China Day 9: Another Free Day

No official appointments today, but our guide arranged for some sightseeing and shopping.  Lucille woke up no less than a dozen times last night and Heather woke up with a bit of a stomach bug so she stayed at the hotel with Lucille (she was feeling much better by mid-afternoon).  Steve and Ella made the outing together.  Ella's new 4 year old friend was happy to see her again and they held hands pretty much everywhere we went. 

The first stop was the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, a building complex that now serves as a folk art museum and a place to buy traditional souvenirs.  We then visited the Liwan Market, also known as the pearl & jade market.  This is a seven story wholesale shopping complex that houses more than 2,000 stores!  They sell jewelry, pearls, and pretty much any type of precious stone you could imagine.

We had a wonderful visit this afternoon from a local friend, Jana, who lives about two hours from Guangzhou.  We had a great time visiting in our hotel room, followed by a delicious meal back at Cow and Bridge.  It rained pretty much all day today, but the rain let up while we were eating dinner.  This made for beautiful weather and another perfect night to walk back to our hotel.  Ella and Steve made a quick run to the 7-11 to get some dessert, followed by an extremely silly time in our room with Lucille.  Speaking of, there's a nice picture of her "cheese" face, as well as her little quirk when you ask her to pose (she lifts one leg).  While there's not a whole lot to report for today, it was great to have a pretty low-key day to relax!

We wanted to take a minute to share some praises with you and also say how thankful we are for all of you. God has really provided for us during all of this trip. There have been many times when we're tempted to get frustrated because things are difficult or simply aren't going our way. God has reminded us to focus on what is important and let the little things go. He's brought others into our lives here right when we've needed it. He's opening Lucille's heart to us more and more each day. He's provided so much encouragement through you all, your messages, and your prayers. Not a single message from you has gone unnoticed and every time one of you says you're praying for us it gives us just a little more strength. Knowing that others are praying for us is making an immense difference. Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts!

Ella and her little friend, Makenna.

 



The Pearl and Jade Market

Chen Clan Ancestral Hall

Ella with our guide, Aron.

 

Silly pose

 

"Cheese!"

 

 

Dinner with Jana

 

Lots of silly laughs and smiles tonight.