A Chinese Thanksgiving

It is the day after Thanksgiving as I'm writing this blog. We are having a potluck dinner for some Chinese English teachers and our neighbors tonight. The power has gone off for the second time today. This time it hasn't been on for a couple of hours. Our potluck starts in an hour. We aren't quite sure how we'll be able to cook anything...

Anyways, celebrating Thanksgiving in China provides me with plenty to be thankful for. We still had to teach all day on Thanksgiving, but I think I preferred that. I got to be with my sweet students and the weather was beautiful. The day couldn't have been any more blessed.

For lunch I ate with my old student and dear friend who became a sister last year. We went and had a big lunch just the two of us. We ate Chinese dishes of green vegetables, potato slices with fried pork, and bananas. It was a very traditional Thanksgiving meal! She wouldn't let me pay for it and she shared some words that about made both of us cry. She told me, "Thank you for being my friend and not giving up on me. Now I'm so happy and peaceful, because I have the Father in my heart." I'm also so thankful for her! Besides Jodi, she is my closest friend here, and she has taught me a lot about life and the Father.

Throughout the day I also received countless messages with the following saying from different students:

"I open my pocket, find no coin; I open my purse, find no money; then I open my life, I find you! Then I know how rich I am! Happy Thanksgiving!"

I remember receiving that message last year on various occasions. I really don't know where they find it... Maybe there is a website for sappy sayings to send your English teacher? I told Jodi I would say that in a toast at her wedding. We are both so fond of it now.

In other news, I've been hanging out with Chinese sisters who have incredibly strong faith. It is not easy to be a Chinese believer here, especially a leader of a fellowship or study. First of all it's terribly difficult to find copies of the Word for the amount of people who want one. There is one place to buy the Word in this city of 4 million people. There is a "bookstore" about the size of a broom closet, which is attached to the one government fellowship. Sometimes they are open and you can find a few copies of the Word or none at all. It's closed more often than it's open, though.

Then I also know some people who are such leaders for Him that they are being monitored about every second of the day. Many other brothers and sisters are also ostracized by classmates, teachers, parents, or employers. And people are still coming to know Him in droves! It really puts my life and faith into perspective.

Now I'm leaving you with one picture from class. Some of my students drew "turkey hands" on the board with things they were thankful for. I'm thankful for them and you!