From my left, and my right, yo get out of my way!

Drew rigged up his cell phone on the handlebars of his bike and shot this video of his morning commute to work. It really gives you a feel for biking in Changsha, doesn't it? Dodging, crossing, jockeying, merging, finding your place in the flow of commuter cars, electric bikes and buses.

Click here because I made you a map of Drew's route!

Then click here because you want more local Changsha music by our buddy Noah, of The Offshore Accounts.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

a couple that has demonstrated faith and trust though their baby in utero is in serious risk

Austrian girl staying in Changsha for the summer made her way to our fellowship group, and she was so joyful to be there

being able to reactivate my original phone number

reconnecting with several friends today, now that my phone's up and running again

sensing that you are constant

one of my best friends is pregnant!!!  honored that she would confide in me very early on when it's still a secret

Mike was fantastic at preschool orientation and meet-you-teacher -- he is so eager to begin preschool

green plants in the living room

And what do we have to report from Shanghai?

via

So much. Too much.
I'll try to condense our stories. Are you with me!?

Hospitals resemble mass transit stations at rush hour more than a medical care facilities. I could not have kept my head above water without the eager guidance of Butterfly Home partners who live in Shanghai -- Camille, Paulina and Yiwen. They made everything happen. Camille and her husband Nick, a Taiwanese couple, opened their lovely home to us for an entire week. They arranged our transportation, cooked our meals, helped with the boys, gave me an old cell phone when mine got swiped. (true story - my wallet containing a small amount of cash and phone got nabbed, which is why I have no camera photos.)

Those volunteers saved us. They did everything.
Thank you, thank you.


Now, on to the results of this investigation -- recall that our Shanghai-objective was to answer these questions: Why is Jonathon not eating well and regurgitating, and what can be done?

Answers.

• Not due to an functional or structural problem with his esophagus. That's all normal.
• Nor due to neurological damage. His brain is beautiful. The recovery demonstrated in Jonathon's MRI images left our expert pediatric neurologist astonished.
• Allergy to milk and eggs. (and we had been feeding him tons! poor kid!)
• Jonathon missed a critical period of eating development at age 8 -12 months during which he was ill and unable learn techniques and develop muscle skills for normal eating/swallowing. It's hard to learn now. But he's going to get it because...

Jonathon had an fun assessment with an American speech-language pathologist at Olivia's Place. She taught me several techniques that will help Jonathon. The great news is our therapy relationship will continue. Drew & I need support! Eating is going markedly better already, and now without milk and eggs, vomiting has ceased entirely.

Yes!
Relief.
for Jonathon and for us.

...


Remember I was pouting and feeling homesick for Minnesota and thought Shanghai was the last place I wanted to be?

Shanghai, with all it's Western delights, did not even feel like China.
Let me qualify that. Our hosts' affluent neighborhood didn't feel like the China I know -- with a Western grocery store, sports bar & grill, Cold Stone Creamery, a big clean house with butter in the refrigerator and a minivan to drive around in.

Michael and I blissfully ate our way through three boxes of Cheerios.
Somehow, sharing classic American breakfast with my son, that yellow cereal box smiling at us...
not one but two visits to Cold Stone...
a bathroom vanity and toilet that looked just like the ones I grew up with...

It was comforting and lessened my homesickness.

We rested and played.
There were two days in which we had mostly nothing to do. I couldn't call anybody because my phone had been stolen. There were no errands, no cleaning, no cooking, nothing. I played with my kids.

...


Sunday afternoon we joined Shanghai Community Fellowship.
Miraculously, Michael was content to stay in the preschool class without me (Jon is always willing).

Just me... when you're a mom of three littles and you finally get alone, you feel strangely off-balance, like missing an extremity, or like you've forgotten something, and unfettered...

Just me... I entered into the big group, a congregation singing in one accord. My heart swelled up with joy. Moved by the unified expression of adoration. Moved by the presence of the King.

It occurred to me that is the first time in 2? 3? years that I've been in a large gathering in my heart language, English. The Spirit poured water on my dry and shriveled little soul. It was refreshment that I've so much been in need of, and I realize that God had a multiple purposes for our trip to Shanghai.

Yep, he loves us.

...

Been home for four days now and it's so good to be back!
!!!Drew!!!

counting the graces

thank you Father for

all of the above

and I'd specifically like to mention that while the thief did get my wallet and phone, he missed our passports and an enormous sum of cash for medical expenses which was in an envelope right next to my wallet

Drenched, Japanese Pop-Rock

Things are going OK in Shanghai but let's just put Shanghai aside for a moment.

Last Saturday we had an awesome day together -- Drew, Jonathon, Mike & me.

*This was all made possible by Drew now being HOME on Saturdays!

The morning was clear and sunny, not too hot, so we had to hike up the mountain. Passing through our neighborhood Yang Cong and her son Rui Rui (previously featured on this blog) caught up and decided to hike with us! On the mountain it started to mist and then drizzle a bit so our friends scurried back, but not us! We were determined to reach the peak and descend the on the other side. It poured, ya'll. Drenched we were, and happy. Jonathon was on my back bouncing in the carrier and singing! singing! in the rain, marvelous fun. There were other (regretful) hikers... with umbrellas, or hunkered under rooftops waiting it out. Down the incline, suddenly! Out of the mist appeared a group of friends who frequent our Tuesday night discussion at Mama's Cafe. They were on a sort of "outreach outing"-- we all laughed about running into each other in torrential rain on the mountain slope.

I just have to say. We thought of Titus while this was happening. He would have DESPISED the experience. Lucky ya missed this one bud. ;)

Eventually we made it home, completely soaked. But we conquered that soppy mountain.

After we dried off at home (and it stopped raining) we decided to walk 30 minutes down to Mama's Cafe for drinks and desserts. On the way there we bumped into some of our favoritest buddies, who pretty seldom visit the area, so that was a happy surprise. Mama's Cafe was crowded because a Japanese "band" was playing starting in a hour! Definitely, spontaneously, wanted to catch that. So we had a leisurely supper a couple shops down at Drew's classmate's dumpling restaurant. Then back to Mama's Cafe for the show. Please note that that electric guitarist is dressed as a sailor and the ukulele player girl is actually Korean. I really can't explain how merry I felt sitting in a room of Japanese foreign exchange students, listening to them clap and sing along with live Japanese pop-rock, word-for-word, while girl-in-Kimono served orange juice. (She was actually Chinese though.)

Why is Japan so cool!?!!

counting the graces

thank you Father for

soft clean guest bed

darling mature polite 10 & 11 year-old girls to stay with

sandwich for breakfast, Mike's first taste of American cheese

hospitality unparalleled: kind, generous, thoughtful hosts who have a comfy home, a cook, a driver, time to help

Jonathon's big genuine smile

Mike sleeping on my chest

long conversation with Drew on the phone

pictures of Titus smiling and exploring on the other side of the world

Titus is having the time of his life in Minnesota

He made it! Ani said the trip went great.

Titus descended the escalator to the baggaage claim and broke into a run when he saw all his relatives lined up waiting for hugs! 

Titus is staying at Waigong & Waipo's hobby-farm house now. Basically he's having the time of his life exploring and delighting in all kinds of first experiences unique to rural midwest USA. 

Saying goodbye to our son was joyful. Titus is richly blessed to have many grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends in his life who shower love on him. 

Envy is a new emotion that I've never felt towards my son before. I'm homesick. My parents. My brothers and sisters. Green grass, blue skies, clean air. All the traditions, games, family togetherness, familiarity, foods, way of life where I grew up. It seems impossibly far away from where I am in this cheap motel in a dirty corner of Shanghai.

Yep, I'm in Shanghai. Exhausted in Shanghai. Yesterday Michael, Jonathon and I made the seven-hour train ride. Drew's back in Changsha working. We're here to visit a hospital and see if we can figure out why Jonathon is regurgitating and swallowing only liquids. Pray for me. I wish I was home -- if not my parents' home in Hutchinson, MN, at least mine & my husband's home in Changsha.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

Mom Louise's stories and findings in Sweden -- your plans and grace shown through generations

caught in the rain on top of the mountain! in the downpour, running into our friends who were on an intentional outing

perfect smooth and happy trip for Titus and Ani 

bunch of people who love Titus picking him up at the airport, going out for breakfast as a big group

grandparents and grandchild together

bench seat open for us on the train to Shanghai -- so the boys could nap and have a table to color/play cars on

friendly aunties and uncles to play, talk, share snacks, help with luggage

 driver picked us up so we didn't have to navigate the subway late at night

opportunity to get help for Jonathon