Sorry it's taken so long to finish my posts on China, I don't know where these past two weeks went! Many days were spent shopping for a new wardrobe since I now have to wear business suits to work everyday. And all of my cute open toe shoes now have to sit in the back of the closet collecting dust.
The last time I was a full-time employee was August 16, 2007. Tomorrow my unemployment ends. I don't really know how I feel about it. I am mostly in shock that the time flew by so quickly. Today was wonderfully relaxing, what a perfect way to end my temporary retirement! My friend Elena, whom I went on the cross country road trip with last September, is in town this week for a wedding and we met up for lunch around noon, and ended up chatting for over 6 hours! Today was the first time we'd seen each other since we parted ways in Phoenix after the road trip. I am so blessed to have a sister like Elena in my life. Even though we don't keep in touch on a regular basis, since she lives in Kansas City, it is always an encouragement to me when we do talk or send each other emails. We spent the afternoon catching up on what God's been teaching us and showing us in our lives, encouraging each other on things that we are trying to work on, discussing things that we aren't sure of. I was especially blessed by how similar our perspectives are; it's really nice to have someone who not only understands what I'm going through but also has received a lot of the same revelations from the Lord. She told me that she had a dream about us, and it was totally from God and so encouraging. She reminds me that I am not crazy for the things that I think and the things that I do :)
Well, tomorrow I will need to change the title of this blog. I am proud to be one of the last people among my friends with a non-baby-related blog. Stay tuned!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
China Missions 2008 - Bike Ride
Day 8 we took a three-hour bike ride into the countryside near campus. We rented bikes for 1 RMB (which is like 15 cents), but of course these were not high-quality bikes. The chains on several fell off and had to be fixed along the way. I was a bit nervous about riding on the dirt roads, but it turned out fine. It was a great workout and the guys helped us with the difficult areas (like lifting the bikes across the railroad tracks, going up a very steep hill, etc). For the most part, it was a relaxing, beautiful and scenic ride! It was fun attempting the very steep hill. We all lined up behind each other, and one at a time, peddled like crazy to get some momentum going before hitting the hill, and out of 20 of us, only 2 guys made it. It was hard!
Getting ready to start our bike ride
Crossing the railroad tracks to the country side
We found an abandoned house and took some fun pictures :)
Aww... don't they look cute?
After the bike ride, we showered and got ready for dinner. I only ate a tiny bit for dinner because Rita was taking me out for hotpot. It was good, but very different from how we eat hotpot in Taiwan. All the food is on 'sticks' and you go and pick them out and put them on a tray. For example, a stick will have 3 fish balls or a piece of leafy vegetable, which is weird to me, haha. But we had a wonderful time, we ended up eating and chatting for over two hours! Over dinner I had the opportunity to share with her about Christianity in general and some of my own personal experiences. It was really awesome. Later that night, a bunch of us hung out in the hallway before going to bed.
Alicen and Clerise, they're both in high school
Justin and Brett, they're in college
Me with Ming and Courtney, they're both in college, yes I felt a little bit old :)
Brandon and John with our new friend Bond
Me and Bond, he's a very intelligent and thoughtful person. We had a couple of really good conversations in the hallway. And no, we did not plan to wear blue striped shirts that day and I didn't even realize it until after we took the picture.
Getting ready to start our bike ride
Crossing the railroad tracks to the country side
We found an abandoned house and took some fun pictures :)
Aww... don't they look cute?
After the bike ride, we showered and got ready for dinner. I only ate a tiny bit for dinner because Rita was taking me out for hotpot. It was good, but very different from how we eat hotpot in Taiwan. All the food is on 'sticks' and you go and pick them out and put them on a tray. For example, a stick will have 3 fish balls or a piece of leafy vegetable, which is weird to me, haha. But we had a wonderful time, we ended up eating and chatting for over two hours! Over dinner I had the opportunity to share with her about Christianity in general and some of my own personal experiences. It was really awesome. Later that night, a bunch of us hung out in the hallway before going to bed.
Alicen and Clerise, they're both in high school
Justin and Brett, they're in college
Me with Ming and Courtney, they're both in college, yes I felt a little bit old :)
Brandon and John with our new friend Bond
Me and Bond, he's a very intelligent and thoughtful person. We had a couple of really good conversations in the hallway. And no, we did not plan to wear blue striped shirts that day and I didn't even realize it until after we took the picture.
China Missions 2008 - Church, Karaoke, Ice Cream
Day 7 a few of us went to the Three-Self Church near campus to see what the service was like. The songs they sang during praise and worship were in English and were songs that we'd sing in contemporary churches here, to which I was pleasantly surprised. The message preached was in Chinese, and was 'for real'. The sister taught on what it means to be set apart for Christ and how to live a life that is different from the rest of the world.
Isn't the church building beautiful? It looks like a castle!
I love having drums during worship :)
Seeing so many Chinese students there was really encouraging
The choir presented a song
After lunch, we met up with our new friends who took us to a karaoke place near the school! We had nearly 30 people in our group, and we had to take separate cabs to get there. It was a scary ride. It's like there are no driving laws in China! At one point we were driving towards oncoming traffic! We had an awesome time at karaoke.
Didn't realize the Backstreet Boys were still popular....
Me singing a Jay Chou song, I was so happy .... hahahahaha!
I have no idea what song everyone was swaying to....
Kevin and Nancy singing a Chinese song
After dinner, we attended a church service for foreigners, and we met in a classroom. They asked people on our team to lead worship. It was great to be a part of a group who are so full of energy and passion in worshiping God!
It was an action-packed evening; after the church service, we headed over to the ice cream social held by the school. The place was packed with students, there was music and lots of dancing. A few of our boys started a mosh pit, and the Chinese students picked it up right away. We did the YMCA (never thought I'd do it again after high school), the students all did this bunny hop / congo line dance, and my friend Rita taught me the slow-three step. At one point, the most hilarious thing happened. During the slow songs, the Chinese students were asking the foreigners (us) to dance. So a couple of guys came up to me and asked me if I'd like to dance. I said sure, thinking one of them was asking me to dance. Then they led me to one of the men in our group! Bethany's dad! We looked at each other and laughed. Apparently, they thought I was a student and were trying to find someone to dance with Bethany's dad!
The students really like to dance! One of our guys Wesley is up on stage too!
After the ice cream social, Rita took me out for shaved ice with fruits. We walked around campus and chatted while we ate. It was so tasty but it got really cold! The time went by fast, and we had to get back to our dorms before curfew, but Rita promised to take me outside the school gates for dinner the next evening. Although I was exhausted from the eventful day, I was excited to stay up another couple of hours to hang out with the students on our floor! I miss them.
Isn't the church building beautiful? It looks like a castle!
I love having drums during worship :)
Seeing so many Chinese students there was really encouraging
The choir presented a song
After lunch, we met up with our new friends who took us to a karaoke place near the school! We had nearly 30 people in our group, and we had to take separate cabs to get there. It was a scary ride. It's like there are no driving laws in China! At one point we were driving towards oncoming traffic! We had an awesome time at karaoke.
Didn't realize the Backstreet Boys were still popular....
Me singing a Jay Chou song, I was so happy .... hahahahaha!
I have no idea what song everyone was swaying to....
Kevin and Nancy singing a Chinese song
After dinner, we attended a church service for foreigners, and we met in a classroom. They asked people on our team to lead worship. It was great to be a part of a group who are so full of energy and passion in worshiping God!
It was an action-packed evening; after the church service, we headed over to the ice cream social held by the school. The place was packed with students, there was music and lots of dancing. A few of our boys started a mosh pit, and the Chinese students picked it up right away. We did the YMCA (never thought I'd do it again after high school), the students all did this bunny hop / congo line dance, and my friend Rita taught me the slow-three step. At one point, the most hilarious thing happened. During the slow songs, the Chinese students were asking the foreigners (us) to dance. So a couple of guys came up to me and asked me if I'd like to dance. I said sure, thinking one of them was asking me to dance. Then they led me to one of the men in our group! Bethany's dad! We looked at each other and laughed. Apparently, they thought I was a student and were trying to find someone to dance with Bethany's dad!
The students really like to dance! One of our guys Wesley is up on stage too!
After the ice cream social, Rita took me out for shaved ice with fruits. We walked around campus and chatted while we ate. It was so tasty but it got really cold! The time went by fast, and we had to get back to our dorms before curfew, but Rita promised to take me outside the school gates for dinner the next evening. Although I was exhausted from the eventful day, I was excited to stay up another couple of hours to hang out with the students on our floor! I miss them.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
China Missions 2008 - Orphanage, Graduation
On Day 6 we visited a nearby orphanage in the morning to spend some time with the kids. They are so precious. We were all a little shy in the beginning, and then this boy came by with this big balloon shaped like a bat and starting hitting Brett with it. That was the ice breaker. It was hilarious.
We were told that we could not share our faith with the kids. So I was shocked when the girl I was talking to asked me if I was a Christian! I said yes, and asked if she was. She replied that all the kids were! Praise God. I found out that the orphanage was established by an American woman, she and many of the 'aunts' who take care of the kids there are believers. So they would have time to worship and study the Word together with the kids. The girl I was talking to showed me her room, and even though I can barely pray in Chinese, I forced myself to ask her if she had any prayer requests. When would I ever get the chance again? Our girls had a great time playing with the kids. They're very well taken care of and seem really happy and healthy!
Anna can blend in with any age group :)
Kids lining up for instructions
Kids picking out gifts that we brought
During this trip, I think I realized that I don't have the maternal instincts that most girls have. Like, I don't have the natural ability to play games with kids. I am afraid of picking up or holding babies. They're cute and I like playing with them when someone else is holding them, but I don't really know what to do with them. LOL, I wondered if there's something wrong with me. I think I feel more drawn to high school and college kids.
Later that afternoon, we got ready for the graduation ceremony, which we were invited to. They really treated us like VIP guests, we had front row seats on the field! We felt so honored and blessed by the school's hospitality, they even announced our delegation and had us stand up at the beginning of the ceremony to introduce who we were! As we were walking onto the field, with the band playing music, I was reminded of my own graduation. My graduation experience was a bit peculiar, in that I had been in a car accident a few days prior and was bruised, had about 30 stitches in my forehead and a fractured nose. I went anyway because I didn't want to miss my own graduation, but I was definitely not 100% there. So it kind of dawned on me, that this is almost like 'another chance' at experiencing a college graduation. Even though it wasn't MY graduation, I still was able to take part in it and appreciate the speeches and grandeur of it all. All of a sudden, I felt like God was giving back to me what I had 'lost' in the past, either based on circumstances or my own bad decisions. This is just more of a personal thing, irrelevant to the purpose of the missions trip, but it was like an added bonus that He decided to give me that I totally did not expect! My college experience, especially my freshman year, was not what I'd call a 'typical' experience. My first year of college, I was assigned on a floor with 3 rooms that no one knew existed. So I did not have the typical 'hanging out in each other's rooms' or 'meeting people on my floor in the lounge or hallway'. Living in the dorm on campus made me feel like I was in college again, meeting new people, hanging out in the rec room or in the hallways, walking around campus and seeing kids going to class or playing sports. I know it sounds silly and is not really a bit deal, but it means a lot to me that He gave me these few days to experience what I never could have experienced because I couldn't go back in time. Likewise, I went to week-long Chinese summer camp a couple of times when I was a teenager, both of which left me with somewhat painful memories. At certain points during this trip, I felt like I was at summer camp, but without the unnecessary drama created by immature teenagers. I never thought these circumstances (graduation, college and summer camp) would or could ever be re-created in my life, and just accepted the fact that there were a few sad moments in my life. And now that I'm 27, God does the impossible and chooses to use this once-in-a-lifetime-situation to grant me another chance to get a glimpse of these experiences, but only with memories that bring a smile to my face and warmth into my heart. He didn't have to do it, it was in the past and I'd already let it go. But it's like He redeemed what I had lost in the past, just because He cared.
Later in the evening, while hanging out in the hallway before bed, a couple of us were able to share our faith with some of the guys on our floor. It was an amazing experience, orchestrated and led by the Holy Spirit. Even with our non-fluent Chinese, God was able to get our words through to the students by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We were told that we could not share our faith with the kids. So I was shocked when the girl I was talking to asked me if I was a Christian! I said yes, and asked if she was. She replied that all the kids were! Praise God. I found out that the orphanage was established by an American woman, she and many of the 'aunts' who take care of the kids there are believers. So they would have time to worship and study the Word together with the kids. The girl I was talking to showed me her room, and even though I can barely pray in Chinese, I forced myself to ask her if she had any prayer requests. When would I ever get the chance again? Our girls had a great time playing with the kids. They're very well taken care of and seem really happy and healthy!
Anna can blend in with any age group :)
Kids lining up for instructions
Kids picking out gifts that we brought
During this trip, I think I realized that I don't have the maternal instincts that most girls have. Like, I don't have the natural ability to play games with kids. I am afraid of picking up or holding babies. They're cute and I like playing with them when someone else is holding them, but I don't really know what to do with them. LOL, I wondered if there's something wrong with me. I think I feel more drawn to high school and college kids.
Later that afternoon, we got ready for the graduation ceremony, which we were invited to. They really treated us like VIP guests, we had front row seats on the field! We felt so honored and blessed by the school's hospitality, they even announced our delegation and had us stand up at the beginning of the ceremony to introduce who we were! As we were walking onto the field, with the band playing music, I was reminded of my own graduation. My graduation experience was a bit peculiar, in that I had been in a car accident a few days prior and was bruised, had about 30 stitches in my forehead and a fractured nose. I went anyway because I didn't want to miss my own graduation, but I was definitely not 100% there. So it kind of dawned on me, that this is almost like 'another chance' at experiencing a college graduation. Even though it wasn't MY graduation, I still was able to take part in it and appreciate the speeches and grandeur of it all. All of a sudden, I felt like God was giving back to me what I had 'lost' in the past, either based on circumstances or my own bad decisions. This is just more of a personal thing, irrelevant to the purpose of the missions trip, but it was like an added bonus that He decided to give me that I totally did not expect! My college experience, especially my freshman year, was not what I'd call a 'typical' experience. My first year of college, I was assigned on a floor with 3 rooms that no one knew existed. So I did not have the typical 'hanging out in each other's rooms' or 'meeting people on my floor in the lounge or hallway'. Living in the dorm on campus made me feel like I was in college again, meeting new people, hanging out in the rec room or in the hallways, walking around campus and seeing kids going to class or playing sports. I know it sounds silly and is not really a bit deal, but it means a lot to me that He gave me these few days to experience what I never could have experienced because I couldn't go back in time. Likewise, I went to week-long Chinese summer camp a couple of times when I was a teenager, both of which left me with somewhat painful memories. At certain points during this trip, I felt like I was at summer camp, but without the unnecessary drama created by immature teenagers. I never thought these circumstances (graduation, college and summer camp) would or could ever be re-created in my life, and just accepted the fact that there were a few sad moments in my life. And now that I'm 27, God does the impossible and chooses to use this once-in-a-lifetime-situation to grant me another chance to get a glimpse of these experiences, but only with memories that bring a smile to my face and warmth into my heart. He didn't have to do it, it was in the past and I'd already let it go. But it's like He redeemed what I had lost in the past, just because He cared.
Later in the evening, while hanging out in the hallway before bed, a couple of us were able to share our faith with some of the guys on our floor. It was an amazing experience, orchestrated and led by the Holy Spirit. Even with our non-fluent Chinese, God was able to get our words through to the students by the power of the Holy Spirit.
China Missions 2008 - Aside on Food
So at the school we basically ate the same thing everyday. It was buffet style, semi-Chinese, semi-Western style food. For breakfast we'd have eggs, sometimes hard boiled, sometimes scrambled, sometimes fried; oil sticks 油條 but they were soft instead of crunchy; ham; bread; this asian hot pocket thing. For lunch and dinner, we'd have some combination of cauliflower, mashed potatoes, meat and our favorite, fries. The funniest thing is that the lighting in the cafeteria was so bad that we couldn't see what was being served in the buffet line. I was okay with the food but a lot of people really did not like it. And they were especially not used to eating Chinese food every day. I never really thought about it, but Americans eat different cuisines every day because there is no 'American' cuisine, perhaps except hamburgers and steaks. But since I'd grown up eating Chinese every day, it wasn't so bad for me. Oh, and I've noticed that at the school, and everywhere else I went in China, watermelon was served in almost every meal. Chinese people love their watermelons! We started eating less at the meals as we realized that the food was the same every day, and we began to fill up on our favorite ice cream bars, Magnum! I think we ate up the store's entire inventory of Magnum bars by the time we left. The *most* interesting thing I came across food-related in China is probably corn juice. You'd expect it to be cold since it's juice and it comes in a glass, but nope, it's warm and tastes like sweet corn soup. Very strange.
The buffet line for breakfast
This was the best meal here at the school, we actually got steak instead of the buffet stuff! It doesn't look as appetizing in the picture, but we were *very* satisfied.
We sat at 3 of these long tables for most of our meals at the school.
The buffet line for breakfast
This was the best meal here at the school, we actually got steak instead of the buffet stuff! It doesn't look as appetizing in the picture, but we were *very* satisfied.
We sat at 3 of these long tables for most of our meals at the school.
China Missions 2008 - Hospital Trip
On Day 5 we spent the day at a nearby hospital founded by a Christian couple from America to provide free care to orphans. They had just opened the previous week and still needed a lot of help cleaning and setting things up. Some of our guys helped with cabinets and furniture. Another group of us were cleaning in the OR. Our medical professionals went to see the babies and toddlers. I was pulled out from the OR to help translate care instructions to the doctor and attendants for each child. The kids were taken from various orphanages to either get operated on or regain their strength at the hospital. It was such a sad but eye opening experience. We see so many pictures of malnourished and disabled children that I feel like I am jaded to these things, but seeing the babies in person and watching their expressions, looking into their eyes as people were caring for them, it's a different experience. Just thinking about the fact that they will grow up with no parents and with these disabilities, some very severe, I felt ashamed of how spoiled and ungrateful I am and that I take so many things for granted. But it was truly a blessing to see that there are people who have the compassion and love to care for these children.
Two of our language partners came on the hospital trip with us. They were just standing by themselves at one point when we were taking a break, and I thought, there's an opportunity, go talk to the students! The only downside with my chatting with the Chinese students in a group setting is that, once they realize that I speak Chinese, they just start talking to me in Chinese even though they can speak some English. I try to get them to speak English so that other people from our group can be included in the conversation but it doesn't always work unless they're English majors. It's interesting because as I started meeting and talking to the students, I realized that it was an advantage that I was traveling with foreigners because otherwise, I'd just blend in with the college kids. It was easier for me to stand out as the 'Chinese girl with a bunch of foreigners' since I didn't have the advantage of looking like a foreigner. Their first impression of me is usually that I am a student at the school and I'm acting as translator for this group of foreigners. So when they realize that I'm actually from America but that I can speak Chinese, and that I am *way* older than they think I am, they're really surprised and it sparks some curiosity and helps to start conversations!
Cleaning the OR
So by the end of the hospital trip, I had a few opportunities to chat with Kevin and James, our new friends, and we invited them to hang out with us at the track after dinner, along with some other students that our high school kids had met the night before out on the track. What's really cool is that not only did Kevin and James show up, but they brought a few of their friends too! A bunch of us headed to the recreation room and played ping pong, pool, cards and just hung out together. I got to meet Alice and we chatted for awhile that evening. I mentioned that we were visiting an orphanage the next day and she seemed excited about it, so I invited her to come along. It was really a fun couple of hours of bonding between us and the students. Bethany even got to share the Word with one of the students she met the night before! At that point in time, I think a lot of us were desiring to have that opportunity and felt a bit disappointed that we were 'just' hanging out with the students. But in reality, as some people said the next morning during our meeting, we are all part of the same body and we all have a different part to play. Bethany believed that although she was the one directly sharing, the rest of us created a safe environment for her to open her Bible without drawing any attention. It's not a competition amongst believers, when one of us does something for the kingdom, the rest of us share in the reward!
Hanging out in the rec room
Kevin and Ming (the only other Chinese person on the trip) playing ping pong. Why is every Chinese person except me good at ping pong?
Playing cards and chatting with our new friends
As it was getting close to 10:30, we made our way back to our dorm across campus. I was so excited that we were getting to spend time with the students. A bunch of us stayed up and hung out in the hallway for awhile. By this time, a few of our guys had gotten to know some of the Chinese guys on our floor. Unexpectedly, one of our guys called me over to him and the student he's talking to. He needed my help to translate something he was trying to say, and so even without taking the uncomfortable initiative to walk over and introducing myself, I began to meet some of the Chinese students on the floor cuz our guys needed help with the language barrier. I assume that since the students in our building are athletes and PE majors, they don't take as many or as intensive English courses. It showed me that when we make ourselves available, God will find a way to use us!
Two of our language partners came on the hospital trip with us. They were just standing by themselves at one point when we were taking a break, and I thought, there's an opportunity, go talk to the students! The only downside with my chatting with the Chinese students in a group setting is that, once they realize that I speak Chinese, they just start talking to me in Chinese even though they can speak some English. I try to get them to speak English so that other people from our group can be included in the conversation but it doesn't always work unless they're English majors. It's interesting because as I started meeting and talking to the students, I realized that it was an advantage that I was traveling with foreigners because otherwise, I'd just blend in with the college kids. It was easier for me to stand out as the 'Chinese girl with a bunch of foreigners' since I didn't have the advantage of looking like a foreigner. Their first impression of me is usually that I am a student at the school and I'm acting as translator for this group of foreigners. So when they realize that I'm actually from America but that I can speak Chinese, and that I am *way* older than they think I am, they're really surprised and it sparks some curiosity and helps to start conversations!
Cleaning the OR
So by the end of the hospital trip, I had a few opportunities to chat with Kevin and James, our new friends, and we invited them to hang out with us at the track after dinner, along with some other students that our high school kids had met the night before out on the track. What's really cool is that not only did Kevin and James show up, but they brought a few of their friends too! A bunch of us headed to the recreation room and played ping pong, pool, cards and just hung out together. I got to meet Alice and we chatted for awhile that evening. I mentioned that we were visiting an orphanage the next day and she seemed excited about it, so I invited her to come along. It was really a fun couple of hours of bonding between us and the students. Bethany even got to share the Word with one of the students she met the night before! At that point in time, I think a lot of us were desiring to have that opportunity and felt a bit disappointed that we were 'just' hanging out with the students. But in reality, as some people said the next morning during our meeting, we are all part of the same body and we all have a different part to play. Bethany believed that although she was the one directly sharing, the rest of us created a safe environment for her to open her Bible without drawing any attention. It's not a competition amongst believers, when one of us does something for the kingdom, the rest of us share in the reward!
Hanging out in the rec room
Kevin and Ming (the only other Chinese person on the trip) playing ping pong. Why is every Chinese person except me good at ping pong?
Playing cards and chatting with our new friends
As it was getting close to 10:30, we made our way back to our dorm across campus. I was so excited that we were getting to spend time with the students. A bunch of us stayed up and hung out in the hallway for awhile. By this time, a few of our guys had gotten to know some of the Chinese guys on our floor. Unexpectedly, one of our guys called me over to him and the student he's talking to. He needed my help to translate something he was trying to say, and so even without taking the uncomfortable initiative to walk over and introducing myself, I began to meet some of the Chinese students on the floor cuz our guys needed help with the language barrier. I assume that since the students in our building are athletes and PE majors, they don't take as many or as intensive English courses. It showed me that when we make ourselves available, God will find a way to use us!
Monday, June 16, 2008
China Missions 2008 - Laundry Day
On Day 4 Bethany and I volunteered to do laundry. I didn't really need to take the language class anyway, and figured doing laundry for 20 people would be an interesting experience. What's ironic is that I don't even do laundry at home, haha! I actually really enjoyed the day with Bethany. We had some great conversations. And at such a young age, she already knows her calling to be a missionary in Asia, it's so awesome to see young people walking out their faith.
Bethany and I doing laundry.
We took a break and got some bubble tea and watched the guys play soccer.
It was around this time that I started craving alone time. I'm not used to being around people all the time for so many days, and having such a packed schedule. Like I just wanted to go for a walk by myself. I knew I wasn't spending enough time with God. But while I didn't like what I was feeling, at least I knew that I desired the quiet time with Him. I never want to get to a point again where I get so used to being busy that I don't even notice that I'm not spending enough time with Him.
After dinner that night, a few of the 'older' people were going out to get ice cream together and I went along. We were mostly just joking around and laughing. Not that there was anything 'wrong' with it, but I realized that I wasn't making most of the opportunities that God presented in front of me! This wasn't a vacation, and we were there for a purpose - to share God's love with the people of China. I should be making myself available to hang out with the students whenever possible.
Yes, our 'free' time was limited because we had things on our schedule during the day, and then we have to be in our buildings by 10:30pm every night, but that still leaves a couple of hours after dinner and time to hang out 'in' our building after 10:30! The first night at the school, I was so tired from jetlag that I went straight to bed after our group meeting. Then the next couple of nights, we hung out a bit in the hallway before going to bed, playing cards and chatting. Most of the guys in our group played the guitar and so did some of the Chinese guys, so a few of our guys went to hang out with them down the hall. Since they were a bunch of guys, I didn't feel comfortable being the only girl to just walk over and introduce myself. So I asked myself, what am I doing here?
At the end of Day 4, I made the decision that I was going to make myself as available as possible to spend time with the students. After all, time was passing by very quickly, and I realized that we only had 4 days left. There is no, 'oh there will be other opportunities' or 'eh, I have tomorrow'. We needed to seize every opportunity as it was presented because most likely there won't be another chance. I basically said, okay God, I'm here and I'm open to however you want to use me, make it happen.
Bethany and I doing laundry.
We took a break and got some bubble tea and watched the guys play soccer.
It was around this time that I started craving alone time. I'm not used to being around people all the time for so many days, and having such a packed schedule. Like I just wanted to go for a walk by myself. I knew I wasn't spending enough time with God. But while I didn't like what I was feeling, at least I knew that I desired the quiet time with Him. I never want to get to a point again where I get so used to being busy that I don't even notice that I'm not spending enough time with Him.
After dinner that night, a few of the 'older' people were going out to get ice cream together and I went along. We were mostly just joking around and laughing. Not that there was anything 'wrong' with it, but I realized that I wasn't making most of the opportunities that God presented in front of me! This wasn't a vacation, and we were there for a purpose - to share God's love with the people of China. I should be making myself available to hang out with the students whenever possible.
Yes, our 'free' time was limited because we had things on our schedule during the day, and then we have to be in our buildings by 10:30pm every night, but that still leaves a couple of hours after dinner and time to hang out 'in' our building after 10:30! The first night at the school, I was so tired from jetlag that I went straight to bed after our group meeting. Then the next couple of nights, we hung out a bit in the hallway before going to bed, playing cards and chatting. Most of the guys in our group played the guitar and so did some of the Chinese guys, so a few of our guys went to hang out with them down the hall. Since they were a bunch of guys, I didn't feel comfortable being the only girl to just walk over and introduce myself. So I asked myself, what am I doing here?
At the end of Day 4, I made the decision that I was going to make myself as available as possible to spend time with the students. After all, time was passing by very quickly, and I realized that we only had 4 days left. There is no, 'oh there will be other opportunities' or 'eh, I have tomorrow'. We needed to seize every opportunity as it was presented because most likely there won't be another chance. I basically said, okay God, I'm here and I'm open to however you want to use me, make it happen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)