Visits With Friends - The Blessings of Good Friends

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Back to present time. There will be pictures added to this one at a later time too. This will be my last entry for the day as I think the people in the hotel would like me out of the office. This may be my last entry from China too as I head home Sunday - it is now Wednesday morning here. I leave Xinyang in the morning by train to Beijing to join the others. It is a 9 hour train ride. Hopefully this train won't be 2 hours late like the one from Nanchang to here!

June 30 - Charles comes to visit me from his home. It is a 4 hour bus ride for him! He was my student, with his wife Mary, in 2004. They are both English teachers in their home. I gave them both their English names! I found out that when Charles arrived he came to visit me on his birthday! It was his 45th. He is as charming as ever. So sad Mary couldn't come though. He had to return on the 1:00 bus as they were having a party for him that evening. It is so amazing to me that he would take all that time and trouble to come see me! But that is pretty much the way true Chinese friends are and teachers are as important as parents! We had a nice visit. I took him for lunch for his birthday and we toasted with a few peejoes! He tried to get me to drink too much, as he always does. Then I walked him back to the bus stop and he returned home for his birthday party - a 4 hour bus ride away.

I will tell you more about my adventures later as I feel that I have overstayed my welcome here in the office again. Almost another 2 hours.

I want to say that I have been so blessed by friends here in China. Dear Anna who I have gone to play ping pong and badmiton with every morning (another story), my new friend Lily who was directed to watch over me by Yarna (and another wonderful story here too) and Lily's baby Mary, and then two wonderful friends and collegues and their families - Mr. Ye and Dr. Wan Lei. These wonderful men and their wives have always treated me so well - as an honored guest and been the best of friends! I extend to them friendship always and wish great blessings for them. I will share more about my evenings with them. I was also suprised when I had dinner with Dr. Wan that two of my former students and one of my teacher friends from his school joined us! It was a wonderful evening!

Now I should go before they chase me out. Plus it is about their rest time and I am a little hungry. I also have to pack and prepare to leave in the morning!

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