Mandy

This story is from a couple weeks ago with my Sunday afternoon Bible study with Mandy and Sherry. Mandy is on the left and Sherry is on the right.

Sherry asked the question "What do Christians think about luck?"

I said Christians don't believe in luck. Or they shouldn't. They believe everything is God's plan. Whether it is good or bad. Some people might say that Bryant and I meeting was lucky; being in the right place at the right time. But I believe it was God's plan that we should meet each other.

Then Mandy asked if she could share a personal story. I said of course.

But before I tell you a story she told I should give you a little background. There are more than 55 people groups in China. Meaning they're all Chinese, but there of a different ethnic backgrounds. Their language, culture, customs festivals, and traditions all differ a little bit. There are two groups that seemingly always are having conflict. Xinjiang people and Han people. Xinjiang people are closer to Muslim culture than Chinese culture. Han Chinese people are the majority in China.

On to Mandy. She told us about how she was traveling to another city with her father. They were in the train station. Literally the next day there was a riot where Xinjiang people killed many Han. In that exact same train station at the exact same place that her and her father where the previous day. She also told Sherry and I that every time she travels she prays that Father would keep her safe. She went on to explain and express that she doesn't think it's just luck that they weren't killed. She doesn't think it's just luck that they were there the day before not the day of this riot. She is sure and confident that that was the Lord's providence that they were kept safe.

It is always fun and such a tremendous joy to see fellow sisters share their own life experiences with non-believers!

Keep praying for Sherry. When I asked her this week, "If there is a scale of 1 to 10. One is you don't believe there is a god. And Jesus wasn't real. Ten is you believe fully in the Bible. Where are you?"

She said, "Five. I think I am a five. I don't know what I think yet."

Nana, the Turtle

I went to visit a friend in another city this past week. It was a lot of fun. She has a great big apartment. I was a little jealous. But that isn't what I want to write about. It was a really joyous time. I loved getting to hear about her heart and share my own with her. It was really great to hear about the lessons she's learned here and what she hopes to take back with her. I felt like we talked about EVERYTHING. Like every possible topic. And even though I'm an introvert, I process externally. She just inspired me and refreshed me. I felt so encouraged through our time together. We found out we both had done the same summer program. And I think she went to school with the brother of another friend here. We talked about boys, decisions and guidance about the future, doubts and new found trust, friends, family, going home, language study, teaching, people we meet with, peace, praises, culture things, and crazy Asian things. Things we love and things not at the top of the love list. I think it's really rare that you meet a person and connect so quickly with them. It will be really fun/great to see her again in May. She also introduced me to some local noodles which were out of this world. SO GOOD. We also stopped by her favorite coffee shop. I loved it. It was fun to be shown her city by her. I'm kind of a mug collector and she helped me find one. It was just a really good time. Around 5 it was time for me to head home. It was refreshing and fun to travel alone on the way home. Some people might be leary of it. But I kind of like it. And I just feel proud and comfortable that I knew exactly where I was going and how to get there. The video has photos of her apartment, mine, noodles, the coffee shop, a local toilet (just in case you've never seen one), the bus, and a prank that was pulled on me. My national friends have always tried to punk me and others before. But they don't really know how. One idea they had come up with was putting a bag over someone's head. I think they just didn't know what to do, or where to draw the line. I think they had a little help this time. I got home around 1030. My apartment was kind of a mess. So, I cleaned stuff up and unpacked. Then I was getting ready for bed and noticed a note and a funny bag with pellets. I skimmed the note and then held my breath. I thought they had put something terrible in my bed. I throw back the blankets and...nothing. I read the note again. "...share the bathroom." Oh no!!! I go to the bathroom and expect a fish in my toilet. Nope. A turtle in my shower. Hahahahaha! I couldn't believe it. I thought it was dead at first. But it was very much alive. So, I called my crazy friends and congratulated them on punking me. All in all, this past holiday break was good.

Kathy

My sweet friend Kathy is kind of a heart breaker. To be honest, she's pretty cute and has quite a charming way about her. We've been meeting one-on-one for about a year and a half now. Her growth has been slow, but strong. Once her mind is made up, there's no changing it.

Her most recent dilemma is falling in love with someone who isn't a believer. This isn't the first time this has happened. She's spent a lot of one-on-one time with him and they talk pretty often. I warned her about this before because too much one-on-one time with a boy could lead to some confusing feelings for her and/or him.

She knew all the pros and cons of course. And most importantly, that she shouldn't date him because he wasn't a believer. We've discussed this topic of dating or not dating him for two weeks now.

Tonight, she told me the man was super persistent and she felt like she needed to either date him or cut all ties with him. I told her that was a good idea. I also told her I thought it would be a good idea to make a deadline. She said a week. So, I did a quick prayer for her while walking home.

FOUR HOURS LATER

She called to say she made her decision. I was a little worried about what she was about to say. BUT she told me that she made the decision to seperate herself for him! I was sooooooo excited! I know it's a hard decision to make when your feelings are all out of whack, but I was sooooo proud of her. I congratulated her and then she told me she felt like a "stone has been taken from my heart." She felt relaxed and happy about the decision.

Well done, Kathy, well done :)

Not My Dish

A student/friend came over to make some banana bread. She's so great! So funny and sarcastic. I just love her.

Anyways, we were just chatting away and of course the topic came around to boys. There is one boy in particular that seems to have a lot of girl friends. I just had to ask if she thought he was cute or if she liked him.

"He's not my dish," she said.

"What?"

"He's not my dish. Do you know what I mean?"

"No. Do you mean, he's not your type, not your style?"

"Yes, it's what we say in our native language. I just translated it."

How funny is that to say, "he's not my dish" to describe a boy or girl that is not your type. Then I doubled checked with her the translation in the native language. It was even funnier.

Long Time, No See

Well, I have been a quite a slacker in terms of my health. I haven't worked out in months and I haven't taken time to prepare food, but just eating junk lately. Part of the problem is busy-ness.

But this week, I made sure I went to the gym at least once. When I arrived people commented on my hair. I recently cut it and they seem to like it. I like it.

I and about 10 other people go pretty consistantly. We all smile and are friendly to one another. But it wasn't until about just before Christmas that some of the women warmed up to me. I think they thought I couldn't speak their language. But quite a few people comment about how I hadn't been in a long time. They emphasized long.

I was glad they welcomed me back with open arms. It's a nice little niche.

Why don't they understand me?

I promised some language flubs. So, here they are.
Despite my ridiculous mistakes from time to time, my friends are so encouraging and helpful. Giving me great praise and challenging me. And my mistakes always seem suitable for a little laughter.


What I wanted to say: Can I tell you a secret?

What I said: Can I tell you a password?

What I wanted to say: At that place, I need to pick up my friend.

What I said: At that place, I need to grab my friend. (The word grab is only used as in grabbing with your hands, like grasping. My friends got a real kick out of that one.)

What I wanted to say: And you?!

What I said: Nila! (The words for "and you?/what about you?" sound really similar to my last name. My friends thought I was just shouting my name.)

What I wanted to say: When you were little, did you do that?

What I said: When you were grown up, did you do that? I'm never quite sure where to put the suffix to change something.

What I wanted to say: When you are scared, you can come to my house.

What I said: When you are scary, you can come to my house. I couldn't help but laughing at myself.

Will you give me some...?

Jessica is an old friend. She had always seeked me out to talk to. Mostly she wanted to talk about politics and practice her English. I was okay with that.

Occasionally, I would bring up my beliefs. Okay, more than occasionally. But most of the time, she would listen and never showed any interest.

Last week, she invited herself over to have salad. Salad, for some reason, is super interesting. Of all the things students want to make or eat together, salad is usually one of those things. I've always been reluctant because they hardly ever eat raw veggies and that is pretty much all a salad is. But I decided to go for it with Jessica.

Long story short, she liked the salad and the chicken and broccoli rice I made. We chit chatted about politics and medical expenses and sporting scandals. She was going to study the Bible with a friend of mine, but then she asked if I had time to study with her. I said, "Of course!" So we set up a day and time.

The reason I love communication and the reason for this post is this:

This is what I heard next:
"Will you give me some sex?"

I almost burst into laughter. But I KNEW that could not possibly be what she really said. So, my mind began to filter through the possibilities...

sex...
six...
snakes...
SNACKS!!!

This is what she said:
"Will you give me some snacks?"

I agreed to bring some snacks to our meetings and chuckled to myself.

Thank you Asia and thank you brain.

Moon Cakes

A couple blog posts back I told you about my new baking friend. I will now refer to her as Sara Lee. Sweet Sara Lee. I really LOVE her. She is a true gem and I think there is a lot in store for our friendship.

I also love zucchini bread. Recently Wal-Mart had some zucchinis, so I shredded it and froze it. I decide to thaw some out and make some muffins for her.

I went to her shop around 4 that day. She was really excited to see me and greeted me with a warm hug. I gave her the muffins and she was eager to try them. Then she said she had to make something. I could tell I had surprised her a little. But I told her I would just sit and talk and help if she would let me. She said she needed to get things ready and then I could help. So, I sat and waited.

Later, when all things were ready, I found out we were making moon cakes. There is a Mid-Autumn Festival here. And moon cakes are a must-have. They are a sweet or sour or meaty or fruity pastry. I had never made them before, but I was really curious how they are made.

Fruit filling is rolled into a ball. The outer batter/dough is wrapped around it. Then a moon cake press is used to force it into the final shape. It was really fun. For the first 20. I’m pretty sure we ended up making 200+.

I should tell you moon cakes are like a very dense pastry. When I heard moon cake, I thought of moon pie. Chocolately, soft with marshmallow filling.

I really enjoy practicing language with her. She really tries to help me understand. Her English is better than she thinks it is. Anyways, she was asking me if American men are “big?” Or I thought she was saying big. I also heard her say something about wife. I was really confused, but I said yes anyway. I know most people here think Americans are big. We are. But we are bigger than the average national here. I then tried to tell her men in America are bigger than national men. She starts cracking up!!! Like really laughing. I couldn't understand. But then it all came together. She said, “Not big! Beat! Do they beat their wives? Do American men hit their wives?” I literally said, “Oh!!!” And then said I sorry and embarrassed. But yes, it happens sometimes. But I said I’m sure it happens here too. She agreed.

When I think I've got a handle on the language, I’m reminded there is so much more to learn. In all things…

Olympic Day (Part 2)

If you have not read Olympic Day Part 1, you should go and read it now.


Olympic Day Part One

There is a large square in my city. I don’t know if these things actually exist in America. It’s a large flat area where people can go hang out. Sometimes there are dances, performances, movies, celebrations, lots of people. It’s a free-to-use-space for anyone. It’s fun to go to. This particular night was a the Olympic Celebration. The city wanted to encourage people to be healthy and remember the Olympic Games from 2008. So, there was a performance from different sports.

As my friend, Summer and I were waiting for it to begin, we went to say hi to her friend. When we found the Latin dance “team,” I found out I had two friends of my own who were in the performance. They were quite excited to see me there. Then all of the sudden, there was a woman shouting at me to come to her. Quickly! So, I ran over there and Summer told me we were supposed to wear these sporty shirts and represent the ping pong group. But I told her, I can’t play well and I didn’t want to perform. Summer said she didn’t think we actually had to perform; it was all just for appearance purposes. So, I agreed to it, but I was still a little nervous that I was being lied to.

The show began. There was a TV station there and there were some boring speeches. But THEN everyone stood up and my friend told me we had to take an oath. Of course, just for appearances. I became really nervous. I didn’t want to take an oath. I didn’t even know what was being said. Summer said it was something about promising to be healthy and encourage others and help the city, blah, blah, blah. However, I refused to raise my hand or repeat the words.

After the Latin dance, Summer and I decided to do a little walking. We mostly talked about nothing. But I moved the conversation to spiritual things. She said she wants to read the Bible sometime together. And she said she’s interested, but so busy right now. She is studying for a bunch of tests. But she is confused about Christianity. She thinks it’s all based on what you do and don’t do, how much good you put in the world. That is one of the most frustrating things to hear from someone. She then told me about a “Christian” she met in another city. She smokes and drinks which other than doing those things in EXCESS and UNRESPONSIBLY, I don’t really have a problem with. But then Summer told me about the girl’s other activities with boys and saddened my heart to know she was tarnishing the name of my Lord and God. To ruin His reputation is one of the worst things she could do.

Olympic Day (Part 1)

Who knew it was Olympic/Athlete Day on 08/08? Well, I have heard two different things. Today is the second Father's day. The number 8 in language sounds like father in the language. I also heard that today is the day that the Olympic Games opened in 2008. So, it's like "be fit" day. Little did I know what was in store...

I had a lazy morning but started my afternoon with lunch at one of my favorite restuarants. It's rice and veggies cooked in a clay pot. Yummy! Then I headed to my favorite coffee place to read a while. PAUSE-BREAK While in language tutoring this morning I said a little prayer about wanting to find someone to practice with. UNPAUSE I enjoyed my Blue Berry soda while reviewing memory verses and got a Iced Americano to go from the coffee shop. I walked across the street to the "Bakery Store." I wanted to buy some cream to ATTEMPT to make Mango Sorbet.

After finding exactly what I wanted, I went to the "register" to pay. And that's when the humbling began...I believe the cream cost 40 units and I had 38. I was so embarrassed. But because I go "often," the boss-lady was super nice and said it didn't matter. As I'm getting ready to go, I hear everyone talking about me in language, which is not uncommon. They are saying I'm a teacher at the university and I am American. All true. Then one of the customers asked me if I wanted to be her friend. I misunderstood, because I'm awesome like that, and thought she asked if I had a boyfriend. So, when I said I don't have, everyone burst into laughter. She smiled and repeated herself. Then I told her I could be her friend. The plan was she was going to help me with language and I was going to help her with English. Prayer Answered



So, we decided we would go have tea together. But first she had to go to somewhere to make something. I should've guessed what, we did meet in a bakery supply store. Then she told me we could go on her motorbike. It's more like a scooter, but I was super excited. Then it got even better. She had a helmet for me to borrow!!!! So, we hop on and scoot all the way across town. She is giggling the whole time and every time she speaks or I speak. This is really okay with me because that is how I feel about the whole situation. We arrive at her place of business. She bakes cakes. So, for about 2 hours I sit and watch her make cake things and ask about her family and life. It was super fun!!! I really loved it.



I have to tell her I have to go though because I'm supposed to watch a Latin dance performance with a friend. She walks me to the bus stop and she lets me know she really wants to meet again and practice English again. I tell her I would love to see her again. Maybe next week I'll make cookies and visit her.

*STAYED TUNED TO HEAR ABOUT THE LATIN PERFORMANCE*

coffee

Coffee. I love coffee. Actually, I have come to realize I LOVE hot drinks. But coffee is better than tea. So, I have kind of "searched" the city for a place to nickname The Java Cat or the Granada.

This place is more Granada than Java Cat...
It has an English translation of the menu. Which is great because I don't know how to order coffee stuff in language yet. I can say hot and cold. But the workers know a little English and are really kind. The real name is Coffee & Talkers. Not Coffee Talkers. At first, I thought the & was a little weird. But I get it now, it's coffee and talkers. Coffee and people who talk. A classic mocha is my all time favorite.

Oh, I should tell you why I love coffee shops. Not only do I love to drink hot drinks, but I love the atmosphere of coffee shops. So cozy, inviting and relaxing. I have many fond memories in coffee shops; conversations of catching up, meeting old friends and new, Christmas parties, serious conversations, early meetings, late meetings and just a quiet place to read, think or study. So, I miss friends and family, but I miss those comfortable, familiar places too. But now, I think I've found my Granada... :)