Sunday was our last full day here in Zhanjiang. We spent it by going about an hour away to the finding place of one of the team's children, and we spent the morning there walking the streets. It was fascinating to see small-town life. It was on an island, so the market was full of seafood as well as other tropical fruits and vegetables. The market was crowded, and we didn't exactly blend in, so that was interesting. :o)
After lunch we met our friend, Ruth, who took us to two local churches. The first one was the Catholic church, built by the French in the late 1800's. It's gone through several transformations, including being closed for several decades. The Father willingly opened the church for us, and answered our questions. He told us the Sunday morning attendance is several hundred. They had to install CCTV monitors so everyone could see, because they are packed into the corners.
Next, we visited a little Protestant church built in early 1900's by Baptist missionaries. Again, one of the preachers graciously opened it for us and took our questions. This church is also bursting at the seams for worship, and they open the doors and set up tents outside so everyone can hear the preaching. It was wonderful for us to see the spiritual side of Zhanjiang, and on a Sunday, too.
In the evening we begged Ruth to take us to the Macau restaurant again. We were so hungry for the dumplings and several other selections we'd had a few days earlier. We had a great last dinner together, which is sad considering we've finally become pretty efficient with our chopsticks. :o)
Photos of our experiences from this eigth day are here.
Monday morning we will go to the orphanage for a short visit with the children, then return to the hotel and pack up and say goodbye to our wonderful friends here. It's been a terrific, successful trip, and we thank you for following us here, and for your encouraging comments.
Val, for ZKO
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