In lieu of doing a monthly newsletter (because I somehow lost the template and because this just seems simpler) I'm going to try a monthly blog update. We'll see how it works. :) I feel like I experience so many new things everyday it's hard to decide where to even begin, so I'll just hit a few highlights.
September was a wonderful month! The humidity has finally dissipated and the cool fall air has moved in. The days are getting shorter. New street vendors have come out, selling everything from caramel corn to delicious cooked yams. During the month of September I met some new Chinese friends, got plugged in at the orphanage, and visited Beijing. I went to an "English Corner" a few weeks ago and I'm hoping to go back every Friday. At English Corner we just hang out at a coffee shop and give the students an opportunity to practice their English. I was starting to get discouraged about how difficult it has been to meet Chinese people (I know, I know...I live in China. It's harder than you would think to find people who speak English) and how much time I spend with other Americans, so this group was like a breath of fresh air for me. I also met a new Chinese friend on the street one day and she has been such a blessing, showing us around the city and introducing us to her friends. I'm excited to see how these relationships will grow and expand!
I've blogged a lot about the orphanage already, so I won't say much about that except that it was the highlight of the month of September for me. Please be praying for me as I continue to look for ways to be involved in the lives of orphans in Tianjin.
Beijing was pretty fun! It was strange to be out of Tianjin for a few days. We stayed at the Peking Yard Hostel. It was way nicer than I expected and located very close to the subway so it was super convenient. We did a lot of shopping at cheap markets....and I mean LOTS of shopping. Our efforts to go sightseeing didn't really pan out, though, so I don't have many pictures of our trip. We tried to go to the Temple of Heaven, but it didn't work out. The next day we planned to go to the Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square but we got there too late and couldn't get in. We did get to spend at little time on the Square. It actually worked out great that we were late because we were there at night and got to see all of the buildings lit up. It was really amazing! I have never seen so many people in one place before. I've also never been stared at or photographed so much, even in Tianjin. People actually asked to have their picture taken with me, which has NEVER happened. It was surreal. As much as I enjoyed Beijing, it was good to come back home to Tianjin where things are starting to feel familiar and normal.
My Chinese is coming along very slowly, so please pray that I'll start to pick it up quicker and that I'll have more discipline to study. I'm not satisfied with just being able to get around. I want to be able to really communicate with people.
Resting in this Truth this month: He who calls you is faithful - 1 Thessalonians 5:24
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