Our Help

"If the LORD had not been my help,

My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.

If I should say, “My foot has slipped,”

Your lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up.

When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,

Your consolations delight my soul."  Psalm 94: 17-19

All too often I find myself worrying about my future...

...or their future...

But I know the One who holds my future in His hands...

 who holds their futures.

 He is our Comforter, our Father, our Provider...

Our El Roi.  He sees me...He sees them...and He is our help.

Clown Bus

Today was one of those days when the city bus felt more like a clown car.

Let me start from the beginning.

This morning my friend Andrea and I left home to go to the orphanage.  We ran to catch the bus, only to find about a million people had gotten there first.  We had a little time to spare, so we waited for the next bus.  Again, we couldn't bring ourselves to hurl our bodies into the sea of passengers, so we decided to take a taxi.  We waited...and waited...and waited.  Finally we decided that every taxi driver in the city was either on strike or has the flu, so we took a different, less crowded bus. An hour later, we arrived at the orphanage.

Fast forward several hours...

I had done some Christmas shopping and I was exhausted.  I waited for the bus, and once again it was super crowded. I was ready to be home, so I took a deep breath and got on.  If you've never experienced the super awkward feeling of having your backside smooshed up against some stranger's, be thankful.  I shifted around the aisle trying to free my body from all of the awkward touching until the guy sitting in front of me got up and I nabbed his seat. Interestingly, a ton of people got on at every stop, but no one ever seemed to get off. A lady started to puke somewhere in the back, but I couldn't drown out the sound because I lost my headphones earlier this week.   More people squeezed on.  No one got off.  The bus driver started yelling at people, "Go to the back door!" and they would run to the exit door and wedge themselves into the group of people already spilling out of the bus.  More stops...more yelling...more squeezing.  At one point I thought about getting off early and walking home, but as I looked at the distance between myself and the exit door, I decided it wasn't worth the risk.  When it was finally my turn to get off the bus, I couldn't get through the crowd.  I kept yelling "xia che!  xia che!" but people were trying to get on as I was trying to get off, and I barely pushed my way through these old ladies who were firmly standing their ground just as the bus was closing its doors to pull away.

I will say that despite all the craziness, I really appreciate the determination of Chinese people who, no matter how many people are in a bus, subway, or elevator, always insist that there's room for one more.

So many little things

The past week has been really crazy.  Crazy and amazing.  It's left me feeling thankful for so many little things...


-Global Friendship-
I met my friend J when she was a grad student a few years ago.  We became fast friends and had lots of fun together.  Then, when I told her I had decided to move to China, it "just so happens" that I would be moving to her hometown. She was a huge encouragement to me while I was preparing to move overseas.  Then I moved to her hometown, leaving her behind in mine.  For a year we were friends oceans apart.  Now, a year later, she's returned to Tianjin and we've continued our friendship on the same continent--in the same city--again.  I had dinner with her a few days ago, and we've decided that we are Chinese/American twins who have been blessed enough to find one another.

-School Diversity-
I'm so thankful to be part of a school that is SO diverse.  We have 20+ nationalities represented in our school.  On Tuesday of this week I took my students on a field trip to a "farm."  It's nothing like the farm we imagine in our American minds, but it's a farm nonetheless.  Many of my students' parents came with us, and as three generations of people from all over the world sat around our picnic blankets sharing peanut butter sandwiches, kimbap, tofu, and fruit, I was overwhelmed with thankfulness for the diversity around me.

On Thursday, we celebrated International Day.  Our students were encouraged to dress up in clothes that represent their passport countries, and let me just say, there's nothing cuter than preschoolers in kimonos, qipaos, and hanboks. .  Again, I was reminded that diversity is SUCH a beautiful gift.

-English Corner-
I returned to English Corner this week...finally!  I've been gone since June, and I had started to feel like a piece of the puzzle was missing, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.  Then I went to English Corner and I remembered - those college students were the missing piece. I can't think of a better way to spend my Saturday evenings!

-Progress-
I saw sweet Shen Shen smile for the first time in months.  Thank you, Lord.

-Unexpected Phone Call-
Today my phone rang, and as has become my habit, I didn't answer the unknown caller.  Then I immediately got a text.  "I am Sally."  Sally was my student two years ago at FPS.  She's Chinese, and she spent the whole year impressing me with her quick English learning and teaching me some simple Chinese to get me started in China.  She's back in China now, and her family has invited me to come to their home and visit next month.  I am beside myself excited to see her!  It's amazing how I've seen my worlds collide this year.

I am so blessed.

Beijing with the Masses

I spent National Day in Beijing last week.  I guess the past 365 days were crazy enough to make me forget how insane Beijing is during the October holiday, so I went back again this year...along with several million of my closest Chinese friends.

I love the patriotism on display in Beijing during the National Holiday. 

I got to travel with my good friend Bekah.  It was her first time in Beijing, and what better way to experience it than during the most crowded time of the year!! 

Thankfully Bekah shares my Starbucks obsession. 

We hit a lot of the sights I've seen before, but there are some things that are just as exciting for me the fourth time as they were the first time, like the Great Wall.

I'm pretty sure I'll never go back to Beijing during National Day, but it's something I'm glad I've experienced and I'm thankful for the memories! 

RanRan's New Shoes

I love this sweet boy. 

I visit him every Saturday and sometimes I'm lucky enough to get a phone call from him during the week.  He never ceases to amaze me.  He's funny and so smart. And look at that face! What a cutie!

RR is usually in his bed when I see him on Saturdays, but he does physical therapy during the week.  He didn't have any shoes, so we recently got him a new pair.  He was so excited when we gave them to him. He was also very excited about his neon green socks.  We put on his new shoes, and then he showed me how he can stand holding onto his bed.  

I'm so thankful he is a part of my life!  He's such a blessing.