Today we hiked the Great Wall of China. That’s right, didn’t see it, take a picture and turn around, but experienced 10k of it on foot … it’s pretty great. Truly dragon-esque as it curves through and over the hills. Absolutely incomprehensible that this thing was built B.C. and covers 600+ times the amount we traversed.
Yet it is not what has held my heart in awe this week. My eyes were in awe, and my legs will be deservedly sore from it’s many peaks and valleys for a bit now, but it was yesterday that made my eyes well up with tears as I once again considered the great gift in my hands. The week we had with our friends was full of sweet fellowship – most of the pictures you’ll see are of food and kids, because those were the two things we saw most – and have enjoyed most – for our time here in China. So as we said goodbye (a thing I pretty much always hate), I just had one of those moments of “what the heck, I can’t believe all we’ve been given.”
So I guess the thing about greatness is what it says about those who created the greatness you’re admiring. The Wall is absolutely an outrageous feat, and though it’s creation is blanketed in tragedy, it demands admiration of those who made it a reality. The One who can create families from strangers is more phenomenal still.
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Who are we?
- brooke mardell
- ... through her mind, through her heart, through the words on this page which will lead through the crazy and the serious and the fun and the mundane
Friends' Blogs
- 3 boys in a kayak
- Al - The Next Chapter
- Ally Wilhite
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- Dre in Kenya
- Gil, Amy & Grace Medina in Tanzania
- Hoehne
- Jason & Jill in Vietnam
- Josh & Liz Howeth
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- Sarah G.
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- The Bears
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- Vitela in Iraq
- West Adoption - From Russia with Love
- Wonderful World o' Spansel
Reading material for the journey
- - Let the Nations be Glad!, by John Piper
- - Paul’s Blog (otherwise known as the Book of Acts)
- - Revelation of God among the Unevangelized, by Christian Reese
- - Rumors of Another World, by Philip Yancey
- - Running on Empty, by Rick Anderson
- - The Apostle, by John Pollock
- - The Great Omission, by Steve Saint
- - The Servant Leader, by Blanchard & Hodges
- - There’s a Snake in My Garden, by Jill Briscoe
- - Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell
3 comments:
How far along did you guys trek? Shouldn't you be in shape after "backpacking around the world?"
Ha ha ... you've seen all the pictures of us eating on this trip!
Seriously, though, it's not the distance that's a killer (10k, about six miles, right?), but the up and down - mostly steps. Pretty much the only people we saw that weren't sweating through it were the dang Europeans who somehow had the lung capacity to be smoking as they hiked! What the heck?
Ya, I just heard something on the radio that Europe has the healthiest population worldwide. However, they are starting to get some obese people. Then Prince Charles said that they need to ban McDonalds in order to solve the problem. May be true, but I think it's gonna bite him in the butt for saying that publicly.
I thought that after walking up a couple flights of stairs multiple times a day in the dorms would prepare you for the Great Wall of China. I had higher expectations of you two. :(
Oh well, atleast you did some of it. More than I can say.
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