Clandestine Future: Women's Retreat in YiChang!

Women from many cities in the Hubei province came together for a weekend of RENEWAL!!

Jessi and I left Danjiangkou Friday morning after class (10:15) heading towards ShiYan. In ShiYan we met the bus with 20+ ladies, friends, and sisters of ours! We then (noon) began our 6 hour drive to YiChang. We spread out on the bus and majority slept for the first 2 hours of the trip. After 2 hours of bumpiness, a bathroom stop was much needed! "Rest-stops" are also very different here. I think I kinda miss rest-stops in the US now! Once that problem was solved many of us played taboo for fun in the back of the bus. The game died down and singing began! We sang until we arrived at the college. The end of our singing involved children's camp songs, silliness ensued!!

Due to the lack of lunch and dinner we dropped our stuff at the apartments where we were staying and went to get street food. We chose from the many vendors cooking on the street until all hours of the night! It was an interesting dinner, not one you can find easily in the states. There were about 25 of us walking around the vendors. Many also bought fresh milk tea (similar to chai - I am not a fan!) When we returned to the apartment we sang and had a discussion.

Saturday we met in the morning for breakfast, singing, and discussions. We ate lunch, played basketball, rested, and went shopping (we were able to get some of the #1 seller books in the world - our life manual - in Chinese and English). We had dinner together in one of the Universities restaurants and then of course followed it with another evening spent enjoying one another's company! After talking Sunday morning and saying our goodbyes we had to depart.

Throughout the weekend we had many wonderful moments together. We had much singing, many conversations, discussions, celebrations, meals together, time to get to know eachother, and time to share our burdens with one another. It was very uplifting and enlightening!