Good day All ---
First, let me wish you all a Happy New Year and a belated Merry Christmas! (This was intended to be sent out before that holiday.) As usual so many things to write, and since I know that some of you thought I disappeared let me just cut to the chase:
Mid-November until now has been so filled with lots of things! Changes and growth continue to be a part of my life here in China. Both the busyness and the changes have sometimes made me grit my teeth out of dread for all of the forthcoming activities. As a foreigner, people both expect and assume a lot from me; mix in major cultural differences and what you get is a lot spontaneous mandatory things for me to do. I am still trying to get used to that major difference in the culture and the rest of this email will help you understand better. All in all though, Jah has led me into a season of contentment and given me a real hunger for more of Him for this coming year. I am eager to see how much Dad grows me as I am away from so many friends, family, and American culture.
In mid-November, I set off on what was planned to be a three-day visit to one of my best friends. He is living in Guangzhou now where he attends a university. Dad has totally deepened our friendship and broken through much cultural differences to make our friendship super tight! And, at the time of my trip to see him he was really needing some encouragement and strengthening from Jah. (His university and the environment in his new home is very discouraging and filled with much darkness.) I personally had really been missing him and was looking forward to seeing him again. The visit was a truly wonderful time! Dad allowed me to do some sharing, be an encouragement to a weak brother and sister, and see more of why I am here. It also gave me many opportunities to eat McDonald's and Pizza Hut both of which mean more than you can imagine unless you've been without real American food for almost six months! And, on that same trip I finally got to eat some bugs ---- silk worms! They were very good although nearly everyone else was reluctant to even try them.
My trip to Guangzhou was cut short by one day, yet what I returned to was mostly good. A friend who had worked here for almost two years came back into town (the day I got back) to my surprise for a week; I hadn't seen her for more than a month and was super glad to hear that she had returned and was able to stay for so long! That week was just before Thanksgiving and was spent almost entirely with her. It was truly wonderful to catch up on things with her and learn about things in her new location in China. (I've visited there twice, and I have a handful of friends working with her there.) She really encouraged me, and I was able to do likewise as I got to share of my visit to Guangzhou. (She is also friends with my best friend in Guangzhou.) So many people (friends, former students, other Americans) all wanted to see her, and I was there when her bus pulled away from the station headed back to Fuzhou. Two of my students/friends (her friends/former students) were with us and that experience taught me a lot about Dad's power. You see, I am a really emotional person, and my time here in China has significantly magnified how emotional I get. It's really crazy how in one minute I can very literally go from extremely happy, to silly, to sad. I say all this to share with you how enormous Dad's power is; for you see, when she left my friends --- who are usually the strong ones --- they were sobbing and totally crushed by her departure, and it was I who was the strong one showing very little emotion and giving them comfort. What a work on Yah's part!
Then, the week of Thanksgiving came and oh my what a story to tell! This was my first Thanksgiving (and major holiday for that matter) away from my family. It was very rough on me. I tried my hardest not to let all of my thoughts get the best of me, but they continued to do so. At my house, my family always celebrates Thanksgiving like three times --- once with my dad's side, once with my mom's side, and once with just my family with all the leftovers from the other Thanksgivings. We have lots of turkey sandwiches for days after the holiday which is making me laugh as I think about how you can't even find one turkey here! Some people don't even know what a turkey looks like because they've never seen one, not even on tv. So, to continue my family's tradition of multiple Thanksgivings, I decided to celebrate on Thanksgiving Day with the other foreign teacher at my school (she's from Canada) and a good Chinese friend who could translate and order for us. It was really cool for the other teacher to celebrate with me because this too was her first Thanksgiving away from family, and it was also very difficult for her to be away for the holiday. (Canadians celebrate their Thanksgiving in October though.) So, the three of us went out to eat at this really nice Western restaurant where I hoped to get a steak. No steak (they were out of steak), but it was a really nice evening and a fabulous supper with real bread and butter (you can't buy it anywhere), salad (terribly difficult to find or make it because of a major lack of lettuce), and salmon in shrimp sauce with a baked potato (special request and totally impossible to get without our Chinese friend to translate). And, the evening brought myself and the other teacher together a little more which is and was really good to have happen.
And then, there was there was Thanksgiving with 26 of my students on the Saturday following the holiday. What a hilarious night! Before I came to China this summer, one thing that I really wanted to do was to teach the meanings of American holidays. We had been discussing American holidays in class, and this came at just the perfect time to make Thanksgiving a real learning experience for my students. They knew virtually nothing of the holiday, so I invited my classes to my house not knowing how many would actually show up. In the past, I've had 15 show up for special events, so I expected more this time. But, I never dreamed that Thanksgiving would turn out like it did with my students! That morning I went with a friend and spent two hours shopping to buy all of the food for the Thanksgiving supper. All in all, it took six and a half hours to prepare and cook all of the food. I made chicken nuggets, green beans with cream of potato sauce, yams with sweet glaze (brown sugar and cinnamon), mashed potatos, and Southern sweet tea. All of that was cooked and prepared from scratch. No joke, in 20 minutes all of the food was gone!!!! Not only that but my announcement to bring a plate and a spoon hadn't gotten to any of the students, so I was pulling out all the dishes, forks, spoons, and cups I had in my house to feed everybody! These students had already eaten supper, but they came with major appetites and not only consumed all of that food I cooked but also nearly all of a three-pound bag of roasted peanuts! All I could do was laugh about how quickly they had eaten everything and cleaned up all the dishes too; it was like I turned my head for a second and a swarm of locusts had invaded my apartment. I still laugh about that night and am so thankful that I got to share of Jah and the truth behind that holiday with so many students! (I also celebrated Chanukah --- which started the day before --- for the first time too; it was nice.)
December came and with it came major growth from Papa. He began the work in November and it carried through to December. With that growth came deeper understanding of the culture here and of why I am away from people back home. He has shown me so much and helped me to understand the languages more. I celebrate that victory in a very small way each time I go to the shop right by my school and buy a coke in Chinese all by myself. That may sound insignificant to you, but to me, it is so wonderful to see how much He has taught me. I realize that I need to do a better job of learning the languages here and I really hope to do that all the more in 2003. I'm just barely conversational, and I don't know if I'll be somewhat fluent when I leave in January 2004. Yet, I know that I've got to try harder and learn more of the languages. It will really make things more effective although Elohim is still able to use the little that I know to speak His truth in Chinese (more on that a little further down).
On my five month anniversary of being here (Dec 11), one of my friends opened a coffee shop. I love coffee and having his shop very close to my home makes this town so much more wonderful! Not only that, but he's made it really Western including the menu. So, despite seeing one of my favorite Western restaurants close around that time, I was very happy that I could still enjoy Western food when those cravings came upon me. Not only is the food good, but the atmosphere there is really relaxing too which greatly helps on my long days and during the times I miss America. I don't know what will happen between myself and this friend, but I am starting to really see our friendship grow deeper. I think that it will last a long time and that we will both be able to benefit the other even after I leave and go elsewhere. That deepening of our friendship also helps me understand the culture better, so it's good for many reasons. This same friend really wants to see more foreigners come to China and Meizhou specifically. He has offered to act as a host for anyone who can come. He is very serious about his invitation to help more foreigners come to China; if interested, please let me know as there are many opportunities for you here.
Immediately following the opening of the coffee shop, I was presented with a truly unique experience to learn of Chinese culture. I have a student who has both an uncle and an aunt who both live in temples; one is a head monk while the other is a head nun. So, I went with her to visit them, but little did I know just how amazing this trip would be! Not only did I get to visit them, but I got to live in her uncle's temple for three days and eat with the ladies of her aunt's temple. How I wish I share openly of that experience, but I can't. Anyone who wants to read about that experience in full can read my journal when I get back to the States though. Our Father was so wonderful to me during that trip and taught me so much about how fake anything but His way of life is. I was given access to everything at those temples, so I saw and learned so much. Although I really wanted to share verbally with them so much, Papa had other plans. He let my life be the example in many ways though including waking me up both mornings there at 5:30 am (so Him!) and changing my food cravings to a vegetarian diet which turns out to be exactly the diet of Buddhist monks and nuns! Only the children I met really understood the deep things of Jah and were willing to consider it (childlike fth, eh?). And, like I hinted at up above, Jah used my limited Chinese to speak His truth. He gave me the honor and the words to share directly in Chinese with an old man at the temple. Though he didn't accept it, ptl that he was given an opportunity to know the truth!
Then the week before Christmas and Christmas itself came. Having endured my first major holiday away from my family, I expected this one to be hard on me. It was, yet it was also really wonderful to be here to share about Christmas with all of my students. For them (well, eight of them), it was the first time to decorate a Christmas tree (my real tree!) and learn some Christmas songs. For me, it was a chance to understand the importance of m work more, to continue a family tradition (Christmas breakfast), and to once again be with the foreign brothers/sisters after two months of forced separation. I was showered here with so many presents and warm wishes for both Christmas and New Year's. I enjoyed so much good food and received a letter from a good friend at just the right time making Christmas very meaningful rather than just busy. The week of Christmas was extremely busy. I had something to do every night for nearly the past week. And with it too came New Year's celebrations, peformances, and dance recitals. Attacks from the enemy came too. Yet, I was also bl to grow in my understanding of what Christmas really means and to be able to share that with many people for the first time! What a wonderful time to be here.
As I said before, I am learning so much of the culture here. That has taken new meanings by being able to ride a bicycle here. For those of you who didn't know, I learned how to ride a bike from my best friend a week before leaving for China (July 2002). So, I am still getting used to riding a bike here. Traffic here is so different from traffic in America! It scares many foreigners; yet, I was not one of them until I started riding a bike here in December. Lately, I've been riding it everywhere and sometimes even by myself in the dark to get back home. I plan on writing a short story about that so people will understand just how crazy it can be to ride a bike here. Having said all that, it is wonderful to finally be able to ride a bike well enough to go all across town; it's just still scary and very frustrating at times. Thus, I pr out of neccesity for the safety of my life every time I get on my bike.
So, that's everything that's been happening with me. It's a lot I know, but I don't know when I'll get to send next month's update out. Thus, this one's a little bigger than normal. I am leaving for Hong Kong to renew my visa two weeks from today (Jan 13), and after that I will be off to Beijing to see friends and help a friend out. Know that February 1 is the Chinese New Year and so things over the next two months may be very crazy especially emailing people back because I'll probably be gone a lot. But, by March 2003 things should return to normal. I will reply to your emails and check my email, but things will probably take a while.
As far as requests go:
(1) Follow through with my New Year's resolutions -- I really want to grow deeper this year so I've been led to read His book through in a year and try and memorize two parts a month
(2) Languages -- I'm going to try and study an hour a day at least five days a week over the next year. I definitely want to leave being conversational in at least Mandarin and know a lot of Hakka (the local language). But, I've got to put more work and pr into learning the languages.
(3) Growth for the family -- My school only has seven in the family and possibly an eighth. Ask Dad for more people to want to know and for Him to adopt more kids.
(4) Persistence -- Those who are in the family here must endure so much. I have only suffered a little here, but the costs for them are much greater. Pr that they continue to endure and shine the light.
Thank you all and may this be such a wonderful year in Him for you!
All my love,
Amanda =)
Sunday, December 29, 2002
Sunday, November 24, 2002
Sharing and Changes: China Month 4
Howdy everyone!
Sorry for the delay in sending out this email. A number of things have caused this to be so late in getting sent out. Anyways, what a month this past one has been. Some amazing opportunities have come my way, but big changes have also occurred over here. The changes have affected both my personal life and my work. Some are good and some aren't so good. Even still, our Father has led me through that time and has brought me into a season of personal growth and deeper intimacy with my students.
At work, I now have no Grade 3 class (the advanced class). It happened all of a sudden and was truly sad. One day the class all went to look for jobs. By that weekend, half of the class had left to pursue various jobs; the other half decided to quit school. All of this happened without anyone telling me what was going on. I didn't get to say goodbye to many. So, a week later I get a call from a Grade 3 student who tells me that the following day will be the last day of class. I was shocked! Not only that, but it was only then that I was informed that one of my students had been in the hospital for a week because he was severely injured in an automobile accident. No one had even let me know! Plus, all of that happened in the midst of mid-terms, thus, some of my class never took their mid-term exam.
The past month also gave me the opportunity to teach local English teachers. My fellow foreign co-worker also taught them. So, I am now a little more familiar with Chinese phonetics, the subject I taught. (The closest thing in the States is phonics.) I also realized how much I prefer teaching students not teachers. All in all, this was a pretty bad experience and frustrating, but that's a rather long story. So, I tried to enjoy that kind of teaching as much as possible, but I wouldn't want to do it again. I can truly say that I am grateful for what Papa showed me through that experience and don't think I would have learned those lessons had I not taken up that opportunity.
Things with my Grade 2 classes are going better. Around the mid-terms, I started thinking about how to make it better and adapt my class to the comments and suggestions given to me. Although the classs in now in more of a routine (something I don't really care for), I have seen the students open up more and even the quieter ones start talking more. Part of that is because I do choose those students (sometimes) to give responses to in-class questions, but they are also just talking more. It has really made teaching them much more satisfying. Overall, I was very pleased with how mid-terms went even though I had to greatly assist many students with research for their mid-term which meant sacrificing lots of time. But, those are the kinds of sacrifices that truly excellent teachers make for the sake of helping their students.
Another means of connecting with my students has also opened up. After basically getting tired of eating Chinese food 24-7, I started doing a lot of cooking. It was really nice just to cook, but it also let me introduce some foods here. Thus far, mash potatoes, hash browns, chili, cauliflower with cheese (couldn't find broccoli), fried chicken, and chicken and dumplings have all been introduced and been hits. There was even a time last month when I was asked to make mashed potatoes three times! It by far is the most popular! So, at each meal I'd invite four to ten people, and then we'd chat. Those times of sharing were really nice, relaxing, and enjoyable. I plan on continuing such times as time allows. (Everything is prepared from scratch more or less. All the comforts of buying ready to cook meals in America were truly left there.)
Times of sharing continue as well here. In the past month I got to share with many university students and even with a monk. The time with the monk was really neat to say the least! Yet, these times of sharing have also ushered in great sadness. Resistance to Dad is strong here for many reasons. Some fertile soil exists, but much of it the soil here is hard as a rock and definitely needs to be broken up and softened. Only Dad can do that. More workers are needed too.
As for the personal changes, those were sparked by many things. I am still in the midst of being re-sculpted into a new pot. Definitely a work in progress, but growth has already come into my life. My joy has been revived and multiplied. My outlook on things has changed somewhat. And, I realize that I am still learning and have a lot more to learn about. I have walked through the shadow of death's valley and have been led to feast amongst green pastures. Right now, I am definitely in a season of celebration and being taught a lot about things here that will benefit those that come after me. I am sure that when I come home I will definitely be wiser, changed, and strenghened. (I'll also have some more songs to sing as Papa has given me five since I've been here.)
Having said all of that here are this month's requests:
(1) The workers here - Provision and protection are definitely needed. This is a time of major flux for all; big changes have happened, and all of us need Papa's wisdom. Two workers have yet to have much job stability here (after almost three months) and definitely need guidance.
(2) Personal wisdom - Just need it. There are many things that come to mind with this, but bottom line, I just need more.
(3) Joy during the holiday season - Lots of holidays are coming. I wanted to be here for them, but I can already tell you that I am thinking about what I'd do back home if I were there now. I want to use the holidays to teach and share, but there's so many people to teach. So, I don't know how best to use these special times to share.
(4) Continued personal changes - This is a very needed and welcomed season in my life. Already, I have seen much fruit result from Papa's changes. I don't know how long this season will last, but I want to be faithful to the end. Ask that I endure and am changed into a more beautiful daughter of the King.
Thank you all for your support. Please remember to be careful with what you write back. Please don't forward this. Look forward to hearing from you. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving too! Eat lots of turkey for me.
Enduring and sustained because He is life,
Amanda =)
Sorry for the delay in sending out this email. A number of things have caused this to be so late in getting sent out. Anyways, what a month this past one has been. Some amazing opportunities have come my way, but big changes have also occurred over here. The changes have affected both my personal life and my work. Some are good and some aren't so good. Even still, our Father has led me through that time and has brought me into a season of personal growth and deeper intimacy with my students.
At work, I now have no Grade 3 class (the advanced class). It happened all of a sudden and was truly sad. One day the class all went to look for jobs. By that weekend, half of the class had left to pursue various jobs; the other half decided to quit school. All of this happened without anyone telling me what was going on. I didn't get to say goodbye to many. So, a week later I get a call from a Grade 3 student who tells me that the following day will be the last day of class. I was shocked! Not only that, but it was only then that I was informed that one of my students had been in the hospital for a week because he was severely injured in an automobile accident. No one had even let me know! Plus, all of that happened in the midst of mid-terms, thus, some of my class never took their mid-term exam.
The past month also gave me the opportunity to teach local English teachers. My fellow foreign co-worker also taught them. So, I am now a little more familiar with Chinese phonetics, the subject I taught. (The closest thing in the States is phonics.) I also realized how much I prefer teaching students not teachers. All in all, this was a pretty bad experience and frustrating, but that's a rather long story. So, I tried to enjoy that kind of teaching as much as possible, but I wouldn't want to do it again. I can truly say that I am grateful for what Papa showed me through that experience and don't think I would have learned those lessons had I not taken up that opportunity.
Things with my Grade 2 classes are going better. Around the mid-terms, I started thinking about how to make it better and adapt my class to the comments and suggestions given to me. Although the classs in now in more of a routine (something I don't really care for), I have seen the students open up more and even the quieter ones start talking more. Part of that is because I do choose those students (sometimes) to give responses to in-class questions, but they are also just talking more. It has really made teaching them much more satisfying. Overall, I was very pleased with how mid-terms went even though I had to greatly assist many students with research for their mid-term which meant sacrificing lots of time. But, those are the kinds of sacrifices that truly excellent teachers make for the sake of helping their students.
Another means of connecting with my students has also opened up. After basically getting tired of eating Chinese food 24-7, I started doing a lot of cooking. It was really nice just to cook, but it also let me introduce some foods here. Thus far, mash potatoes, hash browns, chili, cauliflower with cheese (couldn't find broccoli), fried chicken, and chicken and dumplings have all been introduced and been hits. There was even a time last month when I was asked to make mashed potatoes three times! It by far is the most popular! So, at each meal I'd invite four to ten people, and then we'd chat. Those times of sharing were really nice, relaxing, and enjoyable. I plan on continuing such times as time allows. (Everything is prepared from scratch more or less. All the comforts of buying ready to cook meals in America were truly left there.)
Times of sharing continue as well here. In the past month I got to share with many university students and even with a monk. The time with the monk was really neat to say the least! Yet, these times of sharing have also ushered in great sadness. Resistance to Dad is strong here for many reasons. Some fertile soil exists, but much of it the soil here is hard as a rock and definitely needs to be broken up and softened. Only Dad can do that. More workers are needed too.
As for the personal changes, those were sparked by many things. I am still in the midst of being re-sculpted into a new pot. Definitely a work in progress, but growth has already come into my life. My joy has been revived and multiplied. My outlook on things has changed somewhat. And, I realize that I am still learning and have a lot more to learn about. I have walked through the shadow of death's valley and have been led to feast amongst green pastures. Right now, I am definitely in a season of celebration and being taught a lot about things here that will benefit those that come after me. I am sure that when I come home I will definitely be wiser, changed, and strenghened. (I'll also have some more songs to sing as Papa has given me five since I've been here.)
Having said all of that here are this month's requests:
(1) The workers here - Provision and protection are definitely needed. This is a time of major flux for all; big changes have happened, and all of us need Papa's wisdom. Two workers have yet to have much job stability here (after almost three months) and definitely need guidance.
(2) Personal wisdom - Just need it. There are many things that come to mind with this, but bottom line, I just need more.
(3) Joy during the holiday season - Lots of holidays are coming. I wanted to be here for them, but I can already tell you that I am thinking about what I'd do back home if I were there now. I want to use the holidays to teach and share, but there's so many people to teach. So, I don't know how best to use these special times to share.
(4) Continued personal changes - This is a very needed and welcomed season in my life. Already, I have seen much fruit result from Papa's changes. I don't know how long this season will last, but I want to be faithful to the end. Ask that I endure and am changed into a more beautiful daughter of the King.
Thank you all for your support. Please remember to be careful with what you write back. Please don't forward this. Look forward to hearing from you. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving too! Eat lots of turkey for me.
Enduring and sustained because He is life,
Amanda =)
Sunday, October 13, 2002
Emerging From the Desert: Month 3 Update
Dear Friends and Family,
Another month has swept by so quickly. Some old battles still remain (homesickness and loneliness); yet, some progress has been made (the languages are finally clicking). The progess definitely brings joy. You have no idea how wonderful it is to finally speak with a total stranger completely in Chinese and have him understand you! (Nevermind that the conversation was very basic and consisted of answering questions I get asked nearly every day.)
As per relationships, things are going well with getting to know my students. Of my three classes, two are super good. Things with the third class aren't bad; they just don't listen very well. To teach I've had them close their books and just listen to me; their pronounciation got much better, and they actually listened much better. Students continue to ask about our Papa and what I know about him. It is really amazing to me how much I get to share; I share his stories usually everday. English Corner is the best route to teach them those things. But ..... please know that the students are encouraged to not really interact with me and keep a strict student-teacher relationship. They are also very discouraged from having an interest in or pursuing a knowledge of Papa's family and his book. It gets even more discouraging and worse for university students here. Formally, they are not even allowed to learn anything about family matters.
As per language, I am currently learning (mostly from immersion and listening to so much Chinese) two languages --- Hakka and Mandarin (Putonghua). The conversation I had with the stranger (true story up above) really encouraged and excited me! I am still unsure of how to best learn the languages here, but I am trying to pursue both local languages and Cantonese to a lesser degree too. If the conversation is basic, I can usually translate even if I don't know every word; I just may not be able to answer in Chinese. (HAH!) I am also able to read and write some, but those skills are currently way below my speaking and comprehension.
This month has given me the pleasure of doing some more traveling. (To see pictures keep up with my mama's family web page; she posts the pictures there.) For the National Day holiday (October 1 officially but the Chinese celebrate for a whole week), I traveled with my coworkers to Chaozhou, Shantou, and Nanao. It was super nice! And, I got to swim and visit the beach. That was tops for this Florida girl! Plus, the seafood was wonderful --- shrimp, shrimp, and more shrimp! I also got to try some new foods --- swordfish, Chaozhou porridge (famous in China), real chrysanthemum tea, fish juice tea (yuck!!!!), real prawns (like little lobsters), crab (love it in China - hate it in America), and conch (the little animal in those tiny shells). I also got to visit with my friends from last year when they came home on holiday. It was really good to see them again and encouraging!!!
Now the most important part --- this month's requests:
(1) My students -- out of 300-400 students at my school (can't remember the exact number now) only four are known to be in the family. Even those in the family are hesitant to share their hope with the others for fear of what could happen especially if the top dogs knew. Ask for Daddy to choose more for the family.
(2) My language barriers -- learning the language would really help me be more effective here. Ask for me to be given understanding of the languages and to speak it well. Ask for wisdom to know how to best learn it so I don't waste time.
(3) My girls -- currently have two groups going with four girls involved. All are growing but they need more of His wisdom and understanding. They need to be given a grasp of the Book. They read it daily and pr, but they are only just beginning their journey to know Him deeply.
(4) Wisdom and protection -- pers....... is ongoing now especially for teachers and foreigners. Friends have adviced me out of concern for my safety and out of love to be especially careful of what things I say of the TOP dog. It is out to bite hard and push people out of China at the moment. Most of those it would gladly turn away have the truth. PTL that even if this was carried out to its fullest that His message would still spread and not be stopped because He is mightier!
(5) Contentment -- friends have come and gone here in China. Many back home have not kept in touch. (My contacts are extensive back home and abroad.) I am an emotional person to begin with, thus, all this has combined to make my happiness/joy ebb up and down like never before. The lack of communication from back home really gets me down. The culture here many times really causes those same feelings. I know I am where I am supposed to be, but that doesn't keep me from just wanting to be back home a lot of times. Ask for me to be given and rest in deeper contentment from Jah. He has me here for many reasons, and I want to do His work with constant joy.
(6) Maintaining His likeness -- the past two weeks especially have been a battle between the old and new man. The old man has been living and been the example despite lots of pr. Living as the old man is really bad and damaging to my work here. How I live shows (or doesn't show when I live in the old man) people about Dad and is a major part of my work. PTL that Papa sent two teams who really encouraged me and helped me to partially escape this and the desert I have been living in. It was and is needed refreshment to my walk. Ask Jah to continue to bring me closer to Him and keep me out of the desert.
Thank you all for your support. It really means so much to me!!! Look forward to hearing from all of yall!
Your sister,
Amanda - Zhong Ai Xin
Another month has swept by so quickly. Some old battles still remain (homesickness and loneliness); yet, some progress has been made (the languages are finally clicking). The progess definitely brings joy. You have no idea how wonderful it is to finally speak with a total stranger completely in Chinese and have him understand you! (Nevermind that the conversation was very basic and consisted of answering questions I get asked nearly every day.)
As per relationships, things are going well with getting to know my students. Of my three classes, two are super good. Things with the third class aren't bad; they just don't listen very well. To teach I've had them close their books and just listen to me; their pronounciation got much better, and they actually listened much better. Students continue to ask about our Papa and what I know about him. It is really amazing to me how much I get to share; I share his stories usually everday. English Corner is the best route to teach them those things. But ..... please know that the students are encouraged to not really interact with me and keep a strict student-teacher relationship. They are also very discouraged from having an interest in or pursuing a knowledge of Papa's family and his book. It gets even more discouraging and worse for university students here. Formally, they are not even allowed to learn anything about family matters.
As per language, I am currently learning (mostly from immersion and listening to so much Chinese) two languages --- Hakka and Mandarin (Putonghua). The conversation I had with the stranger (true story up above) really encouraged and excited me! I am still unsure of how to best learn the languages here, but I am trying to pursue both local languages and Cantonese to a lesser degree too. If the conversation is basic, I can usually translate even if I don't know every word; I just may not be able to answer in Chinese. (HAH!) I am also able to read and write some, but those skills are currently way below my speaking and comprehension.
This month has given me the pleasure of doing some more traveling. (To see pictures keep up with my mama's family web page; she posts the pictures there.) For the National Day holiday (October 1 officially but the Chinese celebrate for a whole week), I traveled with my coworkers to Chaozhou, Shantou, and Nanao. It was super nice! And, I got to swim and visit the beach. That was tops for this Florida girl! Plus, the seafood was wonderful --- shrimp, shrimp, and more shrimp! I also got to try some new foods --- swordfish, Chaozhou porridge (famous in China), real chrysanthemum tea, fish juice tea (yuck!!!!), real prawns (like little lobsters), crab (love it in China - hate it in America), and conch (the little animal in those tiny shells). I also got to visit with my friends from last year when they came home on holiday. It was really good to see them again and encouraging!!!
Now the most important part --- this month's requests:
(1) My students -- out of 300-400 students at my school (can't remember the exact number now) only four are known to be in the family. Even those in the family are hesitant to share their hope with the others for fear of what could happen especially if the top dogs knew. Ask for Daddy to choose more for the family.
(2) My language barriers -- learning the language would really help me be more effective here. Ask for me to be given understanding of the languages and to speak it well. Ask for wisdom to know how to best learn it so I don't waste time.
(3) My girls -- currently have two groups going with four girls involved. All are growing but they need more of His wisdom and understanding. They need to be given a grasp of the Book. They read it daily and pr, but they are only just beginning their journey to know Him deeply.
(4) Wisdom and protection -- pers....... is ongoing now especially for teachers and foreigners. Friends have adviced me out of concern for my safety and out of love to be especially careful of what things I say of the TOP dog. It is out to bite hard and push people out of China at the moment. Most of those it would gladly turn away have the truth. PTL that even if this was carried out to its fullest that His message would still spread and not be stopped because He is mightier!
(5) Contentment -- friends have come and gone here in China. Many back home have not kept in touch. (My contacts are extensive back home and abroad.) I am an emotional person to begin with, thus, all this has combined to make my happiness/joy ebb up and down like never before. The lack of communication from back home really gets me down. The culture here many times really causes those same feelings. I know I am where I am supposed to be, but that doesn't keep me from just wanting to be back home a lot of times. Ask for me to be given and rest in deeper contentment from Jah. He has me here for many reasons, and I want to do His work with constant joy.
(6) Maintaining His likeness -- the past two weeks especially have been a battle between the old and new man. The old man has been living and been the example despite lots of pr. Living as the old man is really bad and damaging to my work here. How I live shows (or doesn't show when I live in the old man) people about Dad and is a major part of my work. PTL that Papa sent two teams who really encouraged me and helped me to partially escape this and the desert I have been living in. It was and is needed refreshment to my walk. Ask Jah to continue to bring me closer to Him and keep me out of the desert.
Thank you all for your support. It really means so much to me!!! Look forward to hearing from all of yall!
Your sister,
Amanda - Zhong Ai Xin
Sunday, September 22, 2002
China Update: Month 2
Hello All ----
Well, another month has flown by. And, I must say this month has me feeling a lot better than last month. (Although, yes, I know feelings are often deceptive.) Wow! It is so hard to think of how to put everything that has happened in a month into one email! But, since you're not here with me, here goes:
I started teaching at the beginning of September. (I really love teaching!) I basically have three different groups of students that I teach oral English to twice a week. (The advanced group only gets to have class with me once a week though.) Overall, my students are pretty good. I am still trying to figure out what to teach them. The students here are used to learning English from a book that usually has mostly dialogues. I detest dialogues; it's way too boring! Thus, I'm really glad I'm not teaching the lower level classes because that's pretty much exclusively how they're learning English. I would be too bored! As far as teaching goes, China definitely welcomes foreigners in its classrooms to teach, but you must get used to vast differences in teaching norms between Western and Eastern cultures. To give you an example, I caused a big stir when I asked the students to move their desks and turn them so I could personally go to every student's desk and be at max five feet away from students . Please understand just how difficult that is when you have 60 or more students crammed into a small classroom. But, in any case, I fought hard to overcome what they've (the students) been used to when it comes to teaching so that they could learn better. The students were most appreciative despite being very weirded out because my methods from the get-go were very unorthodox.
This month has also seen some big changes for me and friends. First, five guys from America came to teach here at the university and a middle school. (They are friends of a friend.) That many foreigners --- especially foreign teachers --- caused quite a stir here in little Meizhou. Then, my best friend here (Luke) left for his university. Our Papa bonded us with sp super glue, so it was and still is difficult for both of us to be away from each other. And, just three days ago I found out that a friend here will be moving too. She's changing her home base and job. Both are big changes and it means she'll have moved twice in a month. So, as much as I like changes, I'm finding that I am much more of people person than I thought. Lately, in this respect, it has felt as if half of me is missing. Right now, I can only trust that all of these people coming and going is what our Papa wanted. (Even still, it's just down right hard sometimes when I really start missing them!)
I am still learning more of the truth here in Meizhou about nearly everything. Maybe I'm here in some part to gather info and pass it along to those that come behind me. I am definitely learning a lot. My classes are helping me learn some too. This week, for example, I learned about good Chinese eating customs. You'd laugh so much if you could really see what I mean. Just trust me when I say proper eating etiquette in China is way different from that of America (or the West). But, that's just another thing I truly love about living in China! I get to break all the Western rules for eating, and it's so fun! *** If you don't like weird foods, skip down to the next paragraph. **** You get to eat some really far out things like cat (which I had two weeks ago for the first time -- dog tastes much better), tripe (cow's stomach), Japanese tofu (tasted like really good fish!), and Chinese cucumbers (which look like cucumbers on steroids). The newest thing I want to try is chicken and scorpion soup (found out about it last night), but I'm also looking forward to eating baby spiders this winter and rat-on-a-stick down by the river. (There are really shops that sell these foods here in Meizhou!) I'm also looking forward to visiting Luke in Guangzhou because there is a restaurant that specializes in cooking food like ants, beetles, and other bugs. .... Ummm, yummy!
This month has also given me the opportunity to celebrate some new holidays. They also taught me about the culture of China more. So, this month I celebrated Teacher's Day and Mid-Autumn Day for the first time. Don't dis either holiday when you're here too! Teacher's Day is basically like the American Mother's Day only for teachers instead of moms (mums). For me, it was really cool because I'm a teacher. So, even though I'd only been teaching here for a week I got all these gifts and cards. It was really cool to know that I'm appreciated (more on that in the next paragraph). Then, this weekend was another big holiday -- Mid-Autumn Day. Mid-Autumn Day is really cool in part because you get to eat moon cakes. Everyone here looks forward to this day. It is basically like the American Thanksgiving Day only no American football. You spend time with your family and look at the moon. So, these two holidays teach foreigners that teachers and the moon or the lunar calendar (which the Chinese follow) are staples of the culture. Family is also really important here too!
Part of what I've learned about Chinese culture and much of why Teacher's Day was so cool has to do with the fact that Chinese people really don't trust foreigners. If they do, it took them a long time to really trust them. Yes, our Papa is big enough to give people instant trust and slash through cultural barriers, but bottom line what I said above is truth. Some days really get me discouraged because a double standard definitely lives on here. The Chinese people want you to teach, but they don't really trust you. The wear two faces so often, putting the good/nice one on when foreigners are around. For those of you that have been here in the summer, understand that the treatment you got lasts for the summer only. After that, it's back to life as normal. So, understand that if you come in the summer you need to enjoy being treated like a king (although please don't abuse or take advantage of that special status), but also know that it's abnormal behavior. Many, if not most, Chinese people don't like America and consequently they don't like Americans. I've had some people be extremely rude to me simply because I was an American. That is truly the common tendency. They (the Chinese) don't trust you; they stare at you; they always want to know where you are going or have been; and they all want to be your friend to use it to their advantage in the future. This sounds really negative (and maybe it is too negative) but it's the bottom line, and Chinese people won't usually tell you. The one good thing about all that is that it has really helped me to understand prejudice, discrimination, and racial/cultural hatred a lot better --- better than any class at a university could have taught me --- and, I think that is important to understand!
Here are my requests:
(1) Safe delivery of important mail from the US -- I have been expecting some mail from home and it has yet to arrive. It is super important to me.
(2) Protection and wisdom -- Currently have a LOT of Good Books that I got from the open ch. I need protection to keep them and wisdom to know who to give them to. His word needs to spread here, but I have to seek His wisdom on how to give them away.
(3) Wisdom and better teaching abilities -- I have a group of four girls that I'm teaching on Sunday afternoons. Ask Papa to give them understanding. They don't know a lot because they've never heard and/or been taught about the Good Book. That in general is a big request for all of China too! The people including my girls are so hungry to be taught and know more --- PTL!
(4) For my students -- I have all together 135 students. I want to be a wonderful teacher and teach them the most important things. There are some things they won't learn from a book. So, ask that I know what to teach them and that they understand. English is a second language to them, and especially last week, I've seen the language barrier be a big problem. Also, I gave my students a test last week. I got so furious when I saw students cheating! Dishonesty is a common cultural trait, so I have to wage the battle with that in mind too. Plus, embarrassing students (or anyone really) is a cultural no-no, so I don't quite know how to handle the cheating. But, I'll be giving more tests, so I'll have to face that problem again. Oh also, to my knowledge in my school there are less than 10 bros and sis although there is a lot of interest as of late. Ask for Papa to deliver a ripe harvest at my school!
Well, that's all for this month. Please let me hear from each of you soon. It really, REALLY means so much when I get emails from yall. For those that have my address here, please write. My mama is keeping a website about me up to date with pics and letters. Yall should check is out at: http://users.wfeca.net/sonjiaj/page2.html . Thanks for your support and pr.
Much love,
Amanda (Zhong Ai Xin)
Well, another month has flown by. And, I must say this month has me feeling a lot better than last month. (Although, yes, I know feelings are often deceptive.) Wow! It is so hard to think of how to put everything that has happened in a month into one email! But, since you're not here with me, here goes:
I started teaching at the beginning of September. (I really love teaching!) I basically have three different groups of students that I teach oral English to twice a week. (The advanced group only gets to have class with me once a week though.) Overall, my students are pretty good. I am still trying to figure out what to teach them. The students here are used to learning English from a book that usually has mostly dialogues. I detest dialogues; it's way too boring! Thus, I'm really glad I'm not teaching the lower level classes because that's pretty much exclusively how they're learning English. I would be too bored! As far as teaching goes, China definitely welcomes foreigners in its classrooms to teach, but you must get used to vast differences in teaching norms between Western and Eastern cultures. To give you an example, I caused a big stir when I asked the students to move their desks and turn them so I could personally go to every student's desk and be at max five feet away from students . Please understand just how difficult that is when you have 60 or more students crammed into a small classroom. But, in any case, I fought hard to overcome what they've (the students) been used to when it comes to teaching so that they could learn better. The students were most appreciative despite being very weirded out because my methods from the get-go were very unorthodox.
This month has also seen some big changes for me and friends. First, five guys from America came to teach here at the university and a middle school. (They are friends of a friend.) That many foreigners --- especially foreign teachers --- caused quite a stir here in little Meizhou. Then, my best friend here (Luke) left for his university. Our Papa bonded us with sp super glue, so it was and still is difficult for both of us to be away from each other. And, just three days ago I found out that a friend here will be moving too. She's changing her home base and job. Both are big changes and it means she'll have moved twice in a month. So, as much as I like changes, I'm finding that I am much more of people person than I thought. Lately, in this respect, it has felt as if half of me is missing. Right now, I can only trust that all of these people coming and going is what our Papa wanted. (Even still, it's just down right hard sometimes when I really start missing them!)
I am still learning more of the truth here in Meizhou about nearly everything. Maybe I'm here in some part to gather info and pass it along to those that come behind me. I am definitely learning a lot. My classes are helping me learn some too. This week, for example, I learned about good Chinese eating customs. You'd laugh so much if you could really see what I mean. Just trust me when I say proper eating etiquette in China is way different from that of America (or the West). But, that's just another thing I truly love about living in China! I get to break all the Western rules for eating, and it's so fun! *** If you don't like weird foods, skip down to the next paragraph. **** You get to eat some really far out things like cat (which I had two weeks ago for the first time -- dog tastes much better), tripe (cow's stomach), Japanese tofu (tasted like really good fish!), and Chinese cucumbers (which look like cucumbers on steroids). The newest thing I want to try is chicken and scorpion soup (found out about it last night), but I'm also looking forward to eating baby spiders this winter and rat-on-a-stick down by the river. (There are really shops that sell these foods here in Meizhou!) I'm also looking forward to visiting Luke in Guangzhou because there is a restaurant that specializes in cooking food like ants, beetles, and other bugs. .... Ummm, yummy!
This month has also given me the opportunity to celebrate some new holidays. They also taught me about the culture of China more. So, this month I celebrated Teacher's Day and Mid-Autumn Day for the first time. Don't dis either holiday when you're here too! Teacher's Day is basically like the American Mother's Day only for teachers instead of moms (mums). For me, it was really cool because I'm a teacher. So, even though I'd only been teaching here for a week I got all these gifts and cards. It was really cool to know that I'm appreciated (more on that in the next paragraph). Then, this weekend was another big holiday -- Mid-Autumn Day. Mid-Autumn Day is really cool in part because you get to eat moon cakes. Everyone here looks forward to this day. It is basically like the American Thanksgiving Day only no American football. You spend time with your family and look at the moon. So, these two holidays teach foreigners that teachers and the moon or the lunar calendar (which the Chinese follow) are staples of the culture. Family is also really important here too!
Part of what I've learned about Chinese culture and much of why Teacher's Day was so cool has to do with the fact that Chinese people really don't trust foreigners. If they do, it took them a long time to really trust them. Yes, our Papa is big enough to give people instant trust and slash through cultural barriers, but bottom line what I said above is truth. Some days really get me discouraged because a double standard definitely lives on here. The Chinese people want you to teach, but they don't really trust you. The wear two faces so often, putting the good/nice one on when foreigners are around. For those of you that have been here in the summer, understand that the treatment you got lasts for the summer only. After that, it's back to life as normal. So, understand that if you come in the summer you need to enjoy being treated like a king (although please don't abuse or take advantage of that special status), but also know that it's abnormal behavior. Many, if not most, Chinese people don't like America and consequently they don't like Americans. I've had some people be extremely rude to me simply because I was an American. That is truly the common tendency. They (the Chinese) don't trust you; they stare at you; they always want to know where you are going or have been; and they all want to be your friend to use it to their advantage in the future. This sounds really negative (and maybe it is too negative) but it's the bottom line, and Chinese people won't usually tell you. The one good thing about all that is that it has really helped me to understand prejudice, discrimination, and racial/cultural hatred a lot better --- better than any class at a university could have taught me --- and, I think that is important to understand!
Here are my requests:
(1) Safe delivery of important mail from the US -- I have been expecting some mail from home and it has yet to arrive. It is super important to me.
(2) Protection and wisdom -- Currently have a LOT of Good Books that I got from the open ch. I need protection to keep them and wisdom to know who to give them to. His word needs to spread here, but I have to seek His wisdom on how to give them away.
(3) Wisdom and better teaching abilities -- I have a group of four girls that I'm teaching on Sunday afternoons. Ask Papa to give them understanding. They don't know a lot because they've never heard and/or been taught about the Good Book. That in general is a big request for all of China too! The people including my girls are so hungry to be taught and know more --- PTL!
(4) For my students -- I have all together 135 students. I want to be a wonderful teacher and teach them the most important things. There are some things they won't learn from a book. So, ask that I know what to teach them and that they understand. English is a second language to them, and especially last week, I've seen the language barrier be a big problem. Also, I gave my students a test last week. I got so furious when I saw students cheating! Dishonesty is a common cultural trait, so I have to wage the battle with that in mind too. Plus, embarrassing students (or anyone really) is a cultural no-no, so I don't quite know how to handle the cheating. But, I'll be giving more tests, so I'll have to face that problem again. Oh also, to my knowledge in my school there are less than 10 bros and sis although there is a lot of interest as of late. Ask for Papa to deliver a ripe harvest at my school!
Well, that's all for this month. Please let me hear from each of you soon. It really, REALLY means so much when I get emails from yall. For those that have my address here, please write. My mama is keeping a website about me up to date with pics and letters. Yall should check is out at: http://users.wfeca.net/sonjiaj/page2.html . Thanks for your support and pr.
Much love,
Amanda (Zhong Ai Xin)
Tuesday, August 27, 2002
A Sole Light Engulfed in the Darkness: Month One in China
Dear Family and Friends,
It has been a little over a month since I left America and began a journey and new life in China. How I long for you each to come here and truly see things for yourself! It is the only way you will truly understand. Trust me when I say the darkness is so thick here. And, this week will be one of the stronger weeks for darkness as it is an annual traditional week for Chinese people to celebrate their dead ancestors and "remember" them. It began last week, but people celebrate it here a week later, so, I get two weeks of strong darkness. To put is shortly, be on your face for the people here! The Father of this world is mighty at work here and the government is aiding his efforts by feeding them lies, quenching the truth, and keeping them deceived.
So, what have I been doing? Well, this first month has been full of lots of traveling. I have traveled to some new places, visited students' homes and families, and moved twice already. I am finally in my home and have settled in. I have also been teaching (both formally and informally). The opportunities abound for those wanting to teach English! The government here would truly welcome English teachers because they desperately want their people to be fluent and world influencers in this respect. Because of the slower pace of life here I have also spent much time in the secret place and am being transformed. This last week especially my eyes have been opened to the real situation of things in China. It's bad, REALLY bad! There's so much bad to counter all of the good you hear. (This last part doesn't reflect my living situation or how people treat me -- please don't misunderstand. This last part is about the treatment of the "body" and the ch/hc situation.)
At the moment, I am the only white face among half a million Chinese faces. I think the county (Mexian) has about 3,000,000 people. So, that fact plus the enormity of the task to be a light has me feeling lonely. Part of who I am now is being a major people person. It's my personality, and lately I've been feeling especially lonely because the other Americans that would normally be around are elsewhere or still haven't made it back from America. Even my friends who know English have had great difficulty speaking English lately which has left me listening to a lot of Chinse rather than doing more speaking. I am looking forward to the beginning of school (Sept 2) and the return of my American pals. I think it will help me feel better.
The other thing I have been doing a lot of is spending time with HIM. He has given me so many new songs and a deep craving for His words. Lately my days have been filled with lots of talks that have gotten super intense as my burden for the people here has been super magnified! I have also been trying to learn more of the language. It is a must that I learn it. I can tell that I am very welcomed but very dependent upon others here because they know the language. This barrier is also holding me back from communicating about deep issues with my very close friends and brothers/sisters. Ask for an understanding and gifting of the language abilities. Some people here are even discouraging me from learning because they say it is too hard. The difficulty cannot stop me.
Most importantly, I need you to keep me upon your mind. Truly be upon your face for the people here. Ask for more workers. Ask for good working situations with the people here. In some ways this is still a struggle but that can be changed through His hands. Part of this stuggle is that I know that I am being completely changed so much so that my vision and the visions of the other C's are taking us on different paths. That's not bad because the body has many different functions and the work is here is so broad! Also, ask our Papa to make my focus stay on him and the work that is here. I still have many thoughts of America or even just what I would like to do after China. I really don't want to lose my focus and become distracted with the future. HE will show me those things when the time comes; I just need to wait and listen to HIS voice not my selfish desires.
PTL I am learning so much about the people and real situation here. PTL that I have friends here who are always willing to help me. Ask for wisdom to know what things to do and what things not to do. (I am always being asked to help this person or that person with English or to teach short-term at schools.) Ask for my deep cravings for I AM to not fade away but to become stronger. Ask for Jah's love to be poured out upon my students as I begin teaching them on September 2. Truly be on your face for the people hear and share as much as you can with the dry bones in America! What a wonderful gift you have though you make not even realize it back home! Don't waste your freedom to share and deny YAH his glory! Love you all!
Pressing on towards the upward prize,
Amanda
PS: If you want to write me in China get in touch with my mother. She has my address and can give you further instructions (sonjiaj@wfeca.net). Mail takes a month to go back and forth. As far as email goes with me, be patient; I can only check it once a week. My mom also has a website up where news will be posted (http://users.wfeca.net/sonjiaj/index.html). Remember to be careful what you write for my safety. Keep in touch! =)
It has been a little over a month since I left America and began a journey and new life in China. How I long for you each to come here and truly see things for yourself! It is the only way you will truly understand. Trust me when I say the darkness is so thick here. And, this week will be one of the stronger weeks for darkness as it is an annual traditional week for Chinese people to celebrate their dead ancestors and "remember" them. It began last week, but people celebrate it here a week later, so, I get two weeks of strong darkness. To put is shortly, be on your face for the people here! The Father of this world is mighty at work here and the government is aiding his efforts by feeding them lies, quenching the truth, and keeping them deceived.
So, what have I been doing? Well, this first month has been full of lots of traveling. I have traveled to some new places, visited students' homes and families, and moved twice already. I am finally in my home and have settled in. I have also been teaching (both formally and informally). The opportunities abound for those wanting to teach English! The government here would truly welcome English teachers because they desperately want their people to be fluent and world influencers in this respect. Because of the slower pace of life here I have also spent much time in the secret place and am being transformed. This last week especially my eyes have been opened to the real situation of things in China. It's bad, REALLY bad! There's so much bad to counter all of the good you hear. (This last part doesn't reflect my living situation or how people treat me -- please don't misunderstand. This last part is about the treatment of the "body" and the ch/hc situation.)
At the moment, I am the only white face among half a million Chinese faces. I think the county (Mexian) has about 3,000,000 people. So, that fact plus the enormity of the task to be a light has me feeling lonely. Part of who I am now is being a major people person. It's my personality, and lately I've been feeling especially lonely because the other Americans that would normally be around are elsewhere or still haven't made it back from America. Even my friends who know English have had great difficulty speaking English lately which has left me listening to a lot of Chinse rather than doing more speaking. I am looking forward to the beginning of school (Sept 2) and the return of my American pals. I think it will help me feel better.
The other thing I have been doing a lot of is spending time with HIM. He has given me so many new songs and a deep craving for His words. Lately my days have been filled with lots of talks that have gotten super intense as my burden for the people here has been super magnified! I have also been trying to learn more of the language. It is a must that I learn it. I can tell that I am very welcomed but very dependent upon others here because they know the language. This barrier is also holding me back from communicating about deep issues with my very close friends and brothers/sisters. Ask for an understanding and gifting of the language abilities. Some people here are even discouraging me from learning because they say it is too hard. The difficulty cannot stop me.
Most importantly, I need you to keep me upon your mind. Truly be upon your face for the people here. Ask for more workers. Ask for good working situations with the people here. In some ways this is still a struggle but that can be changed through His hands. Part of this stuggle is that I know that I am being completely changed so much so that my vision and the visions of the other C's are taking us on different paths. That's not bad because the body has many different functions and the work is here is so broad! Also, ask our Papa to make my focus stay on him and the work that is here. I still have many thoughts of America or even just what I would like to do after China. I really don't want to lose my focus and become distracted with the future. HE will show me those things when the time comes; I just need to wait and listen to HIS voice not my selfish desires.
PTL I am learning so much about the people and real situation here. PTL that I have friends here who are always willing to help me. Ask for wisdom to know what things to do and what things not to do. (I am always being asked to help this person or that person with English or to teach short-term at schools.) Ask for my deep cravings for I AM to not fade away but to become stronger. Ask for Jah's love to be poured out upon my students as I begin teaching them on September 2. Truly be on your face for the people hear and share as much as you can with the dry bones in America! What a wonderful gift you have though you make not even realize it back home! Don't waste your freedom to share and deny YAH his glory! Love you all!
Pressing on towards the upward prize,
Amanda
PS: If you want to write me in China get in touch with my mother. She has my address and can give you further instructions (sonjiaj@wfeca.net). Mail takes a month to go back and forth. As far as email goes with me, be patient; I can only check it once a week. My mom also has a website up where news will be posted (http://users.wfeca.net/sonjiaj/index.html). Remember to be careful what you write for my safety. Keep in touch! =)
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