Street Food At It's Finest

At the metro stop closest to our house, about 8 million people come with their carts and cook street food. Chinese hamburgers, fried flat bread, noodles, dumplings, fried rice, meat on a stick, and the list goes on. We love to go wander the stalls and see what's being made.

Then we found a place with even more street food just one metro stop down. Mixed in with all the street food are stalls selling iPhone cases, underwear, nail polish, plants, Buddhist luck charms, headphones, and so much more. This is my China. The feeling of a dirty street littered with who knows what and street food carts as well as shops selling baozi and fruit drinks makes my heart sigh in happiness. Unfortunately, Kendra and I had already had a very filling dinner so we were limited in our ability to try things. I ate WAY too much. I went to bed feeling a little sick. I can't not eat all those delicious foods! We've decided to go there all the time when we aren't working. It's our "hang out" place and who needs McDonald's when there are limitless choices just a half hour away?

In the orphanage, it looks like they have enough Ayis so we won't be working anymore night shifts. HALLELUJAH! We aren't really sure where to go or what to do from here. We should start working a five day week but we have no clue what the actual plan is. Hopefully it will be cleared up soon and we will know what we are really doing.

Rachel is back from the hospital and doing well. The doctors thought she was going into heart failure so she went to another doctor who said she was fine. She's happy and playful just as before. She is the sweetest baby. She's only about 9 or 10 months and she is smiling all the time and hardly ever cries. She is such a darling little girl!

On an emotional level, I feel like I'm doing really well. I wonder why I'm not crying all the time at the hard things that happen here and that alone is a miracle. I feel strengthened and blessed every day with a feeling of peace.I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to help others in China. I hope I can continue to help others in the same way all over the world and especially in America. There is so much to be done and such a difference that can be made. I love having this opportunity and I am grateful everyday despite the ups and downs.