We are wrapping up our first full day in China. We are presently in Beijing where we are getting adjusted to the time change while doing some sight seeing. One would think that adjusting to the time would be easier after after a 13 hour flight where there was little sleep-but that wasn’t the case. While we went to bed as soon as we could Thursday night, we were all up by 3 a.m. because our bodies told us it was 3 p.m.

So what did we do today?

Today was about keeping moving. We had the opportunity to visit Tianamem Square and the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is fascinating because it was built in the 14th Century. It is a beautiful place. The garden at the Forbidden City is our favorite part of the tour.

After the tour, we rode a rickshaw around the oldest residential part of Beijing. The Houtong Neighborhoods go back for generations. A local family prepared a traditional Chinese meal for us (This guy once cooked for the 4th President of China). Then we toured a houtong house/courtyard. This neighborhood sits are the very center of Beijing- a city of 22 million people- and yet it was peaceful and quiet there.

We wrapped up the day by going to a traditional tea house (like Abbie, Chloe didn’t like the tea) and then went to the Acrobat show- which was pretty incredible at times. We resisted the urge to go straight to bed and found a place to grab dinner. Tomorrow we head out for The Great Wall.

Thanks to everyone who is praying for us and thinking about us. You are a real encouragement! More updates to come.