We started the day with a visit to Beijing International Christian Fellowship (BICF) and participated in their Sunday worship service. The message was about the Great Commission - very appropriate and challenging when you're visiting a foreign city, especially Beijing.Next, we headed off to the jade factory. Wendy finally got her "dream jade bangle" that we didn't get the last time we were here. All of the employees were enamored with Grace and the store's manager gave her a beaded bracelet. She loves it! The "cuteness of Grace" probably contributed to the good discount that we got on Wendy's bracelet.
A traditional Chinese lunch with our new friends was delicious. Then, we were off in the heat of the day to visit the Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square. We started at the back of the Forbidden City (forbidden for commoners to enter and forbidden for the emperor to leave) and walked through to the front. Because of all of the steps and stone walkways, we left the stroller behind. Grace did very well at the beginning but needed a nap about halfway through the two-hour walk. She gradually got heavier and wetter on Wendy's shoulder as the heat of the day took its toll. It's a good thing that she's a peanut! The Forbidden City is still being renovated in places as Beijing gets it ready for the world with the 2008 Olympics. Scaffolding was up on a few of the buildings but with 9,999.5 rooms, there was still plenty to see. The architecture, craftsmanship, colors and attention to detail are amazing! It's hard to believe that it was built in only fourteen years but will take forty-six years to restore.
We walked out the entrance of the Forbidden City to Tian'anmen Square through large crowds of people, vendors and beggars. We had a photo of our group taken here in the center of the Chinese government and then, went to a Chinese dinner. Grace enjoyed watching the fish, octopus and snails in the restaurant's tanks but we didn't tell her that they were part of dinner.We catch a flight to Nanjing in Jiangsu Province very early tomorrow morning to get our little boy. Please be praying since we are the only family traveling to this province. Also pray that Peter will know the love of the Lord and his new family tomorrow.
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