Well, life has been busy and so this is a month overdue! But, life has been full of excitement, so there's been much to tell. The biggest thing that has stuck out to me in the past week has been the international clashes that are occurring. So many times in America, we experience an awkwardness that comes along with interacting with different people from different cultures. This past week Dad has really shown me how getting to see and meet people from different cultures can be one of the most rewarding experiences in my everyday life. Here are a few of the highlights:
International Day: At ISW, we have one day a year called International Day. This is a day where each of the classes makes a presentation about a country that is represented at our school. The experience of seeing all of the other classes and countries were extremely interesting! My class drew South Korea, however, as the country to make a presentation on. 8 out of my 13 students are Korean, so I saw this as a little intimidating! I knew many of my class' parents would be looking closely at what we did. We ended up performing the national anthem of South Korea and played a folk song on the recorders. While I was worried that the parents wouldn't be very impressed, they loved it and I also learned a lot about Korea in the process!
Thursday Nights: This one needs a little background info. Every Thursday night, I play basketball with the Filipinos in our community in Wuxi. We have been playing since July and I absolutely love it! I've developed some incredible friendships and am really excited about the future relationships I will get to invest in with them. Well, this past Thursday night, we had a tri-culture clash. Some of the Chinese P.E. teachers in our area decided they wanted to play the Americans at basketball. Well, when they came to visit, they had two teams. The Filipinos still came to play, so we ended up having Americans vs. the Chinese on one court, and the Filipinos vs the Chinese on the other. It was interesting because, while we thought it would be easy to beat them, they came with a top notch team and beat us! They had trained and played together, and it showed in how they played us. The Filipinos played the second string team, and Jam (one of my Filipino buds) said they were beating them, but were also struggling to play them too. The night finished off well, but it was totally awesome to see three cultures relating to each other through the simple game of basketball.
Downtown Fellowship: Once a month, our school staff sends a group down to lead worship at the downtown fellowship. This month, I got the chance to go down and be on the team leading. First of all, it was extremely humbling. I felt honored to be able to lead Chinese nationals in worshipping Dad. It also was awesome getting to sing in Chinese! I was absolutely floored at the experience of a Chinese fellowship.
Through all of this, Dad is teaching me how much I can learn and how incredible it can be to interact with people from all different cultures. I hope this can be motivation to everyone who reads this to take advantage of the opportunities Dad gives you...
This is my story...
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
It's Been Such a Long Time...
Back after a few weeks of rest and contemplation. There was so much to tell from these past weeks! I'm not one to deviate from the main theme of this blog though: In every story, the main character will see one or many things that will change the way they see the world. It will establish a new way for them to act based on what they have seen. For me, that was found in my trip to Beijing. There were many sights, both in the people I met and the places I visited, that have changed the way I see the world. Here's a recap:
-ISW Conference: I met some good people and had some of the greatest times since coming to China at this conference. This conference brought together everyone from the 6 ISC Schools in China. It was wonderful meeting new people, getting to learn about the different schools, and getting to take part in sessions where I learned how to be a more effective teacher. As an added bonus, I had the honor of sitting under my advisor, Dr. Baumann, in 6 sessions about critical thinking. I learned so much from him in Cedarville and learned still more in the 3 days of sessions. Finally, I had the chance to reconnect with some awesome people from my time at PFO:
-ISW Conference: I met some good people and had some of the greatest times since coming to China at this conference. This conference brought together everyone from the 6 ISC Schools in China. It was wonderful meeting new people, getting to learn about the different schools, and getting to take part in sessions where I learned how to be a more effective teacher. As an added bonus, I had the honor of sitting under my advisor, Dr. Baumann, in 6 sessions about critical thinking. I learned so much from him in Cedarville and learned still more in the 3 days of sessions. Finally, I had the chance to reconnect with some awesome people from my time at PFO:
-Olympic Park and Beijing: This was honestly one of the top 2 highlights of my time in Beijing. Most of you know I am a big sports guy, so to be at Olympic Park in Beijing was a highlight for sure. Getting to see the Bird's Nest and Water Bubble was incredible and, yes, it is every bit the architectural masterpiece that everyone says it is. Also, I was able to go to an Outback Steakhouse! Many of you won't appreciate an Outback Steakhouse as much as you should until you cannot have it for a few months. Anyway, here's my best shot of the Nest:
-The Great Wall: One of the Seven Wonders of the World and easily the best experience I had in China, my time at the Great Wall was one I will never forget as long as I live. There wasn't anything that happened specifically, but seeing the sight of that wall that seems to stretch on forever was so mind blowing. I kept thinking I would eventually see where it stops, but it was a never ending search. I literally caught my breath when I got my first look out across the land with the Wall stretching across. It was beautiful, and is a sight that, if you can, you absolutely should go see someday (yes, David and Sarah, I remembered to take the Cubbies to the Wall!):
-Tiennamen Square and the Forbidden Temple: A historic site in Beijing, my expectations were all over the place. I didn't know whether it would seem oppressive, or nostaligic with all of the history, or just intimidating. But it was none of those. It was absolutely beautiful. The architecture was phenomenal, and it was a sight to behold.
I apologize to my readers who consistently stay with my blog, I have had a crazy couple of weeks since getting back. This was by far one of the best trips of my life and I've only been here for 2 months. I look forward to my next adventure, and Dad's next story for my life!
Until the whole world hears...
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
What is the Objective?
In every great story, there is an objective for the main character to complete. A miss, if you will, that he must complete before the end of the story. If they don't pursue, and complete, this objective, the story cannot be complete. In my time here in China, I have begun to realize what my objective is. But before I get to it, here's a few stories that set it up:
Last Thursday, I was coming home from basketball and had to run to make the bus I needed to get home. When I got on and sat down, several nationals were chuckling at my run to get there and how out of breath I was at that point. They were trying to talk to me but I had no idea what they were saying. All I could say was "Tingbudong," which means I don't know. I felt bad, but eventually managed to see by their motions and pointing that they were asking if I taught at the school, to which I happily shook my head yes. A little bit later, I saw them making some comments and looking at my shoes. I laughed knowing what they were talking about. For those who don't know, I wear a size 17 men's shoe. I lifted my foot up to let them match theirs against mine, and there were definitely laughs all around! It was so simple, and yet I had made a connection with these four people that I didn't know or know how to talk to.
I have a favorite stand in the Market. They take small strips of chicken and fry them, and then season them, and are so good! Each time I go now, she smiles and waits for me to motion with my hand how much I want and then goes about making it. The astounding part, though, is now she is starting to teach me some basic chinese terms for things. As I point to things and say "Jigga....." which means "this," she teaches me a word. We never spend a significant amount of time doing this, but its developing a connection once again.
I say all of this because I am realizing what my objective is in life. I'm not sure how many people reading this know who Mark Hall is. He is the lead singer for Casting Crowns and, last year, he wrote a song called "Until the Whole World Hears." The song expresses his desire to take Dad's Word to everyone everywhere, and how it is an endless pursuit. About how we need to see the world through Dad's eyes. And how we will continue to sing until the entire world hears. Mark Hall came up with this song because of emails he received from a close friend. Each time this friend would email Hall, the friend signed it Until the Whole World Hears. In hearing this story, and listening to the song again, this is the cry of my heart. I want to do whatever I can to help the whole world hear His name and know the truth. So I will continue to make connections, develop relationships, and be the voice to help the whole world hear. I'll still be documenting stories and sharing experiences, but let's call this chapter the realization of my life's objective.
Until the whole world hears...
Last Thursday, I was coming home from basketball and had to run to make the bus I needed to get home. When I got on and sat down, several nationals were chuckling at my run to get there and how out of breath I was at that point. They were trying to talk to me but I had no idea what they were saying. All I could say was "Tingbudong," which means I don't know. I felt bad, but eventually managed to see by their motions and pointing that they were asking if I taught at the school, to which I happily shook my head yes. A little bit later, I saw them making some comments and looking at my shoes. I laughed knowing what they were talking about. For those who don't know, I wear a size 17 men's shoe. I lifted my foot up to let them match theirs against mine, and there were definitely laughs all around! It was so simple, and yet I had made a connection with these four people that I didn't know or know how to talk to.
I have a favorite stand in the Market. They take small strips of chicken and fry them, and then season them, and are so good! Each time I go now, she smiles and waits for me to motion with my hand how much I want and then goes about making it. The astounding part, though, is now she is starting to teach me some basic chinese terms for things. As I point to things and say "Jigga....." which means "this," she teaches me a word. We never spend a significant amount of time doing this, but its developing a connection once again.
I say all of this because I am realizing what my objective is in life. I'm not sure how many people reading this know who Mark Hall is. He is the lead singer for Casting Crowns and, last year, he wrote a song called "Until the Whole World Hears." The song expresses his desire to take Dad's Word to everyone everywhere, and how it is an endless pursuit. About how we need to see the world through Dad's eyes. And how we will continue to sing until the entire world hears. Mark Hall came up with this song because of emails he received from a close friend. Each time this friend would email Hall, the friend signed it Until the Whole World Hears. In hearing this story, and listening to the song again, this is the cry of my heart. I want to do whatever I can to help the whole world hear His name and know the truth. So I will continue to make connections, develop relationships, and be the voice to help the whole world hear. I'll still be documenting stories and sharing experiences, but let's call this chapter the realization of my life's objective.
Until the whole world hears...
Monday, September 20, 2010
Heroes and Villains
Every hero in every epic story has the villain he is fighting. There is no story without good and evil. But I wonder if sometimes we focus so much on the worst villain that we forget about his little obstacles he sends to trip us up along the way. We get so set on defeating him that we lose sight of where we currently are at.
The past couple of weeks, I have been bouncing back and forth, enjoying some of the times and having a rough time with others. I think a big part of that is due to where my focus was. The times that have been rough are the times where I am focusing on back home and the good times there and the people I care about. And so I focus on stopping it, assuming it is my enemy seeking to devour me with thoughts of home and family. But the turnaround doesn't come when I have set my focus on defeating him. The change in attitude and the good things coming around happens when I focus on what Dad has for me right here, right now. When I have stayed in the present, and allowed myself to focus on what I have going on in my life currently, I have enjoyed (almost haha) every experience I have had.
For example, I have gotten so frustrated with a student in my class. She speaks almost no English, can't understand the majority of what I say and, as a result, struggles to know what to do in class. Whenever I start thinking about what it is going to take to help her the entire year, I just get discouraged and wonder why Dad even put me in this situation in the first place. But when I focus on just getting her through each lesson, like I did today, she has great success and we worked together helping her understand all of the content she needed to work on. The successes came when I focused on the current, and not on the whole upcoming future.
Every hero has a villain. Where there's good, at least for the time being, there will always be evil. The villain waits for me everyday. I may not be a hero, but I have a Dad who is helping me focus on the here and now...
These are my stories...
The past couple of weeks, I have been bouncing back and forth, enjoying some of the times and having a rough time with others. I think a big part of that is due to where my focus was. The times that have been rough are the times where I am focusing on back home and the good times there and the people I care about. And so I focus on stopping it, assuming it is my enemy seeking to devour me with thoughts of home and family. But the turnaround doesn't come when I have set my focus on defeating him. The change in attitude and the good things coming around happens when I focus on what Dad has for me right here, right now. When I have stayed in the present, and allowed myself to focus on what I have going on in my life currently, I have enjoyed (almost haha) every experience I have had.
For example, I have gotten so frustrated with a student in my class. She speaks almost no English, can't understand the majority of what I say and, as a result, struggles to know what to do in class. Whenever I start thinking about what it is going to take to help her the entire year, I just get discouraged and wonder why Dad even put me in this situation in the first place. But when I focus on just getting her through each lesson, like I did today, she has great success and we worked together helping her understand all of the content she needed to work on. The successes came when I focused on the current, and not on the whole upcoming future.
Every hero has a villain. Where there's good, at least for the time being, there will always be evil. The villain waits for me everyday. I may not be a hero, but I have a Dad who is helping me focus on the here and now...
These are my stories...
Monday, September 13, 2010
All the...Small Things...
Hey everyone,
This one's a little late, sorry about that. I thought I would change up the tone and go with a little more positive chapter here in my latest post. I'm finding there are a bunch of little stories here and there that make for great reading! The post may not be as long, but these are all just little things that make me smile thinking back on them:
First, there was my experience last Wednesday in the market. As usual, I was being stared at by everyone as I waited for my food to cook because the nationals don't expect a white American to be ordering food there. On this night, though, there were two boys, probably in the 10-12 age range, waiting in line behind me and one stepped up and put his coins on the kart a little early. I decided to make a connection. I picked up his coin and, using my favorite magic trick, made it jump from one hand to the other. When I opened the hand where the coin was now at, his jaw simply dropped and he said "Wooooowwwwww!" I could have died of laughter right there on the spot! Every adult in the area, including the vendor I was buying food from, had a big smile on their face and started speaking Chinese with the boy, and then to me. I eventually figured out they were saying "again," so I did the trick slower, showing him how I did it. He saw the catch in the trick and said "Awwwwwww" as he shook his head and all of the adults started laughing. The rest of my time waiting on the food, and my departure, could not have been a warmer environment, and I had the biggest smile of them all.
This past Friday, with it being the day before Ohio State played Miami of Florida, I wore my jersey to school. It was the 4 jersey from the days when Santonio Holmes was WR for the Buckeyes. As I was watching the kids leave from school for the weekend, one of the 4th graders in my science class came out. His name is Sota. The thing about Sota is that he just tells is like it is with no thought for how it sounds. He walked out, pointed at my jersey, and said "Why are you wearing that?" I replied "Well, this is the jersey of one of my favorite players." He then replied "Well, 4 in Chinese is suh (sp?) and suh means death. Have a good weekend Mr. Harmon." And then he walked away. Does it get any more classic than that?
Only two short ones here, but they were small encouragements that really gave me some laughs. I hope they brought a smile to your face, as all the best books need a rebound chapter to stay interesting :-)
These are my stories...
This one's a little late, sorry about that. I thought I would change up the tone and go with a little more positive chapter here in my latest post. I'm finding there are a bunch of little stories here and there that make for great reading! The post may not be as long, but these are all just little things that make me smile thinking back on them:
First, there was my experience last Wednesday in the market. As usual, I was being stared at by everyone as I waited for my food to cook because the nationals don't expect a white American to be ordering food there. On this night, though, there were two boys, probably in the 10-12 age range, waiting in line behind me and one stepped up and put his coins on the kart a little early. I decided to make a connection. I picked up his coin and, using my favorite magic trick, made it jump from one hand to the other. When I opened the hand where the coin was now at, his jaw simply dropped and he said "Wooooowwwwww!" I could have died of laughter right there on the spot! Every adult in the area, including the vendor I was buying food from, had a big smile on their face and started speaking Chinese with the boy, and then to me. I eventually figured out they were saying "again," so I did the trick slower, showing him how I did it. He saw the catch in the trick and said "Awwwwwww" as he shook his head and all of the adults started laughing. The rest of my time waiting on the food, and my departure, could not have been a warmer environment, and I had the biggest smile of them all.
This past Friday, with it being the day before Ohio State played Miami of Florida, I wore my jersey to school. It was the 4 jersey from the days when Santonio Holmes was WR for the Buckeyes. As I was watching the kids leave from school for the weekend, one of the 4th graders in my science class came out. His name is Sota. The thing about Sota is that he just tells is like it is with no thought for how it sounds. He walked out, pointed at my jersey, and said "Why are you wearing that?" I replied "Well, this is the jersey of one of my favorite players." He then replied "Well, 4 in Chinese is suh (sp?) and suh means death. Have a good weekend Mr. Harmon." And then he walked away. Does it get any more classic than that?
Only two short ones here, but they were small encouragements that really gave me some laughs. I hope they brought a smile to your face, as all the best books need a rebound chapter to stay interesting :-)
These are my stories...
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Transitions...
I have to confess I was at a loss for what to write about this weekend. It's the reason I haven't posted until now. But as I think about my time here, I'm over the one month mark. I had hoped that I would be making some smoother transitions, and yet some of them are still rough. Here's a few of the harder ones I have dealt with lately:
Family
I haven't been this far away from my family with no way to easily return ever. It didn't phase me at first, but things were a little rough this past week. It's so hard not to be able to see my brother starting varsity for the first time, and knowing this is what he has worked for all this time. It's even harder knowing I won't get to see him play varsity in his career. When my mind finally came to that realization, a small part of my heart just broke to pieces. There's also a part of me that is missing getting to see the incredible strides my sister is taking in getting herself back on the straight track again, and I couldn't be more proud of her, or of my beautiful niece. And then there's my youngest sister. I will have the possibility to see her final year of marching band and every single performance she decides to be in senior year if Father leads me back home after my two year contract. But not seeing her get her drama and singing experience in the next two years is making it a little tough too. And finally there's mom and dad. I couldn't care more for two people if I tried. They've been there for me through everything and, now that they're not there, it's just a rough transition. The transition of getting out from underneath them had to be made, and I am becoming better everyday for it, but it's rough not even having the ability to see them.
Friends
This transition was a little less rough after this past week. I finally got to talk with my two closest friends on the planet. It was all I could do not to smile with this big goofy grin the rest of the night and going to bed, but it was bitter sweet. I had the best night I've had in China so far, but it wasn't even anything China related. Not all of my friends would be available, obviously, but there were a few weddings where I know I would have seen so many special people in my life. I feel as though all of my friendships have been thrown to the wayside in my move here. Being a social person, it has just been tough to not have people around that I am comfortable sharing certain things with.
Fellowship
Those of you who know me know I absolutely enjoyed fellowship more than anything else in my week. Yes, a big part was fellowship, but another part was my ability to serve others. It's so hard to be going to a fellowship where everything is small and I don't have the ability to serve in the capacities that God really skilled me to serve in back home. So I guess part of it, as well, is the frustration of not knowing how to serve here in my new fellowship. But there's more than that: I'm just having a rough time not having the big community around me that I had before. I've gone from a community of around 550 or so, and knowing a majority of those people, to having maybe 20 other people. I can't tell you how much I underappreciated what I had when I had it.
Please don't take this as a posting just to complain, but understand that every story has a few sad chapters. This is the first week that I consistently struggled with missing things for 7 straight days. I want to have my mind completely here, and yet it's just been rough. If you know me, you know I usually can get myself completely into whatever I do, and that's what I will continue to do. But if you talk to Father, please just ask for His help with my transitions. It's been a rough week...
These are my stories...
Family
I haven't been this far away from my family with no way to easily return ever. It didn't phase me at first, but things were a little rough this past week. It's so hard not to be able to see my brother starting varsity for the first time, and knowing this is what he has worked for all this time. It's even harder knowing I won't get to see him play varsity in his career. When my mind finally came to that realization, a small part of my heart just broke to pieces. There's also a part of me that is missing getting to see the incredible strides my sister is taking in getting herself back on the straight track again, and I couldn't be more proud of her, or of my beautiful niece. And then there's my youngest sister. I will have the possibility to see her final year of marching band and every single performance she decides to be in senior year if Father leads me back home after my two year contract. But not seeing her get her drama and singing experience in the next two years is making it a little tough too. And finally there's mom and dad. I couldn't care more for two people if I tried. They've been there for me through everything and, now that they're not there, it's just a rough transition. The transition of getting out from underneath them had to be made, and I am becoming better everyday for it, but it's rough not even having the ability to see them.
Friends
This transition was a little less rough after this past week. I finally got to talk with my two closest friends on the planet. It was all I could do not to smile with this big goofy grin the rest of the night and going to bed, but it was bitter sweet. I had the best night I've had in China so far, but it wasn't even anything China related. Not all of my friends would be available, obviously, but there were a few weddings where I know I would have seen so many special people in my life. I feel as though all of my friendships have been thrown to the wayside in my move here. Being a social person, it has just been tough to not have people around that I am comfortable sharing certain things with.
Fellowship
Those of you who know me know I absolutely enjoyed fellowship more than anything else in my week. Yes, a big part was fellowship, but another part was my ability to serve others. It's so hard to be going to a fellowship where everything is small and I don't have the ability to serve in the capacities that God really skilled me to serve in back home. So I guess part of it, as well, is the frustration of not knowing how to serve here in my new fellowship. But there's more than that: I'm just having a rough time not having the big community around me that I had before. I've gone from a community of around 550 or so, and knowing a majority of those people, to having maybe 20 other people. I can't tell you how much I underappreciated what I had when I had it.
Please don't take this as a posting just to complain, but understand that every story has a few sad chapters. This is the first week that I consistently struggled with missing things for 7 straight days. I want to have my mind completely here, and yet it's just been rough. If you know me, you know I usually can get myself completely into whatever I do, and that's what I will continue to do. But if you talk to Father, please just ask for His help with my transitions. It's been a rough week...
These are my stories...
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Are You Kidding Me?
This is a personal record for me. It's the first time I have posted 3 straight weeks in a row and started keeping up with something like this. So, in light of that, and how good the story is this time, give yourself a few minutes to read this one. I'm a storyteller, as I said before, and the best stories are the ones that give those little details that spice it up.
As some of you know, I was planning on going to Shenyang this weekend. My roommate and I had gone to the police station and filed our passports and then came back to the school where I assumed my passport was with the lady who went with us. I got up Friday morning, ready for my trip, only to find out a little later that the police still had my passport and there was no way to get it back in time for the trip. I was crushed, but refused to give up. After exploring some options, I was told some people would look into it and I began my day of teaching. As I walked down to class, I started thinking in my head "Father, I can't do this without You. I have no control over whether or not I can go now. I promise to make my focus the students today and teach them to the best of my ability. I just ask that You allow one of the alternative options to work out."
True to my word, I gave the kids every bit of myself that I could, all the while continuing to have my thoughts going in the back of my head "Father, please work this out." Halfway through the day, I was called into the office by the secretary and the lady who had taken us down to the police station originally. They informed me that they had asked for a rush job on my passport, but had no idea whether or not I would be able to get it in time. If I didn't have my passport in my hand and out the door by 3 p.m., and they said this was almost impossible, I would not be going on the trip.
My mind was blown. Father had taken all of the options and said "Chris, you don't give me enough credit; I will give you the possibility of having the passport you need. Do you trust me?" I then had to teach math before it was time to go. I once again taught math the best I could, while in the back of my mind asking Father over and over "Please, let my passport be done by 3 so I can go on this trip this weekend." The time came to go and it was myself and the lady going with me to the police station again. It was an extremely awkward drive. She was frustrated at me for not telling her sooner. I felt awful because I found out she dropped everything just to try and get me on this flight in time. And each time I apologized and tried to express my sincerest sorrow, she simply said that she only wanted to do what she could to have everything turn out ok. Her frustration was from me not telling her sooner and making it easier for her.
As we were getting close to the station, I remembered how many times I have heard that we need to be thinking specifically. I started thinking "Father, when we get to the station, I know I need the passport and I know it shouldn't be ready by 3, but please let it be ready within the first 15 minutes of us walking into the room. If it is not in Your will, please allow it to be done by 3." We walked in the police room and I intentionally looked at the clock. It was 2:12. I thought "Ok, Dad, 2:27. Let's do it." I sat down and less than 5 minutes later I had my passport in hand, shaking the hands and thanking those who rushed it, and getting into the car for a 3 hour drive. The lady assured me we could make it in the 3 hours and that Charis and Melissa, the two fellow teachers going with me, would be waiting there for me.
At this point, I'm just blown away, almost to the point of crying. How could I not have trusted Father to do this for me? As we start the drive to the airport, I silently praise Him over and over again, and beg Him to allow us to get there by 6 p.m., when I absolutely had to be there to check in. Ready for the kicker? I made it in 2 hours and 15 minutes, and beat Charis and Melissa, who were on the train that should have only taken 45 minutes. I got there so early, I even had time to sit down for a drink and a time of praise to my Father before they got there.
All this to say, we underestimate the power of our conversations with Father so often, and yet He continues to blow our minds. This is one more example of the power of our thoughts. I have had one of the best weekends since coming to China, and it should have never happened in the first place.
These are my stories...
As some of you know, I was planning on going to Shenyang this weekend. My roommate and I had gone to the police station and filed our passports and then came back to the school where I assumed my passport was with the lady who went with us. I got up Friday morning, ready for my trip, only to find out a little later that the police still had my passport and there was no way to get it back in time for the trip. I was crushed, but refused to give up. After exploring some options, I was told some people would look into it and I began my day of teaching. As I walked down to class, I started thinking in my head "Father, I can't do this without You. I have no control over whether or not I can go now. I promise to make my focus the students today and teach them to the best of my ability. I just ask that You allow one of the alternative options to work out."
True to my word, I gave the kids every bit of myself that I could, all the while continuing to have my thoughts going in the back of my head "Father, please work this out." Halfway through the day, I was called into the office by the secretary and the lady who had taken us down to the police station originally. They informed me that they had asked for a rush job on my passport, but had no idea whether or not I would be able to get it in time. If I didn't have my passport in my hand and out the door by 3 p.m., and they said this was almost impossible, I would not be going on the trip.
My mind was blown. Father had taken all of the options and said "Chris, you don't give me enough credit; I will give you the possibility of having the passport you need. Do you trust me?" I then had to teach math before it was time to go. I once again taught math the best I could, while in the back of my mind asking Father over and over "Please, let my passport be done by 3 so I can go on this trip this weekend." The time came to go and it was myself and the lady going with me to the police station again. It was an extremely awkward drive. She was frustrated at me for not telling her sooner. I felt awful because I found out she dropped everything just to try and get me on this flight in time. And each time I apologized and tried to express my sincerest sorrow, she simply said that she only wanted to do what she could to have everything turn out ok. Her frustration was from me not telling her sooner and making it easier for her.
As we were getting close to the station, I remembered how many times I have heard that we need to be thinking specifically. I started thinking "Father, when we get to the station, I know I need the passport and I know it shouldn't be ready by 3, but please let it be ready within the first 15 minutes of us walking into the room. If it is not in Your will, please allow it to be done by 3." We walked in the police room and I intentionally looked at the clock. It was 2:12. I thought "Ok, Dad, 2:27. Let's do it." I sat down and less than 5 minutes later I had my passport in hand, shaking the hands and thanking those who rushed it, and getting into the car for a 3 hour drive. The lady assured me we could make it in the 3 hours and that Charis and Melissa, the two fellow teachers going with me, would be waiting there for me.
At this point, I'm just blown away, almost to the point of crying. How could I not have trusted Father to do this for me? As we start the drive to the airport, I silently praise Him over and over again, and beg Him to allow us to get there by 6 p.m., when I absolutely had to be there to check in. Ready for the kicker? I made it in 2 hours and 15 minutes, and beat Charis and Melissa, who were on the train that should have only taken 45 minutes. I got there so early, I even had time to sit down for a drink and a time of praise to my Father before they got there.
All this to say, we underestimate the power of our conversations with Father so often, and yet He continues to blow our minds. This is one more example of the power of our thoughts. I have had one of the best weekends since coming to China, and it should have never happened in the first place.
These are my stories...
Friday, August 20, 2010
School of Hard Knocks
Hey again everyone. As this week went by, and I thought about what I wanted to write next, the one that weighed on me the most was my school. I absolutely love the school I am working at now. I've never felt more content with not only my fellow staff, but the administration as well. I'm in an environment where I am given space to teach in my style, but am also pushed to become a better teacher with each day. In just the week and a half that I have been teaching, there have been a few similarities I have noticed and, obviously, many differences I see, and that's where my mind is going tonight.
I'll start with the similarities because it is much easier to make comparisons than to find differences. This year is the first year of teaching all over. I can feel the weight of having to relearn a system all over again, I feel the pressure to have lesson plans written up because I have new curriculum I haven't worked with before, and I feel the tiredness or pushing myself each day in an environment I am not use to in the slightest. A second similarity is the desire needed each day. The days I go in with my motivation not at 100%, I feel like the kids do not get the best of me but, just like last year, when I bring all of me to the table, I feel like my students are walking away changed from what they have learned that day. Finally, the difficulty of teaching content I wasn't trained in is just as difficult here as it was in the States. Just because I have a year of teaching it, that doesn't mean I am trained well enough to know what I'm doing. I always have to be pushing myself to be better and better in those subjects I struggle in.
Now for the differences. The main one is, obviously, the language barrier. With 8 out of the 12 students in my class being Korean, it makes things tricky. I find myself constantly explaining things multiple times, often in much simpler language than it is meant to be presented in. Combine that with the fact that 8 of my 12 students are ELL (English Language Learner) students who struggle heavily in both reading and understanding English, and it makes communication difficult.
A second difference is having a TA (Teacher's Assistant). Some of you talked with me about it before and can attest to me saying how awesome it would be having someone doing my grading and paperwork while I plan lessons and teach. I am quickly finding out that this is one of the most difficult parts about my job this year. I am the type of person that likes to control what happens in my classroom. Plus, last year, I had to learn how to be self-sufficient in getting my work done and so I learned how to do everything myself. Now, I have someone, that the school is paying, doing it for me and is eager to do her best. It's been hard to give up some control to her, but she is going to be a huge blessing as time goes on.
The final big difference for me is the interaction of the staff. Last year, almost all of my staff were people that were older with kids (sometimes grandkids) and families to take care of. I didn't feel like I fit in too well and, as a result, only connected so much with them. They were great, and I learned so much from them, but only one of the teachers on staff spent considerable time with me, and I spend time with her and her husband regardless of her working with me. I have a staff that wants to do dinner together almost every night, that looks for opportunities to spend time socializing, playing games, or just chilling out. It's been a wonderful experience, and one I am looking forward to for awhile to come.
Even with many of these things seeming like they could be negative, I have never felt more sure that I am where I'm supposed to be. The Father has placed me here for a reason, and He continues to remind me of it each day. This school has been the biggest confirmation in my mind and, even if I struggle to talk to them, I am making the connections with my students, the staff, and everyone I interact with. I can't wait to see what the next two years hold...
These are my stories...
Chris
I'll start with the similarities because it is much easier to make comparisons than to find differences. This year is the first year of teaching all over. I can feel the weight of having to relearn a system all over again, I feel the pressure to have lesson plans written up because I have new curriculum I haven't worked with before, and I feel the tiredness or pushing myself each day in an environment I am not use to in the slightest. A second similarity is the desire needed each day. The days I go in with my motivation not at 100%, I feel like the kids do not get the best of me but, just like last year, when I bring all of me to the table, I feel like my students are walking away changed from what they have learned that day. Finally, the difficulty of teaching content I wasn't trained in is just as difficult here as it was in the States. Just because I have a year of teaching it, that doesn't mean I am trained well enough to know what I'm doing. I always have to be pushing myself to be better and better in those subjects I struggle in.
Now for the differences. The main one is, obviously, the language barrier. With 8 out of the 12 students in my class being Korean, it makes things tricky. I find myself constantly explaining things multiple times, often in much simpler language than it is meant to be presented in. Combine that with the fact that 8 of my 12 students are ELL (English Language Learner) students who struggle heavily in both reading and understanding English, and it makes communication difficult.
A second difference is having a TA (Teacher's Assistant). Some of you talked with me about it before and can attest to me saying how awesome it would be having someone doing my grading and paperwork while I plan lessons and teach. I am quickly finding out that this is one of the most difficult parts about my job this year. I am the type of person that likes to control what happens in my classroom. Plus, last year, I had to learn how to be self-sufficient in getting my work done and so I learned how to do everything myself. Now, I have someone, that the school is paying, doing it for me and is eager to do her best. It's been hard to give up some control to her, but she is going to be a huge blessing as time goes on.
The final big difference for me is the interaction of the staff. Last year, almost all of my staff were people that were older with kids (sometimes grandkids) and families to take care of. I didn't feel like I fit in too well and, as a result, only connected so much with them. They were great, and I learned so much from them, but only one of the teachers on staff spent considerable time with me, and I spend time with her and her husband regardless of her working with me. I have a staff that wants to do dinner together almost every night, that looks for opportunities to spend time socializing, playing games, or just chilling out. It's been a wonderful experience, and one I am looking forward to for awhile to come.
Even with many of these things seeming like they could be negative, I have never felt more sure that I am where I'm supposed to be. The Father has placed me here for a reason, and He continues to remind me of it each day. This school has been the biggest confirmation in my mind and, even if I struggle to talk to them, I am making the connections with my students, the staff, and everyone I interact with. I can't wait to see what the next two years hold...
These are my stories...
Chris
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thoughts of a Storyteller
I am not a blogger. Anyone who knows me will tell you that. But I do consider myself somewhat of a storyteller. And anyone who knows me will definitely agree with that. Most times, I have a story for almost every situation or group of people. My mind tends to remember a lot of details that get lost in the translation. So here's to hoping this will be more of a collection of stories in this new chapter of my life.
Already, in my first three weeks here in Wuxi, I have experienced so much and could write on any number of things, but there's one thing that has really jumped out this past week: the Market. I have been to the Market 3 times this week for dinner or just passing through on my way home and it fascinates me. First of all, the food is incredibly affordable (an entire dinner for less than a dollar!). The fruit is fresh, and the bread is baked right there on the spot. The boutsa, rolls filled with different things, are warm and filling. The chicken is friend with a very different seasoning that seems like it should be spicy, but has a sweet flavor as well.
But it's not just the tastes, because all 5 senses are active in the market. The smells are interesting. You can occasionally smell the sun soaked-waste in the canal, but when you enter the Market, it is lost in the smells there. The smell of food, the smell of fragrances, the smells of certain stores; it's wonderful to experience. The sights are very intriguing! I will see one booth where they will take food off of a pan and cook it in a skillet right in front of you, one booth has 15 bowls of ingredients you choose to have mixed for a salad, and one booth makes rolls with either meat, noodles, or veggies cooked inside of them.
As far as touching goes, I'm out of my bubble here. In America, everything has to meet up to certain cleanliness standards but, in the Market, it's all about efficiency in delivering the product. That's not to say my food is dirty, but their stands are right out on the dirt road, and they make sure that the food is the best they can make. That is their number one concern.Finally, there's the sounds. I am slowly picking up words as I notice what people are indicating, or as I am interacting with the Chinese, but it's a very frustrating process. Other than the language, there's the constant sizzling of food being cooked, or the whoosh of a fresh batch of boutsa (see the description of rolls above) being whisked out onto the table.
There's no way to call the Market anything less than an experience. And it's just one of a hundred experiences I have already been through in the past 3 weeks.
These are my stories...
Already, in my first three weeks here in Wuxi, I have experienced so much and could write on any number of things, but there's one thing that has really jumped out this past week: the Market. I have been to the Market 3 times this week for dinner or just passing through on my way home and it fascinates me. First of all, the food is incredibly affordable (an entire dinner for less than a dollar!). The fruit is fresh, and the bread is baked right there on the spot. The boutsa, rolls filled with different things, are warm and filling. The chicken is friend with a very different seasoning that seems like it should be spicy, but has a sweet flavor as well.
But it's not just the tastes, because all 5 senses are active in the market. The smells are interesting. You can occasionally smell the sun soaked-waste in the canal, but when you enter the Market, it is lost in the smells there. The smell of food, the smell of fragrances, the smells of certain stores; it's wonderful to experience. The sights are very intriguing! I will see one booth where they will take food off of a pan and cook it in a skillet right in front of you, one booth has 15 bowls of ingredients you choose to have mixed for a salad, and one booth makes rolls with either meat, noodles, or veggies cooked inside of them.
As far as touching goes, I'm out of my bubble here. In America, everything has to meet up to certain cleanliness standards but, in the Market, it's all about efficiency in delivering the product. That's not to say my food is dirty, but their stands are right out on the dirt road, and they make sure that the food is the best they can make. That is their number one concern.Finally, there's the sounds. I am slowly picking up words as I notice what people are indicating, or as I am interacting with the Chinese, but it's a very frustrating process. Other than the language, there's the constant sizzling of food being cooked, or the whoosh of a fresh batch of boutsa (see the description of rolls above) being whisked out onto the table.
There's no way to call the Market anything less than an experience. And it's just one of a hundred experiences I have already been through in the past 3 weeks.
These are my stories...
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