The Heroes City

Welcome to the "Heroes City!" We arrived early this Sunday morning to our city, the final destination on our journey. The train ride was pretty tiresome, but we have somewhat revived since we came here. A man from our school and a driver picked us up at the train station. The streets are so chaotic and packed full of people. The city is a bit better off than the central Chinese city I was in 2 years ago. And the heat and humidity is enough to take your breath away.

We ate breakfast next to a huge square at the center of the city which commemorates where the communist revolution began in 1927. It is very patriotic, with tons of red bunting and a huge yellow star overshadowing everything. Apparently we have arrived in the "Heroes City!" So for breakfast we ate rice noodles and hot dumplings while gazing at the square.

Then we arrived at our campus. All seven of us "foreign teachers" paraded onto campus, walking by tons of students playing basketball and chatting. I can't believe I'm supposedly a teacher! Right now I feel so small and unprepared and very out of place. Another teammate, Rachael, and I were shown up the stairs to the fifth floor to our apartment, which will be our home until next July. Our apartment is very large and Chinese-style. I was happy to see I have my own room.

After we arrived I took a shower in the bathroom. The bathroom is a toilet, sink, and shower all wrapped into one. There is one drain in the middle of the floor for all the water. Since there is no tub or shower curtain, water sprayed everywhere. Afterwards I squeegeed the whole bathroom.

There are a million other random observations I have made, but I don't want to overwhelm you, since right now I'm pretty overwhelmed myself. Later this afternoon we are going to the Wal-mart here, which is the world's largest and busiest. I can't imagine that at the moment. I'll let you know how it turns out! Thanks again for your thoughts thousands of miles away! I may be overwhelmed and way out of my comfort zone right now, but I feel very at peace and confident that I have been placed in this city at this school for a wonderful reason.

Beijing to Nanchang

Here I am sitting in a Starbucks in Beijing. We got here late Wednesday night and right now is Saturday afternoon. Our foreign affairs officer from our university has arrived and we'll be riding on the night train to Nanchang with him. So this is a very quick update!

Everything is okay so far. We had the longest journey ever to arrive here, but now I've recovered from not sleeping for nearly 48 hours. Beijing is pretty similar to when I was here a couple of years ago. Maybe there are just more cars. I guess Beijing adds 1,000 cars to its roads every day! So there are about 1 million more cars on the road since I was here last.

We visited another section of the Great Wall and traveled to Tiananmen Square. It is a bit different from 2 years ago, probably because of the Olympics. There is a lot more security everywhere. Speaking of the Olympics, we got to see the now-very famous Bird's Nest and Watercube!

Thanks so much for your thoughts! I know that helped in getting us here safely, because there were already some sort of iffy times. Once we arrive in Nanchang, I'll try to update this blog more. I'm very sad to report that I can't post any pictures at this time. My camera was totally destroyed by a faulty water bottle... Tomorrow (Sunday) we'll get to Nanchang and go to a banquet. Then we will probably start teaching all day on Monday. Agh! I'm not sure if I'm ready!!! But He is in control, as I've already seen in so many instances. Have a great weekend, my readers!

Zai jian!

Well, folks, the time has finally come to ship off. After a lot of preparation and training we are leaving tomorrow for China! I'm not sure how I feel exactly. I'm not too nervous at the moment, but I have a feeling that will be different starting tomorrow.

We'll arrive in Beijing and then take the train to our city in the south on Sept. 20th. Then we start teaching on the 22nd! Can you lift us up, please, especially as we travel? I already know that you have been thinking of us so much, and I'm so grateful. Good-bye, I'll miss you! Have a great next several months living and growing and changing. I can't wait to see you again soon!

Some pictures

Our time here in CA is winding down to a close. Today we have commissioning and then we leave early Tuesday morning. Here are some pictures of my team. The first is of us eating at a Chinese restaurant here in CA and the second is of us with our silver medals from the CTF Olympics.

Am I really going?

Today as I pushed a little cart through the little California grocery store, Ralph's, it struck me that I'm going to China. I'm going to China. I'm really going to China. Who goes to China? Well, I guess I am. All of a sudden the total strangers in the aisles became dear to me and I was ready to get a little weepy over the Hershey chocolate bars lining the checkout. Everybody was going about their daily business and I wanted to ask them, "Do you know I'm going to China? Yeah, I can't believe it either."

Anyway, it took two tries to walk to Ralph's. Late in the afternoon a few people and I made it to the main street, Calle Tampico, but could walk no further. The air was a brownish-yellow and the wind threw tons of dirt and sand in our faces. We could barely stand up. The usually crisp brown mountains surrounding us were hardly visible. I guess we were in a sandstorm. No wonder nobody else was really on the street!

In addition today is the 7th anniversary of 9/11. I always pause to reflect on this anniversary for my country and for my life. Our country has changed in many ways and so have I. Seven years ago I was a 15 year-old sophomore in high school! Could I have imagined the journeys I would travel over the next 7 years? Could I have imagined training for the unknown of China?

A work in progress

Next Tuesday my team and I will be crossing the Pacific Ocean bound for China and the unknown. That means we only have one more week of training-one more week of preparing to be effective teachers and representatives of the Father. So we have had to write lesson plans, learn to manage a classroom, and spend hours upon hours improving how we will cross cultures. Once and a while I stop and look around at all the enthusiastic people around me who are walking side by side with me on this journey and I think how already so many incredible things have happened. I'm also pretty in awe of the dozens of people I'm training with who have sacrificed really comfy jobs, a decent salary, and homes to make his name known. It's humbling...

I have also officially felt what it is like to not be insured and to feel like an American who doesn't have much money. Yesterday I went to the doctor's office here in La Quinta because I have a sinus infection. I had to pay $142 up front and won't ever be reimbursed for that. The antiobiotic they prescribed to me was only $4. However they also prescribed a nose spray that was apparently very special and $96. I had to pass on the very special nose spray that cost as much as an arm, leg, and little child, because I would have had to also pay for that whole amount from my pocket. I have new insurance with the organization I'm going with, but as I found out yesterday it really doesn't cover much. I think it really only covers things if I die.

Now I have to go hang out with my team for "devo" time. Oh, and my team is really starting to grow on me...

A better day

Things have already gotten rough and I've only been training in America! Yesterday after three sleepless nights, I about broke down. I felt physically and emotionally ill. We have had so much information to process and then I couldn't absorb it after a while. I was starting to question last night why I'm here and just started crying before another session started. Two of my team members were right there and they put their hands over me and lifted me up to him right there. I was sort of embarrassed at crying, but then I felt peace in the midst of my exhaustion and uncertainty.

I don't know why I was struck by insomnia for such a period of time, but I'm sure he has his reasons. First, some of my walls that I build around myself are already starting to come down and I got to see my teammates' love on display, even though we are all so different and seemingly incompatible. He has put us together for his purposes that sometimes seem really crazy.

Well, I am so grateful for the many thoughts from my teammates, family, and friends. I was blessed with a great night's sleep last night. Now I feel much more like myself and I don't feel so hopeless and ill. THANKS FOR LIFTING ME UP, PEOPLE! I'm very appreciative... I'm already reminded that I'm not alone on this difficult but pretty awesome journey.

Our training has been filled with lots of sessions that are long, but very helpful for when we finally do arrive in China. The organization I'm with is truly being used by the father to change thousands and even millions of lives! It is sort of overwhelming to feel that you are now apart of this work that is shaping lives to such an extent. And some of the information they relay can't be carried out of the room, because the organization serves in such restricted nations. It's already pretty surreal and sometimes I'm not quite sure what I'm getting myself into.

Thanks to you all who are reading this and thinking of me. I'm thinking of you, too, because otherwise I wouldn't be here!

(Here's another picture of the area. I'm fascinated with this desert).