Happy Turkey Week to everyone!! The weather is cooling and winter is beginning to arrive. Well it is still in the 70’s but it feels more like the holiday season and for that I am thankful.
Before I tell you about my Thanksgiving, I must share one gross story with you. So breakfast cereal can be somewhat difficult to find here, and when I find kinds I love I just snatch them up. Last week I was at the supermarket and saw what looked very much like Cheerios. They came in about 6 different colored boxes, so I bought 2 different ones hoping that maybe they were different yummy flavors. WRONG!! When I got home I opened the first box. I tasted it dry and it was very similar to a barbeque flavor. Thinking it might taste better with milk (it seemed like a good idea at the time) I poured some in a bowl. You can use your imagination to figure out how disgusting that was. After dumping the cereal in the trash I opened the other box. I thought to myself, “This can’t possibly any worse than the first box.” Wrong again!! These Cheerios were covered in FISH seasoning!! I think that seafood might possibly be the absolute one thing in this world that never ever needs to be combined with breakfast cereal. But it is common for Chinese people to eat fish for breakfast, so why not combine a food they really love with the first meal of the day. Let’s just say from now on I will be sticking with the imported cereals.
Now on to a more appealing story, I had a wonderful Thanksgiving feast on Saturday night with about 15-20 people, some foreigners and some Chinese. We began the evening by saying one thing that made us most thankful over the past year. I am most thankful for my wonderful parents who have been so supportive and encouraging over the past year as I have traveled so far away from home. I know that God gave me one of the greatest treasures in the world when He blessed me with my amazing mother and father.
At our Thanksgiving dinner, we had all the traditional dishes, including stuffing that someone had mailed from the States. We didn’t have turkey (because you can’t find it here) but we did have chicken and duck, which was very yummy! Some of the people there had never before experienced a thanksgiving meal (being that the pilgrims and Indians didn’t make it to this part of the world) and it was fun to share our holiday and traditions with the Chinese people who came.
I hope you all have a wonderful week with those you love. Remember to tell your family and friends how much they mean to you and enjoy all the blessings we have been given by the One who deserves all our thanks!!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
Just Truckin' Along
Sorry about the delay in updating. I found out that the Chinese government has put a ban on blogspot, so for the past 2 weeks I have been unable to post anything and have tried to find a way around all the mess. Well, there is nothing blogspot can do about it and so I was left with 2 options. Set up a whole new blog, or email all my updates to my mother who can then post them. I really didn’t feel like setting up something new and then having to inform everyone at home about a new blog address. So my wonderful mom agreed to post updates for me every week!! She is so great!!
Ok, so over the past 2 weeks here are the new developments. I spoke with the woman from the orphanage and found out that I will be able to volunteer there on the weekends. I will be going with another group of university students, but I am not sure when I will begin. I must first meet with the head of the orphanage and am waiting to hear from her. I have found that sometimes things take a little longer to get accomplished here and I am learning to go with the flow and practice patience.
Speaking of going with the flow, we have had a change at the university, which will affect my teaching over the next few weeks. One of my group members had to return to Canada and now we are short one teacher. Until a replacement teacher can be found, myself and my other group members will have to pick up her students and possibly teach extra hours. It isn’t a huge deal because her students are learning the exact same material as mine, but it does require some flexibility on the parts of the teachers and administration. They are hoping to find someone within the next 2 weeks, but nothing is guaranteed. So for all of you out there who have ever wanted to teach abroad, now would be a great time to try it!!
Classes just get better and better every week and I love watching the progress my students have made so far. I am amazed at the dedication these students have and I am so proud of them.
I’ll leave you with a funny story. Last week I ran out of coffee beans (which is tragic for me) and had to find a place that sold them. I went to a little coffeehouse that is right off campus and decided it would be the perfect time to practice my Chinese. So I confidently went into the store and thought I knew I all the right words. Except when I got in there I realized I didn’t know the word for coffee beans, only the word for coffee. So I shaped my fingers like a small bean and then began making whirring coffee grinding noises. The sales woman got a real kick out of this and then I realized that there were coffee beans sitting on the counter behind her. So I began pointing to them and said, “Wo yao mai (insert pointing here).” Which means I want to buy ________. But the confusing thing about Chinese is that many words sound the same, you just change the tone and it changes the whole word. Well, buy and sell are the same word (mai) only you change the tone. I was using the wrong tone and kept confusing her, because instead of saying “I want to buy coffee beans.” I was saying, “I want to sell you coffee beans.” She was really kind and patient and after several minutes, she finally understood what I really wanted. Someone once said, “Making mistakes simply means you are learning faster.” If that is true, then I am a whiz at learning and should be fluent by the end of the year!
Ok, so over the past 2 weeks here are the new developments. I spoke with the woman from the orphanage and found out that I will be able to volunteer there on the weekends. I will be going with another group of university students, but I am not sure when I will begin. I must first meet with the head of the orphanage and am waiting to hear from her. I have found that sometimes things take a little longer to get accomplished here and I am learning to go with the flow and practice patience.
Speaking of going with the flow, we have had a change at the university, which will affect my teaching over the next few weeks. One of my group members had to return to Canada and now we are short one teacher. Until a replacement teacher can be found, myself and my other group members will have to pick up her students and possibly teach extra hours. It isn’t a huge deal because her students are learning the exact same material as mine, but it does require some flexibility on the parts of the teachers and administration. They are hoping to find someone within the next 2 weeks, but nothing is guaranteed. So for all of you out there who have ever wanted to teach abroad, now would be a great time to try it!!
Classes just get better and better every week and I love watching the progress my students have made so far. I am amazed at the dedication these students have and I am so proud of them.
I’ll leave you with a funny story. Last week I ran out of coffee beans (which is tragic for me) and had to find a place that sold them. I went to a little coffeehouse that is right off campus and decided it would be the perfect time to practice my Chinese. So I confidently went into the store and thought I knew I all the right words. Except when I got in there I realized I didn’t know the word for coffee beans, only the word for coffee. So I shaped my fingers like a small bean and then began making whirring coffee grinding noises. The sales woman got a real kick out of this and then I realized that there were coffee beans sitting on the counter behind her. So I began pointing to them and said, “Wo yao mai (insert pointing here).” Which means I want to buy ________. But the confusing thing about Chinese is that many words sound the same, you just change the tone and it changes the whole word. Well, buy and sell are the same word (mai) only you change the tone. I was using the wrong tone and kept confusing her, because instead of saying “I want to buy coffee beans.” I was saying, “I want to sell you coffee beans.” She was really kind and patient and after several minutes, she finally understood what I really wanted. Someone once said, “Making mistakes simply means you are learning faster.” If that is true, then I am a whiz at learning and should be fluent by the end of the year!
Monday, October 30, 2006
Blessings, Birthdays, and Dancing
"He who is a believer in Jesus finds enough in his Lord to satisfy him now, and to content him forevermore. Dost thou feel that all thy desires are satisfied in Jesus, and that thou has no want now but to know more of Him, and to have closer fellowship with Him?"
As I read those words of Charles Spurgeon during my morning devotion, I began to realize how deeply my heart was aching for a deeper fellowship and regeneration of my soul. I have been feeling a tiny bit depleted lately in the area of spiritual fellowship and renewal. I thank the Lord every Sunday for the freedom I have to worship here, but there is definitely a gap I feel since everything about the service is in Chinese. I have been listening to my dad's sermons online every week which has definitely fed my spirit, but I needed some refreshment in the area of worship and praise as well. As I began watching the message from last week, I noticed that the time at the bottom of the screen was longer than normal and soon realized that the entire service was online, not just the message. My heart literally did a little flip flop in my chest and I began to get really excited. As I listened to the music and reflected on the words, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit begin to wash over me. After listening to the singing the first time, I thought to myself, "You know you wanna sing along, so do it!" So I started the video over again and just sat in front of the computer and sang along about 3 times with the choir and congregation. The presence of the Lord has been so powerful here at times during my quiet times and I know He is forever with me. It isn't that His love and presence isn't enough, because it certainly is, but since being here I have really begun to realize the importance of fellowship with other believers. God blesses us with friends and family who can be encouragers and pillars of strength during times in our life. Praise Him today and thank Him for the blessings you have been given in friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, the freedom to worship and gather together, and most importantly His Holy Spirit!!
This past week was also great for me in that I got to experience something special about the University. My students told me on Thursday that they were in a dance competition during the weekend and wanted me to come and watch. Dee and I decided to go Saturday night, not really knowing what to expect, and watched as my students competed against other dance teams that are at the university. They had very elaborate costumes and about 15-20 different teams competed against each other. It was a little disheartening to see that the dancing was very western, slightly provocative, and did not include much of the traditional style of Chinese dancing. But it was entertaining nonetheless and the students seemed to have a great time performing.
On Sunday night, I got to spend some time with some of the other foreign teachers as we celebrated Bunny's birthday. Bunny is my language teacher, and her boyfriend arranged for all her students to get together at a restaurant to celebrate her 26th birthday. It was so much fun and was a great way to start the week. We all agreed at the end of the night that we shouldn't always wait for a special occassion to hang out and will hopefully get together more often in the future.
As I read those words of Charles Spurgeon during my morning devotion, I began to realize how deeply my heart was aching for a deeper fellowship and regeneration of my soul. I have been feeling a tiny bit depleted lately in the area of spiritual fellowship and renewal. I thank the Lord every Sunday for the freedom I have to worship here, but there is definitely a gap I feel since everything about the service is in Chinese. I have been listening to my dad's sermons online every week which has definitely fed my spirit, but I needed some refreshment in the area of worship and praise as well. As I began watching the message from last week, I noticed that the time at the bottom of the screen was longer than normal and soon realized that the entire service was online, not just the message. My heart literally did a little flip flop in my chest and I began to get really excited. As I listened to the music and reflected on the words, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit begin to wash over me. After listening to the singing the first time, I thought to myself, "You know you wanna sing along, so do it!" So I started the video over again and just sat in front of the computer and sang along about 3 times with the choir and congregation. The presence of the Lord has been so powerful here at times during my quiet times and I know He is forever with me. It isn't that His love and presence isn't enough, because it certainly is, but since being here I have really begun to realize the importance of fellowship with other believers. God blesses us with friends and family who can be encouragers and pillars of strength during times in our life. Praise Him today and thank Him for the blessings you have been given in friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, the freedom to worship and gather together, and most importantly His Holy Spirit!!
This past week was also great for me in that I got to experience something special about the University. My students told me on Thursday that they were in a dance competition during the weekend and wanted me to come and watch. Dee and I decided to go Saturday night, not really knowing what to expect, and watched as my students competed against other dance teams that are at the university. They had very elaborate costumes and about 15-20 different teams competed against each other. It was a little disheartening to see that the dancing was very western, slightly provocative, and did not include much of the traditional style of Chinese dancing. But it was entertaining nonetheless and the students seemed to have a great time performing.
On Sunday night, I got to spend some time with some of the other foreign teachers as we celebrated Bunny's birthday. Bunny is my language teacher, and her boyfriend arranged for all her students to get together at a restaurant to celebrate her 26th birthday. It was so much fun and was a great way to start the week. We all agreed at the end of the night that we shouldn't always wait for a special occassion to hang out and will hopefully get together more often in the future.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Blue Skies Smiling At Me
"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it."
How true of a statement that is and so appropriate for the weather here. It is still very hot and has only rained once or twice in the past 2 months. It averages about 85-90 degrees most days but will dip down to the 70's once November hits. Some days I long for cooler weather, but then realize I am only kidding myself and really do enjoy living in a sauna!
So onto what has happened over the past week. I went to World Vision on Friday and met with 2 people who are facilitators for the orphanage. I was able to learn a lot about what they do and was also able to communicate to them my desire to volunteer. I know that they do allow volunteers because there are some university students who help with the children occassionally. However, the fact that I am an American may hinder me from pursuing this any further. They said they would have to check with the supervisor and get back to me later. I am anxious to hear from them but have no worries about the outcome. I am confident in the Lord with this opportunity and simply place my trust in Him.
On Saturday, Dee and I met a new friend, Sarah, and had dinner at her apartment. She is someone who we met through a mutual friend and she called me last week to see if we wanted to visit with her on Saturday. When we got to her apartment, there were 3 other girls there and later her husband came home. The 7 of us had a wonderful dinner and spent a couple of hours getting to know each other and just chatting about different things. They all spoke at least a little English, which made communicating very easy, and they even helped us with our Chinese. It was so much fun and wonderful to finally make friends and have something to do off-campus. Finally meeting people and making friends makes living here seem a little more permanent. My prayer request for this week is that opportunities to further this friendship will be abundant. I also pray for an ear to hear and the words to speak when the time is right.
How true of a statement that is and so appropriate for the weather here. It is still very hot and has only rained once or twice in the past 2 months. It averages about 85-90 degrees most days but will dip down to the 70's once November hits. Some days I long for cooler weather, but then realize I am only kidding myself and really do enjoy living in a sauna!
So onto what has happened over the past week. I went to World Vision on Friday and met with 2 people who are facilitators for the orphanage. I was able to learn a lot about what they do and was also able to communicate to them my desire to volunteer. I know that they do allow volunteers because there are some university students who help with the children occassionally. However, the fact that I am an American may hinder me from pursuing this any further. They said they would have to check with the supervisor and get back to me later. I am anxious to hear from them but have no worries about the outcome. I am confident in the Lord with this opportunity and simply place my trust in Him.
On Saturday, Dee and I met a new friend, Sarah, and had dinner at her apartment. She is someone who we met through a mutual friend and she called me last week to see if we wanted to visit with her on Saturday. When we got to her apartment, there were 3 other girls there and later her husband came home. The 7 of us had a wonderful dinner and spent a couple of hours getting to know each other and just chatting about different things. They all spoke at least a little English, which made communicating very easy, and they even helped us with our Chinese. It was so much fun and wonderful to finally make friends and have something to do off-campus. Finally meeting people and making friends makes living here seem a little more permanent. My prayer request for this week is that opportunities to further this friendship will be abundant. I also pray for an ear to hear and the words to speak when the time is right.
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