Selling Matchbooks for Orphans

There's this little story by Hans Christian Anderson called "The Little Match Girl." In the story, this little girl needs to make a living, so she decides to sell matchbooks. However, the winter (and cold-hearted people who don't want to help) freezes her in the night.

One of my junior students Syen (he made up his English name) was inspired by this story and decided to sell matchbooks for 1 yuan a box (about 12 cents) in order to raise money for the orphanage that Syen visits with us every week. He recruited some of the foreign teachers and friends to stand on a little corner selling matchbooks for 2 and a half hours last night. Thinking it would be inside somewhere, I didn't dress appropriately for the weather conditions. :) Seth offered his guitar skills and the rest of us offered our faces and singing abilities as we sang Christmas carols on a little street corner in the dead of winter in northeast China. We think we helped Syen sell about 500-600 matchbooks! There are people in America who have tons of money and unwilling to give, but it's these students in China who don't have much at all and are willing to give what they can for the orphans. Some students bought ten boxes, not because they needed them, but because they wanted to help in the only way they knew how. I don't remember the last time I was so cold, but it helped me really empathize with people who have no home to go to this season. I appreciate Syen's heart and even though I am now fighting a cold I'm glad he invited us to do this with him.

Right now I am listening to the Christmas album of Steven Curtis Chapman called "All I Really Want for Christmas." Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife adopted three little girls from Asia (one of them from China) and the album promotes adoption (both foreign and from the States, like my dear friends the Guskes who are working on their third adoption with a little boy named Joshua). For little ones like the kids we see every week. The chorus of the main song says:

"All I really want for Christmas is someone to tuck me in

A shoulder to cry on if I lose, shoulders to ride on if I win

There's so much I could ask for, but there's just one thing I need

All I really want for Christmas is a family

All I really want for Christmas is someone who'll be here

To sing me "Happy Birthday" for the next 100 years

And it's okay if they're not perfect or even if they're a little broken

That's all right, 'cause so am I

All I really want for Christmas is someone to tuck me in

Tell me I'll never be alone, someone whose love will never end

Of all that I could ask for, well, there's just one thing I need

All I really want for Christmas is a family."

Ice Skating

I saw the funniest thing the other day, at least to me. I want to give you a picture of how cold it is in these northern parts. What does one do for fun when it's this cold outside? My school doesn't have a pond, not really. So, why not convert the soccer field into an ice skating rink?!? The other day men were spraying a large hose on the soccer field and simply waited a few hours for the water to freeze. Wahlah- now you have an ice skating rink! Granted, the ice is only about an inch thick, but students by the masses rent little ice skates (with particularly long blades) and away they go! It snowed yesterday again, so yesterday the same men were shoveling the snow off their rink. Students asked if I wanted to go, but I reminded them that the last time I went ice skating I ended up in surgery with a cast up to my shoulder. But, knowing me, I just might be on this little makeshift rink in a few days' time. :)

To all my faithful blog readers

To all my faithful blog readers,
I don't know who you are. I don't even know if people read these things. But, if you do and you're wondering why it's been ages since I've posted, I'm back. At least for today.
Thanksgiving was last week and it was a typical Thanksgiving time in China. Of course, nothing is ever typical here, but I think you get the point. Absent from the meal this year, however, was the bird. My team found a big turkey at an import store that we bought to freeze until Christmas. They don't quite know how they are going to fit this 20 pound thing in a toaster oven, but fear not! because Michelle is here and she's done this before! :). Turkey will be served! :)
After a Thanksgiving meal with our Siping team on Thursday, we ventured on to the big city Changchun to gather with 50 others to celebrate the holiday. The guys played football in the snow until they were completely frozen and I did some Christmas shopping with some of the women and their children. We often forget that everything in China takes twice as long to do as it would in America, so we barely made it in time for the Thanksgiving potluck meal. Following the meal was a time of singing, fellowship, and reading songs of thanksgiving from the Good Book. We were exhausted when we came back. If I had to spend Christmas away from my family, I'd spend it with these guys, my team. Some days I want to wring their necks (much like we do with the poor turkeys), but I love them. It's nice to be able to set aside this time.
Most of the time when I have more energy, I then spend this time on a poetic way of highlighting all that I am thankful for. Don't we all? Isn't that what we are supposed to do at this time of year? But, I am more and more convinced that seasons of thanksgiving should not just happen once a year. I AM thankful, but hopefully for all seasons.
Try writing down five things you are thankful for every day, based on something that happened that particular day. It's a lot easier said than done. But, try it. It is the blistery cold days when students aren't participating and the technology you need for class isn't working and teammates are driving you crazy and your plumbing isn't working and you're tired of eating noodles for dinner AGAIN and you had a really bad language day and people keep cutting in front of you at the bank and you.... (wow, I think I just described my day :)-- It is on days like these that you need to make that list the most.
I have often heard phrases like how we, as Dad's children, are "blessed to be a blessing." This week I heard a new one- that "we are blessed with a burden." Because it is only in this way that we can be Dad to these people.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from Team Siping and Jilin Normal University students!

Baby Boom in China?

Here is an interesting article for those of you who like researching generational trends.

Baby Boom for Beijing Olympics (October 10, 2007, China Daily)
For many Chinese couples, October is the right season to conceive babies, as they hope to have an "Olympic baby" delivered at 8:08 PM, on August 8, 2008, the time when the opening ceremony will begin. While the ambitious potential parents plan to celebrate the Games with a new addition to their families, host country China is bracing itself for a baby boom. The first generation born under the one-child policy has reached the age of childbearing. And also, a mixture of traditional superstition and new trends has led to an abnormal surge in the population. The year 2000 saw over 36 million "millennium babies", nearly doubling the number in 1999 and 2001. Seven years later, the country is witnessing a new rush of baby deliveries since February 18, the beginning of the lunar New Year, the Year of the Pig. Many couples are trying to have "piggy babies" so that they will have a happy and prosperous life in the Year of golden Pig, as the animal sign coincides with gold, one of the five elements on earth. As a result, the number of newborns is expected to hit 20 million this year, according to Xinhua New Agency. And with the "Olympic baby" fever, the numbers of babies will be even higher. The baby boom has already started to put strains on schools and hospitals and later on, job markets. Experts warn irrational selective births could result in a shortage of social resources.

Surprise Encounter

I had to be in Beijing this week for a meeting and ended up not being able to leave right away due to the lack of trains back to my city. We are right in the middle of China's National Holiday, which means that everyone in China is taking at least 3 days off from work to travel and many of them end up here in Beijing. Being here was all completely last minute, but four days later I'm still here in Beijing :). So, I was out and about in a popular part of the city last night doing some shopping (which I just don't do, but hey, I got time to kill :)).



Now, you might know that Beijing has over 12 million people, and with the October holiday week here, the rest of China seems to be here as well. So, it's rush hour (if China even has a rush hour) and I was waiting on the subway platform. I ignored the first train because there was no way humanly possible I could fit. I could see myself struggling with my face smooshed between a person's armpit and the window, and deciding that was not the way to go I waited for the next one. Meanwhile I am just amazed by the sheer masses in a great sea of black heads and start taking pictures of the hounds of people on the subway platform. Through my camera lens I see someone running towards me (which is odd because most people are heading away from me, like a school of fish).
I would have never guessed in a million years who it would be...

One of my best Chinese friends, Tan Chu Michael!

Michael was the very first friend I made in China and over the years we have become good friends. He makes his home in the south (Hengyang, my old city) and I was able to spend some time with him while I was visiting Hengyang this summer. Now, I have not written or talked to Michael since I left Hengyang at the end of July. I had absolutely no idea he would be in Beijing, nor he did me. But there, on the subway platform surrounded by a bajillion people, we ran into each other. How cool is that!?

On his end Michael was with a friend and his friend turned around and said, "look, there's a foreigner taking pictures of all the people in the subway." He kinda rolled his eyes and said that yeah, that's what some foreigners do, not getting too excited about yet another foreigner in Beijing, until he zones in and realizes he recognizes mentioned foreigner :)

Afterward he proceeded to yell at me for five minutes for not calling him or keeping in touch (he has tried and I have not returned his emails, I'll confess)...but, then the clincher "even Ekren (my former teammate who now lives in the far northwest of China) called me from Kashgar and you don't call me!" :) :) It was SO Michael. I saved myself by saying that if I had called he would have known I was planning to be in Beijing and the surprise encounter wouldn't have been nearly as fun.

It's amazing the people you meet along the way.

In the News

In the news... (zgbriefs.com)

Counselors Practice How to Rescue Marriages (September 15, 2007, Shanghai Daily)
The growing demand for marriage counselors in Shanghai has led to the creation of a special training school for people interested in saving marriages. Those interested in improving their marriage counseling skills, or saving their own unions, may apply for a spot in the program to gain experience. The program invites young newlyweds who need advice and the counselors practice their techniques on them. Some of the consultants have no prior experience but receive training. The first marriage consulting practice and training center opened in Shanghai in July. So far, 500 people have enrolled in the program to improve their consulting skills.

China Web-user Dies After Three-day Online Binge (September 16, 2007, AFP)
A man in southern China collapsed and died after a three-day marathon online session at a cybercafe, state media reported on Monday. The web-user, estimated to be 30 years old, suddenly collapsed in front of his computer terminal in Guangdong province, and emergency personnel were unable to revive him, the Beijing News reported. "According to preliminary findings, the length of time this man spent online might have triggered heart problems," the paper quoted a local hospital emergency medic in the city of Zhongshan as saying. The paper did not provide the man's name or the online activities he was engaged in.

China’s Tallest Building Nearly Done (September 14, 2007, AP)
After a more than a decade of delays, China's tallest building is slicing through Shanghai's hazy, skyscraper-studded skyline — a new trophy built by a Japanese property tycoon. The 101-story Shanghai World Financial Center, a 1,614 foot wedge-shaped tower with a rectangular hole at the very top, was topped out on Friday as its last beam was laid amid a drizzle that obscured the building's panoramic view of endless high rises. In a city whose skyline evinces the belief "the taller the better," the building is bound to be a major tourist destination and landmark. The $1 billion Shanghai project by the developer's flagship Mori Building Co., due for completion in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is a monument to the city's ambitions to reclaim its status as a key international center.

And the most interesting...

New Words for a Rave New World (September 17, 2007, Shanghai Daily)
Rapid social change, Western pop culture and the use of English have prompted education authorities to add 171 terms to the national language registry, including those that describe mortgage slaves and loose marital arrangements. Economic reforms and soaring rates of home ownership have produced a new name for those young people struggling to pay off home loans in traditionally debt-wary China: fangnu, or "house slaves." And young, married professionals who live in separate homes to keep the romance alive and maintain their own space are being called "Semi-honey couples" (bantang fuqi), according to education officials."(The new terms) reflect the rapid cultural and social changes in recent years as well as thriving new concepts in our daily lives," said Li Yuming, the senior official at the Ministry of Education in charge of standardizing the use of modern Chinese language. The new terms were registered after two years researching more than 900 million commonly used words and phrases in Chinese, the Xinhua news agency reported, adding that they showed how pervasive Western movies and the English language had become.

What Blog?

Because of the "Great China Firewall" I have difficulty accessing the blogs of friends in the States. In fact, some days make it downright impossible to read other peoples' stuff except through a proxy server. So, I lag behind. Then I forget I even have a blog until someone asks me why I haven't posted anything lately. Now I remember.

Let me just sum up recent life here in a few sentences: Students are finally coming around! Classes are actually fun this year (added powerpoint in my classes as well as trying a completely new curriculum with my sophomores). Team is good. Community is good. Our team is doing the Beth Moore study on Daniel, good stuff so far. It's hard to get started on language learning again- very hard. Still don't know my future, but who does, really? It's starting to get cold (and when it does, "warm" doesn't come again until May). I am preparing for my cultural lectures this semester on university life in America, the melting pot theory, new york city, and the effect of 9/11 on our society. I have started going to the local fellowship weekly, as well as loving on new babies and kids at the orphanage. Muslims are observing Ramadan this month and the Chinese will soon be observing Mid-Autumn Day (kind of an equivalent to America's Thanksgiving) and I'm trying to enmesh myself somehow in both (or at least learn more about it from the inside). I miss my family (especially with Dad's birthday next week). I'm looking forward to the October National Day (a week-long break). I have had several opportunities to share the story this week. Life is good.

Now, if any of my sophomore writing students had turned in a paragraph like the one above, I would have given them a very low grade (no transitions, no main topic, random and unorganized, incomplete sentences). :) :) :)

Here's a picture from our first trip back to the orphanage with students last Saturday (let's play "Where's Waldo?")...only some of the older kids are pictured here. :)

Thoughts on Team

Just to assure all you faithful blog readers that Michelle has not disappeared! I usually don't go this long between entries, but this past month has been one constant transition after another. I just wrote and sent another newsletter to the press, which means I am in writing mode, so I write. There's also the point that there is so much going on that I don't know where to start or what you would be interested in. To me it just seems like a regular day in China. However, I'm realizing that the fact that I'm in China doesn't make it regular at all :).

After five weeks in south China and four weeks helping out in Beijing, me and my team of 13 boarded the train and ventured back to Siping to begin a new semester. The first week back was devoted to team building activities and now we are in our second week of classes. I have not updated pictures on my flickr site because my camera died this summer and I'm in the process of looking for a new one :). The team picture here is from my teammate Kat :).

When I joined this team in February, I was simply doing just that- joining something that had already been established. I was just going with what was already going on and that was fine for me. Last semester was a time of transition and learning the ropes of living life in this place. Now, however, I want to help shape this team and put in my two cents worth. I want to be part of developing strategies that align with where our Father wants us to go. I've been on several very different kinds of teams and each one has had its advantages and disadvantages. There are aspects of my old teams that I really miss, and yet at the same time there are other aspects I don't miss at all. However, even with several years of experience under my belt, I know I have to approach life with a great deal of humility. Humility has never been one of my stronger virtues. :) Adding new team members in the mix calls for even more adjusting. Bless their hearts because being completely new to China has them adjusting more to life in Siping than I ever had to. Being on a large team of 13 means that everyone wants to find their place, to bring value to the larger whole. It is sometimes (okay, a lot) frustrating when somebody else has the "greater" gifts and I'm simply trying to keep up. I find myself (and I say this as a personal problem and not necessarily reflective of my team members) becoming (dare I say?) competitive in some regards and sometimes forget who we really are and Who we are representing. Who can be the best language learner or best lesson planner or best study leader or who can come up with the best thought and praise time? Who is the busiest or having the most meaningful conversations with students? We want to be the best we can be for Him, but end up stepping on each other in the process rather than building each other up. Is that really what we want to be? We really don't know what the Father is doing with us here, but that's not really our job to figure out. We need to be constantly reminded that our role is, by loving each other, to demonstrate His love to the community at large. Out of relationship with the Body comes relationship with others.

I have a great team, I really do. I have been genuinely impressed by the leadership of Jon and Rachel, our team leaders. They bring people out in a way that is honoring to our Father. Having been in leadership positions before, I know that this is not always an easy place to be. They both honor Him with their lives and love for each other and for this family here in Siping. I am incredibly blessed to work alongside them (and not just Jon and Rachel- ALL of them).

It is neat to see how various gifts on the team are played out, even in the mundane. The mundane is a glorious place to be sometimes. :). And yet, at the end of the day, we are still human and our natures take captive on what should be right and pure. Perhaps that is what makes grace all the more amazing! :)

The other night my team was listening to a teaching about our friend Joseph at the beginning of our favorite book. The speaker was emphasizing how Joseph's Father was with him even when he didn't know the story (didn't even know there WAS a story, as there was no book at the time, and his great grandfather was just an ordinary man to him who had a promise of being the father of many, but only had one son, and his own brothers were messed up people in themselves- there's a story, what story? :)). In the dark places in the dungeon, befriending the prison warden, Joseph had no clue how his life would play in the bigger story. He just acted as one confident that his Father was with him. The question the speaker continually challenged us with was, "what would somebody who is just like me with my exact circumstances do who is absolutely confident that the Father is with him?" How do my decisions and actions hang on the balance of the Great Story of which we have no specific idea about the part we are playing? :)).

At the end of the day, what brings honor to Him? At the end of the day, we are reminded that this is His team, this is His campus, and this is His story. We are humbled that we have been asked to play such a role. One day it'll make sense, but our aim is not to search for that day, but to simply BE in the here and now and hope for better things. :)

By the way, Happy Teacher's Day to all of you in China! :)

Taking care of the kiddies

All present and accounted for in Beijing. I had a delightful month in my old city of Hengyang and when it was time to leave, I was ready. I was able to finally to say goodbye to that place. I cannot effectively move on to a new area until I've had closure. It really just takes time. It's time to go home to Siping, northeast China.

First stop, however, is Beijing. I have been here for almost two weeks and am loving it here. I'm helping out with new teacher orientation for my organization. While I spend a lot of time handling money and doing office work, I spend most of my days with the kids during childcare (childcare, not babysitting :) ). I am the assistant to the children's director, which means I handle most of the logistics and crisis control. It's like taking VBS and making the theme about adjusting to China. We intercede for our teammates, but often forget about what the kids are going through. They are making huge transitions, too. For the little babies we have hired aiyis (the word for aunt in Chinese-- older Chinese women who take care of children and can come to clean and cook for the family) and it is funny watching my little teammate Will (he's 1 1/2) being handed off to the care of an aiyi. The look on confusion on his face is priceless, but soon warms up to her and flashes his big smile. He doesn't seem too afraid by the masses of people who come up to him every day wanting to take his picture or touch his head. His older brother Jude (he's 5) is a little more sensitive to those kind of things. It's fun watching the little guys experience their new culture for the first time. The older kids are doing lessons and cultural activities and learning some Chinese (they are expected to perform some Chinese songs and poems at the SAFEA banquet this week- State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs- the umbrella government organization we are under, the bigwigs who have allowed us to be here). :) These kids want to make an impression :). The government officials absolutely LOVE when they do things like this. :)
The highlight of the kids' time is venturing out into the city for cultural outings (yesterday it was the Ethnic Minorities Park). I tell you, corralling a bunch of kids through the streets and taxis of Beijing, China is a quite unsettling at times (especially when these kids are somebody else's who've entrusted me with the most precious things in their lives--in a foreign country!). So far nobody has been lost or hurt, thank the Lord! At the end of the day if I get all the kids back with their parents I consider it a day well done :) ). Right now it's only 18 kids (new families), but imagine the task when all of our kids of all of our teachers come parading in next week (about 60!). Please think of these kids and that this will be a time of learning for them as they adjust to their new surroundings. Ask that they remain safe in this gigantic city.

News from China

My teammate Sonny started doing this on his blog, and I thought it was a good idea for those interested in news from China. ZGBriefs is a site that consolidates various news stories from different sources each week highlighting things happening in China and then sends out a weekly email. Here are a few from these past few weeks:

Quake Leaves 18,000 Homeless in Xinjiang (July 23, 2007, Xinhua)
About 18,000 people have been left homeless after the earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, which struck a remote county in northwest China last week. The quake, which struck Tekes County, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture in northern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, at 6:06 PM on Friday, destroyed 4,600 houses and damaged 7,800 others, affecting 27,000 people, the prefectural government said. No casualties have been reported, but more than 470 livestock sheds collapsed in the quake, killing about 400 livestock, it said. The quake has caused direct losses of 63.75 million yuan (US$8.3 million). Disaster relief materials such as tents and flour have been transported to the area. The relocated residents are being accommodated with relatives or in tents provided by the government.

China Sees Activists as Olympic Threat (July 23, 2007, AP)
China's intelligence services are gearing up for next year's Beijing Olympics, gathering information on foreigners who might mount protests and spoil the nation's moment in the spotlight. Government spy agencies and think tanks are compiling lists of potentially troublesome foreign organizations, looking beyond the human rights groups long critical of Beijing, security experts and a consultant familiar with the effort said. They include evangelical Christians eager to end China's religious restrictions, activists wanting Beijing to use its oil-buying leverage with Sudan to end the strife in Darfur and environmental campaigners angry about global warming. The effort is among the broadest intelligence-collection drives Beijing has taken against foreign activist groups, often known as non-governmental organizations, or NGOs. It aims to head off protests and other political acts during an Olympics the communist leadership hopes will boost its popularity at home and China's image abroad. "Demonstrations of all kinds are a concern, including anti-American demonstrations," said the consultant, who works for Beijing's Olympic organizers and asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media. The government, he said, is "trying to find out what kinds of NGOs will come. ... What are their plans?" While foreign governments often monitor potentially disruptive groups ahead of big events, Beijing this time is ranging farther afield, targeting groups whose activities would be considered legal in most countries. Officials in China's overseas diplomatic missions are also being tasked to gather information on groups, the consultant said. When The Associated Press reported in May on plans by U.S. and other Christian groups to proselytize at the Olympics, the press officer at China's U.N. mission contacted the AP seeking more information.

In Changing Times, Many Chinese Find Wisdom in Confucius (July 10, 2007, The Christian Science Monitor, by Peter Ford)
Come back, Confucius, all is forgiven. For nearly a century the ancient sage was confined to the intellectual doghouse in the land of his birth. Today he is fast supplanting communism as Chinese rulers, businessmen, and ordinary citizens turn back 2-1/2 millenniums to his teachings to help them cope with the economic and social changes racking their country. "The economy is developing very fast, but people feel the need for wisdom and morality," says Gu Qing, who publishes books on traditional Chinese culture. "Now we've solved the problem of filling people's stomachs, they are looking for something to fill their minds."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20070710/wl_csm/oconfucius_1
------------------------------------
and a story I was VERY happy to hear about...

Starbucks Shuts Controversial Forbidden City Shop (July 14, 2007, AP)
Starbucks has closed a coffeehouse in China's former imperial palace, the company said Saturday, ending a presence that sparked protests by Chinese critics who said it damaged a key historical site. The controversy over Starbucks at Beijing's 587-year-old Forbidden City has highlighted Chinese sensitivity about cultural symbols and unease over an influx of foreign pop culture. Starbucks closed the 200-square-foot outlet Friday after Forbidden City managers decided they wanted all shops on its grounds to operate under the palace's brand name, said Eden Woon, Starbucks' vice president for Greater China. "It was a very congenial decision. We respect what they are doing," Woon said. The Starbucks opened in 2000 at the invitation of palace managers, who needed to raise money to maintain the 178-acre complex of villas and gardens. But critics said it was inappropriate. An anchor for Chinese state television led an online protest, saying the coffeehouse diminished Chinese culture.

If you want the weekly emails, go to www.zgbriefs.com

Finished at last!

I am finished!!!! It's kind of a long story how it all started and how it all ended, but I now have my Master's degree in Intercultural Studies from Wheaton College Graduate School! Diploma is in the mail! My organization offers 4 graduate programs (from 3 different schools) tuition-free during our tenure teaching English in Asia. We take classes in one-month or two-week periods in the winter in Thailand, and then in the summer at the Wheaton College campus. During the semesters we do all of the reading and paper writing. I started in the winter of 2003, but soon saw that my heart was not in it and did not think I was doing it for the right reasons, so I dropped out. About two years later my new teammates (two guys) were in the program and I was already reading their books and saw that my own passions had changed. If I'm reading the books anyway, why don't I just take the classes again? So, that's what I did.

Finally came an opportunity for me to go to northwest China, and while I knew I was being called in that direction I also knew I needed to finish my degree first. It would have taken me another two years or so, so instead of doing it the normal way I fast-tracked it by spending a semester on Wheaton's campus as part of my "home leave"(which is an exception they made for me--it never hurts to ask :)). I didn't have a place to live, so this family I grew up with in Indonesia called people in their fellowship and this nice couple with two grown daughters off at college invited me to live with them- for free! My semester with the Brown family and with the Wheaton folks was amazing! I was even able to be part of a Chinese fellowship and volunteer once a week in Chicago's Chinatown tutoring English. I really began to sincerely appreciate this precious gift I had been given. While my place in the northwest was then put on hold indefinitely I know Dad used that as a way to lead me where He needed me for that semester. A lot of healing and rest and family time was able to happen! (and to think I originally went reluctantly! :) )

After that time I had one last paper to write as part of an independent study that would take the next six months. The paper only needed to be 25 pages, but it was about a subject I deeply cared about, so I put my whole heart into it and in the end (and 2400 pages of reading later) the paper was over 60 pages long! A mini book, my parents always tell me. :) And now I am finished. Woohoo!

The graduate programs my organization offers are an amazing opportunity because it is so applicable to where we are at. Thank you to the folks in the organization for giving me this opportunity and for allowing me to extend my knowledge base so that I can be better at what I am doing now! It is humbling. May it be that I use my education for the Father's glory! :)

Dancing and Swimming in the Park

Following a spontaneous dinner with a close Chinese friend (Barbara) the other night, we decided to go to the local park to join in the dancing. One of the most beautiful things about China is their sense of community, and every night in the park groups of people, mostly women, will join together and dance together. It's kind of like the Chinese version of line dancing, except it's traditional Chinese music and not country music, and the steps are completely different. Okay, it's not like line dancing at all :) :) You just pick a spot and desperately try to follow along. I'm not much of a dancer, but nobody cares. To me the steps seem complicated until you get used to the pattern and the traditional dancing continues. I worked up quite a sweat to what looks on the outside like such a simple thing. And that was only after one dance! These ladies will dress up in their very best dresses and go away at it. Young and old together. It is what gives them enjoyment from an otherwise tedious day. It was an absolute delight!

A few days later this same friend invited me to go swimming with her and some others at the local park. The average Chinese person doesn't know how to swim, so they find it surprising that I learned when I was a four-year old in Indonesia (I remember those days as clear as anything). However, more and more people are learning, so these students asked me to teach them on this particular afternoon. Teaching my Chinese friends how to swim was an awesome time! After giving them a pep talk about "how you cannot be afraid of the water, the water is our friend, and that if you go under you'll still be okay"...they began to enjoy the experience. I was trying to teach them to swim backwards (I'm not a swimmer, I don't know the technical words for these things) but it was a struggle for them because they were fighting the water, afraid of going under. But, once they relaxed, they did quite well. Swimming seems like such an easy thing, don't you think? Just a little kicking and moving your arms, right? Then I began to teach it and realized to an adult who has been told you can get STDs from a swimming pool (yeah, that's what I said) and have received hyped up stories of drowning all their lives and are afraid of the water, not such an easy task. What happened to the childlike faith of a four year old? (and how applicable is that in our own LIFE walk? Point to ponder). Needless to say, it was one of the most enjoyable times for me in my whole China experience! By the end of the time, I had been out of the water for awhile, but they didn't want to leave. I thought they were going to turn into fish. Then we played in the kiddie pool and pretended to be kids again :)

The sun was so hot that I got a slight sunburn (that for me always turns into a tan), which I was very proud of and showing off to everybody. But, for the Chinese, the idea is that the whiter you are the better, so when I told them that people in America spend a long time (and sometimes a lot of money) trying to be darker they thought this very strange indeed! :)

Highlight of the Summer

(note: I posted this on my Facebook page and will probably include it in an upcoming newsletter for those of you who follow either of them, so you don't have to read it three times-- just thought it was a story worth sharing :) :) )

I have been in this China land for four and a half years and I am still taking it in, some moments as if it were for the first time all over again. I am overjoyed by the beauty of the people here. Even with each passing week, it never becomes dull (and when it does, I know I need to change my attitude). Each day is a new day to experience- to laugh, to cry, to get angry, to feel peace, to be misunderstood, to communicate, to love, to share, to proclaim, to LIVE. My goal (although I often come up short, thanking Him for His grace) has always been to show what it means "to have life, and to have it abundantly". To lose everything in order to gain it all. To be pushed down in order to be lifted up. To empty ourselves in order to be filled again. Instead, many of these students and members of the community strive to live out what the world has taught them, going through each day trying to be successful, to make their parents proud, to study harder, to be "happy", and to live out their life motto: "I believe in myself." They fill their lives with all these things that cannot bring satisfaction, true peace, and true joy. They are held captive to hollow philosophy. Life to them is only about the here and now. Their goal is to "make life more beautiful" for THIS world, without any wonder in what the NEXT one can behold. They dance around trying to make their way in this world only to be gone from it without having experienced LIFE as One meant it to be lived. The burden for these people becomes almost too much to bear sometimes, but I rest each night because there is Someone who loves them more than I ever could. I have a story to share and I am eager for anybody willing to take the time to listen. And yet, I know that even if they don't, I'm still sharing it anyway. Because occassionally one person really is listening even though I don't always know it.

This weekend I had the chance to visit a close Chinese friend- someone who did listen. Someone who did hear the Story. Someone who did embrace LIFE. Every June 1st she celebrates her REAL birthday. She lives out her simple faith day by day. At first I acted as kind of a mentor to her, but in the end it was she that taught me so much.
After I moved up north, I wasn't able to see her for over a year. It didn't seem to matter because I knew our paths would cross again in a different time, in a different place. But, this weekend I made an effort to visit her hometown of Guangzhou, a vibrant city historically known as Canton, close to Hong Kong. She has since graduated from university and is making her way in the world. It's a tough world out there sometimes, especially for China. The only thing I can do is intercede for her. Yet we often forget how powerful this intercession is. Knowing that the same Someone she embraced several years ago is holding her together still.
About a month ago my team in the north embarked for America to spend the summer months. I decided for my own reasons to stay behind ("holding down the fort" so to speak :) ). I have sincerely enjoyed travelling from the north to visit old friends in my old stomping grounds of south-central China. I enjoy interacting with such precious people in my life. I love surprising the fruit ladies and the gatekeepers with my presence, able to communicate with them in Chinese much better than I could a year ago. :) :). It is my joy to chase the kids around the neighborhood and swap stories with old teacher colleagues. But in the midst of all this busyness and reunion, I longed for fellowship with brothers and sisters. I had run into two sisters at the local fellowship last Sunday, but time with them was all too brief. I longed for that Community that only this family knows. When I went to visit my Chinese sister I found the fellowship I had been asking for. It turned out to be the highlight of my summer.
We visited her home and favorite places, we took long walks (sneaking into air-conditioned places from time to time simply to escape the heat), we ate dim sum and southern cuisine, and we talked deep into the night (I felt like I was 12 years old again having slumber parties) :). I was able to meet her Community- a band of faithful people who meet together bi-weekly for encouragement, reading, and intercession (it's all legit, don't worry). I met with them two times, the first of which was more casual, and the second with the whole group on Sunday. During the first group time, they spontaneously asked me to lead the group in my thoughts on passages (I didn't see this coming and had it been in a formal venue I wouldn't have been able to- it was humbling watching these young people lean over taking in anything I had to offer, they are starving for understanding and strive to go deeper. Humbling, indeed!). This is one of the most open places in China I've been to. Sunday's fellowship was amazing- people were lifting up their hands in exaltation and singing the choruses with loud exclamation. I couldn't help the tears, nor did I want to stop them. The choir sang a song taken from Ps. 139- my life verses being parts 9 and 10 (my friend, knowing this, leaned over to me and whispered that this was great, as if they knew I was coming :) ). In CHINA! It was such a delight! Recently I've been studying heavily on reading the Chinese language. Reading Chinese characters can be challenging (that's the understatement of the year) and I feel like I'm losing some of my eyesight :), but I tell you, when you start reading the Good Book in Chinese and are able to finally sing with them from their old songbooks, it makes all those hours worth it and more. I was reading with them in their own language (and partly in mine)! Two worlds were coming together to unite as one family before One Person. I listened to some of their stories. I listened to their heart's burden and desire for their families. I listened as they spoke how the blessings of Him in Matthew 5 applied to their lives. I felt like I had come home.
While at my friend's grandmother's house (where her grandmother made a simple meal of beef and spinach, thankfully) this sister told me her grandmother's story. When her grandmother was younger her family was pretty rich. Even with 14 brothers and sisters, they never had a need. That is, until her father died. The mother couldn't raise everyone on her own, so she kept the boys and sold all the girls. Sold. For a price. Luckily, my friend's grandmother was 17 at the time and was at an age to get married. She basically found the first man she could find who would agree to her and got married. She never saw her sisters again. The man she married was an honest man who treated her well and respected her, raising two boys, though my friend didn't know if they ever found love. They were poor and she has lived in this simple wooden house ever since. I don't think my friend's grandmother ever harbored bitterness against her mother for that because that was simply the life of the times. It was hard and while it doesn't make it right, I don't think it is our place to judge. My own mother could tell you stories about this as this has become her life's passion (to research the plight of women around the world who are victim to the world system of our times and then implore people to intercede for them). This is only to say that the legacy from which my friend came was a really hard one. THIS is the story from which she came from. Her grandmother keeps a shrine in her house to which she offers incense regularly. My friend has made it clear that she will no longer offer incense, a bold step for her but one she has been respected for. The incense burning is more of a cultural thing than a religious thing, my friend says, and her grandmother does it to pay respect to her ancestors. I can't help wondering if she is thinking of her sisters as well.
My friend has shared with her family. A little more than a year after she embraced Life, she was in the hospital facing surgery to remove a stomach tumor a year and a half ago (Christmas Day), my team and I visited her every day. I think she was encouraged by our visits, but she requested that someone bring her her most treasured Book. It was really tough watching her tears and trying to answer the hard questions she faced. It broke my heart when she asked if she was being punished. It was through the Book and the reassurance of His love found in those pages that she found her peace. Over the next months she became even stronger- even when the tumor returned six months later. (today it is completely gone- Praise Him!) During those long hours at the bedside in the hospital, she was able to share with her father. And he listened. Her parents allow her to go to fellowship weekly, even asking her questions about it from time to time. We only ask that their hearts will soften and that they will experience real LIFE, too.

On the way to Guangzhou (a six hour train ride from where I'm staying for the month), I didn't have a seat. Knowing that ahead of time, I brought a little stool with me and claimed a small space between train cars (I wish I had a picture of this). I opened my book and read. Ravi Zacharias is one of my favorite speakers of all time. I went to college with his son Nathan (though, I did not know Nathan personally). He spoke at a leadership conference I attended my senior year. I was reading his autobiography entitled "Walking from East to West" (subtitled "God in the Shadows"). I did not know his story, so I did not know what to expect from such a memoir. In the middle of that train, sitting on a hard little stool next to the smokers and squatty potties (adding chickens to the scene would have made the picture complete, don't ya think?) :), I don't remember the last time I had so much joy. :) Reading Ravi's words about how our Father touched his life, taking him from a small village in south India to speaking before the United Nations assembly and other great world leaders, deeply touched my heart. Tears did not hesitate to fall. In one chapter he mentioned an extended trip to Vietnam and spoke of a dear older single lady named Helen Evans to whom he sent a Mother's Day card every year, a woman who referred to him as her son. I was amazed for this lady has played a huge role in my own life- from the time I was a three-year old in Indonesia, to supporting me (taking from her meager Social Security checks) here in China now! Testimony after testimony filled the pages, intervention of the Spirit after intervention. I realized (not for the first time) that our Dad is amazing! That word (amazing) cannot even begin to describe it. There are not enough words in any language to describe the greatness of our Father. It can only be expressed through the language of the most pure heart (the verse for sunday's fellowship in Guangzhou was "blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.").
On the way back from Guangzhou (this time in a nice seat :) ) I was reading the last few chapters of Ravi Zacharias' book when a man interrupted my thoughts. I looked up (expecting a small Chinese man) and was so startled to see a large Pakistani man with a big beard dressed in his Pakistani clothing. He nearly scared me to death with his large presence :) :). He was smiling and friendly, so I invited him to engage in conversation. In his heavy Pakistani accent he started asking me questions in which I thought at first would turn out to be a casual small talk (where all the questions are the same, and I already knew my exact answers). Instead, I was completely surprised. He asked me questions in this exact order: "Are you Englishman?" No, American. "Are you a Christian?" I paused, smiled, and said, beaming, "yes, yes I am." I never get that question from the Chinese, but this man seemed to know where we get our true identity. He was from Urumqi (the capital of Xinjiang province in far northwest China, the place I have felt a calling toward for the past year and a half-- and here we were in the far southeast, both of us far from "home"). I began to think that this was all a Godsend. :) What's really amazing is that this encounter came right after I finished reading these words in the Ravi's book where he quoted David Livingstone as saying "Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties but the ties that bind me to your service and to your heart."
I only pray that this may be so. For me. For my friend in Guangzhou. For my Chinese brothers and sisters who take time to listen to the Story- those family members that are not yet, but someday. We share of which there is no greater Hope.

In Memory of Grandma Mary

My great grandmother died last night. She was 94 years old. She outlived her husband (my great-grandfather) by 14 years and her son (my grandfather) by two. We were beginning to think she would outlive an entire generation. :) She lived through two World Wars, had three sons, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren (the oldest being me at 27!). I wish I had taken more time to sit down with her and ask her to tell her stories. These are the kind of stories we need to pass on. Grandma Mary was an excellent cook with a great southern heritage. I remember as a child growing up to the smell of hotcakes and molasses in Grandma's kitchen. Peppermint candy never ran out. :) She was content to stay in her little house in the small town of Rockingham, North Carolina for decades. She was the anchor for our family for, well as long as she has created this family. They think she died simply of old age, which is a trait I hope to inherit from her. :). Maybe after looking back at her life that evening she sighed and said to herself, "I'm tired, I think I'll go to sleep now" and quietly slipped into the arms of her Lord who welcomed her by saying, "well done, good and faithful one, welcome home!". At least that's the way I like to think about her passing from this world into the next. :)
Amazing woman, really. :) Her husband was an alcoholic, not an easy life, and it became a common occurrence to haul him out of jail on Saturday nights. And then on Sunday mornings she made sure she had her three young boys at church. (please realize that I loved my great-grandfather dearly- I cried buckets of tears at his funeral when I was 11 years old- Great Grandpa embraced Forgiveness and the Faith in his later years and found real joy and peace and is probably dancing with Grandma on the golden streets today-- which is further evidence of a magnificent God). She raised her family with a clear sense of morality that is often lost on this generation. But in the end, well, to her, family was family. Not always what we would choose, but we've all we've got :). She will be remembered as one who loved her family and loved her God.
We are sad to lose such a wonderful matriarch, but are grateful that she lived such a long life and left a legacy. We are happy to know that she now has a new brand new body dancing with her Jesus in heaven. I only hope I can live up to be an ounce of the woman that she was. We love you Grandma Mary!

It's Amazing the People You Meet Along the Way

It's amazing the people you meet along the way.

As you know, I am spending the month of July in my old city of Hengyang and am loving meeting with old friends and students. It has been my joy! Perhaps the greatest moments are those that are not planned, but somehow orchestrated by Dad. :)

For example, there have been many people I have run into by complete chance, people from the past that I have grown to love and respect greatly. My very first year in China there were two American roommates in my building: Jay and James. They were from a different organization, but they were also like-minded and doing similar work as my team was doing at that particular medical school. Back in the day, Jay was a good friend in helping me through the complexities of being in China for the first time. James, a fellow history major, and I became good friends later, and we made an effort to hang out regularly especially when I moved across town to a different school the next year. I have lost contact with both of them, but that's okay. It's just what happens sometimes. I'm grateful for the role these guys played in my life. Jay and James both moved back to the States about 3 or 4 years ago.
On my second day in Hengyang I heard that both Jay and James were in town! They were both leaving the next day, so a day more or less and we would have missed each other. Funny thing was that none of us told the other that we would be in town. It just sort of happened that way! How fun! Jay has since gotten married and brought along his wife (and I LOVE her!) and we were able to catch up over chicken wings and Coke, in the middle of a back alley in Hengyang, a small town in south-central China. How cool is that!?!

Another example is when I ran into two ladies at the local fellowship on Sunday morning. These two ladies have been actively involved in the family life in this area. Last winter I had to do one of my last projects for my Wheaton masters work, and our group highlighted the history and current happenings of the family in the Hengyang area. I used these ladies' stories as a backdrop. Again, I had lost touch with them, especially the one lady who was from a different city and has since moved farther south to Shenzhen, which is close to Hong Kong. I wasn't feeling well that morning and didn't want to face the heat and go to the fellowship, but I felt like something (or Someone) was urging me, so I went. Imagine my surprise when at the end of the service I ran into these precious sisters! The one lady just happened to be in town that day visiting from Shenzhen (again, a day more or less and we would have missed each other) and it was like seeing an old friend, a kind of Chinese mentor. When you think of the family in China, these ladies fit the picture. :) I was able to tell these ladies about our research and how I was inspired by their stories. That brought so much encouragement I think! We were delighted to share with each other again!

With that said, sometimes the best things in life aren't planned- but orchestrated by Dad in such a way that brings us real joy and a reminder that His hand is in all things :). It's pretty awesome, actually :)

Old people and fans

I wish I could capture on film what I saw the other day at the local Xiang Jiang grocery store. It was packed with people as it usually is and I was going along getting my receipt stamped (a security thing) and I saw a delightful sight. Now, in Hengyang it is in the upper 90's with a whole lot of humidity (I'm not a weatherman, so I can't tell you exactly how much humidity, just know that it is HOT). You walk outside and start sweating in the space of ten steps. I have noticed that Chinese people do not sweat as much as us laowai (foreigners), but even these people were sweating. People were packed into KFC simply by virtue that there was air conditioning in there :). So, I walked out the security section of the grocery store (still inside) and to my right were these fans. There were probably fifty fans turned on in order to get people to buy them. There was a long bench and there were all of these old people (maybe 80 years old and up) sitting on the bench- lined up, in their pajamas, in the middle of a grocery store, basking in the air of the fans. And they were just gabbering away as if they were lounging in a park. It wasn't like they were waiting for people, they were just sitting there taking advantage of the cool air. In their pajamas! (I had to stress that one more time). It was delightful!
If I get enough courage, I'll go back and take a picture of them :).

4th of July Party in China! (updated)

I'm throwing a 4th of July party for my Chinese friends tomorrow night (cuz, technically it's still 4th of July in America). We're going to have games (a red, white, and blue costume contest to name one) and history trivia (there's the history major in me) and let off fireworks (I'll just ask the four year old down the street to help as he has probably more experience than me with fireworks as that is a common site around these here parts), teach all the patriotic songs I know and maybe I can get them do a little parade around the block (you think that might get me kicked out of the country?)...right here in China. Maybe even red and blue Koolaid! We'll even invite the Brits! :)

The big trick will be trying to put all this together without mentioning one iota of politics or the motivation behind the Declaration of Independence. Hmm...

Yeah, the more I plan this, the more I realize that I might be stepping on toes...
but, teaching American culture, why not?

Sweet! :)

Update: okay, so they weren't as excited as I was :), but they learned something! The winner of the trivia contest got a free meal at McDonalds. I even managed to sing the "Star Spangled Banner." Francis Scott Key sure wrote a hard one! :) :) They loved learning to sing "Yankee Doodle" (ask any American and I bet nobody knows the meaning of the song...so I looked it up on the internet- apparently, it was a song written by the British to make fun of the Colonial soldiers, but when America won the war they took the song and made it their own :)). Happy 4th of July everyone! :)

27 years old!

Thursday (June 28) was my 27th birthday and I must tell you that this is one of the best birthdays I've had in many years. A few weeks ago, my team up north gave me an early surprise party at which I was genuinely surprised. They brought really nice gifts and provided my favorite type of cake (who could have known?) :). That was an incredibly sweet gesture! I have an awesome team!

On my actual birthday I had no idea what would happen, so I just let the day...happen :). If you want to know the highlights, read on!
That morning my parents called me and after talking with them on the phone, I went to get waffles (yes, we found waffles in China!!) at a local coffeeshop. In the coffeeshop I ate my waffles and read from a book that was sent to me ("A New Kind of C" by Brian D. McLaren). Very nice quiet time!
Later I went to the college and met a group of my favorite students of all time and had lunch with them. It's funny because these girls weren't in the same class before, but now they are all in the same class together and know each other quite well. It was totally fun...and one of the girls brought a cake (the first of four cakes I would receive that day :) ). It was such a great time with them, as if I have never left.
Following lunch (lunches in China can last until 2:00 and this one was no different :)) I walked around a lot, read a little, visited the dormitories, etc. Then all of a sudden I started feeling really down. I really have no idea, but in the middle of the basketball court I just started crying. That lasted for about 2 minutes and then I was fine. I guess I was missing my team in Siping (the north), and really missing my family, and feeling these mixed emotions about a relationship that had been broken and not having control over that situation. Five minutes later I was okay. Guess I just needed a good cry. I really don't remember the last time I cried :).
I was in good spirits by the time dinner rolled around. The custom in China is to invite all your friends to dinner and then you (the birthday person) pay for the dinner. So, while my pocket was completely empty by the end of the day, I received so much joy! It was kind of an odd group of people at dinner. In Chinese culture people also have a hard time interacting outside of the in-group. People say that this is a collectivist culture, and it is, but perhaps especially so within your in-group. I'm not saying this like it's a bad thing, just different. So, when I put a bunch of people in the same room that don't know each other very well then they don't talk. It wasn't until one group left that people began talking excitedly. Very funny. I knew that was going to happen but I didn't want anybody to feel left out from my birthday, ya know? So, after a great dinner with all my favorite dishes, the second cake of the day arrived. As we were just finishing up, three other girls came an hour late and brought the third cake. Good times :) :)

My friend Michael then made me promise to be at his school at 8:30 because he had a surprise. So, I came, a little unsure as what the rest of the evening would entail. He had called a lot of friends (Chinese friends I've come to know over the years) and was having class at his English school that night anyway. I walked in and everyone shouted "Surprise!"- It was AWESOME to see various people from the past. There was the fourth cake and some dancing performances. When he wasn't looking I smashed cake (which was really whipped cream) into Michael's face. That got quite the response! :) By the end of the evening I was caked out :)
The day ended with me heading back to the university to say goodbye to foreign teachers who were leaving the next day to go back to the States. Good things have been happening on this campus because of the light shining from them and I'm grateful for this group that has carried on in Hengyang (and to think I was so very worried about that last year at this time as I was leaving!!!). Also, a real gift was given to me when, after a year or so a broken relationship was mended and reconciliation was allowed to happen. I consider that as a birthday gift from God himself!

These past 27 years have been good. Thanks for all of you who have celebrated with me! Thanks especially to the the Giver of REAL life! I hope my life has given Him glory and honor, and where it hasn't I seek after His awesome GRACE!

Summer in China Begins

I’ve never stayed in China for the summer, and I’m excited about the things that could happen as I take in and learn new things. What happens when cultures collide? It is easy to answer this question in an objective, sociological, scientific way, but being in the actual midst of it makes the experience that much more acute.

After saying goodbye to the last of my teammates (all weekend, we would all gather to say goodbye as people left for the airport in shifts- starting with 14 and then there were 11, and then there were 8, and then there were 3—we kept saying this with each group that left—we pride ourselves on being a large team), I boarded the train. A 30-hour journey would take me back to my old stomping grounds of Hengyang. I was surprised- nobody bothered me at all on the train. Traveling is wearing on anybody, but when hounds of people want to practice their English or laugh at your Chinese, or tell you you’re writing the characters wrong, or sit on the bunk next to you and simply stare at you, it can be rather stressful. However, not a single person did this! Not one! I was somewhat relieved. I got a lower bunk, which, if you’ve ever been on a sleeper train in China you know that this is nice. The train was air-conditioned and I was able to sleep for a good part, reading and studying Chinese for the rest of it. The train was supposed to roll in at 4 AM according to the schedule and I was all ready at that time, like an eager little girl ready to go to kindergarten for the first time. Then the attendant told me that we were behind and would actually not reach Hengyang until 6. My friend was already at the train station to pick me up and I had to tell the poor guy to turn around and go home.
When I stepped off the train, WHOOSH, a blast of hot humid air hit me and I struggled to take deep breaths. Whew! I had forgotten just how humid the south of China can be. And this is mild, they say! At 6 AM I was sweating like a billy goat within twenty steps. I couldn’t understand a word the taxi driver was saying to me because of his southern accent (and the fact that they don’t speak standard Mandarin because they prefer the local dialect, which I don’t speak). It is soooo good to be back! :) :) I got to the house of my Chinese friend, said my hello’s, after which my friend proceeded to tell me that he had stayed up all night to pick me up because he felt that would be easier than going to sleep and having to wake up at 3:30. Bless his heart.
I stayed with the family of this same friend for the first few days, but have since moved back into my old apartment for July, which the school has so graciously offered to me. My friend is Michael, the first person I befriended when I came to China four and a half years ago. He has since become one of my best friends. He owns an English school and I have agreed to help him out a little bit this summer. His mom is the very definition of Chinese hospitality. I can never eat enough or be cared for enough, so she thinks. Although she doesn’t speak more than a few words of English, we are able to communicate relatively well. She is my Chinese mother. :)
Funny thing was that when I got to their house, after 30 hours on a train, all I wanted to do was take a shower. However, that day they just happened to have someone do some kind of work in the kitchen which meant they had to turn off all the running water in the house. The family has a nice little invention- they use the coal stove to heat up the water in the bathroom that allows for running hot water. So, what happens when there is no running water? Just use a bucket. And that’s exactly what I did. She had some water she had been storing and with a cup and bucket I took a bath. The cold water felt really niiiiice. :)
I later went to the university where I used to teach because it was just around lunch time and students were just getting out of class. I wanted to see who I would run into. I have not seen most of these students for a year because when I was here during Chinese New Year they were home with their families. The first people I ran into, surprisingly, were the group of girls I have come to love the most (outside of our family group)! We had lunch together and I was so excited to catch up a bit with them. I taught them for two years and they always gave (still give) me such great joy.
Later that afternoon I found my old teammate Chris and helped him pack up all his belongings since he is moving to language school in the fall. So, I went on a mission. He went to class and I just went to work putting things in piles, having liberty to throw things away and trying to salvage items in the kitchen that can be passed on to the new teammates. I tell you, I’ve been doing this the last few weeks for my current teammates, and it is so much more fun when you’re doing someone else’s apartment and not your own.
I'm not going to chronicle every single thing that happens during my day because I don't want to bore you, but check back every once in awhile and I'll give you the highlights. This summer will give me a chance to relax, read books just for the fun of it, maybe study Chinese a time or two, and meet with old friends. Good times, indeed.

Ending Another Semester in China

I am currently grading the last of my freshmen speeches and with that another semester in China has come to a close. Three of my teammates began the journey back to the States last night and the rest of them will venture out sometime in the next day or so. It's a little weird watching them go while I'll be staying in China for the summer. I could go on with "it's hard to believe the semester is over already," but I won't. :) It's been interesting getting used to a new area of the country at a new school, but I can now proudly say that it's not new anymore. I'm home.

For their final exam, my sophomore writing students had to create a metaphor that talked about how they see themselves as a writer. There were some interesting ones, this one in particular. I am amazed by her ability to write like this in a language that is not her own.

As a writer I am like a camera. Everything is in the lens of the camera (just like my eyes). After looking around, I will decide what to shoot, that is, choose the material I would like to talk about. The next step is to press the shutter- using my pen to describe it.
As for the same object, shooting with a camera in different positions, you can have the distinct pictures due to angle. It is the same with me. As every coin has two sides, I can point to some characteristics, maybe its excellence or defects, to reveal the thing in my point of view.
When taking a photo, the scenery nearby is rather clear whereas the sight far away looks a little vague, that depends on the lens of the camera. This point also applies to me. Take a cursory glance to the minor things, just describe them roughly while to the primary ones, I’ll portray them in detail, showing every aspect of them.
Someone has said, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” But as a good writer, I am a high-performance camera. I am able to reveal certain people, certain events vividly and intelligibly, just like a colorful picture. (Helen)

And so it ends.

A Plethora of Weekend Activities

WOW! This was a weekend FULL of activities. Pictures are taken by my teammates Katherine and Sarah, enjoy!

These are two pictures taken by teammate Katherine on our latest trip to the orphanage on Saturday afternoon. The one with us sitting on the floor needs some explanation. The babies were all screaming their heads off, except for this one little guy who looked so perplexed at the chaos around him, to which I had a "conversation" with him asking him what we should do about this situation. Precious :) :)


On Saturday night our team was asked to do a performance for the graduating seniors' party. The students usually love physical humor, so we tried doing that. I was a tree- Robb would pick my fruit, Jonny would tell him to eat it, Sonny would tell him not to eat it, Robb eats it and falls down, at which Doctor David and Nurse Sarah come and declares him dead and everyone's sad. Seth is the director and he yells "cut" at the end of each performance and tells us to do it as fast as we can, then as slow as we can, and then as sad as we can, and finally in Chinese (students LOVED this part). Don't know if the students actually liked it, but we certainly had a blast! Other performances included beautiful minority dancing, a fashion show, singing, break dancing, and a special dance number by the teachers of the department who apparently like to do the same thing every year :) (for which there really were no words)

Finally on Sunday afternoon was Josiah's 6th birthday party. We all dressed up as superheros (I was "Xiang Fei"- a Chinese princess that could turn into a dragon). I was asked to do the games, so for the first game I had Josiah follow a massive spiderweb set up in my apartment (following the red string under chairs and around pictures and in the refrigerator, etc.) to a prize at the end. Then I asked Seth "MetroMan" and Jason "Hawaiian Ninja" to be villains, at which Josiah and little Sarah threw water balloons at them and then spray them with silly string (the web, of course), and finally tie them up in a chair with TP. :) The last game was quieter with "pin Spiderman on the web." We had such a great time, and the "villains" were such great sports.

Monday was back to classes to give out part one of final exams.

This is my life. Pretty cool! :) :) :)

(note: China has blocked this blog website for now, so while I can post, I cannot see my actual blog. so, if pictures are out of order then I hope it makes some sense :) )

Never too old

I was taking a walk in the park the other day when I saw to my amazement an old Chinese grandpa and his friend (another grandpa) on rollerblades! Not rollerskates, but rollerblades! Quite fast, too! Every few minutes they would stop and chat together under the shaded tree trying to catch their breath. Proves you're never too old for anything :)

Unreached, But Not Forgotten

I am posting two pictures here taken by my teammate Sarah. These little guys live at the orphanage I have started visiting every Saturday. Orphans are often termed "forgotten ones." My belief is that these guys are loved and not forgotten. I believe that our Dad desires to call them His own! What a joy to spend time with them every week throwing the football, chasing them, and tickling them into oblivion!

Today I decided to join teammates Sarah and Robb for a homework grading party at the one local quasi-Western restaurant in town. When I came home I found a bouquet of flowers at my door! No note attached, so I don't know who sent them. How delightful! It was nice because it had some of my favorite flowers. It meant so much! I keep thinking that they were delivered to the wrong door :)


WOW, this week has taken quite a toll on me emotionally! Good things and not-so-good things, I feel like I'm on a bit of a rollercoaster. I've had AWESOME conversations this week with students and friends and I am amazed by being in community in this place. Hard things, too, have come that have caused me to search for answers about real Life. My world no longer exists in strictly black and white issues anymore. That's what happens when you collide with a new culture and you process things in a way you never have before. If you're interested in the details, just drop me a line, but just know for now that our Dad is still good!

Good news to all of you keeping up to date! Many know of my desire to be out in northWEST China and the difficulties of getting out there. Just recently a door has been open and that is reason for much rejoicing!!! I've been doing somersaults all weekend! I will still stay here in the northEAST for at least next year, but a team has now been placed in the northWEST! :) Before it becomes officially official, one more large red stamp needs to go down, so keep interceding! :) One note of concern, however, is that since a few doors have been open there's been a lot of darker issues from the other side, from someone who is clearly not happy with the turn of events. Specifically, there have been medical issues with two people (friends of mine) currently serving there or planning to go there in the fall (one was flown to Hong Kong for symptoms of rheumatic fever, and the other has had episodes of severe fatigue and weakness in a diabetic-type condition that is new for him). Also, there are long-term people (having had a presence of more than 20 years) being "invited" to leave, among other things. We have an Adversary who clearly wants claim over what he thinks should be his territory. But, we are claiming the region for our Dad! Ask that strongholds be dealt with and that His purposes reign supreme! :). As part of my final project for my masters work, I just finished a 60-page paper highlighting the story of the people in the northWEST, and pointing out ways to reach their hearts. Their story is long and complicated, but not so different from those from the acts of the first century. We go to tell them of the awesome Hope inside!
Unreached, but not forgotten. :)