Hey there! I hope everybody has been enjoying their summer! Well I thought that today I would take a little bit of time just to talk about a couple of places I have traveled over the years. Okay, so the first place that I think I should talk about is probably one of the coolest places I have been... China! Well I guess you could say that it's pretty amazing that I got the opportunity to go there since it's one of the most amazing countries out there. It helps when your dad is a part time missionary and loves to travel. I went to China a few years ago when they were hosting the Beijing Olympics. (These are just a couple of the cities I visited in China.)
Above is Xinghai square in Dalian. This was the second place I visited on my missions trip to China. Dalian is just east of Beijing. It's so close to Beijing, that I took an overnight train which, was probably one of the scariest things in my life. If you have ever been on an overnight train in a foreign country then, you know what I mean. Since Dalian is right on the ocean front, it had a pretty cool and breezy climate and was almost always sunny. (I realize that these are out of order. hahah.) It was here that we helped out an underground church and brought supplies to help with their ministry. In China, it is punishable by law to practice Christianity so, a lot of the churches there have to meet in secret and move daily. Dalian was a really amazing place to visit, it was also fun to get to run around the city with my good friend, Cherry. (I'll talk more about her later.)
On the left is what I'm sure all of you will recognize as the Great Wall of China! Well this was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I got to walk over a couple of miles of it. I don't think there are even enough words to describe the view. I'll just say that if you ever get the chance to go see it, go. After, we took a pretty sketchy toboggan down the side of the mountain to get back into town. I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty scary. Since Beijing was the first place that we went to in China, I spent the most time here. I stayed at my friend Cherry's dorm just outside of town. Cherry is a student at a school in Beijing specifically for translators. She is currently finishing her courses in English and Japanese. By the time she finishes school, she will be fluent in six different languages.
While I was in Beijing, I visited an orphanage in rural area of the city. I stayed there for about a week and a half. It was amazing to see all of those kids that came from so many different situations have so much love to give. I will never get tired of visiting and helping out at orphanages. I have a servant's heart and absolutely love missions with a passion. Just being there (even with the language barrier) was so inspiring. Seeing people who are so willing to give up their time, money, and effort to help these kids was just too much.
China is where I met one of the most inspirational people I know to date. I met Sky, the daughter of the head missionary at the orphanage. She told me all about why they started the orphanage, built it from the ground up and, told me about how grateful she was for everything that we were doing for them. Looking back I think that I have developed a whole new appreciation for everything that I have. I realize that this sounds super cheesy and stereotypical for someone to say after coming back from a trip like this but, God called us to be a light for Him and help others. If we aren't doing this then why are we here?
Zacatecas, Mexico
I got this same feeling when I went on my most recent missions trip to Zacatecas, Mexico. I went on this trip with my school this spring and can I say life changing? This trip really woke me up to how much I love missions. This was one of those trips that I was not as excited for simply because I have been so many places Mexico didn't seem like the most interesting place to go but, I went with an open heart and let me tell you that city truly stole my heart. I spent time at the orphanage there assisting the Casa moms (the wonderful women who donate their time to help the orphans), playing with the kids, helping out at the church and, doing projects to help the people who make it all possible there. This was an especially fun trip because unlike some of the other countries I have visited, I could actually understand what the kids were trying to say. (I've taken four years of Spanish and I have five million fluent Spanish speaking relatives.) This made it even more powerful being able to talk to them without having to use a translator. Anyways, here are just a few photos from the trip!
View of Zacatecas
Julia wouldn't let go till I gave her one last piggy back ride
Painting nails at the Casa
Helping out at Sunday School
Funny faces with Noe the little comedian
Shoe shopping with sweet Yessica
This little girl right here met me the first day and never left my side. Saying goodbye to her was probably the hardest.
Coloring at the Casa with makeup freshly applied
(They got a hold of one of the team member's makeup and decided to do their own, too.)
I spent about a week with these lovely kids in Mexico. Most of them were either abandoned or, abused by their family. Just playing and spending time with them at their home "the Casa," was so fun for me. They had so much love to give despite where they came from. Those kids taught me that no matter what happens you have a choice. You always have the choice to be happy and find beauty in everything. Even when life seems to be against you, He is always there.
I seriously can't wait till I can go on the same trip next year. Saying goodbye to these beautiful kids was so incredibly hard for me. Both of these trips really changed me. I will never stop going on missions trips because each time, they touch my heart more and more.
This is a really long post so, I'm just going to end with this. I challenge you to do something this week. Do something that will have positive impact on someone else's life. It doesn't matter how big it is just do it. You never know, it may bring you more joy then it brings them.
Till next time,
Alissa xx
