finding the beauty

Sometimes I just need to remind myself of the beauty around us here...so today I want to give you a glimpse of some of the lovely and interesting things in our world here that make it so special to us.

water and wood

There are many things to love about living in China...one of those things is not traffic. I woke up the other day to a slighly louder than normal traffic buzz rising from the streets below. As I looked out the window, I saw 6 lanes of cars on a road built for 4 and various "flash" parking lots all along the route. The funny thing is, this was a bit louder than normal, but actually not all that bad of a situation. I've seen and experienced much worse. How much worse? Worse enough to have blurted out, "not on my watch" to a car trying to cut into my lane. Worse enough to have delivered numerous stink eyes and extended horn blasts on a 5 minute trip to the store. Worse enough to have entertained the thought, if ever so momentarily, of kicking a car. (Dan S and Dave J, my apologies for ever having judged you.) In all seriousness though, traffic has taught me something valuable about how our radically different cultures face the everyday annoyances of life, be they on the road or anywhere else. Another friend explained it simply as the difference between water and wood. Our Chinese friends flow like water deftly maneuvering around these obstacles without a second thought. They weave a way through even if it does seem a little unorthodox and takes them a little out of their way. We westerners cry foul and protest as we crash head-on into these situations demanding justice, a word which by the way can sometimes be used to make getting our own way sound a bit more noble. For us, in the end, either the obstacle is broken, or we are. Meanwhile, our Chinese friends are rounding the next bend.

A Better Future for Xiao Ling

Some of you have heard us talk about Xiao Ling in the past. Her mother owns a brothel in the countryside, and rather than make her daughter work in her own brothel when she turned 16, she sent Xiao Ling to our city to work at her aunt’s brothel instead. Because of Eden’s relationship with the aunt, she asked us to take Xiao Ling into our shelter and have her work at Eden instead of getting into prostitution. 

We have always been thankful that God spared this young girl from ever having to get into the hopeles life of prostitution. Since moving into our shelter, Xiao Ling has been enrolled in high school, has become a Christian and is doing amazingly well. She recently returned from a YWAM Discipleship Training School for high school students that took place in the Philippines, and she now wants to return there as a missionary some day! In addition, she is taking extra English classes at a local school here in town, and has been sharing her faith boldly with her teacher. I actually know her teacher, and she has been sharing with me that Xiao Ling is always telling her about her faith and even giving her reading materials about the Bible. I’m amazed to watch her already sharing Christ’s light to people around her - what a blessing it has been to see God grow in her life! 

new territory

I have always loved the idea of playing guitar and leading worship. The first time I ever had the courage to get up and be a part of the worship team was thanks to my brother- in-law, Jeff, when I was a summer intern in the youth group back home. I wasn't plugged in and I was lost most of the time, but it was fun anyway. Lacking courage and opportunities, I haven't played a lot since then. Then last year, I had a similar nudge from a friend in the international fellowship here in kunming. It all started with a "Singlish Corner" at his house. About 25 Chinese college students gathered to share songs and practice English. My contribution was "Be With You" by Mr. Big (big shout-out to all of the children of the 80's). For the record, it was supposed to be cheesy. After that night, my friend asked me to play with him the next time he led worship. I was nervous for sure but also so excited and we had a great time worshipping together with our church. After that I have become more and more involved at our fellowship leading worship once a month and helping other people step out. I have also begun to learn more Chinese songs and lead our house group each friday night. I even had the opportunity last month to do a kids worship workshop at our church! I am so excited to be used in this way. I can't explain the feelings of pure joy these experiences bring me and i’m so thankful that God is giving me these opportunities. I just wanted to share this blog now to encourage you. If you feel that God has given you a desire to serve Him in some way that seems beyond reach, don't be afraid to step out and do it! Don't worry about your ability or your qualifications. He can take what you have and use it in cool ways.

Bob & Windy

If you read our April newsletter, you had the treat of seeing Bob’s miraculous testimony. (if you haven’t read it yet, you really should!) The very same day that we emailed the testimony out to hundreds of family & friends back in the US, Bob and Windy’s home was broken into here in China. We could only conclude that this was an attack from the enemy trying to steal the joy of sharing Bob’s story and the effect we knew it would have. But God takes bad, and makes it so good!

We were on the phone with Windy for a long time the night of the break-in, as she waited for the police to check the house, get things back in order, etc. She was obviously shaken. In the end, however, not one thing was taken from their home! She had computers and cameras in a locked bedroom and the thieves didn’t even get into that room. In addition, Bob and Windy prayed together for the first time that night in their living room, and decided to set up a routine of praying together from that day forward. They not only prayed for their house to be protected, but they also prayed for the thieves to come to know Jesus and to be forgiven! She texted me to say ‘Bob and i have started to pray together. We love God so much now’. We were so moved to see God bring such beauty into their lives from such a scary situation. In addition, the following Friday during our bible study, Bob declared “satan can get into our house, but he cannot get into my heart and steal my joy".

scooters and starbucks

Food options at Starbucks are generally pretty lame, but starbucks in China takes this to a whole new level...

I missed lunch today while driving around trying to figure out where in the world to register my scooter. There is a new rule as of January 15th that every scooter in Kunming MUST have a blue registration plate. Tired of living on the lam, Elissa and I decided it was time to get registered today. There is, however a problem with this mandatory new law. No one, and i do mean no one, can tell me where to get it done. I went to 4 different police stations including the traffic department headquarters with similar results. On Jinshe Street they told me to go to Beijing Street where they told me to go to Xuefu street where they told me to go to Longquan street where i knew it wasn't so i went to Dianchi street where they pointed to a sign and told me to call a phone number to find out where to go...

...which brings me back Starbucks. Frustrated and hungry, I decided that dodging jonny law isn't so bad after all. What is bad is the sandwich i just ate here...ham, blueberry jelly, cheese and some yet to be identified white strips on spongy bread. All i can say is that it was a better option than the red bean filled croissant.

Fireworks

We had the amazing opportunity once again to experience Chinese New Year here in Kunming. We love the transformation that happens in the city on the eve of the weeklong celebration.  Packed markets turn into ghost towns and crowded streets finally have a chance to breathe. The day is eerily quiet, devoid of the usual hustle and bustle as families gather to share a special meal. There is a peace that falls over the city...until dusk, that is. That's when the fireworks begin. Nothing compares to what transpires in the sky over a Chinese city on New Year's Eve.  I think I’ve finally figured out what sets this experience apart. In America, a few people "behind the scenes" are responsible to make sure the whole thing goes off well.  Everyone else finds the best spot to sit back and watch the show. In China, nobody sits in a crowd to watch and there are no bad spots.  Everybody is out on every corner adding to the spectacle with their own explosive offering. The outbursts thunder from every corner and back alley and flare up in every direction. The effect is a stunning display that lasts for hours. 

There's another scene that comes to mind with striking parallels. It happens every Sunday when a few people work desperately to create a spark, but the vast majority are sitting back watching the show. If your experience of church has become dull and dry it could be due to the fact that you have become a spectator when Christian community was meant to be so much more of a collective effort. Something amazing happens when everyone contributes and everyone is involved.  The excitement is palpable, the joy is sustainable, and the impact is impossible to ignore. 

2012 is here!

It is a new year! For Jon and I, it should be a year of huge changes, as we hope to see our adoption finalized and become parents in 2012. We have waited over five years for this blessing of seeing our family grow.

This morning when we woke up, we looked out the window of our bedroom at Jon's parents house, and saw two deer in the woods. Looking closer, it appeared to be a mother and baby deer. I think it was a little promise from God to me, and I'm holding on to it for this year ahead.