G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S. Not.

So week two is swiftly drawing to a close and this is what I have to say.  This is life, this call isn’t glamorous.  It isn’t a constant high.  It is real life. It is normal life, just in a different place.  Being a missionary isn’t about flying across an ocean; it is about what you do with the time you have.  It is about your focus.

This isn’t glamorous.  It is just real.  Yes, I love taking the bus, and having humorous taxi rides.  I like adventuring, going to new restaurants and cafes, taking pictures, and meeting all sorts of other foreigners with similar passions.

Yeah I see weird foods (and avoid them), I have to use the occasional squatty potty (that really doesn’t faze me at all), and the language barrier makes for a lot of awkward laughs and some frustration.  Also, I think I know exactly how the little frog in Frogger feels.  No joke.  The only difference is that I control myself, it might be better if someone had a bird’s eye view and was controlling me from a giant Gameboy when trying to cross a Chinese street. 

As amazing as it is to see God’s grace and favor displayed in powerful ways, it is also scary to think that your friend could get fined or kicked out of the country because their visa was expired for a few days.

This life is real.  The people here are real. The spiritual warfare here is real.  The bondage from Buddhism, Islam, spiritism, and other cultural things is real.  The people begging on the side of the road, they are real. The kids both happy and sad, well provided for and needy are real.  The smells are real.  Difficulties with the internet are real.  The struggles of being a foreigner and being part of a foreign family trying to do ministry here, all of it, every part of life… it is real.

It is real, and it is not glamorous.

BUT…. Real is better than glamorous. Real is more rewarding.  I don’t know what the rewards from this summer will be.  I have no idea what all I am going to walk away from this summer with, but I know that what I am experiencing is real life and not a temporary high.  To be honest I am not on a high at all and that is something that I am actually very glad about.

My heart is beginning to break.  I see these people and I pray for them more every day.  BUT I can’t do anything about it.  I wish I could talk to them… I am here, but I can’t talk to them, all I can do right now is pray as I see them in the bus and on the sidewalk and all around me.  It is starting to be a little heart wrenching… I just want to be able to see the word of Is. 9:2 come to pass here “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has a light dawned.” And as selfish as it is, I want to be the one who’s feet are beautiful because they bring the Good News.

But I am learning a different lesson right now.  I am learning that this life is about resting in God and serving in a way that you are a blessing to others. It is about smiling at people in the street, distracting fussing kids, helping old ladies across the street, and praying.  This life is about blessing and supporting those around you.

This life is real.  The only glamorous parts are when God says to hide in the rock and look upon His glory as He passes by (Ex 33:17-34:7).  The only glamorous part is God.

pictures from my adventures so far

 my "all natural western style ice cream" :-)  ...but i look forward to real mint chocolate chip when i get home. 

the mosque

Muslim men kneeling as prayer time was starting

Ariel and I out in the sun room, that is where the internet is.

Hmmm... it is only letting me put up these four.  but i will try to post more!

What's on my Mind this Tubular Tuesday

I have plenty of time this afternoon so I thought that I would use it to write another blog post.  Currently the parents are away working on getting visas so myself and the two girls from South Africa are taking care of the kiddos. 

It isn’t glamorous, and it sounds a little boring.  BUT it is actually quite a bit of fun.  These kids are hilarious when they are behaving, and Estie and Nelmarie are awesome girls.

 

The thing that I am focusing on is that this is such a blessing to this family.  And by blessing them I am serving our Creator and His greater purpose here.  If I can help them with their kiddos that frees them to do the work here that they feel called to.

That can be a hard focus to keep sometimes.

The other thing that has happened the last couple days is that I have been blessed with amazing communication with home.  That is a huge blessing, and I am not taking it for granted.  Instead I am trying to make the most of communication while I have it.  I think that I am going to be doing some traveling with the family here very soon, when that happens I do not know what kind of internet access I will have.  That is a sad thing, but I know it will force me to pray for the people at home more because it is the closest thing I will have to talking to them. BUT on the bright side going to different cities will be a really amazing opportunity, and clearly i LOVE to travel.

One thing I really admire about this family is that they have devotional time twice a day.  Now that is pretty cool.  SO twice a day the kids are being discipled.  As young as they are, the amazing thing is that they get it.  It is so amazing to me how Dad made children so spiritually aware, and I don’t think that we give them that credit very often.

I am working on memorizing the Beatitudes, once that is done, who knows what next.

Also, today is a little bittersweet.  Today marks 2 months till I head home.  Thanks to the time change I leave here on July 24^th and arrive home on July 24^th.  That is a joyous thing because I do miss people at home plus when I get home I will begin my senior year of college. 

However, only having two months left also gives me a heavy heart.  I know that 2 months is a long time, but it seems quite short when I think about the fact that it is all the time I have left in China.  I mean yes I hope, and really think, that I will be back here again someday, but for now I want to make the most of the time I have been given, be the best steward I can be, and leave the biggest impact I can.  I love this country, because I love these people, because Dad has put so much love for them in my heart.  I hope to leave this summer having done as much as I can to touch these people with that love.

Only 2 months left… I better get busy.

Bye for now!

Ps…How is everyone’s summer at home going?

I Love China!

Today, May 21, I feel like I am in China and I love it!!!

I skyped my boyfriend from an internet café, I went next door to the convenience store to get some tea before I headed back to my Chinese apartment, in a Chinese apartment complex, where there is Chinese writing in a Chinese smelling city.

After that I went to lunch at KFC with Estie and Nelmarie (girls I who are here from South Africa).   While I was there I pushed through the line like a Chinese person.  When I sat down a Chinese girl came up to talk to me.  Her name was Vicky and she spoke well in English.  That didn’t make me feel so Chinese; after all she was only coming to talk to me because I am a foreigner.  BUT I felt Chinese because I was able to exchange Chinese cell phone numbers with her! 

After that I navigated my way home on the bus by MYSELF!  Ok that really isn’t hard I rode on the same bus I always ride on and got off at the clock tower.  The point is that I was the only foreigner on the bus this time. Later in the day I got a taxi and went across town to hang out with some friends from GA.

All in all it was a day filled with adventures =).  I hope just the first of many. 

Honestly, I find it less frightening to travel around China by alone than I do to be in America alone.  No I can’ read anything, or say more than hello, my name is, thank you, goodbye, and count to ten if I am lucky.  No I don’t always know what I am pointing to on the menu.  But I feel at home here.  I have a love for these people and this country in my heart, so I am no easily frightened.  Instead I am excited to be here. 

For the time being, for this summer, I LIVE IN CHINA! 

And if you ask me that is pretty awesome. 

Zaijian!

My New Reality

Friday May 19th

So I have been gone from America for nearly a week, and have been in China for about 4 days.  The first day here was very hard, but since then Dad has been so faithful to uplift my spirit and focus me on why I am here- to worship Him and bring others into that worship.  To love.

I have already have had several adventures!  Here in XiNing there are quite a few foreigners.  I was able to fellowship with several of the foreign women here one evening.  It was a great time of encouragement and seeing what all Dad is doing!  Seeing older women who started out like me and are now still going and still spreading Dad’s love… I hope to be one of their number some day (well I mean I am right now). 

There is a large minority Chinese group here who are Muslim.  Their physical appearance is slightly different from the rest of the Chinese, and you can tell them apart easily by their attire.  The men wear round white caps and the women wear scarves on their heads.  There are so many of them here.  On Fridays at 1 the men gather at the mosque to pray so I had the opportunity to go and do some praying of my own along with two South African girls who are here for a while. 

It is really sad to think about the bondage these people are in between Islam and Buddhism.  There are also many Buddhist here; in fact, there is a large monastery in this city I believe.  And then there are the many Muslims who swarm the street as they flock to prayer.  Can you imagine if we had that kind of obedience and dedication in our own faith?! 

If you would like something to pray for, pray that eyes would be open to the one, true, living God.

Also I am making many friends here, not Chinese ones yet, but that will come in time.  I am hoping to start attending English corners and things here maybe as soon as Wednesday! Also I may have the opportunity to help little kids with soccer on Fridays!  How perfect for me :-).

My days start off with some personal devotional time before the kiddos are up and about. Once they are up it is breakfast and play time.  Which is also when I get most of my emails from home because it is night time in America when it is morning here.  At 10 we start home schooling.  I help the 4 and 5 year old with their phonics.  After school it is time for lunch.  Once the 2 year old goes down for her nap it is free time or errands time.  Then at night my day ends in the same fashion it started with emails and devotion time. 

I have to say that I still love coffee just as much as I do in America.  I savor it every time I drink it.  It is like my own little blessing, my way of spoiling myself.  It is my comfort. 

For me personally, I am filled with hope at all that this summer could bring.  All the Chinese I could learn, the contacts I will make, what I will learn about living overseas, and most of all what Dad will show me about His heart.  I am making a lot of friends and dreaming up a lot of adventures.  So stay tuned because there will be more to come!

Canada, eh

I am done with the first leg of my journey.  I still have two more flights and a bus ride.  But for right now I am in someplace they tell me is Vancouver, but aside from the presence of Tim Horton's coffee it is eerily similar to Seattle and Colorado... Canada is infiltrating us, eh.  


This airport is absolutely beautiful though.  It has this rain forest/evergreen/giant  aquarium/log cabin vibe.  




                                                    Saying goodbye

Airports don't look like this:

                                                           in vancouver:

That is all for now :-)

Summer Plans :-) Please Stay Tuned for More.

            How to introduce the internet world to my summer plans…. Hmm.  First things first, I am going to China where I will be spending 10 weeks (so basically the whole summer) between two different cities.  For those of you who are prone to creeping or stalking via google earth I will be in Lanzhou and Xining, which are in the Qinghai province.

            This summer has been a long time coming.  I have grown up going on mission trips with the youth group and gallivanting around the globe going on mission trips with other organizations as well.  Now it is my time to be really adventurous.  In about 24 hours I am going to hop across the pond, AKA the Pacific Ocean and land in the country I love.

           

            I have gone to China the last two summers and participated in a leadership camp there.  Through this I have come to realize just how much I love the people of this country.  There is no real explanation for this other than that God has just filled me with love for them.   The Chinese gave me the name Li Ai, which means “beautiful love.”   I hope that remains true of my actions there this summer.

            I am very excited to see what God has in store, to try my hand at several different things, to LIVE in China for a couple of months, to have adventures, and to learn.  It is stressful though.  As excited as I am for this life-changing summer, it is a challenging thing to tackle finals, your roommate’s wedding, and a summer overseas all in one week.

            Please pray for safe, stress-free, smooth, and easy travel because I will be going there by myself.  Pray that I am humble and have the right focus.  Pray that God is glorified and lives are changed. 

            Keep your eyes on this blog.  I want to keep you posted on life and prayer requests J