Update 6/21/25: Day 25 - Chengdu Day 4

Psalm 77:11-14 “I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will meditate on all Your work and muse on Your deeds. Your way, O God, is holy; what god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; You have made known Your strength among the peoples.”

Today, we spent the morning hiking. We were able to see the approximately 1200 year old Buddha up close. Yesterday, we got to see it from a boat and today, we got to experience him from a different view…both from his feet and at his head.

It is so hot and humid, which makes hiking more exhausting. 

We lost track of how many stairs we climbed today. Our legs all feel like jello after all the stairs we climbed yesterday too. This is why I made the kids walk on the stairclimber a few times before our trip to condition them for all the walking and stairs. They have continued to be amazing troopers.

Wayne was able to “be” with us at the Buddha. It has been fun to FaceTime him and show him the amazing places in China. The kids all said he would have enjoyed this trip before his cancer came back. Now it wouldn’t be much fun for him, so we bring him along in a creative way. 

Joella decided to touch his old, mossy toes! Just kidding!

Shortly after taking this photo, a group of about 50 monks passed by us. 

1,000 year old temple. 

We saw these sayings on the way back from our boat ride the other night. The kids laughed and said Buddha wasn’t waiting for them because they had to run to see him. We hardly caught our boat ride…we had to run to make it! All the locals were cheering us on and telling us to run faster.  

Tonight we had Chengdu hot pot. The bonus was that it included a free mask changing show. It was fun because he came up to each table and made it feel like a more personable experience. 

The hot pot did my mouth and stomach in, even with coconut milk. Shan didn’t last long either. Poor Joella had some splash in her eye. Our lips and mouths were numb for about an hour!! And this was a “low” heat hot pot. We ended up using the other side that hardly had any spice at all. 

The right side of this pan is filled with red Sichuan peppers! 🌶️ 🔥 

He had Micaela touch his face and then he suddenly changed his face mask! 

I forgot to post the fire breathing mask guy at the show our first night. 

Family Update:

- Wayne is doing well and has been taking daily walks.

- Naomi is doing well in Ireland. She hasn’t taken many photos for me to share with anyone update, but will do that soon.

- Grace is busy doing more clinical and working.

- Abigail and Elijah are doing well, although Abigail is battling a bad cold.

- Sophia visited Bluegrass Orthopedics today for a hyperextended knee. She is scheduled for an MRI for them to get a better look at what is causing the pain. She has to wear a brace and use crutches. It’s hard to not be home when something goes wrong. Thankfully, my dad could accompany her since she needed an adult present. Please pray with us that it isn’t anything serious.