In the Trenches

(Old campus turning into a pile of rubble).


(The hole we try not to fall into when we leave our apartment building).


(A snapshot from above).


(Poor palm trees covered in ice at new campus today).


(Our school's pagoda in ice).

Living in a "developing" country means that there is sometimes a whole lot of development going on at once, and it almost makes my head spin. I'm amazed at the rapid pace that they can throw up huge rows of apartment blocks, build gigantic roads from scratch, and create whole new communities from the dust. Streets can look entirely different from two months ago, and they can plant thousands of trees and flowers where piles of rubble just stood a few days ago. The streets are usually coated with a wonderful layer of dirt and mud from all the construction projects, and the fact there isn't any drainage. Chickens and dogs run wild through the midst of all of it. Sometimes I think this is what it must feel like to live in an Alaskan outpost during a gold rush. But, alas, it is China circa 2010.

One of the development projects has overtaken the old campus where we live. Sewage and waste water used to run through ditches in the ground which were sometimes covered in places by crumbling cement blocks. They are actually installing pipes for the waste! Apparently they are doing an upgrade in the form of dozens of construction workers yielding shovels, pickaxes, and sledgehammers. One morning they just arrived and promptly went to work digging countless mazes of trenches, turning the place into even more rubble than usual.

The workers are a sad sight. They are working in the numbing cold doing back-breaking work--all with very shabby clothes and equipment. They are probably half my size, because they are so small and lean. When they stop to stare at us foreigners, I make sure to smile kindly at them.

Our campus has never been handicapped friendly, but now it isn't really even normal person friendly. You have to climb on top of piles of rock, leap over the trenches with dirty, murky water sitting idly below, and maneuver around the workers chucking rocks and mud everywhere. Today was even more fun, because it rained last night and then promptly froze. There is a thick coat of ice on everything, which is rare for this far south in China. So at 7:30 a.m., I had to dash all the way to the front gate, trying to leap over the trenches and land on a small mountain of rubble coated in ice on the other side of each trench. Dozens of people were chipping away at the ice on the slick stairs by the buildings. Thankfully I survived this journey. And it sort of adds more spice to my day.

So it was extremely cold today for all my classes. There were lots of icicles--the bamboo and palm trees had layers of ice that looked rather strange on them. Even my eyelashes maintained a layer of frost on them in the classroom, since it was below freezing inside and outside. Most of my students had wind-burn on their faces and there was a girl in one of my classes who had chilblains so badly on all of her fingers, that they were like giant open sores.

What a winter. Thankfully He is getting us through it!

Happy 2010!

(Some of the glamorous hosts of the New Year's performance).


(The final act of the performance, which was about how the Communist Party has revived the homeland and will continue to do so in the new year).


(With some of my favorite friends on New Year's Eve).


(Launching one of the paper lanterns outside on New Year's Eve).


(Some of the police who soon arrived and confiscated our lanterns).

I'm sorry I couldn't think of a more creative title for this blog, but it is indeed a marvelous new year. I am only 23 years old, but I have lived to see four decades so far! Is that possible? I've experienced the '80s, '90s, '00s, and now the '10s.

The past couple of days have been chock-full of activities and conversations. On Wednesday night the other American girls and I performed our Christmas dance in front of 2,000 people at the school's annual New Year's performance. There were many school officials and some of our students there. Performing in China can be a hassle, because they take it so seriously. There isn't much joy in performing in China, especially when it's so over-the-top and they think national prestige is at stake.

But we tried to change that mindset when we performed our incredibly cheesy but amazing N'Sync dance. Our number was nestled among countless performances about communism, the glories of the nursing profession, glittery national dances, and even more songs and dances about the wonders of their homeland and the Communist Party. The students screamed their heads off when we performed (especially when I did two cartwheels!) It was a wonderful time spreading joy not related to love songs and communist slogans. And I think my students came away from the performance thinking Miss Laura was pretty cool.

New Year's Eve was also quite interesting, especially since I was still teaching. One momentous thing that I discovered is that one of my students is a female... but I thought she was a male all these past few months. I can't believe I thought "she" was a "he." He/She/It has a very gender neutral English name, dresses like a boy, talks like a boy, and sits with boys. It is especially strange in a country which is quite traditional and where girls are quite feminine. Girls are very girlish and boys are very boyish.

However, the rest of the last day of 2009 was memorable and refreshing. In the evening many of our closest and dearest friends gathered in Joelle's apartment to play games and hang out. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else; I was so incredibly content and happy. Later in the night, we wrote wishes on paper lanterns, which we then tried to launch outside by lighting candles under them. It's a very popular Chinese tradition.

We managed to release one lantern in the air, and dreamily watched as the gleaming light soared off into the dark sky, joining other lanterns that other people in the city had launched. We were ready to release another one when some police saw us and decided we were doing something unacceptable. About ten of them marched over in their uniforms and red armbands to break up our lantern festivities in a rather heavy-handed fashion.

They snatched the lanterns and tore them up, while scolding us for practically trying to burn the campus down. They were very surly and demanded to know "who was in charge." Our Chinese friends just started to argue and plead with them all at once. In a very dramatic fashion, one of my precious friends pushed her way through the small crowd and bravely appealed to them to give us the lanterns back. But they just got more indignant and lectured some more in Chinese. (If you have any power in China, no matter how small, people like to leverage it over others). Then they all marched away in formation, after they were satisfied that we wouldn't cause more trouble. (My friend Kelsey captured a photo of some of the police with our wadded-up lanterns. For some reason they were smiling when the photo was taken. Maybe they didn't want everyone to think they were really mean).

After that event, somebody pulled out some silly string and we all ran around screaming and going crazy. I felt so light and carefree, just laughing and nearly crying. It was a wonderful way to end the year. I went to bed in the wee hours of 2010, pretty certain that 2009 had finished well and that 2010 would also be filled with a lot of new, meaningful memories.

Christmas Aftermath

(After our spectacular Christmas performance to N'Sync).


(All of our friends and many brothers and sisters who turned out to celebrate Christmas Eve with us in the rain).


(Lighting some candles on Christmas Eve).


(One of our recipients of our Christmas caroling. This man is poorer than poor, but we are good friends. He looked like he was going to cry).


(Eating lunch with some of my students who are eager beavers).

The past few days have been very special and blessed, although I'm not sure why. I guess I finally feel that perseverance is paying off--my students are attentive and we get along well with each other; relationships are also great; and the end of the semester is on the horizon. There is also never a shortage of activities or things to keep me on my toes. I have hardly noticed the cold weather and rain. (This morning there was terrible fog, though, and at least 10 people died on the roads in our province).

First of all, Christmas was wonderful and simple, although I certainly missed my family! On Christmas Eve we went caroling around the campus and back streets in the pouring rain. The Chinese people didn't have a clue what we were doing, but everyone still enjoyed it. Many of us and our Chinese friends then went to another university to celebrate a very meaningful Christmas Eve together.

On Christmas night, the seven of us foreign teachers went to new campus to audition for the school's huge New Year's performance. Last year our team sang a song and did dismally at the auditions--we were probably the only foreigners in China that were barred from a school performance. (Performing is China's favorite past-time. Remember the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony?)

This year, we decided to dance to an incredibly cheesy song--"Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" by N'Sync. We wore sparkly Santa hats and busted out our most outrageous moves. In China the rule is the flashier the better. Today we found out that we made the cut and will be performing Wednesday night for the big performance--in front of two or three thousand people. Hooray!

We still have two weeks of teaching before our holiday break, but He has given me a burst of energy to continue. My students are becoming more precious every day. Recently I was reading my journal from the first week of school in early September--I was in despair because I had to teach mostly new, crazy students. I'm just in awe how He has turned my heart around, and how well we get along with each other. I'm sure your constant thoughts have a lot to do with it too!

Another amazing thing that is happening after our Christmas lessons is that our students are approaching us to study the Word. All of a sudden there are almost more students who are interested in Him than we know what to do with. Please lift this up! It's a wonderful dilemma to have.

All right, thanks for everything! Stay warm and well!

Blessings upon Blessings

It has been a whirlwind past couple of days. We actually have two days of holiday--Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! Then we'll keep on teaching. I'm just glad for a rest, even if it's just a few days. We have been teaching non-stop for nearly four months now in a "second world" country where everyday has something crazy and unexpected happen, and it can be a little tiring. :)

Anyways, He has been doing great things! On Saturday we visited the deaf kindergarten again with our Chinese friends Eva and Reborn. So of course I've had to include a few pictures again. That night we also had an open house again (our 13th for the semester).

Sunday was my favorite because of fellowship. Our international fellowship doesn't have a leader really, so we take turns sharing. This past weekend Jodi and I shared, because we always do everything together and are joined at the hip--we are a funny picture. She is a petite and outgoing Asian-American and I am a lanky and pale white girl. We have been doing a study together, and one of the things we've really been convicted about is His heart for the needy and the poor in spirit.

Jodi and I shared from the Word about this in the middle of the congregation of Americans, Indonesians, Indians, and the lone guy from Madagascar. Then we decided to get out and actually do something, since there were so many of us there. Because we don't have to pay for a fancy building, music equipment, or pastor salaries, we usually have tons of money left over from offering. So on that day, Jodi and I decided to split everyone up into groups and purposefully wandered around downtown with some of the offering. We bought hot food for people and handed out scarves that my aunt had mailed me.

We gave a lot of money and love to people on the street who were disabled, desperately poor, or just had the lowest of the low kind of jobs (like the impoverished street sweepers). Not many people ever stop to notice them or even look them in the eyes to show them that they're also dignified human beings.

My favorite story was with my friend Joelle. She had taken one the scarves that my Aunt Susie's 92 year-old friend had lovingly knit. Joelle was on the hunt for someone really special to give it to. She finally found him--a man who people would shrink back in horror from. He sat on some stairs in the cold, as thousands of people walked around him without acknowledging him. But he couldn't see their looks of horror and avoidance because he is blind. His face is severely burned and deformed. He has no hair, no eyes, no nose, no ears. He basically only has a mouth. Joelle crouched down next to him and gently put the scarf in his hands so that he could feel it. Hopefully it will keep him warm and he will know that the Creator of the universe loves him.

Although I talked about Christmas last week in class, there have been many conversations with some of my students since then. Some of them are actually going to come with us to a Christmas type "service" tomorrow with Chinese brothers and sisters. Your continued thoughts would be appreciated!

Now for another random story to cram into this blog. Last night we went out for a banquet dinner in honor of Christmas with our foreign affairs office, the school's vice-president, and the dean of the foreign language department. We went to the nicest restaurant I've ever been to in Nanchang. I'm not sure what it is called, but it's in a very old building, like it's ancient China. The food was pretty good (all 17 or so dishes!) and the owner of the restaurant is somewhat of a celebrity. Apparently he is famous for being able to write Chinese calligraphy without even lifting his brush.

He heard that some foreigners were visiting, so on this rare occasion, he decided to grace us with his presence. He said he could write my Chinese name in this special way so I wrote down the Chinese characters for my name: 谢佳曦. First he said my Chinese writing was really good, so that made me feel somewhat encouraged. The last character is particularly difficult, especially if he was going to write it without lifting his pen. He seemed a little chagrined about that last character. He said that this would be a "test of American-Chinese relations." He succeeded, however, so I've included a picture of him at our banquet and my Chinese and English names that he wrote using one stroke.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

The week in review

This week has seemed like one of the longest weeks in a while. It has also been one of the best. I basically felt like I was on a battlefield the whole week. It was a constant fight for energy, truth, and justice in many ways. I was constantly reminded to rely on Him for strength and the right words to say.

I think the enemy knew that we would be teaching probably our most important lessons of the year this week- about the true meaning of Christmas. I was pretty prepared and ready to go. My cold still lingered (after 3 weeks of dealing with it), I was feeling a little melancholy from missing family for my second Christmas in a row, and it is back to freezing in the classrooms.

But the joy of teaching about the Son who came to earth made it all more than worth it. Where else would I rather be than being able to teach about Christmas in a communist country's classroom? I talked about the "secular" part of Christmas, but focused primarily on the "sacred" part of the holiday. My students are sophomores so they heard a lot about it last year, but I think they still learned a lot this year. Their hearts are extremely open, and despite my poor words, they are more intrigued than ever.

During a homework exercise, many of them wrote questions directed to me such as "Why should [the Son] save the world?" and millions of other similar questions. I have been carefully writing responses back to all 190 of their unique questions. It's actually pretty overwhelming, because they are so curious. Sometimes I feel like if I say the wrong thing that they will forever be turned off to the truth. But I know that's a lie! At least they are hearing the truth and He will speak to them how He will.

On Friday morning I also got to talk about Christmas with a class of sweet freshmen girls. One of the teachers on the other team was sick, so I filled in for her. It was refreshing, because I was reminded of how eager they were to soak in this news. And I basically presented the Good News to them. Maybe I could be a professional Christmas lesson-giver. That's probably one of my favorite things to do in the world... :)

Please remember my students, especially the dozens of very interested students. Lift them up so that the seeds of truth in their hearts will grow and flourish. I hope that they will come talk to me if they have more questions.

We also started final exams the last couple days of this week. Yesterday was rather dramatic in one of my classes. We have discussed cheating probably 600 times--how it is wrong and does not help them in the long run. It is a constant battle, because cheating isn't necessarily seen as wrong here. Cheating for a friend is especially seen as okay. In China you help your friends at all costs. Some people even take huge, nation-wide exams for each other. No officials ever bat an eye.

But in my class, at least, I intend to maintain some sense of fairness and justice. I have repeatedly warned them that they will receive zeros and probably fail the class if they cheat. Despite those warnings, there were two cases of blatant cheating. In each instance, they weren't sorry they had cheated, but were mostly humiliated at being caught. I ripped up their papers right then and there without flinching. At first they were in shock and in disbelief. When they realized I was serious and they had just failed they both stormed out of the classroom. After that, nobody dared to cheat--especially in my other classes where word of the exam-ripping quickly spread.

The students who studied did well, and fairness won out, at least for that day. It is frustrating, though, that the grades I give them don't actually matter in the end. The head teachers or secretaries will change the grades I give if they have favorites. Nobody is allowed to fail even if they never come to class. Sigh... Hopefully the students who actually try and have integrity will do well in life.

So it has been a long and challenging week. He gave me a lot of courage when I didn't have any. It was difficult to teach all about Christmas. What if I get in trouble? What if the Muslim girl sitting in the front row doesn't like what I'm saying? What if I say the wrong thing about Him? And it also took a lot of courage to stand my ground in trying to promote fairness in my classes. It would be easier to look the other way, like most Chinese teachers. But He gave me the confidence to look everyone in the eyes all week and to stick to justice and truth, even if they were all relatively small matters.

Well, that's the update for now from my tiny corner of China. Thanks for your continual thoughts!

Candle sticks and dynamite sticks

The past two nights have been rather interesting and "enlightening." Jodi and I wandered down one of our favorite alleys as darkness began to envelope our fair city. We went to one of our favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants where they serve pseudo Korean food. We sat at the tiny wooden tables in the concrete shell of a room, which is half blackened by the flames from the stove. The two young cooks fried the food on the woks in the corner and they served us heaping bowls of steaming hot rice with tiny pieces of chicken, cauliflower, and potatoes.

Right as we began to eat, the lights flickered and went out. Power outages happen rather frequently here, but usually we aren't eating in a restaurant during that time. Without missing a beat, the cooks picked up some little unevenly shaped candles from a nearby box, lighting them for the 15 or so people gathered inside around the 5 miniature tables. We watched as all the customers expertly dripped wax on the table and then jammed the candle stick onto the hot wax, which helped the candles stand upright. They looked like they had experience with these kinds of situations. It was actually quite cozy and exciting to eat by candlelight. The dingy restaurant looked much more serene and the usually noisy place was rather calm and quiet. The cooks just went right on cooking--apparently the two-feet tall flames from the propane stove gave off enough light.

Then on Tuesday night I was sitting at my computer near the windows working on lessons. There was suddenly a loud explosion that I felt all through out my body as the building shook. I seriously thought the windows were bending. Jodi and I immediately wondered what had happened. We leaned out the window to see nothing out of the ordinary. One of our Chinese friends just matter-of-factly stated that it was "only" dynamite being set off underground. (Maybe it is not an extremely rare event around here).

I was rubbing my head wondering why dynamite had been set off in the middle of a very densely populated area. And I could feel it four stories in the air. Apparently in the back gate they were trying to get rid of rocks in the ground to clear the way for sewer lines. Oh, okay.

I think that's all the exciting events I have to share for now. Stories about class just aren't as interesting as dynamite shaking your apartment. Have a great week!

A Day Redeemed

On Saturday I woke up feeling inexplicably tired and annoyed. How can I wake up and feel annoyed? I don't know, but I sure did. Everything was annoying--my oatmeal even annoyed me while I was cooking it.

After breakfast I realized I couldn't continue the day this way. So before my day could progress any further, I made sure to spend some quality time with the Father. I just really didn't want to spend the weekend feeling this way.

I didn't feel better immediately, but a couple girls came over for our Word study at 10 a.m. I willed myself to be attentive and interested and caring. Then I think the Father did the rest, because my irritation and dark mood eventually melted away.

After our study we went out the back gate to eat noodles together. We had a great time slurping hot soup in the freezing restaurant while sitting on little peg stools.

Then in the afternoon I diligently worked on Christmas lesson plans for two hours. After that, three of Jodi's students (my old students), Sweet, John, and Johnson came over to our apartment from new campus. Together we rode bicycles a little ways away to a deaf kindergarten.

We played games and just held the most precious little Chinese children. My Chinese is actually improving, but it didn't really matter because they couldn't hear us. So we just hugged them and played with them. There was one little boy who attached himself to me. He held me and stroked my hands with his little wind-chapped hands, coughing on me the whole time.

I think the Father has a great sense of humor. He knows that my worst nightmare in China is getting sick. I'm honestly more sick than I am healthy. I'm finally recovering from a cold I've had the past two weeks, and he sends me this sweet, but very sick and contagious little boy to crawl all over me. :)

Then at night we had another open house with Jodi's students. Twenty girls came over to play games and eat snacks. Two disabled girls who were my students last year even made the long trek to our apartment for this special occasion. They wouldn't miss it for the world.

So this weekend has been very blessed. The day was redeemed even better than I could have hoped. I'm leaving you with a few pictures of us at the little kindergarten.