The Murse and M's

Sorry I haven't been frequent in my posts yet. I arrived safely in the Mainland around 3 pm on Thursday. I finally ended up in Wuhan close to 11 pm. I had been awake for almost 30 hours with minor bouts of sleep. The first day we went exploring the area. Shopping and walking and riding on buses. The mercury rises during the days here. Temperatures are usually in the high 80s. It's hard to stay comfortable. We got to babysit David, Adam and Sherry's little boy. He's our shepherd here. Topping off day one was mingling with John Wayne and eating supper with him. John is one of our friends here. I bet you can't say you've met and had dinner with John Wayne.

 Peter and I have noticed all the murses traveling around on the buses and in the streets. The men here are confident, carrying around their personal items with something we foreigners consider close to a purse. We are throwing ourselves into the culture and considering a murse, essential for efficient travel around the city. At the end of the second day we had a ginormous meal at a friend's house. 20 different dishes from which to partake. A traditional meal here with loads of friends and loads of food. Mmmmm good. Our second day finished with a massage. We enjoyed the digging, the pulling, the slapping, the stretching, the yanking, and the pushing. No pain, no gain.

The past few days were just one thing to the next. The old teachers are helping us get our bearings and show us around. I haven't heard anything about the start of school yet, but soon enough the work will begin here. Right now, I'm just spending time with friends and hoping that Mandarin comes a little easier as the days go on. One day at a time is the best way to go. He will be there always. I hope this is a little more frequent, but things always change here. Maybe I will have a murse the next time you read this!

Running with Danny Sheeks

Yesterday I went for a run because I needed to clear my head a little bit and get some fresh air. I went running with Danny Sheeks too. Now, if you know anything about Danny, you know he doesn't run. Let me explain. When I run, my thoughts go in any number of directions, but somehow they eventually got to the words that helped me pick the title for my blog, Soar. Is. 40.31 talks about soaring and it also relates to physical exhaustion. These words were the words Danny spoke the night before every freshman football game. Our team met to get ready for the next day and, for whatever reason, Danny would recite these words to the guys. The father always has a way of making everything in our lives fit into his plan. I really needed a pick-up yesterday and he sent me encouragement via a Danny flashback.

Sitting around in training all day and eating the best/worst foods of America before going overseas isn't the best for the waistline. These are some of the encouraging words the h.s. spoke to me during my run yesterday. A shepherd of an American flock told me that this line of work creates higher summits and lower valleys. David said something about darkness and shadows in valleys in the 23rd song. I don't have to be afraid of anything. All things are possible, and I can do all things because he gives me strength. I emptied myself of the bad food feeling, the problems, the downs, the blah, and the h.s. filled me up with love and guidance.

The father told the serpent to crawl on his belly and eat dust. Yeterday, he ate my dust. I ran and left the serpent in my dust. I started out running away (from my host house) with problems, a bummer attitude, and a discouraged outlook. I ran back (to the house) with a calmed spirit and renewed strength. I will strive to keep running like a little child to his father's arms in the next couple months. I will always find comfort there. The trust of a small child, something to reflect daily in our lives.