At 9:30, our guide took us to the Pearl market and we had a bracelet made for Aliza. Golly! It's so tiny! We also had some others made for Sydney and Emmaline. Last trip, we gave Sydney a pearl necklace so this bracelet will match.
Next, we made our way to Shamian Island. This island is historical as it used to be where families stayed for the duration of their GZ trip because not only did it have the lodging, the White Swan hotel, but it also housed the U.S. Consulate. The Consulate has sinced moved so many families stay off the island now. In general, it has lost a lot of its stores and there was a LOT of construction...but it is a beautiful place. We had our picture taken on the famous red couch and then made our way to the violin teacher statue with all of the students behind her. These are very popular places to snap a picture in the world of China adoption.
Our guide pointed out two restaurants on the Island. One was traditional Chinese and the other was Lucy's with a mix of American favorites and Chinese favorites. We thought we'd be bold and try the Dim Sum place. We even sat down at a table. But, after we took one look at the menu, we decided that Dim Sum is not for everyone. Annnnnd we made our way back over to Lucy's, which is where we ate on our last trip. And it was awesome! Per usual! Our waiter's name was even JOY.
Friends, I hope if you've picked up on ANYTHING in our journey...it is this: God is very real. He moves and speaks in amazing ways. He orchestrates things that proclaim His goodness. He takes brokenness and turns it into beauty. We KNOW that our journey with Aliza will have speed bumps and setbacks...but none of these have been untouched by our God. He is so worthy of our praise. I hope you can see that in this story of His faithfulness and love.
Everyone loved Aliza at Lucy's. We even had a great conversation with a young man who was born in Chicago and now works in China. He asked about adoption and told us how amazing Aliza is! This girl is beyond extraordinary! Others see and notice that! How many others, like her, wait?! Too many, friends. TOO MANY!
After lunch, we began the shopping! The Island has a few stores left with little trinkets and clothing and other cultural gifts. We visited two of the stores we shopped at in 2017... Amy's and Helen's. The owners are GEMS. We'll have a whole carry-on of goodies before we leave. The owner of Amy's was especially kind. She sat down and read Aliza a Bible story about David and Jonathan in Chinese. I wish I would have taken a video. Aliza listened the entire time. (Insert crying) The owner told Eric and I what a beautiful girl Aliza was and that she hopes God blesses us. We bought Aliza's squeaker shoes here (a MUST!), along with a beautiful silk dress. We also found the sweetest plush doll that Aliza adores. I might need to go back and get Emmaline a matching one. Eek! Preciousness! After we finished shopping, our guide hailed a taxi for us. Oh.my.gracious. The driver was INSANE. We literally weaved in and out of cars at high rates of speed. Whoa. So thankful to have that behind us. Ha! Our girl didn't mind and took a nap (with her baby) in my lap. The lucky few indeed.
The number of things Aliza is learning already...well, it almost leaves me speechless. She picks up everything! She even puts her shoes next to ours when she takes them off. Speechless. Hard to believe for me, I know. I love words. But this girl...she has blessed my life SO MUCH these past seven days. I just know God will continue to use her and the story she holds as a testimony to His Kingdom. And He's given Eric and I a front row seat to it all. No words, friends. No words.
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