Our family has had such a fantastic week! I keep looking around and wondering, "Where am I?!" It's amazing that we are still in Asia, and yet things feel sooooo different here than they do in China. There really is a freedom--a lightness that can be felt in the air. (This is no reflection on the spiritual climate, however, as that definitely feels dark and heavy in a lot of ways. But there is a freedom nonetheless in the general air due to security differences and freedom in our schedule and from our normal routine.) There are so many people who speak English that getting around is a ton easier. It is so nice to have warm weather and get to wear flip-flops and shorts everywhere, not having to bundle up in multiple layers just to walk out the door! The food is awesome--and I'm loving having salads with every meal (except normally not breakfast!). We have been deeply challenged by the people we've spent time with who have some amazing stories--things like a doctor and his wife and 3 kids living at an elevation of 2 miles high with no heat in their home. We've had sweet time to reflect and fellowship, amking dear friends along the way and enjoying the time to dream big as we keep figuring out what life in China looks like for our family as we transition.
Anyway, we've had a great time swimming in the pool, riding a tuk-tuk, and even getting a quick game of tennis in. We have several days left to enjoy before heading back to China and hitting the books again. In spite of the fact that we've dealt with a lot of sickness, we're all going to be so sad to go. (The one child vomiting our first night here--Karis--ended up turning into a stomach bug that has now hit everyone in the family except me. Thankfully, it has been a very "minor" bug, having everyone get sick once or twice and then be out of the system. We're hoping for "mommy grace" in that I will be spared and able to enjoy fully our last few days before our return!)
Some of the photos are of the neighborhood around us where we are staying. The closest thing I can compare it to that I've experienced before is Costa Rica. There are small huts right along the water where I'm assuming the fishermen live with their families? The fishing boats are anchored just off the water, waiting for a trip out to sea for fishing or sighseeing. The people here are so friendly and curious, although much more used to Caucasian faces than we are accustomed to. One of the photos is of something I saw while out walking this moprning. A cow swimming in the water with a man! They were quite a distance offshore, much deeper than I think the cow could reach, and I have no idea why they were out there! I'm determined to find out from someone if there is a story there. Will inform as I research the phenomenon. . . :)
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