The last email post we sent out, just in case you missed it...

So far, we have discovered that this huge, bustling Western-like city is full of friendly and helpful people and some pretty amazing blessings :)

I'll try to tell the short version of the story, but there are just too many good parts for it to be too short!

First, we got into Shenzhen on Thursday night about an hour early and enjoyed McDonald's - Mike got his favorite Big Mac and I thoroughly enjoyed a fish sandwich with lettuce (thought of you, Mom and Daddy!).

We then taxied to our new friend Shannon's house (once a friend of a friend, but now a very dear woman to us!) This totally awesome lady put us up in her spare room (with a TOTALLY comfortable bed!) and then made us pancakes, bacon and homemade syrup the next morning and then helped us get to the border crossing. Shannon rocks - praise Him for her!

Border crossing: no trouble. Bus ride: No trouble. Being short 10 HK dollars to buy a second Octopus (public transportation pass): kind of a problem! Mike bought one, then ran down to the end of a VERY long corridor to exchange money and then ran back, bought a second card and I got through. The subway ride was exciting, but that whole deal with the passes put us a little behind schedule. AND with no way to call our ELIC friends because we had no HK sim card!

SOOO, we decided, instead of stopping to meet our friends who were supposed to help us get to the appointment, we did not have time to stop and went to the clinic ourselves, with plans to call those friends from there. Praise Him that our friend Fernando made us print out directions before we left!

Everything was smooth at the clinic. While Mike waited for me, he made friends with a 2-year-old boy who stuck sticky-tack in his ear and his friendly mom (who thought the substance was rice) :) I had a consultation and a CT scan, which made the doctor think the problem was probably a stone.

So, the moment of truth: What do we do and when do we do it. I kind of got lost until I heard Mike say, "You mean you could do the procedure tonight?" Dr. Hung said he could do it if the hospital (where he was already going after seeing me) had another opening. Not only that, he said if we would wait, he would give us a ride in his car!

We could hardly believe that my surgeon would just add me to his list of operations for the night, let alone give us a ride through the city in his brand-new Mercedes S series (Mike made me write down the type of car for all you car buffs :) And, even though Mike made me sit in the back seat, at least I had a sunroof in the back too!

Can you tell that this has been an amazing amount of blessings?!

In the end, the surgery went well and we were thankful that we could have this problem taken care of here, now... instead of waiting until it might have been more of an emergency. Dr. Hung said that it might be okay, but that it might have begun to cause problems, and with our plans to hike Tiger Leaping Gorge and basically be in the woods with no medical care, it seemed wisest to just go ahead and do it.

We are now safely and lovingly ensconced in a colleague's and her husband's village home. It's just like a Western free-standing house and we have the third floor all to ourselves! What a blessing... AND they took us to have dim sum (the wonderful traditional Cantonese dishes) and then made us a wonderful home-cooked meal of bok choy, shrimp and onion with scrambled eggs, boiled chicken, fried "red coat" fish, and rice.

I think we've said thank you so many times that they might be getting annoyed!

We are rejoicing now that I am feeling good and not even really needing my pain medication. We will have a follow-up visit with Dr. Hung on Monday morning to make sure all is healing properly, and then we will fly out and start our journey around southern China. At least this is the plan for now...

We've certainly learned that making your own plans sometimes doesn't work out... for one reason or another. But we have also been reminded that even the seemingly worst situations can reveal amazing blessings of new friends, unforgettable memories, and the peace that surpasses all understanding.

A new friend loved on us when we were far away from home and feeling a little worried about a doctor's visit. A kind doctor gave us a ride when he could have just had us take a cab. A sweet lady on the street noticed we were lost and helped us find McDonald's and then the correct train station.

A potentially worrisome situation was remedied with one doctor's visit and surgery all in the same night. My roommate at the hospital was friendly and generous with bananas when all I could eat was soft foods. Two other new friends treated us like their adopted kids for two days, cooking food and buying Captain Crunch because it was sold in the local grocery store.

And there are so many other blessings, large and small from just the last 3 days...

But, this is getting long and we are going to the YMCA for our Sunday group and then going to explore the famous HK waterfront.

We thank all of you for lifting us up in this situation that came fast, and we know that your thoughts brought all the wonderful results our way. Please continue to think of me, for complete and total healing; for Mike, that he would not be too sore after carrying ALL the bags for me for the last 2 days; and for our finances, that we can get all the receipts and paperwork clearly taken care of.

You are great people and we are so thankful for you :) Thanks for being our support, our friends, and our most favorite cheerleaders!

With thankfulness and joy from HK,
M+A