TravelStream™ news feed for member proudbody on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/proudbody en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 26 May 2008 08:21:49 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/proudbody/1/1211804220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/proudbody/1/1211804220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/proudbody/1/1211804220/tpod.html Mon, 26 May 2008 08:21:49 -0400 Tuey China Trip

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Pine, Colorado, United States

Dear Friends and Family, we arrived safely back home on Saturday night at about 9:00 p.m. The trip home went smoothly with just a one-hour delay in the San Francisco airport. It felt so good to sleep in our own beds although both Chris and I woke up during the night not sure where we were!

We are all now trying to get over our jet lag. Cuinn got up yesterday at about 5:30 a.m. and Cian woke up this morning at about 3:00 a.m. We have been up and reading books.

Thank you for all your support while we were on our trip. We felt the strength of your support across the miles.

We look forward to sharing our story and pictures with you.

Love, Wendy
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Chengdu, China

Dear Friends and Family,

Chris went up to the refugee camp and village for the last time yesterday. 300 hygiene kits, more tarps, baby formula and other baby items and bottles of bubbles for the kids to pla with were delivered. Chris also helped put up tents in the village which the military had delivered earlier in the day.

I saw an article yesterday on MSN that the government is asking for 3.3 million tents to be donated. Approximately, 4.4 million people have lost their homes. It will be a tough winter for those living in the tents. In addition, the doctors are worried about chiggers and flea bites.

We will be leaving for home tomorrow. Today, we are packing and have a lot of mixed emotions about leaving.

Love, Wendy
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Chengdu, China

Dear Friends and Family, sorry it has been a couple of days since I've written a new blog.

The day Monday was spent shopping for supplies for both a childrens' center at a refugee camp as well as purchasing supplies for a small village that was decimated by the quake. Monday evening was spent packing all of the supplies for taking up to both areas yesterday.

There was a bit of a scare on Monday evening because it was rumored that a 8.0 earthquake was supposed to hit during the night. We slept in the apartment in our clothes and had bags packed to grab on the way out but thank God all was fine. There was a mass exodus out of the city by some residents.


Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit the refugee camp and then the small village with 3 other women to deliver the supplies we had purchased on Monday. There are about 1300 residents in the village. The village elder met us and the village was excited to meet the wives of the men they had previously met on previous visits. Since it was a group of women, we focused on nurturing both the women and ids. We played games with the kids, taught them a simple song about hygiene, did some crafts, sang some songs and then I played frisbee with a boy for about a half an hour. It was a wonderful time. It is amazing to see the happiness on the kids' faces in the midst of all of the destruction around them.

Today, more suplies are being purchased to take up to the same refugee camp and village. Chris is planning one more trip up there tomorrow and then on Friday we will be packing and getting ready for our flight back to the States on Saturday. Getting our tickets changed from Kunming to Chengdu for the return flight to Beijing ended up being more troublesome and expensive than just purchasing new tickets from Chengdu to Beijing. Go figure.

Thank you for all your continued support and prayers. We are looking forward to sharing our experiences and pictures with you when we return.

Love, Wendy for al the Tueys
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Chengdu, China

Dear Friends and Family, Chris and team visited the same refugee camp yesterday that had been found a couple of days ago. At that time, the refugees requested specific items like tents, water etc. The team brought these requested items to them yesterday and they were so happy and surprised that they actually received what they had requested. They have requested more items, like tarps and clothing and we are finding these items today. We also will be buying some things for the children to keep them busy and give them something to do.

I am planning on going with the team tomorrow to help deliver the items we purchase today and to be able to interact and play with the children in the camp.

Love, Wendy
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Chengdu, China

Dear Friends and Family, it is about 11:00 a.m. here on Sunday. Chris left this morning with a team of another 8 people to deliver supplies in disaster areas. The newest concern here is that of flooding due to either the dam breaking or the pent-up river spilling over the wall of debris. I'm attaching an article for you to read if you haven't heard of this new danger:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24676343

Please continue to remember in prayers the people directly affected by the earthquake and the teams that are out today in the midst of flood concerns. Also pray for no further landslides to occur. We had a very heavy rain last night, sheets of it coming down for what seemed a long time.

We also continue to have aftershocks. There was one at about 1:00 this morning of 6.0. Luckily it subsided fairly quickly and we didn't need to evacuate.

Love, Wendy
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Chengdu, China

Dear Friends and Family, we had a quieter day here today on Saturday. Chris stayed with the children and rested as he is going out on another team tomorrow morning.

I had the opportunity to go with two Chinese nationals to a women's and children's center here in Chengdu where seven orphans had been taken. Unfortunately, we were unable to go in and visit (the guards had locked the gates to all but workers there) but seeds were planted for future service there. Our understanding is that it is planned for about 300 orphans to be received at this center over time.

Love, Wendy
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Chengdu, China

Dear Friends and Family,

I wanted to update you that Chris made it back safely with his team to our host family's home at about 1:00 a.m. I don't have a lot of details but I am sure he will share some of his experiences with you upon our return home. The good news is they were able to help some people.

Love, Wendy
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Chengdu, China

Dear Friends and Family,

It is about 4:15 p.m. here on Wednesday and I have been unable to check e-mail today until now.


Yesterday afternoon, all of us sorted through our luggage and donated clothing and other items. We joked that there was a reason we didn't pack as light as recommended by all because God knew there would be a need here for clothing items. I went through the kid's suitcases with them and they were incredibly generous in what they wanted to give away. Cuinn said that she hoped some of her items would make a little girl smile.

Then later in the evening, Chris found out that his team was leaving at 5:00 a.m. this morning. We spent last night packing a backpack with all his needed supplies, tent, sleeping bag, food, water etc. I don't think the tent or sleeping bag will be used at all. We then spent time in prayer with the team.

This morning, before Chris left, I read to him Bonnie's verses of the day which were so appropriate:

'The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.' Philippians 4:5b--7

We also read Romans 8:28 together:

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Many of you probably don't know that Chris' favorite verse of late is Proverbs 16:9, yet another verse that is so timely at this time in our lives.

"The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."

Chris left at 4:30 a.m. this morning as one of the first medical teams to get into Beichuan, near the earthquake's epicenter. He called me briefly this morning to let me know that they made it Beichuan, were allowed to go in and will begin work there. They are supposed to work in 36-hour shifts so he should be home tomorow evening but I'm not sure the schedule will be strictly adhered to. I plan to leave on the next shift so that one of us will always be here (even if sleeping) with our 2 young children.

Today has been busy back here in Chengdu with the coordination with another organization in mobilizing supplies and finding places for people to stay from other areas of China who want to base in Chengdu and go help in the disaster areas. Also, yesterday and today, people are gathering requested supplies for distribution in the disaster areas. People yesterday were contributing money to buy big military tents for refugees to use. Our host family's son, who is 18, managed to get 5 of them. He is absolutely incredible, with a serving heart. He is out today at a wholesale medical supply store (yes, they have those here) where he is buying requested pharmaceuticals, sutures, forceps etc. Some people are contributing their time and others money, but the unified response is pretty incredible.

Chris did take our digital camera with him but I don't know if he will have any chance to use it.

Here is a link to an article from today/yesterday: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24609645/. The town where Chris is working at right now is mentioned to the right of the page.

A lot of people have separately e-mailed me wanting to make a contribution. You can send any monetary contribution to IDEAS in Littleton and mark that it is for Chengdu earthquake relief and they will wire the money along to our host family to help purchase more medical supplies, tents and other items requested for the relief process.

I sit here and reflect that God has us exactly where he wanted us to be and exactly at the right time. First, with the timing of the quake because if it had happened a day later we would already have been gone and then with the news coming to us of allowing foreign workers into the disaster areas yesterday afternoon. If that news had been delivered this morning, we already would have been gone as we were planning on flying out early this morning to Xichang.

Continue to keep all the affected people in China in your prayers. There is incredible loss of life as you will read about in the article I referenced above. There also are people we know waiting to hear whether their loved ones are o.k. Also pray for the medical teams that they will have clarity of thought, energy to perform even though tired and for Chris that he will have a translator with him.

Love,

Wendy for the Tuey Family
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Chengdu, China

Dear Friends and Family, our travel plans have changed again. This afternoon, we found out that the government has opened up the disaster areas to foreign relief workers. Needless to say, Chris and I both felt overwhelmingly that God wanted us here to help in any way possible. It is amazing how God has us right here at the right time to help in a desperate time of need for the Chinese people.

The relief teams are going out in 36-hour shifts and Chris' first shift leaves in about 5 hours (5 a.m. local time). They wanted him to go first because of his medical training. He will meet up with the rest of a medical team at about 6:30 a.m. and they will visit and treat patients in a mountainous area.

When Chris comes back from his first shift, the hope is that I will go out on the next shift. Since I don't have medical training, I will probably be on a search team, digging and removing bodies from the rubble.

The rest of our trip has been cancelled. The thought of leaving this area to view other projects paled against the opportunity God has given us to serve right here, right now. We will be flying back to Beijing in time to fly out on the 24th as previously planned.

Please pray for safe travels on the bus to and from the disaster areas, clear weather (there has been rain and landslides to contend with but the weather has cleared up for today), clarity of thought in the midst of destruction and that people will see God's love in us as we help them in any way we can.
Bonnie, thank you for your Philippans verses, they were perfect for what lies ahead for us and the rest of the teams in the next 10 days.
We love you,
Wendy for the Tueys


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Chengdu, China

Joshua just walked in and showed us an article written about our experiences on Monday. We would be "the associates" mentioned in the story. Joshua failed to mention the carrying of 2 children most of the 3-mile journey from where we were back to our host family's home.

http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=426

Love, Wendy
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