Amazing Blue Water and an Ice Festival

I had a wonderful trip to Jiu Zhai Guo. The scenery was breathtaking, and it was good to be in cold weather for Christmas. I was able to see snow, and I heard it crunch under my feet as I trampled on it. There were also many evergreen trees. The most amazing thing about Jiu Zhai Guo is the water. It has the most amazing colors in it. It is so clear that you can see so many things underneath the surface. I couldn’t get over the water, and I still can’t get over the water when I look at the pictures. The most wonderful thing is that it is natural and from His hand. He has given us so much beauty. I most say my Christmas in Jiu Zhai Guo was like none other. I enjoyed it, but I sure did miss the home cooked food and my family. We had lots of difficulty finding a meal to satisfy our western pallets on this day. I must say this is the first Christmas that I had soup with chicken feet and yak for my main course! It was my first, and I’m hoping it is my last! ☺

I returned to Shanghai to continue to teach and bring in the New Year. I had a lovely New Year’s Eve with friends. I believe 2007 will be a good year, and I’m looking forward to seeing what He has planned for me to do this year. Hopefully, I can remember to walk with Him daily and look for his guidance in my life.

I was also able to take another trip this past weekend. One of my friends and I went to Haerbin. Haerbin is one of the coldest places in China in the most northern province which translated is Black Dragon River province. Haerbin is famous for their ice festival and snow sculptures. We wanted to see what all the fuss was about all this ice. It was truly an interesting experience. I enjoyed it, and I couldn’t believe what could be made out of ice! There were so many huge things like a church, castle, the Great Wall, animals, and so much more. Then there were the snow sculptures that were just as breathtaking. There were snow villages, dragons, Greek sculptures, American Indians, Buddha, and so much more. This trip involved skiing, which is always an adventure with me, but can you imagine the adventure I had in China on skis. Those of you who have been to China you know how difficult it is to form a line. Well, can you imagine forming one on skis? Yikes! I also was able to take a sled down an ice path with twists and turns. I went over a frozen river in a cart drawn by a horse. I ate at a Russian restaurant. The city is heavily influenced by Russia. This trip could fill many pages because it was just that different, strange, and weird. It was lots of fun though.