Day 5 - The Journey to Tibet - Made it!

Summary:
Woke up at 6am and looked out the window to find some amazing snow capped mountains (Himalayas?). Quite a pleasant surprise! I thought today would be a typical "train day" just like yesterday, but it was quite different. I actually did some quiet time (I should be doing it every day), played some random music - which all seemed to play Chris Tomlin songs because I was feeling anxious about what's in store for us in Lhasa, Tibet and not sure how exactly we were going to be used. We're both eager to jump in and use our strengths, but perhaps these are opportunities for us to listen more to what He is trying to say, and he probably is speaking out to us (or at least me) in a different way and I just need to listen for it. A few minutes and praise songs later, I knew. I've felt this "hot/burning" sensation a handful of times, but when I feel it, it's His way of telling me He's there...embracing me so that I can let go. It was great feeling close to Him. Thank you God for all your love and all that you do for us. Thank you also to all the people who believe in me and for supporting me. On a lighter note, 48 hours on a train isn't too bad if you're traveling with good people...thanks Jason and our new foreign exchange friends. For the bonehead moment of the trip...I left my toiletry bag on the train! It's got all my contacts, medicines, shaver, etc...I hope I can get it back soon and that it's not on a 48 hour ride back to Beijing. =(. Had a nice meal with lots of Yak, which is Tibet's main animal/food.

Day 5 Photo Album is Here! (trains and mountains)


Details:
Waking up to snow capped mountains blew my socks off. That was impressive.

I finally opened up the Ramen box and had it for breakfast along with my Gatorade from the Google office. I don't know how many hundreds of Ramen boxes are consumed on this 48 hour train ride by all the passengers, but you can always find a plethora of people eating it at any given time. On this trip, it is the "Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner of Champsions".

I did s'more hanging out with ouer new foreign friends. We learned not to eat at the dining car anymore and just wait for the carts to come by with food. Got into some great discussions which I'll talk about a little bit later.

Getting back to quiet time, I just wanted to do more...being on the train kind of limits what you can do. Jason and I are not here to be on vacation, but we're here to serve and hopefully be a blessing to all we come in touch with. So, during quiet time, I tried to find the meaning in the idle time by journaling and listening to music on my iPhone. I've got ~300 songs on my phone and set it to random...I was hoping the shuffle would bring up some praise songs, and what more perfect way to get connected to him than Chris Tomlin?!?!? (Why is it that he always comes up when I'm trying to seek Him?). First song that came up was "Sing Sing Sing".

As I was preparing my heart, I was just thinking "Oh boy, another day on the train." The adventure was yesterday and the novelty of a 48 hour train ride is gone. But as I saw there pondering, journaling, listening to His inspiring music, I had time to reflect. I was reminded that all of this beautiful scenery is all his creation. And that all these families we're working with are experiencing so much joy and gratefulness...and really, miracles are working all the time. I was learning to focus on why I'm here...to learn and lean more on Him instead of me trying to force my own ways. Other songs that played and helped get me into it are Chris Tomlin's "Awesome is the Lord" and "Glorious". And then Casting Crown's "Praise You In This Storm" started playing...

I was just trying to hold it together. One particular lyric called out to me about 'Barely hear your voice through the rain and hear him whisper "I'm with you"...and that's when the Hot/Burning sensation started. Tears were coming down my face...not sure if anybody saw...but there was a roomate of ours, a chinese soldier noticed as he sat across from me as I was writing, looking out the window. I was feeling His love. This was His way of encouraging me that all will be all right...He's got it covered. Thank you God for picking me up. Everything happened in perfect timing. I don't know how you feel His love...but this is one way where the unexplainable happens and you just feel it...I did.