Day Three - Changsha

Our day began today at 5:30 again with the little princess waking us hungry and wanting attention. Needless to say she got both and we just kept going from there. The Dolton where we are staying is a beautiful place with some 35-40 floors (maybe more). Numerous restaurants, pools and meeting places along with what I may have mentioned earlier business offices and a massive waterfall over glass. These are the kindest and most helpful people you could imagine. The staff at every place we have been, be it restaurant or hotel have done nothing but try to meet whatever need we might have. We met at 9:30 to tour an Embroidery Factory and it was simply amazing. This region of China, Hunan, is known for many things. The spicy food for one but it also is a center for historic art work. Part of this is embroidery. The factory portion we got to see was a multi level facility part museum, gift shop and workroom. The art work, and I do mean art work displayed some pieces were over 2000 years old. An excavation that began in 1972 unearthed some of these pieces and it was determined that embroidery began in the Hunan Province. I am sure that this point could be debated by more knowledgeable on the topic that I but they are not doing this blog site!! We viewed a piece of art work that was a tiger on one side and a panda on the other and you could not tell where one began or ended. We saw a tiger who's eyes followed you as you walked past the work. These were in the museum section. In the workshop we saw how the whole process was done. Very tedious with the finest thread I have ever seen sewing through silks. In the gift shop there were bargans and than some of the most expensive items I have ever seen and quite honestly after seeing how it was done, well worth it. Countless hours of work. From there we were dropped off relatively close to the hotel so we could buy diapers. We walked the back streets of Changsha in a market area that revealed many new worlds to these Western eyes. The freshest of fruit and vegetables to live frogs, eels, chickens , fish, turtles. You name it. I was very proud of Deena in that took it all in stride as the only time I thought she was going to get upset was when she saw a man hitting a dog. Once back at the hotel we rested up a bit and made plans to go out again at 3:00. Gracie was a bit fussier this afternoon but got on a nap needing to be held most of it. Thats okay because she needs to know we are not going anywhere. At 3:00 we met in the lobby again the vbisit what is know as the Hunan Provencial Museum. Here we got to see the beginnings of the Hunan Culture. On display was a 2100 year mummy who's body was autopsied in the 70's and the organs were on display as she was literally fermented in alcohol and other chemicals. Her skin upon autopsy was still firm and plyable. The museum housed artifacts from the eras that included bronze, stone, earthen wares and weapons. Arrows from cross bows that could shoot over 200 meters. The wooden tomb that the mummy and other items were found in was a large box structure inside of which was another box and another box and another, until you finally got to the main coffin. The outer most structure sides were probably 20 feet in length, ten foot tall and a good two feet wide. Each of the side pieces (imagine a wooden shoe box) were cut from one piece of wood with no butted up or spliced pieces. This would make the tree from which they were cut at least 10 -15 foot in diameter. Now thats a big tree!!! After our visit to the museum we ate at a very nice local restaurant that our guide and mother hen Susan set up. Many interesting foods and all very good. I can tell you one thing these people know how to cook and rice is served at the end of the meal to not spoil the other dishes. The Chinese also do not serve soy sauce with their meals as they believe it not a healthy condiment and has no nutritional value. To date there has been only one dish that I was not found of at all and it was called something like "stinky bean loaf". It was a tofu type of loaf that needed to be soaked in a sauce to make it appealing. Even with this it was not to my liking. Well it is 9:00 p.m. here and I need to shower and turn in as I think we will be up early in the morning. God has truly blessed us with this baby girl as more and more everyday the bound between us grows stronger. She is healthy, beautiful and loving. He has watched over us this whole trip, answered many prayers for not only us but the entire AHH group. These people that do this for a living are truly called. They are part babysitter, part tourguide, part diplomat and always Gods servant. Putting expectant parents together with God's children is hard work. We Praise Him for calling them to this service and we applaud them for answering the call. There is no chance circumstance with God, and on Sunday at the church service we visited we sang "He Knows My Name". Deena and I looked at one another with tears in our eyes and we knew that Gracies name was one he knew quite well. Praising God from whom all Blessings Flow!! Later.

Rick & Deena <><