A Cave in China

This writing project idea came to me in a dream. In fact the cave had a name which when I awoke I said I would remember but as many other times with dreams if I didn't write the inspiration down it leaves. I just remember it had something to do with a cave and Christianity. It was linked in my dream to the caves in which the early follows of The Way worshipped. As I got up and ready for my day other ideas began n to form around the setting. This is the way I usually write. I call it the snowball effect. I roll an idea around in my head until I have enough linked ideas to form it into a story. Like rolling a snowball downhill and seeing it grow larger and larger. When it finally forms then I try to write. I write phrases as fast as I can and then leave them for a while to ferment into something. Cauffeemama says I'm a good story teller :) That made me feel really good. My Mama would be pleased because her family has kind of a knack for telling stories. I loved hearing her sisters and her together telling old stories. My Dad's family also loves a good story and there are several that we tell on each other every time we get together. Anyway, I think most of my writing is just that-relating a story, experience, or memory I've had and then recording it in written word. This story idea seems different. I have been thinking more about writing pure fiction so maybe that was why I was dreaming about Christian caves in China. Her are the ideas for the start of my "snowball":

A cave system in remote China

Christian Tourist group

secret missionary twist to why they "think they are there"- in other words they were seeking to do some type of covert missionary actions( extremely dangerous by the way in China) while there and they think at first that is the reason for their trip but God "expands" their mission in ways that confound them.

There is an old man

He is their guide into the caves which are on the official tour

It is a well known ancient site for tourism however remote

It has been known as a "palace" of sorts for one of the kingly dynasties of early China (prince/king/ palace/ cave will be linked to the ideas of Jesus birth in a cave/ His titles as prince, etc.)

Somehow in the plot we find out that as the Old Man guides the tour and separates the group into a hidden and protected area that he is the guardian of the long hidden history of Christianity in China and that this cave is really the "Dead Sea Scrolls" type depository of Chinese anquities of Christian faith importance.  This will eb difficult, clashing cultures and religious ideas, set in the time of the Boxer Rebellion.  European prejudice will have to be shown truthfully along with the activites both good and bad of the church.  Research will need to be done on Catholic saints' work from this era.  Chinese Christianity had battles against many foes from within and without.

The group thinks that they will have to smuggle out the material but surprisingly the "treasure" is found within the memories of 12( link to12 disciples) little Chinese girls who are orphans and they have memorized the history and are the "living" thread that must be secreted out through China.  This will be a segment that must address Chinese adpotion policies.  The past and future of Chinese orphan girls and the shutdown that happened in 2005 in International Chinese adoption.

The old man becomes a martyr himself to save the group and the children

The group's struggle to freedom

The relationship that builds with the group and the little girls

Translation of little girls' memories from Mandarin into Greek and then into English

The adoption of the girls

The final surprise of the hidden artifact