Our Garden of Eden

Sunday, October 18, 2009 @ 10:00 pm

All the girls are asleep so I thought I would catch up with some writing. Let me first catch you up on the events that took place on Saturday.

Saturday morning was spent with last minute packing, eating breakfast in shifts to get everything done, saying good-bye to Anna (our adoption coordinator and guide in Hangzhou), and making our way to the airport. We are glad to be done with taxis in Hangzhou.

Jordan, by the way, is feeling so much better. Thank God. Thanks also to all who faithfully prayed for our family. Please keep it up.

Another praise is just how smooth things have gone with every appointment, security check in airports, connections with planes and transportation waiting for us each time we exit an airport waiting to take us to our next destination. God has been most favorable to us in this way.

A word about the Chinese people – complex. They are wonderfully kind but have no regard for personal space or what we would consider normal manners. Take for example waiting in line. There is none of that in China. We waited in line yesterday to board a plane and were probably toward the back of what I thought was a line, maybe a hundred people deep. But when the gate opened to begin boarding what I thought was a line turned out to be a stampede with people shoving their way through and literally knocking people out of the way. This is normal. The odd thing is that no one seems upset by it. It’s just the Chinese way. I must admit that I’ve had just about all I can take in this department. I must also admit that I was a bit gleeful when I learned that a British man staying at the same hotel as us also had enough of the stampeding and grabbed a Chinese line cutter and forced him to get behind him.

Another example of the different cultures took place on the plane from Hangzhou to Guangzhou. Since Eden is over 2 we were required to purchase a seat for her. Our seats on the plane happened to be next to a woman who also had a small child with her, only her child was less than 2 years old and did not have his own seat. But mom decided that he would have his own seat no matter what. When the flight attendant asked us about putting Eden in a seat we told her that we would but the woman was not about to move and we didn’t want to cause a problem. When the flight attendant asked her to remove herself from the seat that she did not pay for she stared her down and refused. Needless to say, we held Eden the entire plane ride, but she did well. Another example of a very different culture.

We arrived in Guangzhou late in the afternoon. Sheila and the girls walked the grounds of the hotel and I did paperwork with our local adoption coordinator, Grace.

In the evening we enjoyed supper at Lucy’s Café. We were thrilled to have a hamburger and fries. It wasn’t quite American but it was close. We spent the remainder of the evening walking the area and obtaining a few needed supplies from a local 7-11.

Sunday morning began early but with a slow push to finally get out the door. That’s par for the course for the lovely Mrs. Peters.

By the way, we’re staying at the White Swan Hotel on Shamian Island in Guangzhou. It’s a magnificent hotel with beautiful waterfalls, exquisite shops throughout, and wonderfully accommodating to adopting families. The White Swan is well known for its international flavor. In fact, there is a Trade Fair in Guangzhou this week so in addition to foreigners adopting, there are literally people from all over the world attending the Trade Fair. It’s nice to see so many nations represented but it comes at a cost, jacked up prices and very, very crowded. It has also been nice to meet with many other adopting families who have shared the stories of their own adoption journeys.

Our breakfast was delightful. Jordan was especially glad to have delicacies such as French toast and scrambled eggs. The food choices are in line with the overall theme of the hotel, international with many western options.

After breakfast we walked to the Christ Church. To my knowledge, Christ Church is the only Protestant church on the small island. Its beginnings date back to the mid 1800’s, during the British Colonial period in China. The people were very warm and friendly. However, we soon learned that a later, 11:30 am service was in both Chinese and English. We decided to quietly slip out and return for the later service.

The worship service was very meaningful for us. It was Eden’s first worship service. She, like some who are forced to listen to my preaching, slept for much of it. Listening to the local people sing in Chinese was heaven-sent. We also sang very familiar choruses including “Isn’t He” and “Here I am to Worship”. I was glad to worship Jesus with my Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ.

It was especially meaningful to hear the pastor preach. His text was James 2, the very passage I am currently studying in preparation for my messages when I return home. God continues to confirm His hand in so many ways.

After worship we walked around the island window shopping, and shopping and shopping. Sheila and Jordan are in their element and Eden seems to be of the same mold. Eden also loves to be in the stroller and just be outside moving about. I love to watch her look at the people. We tend to forget that she has spent the vast majority of these past 28 months holed up in a two-room orphanage and has had very little contact with the outside world. It continues to be enjoyable to see the world through our daughter’s eyes.

A pleasant interlude …

His name is 115. I should say that is the number on the identification button he pointed to when I asked him his name. 115 is a massage specialist at the Shamian Traditional Chinese Medical Center. So far, besides the miraculous adoption of our daughter, this was indeed my personal highlight of the trip. I happened by the establishment after Sheila and the girls decided to once again “just look into” yet another shop. This time it was a Disney store. I assumed they would be there awhile so I decided to venture ahead and explore Shamian Island in Guangzhou. My exploration took me only another 25 feet, for the very next building was home to the Shamian Traditional Chinese Medical Center.

Upon entering, I was greeted by a lovely staff who handed me a price sheet. Was it really possible? Could it be that a 60 minute body massage was only 68 RMB? For you newcomers, that’s 10 bucks. Apparently the Disney store had little to offer my girls because Sheila was right behind me. When I told her about the massage she told me to jump at it. I was glad to oblige. Before leaving, she requested yet more money just in case one of those “just looking shops” had something impossible to pass up.

All I can say is that 115 and I became fast friends. We said to little to each other. He asked me only a few times if I was okay, and because I was in pure paradise, all I could do was nod and grunt in a most affirming way. 115 knew I was happy. And I was. Hands down the best massage ever. The Chinese know what they’re doing in this department. They also must indeed have the cure for baldness. We bald beauties are a rare bird. Right now I think I’m a flock of one. But the massage was wonderful.

Sheila, Jordan and Eden spent time at the pool this afternoon. Apparently, Eden took right to it and tried to jump in without mom. She loves the water. Bath times are also special for her. It looks like we’ll have another beach lover in the family. Sheila had a wonderful time enjoying the water with her two best girls.

After a brief nap for Eden we ventured back out for dinner at an Italian restaurant. Again, not home but good. I’ve never seen a child eat so much. In many ways it is so very sad. Eden probably had little to eat with even less variety. She eats all that we put before her and never quits. We have to physically remove the food from her sight to convince her it is time to stop eating. She also wastes nothing. Even the little that falls off her spoon she delicately goes back after it and consumes every last bite. She’s an independent eater. She does not want any help from mom or dad. Just put the food in front of her and she’ll take care of the rest. And that she does, with great zeal. Our meal times have been very enjoyable.

Our late evening was spent doing more window shopping. I’m not sure why it is called window shopping. Sheila buys something at nearly every store. It’s been fun.

Well, it’s off to bed for me. The morning will be here soon and we have much to do. Lots of paperwork, an early morning medical check-up for Eden with TB test. After that, probably more shopping. I may wander back over to find my new friend, 115.

Peace,
JP