Alright… i’m outta here again. I’m leaving in about 10 minutes to go catch a train to Jinan then at noon i have another train to Beijing. This week i will be visiting the amazing kids at the Philip Hayden Foundation orphanage just outside of Beijing. Give Grace sponsors a handful of these kids and would love to sponsor even more. This is going to be a really cool opportunity to see and hang out with the kids that we would talk about often when i lived in Auburn.
This afternoon, i will meet an old friend from the states and i will join their group for dinner in Beijing and then we’ll go to the orphanage together. I’m really excited about this weekend and i hope i can come back with some great pictures and videos to show you guys.
It’s that time again. Sorry about last week. Full hard drive means no space to make videos. But, i got a brand new external hard drive and so now i’m in good shape.
This week’s podcast is very short and to the point. I didn’t have much time, but i wanted to give you something for this week since i skipped last week. I have three things to apologize for in this video.
1. The background noise. It’s ridiculous at times.
2. My hair. WOW. Four months with no cut + summertime humidity = craziness.
3. My face in the still frame below… Awful. Sorry.
This is also known as one of the most terrifying moments of my life. What goes up must come down. Those that are faint of heart should look away now… [there is a video embedded below for those who subscribe to the RSS feed]
Millions of people climb Mount Tai for one reason. To see the sunrise. Our alarm went off at 3:50 a.m. and by 4:00 i was stumbling out the door into the crisp, dark morning. To walk to the sunrise peak is no easy walk. It’s at least 20 minutes with many more stairs to climb. This time though, the thickness of the crowd pushed me up the stairs. Everyone was flocking to the perfect spot to see the sun welcome us to a new day. I sat on the edge of a rock among hundreds of spectators. Everyone had their camera in hand, eagerly waiting for the moment. Then, after an hour of waiting, the tip of the sun peaked through the clouds and everyone gasped in unison. Next, it was chaos as people scrambled to get the perfect picture. I managed to get a few decent pictures while avoiding all the people running around in front of my camera.
After six hour of hiking, eating mediocre food, and then waking up at 3:50 a.m. i would say the sunrise was well worth it. Sore muscles and all. I’m not sure how many people from the west get to experience such a sight as this, so i hope my pictures can somehow do it justice.
The sunrise at Mount Tai is definitely the #1 reason to make the hike. Check back later for the #1 reason NOT to make the hike.
Climbing Mount Tai was six difficult and hot hours. However, i think it could have been a lot worse. We were fortunate to have some clouds most of the way and when the wind blew i thought i was in heaven. The whole way up the mountain we were surrounded by beautiful scenery that was nearly impossible to capture on camera. The crowds weren’t too bad and we were able to enjoy the hike by taking frequent breaks for water and rest. After hiking several sets of stairs our thighs would burn and we would have to stop for only a few minutes before starting again.
There was one section of the mountain where every few minutes we would turn a corner and see a glimpse of the place where the stairs ended. To get there seemed impossible. But finally, at about 4 p.m. we made it to the top. The feeling of accomplishment was amazing. The views from the top were spectacular. I have about 100 pictures that i’ll upload soon to the photos page and a few that i like a lot i will put on my Flickr page.
I have to break down this whole experience into a few different blog posts. So check back in for the next post to see what i went all the way up there for. It’s amazing. Seriously. Then, keep coming back to find some videos of the hike, videos of the scenery, and also a video of the most terrifying moment of my life. You don’t want to miss that!
Early tomorrow morning i will leave Qufu to go climb the great Mount Tai. I’m really excited because this is an adventure we’ve been anticipating all semester. You can expect a multitude of pictures and hopefully some hilarious video as well. I’ve heard horror stories about climbing this mountain. Basically, it is 8+ hours of climbing stairs. That’s right. I said climbing stairs. So today, go climb a set of stairs and think about me as i do that for 8 hours. It should be hilariously painful. We will be back Sunday evening (my time of course) so you can expect to hear from me then. Here is some more useful info about Tai Shan
Mount Tai is one of the “Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism”. It is associated with sunrise, birth, and renewal, and is often regarded the foremost of the five. The temples on its slopes have been a destination for pilgrims for 3,000 years. Read More (Wikipedia)
I talked with my friend, John, last night. He is one of the team leaders in Uganda right now. He says everyone on the team is healthy and happy so far. He is extremely happy with his team of “go-getters” and is confident that they will have an amazing experience. For the first few days they are hanging with the kids of Bethany Village. Then, when the Passion World Tour rolls into town they will be partnering with them to help with that event. He did give me a few things that we can all be keeping in mind on their behalf.
Against sickness. A little bit of stomach stuff has hit but with a team of 33 its gonna be hard for someone to not get malaria or really sick.
Unity among the team.
And for John and Katie’s leadership of knowing the best way to lead out in love there.
Another day, another tragedy. I can’t even wrap my mind around what this family must be going through emotionally. Many people know of Stephen Curtis Chapman as a contemporary christian musician. He is also heavily involved in aiding families with Asian adoptions and has adopted 3 Chinese girls. Recently, his 5-year-old Chinese daughter, Maria, was accidentally run over and killed by her teenage brother in the driveway of their home. I appreciate you taking a minute and thinking about their family and hoping that their hearts would grieve appropriately today.
My friend, Vicky, rocks! Vicky Beeching is a worship leader currently living in Nashville, but originally from the UK so that means she has an awesome english accent. She is signed with Sparrow and Survivor records and leads worship for events all across the United States (and the UK?). Her music is amazing. Duh. But what’s even better is her gracious and loving heart for people. You can read more valuable information about her at wikipedia (how do i get a Wiki?)
So, why do i tell you all this? Because i recently redesigned her website/blog to better suit some of her blogging needs. She loves the new design and of course i like it too. So head over to www.vickybeeching.com and have a look. Also, click here to go to iTunes and buy her music.
I’m always happy to have awesome friends like Vicky!
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it careful round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket-safe, dark, motionless, airless-it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers of love is Hell.”
-C.S. Lewis
