Going in the Right Direction

The title "Going in the Right Direction" could mean many things but for now it means we are inching our way back to Georgia.

Last Sunday morning we attended Saturn Road church in Garland, TX. Ron spoke and gave a report on our work to a class. The head of the mission committee said he would arrange for Ron to come back and present it to the congregation on a Sunday night in the future. In the afternoon we went by the home of Bill Dismuke (a man I worked with 26 years ago) and brought him and his wife up-to-date on our work. They also go to China and other countries to teach. We left N. Richland Hills, TX about 3 p.m. and successfully found our way through Dallas.

We arrived in Greenville, TX about 5 p.m. Sunday night. Greenville is about a two-hour drive from Dallas in an RV at 55 mph.

We set up our displays and began meeting people coming in for the evening service. I knew immediately that the reception would be good because everyone was crowding around the displays and picking up newsletters before Ron even spoke to them about the work. It is our first visit to this congregation. Ron has spoken with the minister on several occasions. One of the elders is one of the sons of our dear friends (Jack and Mary Alice Wilhelm)in Florence, Alabama.

As soon as the service was over, we were covered up with people wanting to sign up to sponsor children at the new orphanage and others asking about the possibility of going on a medical mission or to one of the care centers to teach. No one was eager to leave so we spent a long time answering questions. The minister took us to dinner and one couple joined us to talk more about the possibility of going to China next year. It was such a delightful evening with some really wonderful folks.

We parked the RV in the church parking lot. Last night, the prime-timers were having a dinner and we were invited. After dinner, we joined in and played Spinner (a domino game)until 9 p.m. It was a rare time for us to relax and just play a game for a change. We have been on our computers working almost every available minute that we are parked between traveling and reporting on the work. They even took up a collection at the dinner and gave the funds to us for the work in China. We were the winners all the way around (a delicious meal, fun games, great fellowship and a pocketful of money).

Today, we have worked on our computers except for one meeting. The preacher had someone he wanted us to meet so we went to an ice cream shop for about an hour. I had never eaten at a Cold Stone Creamery so the rich, vanilla ice cream was really a treat on a very hot day.

We will be pulling out tomorrow morning to go to Texarkana, TX (on the border of Texas and Arkansas). We will be at a congregation there Wednesday night. On Thursday, we will travel to Memphis. I'm not sure about other stops between Memphis and Atlanta or our expected arrival time in Atlanta.

This trip was a little too soon after Ron's rather major surgery but he's gradually gained his strength back and handled all of the appointments with ease. I've been the uptight partner because of the experiences with the RV for the first time.

Several have asked if I am getting used to traveling this way. The answer is yes and no. It's gotten easier, I have to admit, but I found out that this old RV Ron purchased (you notice I didn't say "we purchased), is the Motel 6 in the line of RV's. We bought it ourselves so no one would think we were taking too much liberty with China Mission funds. I know that was important to Ron to prevent any speculation on anyone's part. But the age of the RV and it's mileage has also made it less desirable. It's not like the comforts of home. I may have told the name of it incorrectly at the beginning. I think it is a 1993 Southwind "Fleetwood".

While at a RV place to get an electrical plug, I just decided to tour one of the new RV's that was open and for sale. That was a mistake because I immediately became more materialistic than mission-minded.

It was a 43' long RV, with two full-size leather couches, leather chairs at the driving end, marble top counters, ceramic tile floors, king size bed turned crosswise and with the pull-outs (when parked and extended), an entertainment center to die for ran the length of the wall at the end of the bed with plenty of room to walk between it and the bed. The bathroom had a glass door and was big enough for two 300 lb. people to shower together. The counter was separate so someone could use it at the same time. It was not a one person bath that you can stand still and be at the sink, toiler or shower all at the same time. It was as beautiful as any luxury home. It cost $129,000. When the pull-outs are pulled in to drive, it is still a very long and large vehicle. Pulling a car behind it would make it longer than any 18 wheeler and take a lot of precision to make turns and park it.

I have said often that God did not intend for Ron and me to be rich but in fact, we are. Not in ready cash, so to speak, but in blessings that are too numerous to count. I have always had more of everything than I needed (even in a crowded RV, I lack nothing). Having a little fear along the way just allows me the opportunity to put a bit more faith into God and less in my own ability to accomplish things.

Last night, I read something that seems to apply to my situation and helped ground me again from the frustrations of the daily grind of traveling. In POWER FOR TODAY a page by Editor Emily Y. Lemley, stated in part..."Trust in God's direction. He is the ONE who sees and knows, no matter what discouraging words surround you. And HE is the one who calls us to let down our nets for a catch. Whatever your job is today, do it without fear, do it in obedience, and do it because of Christ Who has called you to His service." 'The adventurous life is not one exempt from fear, but on the contrary, one that is lived in full knowledge of fears of all kinds, one in which we go forward in spite of our fears.' - Paul Tournier

One last bit of news and information. Most of you have read the newsletter about Wei Lankui's surgery in Nashville, Tennessee on her jaw in April. Today, we got this report from Faith Borck (at her host family's home):

Lankui is doing great! Her physical therapist is really pleased with her progress. She can open her mouth 2 cm. now and her side-to-side movement is very good. She eats like a horse! Her favorite thing is a Hardy's chicken sandwich. She eats the whole meal w/fries and coke in one sitting with no problem. She brushes pretty well, but needs us to remind her to do it after every meal. Her pants don't fit her any more. She tried on a pair last Sunday and said it's too tight (fat little girl that she is, ha ha!). She fits into my sister's clothes just fine and they have a blast. We do have to be careful about one thing, though. If we leave her to herself she starts working and cleaning like crazy! She's very sweet. Her English reading has improved and her vocabulary is increasing all the time, but she doesn't learn nearly as fast as Dan Dan did. It's interesting how being raised differently affects you in so many ways.

Thanks again for your interest in my blogging. It is a great way for me to tell a lot of interested people about our progress. This has been an extremely successful trip and as many of you have promised - I will look back on it with fond memories.

As I leave the big TEXAS experience behind me tomorrow, I will not forget the wonderful people who greeted us so warmly. (Maybe the 100 degree temperatures were part of the reason). Happy trails until we meet again.

On the Road Again!

As we continue to travel in Texas, we have very hot, 98 degree days. We have several more weeks of travel but we must get home to have a little recuperating time before leaving for China about the 20th of July.

We have had more repairs to be made to the RV along the way but we have found people to be very nice and helpful everywhere we go. An old mechanic asked about our travels and wanted to know about the baby blanket I was crocheting. He asked what church we belonged to and when I told him he said he was baptized in the Church of Christ. He's been around the world as a drifter, worked in many fields of work and been homeless. I learned a lot about him in just a few minutes' time. He said he was 52 years old but he looked older than Ron. (Honestly, for those of you who don't believe me!!)



I have crocheted a baby blanket and read three books while I've been waiting or traveling, but we are coping with the daily setbacks and continue to journey forward on our trip. I have not seen any hoedowns, Texas BBQ's, rodeos or such like. I have seen a few cowboy hats and boots. Does that count for my image of Texas?

There is a comradeship among RV owners as I suspected. While at the repair place in Baton Rouge, a couple came over to visit in our RV while they were waiting for repairs on theirs. This lady is my age and heads up a ministry to provide tiny garments for stillborn and premature babies. They assist with the clothing and burial of these precious little souls. Her website is: www.threadsoflove.org if you want to check it out. She invited me to go with her to a hospital that morning to take some little garments but it was not a convenient time for me to go.

At a gas station, a lady started telling me that she has had an RV for 12 years and drove it to Alaska last year. Another man asked about our gas mileage. Ron fills it up and says "well, that's three nights in a bad hotel" as he continues to justify the purchase.

Thanks to some of my readers who have commented on my report about our RV travel. It is an experience that should be acquired early in life (maybe in your 20's instead of 70's). Unlike my Canadian friend (and Paige Peterson, my co-worker) who wrote about acquiring good memories of travel and camping, I don't have 30 years to look back on this experience. It is my belief that the longer it is from the experience, the more we will remember the good parts. As long as my memory continues, I don't think I will have time to remember too many good parts of it.

Someone on the chatline just asked Ron if Pat likes the RV. I told him to tell them I like it just fine when it's sitting still, parked somewhere. It is comfortable enough and we are getting along just fine in the small space. I get more hugs because when we meet in the hallway, there's too little space for both of us to pass through at the same time.

I am responsible for navigating but when Google and MapQuest directions disagree and GPS has even different ideas of how to go somewhere, I get very confused as to which route would be best for an RV that is pulling a car. I tried to block side roads and U turns from the GPS but sometimes it still tries to send us down places where Ron cannot maneuver a turn. I am doing a better job of planning the next trip by viewing all sources along with a road atlas and deciding which is probably the best route for us. Even then, sometimes Ron disagrees and turns a different way and then my GPS has to "recalculate" which frustrates all three of us (Ron, me and the GPS lady)! All of these sources are sometimes wrong and that is really aggravating when we are driving around on unnecessary streets.

Someone commented that I must really love this man. That is the truth. Someone at the RV repair place asked me if I loved the RV. I said, "No, but I love my husband." I thought that said enough.

Wednesday night we were in Hamilton, Texas. One of our sponsors talked with me a while and commented that they once had an RV. I told her I was not as fond of traveling in it as Ron was. She said, "But, he needs you and it is important to be together as much as you can for the rest of your years together." Joyce Green, a dear friend at Peachtree City has told me the same thing about the difficult trips to China. I will look back on these years, especially if I am ever a widow, and appreciate the time I spent with Ron. Yes, no matter how inconvenience or hard these experiences are for me, we are still together doing something that I hope the Lord is pleased with. We are doing what we feel is important to be HIS servants and help others less fortunate then us.

Everyday, I am thankful for the many blessings we have in our rather comfortable lives. Dave, who went with us to China in April, and has since then been to Haiti, said it best. He says his life will never be the same; he cannot be complacent having seen the poverty and need of people in other countries. I wish every American could realize that we have so much and can do so much more to relieve the suffering of others and give them a little hope for this life and especially hope for eternity.

Faith Borck, a young girl from Lebanon, TN, has a link to my blog. She went with us to China last year and served as a translator at the medical mission. She was home schooled and speaks fluent Mandarin. She has been twice to our North Canton Christian Care Center to teach the children. She has just returned to the U.S. and reports that the day before she left 11 children became Christians. I do not know the number that has been baptized at that orphanage but it must be over 20 by this time. We are so blessed to have had the opportunity to give two kinds of hope to these poor children who didn't have much chance in life before we found them. Faith is so torn, wanting to know what God wants for her life, how she can serve HIM best. Her heart is so tender and devoted to doing HIS will. She has been such an inspiration to us and to so many of these children whose lives she has touched.

While in Houston, we had dinner with Carole and Steve, two teachers at Westbury Christian School, who are heading to China to two different care centers to teach for a few weeks. We are so pleased to have them going. Although a number of the children return to visit relatives in the summer, we are trying to encourage more children to remain at the care centers to take advantage of the wonderful teaching and fun activities planned by these English teachers. We also have American teachers who have already arrived at other care centers.

I have signed up 17 people who want to receive our newsletters on-line. Sponsors for 15 orphans have committed to support children at our new care center that will open in August.
The newest care center is called Refuge of Grace Christian Care Center. The funds for remodeling the building are furnished by the Jackson Family Foundation, who also financed the construction of the Jackson Family Christian Care Center in Zigong that opened one year ago this September. Refuge of Grace is located outside of Pingxiang in Luxi (city and county). It will house about 200 of the more than 2,000 orphans in this area.

Our son, Ronald, is in charge of the construction work at all of the care centers. He has been at Luxi since the first of May. He works through a translator but I'm sure he uses a lot of sign language as well. (Shaking his head NO, for instance). Workers want to do sloppy work and he will not permit it. They tell him that's the way they do it in China. He tells them this is not the way we are going to do it. He argued with a man about how to put the hood over the stove and after about an hour, Ronald told him to forget it, he would install it himself since the fellow apparently didn't know how to do it. He quickly backed down and said he would do it Ronald's way. Ronald said getting quality workmanship is about like giving a chef a good filet and have him make it into hamburger meat and serve a burned and bad burger. We are very proud that he has not given up in this very difficult work. We know life is difficult living in China for an American even under the best of circumstances.

We have full cooperation from the government in Luxi. A group of government officials paid Ronald a visit at the house where he has rented for himself and the worker who translates for him. As is traditional, they were welcoming him and supporting him with their visit. Here is what Ronald wrote: "I just got a visit here at the house.... the top civil affairs guy from Pingxiang (you may remember he said he had specifically worn a red jacket when we first met in the large conference room in Pingxiang), I think his wife and sons, the 2nd in line civil affairs guy from Luxi, and another official from Luxi, all came. They brought me bananas, apples, a watermelon, and milk. It is a Chinese common courtesy to visit friends and the like bearing gifts at festival times."

Many people ask if we get support from the government. Others ask if we are afraid when we are in China. It surprises them when we tell them that the government gladly supports us in most areas, some even financially. In Pingxiang, they offered the building on a 20-year free lease (which is common) with the option of renewing it at the end of 20 years. After an orphanage is filled with children, government official often bring them clothing, shoes, and food to assist us with their care.

As far as feeling afraid, the only threat is the driving in China. I've reported before about the crazy driving and how dangerous it is to cross the road when pedestrians have no right-of-way.

We are still seeking sponsors for the children at this new care center. If you know of anyone that might be interested in supporting a child at $35 per month, please ask them to contact me at patbrown10@gmail.com.


We are now in N. Richland Hills, TX (a suburb of Fort Worth & Dallas). We are parked at a very large church where Dr. John Bailey and his wife attend (Legacy Church of Christ). Yesterday, we met with Dr. Bailey and the family members of the Caris Foundation. They support our medical missions to China every year and provide funds for many open heart surgeries throughout the year. In addition, some years ago, they gave funds to renovate some old buildings that we called Mama Jo's House. We have helped a lot of children in the Biyang area surrounding Mama Jo's House and cared for about 100 children at the care center in addition to 14 old men.

Little Addie Burnette, the little girl featured in the last medical newsletter, was abandoned at this care center. I told the Caris family members yesterday that in addition to helping a lot of children, saving the life of this precious little girl was worth all the money they spent. Addie was adopted by the Stan Burnette family in Buford, Georgia.

The buildings are getting so old and this care center needs more constant repairs than it's worth. We also have a difficult time finding workers that will go to this remote area. We recommended that we continue to find a way to help the best students that really want an education and relocate Mama Jo's to a more convenient area. We have some very troubled children at this care center and it may be too late to help them. They do not want to go to school and they do not want rules in their lives. When a child does not have any desire to learn or submit to authority, there is little we can do to change their lives. We have tried to give them a chance but not everyone will accept our help just as not everyone will accept the good news of Christ.

We believe the Caris family will approve of our recommendations and then we will have the task of locating another building to remodel. In addition, phasing out the location in Biyang will be difficult for some sponsors who will have to help a different child from the one they have grown to love. I also tell sponsors, "We help a child as long as we can but there will come a time when we have done all we can." It is often the same with our own children in America.

The government in the area will continue to support the old men at this location or move them to another facility. We will have to discuss this situation with the government to be sure they are not just abandoned or neglected.

Our medical mission the first two weeks of August will be with a hospital in Pingliang City, Gansu Province. The team will arrive in Shanghai and travel to Xi'an. After one night there, it will be a 3-4 hour bus ride to Pingliang City. Some of the same team members as last year will join us on this mission but we have new members as well. Our daughter, Leigh Ann Dotson, is going with us for her first time to China. Also, Ellen Mao, a dear Chinese friend who is an ICU nurse is going with two of her friends. Ellen was Ron's very first secretary. When she worked at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, she used her day off or a few hours before going to work to come by the office and do his secretarial work. She has supported orphans and she went to China with Ron on the very first medical mission. We love and appreciate Ellen very much.

God bless you all! Thanks for listening to my ramblings and having an interest in our work in China.

RV and Biker Babes

Ron always breaks news to me gently. It’s almost like cutting off the monkey’s tail, a little at a time. His doctor suggested months ago that he have surgery to remove a section of colon that might break due to weakness of diverticulitis. After seeing a surgeon, he decided he would have the surgery after we returned from China this last time. It was scheduled for May 6.

Ron, being so sure his surgery would be minor, scheduled appointments for the next weekend. His doctor quickly advised him that he would not be traveling that weekend. Ron put them off for one week.

Ron informed me that when we left we would be traveling across Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas for the next 6-8 weeks.

Ron’s surgery was not as minor as he expected. They removed 20” of his colon and he had some complications that kept him in the hospital two extra days. He was also very weak for the next 10 days after he returned home. But, in spite of this, he continued to prepare for the long fund-raising trip to begin as scheduled.

Ron received a call from a church in Nashville asking if we could help a minister from Morocco find a hospital for his five year old daughter that needed heart surgery. The minister was already in the U.S. He visited Ron in the hospital to get more information about finding surgery for his daughter. After some days, Ron told me that the family needed a place to stay so he thought they could live in our house while we were traveling. The minister’s wife and their two daughters were scheduled to arrive a few days after we left on our trip. They also have a one-year old daughter.

Not only did I start packing for a 6-8 week trip, I also saw many things that needed to be done in the house to leave it clean and ready for a family to live in. As I removed clothes and packed, I also straightened up all the closets. I changed the beds and cleaned the baths. I defrosted a freezer in the basement and moved my frozen food to it. I cleaned out the refrigerator and pantry. I put away trinkets and things I did not want left out with small children in the house. The more I did, the more I saw that needed to be done. I did not realize that my house was not childproof and so disorganized.

Remember, we had been to China for three weeks and soon after we got home, Ron went in for surgery. There was just no time to do things that need to be done routinely. All the while, I have 40 hours per week of computer work waiting for me. It was truly overwhelming to get it all done.

As I began packing, Ron informed me that he’d talked with my brother in Oxford, MS and there was a good chance that we would use his RV to drive on the rest of our trip. My brother has not used his RV in several years, having had some health problems. He told us that some things needed to be done and he had ordered parts but did not know if he would get it done in time for us to use. It turned out that the parts were on back order and the RV was not ready.

It may have been a blessing because it’s not always good to borrow or buy something from a relative. My brother loves that RV and since it means so much to him, I was very hesitant to borrow it. I don’t think he was really interested in selling it to us. It was originally very expensive and a large model anyway. I was rather pleased that the deal fell through. Ron was terribly disappointed and started looking at RV’s everywhere we went.

We arrived in Baton Rouge, LA more than a week ago. We had churches to report to over two weekends. It was only days before Ron spotted an RV for sale by owner. He called and set a time to see it on Memorial Day. On Tuesday, he bought it. I did not see it until the deal was done, but it really didn’t matter anyway. Ron’s heart was set on having one for us to use as we travel to give reports.

We always appreciate the hospitality of people asking us to stay with them but it’s not always convenient for them or for us. Ron regrets spending money for hotels so we stay in the cheapest (some flea bags are as bad as the 2 star hotels in China). We really had a bad one in Baton Rouge when we arrived so that spurred him on to buy the RV. He is convinced that a few trips like this and the RV will pay for itself.

The RV he bought is an Airstream and like a bus to me. It has 60,000 miles but Ron said that is still O.K. for us to use the next five years if we are able to do this work that long.

We have been waiting for the RV repair place to get in the trailer hitch to attach to pull the car. We brought the older car because it's lighter but because of it's age and make, it also created a problem finding the correct trailer hitch. It had to be ordered from Shreveport, LA.

In the meantime, we parked at one of the churches’ parking lots and connected up to their electricity and water (with their permission, of course). Some things did not work on the RV or Ron could not figure out how to get them working. We went to get propane but could not start the stove or get hot water. This past week, I went into the church’s ladies room to wash my hair and clean up because we didn’t have hot water in the RV. Ron doesn’t understand why I can’t shower and wash my hair with a cold shower. Unless it’s 95 degrees inside, I’m not finding that a very pleasant experience. I told him today that an RV or Biker Babe just can’t be expected to look very good on the road so get used to it.

It is 95 degrees with a heat index of about 106 every day so the humidity is terrible. My usually straight hair is frizzy and wavy.

Having completed the reports and meetings with this church, we left early Monday morning to drive to the RV repair place. They corrected a lot of minor things on the RV while I sat in a dirty waiting room and crocheted for four hours. The stove is working but we still don't have hot water. They will check this out again.

The trailer hitch was supposed to arrive Tuesday morning but they claim the truck bringing in the part broke down and it's been put on another delivery truck. Apparently, it is heavy steel and can't just be shipped by UPS or FedEx. It will take four hours to install it. Since we had another night or two in Baton Rouge, the owner of the RV repair place let us park inside his chain link fenced area. He connected us up to his electricity and even offered us a key to his building. We could not have found a nicer guy. He has extended hospitality to us like we are his long lost favorite relatives.

For anyone that does not already know, I am not the camper type. I have never liked camping of any kind. I am not the adventurous type either so I immediately thought of the danger of driving this big thing on the road with a car behind it and the limitation we would have. It’s almost like running a race with a sack of potatoes on your back. None of my protests or cautions had any bearing on the purchase of an RV.

I believe a wife has the right to express her views, her needs, dislikes, concerns, etc. Most everyone knows that I am very free to do this but it’s almost like pouring water on a duck’s back. I never put my foot down and simply say NO because I have been so concerned about being an overbearing and unsubmissive wife. I don’t want it to be a long remembered mistake that I made. After I see that I can’t win in a situation, I start changing my attitude and turning it over to God.

My reflections on someone that likes RV’s is that these type people should also like motorcycles, pick-up trucks, race cars, tailgating, boats, airplanes, jet skis and such like. Not a single thing in that list has ever appealed to me. My brother is 80 years old but he has a Harley and two very expensive jet skis! If the deal on his RV had worked out, I was hoping the Harley was not part of it. I knew the jet skis weren’t because this is a business trip, not a pleasure trip!

Ron and I have been through the airplane and boat route and I was a happy wife the day we gave both of those things up. Starting a stretch of RV living was simply not in my picture. I like my hot showers, meals out most of the time and someone else cleaning up for me. I have enough on me when I’m home so I somehow feel that there should be some incentive if you must travel.

When we had a sailboat, I thought it was more work than fun. I was the person assigned to the jib so I worked the sails constantly while Ron gently guided the boat with the tiller. Of course, I couldn’t do that part and I was good at handling the sails but it was hard work. I always said sailing was 80% work and 20% fun. I think an RV is about the same ratio on my scale of having fun.

I’m sorry, all of you campers out there. I’ve never understood why anyone with a nice home would go to live in the woods with insects, sleep on cots or poor beds, get eat up by mosquitoes, carry everything with you and have to do the cooking while you are there. I want someone to tell me where the fun is in all of this. Camping is returning to live like nomads or poor people.


All kidding aside, I will manage with my “home away from home” but it is for the work in China and for Ron that I’m doing this. It would not be my choice, EVER! When you see the picture of the RV, you will say “what’s she complaining about, it looks pretty good.” It is, quite frankly, nice enough and spacious enough and comfortable. I’m not hating it, but it’s not like home. We conserve water, gas and live in a space not much larger than a walk-in closet. But, I was thinking that if the "present Mrs. Brown" didn't do this, there would be plenty of other women that would be very happy to have an old man and a camper and travel like this.

If we have more time to work, not have to check out of hotels at noon, packing and unpacking the car at every stop, able to save money on hotels and eating out, then I’ll gladly do it. I realize that this is not for me anyway because if it were, I’d insist on staying at the Ritz and eating most of my meals at Red Lobster.

The meetings with the churches have gone well. I have signed up 10 sponsors for the next orphanage children. Others have written asking questions and stating that they may sponsor a child. We have been shown great hospitality by everyone.

We will be in Orange, TX on Wednesday night. From there we will go to Houston for a few days. Then our route will take us to Dallas and on to Oklahoma.

Many of you have asked about Ron’s health. He’s had a few minor difficulties but for the most part, he’s recovered quite quickly. I think he should have rested a few more weeks before we headed out but it is impossible to keep him down.

Remember us in your prayers, for our safety and for the success of this trip.

P.S. We will return to China about July 20th for the cleft palate medical mission and trips to the orphanage in Zigong and the newest orphanage in Luxi. Ron will make a side trip to Hong Kong to report to two groups that support our work in China. We will be in China one month this time.

Arrived home safely on the 15th

We are home! It was a safe and successful trip. Pilots say a good trip is one that you can log in and be able to use the plane again. In most aspects, ours was a good trip. It is good to come home but the stacks of mail, laundry, yard work, and a zillion other things awaited our arrival. We will slowly get things caught up again; perhaps in time to leave on the next trip.

The last leg of our trip was in Beijing. We completed our visit at Mama Jo's House and drove back to Zhumadian to take a night train to Beijing. We had to split up into different cabins but no one had a bad roommate. We had two ladies and a baby in our cabin but the child slept all night. The train had only a few stops and was a rather smooth train so we could sleep. It was about 10 a.m. when we arrived at our hotel.

The Shan Shui Hotel is not really a hotel for foreigners, but it was perfect for us. It was on a quiet side street, the hotel was quiet and accommodations were nice. After the places we had visited and many overnights on a train, perhaps any hotel would have looked nice. The service was good and the morning breakfast buffet was better than usual. We could get toast and coffee at this one! We usually have boiled eggs (still hot), rolls (many types of breads both steamed and baked) and fruit. For those of us who have been to China a lot, we also enjoy the noodles and vegetables served for breakfast. I usually skip the congee (bland rice soup). Somehow, I don't enjoy the cold or raw vegetables for breakfast. We were the only guests on the 4th floor. I found out that the Chinese are superstitious about the number 4 (it means "death") so Chinese do not want to stay on the fourth floor. They, therefore, put foreigners on the fourth floor. It was fine with us because it was so quiet.

We were a short distance from the subway so we traveled everywhere in Beijing by subway. The Bank of China was nearby and we spent several hours each day handling the banking transactions. They will only let you do so much each day so it required several trips to complete the deposits for the many workers.

We started walking after we checked into the hotel to try to find the Beijing Duck Restaurant. After much walking, we went into another hotel and the clerk at the desk wrote down the address of the restaurant and we took taxis from there. Taxi drivers had trouble finding locations because Beijing is so large so we wandered around for quite a while. We had to take two taxis so Ron and I arrived first only to discover it was not the restaurant we had in mind. We waited about 20 minutes for the others to arrive (their taxi driver didn't know where to go either). It was almost 2 p.m. and we had not had breakfast that day. We ate at that restaurant anyway and it was good. It did not compare to the Beijing Duck Restaurant that Ron and I knew. We finally decided that it was locate at Dong Dan and we were in the Xi Dan area (close to each other but still not the same area). Beijing duck is roasted until the skin on the duck is maroon in color and brittle. The duck is carved at the table and it is served rolled into a thin pancake with chopped onion, cucumbers, and bean sauce.

The two sponsors with us wanted to shop for their families so we took them to the Pearl Market in the afternoon. They were quick shoppers (aren't most men) so we did not spend too much time there.

The first day we arrived, we had nice weather. The next day, it turned cold and windy. We ate at some very good restaurants the rest of the time we were there but I did not go out much because of the severe temperatures.

We had a large shopping mall near the hotel and many restaurants were there for our choosing (including KFC, Dairy Queen, Burger King and Starbucks). I think Jonathan and David finally felt at home when they arrived there! We see some KFC's and McDonald's in other cities but not as many as are located at every subway stop in Beijing.

Ron completed his appointments in Beijing and we had a delightful Sunday with David and Ya Ning Langley. (Pictures were taken before people began arriving for services.)

We went to lunch after the morning service with that group and again on Sunday night with the second group. We had twelve people present at each service (different people except for our group). Sunday night, we went back to The Place, the shopping center that has the overhead screen with a power point scrolling the entire time. It is very beautiful to see. We ate that night in a Tiawan Restaurant inside the shopping center. The wind was cold and we had a long walk back to the subway about 11 p.m.

In China, there's no feeling of danger. People are out until late at night and there is no fear of any kind. We have decided that Chinese are party animals because they don't go to bed early any night. With so many people strolling day and night, we wonder when they work. We know they are not poor in Beijing because everyone is dressed nicely. In fact, we see many of the latest fashions in Beijing. The young women try to copy the fashion world of Japan and it's interesting to see some of the things they wear. Even on cold days, we saw short shorts and short skirts.

One day Ron and I were getting smoothies at a fruit shop and a young girl (about 20) was waiting for her order. She had a light blue denium jacket and a layered pink ruffled skirt (very short) and pink boots. She had a diamond stud in one nostril and her finger nails were sparkled with glitter. When she left, I told Ron that she looked like Little Bo Peep. Later, we were walking on the street and Ron said, "there goes Little Bo Peep's sister." I looked around and saw a girl dressed in a short layered skirt with lace stockings but her outfit was black. I would have loved to have a picture of these fashions but felt it too rude to snap pictures of people on the street.

Ronald took one day to fly to Soeul, Korea to renew his VISA. Jonathan left for the U.S. that day. It was a Saturday and Ron did not have any appointments. Dave, Ron and I went to the Beijing Zoo. It was much larger than I expected so we walked for five hours. I did not feel tired until that night and my body felt it the next day as well.



We had to fly coach back to Atlanta. It was not bad for the three hours to Narita Airport (Toyko, Japan) but the 12 hours from Narita to Atlanta was difficult. A very interesting thing happened in the Narita airport. We landed and went directly through security again before we could go to our gate for the U.S. flight. As we came out of security, a young Chinese man hurried up beside me and said, "Excuse me, but are you Ron and Pat Brown?" Ron heard him and turned around. We just stopped and said, "Yes." He told us he was "Dan" and knew us in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Let me tell you what a small world it is. Dan was about 12 years old and in my Sunday School Class each week. I had children from the age of 5 to 12 in the class because I was the only teacher and Ron had all of their parents in his class. Dan's parents were moving to the U.S. about the time we left Canada to return to Nashville and we lost touch with them. Dan told us his parents are still in the U.S. and he had been back to China to visit his grandparents. He works in Washington, D.C. We exchanged cards and promised to keep in touch. I could not believe he recognized us after all these years. We certainly would not have recognized him. We have grown much older but he's grown up from a boy to a very handsome young man.

Ronald returned to do some work at Mama Jo's House to get a water pressure problem corrected. He is now at Pingxiang and ready to begin the remodeling of the next building (at Lu Xi) that will be used as our 7th orphanage. He will have it ready for children to move in by the fall when school starts.

ARRIVED IN CHINA ONE DAY LATE

Ron and I fly on Delta Buddy Passes to save money for the mission work. We try to fly on the least traveled day of the week so there will be seats available for us. It was Spring break for many states and the Atlanta airport was full of people as was every flight in every direction. We could not get on the flight to China so we stood by for three flights to Los Angeles (all were over-booked) and checked flights to every other city that has connections to China. We finally got a flight to Detroit at 9:45 p.m. that night after staying in the airport for 12 hours. We got to the hotel in Detroit about midnight but our flight to Shanghai did not leave the next day until 3 p.m. We were able to get business class seats so we got to hang out in the Sky Club at the airport, which is so nice compared to waiting in the airport.

David Halligan, one of our traveling companions, left a day before us and waited for us in Shanghai. Jonathan Goode flew from Nashville to Detroit and on to Narita, Japan, without a problem but could not make the connecting flight to Shanghai. He arrived several hours after we arrived the next night.

We left early the next morning to get to another airport to fly to Guilin. John Li, our foster care worker, met us at the airport and took us to lunch. We boarded an afternoon train for Rongshui. In about five hours, we arrived at Neil Taylor Christian Care Center. David Yue and our son, Ronald, met us at the train station.
We had dinner and then went to the care center to attend their monthly birthday party. Two large cakes were set up outside on the courtyard and children were gathered around to enjoy the party for 7 or 8 children having birthdays in March. We went back early the next morning and spent the day there. It was Sunday so all the children were playing and having free time. King came from the high school and spent several hours with us. We returned to the hotel to have our Sunday service and then went back to the care center for David to video an interview with the orphan girl he and his wife support (and two sisters that another member of their church supports). It was a great day for all of us.



A driver and van was rented to drive us back to Guilin on Monday. John Li met us at the train station and escorted us on the train for Pingxiang. We got on the train about 1:30 in the afternoon and arrived the next morning. Ronald joined us for the rest of the trip and it’s been great having him along. He teases us that he’s treated like the step-child because our guest traveling companions share the 4-person cabin with us and Ronald is the odd person out in another cabin. We spent a lot of time in government meetings as this is the new location for our Seventh care center. There’s a lot of formality even though the contract had already been signed and registered. We meet with Civil Affairs and Charity Federation people in Pingxiang. Then we traveling to Lu Xi (the smaller city where the care center will be located). It is only 20 miles further. There we met the local (Lu Xi County) Civil Affairs and Charity Federation personnel. Lu Xi is pronounced “Lou See.” Everyone is interested in meeting us and welcoming us. We are served tea at each location and then we all had lunch together in a local restaurant in Li Xi.

In the afternoon, they drove us to the countryside to visit two orphans and their families.

We went to another local restaurant in the countryside on a lake for dinner. It was a pleasant day because the government people were very friendly and happy to have us come to their area.

Ron and Ronald spent considerable time going over the building that will house about 200 orphaned children when it is renovated. It is presently occupied by elderly people but the government has a new building nearby ready to move them into. They said they would have our building vacated within 2-3 weeks. It is a lovely building and not in terrible shape.

There are some patching and repairs needed but mostly painting and cleaning. Bathrooms are inadequate so Ronald will construct an addition to one end of the building for restroom facilities. He will also turn several storage rooms and regular rooms into a kitchen and dining room for the children. The kitchen for the elderly is in a separate small building on the same campus but everyone agreed that the children need their own kitchen with a different menu.

Ronald will have to fly out of Beijing to South Korea to renew his VISA again (by April 11th). We hope to have a letter of invitation from the government in Pingxiang so we can get him a work VISA but we don't know if they will do it soon enough. When he comes back into China, he will go back to Pingxiang to begin the work there. The city of Lu Xi is actually where Refuge Grace CCC is located. It's not a bad city and the government people seemed so nice and helpful. I'm hoping it will go well. The building is not in a bad shape but it's big and will take time to patch, repair, paint and clean. It will also take time to construct the rest room facilities and kitchen. I hope we can fly Ronald from Beijing to Pingxiang (a new airport has been built 40 km from the care center). I'm sure a government official would go pick him up. He's learning his way around quite well and is adjusting (not liking it, but enjoying the challenge of the work). Jacob wants him to come back to MJH immediately to help with leaking roofs and a water problem. I don't know if he will go there for a few weeks before he begins RGCC or not.

From Pingxiang, we took a train to Shaoyang. Abraham, our director from North Canton Christian Care Center, has been instrumental in getting the contract for RGCCC in Lu Xi so he was there with us for the formalities with the government. He returned with us to Shaoyang. A van and driver drove us to Longhui to the care center. We arrived late in the afternoon so we did not see all of the children.


The middle school children came in to eat dinner but went directly back to school for an evening class. We intended to go back to the care center the next day but the road was torn up for new construction and it was miles of rough riding. With children in school, Ron decided that Abraham and Esther should come to our hotel to meet for a few hours. They took us to the bus station to catch a bus back to Shaoyang.

It is very interesting to see how we are welcomed and appreciated in China. When we left Shaoyang (the city following NCCC's visit), we were buying water and snacks before boarding our train for Changsha. A person in uniform (working at the train station) came up and asked to see my ticket. He then escorted us to a "soft sleeper waiting room" to get us away from the crowds and public. We actually had "hard sleeper" accommodations because it was a day trip and we didn't qualify for this waiting room. It had a TV and leather sofas. The lady maintaining that room saw some paper flowers sticking out of my purse and started looking at them. The girls at NCCC had made them for me. I took out my camera to show her pictures of the children so she would understand. Then we opened up the computer and showed her a 15 minute power point about our work (Judy prepared it in Chinese). When she saw Ha Ha and then the house we built for him, she jumped up from the couch and hugged me, nearly squeezing me to death, thanking me over and over. When the train came, she took my bag herself to the platform and would have even taken it on the train for me but I insisted on taking it from there. She told another train person on the platform about us and he was nodding and smiling. She stood and waved at us until we could not see her any longer.

When we arrived in Changsha, it was dinner time. Esther had contacted Sunny, a college student to meet and accompany us to Biyang to serve as our translator. Sunny and a college friend took us to a restaurant nearby for dinner. We took a 10:45 p.m. train to Zhumadian, arriving about 6:30 a.m. Unfortunately, the train was sold out and Ronald and Sunny only had seats in the cattle car where there was also standing room tickets sold. Ronald did not sleep having to hold one bag on his lap and having people all around him, pushing, stepping on his feet, spitting, coughing, etc. He went about 36 hours without sleep before he got to bed last night. This is the roughest way to travel and I hope he does not have to do that again.

Jacob, our director from Mama Jo’s House, met us and took us to a nice hotel nearby to have a buffet breakfast. After breakfast, we returned to the train station and he purchased our tickets for Tuesday when we leave for Beijing. Not knowing that Sunny was coming with us, Jacob had arranged for girl to be here from a university to translate for us.

She's a very good translator so she is doing most of the work. Jacob also has a lady and her four year old son from Korea visiting. We have no idea how she knows about us or why she came. She gave us $250 this morning and said she would help more. They all belong to some local churches but we don't know what kind. They have been in on the classes today.

We are not in a good hotel here. The plumbing is bad with a terrible smell in the bathroom and the shower water pours all over the floor. Jacob had not made hotel reservations for us and the hotel he intended for us was full. This one is the worst we have had since arriving in China on this trip (trains are worse) but this is a poor city and we never expect much when we arrive here. The good thing so far is that none of us have gotten sick. I’m almost afraid to say that since we still have more than a week left in China.

Today is Easter Sunday in China. It has been a pleasant day here. It was really cool early (maybe 50 degrees) but by noon when we went to lunch it was in the 60's and sunny. We had our service at 9:30 a.m. in our hotel room. A study from both David and Jonathan completed our morning. They are studying now with Jacob.
We went to lunch at a restaurant that was having a wedding luncheon. They escorted us through the downstairs dining room and everyone turned to watch us walk through and go upstairs to a private room. It's like Susan Swang said on her trip to China, "We know how Julia Roberts feels now when she walks down the street." Ha Ha. They wanted us to take the package menu because they already had the food prepared for the wedding. (When we go to a Chinese restaurant in the U.S. they will have the dinner menu toward the back for so many people so it was like that). Some dishes were good but I didn't touch many of the dishes (octopus for one). Ronald said that's not what he would have chosen for a wedding meal. I would not have preferred this at any meal. While we were at the restaurant, two of our high school students came by to meet us. Yesterday a note was left at the hotel desk asking us to come by a high school and ask for a certain girl. It was not one of our Mama Jo's students so we didn't know how she knew about us. Today, after lunch, we stopped by that school and she came out to see us. She asked to come back to our hotel to talk. She is 19 and completing high school in June. She is concerned that she will not pass the exam to go to university so she wanted to know if she could help us in some way. She said she saw the van with our website and knew it was foreigners helping Chinese people and she just wanted to do something. She said she saw a small boy who was very poor with dirty and torn clothing and it touched her heart very much that she could do nothing to help him. She does not know about HIM but she has a good and tender heart. We got her phone number. Jacob can see if she wants to come to MJH and do some volunteer work first to see how she can handle it. Later, if she is good, we may hire her to work at the care center. She said her parents know nothing about her wishes so that may end it when she tells them. Somehow I don't think her seeing our van was just a "coincidence" but maybe HIS providence working.

Some of the girls at MJH got me aside yesterday and gave me a bunch of long letters. I think they are describing problems or giving complaints. All I can read in English is "Please help us!" They would not let me hold them in my hand but made me fold them and hide them in my pouch. We have not gotten a translator to read them to us yet. Another girl gave one of the translators a letter yesterday telling about the girls at MJH beating up another girl. We have to find out about that too.


We will probably go back to the care center tomorrow but school will be in session again and I may not get the pictures I needed. I thought I'd have another chance to take pictures but I'm not sure if I will find the children I wanted in pictures. I still have to go over the list with Jacob and talk to him about his reports. It's been difficult to find the time with so many other people all around and things to do. I've not had any time with the directors because Ron has the personnel attending Good Book classes when we are not doing other things. I had good intentions, but our time is too limited for me to get my time with them.

We will leave Biyang by driving the l-l/2 hours back to Zhumadian and taking a night train Tuesday night for Beijing. This will be our last train ride and our last care center to visit on this trip.

Ron and Ronald have made a complete survey of the buildings at each location. They are doing the planning to schedule what needs to be accomplished and the time frame for each, giving priority to what needs to be done first. We need about three men like Ronald working in China. It would be great if any men with construction experience could come help him for a few weeks or months at a time. We thought we might have another trip after leaving here to go to Zhenzhou but Ron has arranged for Jacob’s wife to go to represent Mama Jo’s Christian Care Center. Some years ago, a baby girl was deserted at MJH’s gate. She was brought to the U.S. about three years ago to have surgery at Shriners’ Children’s Hospital in Greenville, S.C. She has a genetic disease of the joints and will need surgery for many years. Stan and Connie Burnette, friends from the 1970’s, volunteered to be her host family. They fell in love with this little girl and decided to adopt her. The final adoption will take place in Zhenzhou on Tuesday. The government has requested that a representative from the orphanage be present. We are so very happy for Stan and Connie and their family. We are overjoyed that little Addie (Ai Dou Dou) has such a loving family and will have a wonderful life with them.

Temperatures in Beijing are still too cold to suit me so I'll probably have to buy a coat. I thought I could layer on and make it but next Sunday will be just above freezing in the morning when we will have to go to the hotel for services. We will meet a group from Calgary, Canada, in Beijing. They have been supporting and visiting the Neil Taylor Care Center for a number of years. They arrived the day we left NTCC but we will be in Beijing at the same time. Jonathan, David and Ronald will probably join them for sight-seeing a couple of days. We all plan to have dinner together. Ron has meetings scheduled in Beijing so he will be busy as usual. He may have to take a day trip to another city where we will conduct the medical mission in August. Jackie has found a hospital that he feels we should use for the mission, but Ron needs to survey it and sign a contract with the hospital.

We have all had so much fun. Exhausted from the travel? Yes, and age is no factor. I warned David and Jonathan that it’s like the Amazing Race to travel with Ron. We run from bus to train, skipping some meals and sleeping on noisy and dirty trains, getting very little rest and few showers. I don’t think they really thought it would be this difficult. Jonathan goes to sleep every time he gets still. The hard beds, the long train rides, buses and vans, are not his everyday experiences, not to mention the food! David has traveled back and forth to England with his job for many years so he has been very flexible on this trip. They have seen many different cities and the countryside, experienced government dinners, eaten strange food and seen things beyond their imaginations. It will be a trip they will not forget. It is something to “write home” about.

Sharon Webb, a friend from Montreal, Quebec, now living in Waterloo, Ontario, asked if I could help her son with a school project. There’s a children’s book about Stanley Flatt, a boy that was crushed flat by having a bulletin board fall on him. Since then, he is sent by mail to people and travels to many places. Stanley came with me to China. I have Judy, our Chinese worker in Atlanta, write Stanley’s story in Chinese. I share the cut-out of Stanley and his story with different Chinese children and get a picture of him in various cities. He will be returned to Canada along with some pictures and souvenirs. The children will enjoy the story of Stanley’s travels to China and learn a lot about this large country.

We used to see slogans in public places “Kilroy was Here!” There is a lot of construction going on everywhere we go and inevitably, our hotel will back up to a new building going on. There is always drilling and construction noise until late at night and starting early in the morning. The first night in China, I told Ron that Kilroy had already arrived. He didn’t know what I meant until I asked him if he heard the drilling going on. On our last trip, it was the same and when we arrive in Shanghai to return home, Ron said he thought the driller had taken an earlier train because he was already there working in our hotel!

When we were riding in a van with the government workers in Lu Xi, one of the men moved back to a seat near me and started staring at me and talking. Of course, it was beyond my comprehension so I just smiled and nodded. Finally, a government worker behind me asked me my age in broken English. I told her and she repeated it in Chinese to the man. He then pointed at Jonathan’s hair (a few grey hairs showing up), and then to David’s and Ron’s (both very grey) and then to mine. Of course, he didn’t see a single grey hair in my head so I knew what he was talking about. I laughed and said (knowing he could not understand) “It’s my secret and I’m not telling.” Later that night at dinner, the same man got Jonathan cornered and a translator quoted him as saying, “You are one handsome man.” All the government women agreed. David, Ron and Ronald have all teased Jonathan since then about him being the handsome one in the crowd. Jonathan has been a great sport during the trip and we have had some good laughs together. It has been good to get closer to these fine men and now we will appreciate them even more for taking their time to come see the work firsthand.

Lankui's Appointment in Tennessee

Lankui's appointments went well yesterday. We saw Dr. Kevin Kelly in the morning, then went to pre-op, then had a CT scan before lunch. Her MRI was around seven at night. It was a long day, but she did very well and stayed happy through it all. Dr. Kelly said it shouldn't be hard to fix her jaw. We all presume her jaw was broken and not set right. He said this is not an uncommon situation.

She held very still for her 10 min. CT scan and her 2+ hr. MRI. She got to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks during the MRI and was concerned she might have messed things up when she laughed at the movie!

We'll go back to see Dr. Kelly on March 31. He will have looked at the MRI and CT scans by that time, then he can get a plan going and set the surgery date. Lankui is a wonderful, brave girl. She said she was only nervous a little bit before the MRI, but she did a great job. I showed her the newest letter from Gary Headrick while we waited for the MRI. She was so happy to get it!

She's eating everything and keeping happy! She called Peter and her friends at the center the other day and will call them again this weekend. She wrote a letter for them.

Love you all,
Faith

March 24, 2010

Grand Opening of New Kitchen & Dining Room

The new kitchen and dining room at John Connor Brown is ready. The children will have their first lunch in the new building on March 2nd, 2010.

Ronald is pleased that he has accomplished the construction of a good facility as his first major construction project in China. The new building is spacious and very serviceable for the staff and children. Most women would love to have such a kitchen.

We know the difficulties an American has working in China but even with language barriers and differences in construction concepts, it has come together to be a very beautiful place for the children to enjoy their meals. Most of all, it is a clean place that is easily washable and easy to keep clean. There are ceiling fans for comfort, floor drains for mopping floors and spilled water and more than adequate cooking equipment.

Ronald is threatening the kitchen workers with their lives if they let it get back to be a rat's den. He said he will tell them he will be back to see it and it better be kept in good order. He's proud of it so he's getting tough!

Way to go, Ronald! We are proud of the good work you are doing for our foundation but especially for the children!