I know a man who fourteen days ago was caught up to...

Pretty sure it was in the body though.

(If you don't get my cheesy joke...click.)

While zipping by on the bus I caught a sideways glimpse of this chic new storefront a couple miles from our home. Last-last Saturday I told my coffee-loving Drew that I had a surprise destination for our morning. He and I ran there while Titus and Michael biked. 

TA-DA! The Third Heaven is run by Korean workers who have been in China for fifteen years, Changsha for seven years. Coffee and smoothies were good, but even more refreshing was learning about their specific role in Changsha. The message is being shared in numerous spheres in Changsha unknown to us -- a great reminder of Father's work, vast and deep. It's true wherever you are today too, that he is present in more spheres and deeper places than are apparent.

Running and coffee are Drew's delights. In the afternoon it was time for mine: live music! 

Changsha Music Festival!

Our city is divided by a wide river, and in center of that river is a long skinny piece of land called Orange Island. In recent years it's been cultivated into an expansive park, the ideal site for an outdoor music festival. 

Now people, this was no Bonnaroo, but it'll do. 

We saw five bands play, each very different, ranging from 3-pc garage band rock, to acoustic lounge jazz (ba ba baaa... ba ba baaa...), to funk-groove, to death metal. We left when death metal took the stage. I just can't handle the double bass pedal thing. Ow, my head.

The best of the day -- in my opinion, and I think all of Changsha would agree -- was Red Groove Project, a Shanghai-based international funk-groove band. Think Earth, Wind & Fire. They had a full line-up of horns: sax, trombone, two trumpets; plus funky bass, organ a great drummer to hold it all together; and finally slick lead guitar to duel out conversational jams with the sax player.

So the four of us Addingtons are groovin', because how can you not get pulled into to that funky beat? 

A massive crowd and not another soul is dancing, maybe there was some isolated knee-bobbing, I don't know (my beloved Chinese folks...this style of boogie is as foreign as cheese...) Anyway, we've got the kids up on our shoulders, waving arms around, all kinds of moves. The sax player (who took the stage wearing a full-on red plaid leisure suit) observes the only four people dancing, particularly the child we know as Titus, and from the stage begins mimicking whatever Titus does with his arms! Circles, claps, waves, pumps, cowboy lasso. It was the coolest! And yes we did get our sly moves projected onto that big stage screen a couple times.

I went right home and found Red Groove on bandcamp.

Start to finish, it was just such a happy family day.  

Oh! And we patronized Changsha's newish subway for the first time.

Drew, Rachel, Titus and Michael together.

I love that we have each other.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

mountain hike, splashing in gully streams and little waterfalls

fellowship: newcomers, lots of kids running around, soul-sprung music, grounding teaching, wisdom and experience shared, genuine love, laughing with S&S

Titus can be reasoned with

feeling good after running & resistance training

the golden heart of EJS

full day of learning together with children

Auntie Wang sharing her resolve not to let negative people in her life steal her joy

rainstorms that keep the air clean and make everything green

everyday, plenty of water and nutritious food to nurture my family with