- 7.6-11.2007 -
Time once again to try and recap nearly a whole week in one blog. I will try to keep it brief. I am most definitely still loving Meizhou (MZ), my Chinese hometown.
On Friday, I helped my friend Erika clean up the apartment she's living in. It's not been kept clean, and it also gave me time to talk one-on-one with a good, old friend. Our time was brief because I got sidetracked along the way to her apartment, but it was a good time and enjoyable time later chatting and helping her clean. Then, we headed out to McDonald's - it wasn't here four years ago - and joined other American friends. While there, I got to run into two other old friends, Arnie and Keith. Erika and I stayed a while chatting with them.
Then, things took another wonderful, unexpected turn. I met Fanny. Erika, Josie, and I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with her. We went to the nice tea shop together, went to her apartment, toured MZ's finest apartment complex (Hong Du) - it was also not her four years ago - and had dinner with Fanny's family. I'm not sure what Papa has in store for her, but I do want to keep in touch. The three of us headed back and off I went to an American family's home for a chat till around midnight. What a good talk for all of us!
Saturday kept me busy in another city I had never visited before. It is called Pingyuan; my friend Kiki is from there and doing fabulous there. We helped promote her English training center (Di En). I got to be one of the two foreigners having lunch at Kiki's home with about nine other Chinese young ladies. It was tiring but fun to be there and get to help out.
The drive back really made me car sick, but nonetheless though exhausted and sick my friend Angie came to pick me up to go to her house for a night. How refreshing to have lots of wind rush across my face on the back of a motorcycle as I rode out of the city and into the Chinese countryside! I rode with Lucy, Angie's friend and co-worker. We had dinner at Angie's home in such an amazing landscape before heading out for karaoke, a visit to Lucy's house, and a delightful motorcycle ride all through MZ. The ride brought back such good memories amidst an amazing starry-filled night, and it really hit home for me that if I can't be satisfied in just Jesus and look to him for all the protection I could ever need, then I'll never be satisfied and be miserably filled with worry rather than simple faith. I truly worshiped Papa on the back of that motorcycle and tasted more deeply and sweetly what faith is all about.
My stay at Angie's home lasted until about 12:30 PM on Sunday. Then, she, I, and Lucy headed to Meizhou. I spent time with fellow Americans and met a Filipino family next. We all gave our songs to Papa and learned more about him together. It was very nice though I had to battle pride and competitiveness within me. What junk within! I left first as I needed to meet Jessica and Jade, a former student who made a special trip to see me. We met at my old school. That gave me time to look at pictures of friends hanging up in the lobby of my old school, Ying Cai (YC). When Jade arrived, we spent about 10 minutes talking with my old boss Jerry Zhong. It was a nice visit!
Then, the visit with Jade, Jessica, and Jade's sister began just down a ways nearby the town square. I am glad that I got to talk more with Jade, a sister, and be with Jessica too. Our visit ended early, and then I met many current YC students on the road nearby the Square. How nice to be back here and meet them. I gave them each John's book.
Monday was busy and interesting too. Erika, I, and two other friends went to visit Wendy Zhang, my former colleague. She has a one-month old daughter now that we also went to see. What a special time to visit Wendy and her daughter Beth! By this time I hadn't been home in two days, and so, I headed back to Jessica's to pack up things to move to Erika's apartment. Before morning though, Erika and I had made plans to climb 100 Years Mountain with Jessica. We arrived at the mountain and climbed up and down roughly 900-1,000 steps to the top and back around sunset. It was nice making it to the top and getting the priceless views of MZ along the way. After the mountain trek adventure, the three of us waited (after a walk), Jessica's friend to come pick us up. He has a cute little car and graciously helped me move my things from Jessica's to Erika's. Before heading to bed, I made one last trek to see Josie and Kaitlin and Marilee; they leave shortly for Pingyuan.
That brings us up to Tuesday. Tuesday morning Erika and I had the pleasure of teaching the Bible to three of our friend's kids. It is good for me to help Erika do this and also lets me get to know J. and A. better. I knew them a little in America, but they were too little to really remember me. A. is really fun to be with because she is a ball of energy - definitely a kinesthetic learner! After our Bible study time, Erika and I got to join their family for lunch - American style. Man it was delicious!
Then, I headed out to be with Erika to practice for a Chinese party (American English for performance among many performances). I really wanted to stay and blog but figured that I should go with her and needed to go with her to build relationships with Chinese people. Thus, I met Candy, Josh, Kevin, and my other Chinese friends. I played guitar with Erika. This is one of the few times I've played guitar in China during this trip; I really miss playing my guitar in America. I really had so much enthusiasm to play guitar! The evening was filled with joining Grandma B. for her birthday dinner and then touring MZ on the local tour trolley with Chinese friends and new American friends from good 'ole Alabama. What a nice time building relationships with Winnie and Vickie.
Drum roll please ..... (da, da, da, da, da) ..... and now today, Wednesday. Today I visited a colony of 21 lepers. They live on the outskirts of MZ and were a joy to be with!!! Jesus was praised so much in Chinese and English at the leper colony. I was reminded of how the Chinese mindset and American mindset are incredibly different along the trip too. I am thinking more and more like a Chinese person! It's good! Then, I got to see a friend from my past (DL). I am thankful that I got to see him and spend time asking for his forgiveness for hard feelings I held against him even until this return trip. They died (the hard feelings) and emotional pain allowing grace and a newness of relationship to begin. Hallelujah! Then, I got to have lunch at my friend Snow's restaurant.
Our lunch talk was very good with my good friend sharing about his family's heartache and new friends sharing about Taiwan. I returned to the apartment afterwards. Erika is so sick today. I saw her only very briefly when the doors slammed due to the wind. I will go and play the guitar and now be the only guitarist. Tonight I'll perform with Chinese friends. ... My time tonight was great playing the guitar; Jesus was praised and helped me so much! Trinity and I had great talks before and after the performance. We talked about SOS and sp matters. I am thankful that she could go with me to McDonald's tonight. I was so craving a cheese burger for about three days now. Since we ate at around 10:30 PM I had about two meals since I was so hungry. And thus, I am back at the apartment, and that was my Wednesday.
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