the same classes again tomorrow night. What we don't want to miss out on sharing is our experience attending the government church. It was a little hard because we didn't know what they were saying, but a friend from the center that went with us is a member of the worship team and she tried hard to translate things throughout the evening. Again, it is hard to put this experience into words, but imagine being in a room of about 1500 chinese friends singing Amazing Grace in their native tongue. There are no words that can explain the overwhelming emotions of hearing friends from half way around the world sing to the same Father and it didn't matter if we knew there words but our hearts were the same.

I don't want to make this too long, but Paul and I seem to be doing quite fine with the food, water, getting around (somewhat). This city is big with many people and though I have never been there before, I assume it has to be similar to New York. I wish we were able to share pictures along the way to give you a better perspective and maybe we will have that chance before we leave but maybe not. Please just continue to keep us in your thoughts as we consider where we could possibly live when we return here. Also, be thinking that the work here ontinues in great ways!