No Place I'd Rather Be

Hello from China!! It’s hard to believe it has already been three weeks since Sarah and I moved into the big blue house that we now call home. 

Last fall when the application process for the internship was going on, I had tried to come up with at least one reason why I could not go.  I was able to come up with a long list of reasons of all the things I would miss out on and things I would miss the most, but I knew none of them were worth being a reason to not go. 

One of my biggest holdbacks about this internship was that I would miss a “normal” summer.  A summer that included many things I had grown to look forward to through out the school year. Summer is my absolute favorite time of the year.  I love the hot weather, I love days spent by the pool, I love getting to drive my car around back roads with the windows down, I love late nights spent outside with friends as the fireflies glow and the crickets chirp, and most of all I love the time we always get to spend with our Franklin family.  (Hodges and Palmers, you really were the biggest part of my summer I didn’t want to let go of or miss time with.)

My other biggest holdback at the time was that I was still really struggling with feeling safe or having my safe place wherever I was and I couldn’t even call my Knoxville apartment “home”.  I remember asking God, “How am I supposed to move to the other side of the world for three months when I don’t even feel at home where I am?!”  But I learned He wasn’t asking me to know the “how” of going or the “why” of going, rather to trust and Him and to be willing.  Willing to go and to allow Him to take care of me instead of me trying to figure out how I would make it.

I thought when I left that one of the hardest parts of this summer was going to be adjusting to life in China and being able to feel at “home”.  However, it has surprisingly been one of the easiest transitions. 

There’s a reason it’s called Maria’s Big House of Hope, it is very much a home.  A large home, but nonetheless a home.  A home filled with 140 kids, each with a different personality, a different laugh, a different voice, and a different smile. It is a home filled with a community of people with a specific purpose, and without all the members of this house, it wouldn’t be the same.

“For the body does not consist of one member but of many. - But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.  If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.” 1 Corinthians 12: 14 and 18

I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter where I am or where I go, but rather that He is there and He is present no matter how far from home I am and because of that truth; there is no place I’d rather be.

While I certainly miss “normal” summer days at times, I wouldn’t trade it for the days I’ve gotten to spend here.

-       Days filled with laughter and smiles. 

-       Days filled with adventures and trying new things. 

-       Days filled with growing friendships.

-       Days filled with reminders that it is through His strength that I can keep going.

-       Days filled with moments that are to be cherished; like hearing a child’s laugh for the first time or finally seeing their smile.

There’s a song that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since settling in here and it couldn’t be a more perfect fit.  At the end of the day, whether it is filled with laughter or tears, there is no place I’d rather be and it is because of His love and the glimpses of who He is throughout the day that this big blue building is “home” for the summer and that the people He has placed here have become like family.

“ There’s no place I’d rather be,

there’s no place I’d rather be,

there’s no place I’d rather be,

than here in Your love,

here in Your love.

Set a fire down in my soul,

That I can’t contain and I can’t control.

I want more of you God.”

 ~ “Set a Fire”

As a way to protect the children here we can’t post any photos of them. However, I do have a ton of pictures of them and would love to share them in person when I’m home. So for now, Sarah and I have decided to do a “selfie a day” of our life here so that you can see some of what our days look like!

Day 1: Leaving the Nashville airport super early in the mooring!

Day 2: Last flight of the long trip! We were so excited to almost be done flying!

 

Day 3: Our first outing in Luoyang.  We had to do another picture with the statues to go with our one from 2 years ago!

Day 4: Taxi ride to our new family's apartment for dinner! 

Day 5: Fun time getting to sort and package light bulbs!!

Day 6: Day trip to another unit and for lunch the restaurant had our favorite drink!! 

Day 7: Learning how to cook a Chinese meal! It was a frozen meal, but none the less Chinese! 

Day 8: Sarah and I spending some time in our cute room writing blogs

Day 9: A little taste of home!! It was surpassingly delicious!

Day 10: We decided to be triplets to welcome the first team at the airport! This is our China mom and we are so thankful for her!!

Day 11: Definitely not on the job description, but we had so much fun getting to help with the deck of the new playground that's on the roof

Day 12: Exploring old city with our Chinese tutor and friend Bei Bei!

Day 13: Out to a restaurant called "Hot Pot" with the team!! 

Day 14: First pool day with the kids!! We had just as much fun, if not more than the kids!

Day 15: Our nightly routine of protecting ourselves and securing the room from mosquitoes.   Don't worry, our strategy has been working so it's pretty much mosquito free now!

Day 16: BIG DAY! We went to city center by ourselves to go shopping and out for lunch! We  certainly got a lot of stares for being blonde and white but it was a fun adventure and encouraging to know we could go out on our own.

Day 17: Movie night with the Renich's! We agreed that for every "girly" movie the boys watch we would watch Lord of the Rings.

Day 18: This is our stash of chocolate! It's like gold here!

Day 19: Taco night with our China family and of course there had to be a chocolate dessert!! We got to clean up the frosting container :)

Day 20: Paint day at Maria's!

Day 21: We got to go back to the other unit to change their light bulbs and afterwards got to go out lunch with the nurse.  This is on the bridge overlooking part of the city.  

Day 22: Sleepover at our China family's apartment! We finished all three of Lord of Rings….rather Sarah did and I slept through the last two..oops!

Day 23: We bought traveler mugs at the grocery store!! Now when we get up for preschool we can bring it to class with us!

Day 24: Snuggle time with Vickie after a long day! 

Day 25: Our second team is here this week and we have the opportunity to get to teach some of the curriculum on orphan care!

Day 26: Visit back to the duck restaurant with the team, but this time we ATE the duck brain! We are now officially apart of the duck brain eating club. For those wondering, it was the texture of mashed potatoes..!

Duck brain!!

Our first morning at Maria's! 

We went to the market to get things for dinner and Bei Bei helped teach us how to make an authentic Chinese meal! It was delicious! I've never been a huge fan of eggplant but it was SO good!

This picture makes me laugh! The little girl wanted to practice her English and have me write her a message.  

Taxi ride with Caleb! 

Thank you for all of your prayers, love, support, and encouragement! 

Love,

Emma!