But now, teaching is finished - all that's left is final exams (and grading!) - so we finally feel like we've got a minute to spare. So, let's catch you up on a couple of things:
First, Joseph:
I've (Jason) been going out to see him and a sister, Monica, to study and pray and have lunch together. It has been going well, but to tell you the truth, I sometimes don't know where it's going, like, what's the point or the end goal. So, I thought we'd switch it up this time and I asked Joseph to prepare us some kind of service project to do. We even decided to move the day from Wednesday to Tuesday so Cec could join us after class. She also had the idea to take a sack of gifts - things we got in the mail from you guys, actually - to give away to... well, to whoever Joseph had arranged for us to serve. Presumably some of the poor residents of his neighborhood or some school kids or somebody like that.
That isn't exactly how things went. It's a rather long and relatively boring story... The shortened version: We went to the art studio where he teaches part-time and met a few of his students. Then we toured the art college campus. Then we ate lunch. Then we went to his house and looked on his computer at some pictures and the first few slides of a .ppt that he'd gotten from some American guy and had recently shared with those aforementioned art students. The point of which... I have no real idea. We left the sack of stuff with him and Monica to distribute at some later date to whomever they see fit.
Just writing that short little description tires me out and discourages me. That's the feeling right now, I must admit. I mean, we went straight from Cecely's class all the way down there, spent five hours mostly just walking around having our picture made in front of different buildings, then slogged our way back home in HZ's heavy late-afternoon bus traffic - in service of... what? [All I can do is console myself with the thought of Romans 8:28, but that hardly helps when you're tired and frustrated and foot sore and wondering When does the big service project begin?] I guess there was a misunderstanding; either that, or maybe whatever Joseph had in mind fell through, and he just didn't have the heart to admit it.
Anyway, we're tired. We're thankful to be coming up on this six-week break. All the team needs the rest. We'll still be working - wink, wink - which we are glad about. In fact, we have some big things coming up with W3. [More news later.] But we will also have some time to enjoy the city and won't have to schedule everything around our classes and activities at school.
So... There've been ups and downs... The moving stuff [which is sort of on hold - too complicated to explain, but we'll let you know when it actually happens]; some issues at school [we will give exams for 6 hours on Christmas day - again, not worth telling what all we've been through with that issue]; we have had really good weather recently, and... We have received your gift packages! We love everything we've seen - and expect the same for those gifts that were wrapped and are waiting under the little tree beside our TV.
Guang likes the boxes!
There are still so many other things that come to mind - some good news brewing among the RJ ladies' group; the witnessing of - just yesterday on a public street near the school - what is certainly the worst act of animal cruelty I have ever had the misfortune to see; a really nice evening out near the lake; the on-going congestion of our cat (who is doing really well this morning, though). We give him nose drops, cough syrup, Chinese herbal medicine tea - whichever he seems to need at the time - at least once every day.
We are blessed. We are happy (mostly). We need this break and are thankful to have it.
Thank you for your concern and prayers. Please just say something to our Dad about restoration and rejuvenation - for the whole team - and things will no doubt pick-up again (mood wise) very soon. Blessings to you. Amen.
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