A scary moment in Wuhan

I've been meaning to blog this event from our trip that we intentionally left out while there as to not worry our parents back home.  One of the scariest moments for us in China came on day 2 of having custody of Faith.  We had put her down for a nap, but had forgotten to put on a pull up.  Like is very common in 3 year olds, she wet the bed during her nap.  It was a soaker - who'd a thought such a little person held so much urine!!  We had no choice but to call housekeeping to come change the sheets.  Now what transpired next SHOULD have been the scariest part of this story, but unfortunately, it got worse.  The housekeeper ( a sweet looking and tiny little man/boy) came with a new duvet cover for our comforter.  See hotels in china don't have top sheets or blankets, just a nice cozy comforter with a fresh (you pray) duvet cover...perfect choose for the warm climate we were visiting!  Anyway, he FLIPS THE very large comforter to put the PEE part at the foot of the bed, and puts on the new duvet. YUP - leaves the comforter -- I have heard pee is sterile, and I had to keep with that thought or else I'd never get back into that or any other bed in China ever again!!!  Luckily it was the middle, and her little legs didn't reach down there anyway.

As he is changing the sheets, Faith is sitting in Daddy's lap in a chair next to the bed.  She has woken up wet, and I am sure each time she first woke and realized this wasn't a dream that she wasn't in Kansas anymore, and these 2 strange looking, smelling, smiling people were still there, and the family she'd known for 3 years was no where to be seen!  So each nap was followed by lots of tears, and cuddles(with daddy), which seemed to bring back calm quickly, however this day I WAS the one to remove her from bed, which she took GREAT exception too, and then had to stripe her down (which brought shivers like I'd never seen before - the a/c that hadn't worked since we arrived finally decided to blow frigid air into the room, and on top of that -- you ever wake from a nice warm cozy nap and just can't get warm!!), anyway, these 2 strikes lead to a MAJOR meltdown by Ms. FengHua.  She was a wreck, as she had a runny nose when we got her, the crying had lead to a coughing fit, runny nose, and all around mess of a child now nestled on Daddy's lap.

The Chamberdude finished his work, and turned with a jerk ... oh sorry, got wrapped up in the Christmas spirit for a minute there.  A few moments later, the phone rings and its the front desk.  Read this in your best very thick Chinese accent, "Hello, your child is sick?  She have fever?  You need help, thermometer, we get you to hospital?"  WHAT!!!! WHOA THERE LITTLE FELLA!!  WHAT??  My mind couldn't gather quick enough, now I"M the one shivering uncontrollably as the fear rolls over my body.  We had been traveling at the height of the H1N1 scare, we had to pass heat sensors in the airports to enter the country,  the news ran tons of stories about quarantined tourists,  everyone around us was wearing masks -- and now the front desk of a hotel in a communist country is asking me if my chid is sick!  No, God no... this can't be happening.  I quickly explain that she hates me (no seriously that is what I said in my panic!!), that she was mad that I touched her, which made her cry hysterically, and that is why she looked so horrendous.  NOT sick, I said, UPSET...you know, crying, makes her look like that, not sick, really she's not sick.  Oh Yeah, Perry Mason has nothing on my slick speaking skills!!

He apologizes profusely, and hangs up.  I IMMEDIATELY (do not pass go, do not collect $200) call our Chinese Guide, I'm talking even faster than I normally talk - which is probably breaking land speed records at this point.  I implore her to call the front desk, make sure they are clear that our child is healthy (which I have to confess wasn't 100% the truth, they had given her to us with a slight fever and runny nose, but a little motrin later she wasn't sick no more!!).  While ON the phone I'm shoving Children's Motrin at Kevin to force into Faith - just in case they show up at the door with a thermometer.  OH I had visions of armed military at my door, escorting us to the nearest H1N1 invested Emergency room -- nope, not over active imagination here!!  She is assuring me its ok, probably just a misunderstanding, no one was going to come banging the door down forcing temps to be taken.

I hang up ,and look at the clock its 3 p.m. - the divine mercy hour!  HOW perfect...for I believe as Sr. Faustina relayed, that Jesus will grant whatever you ask during this time, as long as its not against His Father's holy will.  I also realize that at some point in my phone conversations, I have ended up on my knees beside the bed.  In the best position to pray, I make my request to Jesus, praying it is His Father's will that this be ok, without ER trips, or investigations.  I pray the chaplet, and make a few more PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Lord make this ok!!   The phone rings ... it is our guide.  She tells us that the front desk manager is extremely embarassed by his mistake, that the housekeeper had been mistaken, and that they truly were just calling to see if they could help, not condemn us.  It is a 5 star, swanky hotel after all - they want to make sure their patrons are well taken care of... I have to say , until the waiter brought room service, and was able to observe Faith -happy, healthy and snot free!!  I could not relax (and ordered a nice Corona as relaxation insurance)!!

This story speaks to me on a few levels.  First, how much I take my freedom for granted.  How truly unaware I was of what it means to live in a democratic, free, society.  Where my child can be ill, and all I have to worry about is getting them better, not whether I will be forced into seclusion because of it, or told what treatment they will be given.  Second, how truly covered in prayer and God's divine mercy this trip was!  How many big events in this trip happened during the 3 o'clock hour, which I didn't realize until going back through my journal.  Here is just a few -- one of our most horrible turbulent flights (since it was that hour I was so comforted and at peace, so NOT like me!!),  the swearing in ceremony (when we didn't know until we got there if the passport issue was going to bar us from participating and completing this step with the rest of our group, which would have delayed our returning home as well), and one of those cab rides for H E double hockey sticks!!  That God would put this devotion on my heart this year, and so powerfully, providing that extra stength (grace) so I would be well equipped to deal with things, I'm not typically well equipped to deal with , is just more evidence of the existence of a loving, merciful, faithful God  - unseen but present, without a doubt present!