A country on my heart and in my prayers.
It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in a friend's dorm room freshman year talking about a country on the other side of the world. I sat and listened to Meredith (an R.A. whom I grew to love and look up to) talk about her summer in China. She had spent the summer serving at a special needs orphanage, loving on little ones, and falling in love with a culture I was so fascinated by. I remember sitting there for hours listening to her stories and looking at pictures. My heart was so full as she began telling me about the incredible journey the Lord was taking her family on to adopt a precious little girl named Brooke. I remember going back to my room that night with an overwhelming love for this country and a desire to experience their culture.
The next year and a half I spent praying, journaling, reading blogs, learning a word of Mandarin here and there, and getting to know the Chinese exchange students on campus. The Lord had given me a heart for this country, and in March started opening up doors for me to go experience this culture first hand. After much prayer and support from so many friends and family, He provided and we set off on a journey around the world.
My roommate and very dear friend Caroline was able to go as well, which always makes adventures so fun and memorable.
After 48 hours...we finally arrived...exhausted from traveling, but thankful for a safe arrival and excited to start the week.
Refreshed after a good night's sleep, we hit the ground running. We had done a lot of planning before we left, but still had a few details to work out. We were putting on an English Camp for the students at a University. Our friend who lives there teaches at the University and was able to invite most of her students to come for the week. They wanted to improve their English and were eager to spend a week with 12 Americans. And we were more than eager to spend the week with 70 Chinese students.
We had four main sessions to teach them as much English and American culture as we could. We had a lot of different talents and professions on our team so everyone helped in different ways. The nurses set up a clinic and helped them with their "made up problem and systems," such as a bad cut or broken arm. We had a lawyer on our team who taught them about American law and they had trial where they role played and tried to win their case. Our football coach taught them how to play American football and we played a round robin tournament, and we had a few of us who pulled out our inner teacher and taught on the "Count of Monte Christo." We were able to watch the movie on the basketball courts outside - it was one of the neatest nights and attracted a lot of people from the University and town. The next day we had a lot of great discussions with the students about their thoughts and opinions on the movie - justice, forgiveness, and revenge were just a few of the themes that came up. The students loved each session, and it was hard to pick a favorite - although football might have been at the top for a lot of the boys. We found some hidden talents in the students - football stars, great lawyers, and a few amazing writers from the papers they wrote on the "Count of Monte Christo."
One of my favorite days was the day of the scavenger hunt. We split up into teams and the students were our guide as we answered riddles and followed our treasure map around the city.
We tried all different types of food - from "Hot Pot" and "Beef Noodles" to fried rice and green beans.
We did a little shopping and treasure hunting in the markets - lots of colorful candy, loose-leaf tea, fresh produce and raw meat.
We found a 'KFC' and explained to them that I was from the 'K' in 'Kentucky Fried Chicken.'
We had a few photo shoots...
One of the girls told me I had to take a picture for my mom...Hi Mom!
We finally made it to our destination and received our treasure - a blanket, water, and popcorn for our movie night.
After a day of fun, we all watched the "Count of Monte Christo" on the basketball courts.
Here are some snapshots and favorite memories from the week...
Football was a favorite for many...the coaches led them in stretches, gave them pep talks, and taught them how to play an all American football game.
Touchdown!
Another favorite was the day we had 'Girls' Night' and 'Guys' Night." It was such a great opportunity to build relationships and friendships. The guys did typical 'guy things' and the girls, of course, did hair and nails and we had a photo booth set up for them where they could be models and the beautiful girls they were created to be.
This was our roommate we stayed with - so many laughs and memories.
We had so many adventures eating different foods - this day at lunch our waitress brought a soup for us to try...except the bowl was practically bigger than we were.
We spent a lot of nights exploring the city and night markets. The streets were always buzzing with taxis and lights - crossing the street made it seem like real life 'Frogger.'
The last day we were there we hiked up the mountain and spent the afternoon doing what the students loved most - karaoke. A day full of fun, pictures, and hard goodbyes.
After the week of English camp, it was time to pack up and start our journey back to the States.
A total journey of over 20,000 miles...
8 airplanes...
80 hours of traveling and hundreds of selfies...
...we made it back home and Caroline and I were greeted by our dads.
I loved being immersed in the Chinese culture - from where we lived, what we ate, and who we spent our time with. We made relationships and spoke truth into their lives in every way we could. The faces and friendships I made I treasure so deeply. Thankful for the One who is leading and guiding my heart and paths.
