Beautiful

If you haven't seen this yet. Click it.

It is more than well worth your time.
I may have already posted it, but I'm going to post it again due to the massive amount of truth in it.

You Are Beautiful


Enjoy.

Guess it's time for the big coat...

I woke up Sunday morning to this blinding white being my view. The day before we were playing soccer outside. Grant it, it was cold, but I never imagined this outside. It dropped 3 or 4 inches in one night.

I saw waving and down below were 7 other crazy Americans outside at 7:15 in the morning in fullish snow gear. "It's a snow day!" one yelled, "we're not doing anything today!" I love having teammates who haven't seen snow before. (Well, they've seen it in the mountains, but not like it's not here...it's here!) It's awesome to see the joy and excitement. It's like, Oh yeah, this is how I'm supposed to be enjoying it.


So the snowball match began, revolutionary war style. We didn't stay in lines very long and it became much more active.

Our crazy southern California girls who were taking it all in wanted to be under the tree as someone shook it. It wasn't quite the peaceful snow falling, or the animated flump on their heads but we all enjoyed it.

Who needs a sled when you've got teammates? The run, drag, and release technique worked pretty well. After an hour of me playing (2 hours for them), I said that you HAVE to finish playing in the snow with hot chocolate. That launched into the further idea of breakfast!

With a box of pancake mix, 20 eggs, and lots of vegetables the kitchen was smelling good in no time. What started as my idea and me offering turned into these lovely ladies, (Emily, Courtney, and Kelley) cooking up a storm in my apartment. ... I guess I got a good deal out of it.

The breakfast of champions involved 3 types of eggs and vegetables, pancakes, homemade peanut butter, milk, hot chocolate, M&Ms, and Reeses. (Thanks to our supporters for all the chocolate products mentioned).

After eating to our hearts delight and cleaning up, I sat down at my desk to show some pictures and do some work. Then I heard the banging of shovels.... Oh no I thought.

Turns out not everyone was enjoying the snow day as much as we were. The students had been called and classes assigned to different sections of campus. Students are sent out with shovels and brooms to clean off the snow from the roads and sidewalks. At least this year they have shovels instead of wooden signs.

Happy Snow Day!

Help Someone Call 119!

It's one of those small differences in culture.
When we're in trouble we call 911!
In China they call 119!

Although, it sounds like a satirical play on American culture, I promise it's for real. To help celebrate awareness on November 9 (11/9), students put up their signs in the middle of campus for all to see as they went to class or lunch. Here are a few of those signs.






Although, I think all of the signs are pretty good, this one wins my artistic award for it's detail on the dog. Plus, I like the fact that the word "Firefighter" is in English on the dog's helmet. haha.

Just Another Monday Teaching English in China

Ok... maybe it wasn't "just another Monday" it was Halloween. I told my Monday class the week before to be prepared for next week because there was something special. (Really, I was just hyping it up because they usually come to class flat and I was trying to get them excited.) Except at 7:04 on Monday morning, I had forgotten all about Halloween until another teacher mentioned it during our morning lift time.  "Oh crap!" I yelled as I scrambled to find some sort of costume and candy for my class.

I looked into my closet and what did I see hanging there but the good ole blue, yellow, and red. With my normal dress clothes, a little hair gel, and my teammates glasses, Clark Kent was ready for class that day. Just thought you might enjoy the quick story.

Happy Halloween.

Family/Birthday Lunch

...and there were five.

Today is Sunday. At our fellowship this morning it was Chinese Thanksgiving (why it's the day before Halloween/last Sunday in October - I don't know). They talked about having a thankful heart and what that looks like. So afterwards the 7 of us went out to eat KFC by choice of our Boy G. Since it was Thanksgiving Josh (another new foreign teacher on our team) instated the American tradition of everyone saying one thing they were thankful for.

Different students said things from family to our teachers, to Him, but the one that stuck out to me was one of our new sisters. She joined two days ago! She wasn't even supposed to go to lunch with her other friends who were eating with Josh, but was invited at the last minute. As they talked the Father opened up a door for Josh to share His story. She nodded along intently. By the end of lunch, she said "my roommate and I have been talking about this and we've wanted to do it, but we dont' know how?!" After a class that seemed like forever, Josh and our Boy was able to meet up with her and explain the "birthing" process. "She was His long before we sat down" Josh said. Her and her roommate had another teacher from our org. two years ago and had been considering and thinking about it since.

Today at lunch she sat down and as she started to describe what she was thankful for she just started crying. "I'm just so thanks to G for this new life." She went on to describe how the past year had much more than she anticipated and was really rough.  He has given her a new start and forgiven her and she was gasping for air. That's a thankful heart.

As I sat back at the table and looked around we had 2 foreign teachers and 5 new brothers and sisters that have all been added into the family in the last year. Two of them in the last month. My heart began to wake up to the amazement of the work He is doing and has been doing here. It's the redeemed. It's the Family table of the redeemed. Some who are 20 years old and others who are 2 days old - but 7 highly loved and valued individuals who have nothing but Him and are pretty excited about that.

I'm very excited and thankful for the new team that has come this year. Some of them have got passion and excitement and are expecting bigger things that I could have imagined. It's awesome because as good as last year was, I was trying to make this year like last year, but He's stepped up His game and the branches hang low with fruit. I asked for it but didn't practically expect it. It's a birthday semester. We've celebrated 4 teachers physical birthdays, and at least 3 or 4 students new birthdays. Plus, we've got one and maybe the start of a second pregnancy class going on for all the fetuses that are soon to be born into our Family.  It's not over yet, and we need more Thoughts. This comes after a really rough 2 weeks for all of us and still is in the midst of battle, but births in battle are well worth the pain.

We want ACTS like the past. Numbers added daily... we're asking for it. He wants it. Lets give Him the imagination and ideas He deserves.Thanks for your Support and Love. Look at what He's doing through us...but mainly look at Him.

Die – uh – re – uh

Just a quick clip from the classroom:

This week were talking about “body” and specifically sicknesses. Describing what the words are in English to express, “upset stomach” or “nauseous” or “sore throat” and even things like “hangover” and “twisted ankle.” All important phrases they needs to know when they “go to the doctor” instead of “go to the hospital.”

I had the joy of introducing them to a few words that they use all of the time or need to use but won’t find in a book anywhere. From the title of this blog you can guess it “diarrhea” was one of them. “Snot” was another one as we discussed having a cold.

Last but not least led my male classmates to plug their ears and two of my teammates to show up 10 minutes before my class to “observe” what I was teaching them after I told them the story the night before

Is it slightly awkward for me to teach to my 27 girls and 1 guy in this class? Yes. But if I don’t teach them how to say it… who will? It’s one of those things they have to talk about (even if it’s with other girls, but it’s not going to be in any book or translate very well.)

So I briefly stated, “Girls… once a month there is something that happens only for girls…” I paused to let that translate. “Oh!” The students who had better English turned red first and laughed the hardest. Others slowly caught on and decided to look down at their paper as they couldn’t control their laughter. I explained “’it’s that time of the month’ means that same thing. This is the best way to describe it. If you say this, everyone will know what you’re talking about.”

The first class did well…except for Bonnie.  Bonnie’s English is pretty low and she often forgets to speak in English in class, so when she got it she jumped with excitement then yells it in Chinese over the class… well, there goes saving face. 

Another adventure in China…

After seeing this picture, I realized I need to clean up my handwriting on the board.
It's not usually this bad, I promise.
Plus "have a rest" and "take a rest" are Chinglish phrases we were about to talk about.
I'm not intentionally teaching Chinglish. :)

Quick Thoughts

SO much has happened in the past few weeks and while I try to get pictures and stories caught up, I wanted to leave you with a few quick posts just for kicks.

I cut my hair (just a normal hair cut). Before my new students thought I was 30, afterwards another new set of students guessed I was 18. BIG DIFFERENCE!

I went to Grammars house and surrounding villages for 5 days and learned a lot about Chinese culture, language, and Grammar. It also involved buying a fake gun, riding a moped, stopping to eat peanuts from a field, a good translated conversation, and killing a chicken. (More stories later)

My teammates are awesome and celebrated my birthday in great style. This Friday is Ashley’s, teammate, birthday so we’re trying to do up the last birthday. Video to come soon.

Fun phrases I’ve taught my students in the past few weeks: “diarrhea,” “throw up,” and “that time of the month” (We were covering sicknesses and not feeling well.)

His hand is not provoked by my hand. Rather, my heart is provoked by His heart and my hands, feet, and rest of the body just follow along.