A Chinese Sermon

Some days the tragedies and stories of my Chinese friends can leave me feeling disbelief and sorrow. For example, I was sitting by the lake the other day with one of my best Chinese friends. We can usually talk about everything with each other. She told me about her parents who love her a lot, but don't know how to show it.

Her sister, who is four years older than she is, was born first in her family. Two years after her sister was born, her parents were going to have a baby boy--her Mom was quite far along. However, due to China's family planning policy, her mother was forced to have an abortion. This happens in China every day... Sometimes the rich can keep their children, because they have enough money to pay fines or bribes or whatever. My friend's parents and the majority of Chinese don't fall in that category.

Then two years after her brother was to be born, my friend was born. I have no idea how they let her family have her--maybe there was enough distance in age between her and her sister. My friend wishes her brother had been born, but she realizes that she wouldn't be alive if he was... She told me sometimes she thinks about those circumstances, and that's when she knows that she is indeed here for a purpose. She is a new believer who has been passionately telling all her friends and classmates about Him.

Another eye-opening experience was on Sunday night when Jodi, another student, and I went downtown to one of only two "official" (legal) Chinese fellowships in this city of 4 million. (Foreigners are allowed to go to these fellowships if they don't make a scene or anything. But I don't think foreigners ever go.)

The very simple building was nestled in between tall apartments, and there was a policeman with a red armband keeping a watch on everybody. The only flashy part of the church was a glowing red cross at the front of the room. The service started at 7:30 p.m. We arrived at 7:20 p.m., but people were already heartily singing away from their tattered hymnals. There were a few hundred people there already, so we had to sit at the very front.

We sat on rock hard benches for about two hours. As I gazed around, I saw lots of men and women, young and old, rich and poor. Everyone was scrunched together on the benches. I was wedged in between my student and a really sweet woman (see the picture of us with her outside). Before I sat down she wiped the bench off, and another woman behind us handed me a Chinese hymnal.

I got chills listening to them singing the same song over and over again (for nearly 20 minutes!) It was a song about us being tiny raindrops and a family or something. Someone pounded away at a very out-of-tune piano, and every sang loudly and also very out-of-tune. It was so simple and not very beautiful to outsiders, but I'm sure the Father was smiling.

Then a man walked up to a podium and quickly read some verses from the Word for about two minutes. He went so fast that nobody could find the right page, and this was the only time any one read from the Word for the whole two hours. It was pretty sad.

After the Scripture reading, some very enthusiastic and also out-of-tune choir members filed onto the stage. (See the picture). They wore robes made from very plain material. While they were singing, many of them kept sneaking glances at me.

Finally, "Teacher Zao" or somebody, came up to give the message in a purple quilted jacket and jeans. About half of the congregation was asleep before she finished. She talked for about an hour, never once looking at the Word. My student wrote notes about it for me, since I could only understand a little. It was a very watered down message about a million different things such as:

-The Father helps relieve stress, especially for university students.
-Obama tells us to be confident.
-All men are created equal.
-To be a successful person, you need dedication.
-We should take care of our behavior and love others.
-A thousand days is like one day for the Father.
-Don't complain too much.
-If someone looks down on you, you should still treat them kindly.
-The Father can lead us to the bright road. We can have a bright future.
-Having a warm heart is very important.
-We love China.

I was trying not to be critical, but there's a reason that most of our Chinese brothers and sisters don't go to these official fellowships. People are dying to hear truth, and they usually only receive a watery self-help class, mixed in with some patriotism. People were so eager to hear truth, yet I'm afraid they were disappointed and will continue to look elsewhere.

Plus many of the leaders of the fellowships have little, if no training in the Word. The woman next to me asked if my parents were believers. I said yes. She said that I must be a believer, too, because my parents are. I told her that having parents as believers doesn't automatically make their children believers. She didn't seem to understand that.

After the service, everyone practically ran out of there, except for a few curious people who came to talk with me.

Overall, it was a fascinating experience, although a bit disheartening. The revivals and solid teachings occurring around China certainly aren't happening in places like that... They are happening in the house fellowships.

Being a Tourist

The famously huge and expensive front gate to our campus.


Your one stop shop for quilted pajamas.


A wonderfully Chinglish sign we spotted at a bathroom around town.


Playing tennis!


Jodi and I are pretty serious about tennis, as you can see by this picture.



I don't know what to write lately. Our holiday is in full swing now, and I feel like my whole body and being has taken a huge sigh of relief. Maybe I'm a bad teacher, but I don't miss teaching. I continue to hang out with students who are still around, and that's a bit more interesting than interacting with them in the classroom.

As I'm typing this, I just got a sweet text message from one of my students: "Hi~elegent Laura, the final exam is over. i'll leave for shenzhen! hope you will enjoy yourself during the chinese new year's day!" So suddenly most of my students are leaving for home for the next month...

We have been staying busy, especially since Jodi's friend visited us for a few days this week. He is from California studying at Beijing University, and wanted to come see another side of China, I suppose. It was fun seeing our city and school through someone else's eyes, since it all seems familiar to us now.

He was most impressed/amused by some things that you don't see in Beijing:

-How the restaurants in Nanchang usually don't have real roofs or walls.
-How we pour boiling water in our bowls at restaurants to clean them, and then toss the water on the ground.
-How few foreigners he saw and how excited/scared the Chinese were when they did see foreigners.
-How people couldn't understand his northern Chinese accent here in the south.
-How our campus has the most ridiculously huge and expensive front gate in all of China.
-How our campus was the size of a small city.
-How precious and eager our students are.
-How you can see all the Nanchang "sights" in about half a day.
-How there's no central heating, and we all have to wear five layers of clothing in the winter.
-How inexpensive everything is.
-How there is a foreign goods store in a city with so few foreigners.
-How the parks here are more like creepy amusement parks.
-How babies are bundled up like balls with so much clothing.
-How you can see men and women walking around the streets in their padded, quilted pajamas.

Overall, I enjoyed running and playing all over the city with them. We also played tennis together at new campus The tennis courts aren't actually there for student use. They rent them to outside organizations, so the school can make more money. (Our school often operates more like a business than a university). And the only way we could get the key was through one of our students who found his P.E. teacher, who happened to be an athletic girl and spoke English. (Sporty girls are extremely rare at least in this part of China).

It was awesome running around and whacking at tennis balls all morning. Even though the courts are buried in the quietest, most remote corner of campus, some English-speaking students managed to spot us 100 miles away. They stood on the court trying to talk to us, while we dodged around them.

Happy mid-January everyone!

Happy 200th Blog Post!

(Students writing encouraging words on each others backs).


(One of my students with her paper).



(Words that my students wrote about Miss Laura).


(Students with their papers of encouraging words).


(A note my student Jill gave me).

Friday was my last day teaching for a few weeks. In our last classes, one of the activities we did was to write our names on pieces of paper and clip them to our backs. Then everybody walked around writing encouraging words about each other. It was a hit. I've included some pictures from that activity.

And as another activity to conclude the semester, I asked students what they had learned this semester and wanted to learn next semester. Most were normal, and some students wrote how they wanted to play games outside everyday for class. I was thinking, "Really? And do you actually think your Chinese teachers would do this?" So many of them weren't realistic, but some of them wrote really cute notes. I thought I'd share a few:

"I learned to become more brave and after having Miss Laura's, I'm beginning to think deeply on things. It helped me think in other way like an adult. Miss Laura is a nice teacher and will be nice forever."

"I'm very proud of you--you are a great teacher. In your class you told us what is self-respect, how do we know what is right or wrong, what do we it means to be mature. You are not only tell us knowledge but also tell us how to be a man. So have learned so much in your class. Thank you very much, Miss Laura, you have taught us so much. You are perfect teacher."

"The most important thing I learned in Miss Laura's class is the quality of honesty. Do not try to cheat anybody in anything at any time. Have a true life!"

"Happy New Year, Miss Laura! May your tooth can say hello to the sun everyday."

"I love Miss Laura because she is very cheerful. The most important thing I learned in Miss Laura's class is to be hopeful. Maybe I don't know what my future will be, but I can think about it. Life is not full of jobs and money. There are many other things..."

"Miss Laura's smile always makes me warm and kind. So I would no longer feel timid and afraid. She told me, "everyone is unique and smart." The word encouraged me a lot."

So perhaps my crazy, but lovable students have actually learned a few things this semester! Thanks to Him and your thoughts... :) Thus begins our Spring Festival holiday. I have always wondered why it is "Spring Festival" when it is actually the deepest days of winter. Nothing resembles spring here...

But it does feel like spring in ways that you can't even see. He continues to renew hearts and minds in an amazing way. Joelle and Jodi each have studies of the word that are going on with interested students, and I also started a study this morning. Five students were going to come, but only one arrived. One student was in the hospital having a tooth out, one was trying to pass his driving exam, one was taking an exam for somebody else (something very sad and common in China), and one was stuck in a mob at the train station while trying to buy a ticket home.

But the Father brought one special, lone student. He was the one who didn't really want to come, but he did because he is so curious about everything in life. He is an avid reader, especially about all things science, and thrives on questioning why things are the way they are. Today we just talked about the existence of a Creator, and it was very revealing for him. I think he is searching for truth, but doesn't know where to find it.

Long story short, this student has acknowledged the fact that there may indeed be a Creator, and will come back to the study. Praise Him! Tomorrow he is even coming to the Chinese fellowship with us for the service, and the only place in the city of 4 million where you can buy a copy of the word. He is bringing money so he can purchase his own copy of the word "to keep forever."

Please, please lift him up! I have had him as a student for over a year and a half, and he is so curious. He is also very guarded and rational. Knowing him, he will seriously contemplate what we studied today, which is amazing in a country that is becoming saturated with video games and the Internet. Please just think of him so that he will discover the truth.

It is always unexpected and surprising the way He works and the hearts He works in, such as my one particular students. There is also another student of mine who is a Hui Muslim--the only female Muslim on campus. She said the most interesting thing she learned this semester in my class was about the Son. Wow.

Thanks for your thoughts as always! I'm thinking of you in America, especially as you are freezing!

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!!!!!!!