Wendy's China Adventure!

The return!

2009-07-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

Oh Happy day! With much help from Donald I was able to get the proxy server up and running so now I have my blog back! And thats all I'm going to say about that issue...

Unfortunately it's been two months since my last post. Many things have happened since then and I'm not sure I can even account most of them but I will try.

May was busy with studying and preparation for the GRE, as well as Emily, Ott, and John's visit. Emily and Ott arrived at the end of May with mixed emotions between the two of them however all in all it seemed they enjoyed themselves. I was so happy to see them. Indescribably happy actually. We went to Catholic church and Shanghai together. Both were new experiences for us all in some ways. John met us in Shanghai and after a little travel confusion we said goodbye to Emily and Ott and hello Changzhi. At arrival I got in a huge fight with a taxi driver effectively using my Chinese we got a bargain for the trip.

John and I taught my students Baseball, and I wrecked my bike. Then we went to Beijing to take the GRE. The results should arrive at my parents house at the end of this month, along with me. After Beijing we traveled to Hangzhou on our 3rd anniversary and enjoyed each others company for our last remaining days together... in China. 3 years isn't quite so long when you only have seen each other for a grand total of 5 months.

I came back to CZ alone and sad but Hai Li and Shen Ling surprised me at the airport and I love them for that. I spent a lot of this last month finishing up classes and getting things organized to move to the next chapter. I threw the sisters a graduation party which was fun. We invited Melissa and I think she enjoyed that.

I leave in two days for Tai Yuan then off to Inner Mongolia again where I will stay until mid November. Except the three weeks I'm coming to America to visit my family and friends and participate in my BAFF's wedding.

Looking back on this year it's hard to say where growth occurred, though I know it did. I know my life and my being has taken new form. Living in a foreign country, living ALONE in a foreign country should effect anyone who experiences it. I have felt overwhelmed with interaction and simultaneously felt complete isolation. I have drowned in my own self loathing and been raised up by the Holy Spirit within me. I cannot look back on this experience and say I was brought here on my own accord. Not brought but led. Drawn to this place as if my soul belonged here. Through pain and joy I have shed layers and found in me the person for now that I should be.

Where do I belong now?

"Although I have sent them far away among the nations, I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone."

~Ezekiel 11:16

Riddle me this

2009-05-07T04:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a riddle Hai li told me today:

There are 5 people on one side of a bridge at night. They need to cross, but they only have one light. They can cross the bridge two at a time, but someone must bring the light back after each trip. Each person travels at a different speed across the bridge.

Person #1 - 1 second

Person #2- 3 seconds

Person #3 - 6 seconds

Person #4- 8 seconds

Person #5- 12 seconds

What is the fastest time possible for all the people to get across the bridge? The people must walk on their own, they cannot be carried.

Good luck!

Thorn Bush.. King of the trees

2009-05-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

Summer Palace; Beijing. Sui Hai Li, and Me.

So many things to write about! I can't believe a month has gone by since my last post. I've been really really busy this last month, and will continue to be through the next two it seems. I'm coming up on my ten months in China and I still feel very blessed to be here. I have to be honest and say that I have faltered with my strength of being away from common conviences of my life in America. However, the cold weather finally broke and the warm sun was graciously welcomed by me for sure!

A few weeks ago the warm weather beckoned a "dragon" into my home, I don't care

what you say Wally, I'm calling it that. So many people gave me the great advice of just knocking it off the ceiling (which I can't reach even on a chair) with a broom then killing it or magically getting it outside the house. Well I decided to let it reside in the living room and I stayed in the bedroom for a day or so. Especially after it attacked me! (Fell off the curtains onto me when I shut them on night). Eventually Sue's boyfriend came and killed it. Now I will say the feminist side of me is slightly ashamed that I felt the need to have a man come and kill the thing; but in my defense I didn't need a man to do it, just someone else besides me. A woman would have sufficed, even a small child, anyone else... I could have done it myself had I had the support of a roommate to take the tension off that lingered between me and the dragon for the five days it resided in my home. I just wasn't prepared for that. It made me realize I took living with Mitch for granted. He was good at cleansing our home of anything that moved. Such as "bats" haha good memories! Anyway last night a HUGE bug came into my home and I took care of that all on my own, ever-so cooly might I add. I'm growing.

Moving on, aside from the warm weather bringing outdoor creatures into my home, it has brought me outdoors. I started running again, some days I look like Forrest Gump with the students that fall in running with me around the dirt track. I enjoy the company. I'm quite competative so it pushes me to move past that dreaded word... "jogging" and into what I'd consider actual running.

Being away from home on Easter was harder than I let on to anyone, including myself. However the Lord surrounded me with gracious people at church who let my mind slip away from this longing of my

heart to be near my family. It was the first time in 7 years I hadn't made a three hour drive back to Murfreesboro afterlunch at grandmothers. It was also the first time in 10 months I felt like getting behind the wheel of a car. I wonder if I can even drive anymore?

I took a mini-road trip at the start of April to Taiyuan. I stayed with Shen Ling's parents with her and Hai li. It was fun but I was so tired by the end of it.

Two weeks later, Hai Li and I traveled together to Beijing for me to take the first part of the GRE. I'm waiting for the results. While in Beijing we went to the Summer Palace, which was beautiful, and I bought a dress for Sarah's wedding, AND Cheese, pancake mix, and syrup! Awesome Beijing trip! I go back on June 6th with John to take the rest of the test. I'm anticipating a low score so as not to get my hopes up. Oh yeah, John's coming back to visit which is amazing! And would not at all be possible if it wasn't for Ott

so hooray! Also Ott and Emily will be here in less than 3 weeks! I also can't believe thats happening! I'm so excited to show them around. The sisters and I have planned a dinner to celebrate them being here. That should be fun!

This past weekend was May Day (Labor day) for China and so I had friday off. I went with some students to The Great Valley, which is about two hours away from my school. It was beautiful! and insanely crowded. But it wouldn't be China w/o crowds. It was a great trip, so pretty, the weather was perfect. The students were very nice and I had a great time with them. We hiked around the mountains and then took a slide down which was so much fun!

Then on Sunday I went and walked around the wetlands out on the edge of my city. The weather as I said has been beautiful.

So basically I've traveled a lot this month.

Thursday through Saturday is a sports competition for the school. I'd like to participate but I'm having trouble figuring out what events are for the teachers. We'll see, maybe I'll just watch. On sunday my friend Jenny is getting married so I'm going to spend most of the day watching that and I'll have more pictures for you when that happens.

"The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

~John 1:5

3 Eggs, a Chinese Easter Story.

2009-03-31T05:54:00.001-07:00

This is not my story. However, it is a true story that was experienced by my friends, and the leaders of Volunteers for China, David and Ann Wilson. I cannot read a story like this and not share it.

Easter Week, April 2000, we were privileged and honored to attend the 15th Anniversary Celebration of the Amity Foundation, Nanjing, China. Amity, formed by Chinese Christians, serves as a Chinese humanitarian organization to show Christ's love outside of the church building. We visited a number of agricultural, flood control, church construction, and education projects that Amity Foundation had initiated and managed with local churches and government agencies.

One of these projects is near Wu Ding City, located in Yunnan Province, on the far eastern foothills of the Himalayan Mountains at about 5500 feet elevation. Water is very scarce there; earthquakes are very common. This is a desolate area of China, where farming on the extremely steep hillsides is by manual labor. The dusty, desolate, barren hillsides have terraces moving up each hillside at three foot intervals, where corn has been hand planted, weeded and watered for as far as the eye can see. This is their livelihood.

We arose very early, joined the other sixteen Amity-invited guests, and loaded into five government-provided Mitsubishis, each costing over $40,000 (more than any person in the village we were able to visit could expect to see in a lifetime). The vehicles began the ascent to a mostly Christian Miao village in the high mountains. Within ten miles of leaving WuDing we were on a dirt donkey trail, going up vertically at a forty-five degree angle, many times slanted horizontally at a thirty degree angle. Looking down from the passenger side of the SUV, we could not see any road below us, but only the deep distant valley floor that got further and further away. This view easily lets us know that one slip to the right and we were all going to face eternity quickly.

After ninety minutes of driving uphill, around blind curves, on the mule wagon rutted road and bouncing around in the SUV which had no seats belts, we arrived at the outskirts of a village that is located on "sort of" a plateau at about 7000 feet. We all put on our coats, as it was windy and much colder than Wu Ding in the valley far below.

This Miao village consisted of forty-eight families with annual incomes of less than $100 per year. They raise their food on the hillsides and sell what they have left over for other necessities. As we approached the main street, actually a cart path through the village, we heard singing coming from the villagers who had lined the path. They were singing the alleluias of Easter songs! We walked through the crowd, shaking dirty, labor calloused hands. Then their smiles and hand clapping greeted our group, as they rejoiced that visitors, fellow Christians, had come to their village. We inspected the newly built elementary school building, we viewed the water cisternthat now stores water for crop irrigation, and we drank from the first-ever village water spigot. Yes, one water spigot for the village. All of these projects had been accomplished with the assistance of Amity Foundation in partnership with the local government. Only the villagers truly knew the hardships that had been removed through those projects. Previously the women and girls had needed to walk two miles downhill each day of their working lives to obtain water and then bring it back uphill. The smiles on their faces told of the joy that had been brought to the village. It was Easter weekend and all rejoiced.

As we were leaving the village, each SUV was approached by three village ladies, each insisting that the windows be rolled down. Tears flooded our eyes as each visitor was given a gift of three eggs. The village wanted to express appreciation for our having come. They wanted us to remember them. Needless to say, we did not deserve a gift nor did we need one to aid in our remembrance. We all recognized the value of the gift they were giving to us and we tried to refuse. Yet, in the Chinese way, they insisted and we each left with three eggs. They had given each of us the most valuable item they had in the village, eggs, three eggs. What an image of the Trinity; it was indeed Easter. As these Miao villagers knew, our same Father gave all of us His most valuable gift, His Son.Praise God for those who are willing to give the best they have to give.

I am being honest when I say that all I have to offer the people of China is my ability to speak English. What a blessing that ability has been to my life. It has allowed me to see this culture first hand and experience so much more than I ever could have imagined. Maybe you aren't as fortunate as I have been to be able to devote a year to this place, but the Wilson's lead teams here for the summer. If you're interested let me know!

"Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

-James 2:17

sparseness of words

2009-03-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

I spent today in a moment of reflection. It began from this never-ending exhaustion I've experienced this week. At first I blamed it on the fact that I have been working every single day since the semester began. Then I decided that my work schedule is very limited so possibly it was caused by allergies coming on from the changing seasons. I still feel that this is part of the physical reason, but I've determined that it has to be something more; something far beyond a change in season, or lack there of in Changzhi's case. I am becoming deeply rooted in this place, for reasons beyond that of normality. For that, I feel I am leading two separate lives. I feel very connected to a few select people back in the states. Ironically none of the people I feel close to in America live in the same city as the other. My how we grow and change. I feel like each one of these people brings out a part of me independent of the other, yet still they all have some similarities to the other. The deep roots of Americanism, or the ideals of that, connect us all in one way or another. I had to move to China to learn that. That being said, my original self is struggling with maintaining some form of that lifestyle I am to return home to all so soon, and at the same time grow and adapt to the person I am becoming here and now. How does this work? How does this balancing act, this transformation, fully occur without hinderance or defect? I am uncertain. Just as I am uncertain of what happens within the walls of a cocoon yet I know the beginning and end results are significantly different.

All that being said I feel like this change in many ways is unknown to me. I feel that I live my life of normalcy, as normal as a foreigner can be in a land so vastly different from their own. I work, I study, I read, I spend time with my friends. All the while becoming increasingly tired. Maybe this feeling is coming from the Lord trying to tell me to slow down. Maybe I'm missing something. Something I can only learn while here, in this place. Maybe I am too focused on my life of increasing monotony and I'm overlooking moments of extraordinary influence. I am on the downward slope of my time in Changzhi and I find myself more unsettled about leaving this place than I was with coming here to begin with. Why is that? Maybe coming to that understanding, or the realization that question even exists is the reason for my exhaustion. Maybe my body had to rest in order for my mind to become clear enough to ask these questions.

What's next?

"By waiting and calm, you shall be saved. In quiet and trust lies your strength."

~ Henri Nouwen

Moshing for love.

2009-03-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

So this past week has been the week of large packages. I'm pretty sure my boss hates me because he always has "mail boxes" as he calls them waiting for me in his office every week. Last week I got a HUGE box from John that was full of all my favorite candy some sweet shirts and this CD of some band I've never heard of.. A Plea for whating? Sounds like something associated w/ bulimia but who even knows?! KIDDING! I'm so pumped about this new CD! I took a picture with it then ripped it open and listened to it from start to finish. So good! Yeah I danced in my apartment... don't act like you're surprised. This week I played one of the songs for my students and did an english activity "tell me what you picture when you hear this song"

Retribution as pictured by Chinese University Students:

The singer is adamant about water conservation and protecting the earth's natural resources and wants people to become aware of this.
A Fierce basketball game that turns into a quarrel.
A Crazy angry driver going through a crowded city and onto a highway.
A Funny Crazy man Complaining about something in society.
A Lion's Roar
A man represents a group of people complaining about being oppressed by society.
A group of cool guys performing this song men are dancing crazy to the music, wearing all shiny black. (haha so close!)
People that do not fit in trying to find where they belong in society.
A war song - Two armies in an intense battle eventually everyone looses their arms (weapons) and it becomes a hand to hand competition, in the end only one man survives. He is alone.
A nascar race that becomes very close at the finish.
It's midnight in the rainforest, you can hear lions and tigers howling, hunters are around a fire celebrating, they are dancing and wrestling. Very uncivilized.
A Gloomy room full of bones and coffins a man causes them to move, it's very scary.
Slaves shouting about their oppression.
A group of beasts
A boxing competition, it is very fierce, in the middle they have a break then when they begin again one man is bleeding and one man wins.

And now for my two favorite:

Soldiers w/ large guns dancing then aliens come to earth and the soldiers must fight the aliens, but they are still dancing the whole time as they fight the aliens with their large guns.
The devil calling you to hell.

hahaha I LOVE China! This one girl looked absolutely terrified of the song. I asked if they liked it and she shouted NO! haha Then I explained the music and the band and why I like it and yadda yadda. I tried to explain hardcore dancing, I thought they would ask me to demonstrate but they didn't. Which is unfortunate because I'm really good at it!

This week I got another package and it was from my dentist and the sweet girls that work in his office. I've gone to that dentist since I've had teeth so it was really sweet to get such a loving gift from them! Ironically it was full of candy! haha, some magazines AND Doritoes and Cheetos!!! So excited about that. Floss, toothpaste, and toothbrushes were in there too. I really will use the floss girls I promise! (I know you don't believe me but I will! All this candy I'll have to! hahaha) Thank you so much!!

My Kenyan neighbor Sue always sees when mom or anyone sends me a package and she comes over to check out the goodies. I'll have to share the wealth for sure. Mom's all about the packages, Sue says that it means people really love me and miss me back home. I think she's right.

Speaking of missing and loving people. Saturday was Plea's CD release show in Nashville. Most of my friends were there and I hated missing it. That was the second day I felt so far away since coming to China. The first was Christmas. But I was missed as much as I missed being there turns out. My girls took some great pictures for me, and my friend Lego painted "I mosh 4 Wendy" on his chest and back! hahaha I love that boy! I do miss those shows. But as John reminds me there will be other CD's and other shows that I won't miss. He's very supportive and I'm very blessed to be loved by so many. I called Emily and cried to her about being alone then Sarah called and we cried together. For some reason crying with them made me feel better.

I'll be home in a little more than 4 months for Sarah's wedding I'm so excited! It will be a busy visit, seeing everyone and spending time with my family but I'm excited for it.

Today is my dad's birthday! Happy birthday Daddy!!!

Happy St. Patrick's day everyone else! Oh I'm not wearing green.. should probably get on that.

I love and miss you all!

Consistent movement and stillness

2009-02-24T04:50:00.000-08:00

So as was told in my previous blogs, and most of you know by talking to me in some form or fashion.. my holiday was slow moving and full of watching a lot of TV online. However I did travel to Linfen to visit Hai li and Rui Rui's families. That was a good trip! Their families are so kind and welcoming. Their homes are both in small villages on opposite sides of this large city. It was a completely different side of Chinese culture I had yet to see. A wonderful experience all around. I traveled by bus and I was so tired when I got back. I was really busy the weekend following my trip and on monday we celebrated the lantern festival, which is the ending to the spring festival. In the morning I met Jackie, and another teacher here who is also named Wendy (lucky girl) and we went to Ba yi square to watch the parade. We saw men dressed like tigers dancing and all sorts of wonderful things. Alice met up with us there too and after that I took Alice and Sweetie out for Hot Pot. Then I was even more tired than before. I was suppose to meet up with sweetie at her home and spend the day there but I had no energy for that. I went home and took a long nap. I love nap time in China. Then that evening I met up with Wendy and Jackie again and we "roamed the street" to see all the beautiful lanterns. There were hundreds of thousands of people in the street. Fire crackers started at 6 am and went all through the night. Needless to say all the noise scared away the demons (which is the purpose of this day).

I had a week left of winter holiday after this. I found out the Russian's were leaving which meant Sue (from Kenya) and I were going to have to teach their classes. So now I teach 10 classes a week all freshman and sophomore oral english. So far it's going really well. My sophomore students are very active and we've had good discussions. I think I'm going to enjoy this term. That being said, My days are very busy lately. I went from doing nothing for weeks to not resting. It's ok though, I like it better this way.

On another note my wonderful BAFF Sarah Holmes got engaged this week to her love and that brings me joy! If all my plans work out I'll be home visiting during the time of her wedding so I'll be blessed to see that! It's all up in the air right now but I pray it all works out. I have to drag Emily back out here somehow don't I?

I've decided for Lent, which begins tomorrow in China, I'm going to devote more time to prayer and reading scripture. I was doing really well with this before the holiday began then my routine changed and I became stagnant. No good. So instead of giving something up I'm adding. I did tell Emily I was going to give up cheeseburgers though... so far so good. I've had about three cheeseburgers since I've come to China.. all from Mcdonalds so those don't really count.

Ok picture time!

Hai Li and her niece at the harvest festival

Traditional drums used for the harvest festival

Rui Rui's niece

Buddha.

Outdoor Opera

Lanterns

My boss Dean Wei

Chun jie' kuai le!

"Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare... I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."

- Psalms 40: 5, 8

Walking

2009-01-30T03:15:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I was immensely bored and complained about it to anyone who would listen. Wally decided to do something about those complaints and gave me a list of things to do today. Writing a new blog was one of the things, two other things were "Go for a walk" and "take some pictures" So I'm going to kill Three birds w/ one stone and I went for a walk and took pictures and now I'm going to post them as my blog entry.

The list was a wonderful addition to my day. It forced me to get up and move around and do things so thanks Wally.

Here's what I saw on my walk:

love

lanterns

luck

pretty mural

Exercise

Tranquility

This sign confused me, What's w/ the bird and the letter? Why is the umbrella different? Why is there a Dr. Next to a phone, then a phone by itself?

Old men playing croquet

Important information.

"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go..I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you"

- Genesis 28: 15

Water

2009-01-27T07:09:00.000-08:00

Recently I have spent a lot of time in thought and discussion with the way God effects our lives. Discussions with others about who Christ calls us to be and how we should perceive doctrine. I feel like these moments are the true moments of life. I feel as if in all these instances there have been points where my words have left me and Christ has spoken through me. These moments in silence are where the spirt blows over me like wind.

I spoke recently to someone about how God called me to China. The best way I could find to explain this was water. Sometimes water comes in so slowly, small audibly noticeable drops, or constant streams, floods. Water effects everything, every part through movement, physical change, or any other number of ways. For me China was like a small drop of water, a constant reminder that I was to move for the spirit when the time was ready. Something I was always aware of but had to wait for it to overtake everything before I could release. Years I was effected by this small drip, this acknowledgement of coming change until one day the flood rushed in. No longer was I able to ignore this change, this movement. God flooded in rapidly and effected every part. Maybe this is cliche maybe it's absurd for me to compare a movement that so far has been slightly small to a flood. Maybe the change was me, maybe the flood effected me and brought me here to change me and mold me to prepare me for bigger callings. Possibly not bigger, but different. More difficult moves, more nights alone in foreign places. Difficult explanations to the people I love that I cannot refuse this call and prayers for them to understand something I have no way of accurately describing. This is the most challenging of everything for me now. I have accepted that the Lord may continue to call me to go in his name to every corner of the Earth, or that he has called me to be here in this place in this time for longer than previously anticipated. How can I expect the ones that love me the most to fully understand that movement of heart? I cannot. That is too much to expect for people to hear and feel the water that pours though me.

Recently John and I did a devotional about this exact thing. "God providentially weaves the threads of His call through our lives, and only we can distinguish them. It is the threading of God's voice directly to us over a certain concern, and it is useless to seek another person's opinion of it." - Chambers.

"But when God, called me by his grace, I did not consult any man." -Gal. 1:15-16

It is all in a higher plan that we must follow and it some instances means that we must disregard the emotional connections we have to this world.

Silence

2009-01-27T06:35:00.000-08:00

After saying goodbye to John in Beijing I depressingly put myself on a plane and flew up to Hailar. My intentions were to go help at Shamineau again. They run a two week winter camp for kids during their winter break. Turns out Inner Mongolia... way cold. Who knew!? So the first week I was there I prepared all the activities for the camp that later we discovered, would not be happening due to lack of campers. I stayed in Hailar for three weeks anyway. A majority of the time I spent at Jessy's where I watched TV online, emailed Rufio crazy long emails, IMed Wally, and talked to John on the phone. Busy Busy Busy! However in the process of all that business I learned to cook some Chinese dishes, learned to crochet, attempted and failed at making my own skirt, and took a short trip out to the camp. The trip to camp was amazing. It is beautiful out there as always. I have never seen a place that looked so vastly different by the season it was in. As different as this place seemed this trip around it was still just as breathtakingly beautiful as it had been before. This sense of smallness, that always overtakes me when I'm at this place was overwhelming this time. Seeing the earth blanketed in gleaming white snow creating this congruency of newness. What a blessing to witness this first hand. Aside from just being there we all took rides on the camel drawn sleigh. Which was crazy fun and crazy cold! Jessy and I both thought our toes were going to fall off, but what are a few toes when you think about having the experience of a camel sleigh through the grasslands really?!? Priorities people! haha

I came back to Changzhi last week. All the students have gone home for the spring festival. Campus is really quiet and the market is closed so I've been forced to cook everyday at home. Which I'm so great at let me tell you! wait... thats not true at all. I did make some peanut butter cookies that turned out pretty good last week however PB is in short supply here so I probably won't make those too often.

Chinese new year was this past weekend. I spent it at Hellena's ho

me with her family. I had a great time! It was very similar to our Christmas. I learned to play Mai Jong and we shot off fireworks at midnight.. along with 1.3 billion other people. The next day we went to her sisters home where we ate a nice lunch with her whole family and I spent the afternoon w/ her nephew Jackie who speaks fluent English. He's very kind just like Hellena so I was happy to be in their presence.

Today I went shopping with Sue, her boyfriend, and his friend Ken who are all from Kenya. We got suckered into singing Karaoke in the middle of this huge shopping center. You can't get the true China experience w/o KTV haha We sang "Right here waiting". Good times, then I got yelled at by a worker for trying to carry my shopping bag into the grocery store. Less good times. We walked home together because it wasn't so cold and they taught me some Swahili which turns out is much easier than Chinese. Bring it on Kenya! Here I come;-) haha

All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing.

- Isaiah 14:7

June 9th Journal Entry

2009-01-11T00:32:00.000-08:00

Dusk to Dusk I rest alone

Lost in fleeting thought

Transpiring to prayer

'Oh my King where do you lead me?

No longer waiting on your calling

Embracing your guidance

Following your will to go

Oh my King how heavy your name sits on my heart

How worthless I feel

to be called to it.

My king you chose me and I you.

Never alone again will my thoughts rest.

Never alone will my pains fall on empty ears.

Never alone will I ever be

for I carry the love of MY King with me.

Oh my King I will never forget

what pain my salvation brought you.

Never will I forget the day you called me child

and spilt your precious blood for my empty soul.

What can I do to repay this gift?

What can I do but go and live and breath

Exactly where you send me.

Send me by sea or by air or by foot and I will go.

Train my ears to hear your pleas.

Train my eyes to see the needs.

These needs you built my heart to reach.

Train me now my King.

For your battle alone.

Train my soul's blood to be spread in your name.

Mine, that would NEVER reach the price of yours.

Yet still let it be opened by your love

to speak to those who need to hear.

Be with me now and always

Amen.'

John's travels into Eastern Christmas.

2008-12-24T21:52:00.000-08:00

Big Buddha Statue, Lantao Island, Hong Kong

So John arrived on Dec. 5th and we have been very busy ever since. It's been so great getting to spend time with him over here and showing him what my life is like. I was really busy these past weeks finishing up my classes for the term and preparing for Christmas. We decorated the apartment and it looks really great. I showed him all around my city, to the lovely market, and to church. The sisters gave him a warm welcome of course.

The second week John was here we went to Hong Kong for three days which was an amazing trip! The weather was perfect and traveling around down there was not difficult at all. We took a plane to Guangzhou then a train into Hong Kong. We stayed at an Oh so interesting Hostel and took ferry boats to other islands. We went to Disneyland just for the heck of it and we saw the Big Buddha statue and found this remote beach where we walked all around. We saw a random yak on the beach (only in China) and we also came across this restaurant right on the beach where we sat and enjoyed the sunset and ate western food. Delicious!

This week we had a Christmas party at the house. John cooked enchiladas. I made taco sauce from scratch. We had salsa, chips, and fruit salad. I also made a chocolate cake and Ann sent us a lot of Christmas candy. It was a great time!

Then we skyped for christmas with our families today which was hard to be away but a blessing in itself to have that technology. My dad got me this super fabulous necklace with our family crest on it! How awesome is that?!? (if you're reading this you should be jealous). Mom got me a great new watch. John got me Lost season 4 so we've been watching that today. Good Christmas. But I do wish I was at home.

Tomorrow John and I will travel to Beijing for the weekend and then he will leave and I will continue on to Mongolia again. Pray for me it's insanely cold there! I don't do well with cold.

Disneyland Hong Kong

Christmas!!

Teaching together in Changzhi at a Middle School

Buddhist monastery, Lantao Island, Hong Kong

Secluded Beach we found :-)

Christmas Dinner Party. Enchilada's cooked by John

Below is the gift the sisters got John and me. It's mittens that we can wear together to hold hands during the cold days! TOTALLY USEFUL!

Thanksgiving meets spiritual giving

2008-12-04T05:29:00.000-08:00

So last week I was going to cook for the sisters and I was really excited about it but I was also really exhausted from the week and these American's in my town invited all of us to dinner at this nice restaurant so I decided to go there instead with the sister because he was going to have turkey, and they'd never had turkey before. It was a bittersweet day. I was busy with class and it was great to be with my friends, but it was different. The first year away from home for Thanksgiving. I missed it.

Thanksgiving Dinner!

Cold, but pretty Mashed potatoes

Vera, Eve, and Me

Thanksgiving Toast!

I knew coming here would be a different experience for me. I felt closed in before I left. As if I was in this sealed up box. That the me I was suppose to be was outside the box waiting for me to connect with it but I was missing it. I was holding myself inside this place and not allowing growth on any level to occur in myself. The me I was called to be, the me I was suppose to be outside the box, waiting, was dying. I was letting this happen. Coming here, being in this place, being with myself, breaking out of that sealed up box has been this enlightening experience. It seems for this whole change to occur in me, for me to become the woman the Lord wants, and needs me to be I had to completely leave everything behind. Anything that could possibly keep me in that box, I had abandon. What a wonderful gift, to come to this place, to begin to become this person that I always knew I was called to be. To know I am being used as his tool. To realize that maybe I'm not called to be his voice but his feet, his hands. To know I am called to do, to go, and show all of the graces that have been given to me by the gift of this place, this opportunity. Pure undeniable gladness.

John will be here tomorrow night. I'm excited about showing him around and letting him see my life here. I think it will connect us more if he can tangibly know the place I am in when I tell him stories. We're going to travel some while he's here and spend Christmas together. I'm excited about all this. Then after that I'm going back to Mongolia for a short time, hopefully, and then it will be time for the spring festival. I'm still not sure what my plans are for that time. We'll see!

Side note: this is the funniest misspelled bag I've ever seen!

Time well lost.

2008-11-21T00:24:00.001-08:00

So it's been over a month since I've written on here. Which is somewhat pathetic. So my reasoning behind this is that the first half of this time away literally nothing happened. I went to work, I ran in my tiny shoes, and I watched TV online, and frantically cleaned my apartment in preperation of my mom's arrival. THEN My momma came!!! I was so excited to have her here, though I did run out of shiny things to entertain her with but she still said she had a good time. During her first week here (which was the last week of October) We took a night bus to Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta Warrior

Which was a really fun experience.

The first week she was here Kelly came over with her boyfriend and they cooked us authentic Chinese dinner, and the next day the sisters took us out to lunch at the noodle shop where the nice lady made us a special dinner from her hometown which the sisters and I thought was delicious but mom probably would have prefered a cheeseburger. (Just be honest) ;-)

Mom and I also spent the first week of her visit seeing the booming city of Changzhi, it was cold but the weather was still really pretty.

After seeing pretty CZ sites mom had to go "teach" at the medical college where it turns out she was giving a big lecture to over 500 students. SURPRISE!

The second week of her stay I had a halloween party for the sisters and Jenny. Which was really fun. I laid out a bunch of stuff for them to dress up in and I cooked spaghetti and we watched I am Legend together, which was the closest thing to a scary movie that I had.

The final weekend of her stay we went to Beijing together where we did super fun shopping and I may or may not have yelled at a lady for grabbing my arm and pulling me. She wouldn't let me go otherwise! It was a justified response. We traveled around the city and saw the Great Wall, where it snowed!! First snow of the year and I saw it on the Great Wall with my mom. Good memory.

Mom left and that was difficult. But her visit was wonderful and I am glad we had that time together. I hope she enjoyed herself too. I think she did.

These past two weeks I've been kind of lazy. I ran a little I read a lot and have taken on an extra class on the weekend. Also I started my Chinese lessons finally. So I have two classes a week. It's a long road.

John will be here in two weeks! Next week I'm going to try to cook thanksgiving dinner for the sisters. I made a little list of foods I think I can learn to cook by then so we'll see how that goes...

I can't believe I've already been here for almost 5 months. It's gone by really quickly. What will happen when it's all gone? What will I do? Who will I be? I've found myself asking many questions about who I am in this changing image. I see my purpose here and I see God's hands at work all around. What a blessing to have these questions.

The warmth of Autumn

2008-10-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

Week two of school down and it's going really well. The weather actually warmed up this week so Hai Li and I went to the park with another girl. It was a beautiful perfect day for the park. We played around and climbed on some rocks and we saw these nice statues and rock carvings. Then this old man let me fly this really cool kite, which when I told my dad he totally trumped by saying he flew a plane but whatever I'm in China... still cool. haha

I had some highs and lows this week. Teaching college is slightly different from preschool... who knew!? But in some ways familiar, I was becoming frustrated with the students speaking over top of each other while students were trying

so hard to speak in English. So

I prayed for this on my walk to class yesterday. When I got to class it turns out the band w/ the 20 large drums, trumpets, and a gong were practicing right outside my classroom window, which are stuck open. I laughed really hard at this because it felt like God was like "don't you think you're focusing on the wrong things". haha So my frustrationsubsided and when the practiced stopped but the students still persisted to whisper loudly in class I just ignored it. I still find this instance rather humorous though.

This past month I've been doing morning devotion time. Before this I was trying to do devotion in the evening but my schedule is so different in the evenings I never know when

I'm going to be home or how distracted I'm going to be. The mornings have proven to be the best time for this. It's a strong way to start my day too. Before anything just focusing on God, it's nice. Some mornings I wake up with frustrations or distractions and taking that small time to focus on what I should be focused on all day long is a great way to ease those misgivings. It strengthens me and I like that. However, one thing I am missing out on I feel is fellowship time. Sometimes I come upon passages and I want to talk about them, discover what others hear from it. Sometimes I feel I'll read a chapter and specific verses jump out at me and I have no one here to tell me what parts jump out at them. Religious fellowship is something that I am missing out on here but I'm not sure how to remedy that. Maybe instead of remedying that I should just focus more on the blessing of having this quiet time for myself and God and listen more to how he can strengthen me now and work on fellowship later.

The school is having a big celebration tomorrow. The 50th anniversary of the school. They've decorated the entire campus and it's so pretty and full of energy! I'm excited about all the festivities tomorrow. However they are hindering me from a mountain run that was scheduled but it's ok, the mountain isn't going anywhere. and neither am I.

MOM GETS HERE IN A WEEK!!!! I can't wait to see her! I want to show her my city, and we're going to see Beijing together! I'm so excited. I hope she doesn't get bored here though haha. I've been counting down the days for over a month now! I'm so excited:-)

Ok thats all for now. I will post pictures of the celebration later on.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ~Romans 8:28

Mail Mania!!!

2008-10-05T22:56:00.000-07:00

I just received all my packages for my birthday today!!! How exciting. I got this totally awesome Widji hoodie which I of course wore out to lunch today, and this great Buckaroo's t-shirt! Which I didn't wear because it's cold, but I still love it all the same! I was so excited when I opened it. Rufio/ Merle you guys are awesome... whenever you read this know that. Peanut, Rufio's letter told me you said you could eat pizza with Chopsticks... you shouldn't lie to people that way, Asian's are very honest people and you are giving them a bad name by lying like that;-).

Thank you for your prayers guys I really appreciate it, it's very uplifting.

Mom sent me some jeans that I desperately needed. Here's the best part, the jeans were too small for me in America and they are too big for me here. Yay Chinese food + walking everywhere!

Emily sent me Vanna White yarn.. which I will make everyone I know lovely scarves and yeah, I'll try to teach myself how to crochet, i hear it's easy... someone told me that in three cards onetime... who was it??? hmmm

Ott sent me this crazy heavy/expensive package full of grandchild hygiene products! yay!!! However I may or may not have caused one of the packets of laundry detergent to explode which seeped into the m&m's that I tried to eat later... not the best snack. The office season 4 was in there, along with Walden a book I will attempt to read but probably will never finish;-). Emily has high hopes for me though. Also many other delicious treats were in this box (popcorn, granola bars, etc.! yay!!!)

Thanks everyone for the amazing gifts, it makes me feel so connected to home, and less isolated from everything. Time to go watch the office before class

Oh yeah, I taught my first official class today, it went great! This will be a busy year.

National holiday week

2008-10-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

So my first week back in Changzhi has been quite busy. I came in Tuesday night at around 11pm. That was after my 8 hour layover in Beijing where I decided to venture out into the city, alone. So brave! I went into downtown and shopped for a few hours and found a Subway Restaurant!! yay! I ate it with such joy.

Anyway On wednesday morning I went with Jenny to a Chinese Wedding which was exciting. It was so different from our weddings. Usually the bride wears red but many traditions are falling to the wayside just like in America, so the bride wore white. Lots of fireworks, confetti-cannons, red everywhere. You first go to the Grooms and pick him up then take him to the brides home where he must pass red envelopes of money under the door until her friends finally let him in then we have to hunt for the brides shoes and if we don't find them the groom must carry her to the wedding. Then we drive to the wedding a different way than we came from. The wedding is usually in a restaurant, but this one was in the courtyard at the grooms home. The groom must carry the bride to the isle while his friends heckle him and push them and spin them around. People shoot silly string at them and throw confetti on them. Good times! Then once they get to the alter they walk down a red carpet and have confetti cannons explode everywhere. Good times. They do all these little things together on stage then they kiss and we go eat!

Then On thursday I went to the mountain with Hellena and Dangdang and a friend of theirs Christina. We saw the pretty gardens, and village built in the mountain. We saw another temple. Then we went to this huge statue thats built in the mountain for the God of Agriculture.

Statue.

Tao symbol

Fall

Resting in the mountains

The temple in the gardens of the mountain.

Ok while in the mountain we found these games you could pay for kids to play and this was one of them! Built on the side of the mountain. Ironically this was the safest one! The kid gets in and holds on to straps that are inside...ummm no thanks!

Friday I went shopping in the market alone and bought some necessities for the house. Lets just say my apartment is now going to be called the cave because it is so cold in here all the time! Even when it's hot outside. What is up with that??

Saturday I went to the post office and mailed my absentee ballot... yes even from China I can

vote. Yay! Then for dinner I went to this friends grandmothers house and she taught me how to make dumplings... I'm horrible at making dumplings. I've decided you must actually be Chinese to be able to perfect the art of dumplings.

Church today and my first official day of class tomorrow. Yay! Hopefully that will go well. I only have one class in the morning so thats good.

Camp Shamineau

2008-10-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers! So instead of attempting to post a million pictures on here of Inner Mongolia I'm going to post the link to my facebook photo albums and you can see the pictures for yourself. here they are..

Where God's hands touch Earth

This album is full of pictures of the area that surrounded camp but the pictures do not do it justice. This place was literally the most beautiful place I have ever seen, I continued taking pictures while I was there and never captured what I wanted to.

If you'll notice in the beginning all the trees are Green, then they turn Yellow, and right before I left they all fell off. I was there at the best time.

The Grace I found in the grasslands

These are pictures of my friends that I made while there and the students doing different activities.

TRICKS!

These are more pictures of the people at camp and fun happenings.

We taught at a teacher training program where middle school and high school teachers would come and practice their vocabulary, pronunciation, and learn about the culture. The teachers would stay for one week at a time, so I helped teach one week then lead two other weeks of separate classes. The last few days we were there we had an international school from Shanghai come. Teenage angst is my favorite! First of all let me just say I have no sympathy for a 15 year old in Shanghai living in a place where he gets American football on his television ok!? haha anyway Ruth mainly worked with them and she did a great job.

The camp was located about 3 hours away through the grasslands from Hailaer, the only other city closer to us was a city about 2 hours away that I cant spell so I'm not even going to try. We were about 15 kilometers away from the Russian border, and when we climbed the hill beside camp we could see it, so that was fun!

At night when the clouds broke the stars stretched the entire horizon. It was like being wrapped in a blanket, as Ruth put it. You could see every star in creation and you could vividly see the milky way. You know when we went Canoeing in Canada a few years ago with my Dad I was disappointed I didn't see the Northern Lights, this made up for it. Though I still want to see the northern lights sometime.

Ok I should go run and stop eating potato chips haha.

God Bless!

Grace

2008-10-01T00:56:00.000-07:00

There are concepts of Christianity that I blindly believe and unfortunately do not take the time to truly conceive them until they directly effect me. Knowing my heart before I can hear it's needs is the particular topic that I want to discuss here. I believe, and have lived God knowing my needs, and desires of my heart long before I am aware of what I should be asking for. This experience at the Shamineau East camp in Inner Mongolia brought this all to light for me.

I was nervous about leaving Changzhi even though I was very bored and becoming lonely here at times. Still, flying into the unknown again is never a simple task for me. I was in constant prayer to the point of fear when it came to my travels to Hailaer. I was sad about leaving my new friends on my birthday, about being away from constant interaction with my family and friends in America. Now I see that what I was truly sad about was the loneliness that was beginning to creep into my lifestyle here, the melancholy lifestyle I was living while waiting for work to begin. God knows this, he knows what our spirit is actually asking for even though we confuse it for something completely different. Displacement.

I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful God's miracles have been for me this past month. First of all Inner Mongolia is the most beautifully serene place I have ever seen in my short lived life. Being in that place made me feel so elated. I was flushed clean by the spirit. I finally broke. Those feelings I mentioned in the previous post of starting to feel God break walls in me, those walls shattered and a new me was created in this place. Sometimes I think our hearts become calloused and our spirit may be trapped within these rough, cold walls; but here I became warm again. I wrote, and ran everyday. I prayed, cried, and took every breath slowly just to become apart of this place. These hills that appeared to have Gods finger strokes imbedded into them from the beginning of time.

Thinking this experience was the right choice as I drove, thinking that was enough of a blessing to fill myself, expecting to need or desire nothing more than this, but I was wrong. This is the part where I emphasize God knowing our hearts and desires before we do. I hadn't realized how desperately I was longing for peer interaction. That this loss, this adjustment was the thing making me so exhausted mentally and physically. Then I met Ruth.

Instantly when Ruth came into my life I felt at ease. I felt comforted, that I belonged somewhere, and that somewhere was in her company. It's like God heard both our prayers, then he heard both our hearts and said 'Ok ladies for three weeks I'm going to give you someone to laugh until you cry with, to be sarcastic with, to pray with, to lose your voice from singing really bad pop music with, to run with, to BE with... no strings attached, nothing in return, nothing fake, no effort, just friendship take it and go.' Nothing has come to me so simplistically in my entire life.

Shamineau became a sanctuary for me. It was so beautiful, I had time to be alone, time to read, time to run, time to be with people with my same sense of humor in person! It was a place of comfort foods, and religious connections. It was a place to fall in love with people who don't even speak the same language as you. Something I needed to learn, true love languages of people. The realization that love infrequently is spoken though words.

I feel that there is more I should say here, more things I should describe but I feel Ive reached the most intimate of this time. I will go back there, and I am am strengthened by my experience.

I will sing to the Lord all my life, I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

-Psalms 104:33

Mongolia

2008-09-08T04:59:00.000-07:00

So I'm on my way to Inner Mongolia tonight. I'll be in the grasslands outside of Hailar. I hope this is a good experience. I'm sure it will be. I'll be up there for about two and a half weeks working at an English camp, living in a yurt. Pretty pumped. This means I'll be away from my blog for the next two and a half weeks so don't expect any fabulous works of literature anytime soon.

A lot of changes have been taking place in me lately. This is turning into a really moving experience. I'm beginning to realize that one of the reasons for me coming here was to break down walls I had built up around myself. More on that later. Time to catch a plane.

Marriage advice from david.

2008-09-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

David's Advice for finding a Husband, written on the back of a Pizza Hut Menu.

"Kill 'em with kindness"

2008-08-31T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ok this post is irrelevant of China, and is not referencing anything specific I just want to know what others opinions on this topic might be.

So during church today I was reading through the scripture, which I've begun doing a lot at church since I don't speak chinese but I do read English.. it's rather convenient.

Anyway, I come across Romans 12: 17-21 which is a chapter many of us have heard, even non-christians have been told this I'm sure.

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirst, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." -- Romans 12:17-21 NIV

Ok so here's what I began to consider, I feel these verses have been transposed into the infamous saying "Kill them with kindness" and in a way I can see where "you will heap burning coals on his head" can be interpreted to mean that. However, I find another meaning in this. I see "killing with kindness" and the idea of this as sin in itself. I thing the purpose of these verses is to take anger, and resentment out of our own lives so in turn we lead more promising, uplifting lives. Killing with kindness is still a concept of vengefulness. It seems to me this theory is just as bad as actually hurting a person. Your intent is still the same, you still put as much effort, and frustration into both actions, killing with kindness, or out right anger. It seems that it wastes even more negative energy to be overly kind to another person when in your heart you do not feel like being kind to them, and truly if you aren't being kind in your heart then you aren't being loving the way God wants you to love. So should we actually attempt to kill people with kindness, your mentality stays the same. Turning the other cheek, offering a helping hand to an enemy through genuine kindness is much more difficult of a task I believe. This aspect takes much more prayer, meditation, and devotion to God to muster up the courage and strength to be kind to someone we would put as strong of a term towards as enemy. I know for me it would be next to impossible at some moments. This is a fact I am embarrassed to admit. Who wants to admit that they are weaker than their anger towards an enemy? Yet I feel this is where the importance of this verse is found. I can NOT brush past anger or resentment and then continue on to compassion, adoration, and even love for someone I consider an enemy without leaning on the strength of Christ. The teachings of Paul, though at times are extremely confusing to me, as many people feel I'm sure, seem to serve such a purpose on so many different levels. These verses I have brushed by so many times thinking "of course we aren't suppose to be vengeful... easy enough to understand" stopped me today with this concept of how many of us actually stop these emotions as they rage inside of us and attempt to actually change them? Not just an outward physical change but an inward emotional change? Which causes our relationship with God to grow, or even our relationship with knowing ourselves to grow. You don't have to be a Christian to understand the struggle it takes for a person to change their mentality of life.

So in stopping and reading this, what are your thoughts? Am I wrong in my concept of "killing with kindness"? How vengeful and yet all the same forgiving God do we serve? Of even in a non-religious aspect, how difficult is it to truly lend a helping hand with genuine kindness to an enemy?

Birthday Week expands Oceans

2008-08-29T06:08:00.000-07:00

The beginning of this post is solely for my parents because they will find the humor in it more than others.

SO David and Ann are in town getting things squared away before they return to the US and they decided that they wanted to take the sisters and me out to eat. The sisters chose pizza hut because they'd never been there before and I was so glad! Oh sweet nectar that is American food! So we get to the restaurant and David announces to everyone that we are eating here to celebrate my birthday since it's exactly two weeks away! hahaha I laughed so hard and thought "wheres mom and dad when I need them" Yes birthday week even expands oceans, and maybe due to the time change, probably something about the international date line that no matter how hard I try I will never truly understand, my birthday week has stretched to two weeks now instead of just one;) hahaha. Then David went and asked for a birthday crown but unfortunately they didn't understand so they gave him a birthday button instead it says "I am 08" Sure I'll be eight again thats cool. Then David had everyone sing to me, and today he took me to buy a toaster oven as a gift. hahaha He kept saying today that it was because of my birthday, and after all that he gave me a pocket chinese to english dictionary that has Pin ying in it which is amazing! Here I thought birthday week was going to skip a year...

So I took all these pictures of pizza hut because of all the times the sisters made fun of me and my slow progress with chopsticks I was able to laugh at them and their attempts at using knives and forks, and even though I told them they should just use their hands to eat pizza, they refused.

There was ketchup on the table and the sisters wanted to try it on the pizza... I was clearly hesitant...

The pizza was so amazing! It tasted very similar to real pizza hut, but this resturaunt was so fancy! It's pretty expensive too, but it was a great treat to relax and not have noodles for a change. Then after we sat in there for two and a half hours we decided to walk for a while. We walked towards the square and stopped in the park to take some fun pics, then we headed on home. All in all a great evening.

Today I went and ate hot pot with Ann and David at this fancy restaurant where I managed to spill an entire bowl of sesame sauce (watery peanut butter-esque stuff) all over myself! Go me! That was probably because it's my bi-birthday week, it's part of the celebration. Before I did that though I saw this man making noodles so I took a video so you could see how it's done, unfortunately it's sideways because I can't get iphoto to flip my videos..

Also this week, I've been teaching at a school here in Changzhi where they have displaced an entire school of earthquake victims. 1000 students and 100 teachers have been brought here to live, and study. They will stay here for a minimum of 3 years while the government tries to locate a new location for their school to be rebuilt. I'll be going there more regularly throughout the year to teach, I'm looking forward to that. Here's some pictures I took there.

Ok finally, I got my schedule for the school year! 16 hours of freshman oral english. I teach four classes, twice a week each for two hours each session. Down side: School doesn't begin for freshmen until October 6th! Yeah... so we'll see how I busy myself for the month.

Awareness..

2008-08-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

I think I am beginning to become aware of the break down of a person when someone begins to take on something of this magnitude. The emotional stability inside oneself is lost at a point. The reconstruction of a human being beings at this point. This point of two months in, a year out. This place where it is time for change, the place where security is present, but comfort is a distant foggy figure. Things in my life that were simple, things in my mind, in my thoughts that were easily manageable that remained the same on one side of the world, have become distorted on this side. The struggle of growing into enlightenment when the rest of my world that I'm so heavily connected to remains where I left them, enlightened by other factors. This change which is happening with fluidity has left me lost at sea at times. This place, this wonderful place with it's wonderful people, as beautiful as it may be has begun reaching the core of me. The awareness of purpose, the awareness of a change within myself has reached me and forced a beginning of growth inside me. A growth that old mindsets, old understandings, old comforts cannot reach. In this middle place, in this transition how do I face what I so naturally knew to be my way of reaction? How do I balance? How do I control who I was and who I'm becoming? No easy answers approach these rhetorical questions. Thus, Sunday begins...

The day of Amazingness!

2008-08-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

SO! I had an amazing day how about you?? If you didn't I'm sure tomorrow will get better. It's almost the weekend anyway so thats a plus right? ANYWAY.... My day began with my attempt at creating this really awesome thing that would hand pictures.. here it is..

Good idea right... yeah moments later it fell down onto my bed, which obviously is poorly made.. sorry mom, even going to China things still don't change right?;-) So this project I worked on is a great idea in theory but now I have to figure out a better way to hang it with my Mcgyver skills because I dont have too many things available, you know.. like... nails.. Even though it fell I was still proud of it and I like how the pictures look so tomorrow I'll figure something out. Side note: I finally finished Harry Potter 7 yesterday... WOW. Ok thats all I have to say, and I love Luna, and Neville, they are my two favorite characters by far!

So after this happened I decided I really can't stand for the fishy couch anymore so I went into the next apt. which has a decent couch in it and I moved ALL the school supplies stored in there out of the living room and into the bedroom in order to motivate the administration to let me have that sofa, and it worked! So they're going to send someone by soon to switch them for me, awesome! I win.

THEN, I got a package from mom! Which was full of amazingness! (it deserves it's own word because I loved it so much) It was full of cheese, which as far as I can tell is NOT moldy.. but we'll see how that turns out.. And payday candy bars and peanut M&M's only the two greatest snacks known to man! I received the newest runners world magazine which I was also pumped about and some perfume and hand sanitizer which I did use at dinner today mom you should be proud. Speaking of dinner I took pics of where I eat so you can see.. ( I seriously take way too many photos but I love my camera and I love China so it all works out)

This is where I usually eat, I sit outside because the weather is so nice here

Sometimes though I'm tired of noodles so I eat here, these are little stands that make chicken wrap type things.. yeah.. delicious!

Mian Tiao, this is what I eat about 4 or 5 times a week because it's only 40 cents, and it's delicious!

So.. After eating I went and checked out my "new" used bike!!! YAY!! I'm so excited about this bike it's ridiculous, mainly because it means I do not have to learn to ride on the back of someone else's, a skill I'm sure to never have mastered because, as my family knows, I'm the clumsiest person ever put on the earth! Too bad those gymnastics skills didn't pan out huh dad?! But here's my new bike!! (yeah it's pink but I dont even care! thats how much I love this bike)

This is the front part of my apartment. I have a little shed to put my bike in, and Wei even had it cleaned out for me. I was so excited about this bike, I rode it around in my dress because I was too excited to go upstairs and change into pants, plus this is a pretty long dress so I figured it was ok:-).

THEN to continue with the day of amazingness! The sisters took a break from studying and came over to watch the olympics, then somehow we started talking about Macaroni and I tried to explain to them that we have noodles shaped like cartoon characters and I thought Ann left some here but alas, no, just normal noodles, so as we searched we found THIS...

So I taught the sisters twister and this went on for about an hour and a half, yeah my calves are burning! Hahaha, then I taught them this cup game I knew, and we found the christmas decorations and played with them. Now it is almost midnight and I'm still really wired from this blessed day! Tomorrow I'm taking that bike out for a spin! The mountains are really close maybe I can take them there.

Ok I hope everyone reading this has a great day too.

Following roads...

2008-08-16T02:31:00.000-07:00

Tired! I had a great day that began waking from a small amount of sleep that was caused by Johns new discovery of video skype chats. See if you had gotten the video camera when I said I would have slept last night and the new fascination w/ seeing each other would have passed by now;-) haha.

Anyway I met Hellena's nephew at the school gate today and we took a taxi to pick

Hellena and her son who is 6, and who has proven to me that 6 year old boys are the same all over the world: adorable, full of energy, and love showing off kung fu moves in the middle of a crowded sidewalk for a photo op. Dang dang (her son) speaks amazing english and I am almost certain once he grows up his english will be better than his chinese. So we all went down to this temple in town and I took some pictures...of course.. I brought Andy with me, and though it turned out to be around 80 degrees today I s

till slipped him into so

me photos, his china adventure continues. The temple was a Daoist (taoist) temple worshiping the God of the Underworld. The

chinese say that this "God" took all the evil spirits on the earth and banished them to hel

l and he keeps them there. While there I saw some women praying for this friend of theirs who had an illness. I took a video them while DangDang pretended to pray to the statues, I'm pretty much in love with this child. Then we looked through some antique shops where people followed me around which tends to happen in places like this. I met this really charismatic shop owner while I was walking around practicing my chinese. He helped me bargain with him which I found ironic but I did it all in chinese with no help from Jackie, ok I take that back I had a small amount of help but pretty much I was on my own. I bought this beautiful

antique patch made out of silk. I'm going to stitch it onto something, probably a bag not sure. I'm pretty sure I could have gotten it for much cheaper but the guy was so funny I

felt bad bargaining with him at all.

Then I looked for a special gift for someone, to no avail, I'm about to give up on this hunt. Maybe I'm being to picky. After that we went to lunch, mmmm lamb, cucumber, Jao zhi, and noodles of course. I splurged and had a Coke with this meal, I was running on empty today.

Then we walked to the ancient government gate where I took more pics with Andy AND found music shop with a huge PEAVEY sign out front and I took a picture for plea of course. I miss you boys.

Then we walked to a park, I played on some exercise equipment with dangdang and then we ventured to what I would like to call the saddest zoo ever! We passed a Mosque on our way, Chang Zhi has a huge muslim population a

pparently. More pictures taken here.

The zoo was free and was actually a large park that was beautiful, it had a small amusement park of carnival rides to one side and the zoo animals to the other. Ok lets just talk about how depressing it was to see the black bear in a concrete well with no shade and with a tiny baby pool to cool off in. No food, nothing to play with and people throwing chips at it to feed it. Yeah...not cool. Then there were the monkeys and the camel I can't even talk about. Lions who had a habitat about the size of three lions side by side. S-A-D.

Hellena and Jackie almost freaked when I told them I had seen wild black bears, a wild wolf and wild deer. Crazy wild deer!

Then we went to the carnival side and I rode this ride with Dangdang and then we watched him play for a while. Then home. This was a great day. Jackie was really funny, and Hellena was so kind, her english is wonderful so it's great having people to spend time with.

Jackie asked me about my faith and in the process of that was confused about the differences between Christianity and Catholicism. (dont worry Em I explained to him the one true faith KIDDING!) So that led to a deeper conversations about religions, it was very interesting.

Those of you praying for me I ask that you pray that I listen to the spirit more, and let him guide me to where God wants me to be.

Changzhi

2008-08-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

Ni Hao!
New adventures that do not involve fish: Last night after supper in the market I saw a lady making dumplings through a store window and she let me try to make some! Yeah..I am not so skillful with the dumplings, but it was fun:-). Then today I ordered food for myself and asked the price, understood what he said and paid the man! All on my own! Doris gave me courage, plus she made me because she refused to do it for me even though she knew what I wanted and how much the meal was haha. She's a good friend.
So I went on a walk today around Changzhi and took a few pictures of the city. I also took some pictures today of my apartment, and my lovely view of the mountains. So here they are!

This is how people ride bikes in China

"Playground" outside my apt.

I watch these men play this game every evening

Park near the market

Middle of a busy street

Beijing 2008!

Resting

Dinner

Warning: Dump trucks with helium balloons ahead!

this man was singing to this little girl while they sold watermelon

Rui Rui and Hai Li Cooking on my porch/kitchen

Kitchen, hot water heater up to the right.

The view from my porch

Mac n Cheese with chopsticks (Sydney this isn't what I normally eat in China) ;-)

The aquarium...oh I mean my living room..yes..that is the imfamous couch.

Foyer/dining room/kitchen appliance room...

Hope you enjoyed the tour! many more pictures to follow. Now time to watch more Olympics, get pumped!! Who watched the men's swimming 400m relay.. INTENSE! Love it!
Zou La!

The tale of 8 fish...

2008-08-09T01:38:00.000-07:00

WELL... the Chinese are all about folk stories so I've decided to write one of my own.. as you can see I've entitled it "The tale of 8 fish" here goes...

Once there was an adorable American girl from TN who decided to move to China to teach English. She packed her bags and through much difficulty she arrive at her final destination..Changzhi University. She met many very friendly people there, in particular a group of girls who refer to themselves as "The Sisters". The Sisters were so kind to this foreigner and they made her feel very welcome in this new land. One day while visiting the American one of the sisters commented on the grotesque smell lingering in the air inside the living room. "Maybe it's coming from the furniture we should clean it" they decided. Thursday they cleaned all the furniture and the smell seemed to lessen, however it returned just as potent as before. By Saturday another sister offered to come investigate the apartment for the smell. So two sisters came and along with the American they cleaned the furniture again TWICE. During the second duration of the cleaning the American located something awful! A dead fish lay rotten wedged into the upholstery of the sofa! It turns out another foreigner used this furniture before and for some reason hated China and decided to revoke by ruining a perfectly good living room suit. After several hours the girls, along with the director and a maintenance man discovered 8 fish in all split between an armchair and the sofa.
Now the room that once only smelled like hidden rotten fish has a distinct aroma of dead rotting fish, bleach, lemon air freshener, bathroom cleaner, and vinegar. Yummy.
Hooray for adventures in China!

Shanghai

2008-08-06T07:22:00.001-07:00

Matthew and I in Shanghai

Matthew Hailing a cab..unsuccessfully

Snack time!

Sad to say goodbye.

Pearl Tower

Down by the river

Dragon boat

We found a Coldstone Creamery!

The shops at the Garden

The Pearl Tower

2008-08-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

Ok I've made it to Changzhi where I'll be living for the year. I took all these great pictures of the last few days of Jinhua and my time in Shanghai (which was amazing) but currently the pictures will have to wait due to internet connections and such. So lets see...
Matthew came to stay with me last week in Jinhua but we didn't get to play table tennis against eachother unfortunately! But I'm sure I would have schooled him, I have no doubt about that. haha totally kidding I'm horrible at table tennis, but it's fun. We had a great time together it was really hard to leave him in Shanghai.
My students bought me this really awesome stamp of my name and some red ink for it. It has tigers carved in the top of it because we were the tigers, that made me so happy! What a great gift. Very personal.
We traveled to Shanghai and went shopping there, I bought some gifts for the family and bargined for these earrings for Emily that she will love I'm sure, even if they are tacky and could have been purchased in America, but they're from China so they're special! Shanghai is crazy crowded. There were people everywhere. A lot of people spoke english so that was convient. We went down and saw the pearl tower, which was really cool and walked on the river and saw all the pretty boats lit up. A guy from Australlia stopped us and asked me if I knew where the sex museum was, unfortunately I was not able to help him. Do I look like the type of person who would know where the sex museum was?!!? seriously find a map buddy. I also found a Cold Stone Creamery in Shanghai and ate real icecream it was amazing! No soy pud for me! (soy pud is what I reference the ice cream here). I went to church the next morning and had a little head set that translated the sermon into english for me so that was pretty sweet. Then I watch a Chinese soap opera with Sue and then left. Living without Sue was an adjustment. Not having someone to joke around with constantly began my homesickness and lonliness.
I arrived in Changzhi by plane and I was met my Ann and Dean Wei and they brought me to my apt. Which is really cute, it's just like Womack Lanes for those MTSU peeps reading this. I've spent the last few days Cleaning, Listening to Flatfoot 56 and Death Cab, and buying some needed provisions for the apartment.
Ann introduced me to several people she knows here they all seemed so kind so hopefully we will begin spending some time together. Olympics begin in two days!!! Yay!:-) I'm pretty pumped about that!
Ok so this was a pretty random post and I know it has no pictures so it may be dull but I just wanted you to know I was alive (sorry Ott).
My facebook barely works so if you want to get in contact with me just email me: Camodenoe@yahoo.com

Lanxi

2008-07-26T05:50:00.001-07:00

Ok I just wanted to share w/ America how I wash my clothes.

This is Penguin. He

is my friend! I thought I would have to wash all my clothes by hand but Penguin is like a giant blender for clothes. I take the long gray snake hose and attach it to the sink to fill penguin then I set his little timer and speed knobs and let him go to work. When he's finished I take the second tube that is hooked to the lid and let it hang into the sink where it drains the beautiful clean Jinhua washing water. (Note: the water is this color before washing clothes as well)

So clearly my clothes always get very clean! haha Then I carry my clothes down the hall to a spinner and then I hang the clothes up to dry. It's an entertaining process.

I don't want to ever hear anyone complain about doing laundry ever again ok..;-)

So today was fun. We went to Lanxi City and to an ancient city that I cannot

even begin to spell or pronounce. At the entrance there was this beautiful Lotus garden so I climbed down into it and took some pictures. The lotus were growing in this shallow pond it was so beautiful! Very peaceful.

Then We walked all around this ancient city that was designed just like this intrinsic Kung Fu symbol of Ying Yang. It was insane! I was very impressed. We had lunch there and I struggled through translators to purchase some gifts. I got two very cute things for Delana and Dara (it may take it a month to get to you but I hope you like it!)

Then I came home, ate dinner, had devotion, and as you saw above..I did laundry. On that note, it's time to finish my laundry. :-)

Matthew comes tuesday. Yay!! (I'm totally going to school him in Ping Pong)

Silent Night

2008-07-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of all our students singing silent night at the talent show. It was nice to be there for this. Most aren't Christians but they were taught this song and they really like it, I do too.

This one girl told me she knows this is a children's song because her daughter learned it at school and told it to her, I thought that was interesting. I told her it wasn't just a children's song but she didn't believe me.

China Olympics!!

2008-07-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

It's official! The Tiger class (my class) are the winners of the first ever China Olympic Games!!!! By a mere two points during the final game of slipping an oreo down your face into your mouth they became victorious! This picture was obviously taken at the 'awards ceremony' after our talent show where the Tigers obviously did an amazing job at "The Moose Song" (yes I taught 100 chinese adults the moose song, Be proud robins/ Widjiwagans) and at the skit I taught them from camp. They played fire victims and rescue squads very well in various ways (another Widji favorite) Rufio you would have been impressed.

I considered teaching them "Little Red Wagon" but I remember all too well, or maybe not well enough, what trouble that song gets people into;-).

Today was a great day, I'm tired and I still have to do a lesson plan for tomorrow..better get on that. One last picture of my proud students...

P.S. for those of you who have never lived and played the Oreo game here is what it looks like..

Nashville in China.

2008-07-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

Look what I found all the way in Jinhua, China!!!

One of my students was wearing this shirt today and I obviously freaked out and took her picture. I told everyone in the class.. "this is my city! This is where I live!!!...well close to where I live. This is where I'm from!" haha It was nice to see that today.

Aside from this exciting discovery today went fairly well. My skirt is already finished and I'm a

waiting the dress' arrival. The skirt turned out very elegant. I'm pretty pumped about sporting that when I go out on the town.. if I ever do go out on the town haha.

We did our last day of ESL Olympics today which I thought was fun, but a little tense at times. Glad thats over with.

I've eaten all of my M&M's I really should have rationed those better... Hindsight right..

I practiced ping pong again today w/ Mr. Wo. He's a really great teacher, I am a very poor student. But I think I've learned a lot already from him so thats nice to think.

For those of you who like those cooked water chestnuts that you find in a lot of stir fry.. this is what it looks like before it's cracked opened. It looks like this tiny little root or a spiky potato. You break of those pointy parts and then bite down on it to crack it open and out comes a water chestnut.

Turns out I don't care for raw water chestnuts just like the cooked ones. Anyway I never knew what they looked like pre-stir fry so now I know, and now you do too! Or maybe you already did and you might find this part of the blog a complete waste of time, maybe this is common knowledge to most people aside from myself haha But... you read this anyway so we're all entertained really..

Today I read this out of Psalms 63:5-8 and I wanted to share it:

"You answer us by giving us victory, and you do wonderful things to save us, people all over the world and across the distant seas trust you. You set the mountains in place by your strength, showing your mighty power. You calm the roar of the seas and the noise of the waves; you calm the uproar of the peoples. The whole world stands in awe of the great things that you have done. Your deeds bring shouts of joy from one end of the earth to the other."

God is in China. I feel his presence here, and I see him everyday! These people are joyfully searching for a savior and they have found him and kept him in quiet still places and now they are shouting his praises and are excited and moved to speak of him. It's a blessing for me to just be close to that kind of devotion.

Dancin' in the streets!

2008-07-21T05:03:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately I have no photos of my evening, but I will tell you all about it! So Sue and I had ESL Olympics today in class which went over really well I think, but what do I know haha.

After dinner Sue and I went with Mr. J to a seamstress to have some clothes made, which is apparently very common over here. I picked out this cute dress and a skirt (shocking right...) hopefully they'll turn out nice but I really dont know. They're going to cost me 280 yuan which is about $40 which I thought was pretty good for a brand new dress and skirt handmade specially for me. Plus I haven't bought anything except that power strip since I've been here so I figured I'd splurge. So if they turn out bad maybe I can give them away to someone, who knows haha.

On our walk home we saw about 40 older women doing this "line dance" in the street to this cool Chinese pop music so we joined in. It was just like being at the Pede! Minus the trashy men and drunks, but including the odd smells and crowded dance floor. But no Emily getting burned so it was not as exciting. Also "Mr. Clean" wasn't there which I can't decide if I was extremely happy about that or extremely disappointed.. you decide.

2008-07-19T04:37:00.001-07:00

Ok so today was an adventure. We visited the Double Dragon Cave, and as we were told several times it is a "4-A" natural attraction, which for you Americans like me who have no clue what that means, is that it is one of the best natural wonders in China as determined by their national park service. YAY!! haha It was very beautiful. To enter the cave we had to lay on our backs in this tiny boat and they pulled us through under this huge rock. Here's a picture of me "and Andy" (I've decided to bring him with me on all my adventures in China) laying in the boat ready to be pulled through the rock, and then there's a video of Sue's boat coming out from the rock. Inside the cave was the second largest waterfall in a cave

in the world! the first is in Panama for those of you who were just asking yourself that.

Then we went into a Taoist Temple, where you are not permitted to take pictures inside for those of you who wanted to see the large statue inside,

you'll have to travel to China for that. But here is the courtyard.

We had a delicious meal in the mountains, adventured through another cave which had "no steps" as the guide told us, turns out it had about 450 steps (thats a rough estimate). But this cave was even

prettier than Double Dragon Cave. The Chinese are all about some dragons, let me tell you! So I have some more pictures of the Cave, and the city of Jinhua from the mountains (very similar to maryville only with about 4.4 million more people living there) but Chinese internet is finicky sometimes.

After the hike Xiao Mei our translator saw it fit for us to have a foot massage, which turned into a full body massage at this really fancy spa. The full body massage co

st a grand total of 50 yuan, which equals to about $7.50, Yes I freaking love China! Here's another picture so Loretta, Sue, Janette, and Maggie enjoying their massage.

After this lovely hour, I went shopping with Xiao Mei (pronounced shaow mae) and we rode a bicycle taxi home which made me think of Michael Dalton, because doesn't he drive one of those things? During this ride Xiao Mei asked me about my "pigeon tattoo" haha this is where i discovered the word for Dove and Pigeon in Chinese are the exact same word.

So that was my Saturday, Church tomorrow and then rest.

2008-07-17T23:25:00.000-07:00

These are the pictures. This is Communion at Church and My bathroom with the shower head and hot water heater over the toilet. (two odd pictures to put beside each other I know!

Jinhuan Week 1

2008-07-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

Ok so apparently "livejournal" does not work in China. I'm not sure why, so my attempts at creating a blog there have failed. So I figured out how to convert Blogger to English, go me! I'm to PC generation, except I'm on a mac..anyway!

I safely arrived in China last Sunday. I spent one night in Shanghi and lugged all our luggage onto a bus that took me to Nanjing, which is the most wonderful city I've ever seen. If you ever visit China I highly recommend a visit to Nanjing. I spent a week training in Nanjing and then traveled by night bus to Jinhuan where I will teach for the rest of July. I've been here teaching for one week and I love it! But I'm sure I'm not that great at it right now. I'm living in a dorm on campus. I've put a picture of the bathroom on here because I wanted you to see that they installed this western style toilet in the shower just for us! I thought that was really nice, and I have greatly appreciated it!

I have seen so many new things here! I wish I could think of everything right here but I will keep all this short for now. I'm also inserting a picture of the church service. We had communion on sunday it made the world seem very small seeing us celebrate so similarly to people halfway around the world.