15
Location: Baotou
This morning we woke up super early, but it was well worth it because we were heading to the Kubuqi desert. None of us knew what to expect on the bus ride leading up to our adventure, and when we arrived, we were somewhat confused because we did not see any desert. Instead, we just saw a parking lot with a ticket booth. As Ruth bought the tickets, we walked around looking for a bathroom, but instead, we found an itty-bitty puppy that we named Kubuqi. After playing with Kubuqi for a little, we then put on our silly looking sand boots and piled into a truck, which would take us to the desert. The ride was very bumpy and crazy, but we all loved it! Once we arrived in the desert, we saw a lot of fun activities. Today we went for an ATV ride, rode camels, went down slides, went zip lining and explored the desert. Our first activity was camel riding, some of us had to face our fears of camels, but we ended up loving it! Next, we went for a short and fast ride on an ATV. Going over the dunes was exhilarating even though we got a little sand in our faces :). My favorite part of the day was going zip lining, who would have thought that we were going to that in China!?! Anyway, after our adventurous morning, we headed back to Baotou for lunch and afternoon service. Being at the orphanage has been an eye-opening experience for me. I have loved getting to play with all of the children; they brighten my day when they laugh and smile. After service, we ate dinner at the hotel and got a much-needed shower. Then after a short rest, we all headed to Mom and Dad’s room (AKA Keeley and Shaun) room for a movie night. Today was such a great day, but now, we are all exhausted. Good night!!