Update:

Hey Everyone!  I hope you are all doing well! 

I’ve been back in China for about a month and a half now.  Although it was really hard to leave the family after being home for 2 months, I feel transitioned back into China-life and am ready for the next two years (well, at least most days… haha).  

I haven’t told you about my summer yet, so here it goes…

My Summer Home:

This summer was amazing on so many levels.  First, it was indescribable to be around people who have known me longer than 2 years.  I think what most forget about when someone goes overseas to “work” is that they have to try to fit into an entirely new community.  It’s so much more than just “work” because in order to be effective, they need to learn how to function in this new place with new people surrounding them.

Now, it’s kind of nice in my situation because when you are hired onto our staff, you automatically make 25+ new friends… but these new friends know nothing of your background other than the basics.  It’s like starting from scratch.  At least when you are in your hometown and you meet new friends at  or somewhere else, you already have common ground in that you are from the same area.  Most people here cannot understand my Ohio-country-influenced background.  Granted, I’m blessed to have two other people who grew up in Ohio and also two people who graduated from Cedarville, but even they have not experienced the culture and people of my hometown, CBT, and Camp CHOF… you know, the people and places that have had the biggest impact on shaping who I am today. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love the people here and they are very dear to my heart.  

Anyway, all of that to say, it was nice to be with people who really KNOW me.  

It was also refreshing to be back at my home fellowship.  I have a fellowship that I attend here… and I’m super thankful for it.  It still isn’t the same as going to the fellowship that I have attended since I’ve been born.  It was nice to have a Sunday morning and evening service and also a Wednesday night meeting.  

…really and truly refreshing. 

I also attended a Saturday morning discipleship meeting.  G really used that time to work on some of my attitudes that I’ve been harboring toward people for the past 2 years.  Since being back in China, I haven’t had the same frustrations as I have before.  

If you are reading this, and you are a CBT-er… be thankful for the fellowship you have and attend.  Not that we should worship CBT or the leaders of CBT, but praise G for putting the people there and the ways He is using that place to reach the community and the world!  Not many people are as lucky as you to have a place like CBT… 

I really felt encouraged by those who I have known a lifetime and those who I just met this summer.  Thank you.

Another awesome thing to be home for was to witness the birth of my first niece!!!  I will be eternally grateful to G for timing it in such a way that I could be home!  She’s beautiful… and I already have great plans of her living with me during summers when she’s in high school!!  ;)   I’m also thankful to have spent more time with my sister (in law), who I didn’t really get to spend a whole lot of time with before I left for China.  Praise be to G for providing a wife for my brother who fits right into our family!  I’m so thankful!  

I can’t talk about summer without talking about the beautiful sky.  If you know me, you know I’m enthralled with the sky, specifically clouds.  I couldn’t stop looking at the sky.  I just don’t get that here.  I think I took more pictures of the sky than I did of people.  Haha.

The Return:

As I have mentioned before, it was really rough to leave home this time around… much worse than leaving the first time.  There are many reasons for this:

• It really is true: you don’t know what you have until you lose it.  Not that I’ve lost my family and friends from home, but I guess I just really didn’t realize how integral they are to my daily living.  I miss the little sayings/songs that we have (wherever you go, there you are), the traditions (like Saturday morning breakfast), our closeness, our conversations, and just in general, the fun that we have when we are together.  
• I have a new niece.  I’m so scared she will not recognize me and run away when I do go home for a visit
• My two best friends in China were not returning for another contract.  I wasn’t sure how this year was going to go; I didn’t know where I would fit into the community anymore.
• The uncertainty of what the (distant) future holds.  While I was home, I saw the need just in my hometown and surrounding area.  I had thoughts of various things I could do if I was home so I could still do “work” and also be with my family.  I love, love, love being overseas… but I also love, love, love being home.  I’m not sure what this means, but I was kind of freaking out about it at the end of the summer.

So as all of these things were going through my mind, I had to say my goodbyes.  I was in such an emotional state of stress that if someone were to say “boo” to me, I would bust out in tears.  Those of you who know me know that I don’t crumble down into tears all that often, but it must have been a good solid 2 weeks that I could just sit and sob when thinking about returning for another two years.

Before we went to the airport, we took a pit stop to my brother’s house to say goodbye to him, his wife, and their daughter before he had to go to work.  We stopped at chic-fil-a, picked up breakfast for everyone and went to their house.  I couldn’t even look into their eyes, knowing that if I did, I would break down.  (I’m even starting to tear up, just thinking back about it).  We ate, I was silent, then it was time to go.  I was a mess.

My parents and I get into the car to continue on our drive to the airport.  I remember one moment when I was looking out the window, trying to hold it all in, and my dad says to me, “What are you thinking about?”  He didn’t even get an answer, unless you consider huge, loud sobs as an answer...  

We had gotten to the airport a little early, so we chilled for a little while until it became time for me to go through security.  We kept hugging and saying goodbye early so we it would just be over with and then we could dry the tears, but I kept wanting one more hug… which became a problem because my eyes were all red and puffy when I got into the security line.

Another thing I’m thankful for is the “travel zone” that G gets me into when I’m about to get on a plane.  Waiting to go through security was still hard because my parents were waiting for me to clear security, then I would turn around to give them one last wave, and then they would go.  As soon as I gave my last wave, that “travel zone” instantly settled over me and I was ready to go (“ready to go” as in ready to travel… I still wasn’t completely ready to go back to China).  

My flights went smooth.

I get into Wuhan, find a taxi, he cheats me out of money (my chinese was so out of use that I couldn’t figure out a way to fight with him about it, so I just let it go), I carry my two 50 pound suitcases, a backpack and another carry-on up 4 flights of stairs, then I’m home outside of my door.   My wonderful protection of “travel zone” lifted.  I open the door, step in, instantly fall into tears.  I try to Skype my parents… the internet is broken.  I’m tired, I’m homesick, I can’t sleep, I can’t talk to my family, so I lay on my bed crying and thinking about how I don’t even think I can make it another minute and just want to hop on another plane to go home, until complete wariness took over.  

Fast forward:  It took me a couple days, but I got over the feeling that I wouldn’t last the whole two years of my contract.  I did cry myself to sleep a couple more times and woke up crying, but G is faithful.  He has surrounded me with wonderful co-workers/friends and a fantastic roommate.  

I feel so loved.  Just in this last week, I think I’ve been surprised at least 5 times by some combination of a note and/or treat that was waiting on my desk for me.  If you reading this and you work with me, thank you for the support and encouragement.

The Now:

Whoever said the first year of teaching was going to be hardest was a big ‘ol fibber!  ...or maybe they haven’t taught in a similar situation that I’m in...

This year is by far the hardest year, professionally, for me.  I’ve been given another class to teach which also takes away one of my prep periods.  So this is my schedule in an 8 period day.  Plan period, teach, teach, lunch, teach, teach, teach, plan/Chinese Class (two days a week during this period I have Chinese class; so there are two days a week that I only have one planning period).  This wouldn’t be so bad if I had taught all of the classes before, but two of my classes are new, so I’m trying to figure out what to do in those classes.  

Already my stress level has been at a 10 (on a 0-10 scale), and it’s only been one month of school.  I usually arrive at the school somewhere between 6:45-7 and although we are allowed to leave at 4, I usually stay somewhere between 5-6 everyday.  In other words, I’m usually putting somewhere about 10 hours in at work.  

I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining, although it is probably coming across like that.  I really do like my job and I’m thoroughly enjoying teaching the new subjects I have, it’s just hard because I have the personality that I must have time at home or else I will implode.  

Despite the reality that I have much more work to do than last year, I’ve somehow felt like my life is a bit more balanced.  I’m not really sure how that is happening, but I know I have G to thank for it.  

For the most part, I’ve been able to get to bed at a decent hour and also wake up so I’m not rushing around in the morning (which I absolutely hate).  Would you believe that I wake up by 5 most mornings??  That is definitely not me.  My first year, I’m pretty sure at one point I was waking up 30 minutes before I had to be at the school...  

It seems that G is really working in me recently.  I don’t struggle with quite the same things that I did the past two years.  The meetings we’ve had in our fellowship have meant a lot to me and keep being moved.  Worship, especially has been phenomenal!  

Essentially this year is about shining the light of JC, despite the trials and struggles I’m facing.  I think I’m finally (even if it’s just a little bit) realizing what it means to offer yourself as a living sacrifice.  It’s actually quite a freeing experience.

Okay, so I have some funny/serious and just funny things I’d like to share with you:

My Testimony:

In our fellowship, each Sunday a “member” (we’re not really members, but I’m not really sure what to call us) shares their “testimony” with the fellowship.  This can include many things, like what brought that person to China, what has G been speaking to that person recently, how is G is using that person in the community/what is going on in the lives of the people within the range of that person’s influence... etc.  

I was asked at the end of August to share with the fellowship on the first Sunday in September.  I felt like there were a lot of things that I wanted to share.  I really don’t have a problem sharing my testimony... that is probably the effect of having come accustom to summer camp life... ;)  In my thoughts I was really asking G to just allow me to share my testimony, but He had another plan for me.  I really felt like I needed to share some of my insecurities with the fellowship... definitely not as easy as just talking about my testimony...

Specifically He wanted me to talk about how I am not very confident in my ability as teacher and how He has started helping me get over that by not focusing so much on my teaching but instead setting my focus on Him and His ability.  

Needless to say, I was extremely nervous, and it definitely showed.  My little talk was not eloquent, it probably didn’t seem organized, my voice was probably shaky, and my over exaggerated hand movements were big tip-offs that I was a nervous wreck... but even despite the awfulness of the presentation, it really seems that G used my story to encourage some of the other teachers in the room.  I had quite a few come up to me saying that they feel/felt the same way I do.  I even had a student of mine come up and give me a hug.  What a wonderful example of how G can take a complete failed presentation (or lesson plan, or insert any noun in here) and use it for His glory!!  

I ended my share time by playing “Captivated” by Shawn McDonald.  It’s a great song to get you to set your sights on Him and get to focus off yourself and/or your failures.  

On a completely unrelated note...

FIBA Asia Championship:

So, somehow Wuhan was given the opportunity to host the FIBA Asia Championship Games (basketball).  The winners from these games can go to the olympics, at least that is how I understand it...

Normally, this wouldn’t really mean much to me, but the place where they are holding the tournament is maybe about a 10 minute bike ride from my apartment... 

A bunch of us from the school bought tickets to go to two games on this Wednesday night.  

Yesterday, as I was talking to my sister (in-law), my friend messaged me and asked me to go to a game with her because she got tickets for that afternoon and evening. 

Honestly, the games weren’t that exciting.  I think it was still early in the competition, so we didn’t see any great teams playing each other.  The first game was Korea vs. India, in which India got crushed; the second game was Chinese Taipei vs. Qatar... the poor Qatar team only had 5 players and at one point had to play with 4 players because of an injured player.  I will give them kudos for holding their own though... it wasn’t a complete squashing...

Anyway... all of that was to tell you that the experience of seeing a basketball game was highly entertaining because they play some awesome tunes over the loud speaker in the background.  Some of the tunes were not so surprising, and actually quite normal for a b-ball game, but some of the songs were just plain hysterical.  My roommate and I made a list:

• Battle Hymn of the Republic
• Tarantella
• If You Are Happy and You Know It (in which the audience participated by clapping their noise makers together)
• We Will Rock You
• Some kind of Greek Dance song... I’m pretty sure it was on “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”
• The song that plays a couple notes and you say “Charge!”  ...no one said “Charge!” though, besides my roommate and I
• The typical camp trumpet wake up call... my roommate thinks the name is “rivalry”
• Some kind of Indian song... I felt like I was watching a Bollywood Basketball game... haha
• A song by Usher
• The Mario Theme
• The Imperial March - Star wars
• “Another one bites the dust”
• She’ll be coming around the mountain
• Some British March... I’m pretty sure I played it in band in high school
• Ice Ice Baby
• Where’s the love - BlackEyedPeas
• The Final Countdown
• Everybody Dance Now
• some Madonna song
• the Chicken Dance
• Smoke on the Water
• Bingo was his name-o
• A couple Jay Chou songs (a famous Taiwanese singer)
• the Adams Family song
• and my personal favorite from the day.... “It’s raining men”.  I started singing along with it and when I said, “it’s raining men,” my friend said to me... “no, it’s not!”  haha!!!

The New Wanda Plaza:

We have a new mall about 10-15 minutes from my house by bike.  It's pretty amazing.  My roommate and I went there last weekend for the first time.  It has a Walmart, McDonald's, KFC, Ajisen (a favorite Japanese noodle place of mine), a couple Apple Retail stores, all kinds of other restaurants, AKA tea (a favorite milk tea shop of mine), and coming soon... a STARBUCKS!!!  It really is super nice.  As is usual in China, when something opens up they will have some special things going on... here is what my roommate and I saw when we went to the Wanda Plaza

I'm assuming these bunny things are from a Chinese cartoon show

SpongeBob is famous over here too!

Notice the lack of eyeballs on Mr. Crab

Patrick

The Stupid Steps not made for Foreigners' Legs:

In the pictures below you will see some "stepping tiles" and concrete in between them.  When I first got here, those steps did not have the concrete in between them... and they were truly the bane of my existence!  The steps are spaced really awkwardly for my normal gait.  Well, eventually they decided to put some pebbles in between the steps.... real bad idea.  The pebbles always found their way onto the actual step and made many of us stumble.  

When I came back from this summer, I found that they had put concrete in between the steps... a very good idea.  What makes me chuckle though, is that someone thought it would be a good idea to take those pebbles and place messages in the concrete... take a look:

2011

I'm not sure what this says...

OK

THX

Anyway, if you’ve made it this far, Thanks for reading!!!  Apparently I had a lot to say.