Welcome to the Jungle

We finally made it to Taiyuan! It has been awhile since I last updated, and there has been so much happening. Added to my list of sights seen are the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. (I would recommend not walking around the Summer Palace for 3 hours while it is raining.) Both sites were very beautiful. We finished up training on Friday, had our commissioning service Friday night, Sat had regional meetings with all the returning teachers, and Sun got up got on the train and came to Taiyuan!
It was such a relief to finally get here! Last year's teachers nicknamed our city the Dirty T, and they told us it was dirty. However you just can't comprehend it 'til you get here. I think all the dust in the world originates in this city and is carried to the 4 corners of the earth by the winds that come off the desert. Welcome to Shanxi Modern Bilingual School, on your right you have a coal factory and on the left is a concrete factory. Have fun breathing! It looks cloudy almost all the time, and I can't see the stars. My apartment had a layer of black dust on everything. My roommates and I have been cleaning and sneezing since we arrived but its paying off and the apartment is shaping up nicely. We have a nice sized living room, a dining room, a bathroom,(sometimes we have water, sometimes we don't,) a kitchen with 2 gas burners, a small refrigerator, and a toaster oven, (oh and the washing machine is in the kitchen too, no dryer,) and we each have our own bedrooms. We are on the sixth floor, 97 steps (yes I counted,)no elevator. But on the bright side we are on the top floor and on the end of the building, so we only have one neighbor and no one stomping around on top of us! We also get a good work out climbing the stairs!
I'm not going to lie, the first day we got here I was a little in shock. When I stepped outside the air smelled like engine exhaust and I wanted to hold my breath until it passed. Then I realized it wasn't going away, and I can't hold my breath the rest of the year. Then we got to our apartment and saw all the dirt and grime, I thought,
"what in the world am I doing here? I'm going to develop lung cancer and never be able to play volleyball again, its so filthy I can dust write on every surface, the only hot water is in the shower, and sometimes we don't even have water! I don't know if I can do this."
Ok so I realize now that seems a little over dramatic, but at the time it was what I was feeling. So I sat down and had a little heart to heart with the Father.
Many of you have heard the story about when I was little I wanted to go to the jungle and live in a grass hut and eat bugs, while I made friends with the people who lived there and shared about the Hope that I have. Well in my little heart to heart, guess what the Father said?
"Welcome to the Jungle!"
What? This isn't the jungle, this isn't what I wanted!
Oh but maybe it is. It is the proverbial jungle. For many people the real jungle would be way out of comfort zone, that place where you realize you're not in Kansas anymore, and you have to rely on the Father. He found a different place to get me out of my comfort zone, to stretch me, and show me just how strong, He is.
My jungle is a polluted city of 3.5 million people.
My grass hut is an apartment building that shakes like there's an earthquake when semi trucks go by.
My bugs (I actually like most of the bugs!) are rice, noodles, vegetables, and tofu.
The people are my students and coworkers.
The objective... is the same.

Wow. That was not what I was expecting to hear. He had made my dream come true, yet it looked a little different than I had envisioned. But you know what? It made it better. When I realized that this is what I have been called to do, that He has a purpose for me, and it won't be easy, but I don't have to do it alone. I feel honored to be a small part of His plan, and at the same time its not about me. Its not about what I want or what makes me comfortable. Its for His glory and His kingdom that I'm here to love and serve His people.

Song of the Day
If You Want Me To
Ginny Owens
The pathway is broken
And The signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

Chorus:
Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will walk through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone

So When the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley If You want me to

One Step at a TIme

So we've been here, in China, almost 2 weeks and there has been soooooooo much going on! Our brains have been crammed full of info about teaching and curriculum, out digestive systems have been getting used to Chinese food, ears are inundated with the sounds of Chinese language, and honking car horns, and noses, with the smells of food from the street vendors and garbage in random piles.

Almost everywhere we go and everything we do is a spectacle for people to watch. A friend and I went to play a little volleyball, the only open spot was in this little park area in a sort of shopping center. I don't know how many people came and just watched for awhile. I'm guessing a couple foreign girls playing volleyball isn't a regular occurrence for this part of town! While its a little intimidating to be openly watched all the time, its a good reminder of how important it is to be careful of the things I do and say, so that I represent the Father well. Most of us are being watched even at home in the states, we just don't always know it.
Wednesday we got to visit the Great Wall of China! That was quite the experience! They told us it would be a lot of walking and quite challenging for the average person. But being my prideful self, I naively thought that I was in a little better than average physical shape, and thought it wouldn't be that much of a problem. What I didn't count on was having to climb the mountain to get to the Wall. I think we walked up 15,000 steps just to reach the wall, and by the time we got there my legs and lungs were burning like the second day of preseason volleyball practice!
Once I reached the the Wall and caught my breath though, it was so worth every step. The mountains that this part of the Wall run through are really beautiful and covered in trees. It really is amazing, that the Chinese built this huge structure, for miles and miles in the rugged mountains. Major props to the guys who lugged the bricks up those mountains to build it!
Once on the Wall, there are guess what... more steps! Almost the whole thing is steps, only there is another challenge. The steps are not constructed evenly. Some of them are only about 3 inches high, others 5 or 6 in, and still others are closer to 8 or 9 in! So you really have to watch your step so you don't take a tumble.
I like parallels, and the steps reminded me of the journey we take with the Father every day. Sometimes we take the small 3 in steps, sometimes he stretches us a little more with those 6 inchers, and at times he takes us the full 9 in. Its not always an easy road to walk and when we try to do it ourselves or try to rush ahead, often those uneven steps cause us to take a tumble. Being human, the rushing ahead, and wanting to do things on my own part, comes very naturally, so when you think of me, ask that I would keep hold of the Father's hand as my walking buddy, and let him lead me one step at a time.

And I like songs, so here's the song of the day for the musical of my life, enjoy!

EVERY LITTLE STEP
Music by David Meece

Lord I pray to You
But sometimes I doubt You’re there
Lord I wait for you
But You’re silence seems unfair

I want to find You
Walk beside You
Show me the way

Every little step that I take
Lead me on to see Your face
Every little breath that I breathe
Flow - flow Your river through me
Every little think that I do
Let it only deepen my faith in You
Every little step that I take

Like a father’s hand
You pull me to my feet
I know You understand
You’re strong - my body’s weak
Touch the child in me
Open my eyes to see
Show me the way

Though Your hand’s unseen
And I can’t hear You speak
In the little things
You reveal Yourself to me

It’s a long hard climb
I need to know You’re by my side
All the time

Every little step that I take
Lead me on to see Your face
Every little breath that I breathe
Flow - flow Your river through me
Every little thing that I do
Let it only deepen my faith in You
Every little step that I take

Light Up the Sky

Walking back to our hotel in Beijing from dinner tonight, we saw several twinkling colored lights in the sky. Upon discovery that they were kites, a curious few of us decided to investigate and followed the lights to a bridge crossing a canal. Here were several kite flyers with huge heavy stringed kites, attached to harnesses strapped around their chests. The kites had little blinking LED lights along the strings in blues, reds, and greens that twinkled and danced in the night sky. Several people stopped on the bridge to enjoy the show as the warm breeze cleared the pollution and freshened the air. When one man's reel malfunctioned, many gathered around to offer suggestions and try to help. It was neat how it became almost a community ordeal, people wanted to help and stuck around until the problem was fixed. The Chinese seem to be good at living in community.
This short time that I got to experience, is just one example of how things can be very different in China,(I've never seen anyone fly a kite at night in America,) but not necessarily bad. Soooo many things here are different. Here I am the farm girl from Nebraska staying in a city of 17,420,000 people. We use public transportation, buses, subways, and taxis are all new to me, but we're learning how to get along. I'm eating a lot of different foods, but it hasn't caused any stomach problems, and the chopstix and I are learning to get along as well!
As I watched the kites, sparkling in the dark sky, I was reminded how we as believers are to be a light to the world. In a talk about Esther, I learned that she didn't necessarily want to do many of the things she had to do, and had to change things about herself, but in the end was able to accomplish a great task to protect her people. I was challenged to look at the situation that I'm in and look for ways that might be different and uncomfortable to me that I might have to change my mindset in order to best live with and serve the people of China. Evaluating the things I need to change is not very fun, but I believe necessary. And hopefully it will help me be a light that many people will see and be drawn to the holder of the kite, my Father.

Into the Water

I'd like to share the lyrics of a song that is very relevant to where I'm at right now. Following God is often uncertain and unpredictable, and when we're not sure what He's doing, it can be a little like jumping into the water when you can't see the bottom. But God is always there, always faithful, holding our hand and leading us on. What peace that gives! Today reconnect with the Father and rest in the knowledge that He knows what He's doing with the life He gave you.

Let The Waters Rise - Mikeschair

Don't know where to begin
Its like my world's caving in
And I try but I can't control my fear
Where do I go from here?

sometimes its so hard to pray
When You feel so far away
But I am willing to go
Where you want me to
God, I trust You

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

I will swim in the deep
'Cuz You'll be next to me
You're in the eye of the storm
And the calm of the sea
You'll never out of reach

God, You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand

God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I'm holding onto You
God Your love is enough
I will follow You
I will follow You

leaving the farm

So, I'm setting out on Journey. Heading to China for my first real-world job, teaching English to Chinese students! How Awesome is that?!

I'll be going to the city of Taiyuan in the Shanxi province, and will teach elementary students at the Shanxi Modern Bilingual School. I fly out Aug 8 and will return sometime next June.

Its hard to describe all the feelings and emotions I've experienced during preparation for this life change. It ranges from extreme excitement, (this is going to be the experience of a lifetime!) to a little apprehension, (What in the world am I getting into? I don't speak Chinese, I'm a farm girl from Nebraska. Can I really move to a city in China and teach English?)

But deep down I know this is what I've been called to do for this time in life by my Heavenly Father. And He will lead me and equip me if I am daring enough to follow his call.

Step one, packing my bags and leaving the farm.