The Chinese Spirit

Happy 60th birthday, New China!

China is having a huge party, and I get to witness it. The city is bedecked with tons of red flags, and huge banners proclaiming 60 successful years are also everywhere. (See the pictures). I've also seen plenty of potted plants arranged in the shape of "60" with maps of China in the flowers, too. People walk around with fistfuls of flags, and all the taxi drivers have flags on their windows. Sometimes I forget that I'm not Chinese, because I'm swept up in all the patriotism, nationalism, and pride. It is a great time to be Chinese.

And maybe I'm more Chinese than I thought. One sweet boy, who was my student last year, told Jodi he thinks I am "just like Chinese." I have the "Chinese spirit" inside of me and my mannerisms and how I carry myself are Chinese, he said. This just warmed my heart. Maybe that's why I feel more comfortable in China than in America.

So we have a week off for the National Holiday. Today (Thursday) is the THE big day. October 1st is the day the communist revolution succeeded. This morning on TV we watched the huge, two-hour parade in Beijing, which rivaled the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. Every single channel on television showed the parade and has been replaying it throughout the day.

Apparently it was China's largest parade ever. The BBC compared the display of military hardware to the Soviet days, and the pageantry to North Korea's. I can't even explain it. You just have to see it for yourself. I think China wins for over-the-top shows, propaganda, goose-step marching, number of missiles, huge portraits of famous leaders, controlling the weather so it wouldn't rain, and the ability to have hundreds of thousands of soldiers, students, workers, farmers, and children march in perfect unison.

Tomorrow the Foreign Affairs Office is going to drive us around Nanchang, just like last year. Then on Sunday I'm taking the train or bus to the northeastern corner of our province to a famous ancient city called Jingdezhen with my Chinese friend, Amy. Supposedly porcelain was created there. I'm not sure why I said yes to going, since the Foreign Affairs Office advised us to only stay in Nanchang. I think I'm just attracted to adventures and potential for mass chaos. So I'll be there for a couple of days. I don't know how we'll get there or where we'll sleep or what we'll do, but it should be a nice China adventure! Your thoughts are still very welcome!

Closed Doors, Open Doors

This past week was definitely full of challenges and joys. Even in the midst of sleeplessness and teaching extra classes, His presence was apparent. There were some disappointing conversations with students who were following Him or interested in Him, but now have been so distracted and busy that they claim He has no place in their lives. But on the other hand, there have been encouraging conversations with other students about life that I hadn't expected.

I think I'll choose to focus on some of the highlights of the past week, though. Probably my favorite part was the "open house" Jodi and I have weekly. This week half of one of my classes came over. They are students that we call "EGR" (Extra Grace Required). They are intense and awkward most of the time, but He is giving me plenty of grace for them!

It was a wonderful experience. We got to show them fun, love, and hospitality, especially as many of them have never been to a foreigner's home before. We served snacks, played card games, had a hilarious time playing the limbo, and taught them a dance. (See the pictures and video). I also showed them some more pictures of my family and friends. One student was looking at a picture of my sister, Andrea, and said, "She is almost as beautiful as you are!" I thought that was special. :) Overall, it was just a great opportunity to love them. Some of them said it was the happiest day of their lives, and one girl hugged me on the way out, telling me how much she loves me.

Then on Saturday, two of my old students came to eat lunch with me (See the other pictures). We had such great conversations about most everything under the sun. One girl, Adelle, is the best student in her class, but also one of the poorest. Her parents are migrant workers who pick vegetables all day long in a neighboring province. She and her brother, who live with their grandpa, only see their parents once a year. And Adelle's family had to pay a fine of 1,000 yuan when her younger brother was born, because you are supposed to only have one child. This just about broke her family.

Then the other student, Claire, who is much more reserved and lower level, told me about her family. They are quite well off in comparison. Her father works as a government official, meaning he has lots of perks. So when Claire's younger brother was born, they didn't have to pay a fine or get punished in any way.

Anyways, there's a lot going on, so please just remember us for rest and stamina. Starting Monday we have a week's worth of classes in 3 days in preparation for the National Holiday, which begins Thursday.