I know that we've only been here one month, but there are already things (not to mention people!) that we are missing from the US. So today I decided to finally visit a store I've been hearing about since we arrived--the Good Friend Store! It is a small shop that carries imported items at really reasonable prices. I'm not sure if it was the 3 hours I spent trying to make homemade spaghetti sauce (that turned out tasting horrible!) that put me over the edge, but I was bound and determined to find a good ol' box of Kraft Maccaroni and Cheese if it killed me! And I couldn't have been more thrilled--not only did I find the mac 'n cheese, but the store also carried Kevin's and my favorite beverage--Dr. Pepper! I brought home four for a special treat. And I must confess that I even considered paying the price they were asking for a box of blueberry muffins--a whopping $5.50!! The bargain shopper in me won out, however, and I decided that the muffins would have to wait for another moment of desperation for our old western ways!
After my return from my happy food gathering exploration, Kevin was kind enough to manage the whole crew for me to go and have some "Ashley alone time"! I took off on my bicycle to ride the 15 minutes to a large grocery store that has a lot of little shops around it. I found a place that was the closest thing to a Smoothie King that I have found. I ordered what was supposed to be a banana smoothie, which ended up being more like banana flavored milk, but was still quite tasty! I'm not sure if it was the thought of the drink or the music that was in English that was playing that drew me in, but something made that store in particular an easy choice to stop by. I then had some great time in the Word, and had a good time getting things put a little bit back in perspective. I was reminded in Is. 43 that our father truly does all things for his glory. And that it is a privilege to be a part of whatever work he is doing. While there is nothing wrong with me getting excited about a DP or music with lyrics that I can understand, it is still a huge blessing that my family and I are able to serve him and attempt to play some small role in making his name reknown, regardless of any small comforts we may need to lay aside in the process. After all, this lifetime is a lot shorter than we think it is, right?
So with my smootie glass drained and my steps a little bit lighter, I proceeded to the large grocery store around the corner where I was able to find one remaining carton of milk to bring home. One more great reminder of how he is continuing to provide for our every want and need during our time here in China--how he blesses us more richly than we could ask or imagine as we submit to his leading in our lives!
(BTW, the photos are of Karis with a handful of snails that she and the boys discovered while at a playground duriing our first week here--with one of her little newfound critters crawling up her arm! And the other one is Karis, Noah, and my mom (or Nana) on exercise equipment at the same playground.)
