winding down

it seems almost too impossible that we are about to spend our last full day in china.
while it seems like forever since we got our first soaking outside of the airport on our way to our apartment almost three weeks ago, it also feels like just yesterday.
it's been interesting to see how being in china is becoming almost "normal" to us in that as we walk along, we no longer notice old men in traditional rice hats sitting in the doorways of their shops, or the typical chinese fashions that intrigued us two weeks ago, or the homeless people asleep on their baskets on the stairs leading up to a building. . . all of this is second hat to our team now. as this is also true for me, i've made a special effort to continue to notice the people around me. . .and even though it was one of the first activities we did upon our arrival, i've said p*rayers for the people as i've passed them by.
yesterday we had a sweet time of fellowship at a friend's apartment and enjoyed singing and a good message about calling on our daddy when we are attacked by the evil one, and how those attacks are more vicious when we are not close to our daddy. i don't know about the rest of our team, but it was a message that resonated in my heart, and i was very thankful for the reminder of his faithfulness.
after enjoying lunch with our meeting hosts, we left to visit a seminary about an hour outside of guiyang. technically it's a suburb of guiyang, and we passed by a new modern development, sort of a planned city, consisting of mostly governement buildings and associated housing developments for those workers. it was beautiful, and perhaps a vision of future development in china. . . who knows.
the seminary is beautiful, apparently built by some folks from the UK. . .i'm not sure about all of the details. . .many of them came through an interpreter, and sometimes it's hard to follow what is said. . . but the students come primarily from the minority areas and study for three or four years, and then return to their villages. they have to pass an entrance exam to get in, but the tuition is completely paid for, and all the student is responsible for is living expenses. this seminary is government approved, but not regulated, so the truth is being taught, and it's a very exciting place to have seen. we have contact information, so it will be possible to learn more about what is going on there. the facilities are modern and clean, and it looks like great things are being accomplished and taught there!

today, we visited a rehab center for foster parents of children awaiting adoption or those that have physical or developmental issues. three out of five days the center services the less developmentally disabled or "normal" kids, and the other two focus on down's syndrome kids. the primary focus of the center is to provide a place where these kids can come and learn through play, music/movement, art, and group activities, to teach chinese foster parents how to interact with their children, and to provide a fellowship and support network for the foster moms. our team jumped right into action and spread out and loved the children right where they were. from tiny babies to kids who were 11 years old (delayed), we sang songs with movement, we danced/exercised to some praise music (fun!), pretended and played house, peek a boo, or just held the babies while engaging them with smiles and funny noises. then it was back to group time where we all played dress up and sang more songs and had group time. before we knew it, it was time to go home, and after just two and a half hours, their hearts were forever imprinted on ours, and we all came away with bits and pieces of their heartbreaking stories of abandonment, health issues, and how much they are being loved since coming out of the orphanage. it was a place of great hope and wonderful love, and we all wanted to take them home with us. every last one of them. . . and we will, in our hearts.
what a sweet place of unconditional love, of valuing every single on of our daddy's creations, of making each one feel like they are the most important person in the world. extravagant love. our daddy loves each and every one of us just like that. . . may we remember that in our daily lives as we strive to show that kind of extravagant love to others in his name.

kaili: gateway to minorities

we awoke to chinese music piped in to the hallways of our hotel at 8 am on friday, which our american team found an interesting practice. we gathered in the hotel's dining room for a delicious buffet-style breakfast complete with toast (impossible to find in china), butter and jam (also rarities), and COFFEE (our first real coffee since leaving)!! besides eggs and ham, there was also typical chinese food like fried rice, fried noodles, steamed breads filled with bean paste, meat or sugar, and some cookie-like pasteries that look better than they taste. we greeted rebecca with happy birthdays and also celebrated her during our team devo-time.
we hopped on a bus that would take us to a minority village about an hour outside of kaili.
apparently the ladies there are used to outsiders coming because they greeted us at the bus with their handcrafts which they all wanted us to buy. they brought us into their homes where they proceded to push their wares on us. they were sweet and we all made some purchases and becca jones dressed up in their native attire and looked so cute. imagine her surprise as she went to get back on the bus that they wouldn't let her until she paid 10 yuan (about $1.50) for wearing the clothes! we had some good intentional time there which we can elaborate on later. our daddy is helping us make use of every opportunity he is giving us!
back to kaili for the minority marketplace where all the people gather and put out their handicrafts for sale. it's sensory overload, but by the time we left, all the girls had mastered great haggling skills and how to say "too expensive!" in chinese.
afterwards we walked across the street for lunch at a lovely dong restaurant. delicious! it was neat to see their dress and distinctive hairstyle.
next stop, batik factory, where everyone was able to see the batik process and how our daddy is being glorified through this traditional process. we purchased some "heavenly" pieces and are anxious to share them with those of you at home.
we collected all of our purchases and belongings and headed off to the train station for the 3 hour trip back to guiyang. interestingly, train travel is a step below bus travel, so those who can't afford bus tickets take the train. we weren't necessarily on that tight of a budget (a bus ticket costs about $7) but thought the experience would be intersting.
that was an understatement!
the bus station was crowded and smelled of urine. people stood or sat on their bags because seats were being taken up by homeless people, sprawled across seats in slumber. when the intercom announced the pending arrival of the train, there was a pushing and shoving to get to the ticket gate. the ticket taker let us "foreigners" on to the platform ahead of everyone else, which was nice! but it really didn't help much as our tickets were "festival seating." juggling our bags and maneuvering the crowded aisles only added to our "stare quality" and miraculously, some of us found seats. many of the girls made good use of the three hours making friends with curious seatmates, while i sat in a group of five chinese who didn't speak a word of english beyond "hello." one of the couples had a 3 mo old baby, and because chinese put their children in split pants/bare bottoms, experienced a wet three hours as the baby peed on three of the five adults present (i was spared!!).interesting custom.
by the time we left the train station, many of the girls had made some friends, and one is coming to the birthday party we are having for our host at our apartment (yet another excuse to intentionally interact with students and teachers) today (saturday). it was an interesting three hours for us. . . and them! two of our girls were busy teaching a young boy some english and proceded to teach him the "head, shoulders, knees & toes" song complete with motions. . . much to the delight of the passengers around them, based on the applause i heard several rows away.
i love how our team is using every opportunity our daddy gives them to engage and build bridges with their hearts. it's been the best few days, even if we did have rain. . . even though it wasn't what we wanted/needed, it was exactly what the dry river beds needed, and isn't that how our daddy loves us?? oftentimes not giving us what we want, but what we need.
again, sorry about the lack of photos. something we hope to add soon. computers in china don't seem to like us very much!

overboard

thursday morning dawned overcast with some patches of blue skies, so it looked like perhaps this would be the day to try our hand at white water rafting. i say our, but rafting is not really my cup of tea (i like my water chlorinated and i like to see the pretty bottom of the pool, thank you), nor is drowning (not a great swimmer) so i elected to stay back with rebecca, who is in the same boat (ha ha pun not intended!) as me, and we made plans to meet with some students.
everyone piled luggage in our room, we had some team devo-time, and off they went.
rebecca was finishing some reading, and i had finished mine, so i headed off to the internet cafe to catch up with some blogging and grab some emails. morning seems a better time to be in there because it's less crowded, there's less smoking, and you can actually see since at night there are very few lights. AND i actually got a computer with a working keyboard!
linda, one of the students from last year, called and invited us to her home for lunch, something we were hoping would happen. . . not only because linda's mom makes some amazing dumplings, but because we hadn't had much time to hang out with the students one-on-one. hannah, one of linda's best friends, joined us too, and while lunch was being prepared, we talked about their future plans of college, area of study, leaving home, etc. . . chinese teens aren't that much different than american ones!
lunch was served in their living room, and we feasted on a flavorful seaweed soup (one of the best soups i've had since being in china) and dumplings that were served alongside a bowl of very hot spices. i'm still a baby when it comes to spices, but i've actually enjoyed some of the spicier food since we've been here.
after lunch, linda and hannah wanted to help me look for a CD of traditional chinese music, so we prepared to leave and were surprised to find out the rafting group was back. they changed clothes and met us and we all walked to town together, all the while hearing stories of the wild rafting trip.
stories were flying all about, but to sum it up: because of heavy rains of the past several days, the river levels were above normal, making the rafting pretty adventurous at times. added to this were the sticks (not paddles) that each rafter were given. . . not very useful for paddling and navigaing the waves, but helpful for pushing off at low places. at one point in the trip, several of the boats flipped, and three of the group found themselves trapped for a brief time under the boats. scary, but they managed to get to the surface quickly, and even though there were some harrowing times, they all came back chattering excitedly about the trip, laughing and glad they had gone.
we said our goodbyes in huang ping and then left for kaili, about two hours away, where we would spend the night and next day before heading back to guiyang.
rain greeted us as we walked to the bus, and it rained all the way to kaili, but in typical traveling fashion, the hardest rain waited until we got off the bus in kaili, about ten blocks from where we were staying. so there we were, a parade of foreigners (worthy of staring at on a good day), with all of our luggage in tow, slogging to our hotel, stepping through ankle deep puddles and getting uber-soaked. even with lots of luggage, some of the team entertained themselves and everyone else as they raced to be the first to jump in a puddle to splash their american neighbor. the people of kaili have probably never seen people enjoy a soaking rain so much.
we arrived, looking somewhat like drowned rats into the nice lobby, fumbling for our passports as we registered at the desk. the hotel takes care of us registering with the government, as any time you change locales, you must alert the local police.
we dried off, unpacked some of our wet belongings and met downstairs in the hotel dining room for a delicious meal. charlie, one of our HP students from last year, was playing in a basketball tournament in kaili, met us for dinner. his english is really not very good, so it was hard for him to understand the conversation (but then again, with 10 women and one guy besides him at the table, is it that hard to imagine him having a hard time with the flurry of words??). after dinner we headed off to do some shopping and looking around at an underground market. charlie enjoyed defending the girls' honors as he kept the merchants from trying to overcharge them. it was a neat way for him to engage with the girls without being embarrassed at his lack of english skills. it's interesting to see how something like shopping can be used to build relationship!
back to the hotel for some rest, or for many on the team a game of "beans," an addicting new cardgame our team has been introduced to.

lunch with phoebe

overcast skies greeted out wednesday morning, and after team devo-time and breakfast of baoze (little steamed buns with meat or sugar inside), we met some students and went shopping for food and snacks to bring to May's village. May is a miao (prounounced "meow") minority, and one of our students from last year. She was so excited to extend an invitation for all of us to visit her family's home in her village and even more thrilled when we agreed to come.
our first stop was the meat "store," an open air, umbrella covered table with chunks of meat sitting, ready to be purchased. We bought about 5 pounds of pork, which they placed in a plastic bag and handed to us. . . not exactly krogers, but then again, we are in china after all!
from the meat section, we headed to the poulty department, where we selected our chicken from a pen of lively, clucking chickens.
rebecca suggested we name our chicken since with a name perhaps our host family would be less inclined to serve her to us for lunch, so we quickly agreed on phoebe, and watched as the man weighed her, tied her legs together, and then fashioned a quick harness for her out of straw.
the man handed her to one of us, and she looked around at the faces, hoping to see if we could be friends, you know, establish a little guanxi. . . but based on the grimaces from the girls, and her being held at arms length, it didn't look too promising. perhaps i was imagining it, but i think i heard her let out a resigned sigh.

we quickly headed to the bus station where we piled on to two mini busses, and because she was causing a bit of a ruckus, phoebe enjoyed the trip to the village in the trunk. poor phoebe. we it wasn't too long out of HP that our bus was stopped by a military outfit who questioned our driver, took a video of the bus and its passengers and checked the driver's credentials. a few of the people who were standing without seats were ordered off the bus (relax, they weren't any of our people, but a few that the driver had picked up after leaving the station) and we continued on. we were told that because there were "foreigners" on the bus, they had to show us that they are in control of the transportation and won't allow unsafe or overcrowded conditions. it's a wonder anyone likes us foreigners! i felt bad about the people who were forced out. . . about 45 minutes later, we were on the outskirts of may's village, and we walked down a windy, rocky trail through rice and corn fields to may's home. having weedled her way out of her harness, phoebe almost escaped from dan's grasp, but william, one of our chinese friends came to the rescue.
may's parents were busy preparing lunch for us, so we all gathered in her living room and chatted and even played a few games. soon dishes began appearing on the tables, and then we heard that phoebe was outside. . . in a tub of water, being stripped of all things feathery. so much for naming the chicken. she was then washed (with soap!), rinsed, and then the next time we saw her, she was . . . well . . . let's just say she joined us for lunch.
potatoes (amazing and they disappeared quickly), spicy cucumbers, corn, pork & veggies, chicken and corn on the cob in a broth, and some assorted dishes that were good, but so spicy i couldn't eat them and had ingredients not clearly identifiable. but everything was tasty!
after lunch, there was some ceremonial miao singing and celebrating with rice wine. it is customary for them to sing a song of welcome and friendship and share a hollowed out bull's horn of rice wine with their guests. it is then followed by a magenta stamp they put on your cheek (and depending on how much you drink, your chin, your eyelids, your forehead). they were not too insistent, thankfully, on our minors partaking, but the adults honored their hosts (but i am happy to report we were not overstamped!! because you come back to civilization and everyone can tell you've been drinking!!) with a few sips. may, her sister and mother sang to us beautifully.
with the last note still hanging in the air, the heavens opened and a huge, soaking downpour postponed our departure, so some of us played cards while the rest continued to chat. at some point we realized we were either going to have to brave the rain or ask may's parents to host some 20 strangers for the night. we elected to slog through the rain, up the small mountain to our awaiting vans who drove us back to the doorstep of our hotel! such service!
we had dinner around the corner from our hotel without becca, who had been battling strep for over a week and was miserable with a relapse. we brought her back soup, which we had to pay an extra 7 yuan for, since that was the deposit for the bowl and spoon, which we later returned. there are no to-go boxes in china. who knew!?
all in all, our day was better (much better) than phoebe's. other than kathryn's ongoing stomach issues and becca's throat, we have been blessed with good health. other than becca missing dinner, we have all been able to participate in everything. and it's been a true joy rekindling old frienships and building new relationships over the past few days.

rain, rain, go away!

our plans to play basketball with students on the court just outside of our hotel were thwarted by our daddy, who in sympathy for the dry-ish river beds, let the skys loose. i think he figured we'd figure out some way to meet students AND stay dry!
we "set up shop" in the hotel lobby, a poorly lit expanse of space used for little other than collecting dust and a place to park a motor cycle. in the front area near the door are a few couches and a coffee table, so we asked permission to hang out. so we pulled up a few stools and played cards during the heaviest rain. a few students dropped by to stay for a bit, and it was neat to be able to introduce our students to our team.
we broke for some lunch, then were able to get out and about and met our students for some time around town. shopping is always a welcome activity for our girls, but with students along, it's a good opportunity for them to get to know each other without awkward pauses. plus the chinese students love to haggle for our team, so it's a win-win!
we parted ways for dinner and and afterwards headed to the internet cafe with some of the students. there we caught up on some email (and some second hand smoke, but that's another story). upon returning to the hotel, some collapsed after a nice shower, others played cards. unhurried time is the best!

feels like home

monday, even though we didn't leave until 12, was a flurry of semi-panicked activity--packing, laundry, ATMing, getting lunch... sometimes getting 10 people coordinated and out of the house is like herding cats! :) Everyone converged in time, we made our bus and headed off to huang ping.
sadly, the camera does little to capture the beauty of the countryside, and the angry gray clouds didn't help much. and even though we are in china, we can't help but feel at home in the mountains with clouds of mist. . . ahhh. . . there's even the orangey-red clay!! no kidding!
we arrived in huang ping with all of our fillings intact. . . no small miracle after enduring the bumpiest three hours of twisting through the mountains. and best of all, no motion sickness!! apparently, this is a common ailment among asians, because the bus driver passed out little plastic bags to everyone on the bus.
we walked from the bus station to the hotel--basically a parade of foreigners through the major streets of hp with our backpacks and rolling duffles in tow.
we ate dinner at the couch restaurant (we named it for the couches around tables, but the actual name is even funnier. . . go home!) which was just as delicious as we remembered.
after dinner we gathered at the basketball court for dancing, which happens every nite it's not raining. the students we know aren't all about dancing in the square because they say it's an old person's activity, but our team loved it! it's almost like jane fonda, chinese style. people spread out all over the court, music plays, and there's an understood pattern of moves that goes with it. it wasn't too hard for our girls to catch on (i was a different story, let me tell you! dancing is NOT one of my gifts!!) and they danced until it was over. we met several students there to sit and hang out, and it was nice to have a relaxed atmosphere to make introductions and chat.

for dan, chelsey and i, this was like coming home. . .

day of rest

just as our daddy designed, sunday was a sweet day of rest. our team was responsible for all aspects of our sunday morning activities, so we divided everything up and all took part. bethany began with a call from a passage in the book, kathryn and molly (now affectionately known as mao mi--chinese word for "cat" and mao li--the chinese childrens' rendition of molly) led us in songs. chelsey led in a time of group thinking, i taught (completely out of my comfort zone, but once i let go, daddy gave me just the right words... it was about reaching up and reaching out, the essence of across centered life, if you get that). dan and becca cox served the meal and becca jones and bethany prepared something for the children to learn in their own area. afterwards, we all had a potluck lunch, and many lingered until 2. we have met lots of great people throught these times, and one couple in particular have invited us to join them on monday at their organization that places orphans with foster families until they are place with adoptive families.
our hosts left for the afternoon, and we relaxed with a movie. later in the evening, we caught our own bus, managed to get off at the right stop, did a bit of shopping before meeting rebecca, alfreada and amy for dinner. it felt good to be able to do a bit of our own maneuvering!
then it was home and off to bed to be ready for the countryside!
again, will post photos when i am able.
thanks for your patience!

goodbyes are tough

here it is already thursday, and i'm just now getting to saturday!
we had to be at school for the final day earlier than usual, which made all the difference in the world, transportation-wise. we were actually able to find seats and the bus wasn't nearly as crowded!

the classes each met for a 30 minute review session. even though their command of what we've taught them is far from complete, it was amazing to see what they had picked up in such a short time. their eagerness to learn and their willingness to try hard or new things was an encouragement to each of us.

after classtime, we all gathered in the courtyard where a big ceremony was held. each class performend something they had learned during the week. we saw performances of the "family song," a demonstration of action verbs, "head, shoulders, knees & toes," and a color song. all the students performed a song they sang in english, and another group sang the "do re mi" song from the sound of music and "edelweiss" both with adorable hand motions. it was precious!
each class presented five students with a special "star student" award, and each child at the school received a certificate along with a class photo, which they all had us autograph!

saying goodbye was harder than we had imagined. . . our lives intertwined in just five days as their openness and eagerness to learn melted our hearts. it was the same with the teachers, too. after working with them for five days, we had really established some good "guanxi" (relationship). a few of the students walked partway with us to the bus, and parted ways when our paths went in different directions. more hugs, more pictures, more waving, only this time. . . tears. it was so hard letting go.

later that evening, we had the teachers to our apartment for a spaghetti dinner (eaten wiith chopsticks!) which they enjoyed--especially the garlic bread!! we played games until 10 pm and only had one complaint from the tennant below! :)
besides loving and teaching the students, exchanging ideas and encouraging the teachers, the best outcome of the week was establishing and building guanxi with the principal (who also came to dinner and played games!) of the school. we presented her with a modest gift of some school supplies which she greatly appreciated. there is already talk of the chinese volunteer teachers that worked with us coming back to guest teach. it is a beginning. . .
i have pictures, but the usb port is not working on this computer at the internet cafe. perhaps i'll have more luck later.

teaching, drilling, playing, loving, laughing

we began teaching on tuesday and finished on saturday. i don't think anyone on our team has ever experienced a quicker week (or a more exhausing or hot one) in their lives. our days consisted of teaching them playground games like red light/green light (which reinforced their colors), duck duck goose (challenging our squatting skills since chinese people never sit on the ground), a tag game that they LOVED, four square (reinforcing numbers), hokey pokey (body parts and right/left recognition), and lots of other nonsense games that were just fun. they loved every minute of it, even if the concept of "you're out" was completely lost on them. . . they just loved to play.

after 40 minutes of playground time, it was the american teachers (that would be us) who would introduce the day's lessons. we began with introductions (hello, my name is ____, etc), on wednesday, the children learned about family trees (we taught them a song to help them remember) and body parts (they learned "head, shoulders, knees & toes" or what sounded more like "head-ah, shewders, knees and toast"). thursday, they learned about colors and fruits, friday was emotions (when i am tired, i need to rest, etc) and actions (clapping, stomping, running, etc). after their first fourty minutes of class, it was time to break for lunch.

we mostly ordered out, and our food was delivered on a three wheeled motorcycle and the food was served on china dishes (again. must be the norm here). the chinese teachers sat at one table, the americans at another. one day they served us sweet & sour cricket... mean pork. the cricket was an unintentional add on, but we removed it discreetly, and no one had a heart attack. actually, they must be getting used to life in china. . . they didn't bat an eye and ate it! after lunch we had plenty of time to plan for the afternoon or just chill. lunch (and nap) time was 2 hours. oftentimes the children would arrive back to school early just so they could hang out with the teachers. language was a huge barrier as neither side spoke the same language, but it was a sweet time of just hanging out. they got a kick out of teacing us chinese, and our team proved to be eager students!

after lunch, it was the chinese teacher's time to teach. it was really interesting to see their style of teaching. my particular teaching partner must have been a cheerleader in a past life. she was hilarious and had the students chanting their vocabulary words and made up a little cheer song for just about every concept. the kids loved her, and so did i! it's interesting how the chinese teachers were looking to us for direction and teaching techniques. perhaps they didn't know that all we know is how to SPEAK english. 80% of our team had never taught before and those that had are not exactly pros!! it was a sweet time of sharing ideas, pronunciation tips and just good fellowship. i came to really love my team teacher, lilly.

after 40 minutes of chinese teachers teaching the material, there was a short break and the US teachers would reinforce what was learned that day and drill drill drill. even though the students had very little, if any, knowledge of english, they made tremendous progress for five days!!

school was over by 3:30 and the teachers would stay after (each in their own rooms--english in this one, chinese in that) to plan for the next day and then would meet together to exchange ideas. this was serious business for the chinese, and i was really proud of how our students embraced their intensity!

all of this happened during one of the hottest weeks in sw china. the temperatures were near, if not at, 100, and we had no air. water was a huge blessing. i never heard our team complain of the heat, chelsey was out every lunch playing basketball with the boys (in a skirt, mind you), becca played chinese jump rope with a bunch of girls, kathryn and molly took informal chinese from john and his friends, and the rest of the team played games with the kids or relaxed in the office. the heat could not get in the way of making the most of every minute we were together.

i'll post pictures later, and get you up to date on our going away ceremony and our sunday activities.
thanks for your patience, and women ai nimen (we love you in chinese--at least i think that's how you say it plural.) :-)

first day teaching

sorry for the delay in reporting. . . we've had a little computer glitch that has rendered my computer unusable. . . but the good news is the computer is fine, the cord's transformer has been fried by the randomness that is foreign current. even though the cord is dual voltage, we were using a surge protector, and i was using a voltage converter, i'm sad to say our lap of luxury computer is in desperate need of a charged battery. rats. good thing is the desktop computer here is back and running, and while is slow and fairly unreliable, it's our ticket to communication and sure beats going to some sketchy internet cafe.

we hopped on a packed bus for an hour long bus ride, and since it was packed, we stood for much of the time. amazingly they let more people on! we got off at the end of that line only to realize that there was not a connecting bus, so we rode in taxis for about a ten minute ride to the town. we stood around for about a half hour because we didn't know where we were going. and to top it off, there we stood in bright red tshirts, standing out like a neon light saying "illegal foreigners!" we don't have official permission to teach, so the hope is not to draw attention to ourselves. great. basically we're standing in the town square, all dressed alike and just as gringo as the day is long. i tried to channel invisibility, but i don't think it worked. i think it was perhaps us worrying more than our hosts. they were completely relaxed about the whole thing.

the school is right around the corner from an aromatic dump. and the school isn't in much better condition. someone said it is a hundred years old. i think that's the last time it was really cleaned. the classrooms have pitted chalkboards making anything you write illegible, anemic lighting, cramped quarters but amazing little students. they were eager to learn. our team was eager to teach, so it was a super combination. no air, lots of sun and boundless energy added up to a sweaty day but no one complained and it went great.

we celebrated with dinner at pizza hut. to sum it up. . . amazing and we should not have been so unconsciously excited about pizza, but we were and we made it disappear.

pictures tell a million words

okay, so there is a huge line for the computer as i've been wading through the team's photos. it's hard to put our time in the village into words, but you know me, i've really never been short on words. . . 

so actually, i think i'll ask the girls to give me some some imput. . . 

kathryn says, "for me it's really depressing to see the way they live, the area they live in, but it's so encouraging to see how happy they are and how motivated they are to learn and seemingly content in their lifestyle. . ." she is such a smiler and the kids can't get enough of her. the kids played Kat Says (simon says, but the kids call her "kat" or "miow").

molly is surprised at how much she loves teaching and i would add that she looks so at ease with the kids and is interacting so well. the kids love molly (whom they call mullet or some chinese version of that because they can't say her name).

chelsey is very convicted about how worldly she is and how un-worldly they are and how they value the little things. . . even mismatched clothes. they're greatful for everything and satisfied with nothing. . . we are never satisfied.

bethany's first impression of the school was critical with her preconceived notion of what a school should look like. . . "but after teaching the children," she says, "i realized it's not the building or the facilities, but the hearts and souls of those who make up the school." the kids think "beth" or "bess ah nee" is awesome and mobbed her for a group photo.

becca cox is amazed at how willing the kids are to learn. "the simple things in their life like a smile and seeing their pure joy is so different from the kind of interactions in the states."

becca jones (aka "boukie" to the kids) was more of a list maker: disgusting smells, dirty skin, bad facilities, beautiful children, huge smiles, pure happiness.

for me, there's a ton, and i'm almost loathe to begin. one commute standing up most (if not all) of the time, a long walk to school past an aromatic dump (my heart was broken today by the two men whose job it was to shovel it into another container), to a school that is said to be 100years old (probably the last time it was cleaned, too). the bathroom facilities are abysmal and highly unsanitary, the chalkboards are horrible and illegilble. the classrooms are cramped, they only have one rim to the pair of basketball goals, and there are children who can't attend the school who look forlornly over the fence which is topped with broken glass to keep out intruders. but like bethany, it really doesn't matter. we could be teaching in a corn field (which would be easy, because there's one on the other side of the concrete fence) and it would be amazing because school = teachers + students. and our students love their teachers and our teachers LOVE their students. it's been a blast to see our high school girls, who have never taught a day in their lives do amazing work. i am so proud of them.

so enough with the words. 

well, i'm sorry there aren't more pictures. i'll try to download more tomorrow. the internet is being very very picky. so i'll catch you after we all sleep.

a new direction

first thing monday morning we met with a gentleman who heads up an NGO (non governmental organization, which means that they are funded through private donations, many of which come from out of the country) that helps poor villages surrounding guiyang. our hosts have been trying to set up some sort of a teaching situation since the plug was pulled on our plans before we left, so this meeting was an important step to allow us the opportunity to do what we came here to do, and that's teach!

the meeting went well, he met all of us (except dan who left with john on sunday to go to another city to pick up a jeep that john has purchased) and told us a few things to expect.

we'll be teaching in a very poor town (larger than a village, but way smaller than a city, and i know i don't have to educate you on a vocabulary word like "town," a chinese town is more like a small knoxville than a small 50,000 type town in the US. chinese city = millions. guiyang is 3.5 million) where the children speak little (if any) english. more than likely they have studied it for years, but they have had few opportunities to speak it or really learn any kind of conversation skills. we will be using a "full immersion" style of teaching, which basically means we will speak only english. this is a good thing because our chinese skills are limited to "i am an american," "i do not speak chinese," "hello," and "too expensive." . . not extremely helpful phrases in the classroom.

of course once we get there we will have a much better sense of where we're going and how we're going to accomplish our goals. we developed a lesson plan for day one, so we are at least ready to begin classes on tuesday (today). we'll teach from 9 - 12, will break for 1 1/2 hours and will teach until 4. because there is no place suitable for us to stay, we will commute an hour each way. be thinking of our teammates who have motion sickness issues and for the traffic, which could be a thorn in our side each morning.

five days seems like such a little time to do what we came to do, but our daddy has provided this time for us and he will not waste it and the children will blossom unbelieveably in that short time. we will be surprised by the depth of the relationships, but he won't. so please be thinking that we make the most of the time we have with the children, people and authorities of this town.

after the meeting, we ate lunch together, and then we parted company where we stopped at a few DVD stores to pick up some treasures. believe it or not, quality DVDs of just about every title are available for just over $1 each (now you all know what you are getting for gifts! ha ha). the new titles, those not yet released in the states on DVD, are of dubious quality and some feature audience sound effects like coughing or chatting. you may even see someone get up and walk in front of the picture. we stayed away from those. there is a television there that we could test any titles we were wary of. this was an activity similar to many we have dubbed: "only in china." we witnessd the aftermath of an accident, the first we have seen since coming. not exactly newsworthy, but when you know how erratic traffic is around here, it's a wonder there isn't an accident every ten minutes. which is a good thing, because it took them an hour to remove a fender bender. apparently this type of thing really is uncommon, becuase the whole affair raised quite the crowd of onlookers. pedestrian rubbernecking, if you will.

in order to prepare for the week of teaching, we went back to the guest house where we all discussed how and what we would be teaching for the first day. rebecca and i typed up the plans while the team hunkered down for a rare afternoon and evening of doing absolutely nothing but watching movies. a rare treat and one they enjoyed immensely!

we ordered takeout chinese from a little restaurant across the street from our apt, which rebecca facilitated by ordering, but we managed to maneuver from there. from the call from the front desk telling us the delivery man was on his way up (a conjecture on our part since we understand nothing other than ni hao, which means hello), where our meal was presented on platters with dishes on real china. what in the world!!? a confusion over where to set the dishes, how they were trying to communicate what would happen after we were finished (zero understanding on our part) and in frustration, they left and went to the elevator. since we had not paid, i waved money out the door, they produced a receipt, and i think they were pretty relieved to be rid of us until i called back after them wondering about mi fen, or our rice. (i do know enough to be dangerous). more confusion, they left only to arrive after we had finished our meal with a big bamboo bucket of rice with a bag of 7 china rice bowls. we figured they'd come back later for the dishes, but we felt so bad they had to make two trips that we washed everything, and returned our own dishes and three packages of m&ms since they refused a tip. so molly and kathryn hopped across a four lane street with platters and bowls to deposit the clean dishes to a fully confused staff at the restaurant across the street. i can imagine they scratched their head over that exchange, but we hope they enjoyed the m&ms.

life in china would be impossible without someone who can do some translating. we are paralyzed without someone who can intercede on our behalf. if only we realized that this is exactly our daily condition. . . how desperate we really are for our daddy's son. but when we are confident in our own abilities, how quicky we forget our helplessness. may we all remember his mercy and grace!

a day of rest

we enjoyed a relaxing day visiting with friends at our apartment. everyone arrived at about 10 when we had some time to sing, share and break bread. it was a sweet time of fellowship followed by a pot luck. we were in charge of the main course which we prepared as much ahead of time as possible since we have no oven and it would have to be made once our fellowship time was over. we all had a hand in putting it together. . . from shopping at the market (see yesterday) to slicing and dicing the ingredients. . . it was a true group effort. . . and it wasn't bad, either!

we lingered over drinks (we introduced our chinese friends to petro's tea. . . sweet just for a southern flair!) until 3, believe it or not, then decided it was about time to get out and see the olympic exhibit that rebecca, molly, bethany and i heard about on friday. we hopped a bus across town (is it me or is it just crazy that seven of us can ride a bus for $1!?? not each, but TOTAL) just in time to discover that the exhibit had already left to go to the next city. grrrr. we were told on friday that the exhibit would begin on saturday and last three days. oh well, at least we got to see the sign about the exhibit! and the wonderful "chinglish" sign in the mall. . . 

off to the mall to see really expensive chinese stuff. very beautiful mall, but not much that our team would consider buying. let's just say chinese fashion is an oxymoron. we are much more suited to buying stuff from random sidewalk vendors. puppies, rabbits, turtles, tshirts, dvds, watches, phone cards, watermelon, cell phones. . . just about anything can be bought on the side of the road. . . why there was even a rather disinterested lady demonstrating her pipe cleaner--not like you think of pipe cleaner, but a pipe with a wire and a hunk of rag on the end. when you twist the wire, voila, clean pipe! i know, not very exciting. perhaps that was why she seemed disinterested. she just sat there and twisted. so think about the sidewalk vendors. it's amazing to think that these people can make any kind of living, and it seems like such a lonely existence. 

we stopped for coffee at an american coffeehouse. the man who owns it is from indiana and he has lived in china for over five years and enjoys a brisk business of providing tasty coffee and ice cream treats. we can vouch for the tastiness. it was dee-lish!

john took dan and his two youngest children to another city to go pick up a car that he has purchased (after 11 years in china, this is his first car) leaving his two oldest girls with amy and alfreda, his teammates. we spent the day with the girls and marveled at their stamina. they never stopped all day! we ate dinner with a friend who will be going back to the US in the next few weeks. it was neat to visit with her. she was here for the past two years teaching english at the university, but is returning home to help care for her ailing father. . . but not before she attends the olympics. interestingly, the gov't held a ticket lottery for anyone living in the country for more than one year. her number was chosen, but not for the opening ceremonies like she hoped. she'll have a chance to watch the gymnastics. . . for less than $10. for real! she assured me that the foreigners would be paying much more.

being a foreigner in china, while not all that advantageous for getting cheap olympic tickets, is pretty cool when it comes to walking around town. we stopped to watch some servers outside of a restaurant who were dancing to attract business (apparently this is a common practice). we stopped to watch, and WE attracted a crowd! it seems all we have to do is say ni hao, and they'll either begin talking to us in chinese or will try their hand at english. it's amazing how open and friendly everyone is.

so if you're interested, think about the workers. . . the street people. . . the people who are infirm and must sit on the streets and beg. think about the street sweepers (not machines, mind you) and the bus drivers and the people who sit in their streetside shops and wait for business. may their day to day life go from mundane to excited as perhaps they would greet each new day with a newfound purpose. thanks for interceding on their behalf! 

till next time!

so even though we return home each day completely exhausted, there always seems time to pile on my bed and begin the procession of emails and facebooking. they are patient to wait their turn, will shower while they're "in line" and while they wait, laugh and share about the day's exeriences. it's a great way to unwind, and it makes me thankful for a computer. without it our link to home would be nonexistant, and it gives us good team debriefing time while we wait. we even practiced our chinese. our new favorite expression: mama huhu (mamma hoo hoo) which means so-so. it is usually used (by us) out of context, just because we enjoy saying it. and it makes us laugh, but then again, what doesn't? our favorite english expression said by a chinese is: oh my world!! if laughter is good medicine, that we pretty much have the cure for cancer.

thanks for journeying with us. and if you would rather leave a comment by email. . . send one to kimberwidmer@gmail.com. comments are like a waterfall in the desert. highly replenishing and so encouraging! all we ask is that you be mindful of your content when it comes to "higher" issues.

every day is a new discovery!

saturday began for me at about 3 am as i am still struggling with getting enough rest. jetlag is a weird thing! for awhile, the city is quiet, but it won't be long until the honking and sounds of life fill the air. we've enjoyed the panoramic view from our place on the 22nd floor. after downloading photos, posting them and then blogging for awhile, the rest of the house began to wake up and everyone ended up on my bed as they all took turns checking in with the outside world on facebook. we are pretty spoiled here, and it sure helps us feel like we're not so far away. 

between laughing and sharing what was going on back home, we all marvelled at a city of 3.5 million people with the world's loudest and callingest rooster in all of the world. seriously, this guy begins at 4 and doesn't let up until at least 10. that would wear anyone out, but not mr. rooster. he must live on coffee! (which we don't as we haven't been able to find any coffee. but, we do have a lovely french press!!)

after a morning spent "in class" learning about the history and culture of this province, we prepared sandwiches from the bread we got at the superwalmart since we were responsible for the "main course" at a picnic with chinese students. peanut butter and jelly or honey, or if you were really adventurous, pb & banana. won't the chinsese students be surprised!

rebecca and i took becca to the market near our apt to score some supplies for the meal we will prepare on sunday as we are hosting our morning gathering time with friends and will then have a pot luck afterwards. should be interesting. the kitchen has two gas burners and a portable oven thing. i think we found some pasta in the cupboard and we bought chicken, tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic (a ton of garlic!). who knows what we'll come up with!

sandwich making was a success, and we gathered our things for a quick busride (about $1 to transport our team of 7 girls) to the gates of the park. i don't remember the name of it, but it had lots of little chinesey buildings at the base of the mountain and it looked like there were perhaps restaurants. . . but above this was a flat picnic area with stone tables and places to mingle. at one o'clock, friends and students of our team began to arrive, and we enjoyed a feast of sandwiches and the snacks that our chinese friends brought. we snacked on tofu in some sort of soy sauce, lotus root marinating in some sort of battery acid sauce that was so hot i thought my eyes might explode! some bread (which is an interesting snack, especially since it was just some kind of dense, dry roll with no flavor, and nothing to put on it. chinese can't figure out why americans like bread so much, but they don't realize we don't eat it plain, either. oh well, this is what cultural exchange looks like in action!), watermelon, lychee fruit (a first for many on our team) and some small to-go containers of fried rice with the hottest spices sprinkled on top. we all had a great time mingling, snacking and getting to know each other.

we left our picnic supplies behind as we climbed to the top of a small mountain to reach a viewing platform at the top where we enjoyed thr view and had unhurried time to spend with the students. we talked about everything from barack obama to school choice to why chandler had a duck and a chicken on "friends," a show it seems many of the students watch. . . ALOT. we played a game that was awkward and hilarious and every last one of us enjoyed like crazy. 

the rest of the day was spent experiencing some sights and activities that guiyang has to offer. after a dinner at a muslim noodle place (delicious) we managed to navigate the busride home by ourself and came home where we all promptly fell into the couches, exhausted from another very full day.

on a side note, i must say that i am pleasantly pleased, well ecstatic better describes it, over how well each and ever person on our team is acclimating. no complaining, much hilarity, easiness of relating, voyaging outside comfort zones, willingness to engage. . . i can't tell you how blessed i feel to be leading this team. for those of you who are parents represented here, let me tell you that you have raised some pretty incredible women, and they are making my responsibilities here a piece of cake!

rest easy, friends. . . a) you don't have jetlag, and b) your team here is exactly where they are supposed to be and are getting a real sense of why they have been dragged halfway around the world. eyes are opening and seeds are being planted.

and he is happy. i can't imagine why he wouldn't be.

a day of discovery and firsts

this is the center of the city and we were told this is where sacrifices used to be made. of course this is no longer the practice, but it does give one cause to stop and think.

the teams all reconvened at a "hot pepper" restuaurant where we dined on some delicious chinese food. steamed rice was accompanied by an eggplant dish (mmmm), some sort of spinachy business that didn't seem too popular (sorry moms), a hot peppery beef dish that disappeared, some little bean paste dumplings that were AMAZING, some potatoes and a signature dish that our entire group gave the "thumbs down." blecch. couldn't even tell you what was in it, other than hot peppers, not all that curious, considering the name of the restaurant!

besides the obvious food/eating, etc. this was an opprtunity to share about the day's findings and meet new friends. Juliann, a friend from last year's team, joined us for dinner along with her former calligraphy teacher and his wife. he designs beautiful scrolls and did some custom work for us last year, so we will be visiting his studio while we are here. we filled up on food and fellowship and many of us again began to feel the effects of a switched up clock and realized we better get moving again or risk falling asleep in a plate of uneaten spinach.

another big milestone as we acclimate to chinese life is learning the fine art of squatting. chelsey was proud of her skills and the fact that she remembered to bring tissue, as china is a BYOTP kind of country!

we capped off the evening with a trip to guiyang's super walmart, located across the street from the giant mao statue that kathryn high fived (well not really, but we had fun with that!). a sea of chinese crowded every isle of the superstore built completely underground to perserved the integrity of a very popular park aboveground. two beautiful glass pyramids hearald the entrance. we bought things for our picnic. . . hopefully the chinese will enjoy the delicacy of peanut butter and jelly! stay tuned for more from the land we are beginning to love!

Introduction to Guiyang

after a good night's rest, we hit the ground running. well walking is more like it. . . and we walked all over this city! we began with a quick orientation at our apt, then we headed out. our first stop was bank of china to get some cash so we can get around. bus fare is typically 1 yuan, or about 70 cents. then it was on to the police station to register our stay. they were quite pleasant, but it did take about an hour.

all of this made us hungry, and as our tummies are still for the most part on volunteer time, stopping for lunch was a good call. we ate at a japanese ramen place. fancy by most people's standards. food was delicious and the bill came to about 22 yuan a piece or about $3 each. crazy.

digestion + 12 hour time difference = jetlag "hitting the wall" remedied only by getting up and out and hitting the streets for our first planned activity. but first: a little coffee-pick-me-up. we went to a cute little shop where the cashier was excited to use her english. so we invited her to a picnic we are having in the park tomorrow. she seemed excited about the invitiation!

rebecca, amy and alfreda, our "company guides," split us into teams to hit the streets "thinking" specifically for the people and city in general. walking the streets helps us be more creative in the things we think about.

our team encountered the guiyang art museum and we decided to stop in and see how much it cost to go in. interestingly, there is an exhibit beginning on friday and will only last three days. it has some very cool olympic artifacts, and we were told the exhibit was coming from shanghai. only 2 yuan per person to go, so this little unscheduled sidetrack will result in a new activity for us!
in the midst of this very modern city of 3.5 million people (tiny by chinese standards) is a constant juxtaposition of old and new. this is the monument denoting the western gate of the city. it's backdrop is a sea of modern skyscrapers. it was beautiful and such a reminder that we are not in new york or atlanta or chicago, but china. it still seems a bit overwhelming to think that we are here.

Long Travel Day + Safe Arrival

an early wake up time (and for some of us, no sleep prior to at all) for our travel day. everyone arrives on time, if not early. our bags checked (and they didn't even charge extra for the extra bag that was checked!!) and goodbyes said. tears (i'm not gonna lie, they were mine. i couldn't see through my watery eyes to notice who else). waves. through security and there's no turning back.

for one of our travelers, this was and even longer day than for others. . . when you suffer from motion sickness, it can make for a very uncomfortable day. and she had a very uncomfortable, long day. but other than that hitch, we were blessed to arrive where we needed to be and left when we needed to leave and all of our bags arrived undamaged and intact! 26 hours later, we are in china.

and what greeted us in china?? rain! glorious rain! oh, and our team "handlers" for the next three weeks. we had little luck dodging the raindrops as torrents and sheets of the wonderful wet stuff fell on us, and we didn't even complain when we stepped in huge puddles on the way to the van that would take us to our living quarters while we are here in guiyang.

our living conditions here are palatial. . . better than our wildest expectations! we have a huge living and dining area, a full kitchen, two bathrooms (although one has a squatty potty) and three bedrooms. plenty of room for all of us. . . oh, and free wifi!! how about that? so as long as we're here, we should be able to stay in touch. 

tomorrow we'll hit the ground running. do a little banking, eat, explore, get a little team time in and hopefully hit the super wal mart. it's an experience unto itself!

well goodnite from wet, wonderful guiyang.

no sleep for the restless

it is finally here. the weeks of preparation have passed and the hour we leave is quickly approaching. 

sleep eludes me this night, and rather than toss and turn, i turn my attention to getting a few things straightened up, some laundry done, and a few items of correspondence taken care of. almost like nesting.

my bags are packed. our materials are together, our preparations are complete. the moment we have been anticipating for six months is here. . . and i can't quite describe what i'm feeling.

perhaps that is because i'm really trusting. i'm trusting that he's got every detail under control. he has us right in the palm of his hand. it's really comforting to know he is going before us. we leave today for the other side of the globe. . . and while i feel slightly unsettled as my footing is unsure, i know that everything is going to be okay. . . just the way he ordained it.

thank you all for reading, for thinking of us, for lifting up our trip. may we love well and share our hearts winsomely. may we be a blessing to each other and those around us and especially to those we go to serve. thank you for intercessing on our behalf.

再见 (good bye!)

packing

somehow we'll figure out to pack all of the stuff that we're going to need for three weeks without each of us filling four suitcases! yikes. i'm trying to remember that i really don't need much. and it's not like we're going to be able to find stuff there. . .

why is packing so hard?

why is this what wakes us up in the middle of the night? seriously.

what is it about having our stuff that stresses us out?

i'm sure there's a lesson here.

and i'll think about it later. . .

after i finish packing. 

waiting & wondering

well, i find myself in a place where i'm not always comfortable being. it's a time of waiting. . . and wondering. . . 

what exactly will our time in china look like? where will be going? what will we be doing? will there be western toilets? (lame i know, but squatties are so foreign to us, and it's such a luxury, believe it or not!) will we be able to see our students from last year? where will we be staying? is it okay to bring my laptop? will it be safe?

and when will i have answers to these questions?

more than likely, when we go, and when we begin to have our experiences. it's a time of just walking by faith, not by sight. . . gee. . . sound familiar?

he's teaching me lessons even before we leave. just go. . . i have everything under control. . . i have you just where i want you. . . not confident in what you already know, but trusting in what i'm going to teach you. clinging to me. . . not in your abilities and strengths.

i guess i still have a lot to learn.

rickety bridge

well, in the midst of rejoicing over being issued visas, we received some unfortunate news. . . the chinese government has decided that it doesn't want us to conduct the 2nd annual HP cultural exchange.

grrr. it's not like we had spent hours preparing stuff for the two weeks we would be there, but we did have some pretty cool plans. cool english lessons. fun games and teambuilding activities. a dance party with booty shakin', boot-scootin' good music. fun crafts. cardgames. hanging out. dinners in students' homes. the couch restaurant (only the best chinese food in the country!!). 168 stairs every nite to get home. . .

hold on loosely. be flexible. this is what i've told my team repeatedly.

but when i have to put that into practice, i realize how firmly i've been holding on to what we were going to do. i had already hugged our students from last year. i had already sung wo ai ni to the students in a talent show like i promised them i would do last year. i had already walked up and down the streets of HP and imagined how we would "ni hao" everyone on our way to school each morning. right after we would stop for a little bing shway (sorry, it's a phoenetical spelling, not the real deal) and sugar-filled bun for breakfast.

so our plans are changing. but we're still going. and we're still doing what he has called us to go there to do. so really our plans aren't really all that different. we're still going to show what it's like to have his skin. . . and to love in his name.