Heading Home

Sunday, June 24th, was another day of touring.  Our team attended a church service at an international church in Beijing.  The Chinese people are not allowed to attend this church but can attend another state sponsored church.  However, foreigners are allowed to attend.  We had to show our passports to get through the doors.  It was a thrilling experience to worship with so many other believers from other countries who happen to now live in China or are visiting for a time and was a wonderful way to begin our day.

Next, we ate at an authentic Chinese restaurant with our able-bodied tour guides, Josh and Matthew Moody (Dr. Bill and Ana Moody's sons - both Bill and Ana are doctors at Shepherd's Field).  The boys ordered a delicious meal with many different dishes.

Matthew, the Moody's oldest son, attends Wheaten in Illinois

Lunch in Beijing



This gave us energy to tour the Forbidden City which is in the middle of Beijing.  The Forbidden City is a sprawling complex of buildings built for royal dynasties of the past and is a major tourist attraction for any visitor to China. 

A familiar sight at the Forbidden City

Beautiful Chinese architecture



Golden roof line

We rounded our day out with rides in rickshaws through a place near the Forbidden City called Hutong.  These are homes that are of the "old style" of Chinese architecture with the slanting roof lines, many alley ways, and courtyards opening to multiple family housing.  This was a fun and interesting tour, and we made quite a sight winding our way through the streets of the Hutong village with nine rickshaws of laughing and smiling Americans.

Haggling for a good price on the Hutong Tour

The back of one of our drivers bicyling through the Hutong village

Kathy and Justin enjoying the ride

These two days of touring provided our group with a snapshot of Chinese culture then and now.  It was such a valuable piece to our trip because it helped cement our hearts to the orphans of China by getting to know the culture in which they live. 

After getting home from our Sunday touring, we all packed and took quick naps.  At 2:30 A.M., our bus again picked us up, and this time took us to the airport for our early morning flight home.

We are safely home and getting back to Indiana time.  In the coming days, we will add more pictures.  So stay tuned!  Thank you for following our journey as we strived to become the hands and feet of Jesus to orphaned children half a world away.

At the airport on our way home.  Mike symbolizes how we were

all feeling at this point - tired, humbled, hearts full for the orphan,

thanking God for all he has done this past week.