- July 12-15, 2007 -
Thursday in MZ continued to keep me busy. Erika is feeling better but still sick, so I went out to pick up some donuts and coffee for us. It didn't take me long to go down the street and return to the apartment for the late breakfast with Erika. While talking over brekky, Erika was able to learn about a problem I was having and help me solve the dilemma.
After breakfast, our new friend Winnie came over to hang out and helped me clean the apartment and play interior decorator with me. Then, the three of us went out to an old favorite lunch buffet of Erika's and mine affectionately called "San Kuai." It was good to have a meal there and really good to see the same family cooking there and have them still recognize us! :) I had wondered before going if they would still remember me after four years.
After lunch, we did some errands. I dropped off a skirt and bought a plant for the apartment. Erika visited a dotor at a nearby clinic. I wish you could have been with me next; I know you'd have laughed! :) Right after leaving the clinic with Erika, I saw three water buffalos being escorted down the street. I got so excited about the sight that I simply left Erika and Winnie standing on the street and briskly walked after the water buffalos to capture them on film! LOL!! That is so me to do that!!!
Thursday continued to be fun when a dear friend called us a few minutes later. He asked what we were doing, and Erika replied, "We're standing on the street." Our friend then replied, "For fun???" It was actually quite fun and enjoyable to simply stand on the street then and watch things and continued to be our inside joke for the rest of the day! Hah! :) Erika and I spent a couple of hours after that with Jessica and her boss. We talked about history and politics, both Chinese and American. My personal interests in both and my UWF days came in quite handy for such a conversation. :)
(Wow, I didn't think I'd write this much about one day ... oh well.) The night continued to be enjoyable as my lovely and precious friend Kat finally arrived in Meizhou to meet me. It is ALWAYS so good to be with her! Kat, Jessica, Erika, and I all went to the MZ Square. Jessica bid us farewell after that, so the three of us went back to our apartment. It was good to talk with Kat there. She invited me to go to the internet cafe, so I went with her to blog though very tired. She helped me work out the details of my trip to northern China. We ended the night with a midnight Hakka snack on the street nearby the internet cafe.
Friday started with time with an American family over here. They have kids that Erika desired to teach about Papa. It was good to help them learn and play with them and see my little friend Hopie. What a story she has! :) I am so glad that God has a bigger plan than mankind. I am glad that I got to see her dad and his friend Keith too.
After lunch, I went with Erika, Winnie, Trinity, Zhong, and Zhong's wife (Joy) to have a meaningful "dunking." I have wanted to be dunked for about a year but couldn't think of a meaningful way for it to be done in the US. It was both wonderful and meaningful!!! I had so much joy to be "dunked" as I know my heart has been Papa's in truth for a little over a year now. I have no doubts that He is my King and Lord, and I'm so thankful that this was the time to obey and honor Him. :)
Later that evening, Erika and I visited our old friend Cheryl. She had a little girl about six weeks ago. It was good to viist with her and deepen our friendship. We left, and Erika went with me to try to get some dinner. Normally it would have been no problem to get dinner, but Papa had to close many doors tonight; we went to FOUR restaurants for me to get a kind of rice dish, but NONE had that simple dish, and one actually told me that they had no food! It was Papa's plan though because I had much joy and strength to walk almost an entire street (maybe six long blocks) to the new KFC. It was a very nice walk and time to talk with Papa! This place blew me away because at 10:30 at night it was swamped just as though it was 12 PM; While there I met a current Ying Cai student (Li Ling), and afterwards, I got to take a tricycle (ren li) sanlunche back near my apartment. I had peace in my heart, so I gave him a tract and told him it was a good book in Chinese. Thank you Papa for your plans! :)
Saturday was the day I desired to sleep in seeing as I had been up 'til 2 AM nearly every night here, and then was getting up around 8 AM every day. However, sleeping late did not happen because of a text message I received. The message said that two new girls would arrive, so I got up to clean one very messy bedroom and the rest of the apartment that I hadn't yet gotten to. My morning was busy, but I was able to get the room cleaned and wash a few clothes before my lunch appointment with Kat.
Lunch with Kat was very interesting. She treated me and four others to KFC. Because of the lunch date, I was able to meet new family members - Xiao Gu, Gu's best friend, Xiao Qing, and Liu Xiuning (John). I got to hear some encouraging words while with them. Afterwards, Kat and Xiuning went with me to Xinhua Bookstore to search for a gift for Maggie, my friend who teaches in Danshui. I don't think the three of us wanted to part, but we did. I went back to the apartment to finish cleaning and decorating. I wanted to take a nap, but ran out of time as I needed to pick up my skirt and meet up at a friend's house to go out for dinner.
I really enjoyed dinner with my friends! It was nice to spend one last evening with them before heading back to SZ with Kat. At dinner I got to meet Naomi (here for the summer on an m team) and Jackie (an '03-'05 Ying Cai student). I had heard a little of Jackie's story from my friend Rob in America, and Jackie had gotten my picture in the past from someone; thus, it was very neat for us to meet one another. :) Dinner also let me see Zhong's son and daughter. My how they've grown in four years!
I spent several hours during the rest of the evening with the B. family. Then, I headed out to meet Erika, Kat, and John (Xiuning) for the local specialty (check the food page later for specifics). It was very good to be with them one last time. John asked so many questions, and our chat was very enjoyable! Then, I headed back with Erika to finish packing and to rest.
My last night's rest in MZ was very peaceful. All throughout the night Papa gently spoke to me that today (7/15) was the right day to leave MZ and go to Shenzhen. Thus, I woke up early with SO much joy and peace! My dear friend Zhong drove myself, Kat,and Kat's mama to the train station. That in and of itself was a gift to me, but then, he gave me a card and family picture from his wife. It was a very precious gift from a friend who took me to the train station so he could see me one last time and told me in English that he would miss me. How incredibly sweet!! :)
Kat and I are sitting next to each other on the train while Mama sits close by. As usual, we have talked a lot. ... Tommy met us at the train station and a little later we all met Harriet. And thus ends my time in Meizhou.
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