AG! Have you ever thought about why in the world we really need to get sick. I have been fighting some cold like symptoms the last few days. Stuffy nose, sore throat, hear ache. I don't know if this is good because it is happening before I leave or bad because it is happening during the last week of school! One thing I know is I cannot land in china with any kind of fever!
I shared with some of you that I was a little concerned when the Swine Flu broke out. I was wondering if it could possible affect my trip. Well wouldn't you know but a few weeks after it broke out, our team had to have an emergency conference call. I was on a plane to LA at the time but I was quickly updated with what was going on. A case of Swine Flu had found it's way into China. A Chinese native who goes to school here in the states flew back home to China. Upon landing they took his temperature (which apparently is standard after you get off a plane in China) and found that he had a fever. They ended up quarantine him and the entire plane he was on! The government then but a ban on any foreigners visiting government orphanages. Now the Philip Hayden orphanage in Beijing is privately run so we were still OK to visit that one. The Fushun orphanage is run by the government and so we had an issue. There were some other options but the prayer was that the ban would be lifted and we would be able to fly into Fushun. Well quite a few days passed and the ban was still not lifted. Keep in mind China was heavily scrutinized in 2003 for the outbreak of SARS. They don't want to chance another outbreak of it's kind. Well the day came when Natalie,our team leader, and Dave, the organizer from Visiting Orphans, decided we needed to move forward and make other plans. They got off the phone and 30 minutes later Dave from Visiting orphans called and said that the director of the orphanage had somehow convinced the government to let us come and visit the children at the Fushun orphanage! PRAISE GOD! Our prayers were heard and we now get to go on our trip as originally planned! God knew the whole time what was going to happen. I love that.
With this is mind I cannot land in China with any sort of fever. Natalie has told us we need to take a few Advil 30 minutes before our plane lands. Hopefully everyone else on the plane will do the same. But whatever happens, God is in control and I know he is sending this whole team over there for a reason. I can not wait to see what it is!
So my prayer request for today would be for the health of the entire team. Please pray that we stay health during the full duration of the trip as well as for when we return to the states. We cannot drink any tap water, ice, or even brush our teeth with the tap water as it has the potential to make us sick! Please pray for a hedge of protection over all of us!
Well goodnight for now. I pray that you had a great Saturday!
Only 10 days until I leave!
~Vanessa
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