Meeting in Homes

It feels great to be meeting and worshipping in homes again. We hosted the worship in our home for the month of September. David and Annie have volunteered for October. The office we met in last year had the potential to hold a really large group. However, the group seemed to get smaller and smaller as the year went on. Everyone got up and went home soon after worship in the office. In homes everyone sits around and talks and enjoys snacks together after worship. In a home we all squeeze in and sit closer together. One Sunday Dan, Bill Gates, Jane and husband Yorex stayed for lunch after worship. They had not all been together for one year, so it was fun to catch up with their lives. Another Sunday HongMei stayed later asking about the retreat JiuLian group was organizing. Dan had time to open up his computer and show the map location and retreat schedule to HongMei.

Caleb’s First Soccer

Recently at Caleb’s school the children were able to choose one extra activity to learn on Friday afternoons: Chinese calligraphy, drums, painting, dancing, kungfu, or soccer. Caleb chose soccer. He was excited about it because we watch the university students play soccer in the stadium all the time. Caleb’s math teacher is the soccer coach. He is a young guy in his twenties, just his second year of teaching. So the first Friday afternoon there were 50 boys wanting to learn soccer and only one math teacher. The coach announced, “We have too many boys. We can only keep two from each class to learn soccer.” So you guessed it, Caleb’s class had three boys so they had to pick a number. Caleb guessed the wrong number. It makes my eyes tear up to think about a little boy, especially my Caleb, walking off the soccer field, not being able to play, because he guessed the wrong number. But the soccer coach called him back, “GaoJiaLe you can stay.” We really are treated as special guests here in China. We heard this story and GaoYan asked Caleb, “So did you feel sad when you thought you could not play soccer?” “No, I didn’t feel sad.” Well, GaoYan and I understand the math teacher extended a special favor to our family.

Extra note: At the Yellow Dragon stadium they have a soccer league for young children. Also we heard of one Christian mom with three boys and lots of energy who is trying to organize a soccer league in another part of the city. Both opportunities are too far away for us, but great to know other children have a chance to escape their homework, get out there and run and play.

Discontented?

I can't read Chinese.  I can recognize a few characters but only  a few.  Hallie on the other hand can read...uh I don't know, several characters.  She also knows how to write characters and knows how to copy characters.  This has proved helpful in a few occasions.

I love cooking with a crockpot.  It is so easy and helpful.  I like to make pots of soup or stew in the winer, and we like to eat pots of beans.  I have a really large crockpot I bought our first year here.  Recently, I inherited a smaller crock pot from an American that returned to the US.  I decided to make some barbecue chicken sandwiches.  I just used a package of chicken breasts (3 breasts) added some barbecue sauce and some southwestern spices and cooked it on low for several hours.  Right before I served the chicken, I shredded it with two forks and added a little more barbecue sauce. We ate it on hamburger buns.  

Back to reading Chinese, this is what the dial on the crock pot looks like:

I asked Hallie to tell me what the settings were.  She could read some of them and make a pretty good guess as to what they meant, but she decided to be sure.  So, she copied the characters down and entered them into my computer and plugged them into the translator and came up with this:

off/ heat retention / slow / discontented

For this meal, I used the slow setting. I did not want discontented chicken.
 :)

We are back!

We finally made it to China. Yay! Our flights were really as smooth as they could have been.  I also feel like I slept more on the flights than I usually do.  Of course I barely slept the night before.  When we arrived in Shanghai, we were all VERY tired.  We ate some “dinner” and went to bed.  We were in bed before 7 pm!  We all woke up around 3:30 or 4 AM.  We hung out in the hotel and then we went to eat some breakfast around 6.  Then Hallie and I went to the Embassy (consulate) to get some pages added to my passport.  Then we returned to the airport to take a bus back to Hangzhou.  We finally made it to our apartment with all the bags about 6 and were in bed about 7:30 or 8.  We were tired!

As you read in Josh and Gao Yan’s post, they were somewhat tired and discouraged at the end of last school year.  We did not feel that way at all.  Jon was physically tired and more than ready for a break.  He was working two jobs and traveling about 4 hours 3 days a week.  However, we were really excited about this new area we moved to.  We made some plans and felt like some great things were happening here.  We were ready for our break, but also equally excited about the upcoming year.

Then some things went wrong this summer.  It was pretty discouraging.  We were really excited about Jon’s new job and the great potential there. But they messed up the visa stuff, so we started to have some doubts.  Also, several of the people we were planning on working with here in BJ moved away.  Some moved back to the US, and Heather moved to Shanghai.  There are a couple of contacts we will meet with every week, but every weekend since we got here has been a working weekend or a holiday, so it has been hard to get into a weekend routine. 

We had felt led here, and thought Jon’s job was a huge blessing, but we stared doubting.  Was all this God telling us this was not the place for us, or was it Satan trying to discourage us.  As I write this, I can see, it was probably Satan trying to discourage us.

Slowly, things are getting better, we are getting settled at home more.  The kids have more of a routine now.  The weather has been fantastic lately.  Things at Jon’s job are leveling out some (they are finishing a big project soon).  Hopefully we soon we can see some new contacts to share with.

Pray for our whole team to be excited about God’s work here in Hangzhou!

This is a picture taken from the roof our building.  This is a section of our neighborhood.

Encouragement At Home

We returned to America in July feeling fairly worn out by China. We were wondering, “Should we stay in China for just one more year? Can we really make it two more years?”

The encouragement we received in Tennessee and Missouri was fantastic. “Praise God for the work He is doing through your family in China,” people would say. “We love reading your reports, I read every word of it. Keep up the good work as long as you can. We are praying for you. I pray for your family each week, Tuesday is your day.”

II Kings 6:16-17 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Back in China we really see God’s blessings encouraging us. Caleb loves his new elementary school.

With so many people in China there is always a new friend. Joy and this little girl were best of friends at first sight. Maybe because they both like pink.

West Lake lotus flowers in the background.

A roller coaster ride!

When I was a kid I would ride roller coasters with my mom. My brother was too scared and my dad didn’t like them.  To me the scariest part of the ride was that long slow climb to the top of the first hill. It almost always felt like it wouldn’t make it and the anticipation of the ride would build the closer you got to the top.  As the saying goes, it was all downhill from there, with a few twists and loops thrown in!

The other night I dreamed we were on a ride.  I think it was just a simple water ride, or flume.  One that was just a hill with water at the bottom that would splash all over you.  We were on the long climb to the top of the hill.  But as we would get closer, we would slip back and have to start the assent again.  We would get a little closer, and slip back some more….you get the picture.  I woke up before we ever made it to the top.

That is what this summer, or at least the last month, feels like.

We have had some trouble getting our visas figured out to go back to China.  There are two main reasons for this.  One is that Jon’s employer in China did not start the process on his end early enough.  We were supposed to have had all the paperwork on his end completed before we even left China.  That did not happen.  The other problem is that China changed some rules regarding visa regulations this summer. 

We knew there were some issues, but we thought that we could go enter China on a tourist visa and then take a short trip to Hong Kong (paid for by the company) and change the visa type to a working visa.  We were told that would work and we rushed and got our visas.  The day we received our visas we were then told that the regulations had been changed and now we (or at least Jon) would have to fly back to the USA in order to change his visa.  So we decided to change our tickets and wait for the correct visa to come. 

We were told that it would take 10 days for the paperwork to be done in China.  It took a week longer than that.  But that part is finished.  Now we are just waiting for the paperwork to arrive.  We hoped we would get it Friday, but we did not.  Since Monday is a holiday we should receive it Tuesday.  Then we will send off for Jon’s  “working” visa.  It should take about a week. 

We have a black and white copy of the paperwork and we noticed that the kids and Jenn are not listed on the paperwork.  We were told that it will be ok and we can change over when we get the residency permit, which we do once we are in China.  I really hope they are correct.  I think it will work.  This is what we did two years ago.

This is actually a blessing, because it means that we will not have to spend the money to pay for visas when we already have a visa (just the wrong type).  Jon will be the only one “wasting” a visa.

This is all very complicated but we are nearing the top of the hill.  Pray that we don’t slip back too much and that this ride will not have too many twists, and loops!

不到长成，非好汉! (If you ain't been to the Great Wall, you ain't nothin'!)

That's the saying that all of us China-dwellers have no doubt heard a hundred thousand times, which really more accurately translates into something like, "If you haven't been to the Great Wall, you aren't a true man." With that pressure from within China, and the knowledge that when we returned to the States, Americans, too, will wonder if Phoebe ever made it to the Great Wall, we decided to make one more trek to Beijing so that she could see what we have seen and loved so well in the great capital city of China. We didn't mind one bit, because Beijing is one of our favorite places we have ever been!

Beijing is big, and grand. Large splashy opera houses and acrobat theatres vie with massive government buildings and ancient Ming architecture for grandeur. Tiananmen Square is massive, and the monuments, the flags, the soldiers, are all quite impressive. This is the city where China was finally declared to be unified, under communism, in 1949, by Chairman Mao ZeDong. This is the city, the very square, where he still lies in state, revered and paid respect to by thousands daily. This is the square, too, that saw the massive democracy rallies in 1989 and the unbelievable aftermath. It's a place of power, and of culmination, and as we took it all in for the last time in what will likely be a very long time, we experienced powerful emotions, and the eventual culmination of our lives in China, our first career, which we have dearly cherished. It's hard to let go, but our time in Beijing contributed to our sense of closure and helped us to say goodbye. 

On the way to the Great Wall the morning we went, we waited for half an hour at a seemingly random place where we would board our bus. While there, I noticed and went inside a nearby church building. It turns out it was established by Matteo Ricci in the 1600's. I was very moved to think of what he must have gone through to teach the gospel in that place at that time, and I was once again encouraged by evidence of God's long pursuit of the hearts of the Chinese people. 

Of all the times we have visited the Great Wall, this was my favorite. The location was amazing, and one we had never visited before. And it was so meaningful to get to take my child there and let her experience it firsthand. She embraced it wholeheartedly! She was convinced she might really catch a glimpse of Mulan fighting off some"bad guys" atop the wall that day! She wanted a sword of her own so she could help defend China if need be. 

Instead of actually climbing the mountain and tackling the sizeable stairways to top the wall, we opted to get to the top by cable car this time! The view was amazing! (Phoebe loved it; Jason was terrified. She consoled him: "Don't worry; God is with you!")

We were able to spend more than an hour on the wall, getting the best views and discovering the watchtowers that were up there. 

Then, when it was time to go down to the bus again, we rode down a toboggan slide back to the settlement below! This part was super fun and exciting for all of us, especially Phoebe!

Back in the city, we were able to eat some amazing meals. Beijing makes great jiaozi (Chinese dumplings), and roasts awesome Peiking Duck.

Also we took in some amazing shows. The shows are part of what make Beijing, Beijing. It's just awesome, and something that has got to be experienced to be understood. It just gets into your blood. Phoebe got right into it and enjoyed Beijing Opera like a Beijing native: cheering, clapping, talking loudly, and chomping away happily on a candied may haw on a stick. 

Our last night there, we attended the nightly lowering of the national flag in Tiananmen Square.There is always a crowd. The mood that night was silent, solemn. The soldiers marched out. Dusk crept in. The flag lowered, quickly, quietly, on the Square that night, and on our time in China. I felt that as the soldiers marched back into the Forbidden City that night carrying the flag, they were carrying much more with them than just that flag. They were carrying our time in China, with its struggles and victories, amazing highs and lows, breath-taking experiences, and what have become our fondest memories...It felt clear once again to me that China is theirs, not ours, and our time here has been God's grace and God's gift to us. I have been an alien, a stranger, a guest, a friend...I will go back where I came from, and they will go on, playing out their utterly amazing story, with their history and culture that could never fail to capture one's attention, one's heart, one's passion.

The flag was ushered into the Forbidden City that night, the great gates closed, and our time in China has now long since come to a close as well. We cannot fully express the thankfulness that overflows our hearts for the chance we had; to be sent was one of the greatest privileges I can imagine. To bear witness to and contribute to God's continuing work in China has built our faith in a thousand ways, big and small. To Him be the glory for His love, His justice, and His grace for the Chinese people. 

BONUS FOOTAGE:

Jason's impromptu underground concert beneath Tiananmen Square during a sudden Beijing summer thunderstorm.