We left at 8:15 for a service at the 3 Self Church at the Seminary we sang at Friday night. The group sang 2 acapella pieces in the chinese service and sang 10 songs for the foreigners service. I sat next to a man from Nigeria who encouraged me to visit the continent of Africa.
Afterwards we went to the Fountains for a potluck style lunch of American food - potato salad, chicken salad, sandwich fixings, cole slaw, etc. Everyone was very happy. The Fountains was a meeting place where Christians could gather, but the government has shut it down (hopefully, just for the time being) since they don't have a permit for a gathering place and it's not a business. Up on the 3rd floor are ping-pong and foosball tables, a library, a movie room and a library with computers. We crashed there for an hour before heading back to the hotel for another rest. I took a short stroll in the garden area, it reminds me a little of Giverny (where Monet lived and painted his water lily paintings.)
Tonight was the final concert of the tour and for some, the last of their college career. The church was packed, people were standing in the aisles and along the back. It ended with my life is in your hands with the singers and audience holding hands, lifted up, swaying back and forth.
Dinner was at McDonalds. Back at the hotel I played my first game of Mafia - lots of fun and went down the hall and joined those that were watching Michael Jackson's "This Is It.'
There are lots of things I'm going to miss - and lots of things I'm not going to miss
I'm not going to miss
the seemingly ever present smell of raw sewage
mosquitos
the 15 pound backpack with everything I (and everyone else) might possibly need everywhere I go
not being able to find anything
toilets stalls with no doors
I will miss
Rock hard beds (I think it's time for a new one, I always slept very well in China)
Meeting new people everyday
constantly new experiences
Magnum bars
listening to good live music everyday (I'll even miss Disney Dazzle, but not the Beach Boys medley)
trying new exotic food
Asian babies and children
being the drug dealer (aspirin, tylenol, refresh tears, immodium, neosporin, tissues, cough drops, baby wipes and purell)
But mostly, I will miss my new friends. This is such a great group of people, very fun, very tender, very tuned into God. I don't recall laughing this much on a daily basis - ever - and yet when it comes to ministering to someone, they are right there to put an arm around or pray or encourage. Tyler carried a Chinese/English Bible with him everywhere he went and stayed up until the wee hours talking with Teri at Sam's Guesthouse about what he believed. I'm sure there are other stories of which I am not aware. The patience they displayed while being mobbed was impressive for anyone, but doubly so for those so young. I am encouraged by the thoughtfulness, initiative, work ethic, leadership and maturity (both spiritually and emotionally) that has been displayed. And my new friend Teresa, our deep talks punctuated with lots of laughter. I can't believe that 3 weeks ago I barely knew the names of most of the folks on this trip and now I have shared this lifetime experience with them. Here I am, from a completely different generation with no association with Vanguard, our only commonality is our love of Jesus and music. Yet , I could not have been anymore loved and accepted. I have been blessed at least once a day, usually more often.
This is my last post tomorrow is going to be last minute shopping before heading to Hong Kong for the flight home. I do look forward to seeing all of you and catching up with you on your life.
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