Life on the Road

Well, I'm back in America, and currently in Grand Rapids sitting alone at a Panera working on my laptop. For those of you who don't know (I'm not even sure if anyone reads this blog), I'm working as a Program Counselor (or recruiter) for ELIC, the organization I went to China with. For the next 2 weeks, my job takes me to colleges, churches, and meetings with people in Grand Rapids and Indianapolis. I'm cramming a lot into the next 2 weeks, but trusting God to help me and to bring me people to talk to about Asia. Yesterday for my FIRST EVER event in this job, I showed up at a college at 7:30 am after being on the road since 4:30 am, and as I walked into a class of half awake freshman, I was told that their professor was out sick and that what was supposed to be a 10 min. talk would now be a 90 min. class period! Yikes! Nothing like winging it on no sleep, eh? Thank God for that free cup of gas station coffee I got earlier! Anyway, I did 3 classes like that yesterday, and set up a display table, and by God's grace, it went well! Now it's time to catch up on some emails and other stuff today. There's much more to say, but I must get to work. I just wanted to actually post something since I've been back in the good ol Mei Guo.

Today in class I asked my students this question, "What's the translation in Chinese for stunt man?"

I got this answer, "Jackie Chan."

They were completely serious! Heehee...

It rained like mad last night. Loud thunder. Lightening. Wind. That's really rare here in Beijing, and I was a happy girl! I sat on my bed with my window open enough to really hear the rain pounding down... smiling and feeling all warm and cozy inside. I even lit my last remaining candle (I'm trying to conserve it so that it doesn't run out before I leave in 2.5 weeks).

I can't belive I've almost spent 2 years in China! That's wild! This place has definitely become home (though I'm constantly reminded that I'm a foreigner). It will break my heart to leave... but in a good way because I know that I'm being obedient and there is so much joy and peace in that. I'm excited about beginning this next chapter of my life... as a California girl (ok, I don't think I'll ever quite be a true Cali girl, but I love the beach and the mountains and warm weather, so I think I'll survive!)

I'm not even sure if anyone reads this blog yet (other than Allison S... thanks, girl!) but I'll keep you all posted on my adventures and whereabouts. Here's to drinking in the last moments here and stepping out into a great adventure there!!!

pursuit

Sometimes it is refreshing to read the Word from a different translation just to wake up your brain and hear/see the same things but just a little differently (of course, the translation must be accurate... just had to throw that in there!) Anyway, I was recently talking to a very wise woman who has become a dear friend to me, and she mentioned that she had been reading Psalm 23 from a translation she doesn't normally read. The passage is so familiar, and yet one word change turned her head and touched her heart. Pursue. Verse 6 says, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life..." In the particular translation she was reading it said, "Surely goodness and mercy will pursue me every day of my life." Wow! I don't know about you, but this sure hits home for me! We all want/need to be pursued... by our family members, friends, teachers... those we love and look up to. The child who is pursued by his teacher thrives. The friend who is pursued by her friend (through phone calls, time spent together, etc.) feels loved and appreciated. The son/daughter who is pursued by his/her parent feels valued, special, safe. The woman who is pursued by her lover feels cherished and secure.

What a great thought (and it's true!) that we are promised pursuit all the days of our life. The Father's goodness will pursue us. His mercy will pursue us. He Himself, the author of all love and creativity and life... will pursue us! I can't even believe that the Father of the universe wants to pursue my unworthy heart every day! That is nothing but grace... and today, I rejoice in that! You can rejoice in it too... no matter what your circumstances or the condition of your heart, there is someone who will pursue you each and every day of your life! Can I get an amen?

What's in a name?

I just want to share that I have a student in my Sunday class whose name is Luke. He spells it "Look." Awesome. I also have a Bush, Smart, and Strong. Oh, the English names in China! Gotta love it! Also I have a student named Jasmine, but she thinks her name is Jessimy because the Chinese teachers can't pronounce her name correctly. Oh gosh!

Happy Children's Day to one and all! A year ago today I was bustin' a move at our Children's Day program at Hui Jia school! Oh what a memory...

The imaginary break-in

I have sleep issues. It takes me forever to fall asleep, and then once I do I'm a super light sleeper so any noise or light wakes me up! It's worse when I'm stressed (it takes even longer to fall asleep and then I have nightmares or toss and turn a lot, etc.) Right now I'm under some stress (I don't know why... I'm only leaving China in a month and moving to a new place... and thinking about a job, apartment, car, finances, etc... what's to be stressed about?) All that to say that last night I was tossing and turning and just on the brink of falling asleep when I heard a noise. It sounded like a thud... almost like someone had just shut the window. I got a little scared, but turned over and began falling asleep again. A little while later I heard the noise again. This time I totally woke up... and I was terrified. I looked at my clock. It was 1:30 am. I was certain someone had climbed in our window and was in the apartment ready to steal stuff and hurt me. I wanted Vanessa to be IN my bed next to me... but she's in the other room... in HER bed, where she should be. "Ok," I thought, "I can do this. I'll just get up, turn on my light, and go out into the living room and check to make sure everything is ok." I sat up. I heard the noise again and was now paralyzed with fear. I needed a weapon. It was dark in my room and my head was reeling thinking about what I could use to knock someone out. My trumpet! YES! I grabbed it! Now I was sitting at the edge of my bed holding a trumpet on my lap in the dark. I just couldn't muster up enough courage to get up and go out into the living room. I finally chickened out and laid back down, holding my trumpet to my chest. And somehow I fell asleep. Imagine my surprise when I woke up hours later, cuddling with my trumpet. Oh dear! I am totally going to be one of those women who wakes her husband up in the middle of the night saying, "Honey, did you hear that? I heard something. Go check it out." But have no fear... I'll offer him my trumpet to use as a weapon!

A new name

My boss here is a Canadian guy. He's married to a Finnish woman. They met in Yemmen. Now they live sometimes in China and sometimes in Finland. Did I lose you yet? Such is life when the world is your community! Anyway, they are here now and they have 3 adorable little girls! Today we babysat the girls so that their parents could go on a date (apparently it's been over a year since they were on a date... good grief!) We painted our nails, played outside with bouncy balls, watched a movie, and made chocolate chip cookies! It was both fun and exhausting! So apparently "Tanya" in Finnish sounds something like "Tiny-ya." And to the girls this apparently sounds a bit like "China." Yep, that's right. They think my name is "China." I had to leave this afternoon to teach a class, and when I came back home, all 3 ran to me with their arms outstretched yelling, "China, China!!!" Oh dear! Miss Hamburger has aquired a new nick-name! From now on, you may all refer to me fondly as "China."

Workout or fun-fetti... I choose BOTH!!

I seriously just worked out and then sat down and ate a huge piece of fun-fetti cake!!! A tad counterproductive, I know, but yummy nonetheless!!!

A "new type" blog!

I've finally decided to give up on Xanga and enter a new world of blogging. For some strange reason, China blocked Xanga (someone probably posted an entry that called Mao ugly or something). Anyway, here's to new blog beginnings! I've certainly saved up my awkward, ridiculous, and insane stories from the past couple 0' months. I'll try to pace myself in retelling them all. For now, I must learn the ropes of blogspot. Be back soon...