It's Thursday evening in Hohhot and we have had a couple of amazing days here. Jonathan has really turned a corner and is getting used to the new people in his life. He is a very sweet boy in every way and we are so blessed that God has given us the gift of Jonathan. I can't wait for his Mom to meet him!
Wednesday was filled with shopping and singing/dancing. We started out the day at an Inner Mongolian craft shop where we saw artisans making cashmere products, leather goods and artwork, and knives. At the end of that tour, we were led into 5 or 6 shops filled with all sorts of Inner Mongolian souvenirs. Needless to say, the credit card got a good workout! The most unique shop was the beef jerky/milk products shop. I never knew there were so many kinds of jerky, nor the many varieties of milk products. (Very tasty, too!) Just exactly what is a milk product? Ask me to explain in more detail!
After lunch and afternoon naps, it was off to an Inner Mongolian Traditional Dinner Show. Try to picture a theater that holds about 100 people with only about 15 in attendance, blaringly loud music and singing (in Mongolian!) and traditional Mongolian food, and you can begin to get a sense of what it was like. Actually, the food was pretty good, and the costumes were beautiful. The group favorite was the Mongolian Milk Tea.
Today was another growth day in our new relationship with Jonathan. He is such a very sweet boy, and very much a 6-year old at the same time. Here are a few examples of his personality:
- He has a desire to share the things that he likes the most - like a favorite food. This is unusual for someone just coming out of an orphanage.
- He now always wants to be holding a hand whenever we are walking somewhere - either his new buddy Grandad's, or mine.
- He is very protective of younger girls - both his sister, Sophie, and the other just-adopted girl on our trip, Joanna. We think he may even have a little crush on Joanna!
- He likes to mix things together at the table - even things that wouldn't normally mix very well, like breadsticks and 7-Up!
The only planned activity of the day was a trip to an Inner Mongolian History Museum. It was interesting, and Jonathan's favorite by far was the HUGE dinosaur skeleton in one of the rooms. (See picture page for the photos.)
We only have one full day left in Hohhot, then it's off to Guangzhou early Saturday morning. Although I'm really looking forward to getting to our next city (as this means we're one step closer to coming home!), I'll have mixed emotions to leave Jonathan's homeland.
Thank you all for the kind posts you have left in our guestbook. It is so nice to be able to read notes left by our friends and family. Your words are like a bandage to hearts that are so yearning to be home.
Beth - I miss you more and more every day! It is so not the same doing this without you and I pray that God will allow us to travel together on however many more adoptions he keeps telling Mia about! Thank you for being the willing servant to stay at home and take care of our precious MMP, and know that I love you more than words can say!