Ni hao!!!

I am so sorry I have not gotten a new post up sooner-we literally hit the ground running since we stepped off the plane on Friday, and haven't looked back much since!! To begin with...I LOVE China!! It is an absolutely amazing place-the people, the culture, the food, the scenery-AWESOME. They are some of the nicest and friendliest people you will ever meet, and are so eager to learn. We have had over 65 readers sign up in the first week, which they are saying is the around the highest number they have had for a team our size!! We are getting to meet some wonderful people who are eager to learn English and also to learn about Jesus.

I have literally had more chances to share my faith and the story of Jesus in the last few days than I have my entire life-I am just continually awed and amazed that God would choose to use me this way for such a time as this. I could not have imagined 3 months ago that I would be sitting in China sharing my faith and the beautiful message of the Good News of Christ with people here. I really am in awe and so humbled by this opportunity. I pray fervently that seeds are being planted, and that God will continue to water them once we leave.

I could easily live here for awhile, and it has actually been a thought for quite some time...which I am exploring options while I am here, so please be praying for that!

We have also gotten to see quite a few awesome places on our days off-the day after we arrived (Saturday), we climbed the Great Wall and went to the Summer Palace. Yesterday we went through the Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, and then did a TON of shopping in the silk market! We also went to a Tex-Mex restaurant where they served Dr. Pepper!! Awesome!! ;)

Here are just a few of the hundreds of pictures I have already taken! I will hopefully be able to upload them to my picasa or flickr account when I get the chance, so you can see all of them. If you are on facebook, then you can also see all of them there...

Our team at the Great Wall!!

Lunch after church on Sunday with some of our church family!

Sweet Nash before our trek up the Great Wall-we have carted him all over Beijing! ;)

It is not letting me upload any more pictures right now, so I will try and do more later...

Thanks again for all of your support, prayers, and love-without you I know this trip would have never been possible...and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I will try to write more next week-we are so booked every day, and then exhausted when we get home-so by the time I want to sit down and blog in the evenings, I don't have too many brain cells still functioning!! ;) This weekend is EXTREMELY packed, so please pray for strength and wisdom-we are very exhausted, but so excited to be here and trying to soak up every minute. Sometimes, it is still surreal!!

Hope you are all being blessed! Please continue to be in prayer for our team and the people here. Please pray for strength, for wisdom to say the right words, for fertile hearts, and opportunities to share God's incredible love.

GOD IS SO GOOD AND CAN DO ANYTHING!!! :)