McGuyver

For everyone who missed out on the late 80’s early 90’s show McGuyver… I’m sorry. For those of you who know it, and know it well, Ma Gai Va (the Chinese version of McGuyver) has been releasing new episodes here at Hua Qiao.  It started as I began Asking that He would make me into a good husband and dad. Last year He did a lot of this through showing me how much He loved me (an area I still have a lot to go in), but this year it’s been more tangible situations.

                I’m on a team with 4 other girls – 4 awesome girls. I greatly appreciate them and their Love for the Father and His work. They do great things and each reflect a different part of His character. But as Ashley wrote in her recent supporter update “last year there were 4 girls, this year there are 4 girls and one guy. Who knew one guy could change so much?! He thinks so much differently than we do.” Haha. This is very true. But in this new process, I feel like He’s helped me and taught me how to be a good dad and husband to my future wife and daughters.

                With housing mix-ups, the girls had to move apartments the first week of school and I was able to help the moving process. I learned a lot about girls “nesting” and “having closure” on a place. I understand it a little bit more. I also learned how much difference getting some closets and dressers can make changing the whole atmosphere (physically and emotionally) of a new apartment that previously has none. I learned why guys say certain things at certain times, and thankfully from other's mistakes I’ve witnessed – I learned when it was best to shut up and just move boxes and lamps. I learned that moving isn’t just the things but the memories that are there and how to help get settled in, we can make new memories, good memories in the new place and quickly. 

                He taught me that to feel at home, it’s gotta have things like home. So we set out and fixed up temporary shower curtains for each of the girls’ bathrooms. We got furniture fixed and moved in. I put up a bath towel rod. I tore down the bath towel rod accidentally. I hung the bath towel rod up again. Then I repeated the process 2 more times.  Not good. Fighting (not yet won) the battle of mold and stink in the bathroom – including cleaning out the drain (which apparently no one had done in the last 5 or 6 or so years), mopping, scrubbing, cleaning and repeating…multiple times. Also trying to homify (to make more homey) my apartment by decorating and bringing in more homey characteristics like lamps instead of overhead lights and paintings or pictures for the walls to kill the white space.

                The top of the cake and the current climax of the season of McGuyver came tonight at Tannah and Ashley’s apartment. Quick recap: because it’s so cold here in the winter time, they came in to add a thick 2 inch layer of insulation to the outside walls. In the process of doing this they had to clear off the walls and everything around it… including the radiator. This wouldn’t have been a big deal had they turned off the water, put a plug in it, or even told the girls what was happening. Instead Ashley walks back into her room this afternoon to find a bucket under this pipe which is now overflowing and many of her clothes on or close to the floor now soaked. They put a dishpan underneath but it fills up about every hour and half and requires dumping. )

                After 2+ hours of working on it, making a call to Tannah’s Dad and then almost calling my Dad at school on the other side of the world, we found a compromising solution. We tried a few many things before this and this is what it came down to.

1)  1) Take a yellow bouncy ball and jam it on the end of the open pipe.

2)  2) Ductape the yellow bouncy ball as tightly as possible onto the end of the pipe.

3)  3) Use a strip of ductape to tie it down like rope.

4)  4) Put a balloon over the whole thing.

5)  5) Put 4 Ziploc baggies over the whole thing.

6)  6) Use the ductape rope again to synch it tight.

7)  7) Put more ductape on it to hold it down and tight.

8)  8) Use a little more ductape to rope it again.

9)  9) Cut a styrofoam cooler (which we stole from the trash pile in another building) down to fit under the pipe.

1010)Add a final piece of ductape to lead the extra dripping water from the back down into the cooler.
 
     Is it stopped? No. Is it still running? Yes. But are Ashley and Tannah going to get to sleep tonight? Yes. Is He awesome? Yes. Do I feel like I’m kind of excited about getting to be a husband and dad one day? Heck yes! Am I tired? Oh yes. Should I go to bed now? Definitely. Do I love you? Of course. Am I done asking myself questions to lead the conversation? Probably for now.

Goodnight and thank you for watching “Ma Gai Va: Espoise 61: The Drippy Radiator Pipe”