The Gift of... Acid Rain?

It's funny how things that you wouldn't expect to be thankful for--like acid rain--turn out to be wonderful gifts. I especially didn't think I'd be thankful for it last Tuesday night when we got caught in a rainstorm as we were walking back from dinner, resulting in us having to wade through streets that had been transformed into knee-deep streams of water and things-that-shall-not-be-named.

But the Father has this wonderful way of turning the hard, uncomfortable, smelly things into blessings.

The next morning we awoke to something that we had not seen since arriving in Beijing... BLUE SKIES. And while that in itself was like balm for my soul, the fact that we were going to the Great Wall that day made those blue skies even sweeter. Without that acid rainstorm the night before, the smog would have been too thick for us to witness this view:

I know, gorgeous, right?

Many of us decided to opt for the chair lift ride through the trees as opposed to walking up the steps that lead to the Wall (for future reference, this is a wise decision... I don't know how many times later that day we reaffirmed our choice, gasping for breath as we trekked up and down the many stairs on the Great Wall itself).

Riding the chairlift had other perks too... like being able to snap these shots:

Walking on the Wall was also an incredible experience (check that one off the Bucket List!)

(This one's for you, Mom!)

(See what I mean by the plentiful amount of stairs?)

There were many times that the mountains surrounding the Great Wall made me stop and stare in awe more than the Wall itself. I mean, what work of man can compare with glimpses of His majesty?

And, of course, no trip to the Great Wall would be complete without some Team jumping pictures!

(We were just a little excited, if you can't tell.)

Now, for those of you who may be wondering if we're actually doing more than touring around Beijing... the answer is yes. We started our courses last week in Classroom Dynamics, Teaching English as a Foreign Language Methodology, and Asian Culture and Communications, all of which will result in us receiving a graduate TEFL certificate at the end of our training. We spend about six hours a day in class, gaining insight into how we can become excellent teachers of English for our students. (I would have taken pictures of us working hard in class, but I figured you all would rather see some shots of us hiking the Great Wall and not sitting in a hotel conference room.)

I am extremely thankful for the training that we are receiving because, as I try to remind myself each day, living in this sort of bubble in Beijing--while fun--is not what we came here to do. In just a few short weeks, the bubble is going to pop, and we are going to be traveling to our prospective cities to begin our lives as teachers. And though that future still lurks in the fuzzy category of "the unknown," it gives me comfort to know that there is One who hems me in and goes behind and before me:

"You hem me in--behind and before;

you have laid your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain."

So whatever the future holds--whether it be blue skies or acid rainstorms--I know I can rest in the knowledge that I am in His hand. Now that is a blessing.