Day 2: Beijing....wow!

What another amazing day! We started our day touring the Jade factory. On our way, George, our guide, explained the history and importance of the Jade stone to the Chinese people. One of my favorite stories he told was of the history of the Jade bangle for women. In Ancient China, women wore the Jade bangle for two reasons, one for health, and the other to show beauty. He explained that from the women wearing their bangle all of the time, the Jade would change color and clarity. The bearer of the bangle would also have health benefits from the minerals released from the Jade. Because there are many healing pressure points in the wrist, and the left arm is closet to the heart, the women wore it on their left wrist. The Jade bangle and other jewelry is passed from generation to generation. The older, and more worn a piece of Jade is, the more valuable. To this day it is a tradition for a young man to give his bride a jade bangle. Not only to symbolize his culture, but his never ending love, as in the never ending circle of the bangle.

 

Another fascinating history told was of the 2008 Olympic medals given here in Beijing. It is thought that Jade represents China, and the East, and that gold represents the west. It is also customary to have gold compliment Jade in Chinese jewelry. Because the theme of the Olympics here in 2008 was "0ne world, one dream", they designed their medals to be one world, both east and west, and made them form gold and Jade!!

 

A traditional carving from Jade is the happiness ball. It is made of three balls in one. The outer ball is carved with dragons, representing the father of the family. The middle one is carved with the Phoenix, representing the mother. And the inside one represents the children of the family, surrounded by the love and protection of their parents. The three balls cannot be separated, just has the love of a family cannot be separated. Love it!!!!

Coming to China I wanted to buy special items from Ellie's homeland that we will be able to give her as she grows. Today I choose one of her gifts.....I hope one day she will realize our love for her is never ending, and strong and beautiful, just as in her Jade bangle.

The next part of our trip took us to one of the wonders of the world, the Great Wall!!! I was really looking forward to experiencing the Great Wall. We learned that it is over 5000 miles long!!!! Wow! I went anticipating a great hike, and beautiful scenery....but what I received was so much more.

 

We were given the choice between the "hard course" or the "easy". Well guess what this "always up for a physical challenge" girl choose....yep, not the easy. I was excited about the GREAT challenge ahead of me.

 

Clare....I think Chip liked the Great Wall!

I began climbing, enjoying the view....well what we could see of it with all of the humidity (or smog). I was enjoying the exercise, and the thought of the idea of the bragging rights I would obtain after my climb. But the further I climbed the more the Lord began to work on my heart. Of course I think about Ellie all of time, especially here, this close to her. But today, on the Great Wall, I thought about her in a different way. I began to look at the many steps ahead of me on this Great Wall, and started to really feel the gravity of all of the many very difficult steps in front of my beautiful little girl...I became overwhelmed with sorrow.

 

The higher I climbed, the more I began to sweat, the harder I was working, and the more sadden I became. This thought hit me on my climb of the Great Wall......

Today I am doing something that my daughter will never be able to do in her own birth country.

I began to think of the many things that will become a challenge for her, the many obstacles she will have to face, and the many "Great Wall"s she will have to climb.

I could not stop crying. At one point I had to stop and rest because the tears and sweat were making it difficult to see. I sat down on this amazing piece of ancient history, and cried, and prayed for my little girl. Since I was quite a bit ahead, there were not many other climbers. So for a long time I sat alone, well with just the Lord. Then an elderly Chinese women walked down the steps ahead of me. She sat next to me for a while, and kept looking at me. I tried so had to stop crying. But I couldn't, and she just sat there with me, smiling at me. Both of us just sat there for a while, not able to speak to each other, but not wanting to either. It was so quite. In that moment I felt such a strong connection to this amazing country. I knew that China is, and always will be apart of our family. That our daughter will always be Chinese and American...part of both worlds....because she is that special!

As I began to make my way down the wall, I prayed for the grace we need to help Ellie through all of the challenges that lie before her. I thanked God for allowing me to experience the Great Wall, in a way I never expected it...I gained a deeper understanding of my Chinese daughter. And I gained a peace about the strength the Lord will provide her in ways I cannot even imagine, a strength stronger the Great Wall before her.

 

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