i live in a hotel.

Much prayer and seeking led me a the final decision - about a month ago - to put off the final decision of where I am going to settle for a while by choosing to pursue a 13 week travel position. As a result I have found myself in a nearly ideal job, in a lovely little part of the country in Eastern Pennsylvania. I was offered the job less than a week from finding out about the position and received confirmation from the Lord that this was the path I needed to follow in various forms.  My drive from Dallas to Allentown, PA was truly a blessing because of all the precious friends along the way. And now, I find myself living a life, very different from any previous experiences I've had...

I live in a hotel for one. A quick glance at the name of my blog, and you realize, this is a completely appropriate housing choice for me. There are things I miss about having an apartment or home, the hotel has it's perks, don't get me wrong, continental breakfast and house keeping is hard to beat, but it would be nice to have a place to personalize and feel comfortable hosting guests. One thing that I am enjoying about my little studio suite, however, is realizing how little space I need to live comfortably.

This is the first place that I have come to, where I don't have either a support group or buddy traveling with me or awaiting my arrival. I quickly realized what it was that frightens so many people from traveling alone or to a new place. I am learning how hard it is to not have that support group and the friends that I have grown so accustomed to. I am now beginning to understand why most people are content to settle in one place for an extended length of time, and why not everyone has the urge to go and try something new on their own. I am also learning an important lesson here, and that is a new level of dependence on God. I now have a lot more free time, with no social agenda to keep up with after work. I am daily faced with the decision of who I want to be and how spending my free time will be a reflection of that choice.  I am forced to recognize how much I have grown accustomed to relying on other people, spiritually, emotionally, physically. There is still much to learn, and 9 more weeks spent here to do so. What impression do I want to leave with my acquaintances here? What can I look back on with pride from this experience? What will I take away from this? 

Several people asked me this week where I am going to next. Perhaps another travel position like this one, perhaps not...God cleared the way for this position at the last minute, I trust He will do the same for the next step. It seems I am feeding my nomadness, like a chronic addiction with this lifestyle...I haven't decided if that is such a bad thing yet.

transition

Leaving Manali marked a significant event for me personally as it was the last stop before making my way back to the US. Besides having that in mind, leaving was made harder by the kids clinging to us and asking why we had to go. Without having a job or a house to get back to this was a hard question for me to respond to. Our last day in Manali was a rainy one, but once the clouds cleared we could see fresh snow atop the mountains. Our experience at DUF was one that I hope will stay with me for a long time and I pray that I will not easily forget the things I learned from the children and staff there.

Our short time in Delhi was spent shopping, seeing sights and getting our last taste of India before we went our separate ways. The Taj Mahal was every bit as magnificent as you would expect it to be, and was rightly chosen as one of the new 7 wonders of the world.

Upon an extremely early arrival to the airport, we were directed to a waiting area until our check-in counters were opened. Once inside the terminal, we discovered that the Delhi airport system had gone down. The check-in procedure was slightly delayed, but the airline personnel calmly proceeded to write out our boarding passes and luggage tags...it made me think this wasn’t the first time that has happened. Thankfully, we made it through with little difficulty and went our separate ways, Katherine to Russia and Ami and I to the USA. Ami and I had a long layover in Amsterdam, so naturally we left the airport to explore the city a bit. Amsterdam is beautiful and quiet at 7am. We enjoyed the lovely architecture, found Anne Frank’s house, and ate a delicious waffle and croissant.

I have been back in the US for two weeks now and my friends are still making me decide where to go out to eat upon the basis that I must have really missed American food options. Really it’s because many of my friends, like myself, are indecisive and would rather make someone else decide. I can’t blame them I’m the same way. Even as I consider my next big step: where to work and live? I would rather not have so many options. I would rather God just tell me very clearly, what to do and where to go. I know I’m not alone in this plea. In fact, I would venture to guess that almost anyone in a similar situation would feel the same way. My experience has taught me that there are literally a world of possibilities for me, which is part of what makes this decision process so difficult.  On top of that, I have just returned from 3 fun months of adventure and living nomadically. The idea of settling down – even if for just a year – does not come easily. So, until a final decision is reached, I have resolved to enjoy every bit of my freedom, thanks to the generous people around me who give me a bed to sleep in and a place to call home while I live in the transition. God has blessed me far beyond my understanding.

story time

The story started on the dangerous streets of Srinagar in Kashmir in the early 1970’s. The young mission team was dodging persecution at every corner with one near fatal miss after another, one threat after another; and directly following each threat and attack, there was always prayer. Prayer for protection and prayer of thanksgiving. Katherine and I sat in amazement, as the story continued to tell of the beginnings of the children’s home despite persecution and of God’s provision time and time again. When there was no food, food was provided, when there was no where to go, a door opened up, when there was no money, a donation was given. Auntie’s story of how the Dar-Ul-Fazl (DUF) Children’s Home began in Kashmir is a story of faith and God’s provision. Because of persecution in the volatile region of Kashmir, the home moved to Manali in the early 90‘s. Many of her stories reminded me of stories I heard long ago about George Muller. After an hour of hearing her “short version” of how the home was started, Katherine and I went to lunch honored to be in the presence of this woman of great faith. This is one of the most prayerful places I have ever been. In the mornings each child and staff member bow their heads in prayer as they file in and take their seat for the morning devotional. After the devotional, the staff stay back for a time of prayer. Before each meal, the staff always pray silently to themselves if we have not already prayed as a group. Every night, there is prayer time with the children during the evening devotional. Whenever we get in the car to go anywhere, the driver shuts off the engine, and Mawiteii (Auntie) leads a prayer for our journey before we go on our way. Although I was raised in a home where prayer was an integral part of our daily lives, it is refreshing and challenging to be in this place devoted to prayer. The impact is evident.

Every morning, we can see the snow capped mountains in the distance as we walk to morning devotion. Typically the children have breakfast followed by a morning assembly  before school. These last two days have been a holiday, so we have had the joy of getting to just hang out and play all day (after morning devotion at 7, which occurs every day of the week, holiday or not). We play uno, pick-up-sticks, jenga, and a variety of other games. We’ve made bracelets, drawn with chalk and built towers out of the jenga blocks, but the favored activity among many of the girls is story time. Each evening they beg for stories. One of the older girls has been telling them the story of the Twilight trilogy, but before and after her story time, they come to us asking for stories. “Please, ma’am, tell us a story,” they plea. I have never thought of myself as a good storyteller. In fact I have often dubbed myself to be a poor storyteller who gives too many details, making the story too long (if you’re reading my blog, you know this too be true). But these girls don’t care, they listen intently to any story I’m willing to tell and I, as a result, am getting to improve upon my storytelling skills. We have all been reaching way back into our memories to come up with stories to tell the girls. I have told Robin Hood, Princess Bride, Peter Pan, Ever After, the Emperor's New Groove, and a variety of short stories... you might notice a trend, many of the stories come from movies, because those are the ones I can recall most easily. It is such a joy to see their eyes light up as a story begins and to hear their gasps whenever it gets intense and to see their smiles and laughs when the story is funny.  Each evening, I find myself looking forward to story time, maybe even as much as my young audience does.

Beyond just enjoying time with the staff and children at DUF, we have had the opportunity to go into town and see other ministries that the church here is involved in. Today we went into Old Manali to see the old location for DUF and to visit one of Auntie’s friends, the president of the local women’s council. It was a neat experience to be in Lila’s beautiful home, which is hidden away in a maze of narrow streets (paths really) and old houses. She allowed us to try on the traditional dress here, called a pattu. It is much like a wool blanket pinned together and worn with a belt. It seems people in India enjoy dressing foreigners up in their traditional clothing. We also visited a coffee shop in old Manali that is run by a believer as a very active ministry in the community of hippie travelers. Every where we went with Auntie, she was received with much respect. It is evident that she and the home have a positive presence in the community.

A longer than anticipated journey

I was not intending to blog about our journey to Manali, but I also was not anticipating the adventure that follows. The plan was for our the three of us, Katherine, Uma (our host) and myself to travel by bus to Manali, leaving Delhi at 6pm, and arriving around 9am. We boarded the bus with our dinner and prepared for a long and uneventful trip. The volvo bus was fairly comfortable with reclining chairs and foot rests, however, Katherine’s footrest did not work, and my seat reclined gradually at it’s own will. I found myself apologizing to the passengers behind me and setting it upright again every so often. As we headed north, Uma pointed out sights along the way: old Delhi, Ghandhi’s memorial, the Red Fort, slums, and off we went with darkness quickly setting in. The driver put on a Bollywood comedy which was funny, but somewhat hard to follow. Of course, it was a pirated copy so it froze up a couple of times and we never finished it. After our first rest stop, the three of us fell asleep, I with my chair fully reclined, not by choice. The next time I woke, the bus was pulled over to the side of the road and both drivers were working on something with the engine. I’m not sure what was wrong, but scenarios of us having to transfer to another bus began to run through my head. I was taking it all in between dozes and eventually we were moving again. After passing Chandigarh, the road began to wind up through hills, and we would occasionally wake to a turn taken too quickly or a sudden brake. In the early morning hours, Katherine and I woke to see one of our drivers beating up the driver of a truck that was parked in the road in front of us. Another driver ran out and a full on fist fight was taking place before our eyes (we were in the second row). Eventually the fighting stopped, but the yelling continued until the truck driver moved out of our way. We’re not exactly sure what happened to begin with, but we were relieved to be on our way again. We made an early morning rest stop for chai and toilets around 5:30 at which point we were already enjoying the cool, fresh mountain morning. We dozed a little more and then again, I woke to a stopped bus. This time we were behind a line of parked trucks. As it turns out there was a landslide up ahead that was completely blocking the road. We waited for about 2 hours before traffic started moving again, and very slowly at that. It was about another hour before we made it to the land slide 3 km down the road. At least it didn’t look like anyone was hurt and we were in a beautiful spot to be stranded.

The mountains here are so steep and green and there are rapids that cut through them. After we were finally on our way, at least 3 hours behind schedule, we still had a few traffic hang ups, but for the most part were moving. After each sign for Manali our anticipation for the journey’s end grew. We passed several apple orchards and apple markets, as it is a big industry here. Wool shawls are also a popular product. About 20 km outside of Manali the bus came to a jolting stop. There was a bus in front of us that had scraped against a minivan. As was expected, both drivers got out and began to fight...not argue, just fight. Thankfully, no one from our bus got out to join in, and after a short while we were on our way again. Only 20 km left, what more can happen in 20 km!? We’ve dodged cows on narrow mountain roads, made a few close passes with other trucks and busses, passed through a couple of cleared land slides, witnessed two fist fights, had car trouble, and my seat will not stay up! "Please, Lord, let us arrive there quickly and safely,” I prayed. We were all the more eager to arrive in Manali and convinced that after surviving the journey, God must surely want us here! Thank the Lord, we have arrived at last, 4 hours behind schedule. We have been welcomed in to this beautiful home and we can hear the children outside playing on the blacktop as they wait for dinner. We are surrounded by mountains, and we can see a waterfall from our window. Thank you, God for brining us here safely, please use us to serve You through serving the children here.

Heading north

We've spent two refreshing nights in Delhi, doing laundry, shopping, packing and just relaxing. Tonight we leave on an overnight bus to Manali, a tourist spot in the Himalayan Mountains, where we will be at an orphanage for 8 days. There are pictures from our time up to this point on my facebook (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2141131&id=71000791&l=63f89e2f1c) and on Katherine's blog: http://musingsofaglobetrotter.wordpress.com/

sugar and spice and everything nice

My journey to India has been a humbling experience. This is a story of grace. To begin, I had not checked to see what the luggage allotments were before leaving, so at the check-in counter I was shocked to find out that not only was one of my bags over weight, but only one bag was allowed and the fee for additional baggage is $25/kg! In my close-mindedness I had just gone by the US international standards without thinking through the fact that I would be flying within Asia before returning to the US. After some tearful pleading, rearranging and elimination of a few items, I was able to carry on one of my intended check-ins and check the other. Once in Guangzhou for a change over I found myself humbled again. I tend to pride myself on airport navigation, not really because I have a special ability, but because airports in my experience tend to have very good signage. Either I was blinded by my frustration or Guangzhou truly is one of the poorest marked airports, but I had a particularly difficult time finding my way. To their credit, however they do have volunteers posted throughout the terminal. At the security gate I had, for the first time ever, an airline personnel tell me that I was exceeding the allotment for carry-ons. I could not deny it, but he generously let me through anyways. At the airport in Delhi, I once again was graciously let through security. So many flight regulations have been broken on this trip, but by the grace of God and helpful people that He put in my path I made it through with more than I needed. My short overnight in Delhi was an adventure including dropping my bag in storage, a motorized rickshaw ride, a visit to the 24hour tourist service office, and sleeping in the airport. Thanks be to God, I arrived in Anand to the welcome of my dear friend Katherine and the director of the girls home here, brother Mainesh. 

 

Anand is a smaller town that lies at a major crossroads in Gujarat State. It is also home to the first dairy in Asia which remains a major supplier of dairy products for the country. This and the Hindu-dominant local government account for the vast number of cows that roam the streets freely. Throughout the day we are reminded to pray by the call to prayer from the nearby Mosque. This particular village is predominantly Muslim and Christian and neighborhoods are roughly divided according to religion. The Elwyn Parekh Children’s Home is a home for orphaned girls in a village just outside of Anand. Mainesh lives on the upper floor with his wife and two children, and they run the home of 10 girls with the help of one staff lady. They have been more than gracious hosts for Katherine and I since our arrival at the beginning of this week. The girls have been so delightful to be around. They keep a fairly regimented schedule each day, rising at 5:30 for homework, breakfast and morning devotional. After school they have some free time, do their chores and homework before dinner and evening devotional. Katherine and I have been asked to lead the evening devotionals while we are here which we hope is at least as much of a blessing to them as it is for us. The girls love to sing and dance and they are very talented. They love to laugh at our attempts at speaking Gujarati, but they still try to help us improve our pronunciation between their giggles. The girls call us didi, which means “elder sister” and a chorus of sweet voices always greet us with “good morning didi” or “good afternoon didi” or “good evening didi” when we enter the room. We taught them to play duck, duck, goose and red light, green light, and they have taught us some games as well. Their favorite game though, is musical chairs, played with a tambourine and everyone running around the chairs. They have also loved making bracelets with the thread that I brought for them. Every day there are bits of string scattered around the house that they have to sweep up.

Every evening we eat diner together on the floor in a big circle. The children sit in order of their age. We sing a song and someone prays before we eat. Two things that I love about that is country: everyone goes barefoot inside and you eat with your hands. Following our hosts’ examples we mix the rice with whatever meat or veg dish that is served and mash it together until you can form a good clump to put in your mouth. We also eat a lot of chapati (flat bread, almost like a wheat tortilla) which aid in the absence of utensils. Nearly every dish is spicy to some degree, but so far nothing has been too spicy for Katherine and I to eat. Thankfully we have had no stomach problems, but we’re taking our acidophilus just in case.

Today we made a visit to a nearby village where some of the girls are from. It was basic, but not impoverished. The families welcomed us graciously and served us chai. By the end of the day we had 6 cups of chai and several biscuits (cookies). We also ate lunch with a family in the village. The hosts do not eat until the guests have left so we ate while they served. It is a selfless custom, but seems odd to me when I think of a meal as something to be shared. 

The pace of life here has been a nice change from my usual full schedule. We have had a good balance of time with the girls, time with our hosts and time to rest. Tomorrow is our last full day here before we head back to Delhi. Please pray for the girls home here, for the girls and for Mainesh and his family in the work they do. They are nearly certified to accept infants into their home as well, please pray for them as they expand their ministry, that God will continue to provide for them. In this area there is tension between the Hindu-dominant government and the Christians which makes their work difficult. Pray for peace. And please pray for Katherine and I as we say goodbye to these precious new friends and make our way back to Delhi on Friday.

Travels and what not

I hope no one is holding their breath between my blog entries... A lot has happened in the last three weeks, let me see if I can sum it up for you:

Road trip: My parents and I rode down to Ningbo (south of Shanghai) with dear friends who just happen to be the couple that invited my parents to China in the first place. We spent a few days with them and enjoyed some neat sights along the way and great conversation. The highlight of our time with them was probably our Sunday morning gathering. The group in Ningbo is very small and seemed to be pretty discouraged without foreign workers there. We encouraged them to continue meeting and growing. We prayed for them and Dad is working on scheduling brothers from Beijing and Shanghai to visit and encourage them. [More pictures and info from this trip can be found on facebook]

Philippines: My heart smiles as I write about the fun and uplifting time we had in the Philippines. My parents and I first spent 4 days traveling around the island of Bohol and then we met up with 150+ brothers and sisters from all over Asia (and the world) for the 49th Asian Mission Forum. Words can’t quite express how precious this time was for me. I came to the forum uncertain why I was there, as I am not really a missionary in Asia, but after the first day I knew that was exactly where I needed to be and the lessons were exactly what I needed to hear. Besides the convicting lessons and uplifting worship, there was sweet fellowship. Filipinos are so much fun! I had a great time meeting new friends and being encouraged by the wonderful work that God is doing in Asia. There weren’t any huge revelations concerning my future plans (oh, how I wish there would be!), but I left knowing that God is in control and despite my planning and futile attempts to do His work by my own power, apart from Him, I can do nothing! If you aren’t already stalking me on facebook, you can follow this link to see some pics and read more about the trip:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2129707&id=71000791&l=ca73cfd201

The World: We returned to Shanghai from the Philippines and spent a full day at the World Expo there. I honestly had no idea what the World Expo was before my Dad told me that we were going to it this summer, but after being there, I highly recommend anyone who is able, to attend it sometime. The lines were ridiculously long to get into many of the pavilions, but we just enjoyed being there, appreciating the architecture and going into the pavilions with shorter lines. In the end we went to about 23 countries’ pavilions and spent, at the most, 15 minutes waiting in line at each one. Highlights included:

• a delicious Balkan meal at the Bulgarian restaurant which served some of our favorite foods from Serbia
• one of the best cups of coffee that I have ever had from Angola
• freebies from Serbia because we spoke Serbian
• shocking facts about the world from the UN pavilion
• an excellent performance by a Canadian fiddler

In Shanghai we stayed with friends who have also played a significant role in my parents involvement with with Beijing church. It was good to catch up with them as well. [More photos here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2130070&id=71000791&l=2286920391]

Back to work: Directly upon returning to Beijing I found myself very busy with teaching and making contacts. By the end of this week I will have met my goal of making enough money to pay for my ticket to China. Praise God! I have a few more classes scheduled for my last two weeks here, but my time is running short. I have had the honor of making a few orphanage visits this week. My dad put me in contact with Lily who directs the Children’s Hope orphanage just outside of Beijing. All of their children are special needs and when she understood what it was that I do, she was very excited for me to come visit. A few of us from the church made a visit last week to play with the children and offer what help we could. I found myself doing an informal training on communication skills for children with autism and mental disabilities. It worked out for us to set up a second visit where I did a more organized training for the teachers there. They are already doing a great work with the children, and were eager to learn how to better help their kids. I have so much admiration and respect for those who dedicate their lives to living with and caring for orphans. I also joined the church group last week for the regular visit to Grace Orphanage. The director informed us, that following my recommendation he got approval for the 4 cleft palate kids to have their repair surgery, the only problem, he’s asking us what to do next. My dad and I are asking around and doing what research we can in search of a next step for these kids. If any of you have contacts or information that you think might be useful, please pass it along. I have also visited Shepherd's Field and I am working with a sister in the church to set up a meeting with the Autism association here in Beijing. Everything seems to be coming together here in my last two weeks. Funny how that works!

My parents are in Moscow for a week and tomorrow night I will be taking the train to Shanghai to spend 3 days with some dear friends from Harding who have just moved there. Apparently my parents and I cannot sit still – I’m not sure how my brother does it! Philippines last week, China this week, India next week, Amsterdam next month, then to the US... I recently came to a realization about my lust for travel. As I reflect, I find myself just loving my life. With each comment of claimed envy from my friends, my pride grows and I love the attention. "How many comments will I have on my facebook album documenting my latest adventures" I wonder to myself with pride and anticipation as I wait for the page to load. I quickly–and genuinely–thank God for the amazing things He allows me to do, and then I go back to reveling in all the attention and reflecting on the cool things I’ve done and the many places I have been. I have fallen into that same trap that Peter warns about when he writes, “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul...” (1 Peter 2:11) I have become quite settled and comfortable in my unsettled lifestyle. I am so attached to my nomadic life that it becomes my primary identity, my goal, it becomes the god of my life and I excuse it with claimed detachment –"not being a citizen of this world" is used as a cover when in reality, I find myself living just as much of a citizen’s life as the next guy. How blind and foolish I can be! Just because I am not settled on this earth doesn't mean that I am free from attachment to the world. I want to be among those of great faith who “admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth...longing for a better country – a heavenly one...” (Heb. 11:13,16). I am truly thankful for the life that God has given me on this earth, but I need to be constantly reminded to release my pride and fix my eyes on the Author and Perfecter of my faith...(Heb 12:2).

train rides and road trips

I have gotten my train travel fix in for the year. Those of you who have traveled with me know that I love train travel. And even though 25 hours is a long time to be on a train, I certainly enjoyed it more than I would I have a flight. But more than that, riding on a train with a group of brothers and sisters in China, is a whole different experience than just riding on a train. Two weeks ago, a group from the Beijing church made the trip to Chengdu in Sichuan to put on a little camp for some of the children who were injured during the 2008 earthquake. I had the honor of joining them and helping out. The train ride for one was a growing experience for myself. There is something special about being on a journey that creates a candid environment where people are honest and conversations are real. Our group was divided between two cars but both on the way to Sichuan and on the way back conversations with open Bibles and curious hearts were taking place. When we were packing, I asked my dad why we needed to take an entire little suitcase of Bibles, He said that we would likely give a few away on the train and the plan was that we would not return with any. So many were given away on the train that we had to buy some more when we got to Chengdu so that there were enough for the camp. On the ride home, as I walked through one of the cars where some of our group were, I passed three different compartments where ministry was happening. In two of them Bible discussions were taking place, in the third one of the brothers was teaching a group of kids some of the church songs, and they were loving it. On that same train ride one of the attendants from our car saw a Bible sitting out and asked whose it was. Later he returned to tell us the story of his conversion and how God was leading his life. We prayed together with him, and encouraged him in the work he had been given to do. The Lord’s presence could be felt on that train.
The camp itself was uplifting. Many of the kids there have only scars as reminders of the earthquake, but some of the ones that joined us for part of the camp, have much more serious injuries that have altered their way of life. No matter, all of them came with joyful spirits and big smiles. One activity that kept us amused throughout the week was trying to communicate. The girls enjoyed building on the little English that they knew and I tried very had to learn the Chinese that they were teaching me. Using it daily helped, and I learned a thing or two, but despite the language barrier, we communicated, and enjoyed one another’s company. One of the funniest interactions we had was about 5 minutes of trying to figure out the English word for “zero”. Ping Ping and HuNa used all of the English they could think of, the limited Chinese that they knew I understood, pointing, hand motions, and even writing, before I finally figured out what they were asking. So for anyone that is wondering the Chinese word for “zero” is “ling”.

It has been a week since we’ve been back from the camp and my schedule filled up very quickly. I did a short presentation on the accent modification course in a friend’s business English class which proved to be a profitable move. Thanks to him, I met with 6 students this week and I anticipate following up with them when I return from traveling. Today, we are off again for more gallivanting around the country, and out of the country. We are riding down to Nigbo with some friends of ours - a Chinese road trip, something I’ve never done. After spending a few days with them we will go to Shanghai and depart from there for the Philippines for the Asian Missions Forum. Our friends have told us that we need to be on the lookout for incorrectly translated signs on our drive, there are a lot and although he is fluent in English, he says the poor translations confuse him to the point that he’s not sure what a correct translation would be! There are so many hilariously translated signs, even new signs that have been put up in the last two years. For some reason they don’t take the time to have a native speaker double check...or maybe they do and the translator just has a good sense of humor. Either way, it provides a lot of entertainment.

Is it July already?

I’m not sure when the last time was that I heard nothing but silence. As I sit alone in my parent’s small apartment on the 18th floor, I hear a constant murmur from the crowds below. Every evening families gather in the neighborhood center with their children and neighbors. There is also the constant honking from the traffic and then there are neighbors above, below and next door - who aren’t loud, but you can hear them. I don’t mind it, this is more like the environment that I was raised in. I don’t really notice it either except for times like this when the apartment is silent and all I hear is the noise from outside. My dad and I were having a discussion the other day on the importance of having times of silence. Having been in places where peaceful silence is attainable I can appreciate that, but for someone who has always lived in this environment it must be incredibly uncomfortable, as my dad had observed in some of his Chinese friends. I have seen it too in our busy, technology-driven environment --and even felt it myself-- where silence is uncomfortable and it is hard to sit still. But how valuable it is to sit in silence before the Lord, with nothing else pulling at your attention. That is always more of a challenge for me in times like this when I don’t have a routine.

I have been here for just over a week now. This is my 6th trip to China, so from the minute I got here, I felt pretty much at home with the sites, sounds and going everywhere by bike... except for one small factor. Every time I come to China, I regret not knowing Chinese. I can understand a little and say a few phrases; with these small skills I kid myself into thinking I know more than I do, but just when I start to feel proud of myself someone asks me a question and, “uhh...” I smile and shake my head, “...ting bu dong [I don’t understand]” I say shyly and I’m sure incorrectly. I’ve blown my cover! It is humbling, and maybe one of these days I will actually take the time to learn something. I am proud of my parents though, Dad is practically fluent and Mom continues to impress me. This week was the first time I have heard her pray in Chinese, which for those of you who are praying people, know that is a very personal thing and a hard thing to do in another language. I know many fluent speakers of English who still pray in their native language even if no one around understands.

As far as my work is going, I think I’ve done alright for one week. I gave two lectures/sample classes on foreign accent reduction and I felt that it went pretty well. One lecture lasted about and hour plus Q&A for a group of about 25 Motorola employees. Afterwards, the head of the Women’s Business Counsel said she would be interested in helping me advance my career in Beijing if I were staying longer. I was honored, and glad to know I always have that option if I’m ever in need of a job. At this point I only have one client signed up and we had our first session this week, but I expect a few more from the lectures. The research is going a little slower. I am continuing to make contact with orphanages and organizations and have some promising leads. The group that my parents work with go every Friday to an orphanage to play with the kids. Right now they have four children with cleft palate, one girl who is hearing impaired and one girl who hasn’t been diagnosed, but seems to have some developmental issues. They have several others, and not all of their children are special needs, but those are the ones who were brought to my attention last week. I enjoyed working with the cleft palate kids last week. I showed one of the older teenage girls there a few things she could continue to do with the kids throughout the week. They are all 3 or 4 years old and need to have the palate repair surgery, but funding and resources are limited. It is hard to help them with their speech when they have a hole in the roof of their mouth, but I will do what I can. We are going again tomorrow, and I have been in contact with some SLP’s from the States who have much more experience and have shared some great ideas with me for things I can do. I hope that I can actually make a difference for these kids as this is a visit I will be making almost every week.

On Saturday we are leaving for Chengdu in Sichuan province to put on a little camp for 9 kids and their families who were hit hard by the earthquake in 2008 and who the family here supports and encourages. I am looking forward to our 25 hour train ride and to being pushed out of my comfort zone as somehow I got put in charge of crafts and part of the daily English class...at least I will stay busy : ) One week has gone and I already feel like my time here might not be long enough for all that I was hoping to accomplish. Pray for me to use my time and resources effectively.

Back to Being a Nomad

It has been just shy of a year since my last post on this blog. I had intended to keep posting even when my life does not look so nomadic, but of course, good intentions didn’t produce results. For those of you who are new to this blog, please take a minute to read the first post which gives insight to the name of this blog and perspective I write from (heart of a global nomad).

Many of you are updated on what is going on in my life right now, but for those of you who don’t know, allow me to give a quick summary. I finished my CFY (internship year) of working in the school system as a speech-language pathologist. This week I moved out of my house, and have distributed my belongings among friends (thank you to those who have generously offered their space). I am now en route to China, where I will be spending 2 months. I am not quite sure what awaits me there, but the plan is to try to either teach English or offer accent reduction courses to pay off my ticket while at the same time doing a little research for the contract company with whom I have been working this last year. The company hires speech, occupational and physical therapists and places them in schools, medical centers and other facilities nationwide. One of the primary reasons I chose to work for EBS Healthcare is because they are currently trying to branch out internationally. Because of my strong interest in international work and my experience abroad, some unique opportunities have fallen into my lap. I have had several exciting conversations with Dr. Kayser, who is heading up the international/multicultural branch. She has a great vision for EBS, and it is exciting to be a part of the initial planning and brainstorming for this new development. She herself is also a follower of Christ, which has taken our appreciation for one another to an even greater level. While I am in China, I will be networking and seeking opportunities for a team of therapists to do short-term work there. There are plenty of needs, it’s a matter of finding the right opportunity, and making it all happen. I have seen God at work in bringing me to this place, and I need to be reminded of that as the months ahead hold many intimidating unknowns. Sometimes I think I have bitten off a bit more than I can chew, and it’s probably true, but that’s okay, because I’m not the only one at work here.

While I am in China I am also looking forward to some good quality time with my parents...a.k.a., living with them, and getting to participate in the work they are a part of. I am not planning to return to work in the school system in the fall, so I have decided to extend my time abroad while I have the freedom and the means to do so. At the end of August I plan to meet up with a friend in India where she is working with several children’s homes with the non-profit organization, Orphan Outreach (http://www.orphanoutreach.org/).

I have been living a relatively “normal” settled life this last year, and found myself getting pretty comfortable, so it has been a little harder to return to my nomadic life, although I look forward to challenge and the growth that it always brings. I have no idea what experiences await me in Asia, I have no idea what doors will be opened and closed, I have no idea what my life will look like when I return. All I do know is that I am not alone, my life is not my own, and this world is not my home. I am excited to see what God does! Thanks for reading, stay tuned...

posted from Vancouver, awaiting flight CA992 to Beijing.