Beijing -- just arrived . . .

The 6-29-2009 at 9PM "China Time" I am here.

Beijing, China. 24 hours of flight time . . I could not sleep.

Months of planning and preparations went into this trip. Meetings, lesson preparation, making copies. Writing letters and thank you notes. Prayer, prayers, and more prayers. Working the garage sale with Zizi. Telling everyone about it. Reading books about China.

I got no sleep on the trip over . The first leg -- I had a window seat beside a young sailor returning to Groton, CT. I used to teach computer systems for the submarine crews there. We had an interesting conversation.

The second leg- I had a MIDDLE seat between a

graduate student returning from her first visit to America and a Chinese studies professor at Princeton. The student was interested to talk about her adventures on her vacation and learn how to crochet. The professor wanted to tell me the whole history of China. I was quite interested in both.

Our hotel in Beijing, the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel, is luxurious! I am sharing a room with Phyllis Mills, she would have preferred to have her own room.

Some of the local Christians met with us in the lobby the first day we arrived. It was exciting to hear their stories of how God is still working miracles in China these days. The fellowship and stories were wonderful and amazing, but I was exhausted, so my thoughts kept wondering off.

Hopefully, a quick, quiet dinner, then off to bed!!