I dedicate this study guide to my attractive wife, Connie, whose love and life is a daily demonstration of the love of Christ and a shining example of a Red Letter Christian.

The distance between Hetian of southern Xinjiang and Tacheng of northern Xinjiang or Hami of eastern Xinjiang is about 2,700 km, and people had to travel 100 days to reach the destination. Though for the short straight-line distance between Yining and Akesu, Kuche, it was still quite difficult to go through because of the Bingdaban which is more than 4,000 meters high.

'I'm armed, you lot. And if you think you can take me alive . . . Ha! Take that! And that! And that!'

Bathing once a month may save time, but from a cleanliness standpoint, it's not effective.