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Thursday Update: 05/29/08

Well, it's almost 8:00 in the evening and for the first time since I arrived I'm not completely comatose! For some reason I have had a much harder time adjusting to the time difference this trip than before. I was just wiped yesterday and ready for bed at like 7:30!!! Maybe it's also because I've been waking up at around 4:00 AM...who knows? Either way, I'm sure Matt is tickled that he's not having to put up with a whiney tired Emily tonight!

We had another full day of treatments and visits with other families. I took some short videos of the cupping and massage treatments, as well as Matt's morning acupuncture with Professor Shi (the head honcho)
today and posted them on Youtube.com. I hope it helps everyone better visualize what they're doing here. I think it's been good for Matt to see it from another perspective too, since much of it happens where he can't see it.

Tonight we said good-bye to Michael and Debbie from Australia, their son David, and Michael's father Ron who has been here the full 3 months with Michael, as they head back home tomorrow. I wrote about Debbie before...she was the woman we bumped into at the end of that long, torturous day of tests in the scary parts of the hospital...the one I know God placed in that spot, in that moment to encourage us and reassure us that we were in the right place. She is a very positive person, as is her father in law, and she mentioned tonight that they've been praying weekly for all the patients here with Michael.
They are a very nice family, and I pray that Michael continues to see positive changes and healing. It was a bit emotional saying good-bye to them...as I'm sure it will be saying good-bye to others in the next few days. Matt has built bonds with nearly everyone here, and I know he'll never forget them. He even mentioned possibly hosting a little reunion next year, for any of the families who may want to get back in touch. I know he'll come away from this experience changed for having met each of them. I know I've been touched by each of them, and their stories. There is definitely a bond between those of us who have been through similar things...so much that we can relate to in each other.

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