Last Week To Do List

Here's the list of items we plan to tackle during the last week in Harbin before we jet back to the states for the summer:

• Finish grading and turn in all the reports for seven classes
• Rearrange the kid’s room to prepare for B2 to arrive in December
• Eat jiaozi one last time
• Team picnic at the Botanical Gardens
• Buy supplies at Carrefour to be here when we return
• Get a haircut
• Shred all the unneeded papers
• Have lunch with a student
• Invite students to our house for one last goodbye
• Finish one last newsletter (be expecting this in the mail sometime this summer)
• Book speaking engagements with local fellowships
• Arrange a ride to the airport
• Replace the glass window in our bathroom
• Charge all the electronics
• Pack our luggage
• Try to get some sleep to be ready for the flight home

Botanical Gardens

As stated before in the previous post, we took one last team outing to the Botanical Gardens in Harbin. It seems funny that the Ice City would have Botanical Gardens, but everywhere we have been in China, there are some great gardens and parks. We paid our admissions fee and entered the forest/garden area armed with our KFC buckets, biscuits, and honey (for the biscuits not the chicken) and settled down for the last picnic.Check out more of the photos upload at Picasa.

Tuesday Morning Image

We took one last outing before we return home for the summer to visit friends and family. Across town there's a Botanical garden filled with grass, flowers, pines, and the general smell of outside. It was great to get outside and enjoy the cool weather this time of year. We weren't the only ones outside, there were brides everywhere. Each one was dressed up posing for numerous pictures around the gardens. At one time, we could see 5 different couples taking pictures and we saw many more throughout the gardens. Please remember these young couples as they prepare for their new life together.

Tuesday Morning Image

During the past term, we have built relationships with these freshmen girls. It has been incredible to see the friendship progress far enough that they are comfortable going to our refrigerator to get something to drink. At one time, these girls even said that our apartment felt like home. We are thankful for these relationship and are hopeful for the future. Please remember these girls as the study for finals, travel home this summer, and return next year, remember the relationship being built and hope for the future.

Volume 3, Issue 6

June is here, and with that means our return to the States for the summer. We will be in Texas from June27-August 20. We are splitting the time between parents in Garden City and Quitaque as well as dropping by Lubbock, Midland, San Angelo, Austin, and tons of places in between. We are piecing together the summer schedule and would love to see as many of you as we can. Again, thank you for all your support this past semester and for the support to come!

Salty Conversations
"Being salty is more than just being available." This quote has stuck with me ever since I first heard it this past month. I have been challenged to be salty in my conversations and interactions with students and that includes more than just being available.

In the past week, I have had different opportunities to be salty when talking with students. During class, we were having a circular conversation where students draw a topic and then speak on it before rotating to a new partner. Since some classes had an odd number of students, I got to participate.

The first topic drawn was, "Life has no meaning or purpose." The student shared his thoughts on the topic that his purpose was to achieve his goals to make money and provide for his family. He asks, "What is your purpose?" I was able to share my purpose, to follow closely after the Father even if this means giving up money or comfort to share His love with others. What a different purpose! I know this will stick with the student forever as he continues life searching for his purpose.

Time to rotate to another student. The next topic is "People are basically good" This student agrees with the statement, but I totally disagree! Again I get to add some salt to the conversation challenging her to consider that all have sinned and fallen short.

And as we look forward to the final weeks this term, we are looking and asking for increased opportunities to not only be available for the students, but to also add salt every chance we get. In the next weeks, we are planning to host at least 2 meals for students. We are excited to continue adding salt in the lives of the students.

Even now, we are considering different ways to engage the students early next term with open houses and free talks. And remember to add salt.

New addition the toy box

This is the newest addition to my toy box, a mini remote controlled helicopter. These things are all the rage here in China now as everyone everywhere is selling these little toys. I just got mine today. So far it had flown pretty good, but I needed to charge up the helicopter batteries before I could fly it more and get it straighten out. I don't know if these things are in the states or not yet.

I've wanted one of these for years, but didn't want to spend the outrageous money needed to get one. Now they are dirt cheap and electric. All those years of waiting have paid off with this little guy. Now we'll see how long the 6 AA batteries last in the remote and how much those end up costing. But for now, this thing rocks worthy of a dream toy 15 years in the making.

It's great to be a boy again excited about new toys.

Tuesday Morning Image

Before the push for the final exams, freshmen and sophomore students participated in a “sports meet.” The event is similar to an elementary field day often held in the States. Students choose different events to participate in including this 20? legged race. The sports meet serves as a welcome to spring and as a final hurrah before the students go off and hibernate studying for their finals. For most classes, the final exam counts up to 90% of the score for the term putting the students under extreme pressure to succeed. Please remember these students as they study and deal with enormous pressures.

Dragon Boat in Beijing

May 28^th is Dragon Boat Festival in China, one of the recognized national holidays in which everyone gets the day off. So after for the break from classes, we headed south to Beijing for a little getaway. Took the overnight train to Beijing and had quite the experience with the little guy. He first made sure to check out everything on the train and there is a lot to check out (buttons for lights, windows, bunk mates, sliding doors, etc.). After being forced to sleep at 11 PM he would sweat and then wake up every 2 hours. When he woke up at 4 AM he was up for good because the sun’s up and it’s light outside.

The time in Beijing was great as we were able to see the doctor for our first prenatal visit, hangout with some friends, eat great Western food (read TGI Friday’s three times), check out IKEA, and see the Olympic sites (see the photo above of the National Stadium “Bird’s Nest”). It was a blast!

Most of the pictures are posted online here. Check them out! More updates will be coming as I plan to do some back posting when we get to the states since we are still locked out of our Blogger site from this side.

Tuesday Morning Image

Students are out in full force. With the weather being great, many couples look for places to hang out together. Remember that often the students share a dorm room with 6-8 other students. So if the couple wants some time alone together, they must look for other place. Please remember these young relationships that they would be pure, respectful of each other, and healthy under the extreme cultural and societal pressures that bombard and tempt couples.