Titus in The Tub

Don't you think he is a beautiful boy? As I write Titus is sleeping, and looking at his pictures I think "Wow, G, you are so generous to give such an incredible little child." So dependent and impressionable, too. My petition for Titus tonight, and you're welcome to join in:

Father, speak comfort and peace to Titus in his sleep. Protect him tomorrow and each day from harm. I ask that he would learn to love Chinese people and the Chinese childhood that we've chosen for him. May he not learn any of his mom and dad's many vices. May we shepherd his little heart in your direction by teaching him peace-making, servitude, and forgiveness. May he be like David and have a big, big heart for you. Through his shortcomings, show him his desperate need for you. And may he do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you for his whole life. Father, please help Drew and I to raise this child in love.

Rachel

Give Thanks with JOY

Above: Just this past month, Drew and I have made some great new friends who are sophomore English majors in college. I (Rachel) met the girl at a Book study. The guy is now meeting weekly to study John's story with Drew. They are so much fun! Yah! On Monday they came over and cooked a feast. We appreciate your thoughts for these friends.


Below: Do you remember our beloved Bao Mu? She comes to our house every Monday to help with cleaning and cook lunch. There's lots of time for sharing, chatting, lifting, etc. We consider her to be our auntie. She adores Titus. Such a blessing for our family.


We are thankful for our many, many blessings.
Thank the Giver of these blessings.
and... thank you for continuing to uplift us and our friends here.

JOY JOY JOY!

- Drew, Rachel & Titus

Baby Pull-ups

Titus is now a pro at baby pull-ups. Coffee tables, chairs, couches, people's legs, cribs...you name it, he can climb it. The first time came as a surprise: I was studying Chinese with my tutor in the living room. Titus crawled from his bedroom to the living room, and within seconds he was standing up, across the coffee table from my tutor and I! Whoa! How'd you learn to do that?









What goes up must come down! Titus is practicing his dismount. At first he thought it fine to let go and fall. That hurt. Now he knows that this method = pain, but he doesn't quite know how to get down, so he looks at Mama or Baba and starts whimpering "Come get me!" With Baba's coaching, Titus has done a couple successful dismounts.

with love,

Drew, Rachel & Titus

"I think this is the best haircut I've ever had!"

Drew's vision was increasingly obstructed by encroaching overgrown bangs. On a whim, Drew, Titus and I stopped to get his hair cut at a newly-opened salon. This dinky salon is located on a backroad we call Mini Corruption Street, which is one of my personal favorite places because it feels so...China. Tiny, dirty shops and street food are packed along a winding uneven concrete walking street. Litter, liquid wastes, weeds, mud, junk and college students mingle through the narrow passage. The owner of the salon, English name Sunshine, decorated his rented stall with his own illustrations and magazine pin-ups. Sunshine enthusiastically chopped Drew's hair while Titus and I played with the other (bored) stylists. It was sweet. The cost? 10yuan -- $1.48 USD for "...the best haircut I've ever had!"

- Drew & Rach

Construction

Recently we have had the pleasure of a construction crew revving up their jack hammers, dump trucks and sledgehammers every morning at seven and not stopping their industrious endeavors until seven or eight at night. The city decided that every building along the river needs to have a peaked roof and unfortunately our buildings were not originally blessed with that feature. Learning about the Chinese building practices has been very interesting. First, the building is surrounded with scaffolding which is a pretty big job considering it is a six story building that is about 100 yards long and 20 wide. Then, elevator type things are installed, again using mostly scaffold like parts. And finally, the hammering begins!


Although there are signs up that say safty is the number one concern, it is a little disconserting seeing some of the warning signs posted around our complex. Take a look!


Beware of your safy, cranes lowering obects and falling workers



And, right above the enterence to our stairwell, "Do not stand here" and "Caution, falling object area"





Take care!

- DREW

Just Kidding/Encouragement

Thanks to some technical help from Rachel's brother Paul, we are back on blogspot!

This week has especially been encouraging to us. Throughout our first couple months in China, although we have had numerous good conversations and have invested in relationships, we had yet to begin consistently studying with anyone. This week however, I began to study the book with a Chinese college student who we recently met named Matt. He is a very motivated learner and it is so fun to study with someone who has never really read the book before. Please keep him in your thoughts in the coming weeks and months. I am really hoping that we become better friends, as well as being able to continue sharing and studying with him.

Drew

Blocked

Dear Blog Readers,

Blogspot is now blocked in China. We are unable to access our own blog or the blogs of anyone else. Hopefully this will be temporary, perhaps the block will be lifted in late June. We really wish we could continue to share our stories and pictures with you, but it’s impossible. Look for our newsletter in your snail mailbox!

Just a bit of news: We will be arriving in Minneapolis on July 3rd, and spending perhaps the next week with the Addingtons Crosslake, MN. Then we’ll hang out in Hutchinson, MN with the Smiths. We would LOVE to see you while we’re in Minnesota!!! (On July 20th we begin a week of special training in Fort Collins, CO. By the end of July we’ll fly to Beijing for additional teacher training. After four weeks in Beijing, we return to our home in Changsha. Drew will be teaching English at Changsha University of Science and Technology.)

So this is our last post for perhaps a month. We’ll really miss your comments and knowing that you are “watching” us via the blog. Please remember to uplift us and our friends here. You are needed!


with love,

Drew, Rachel & Titus


p.s. Rachel’s brother Ethan posted this message from the US.

Excited to Tell You

I'm so excited to tell you!

Last week I went to a Word study, lead by a city teammate, with six of her seeking students in attendance. The discussion was unbelievable. One of the girls in attendance had just gotten dunked. After the study, a different girl told me than one of her guy friends wants to study, too, and asked if I would study with him. I said "Maybe my husband can work with him!" Well, Drew was pumped about it. On Wednesday we had this pair over for dinner, to kind of gauge the guy's interest (legit or not?) and it's a go. So Drew and his new buddy will begin reading John's account of the story next week.

I went on a mountain hike with a former tutor of mine, who has been considering her worldview options. On the mountain we encountered a multitude of tombs, which lead to a deeper discussion about her perspective on life and death. She is looking for the truth, but, and I quote, "I'm lost!" I told her that she can ask the Most High for help to know the truth. It was so cute, she said, "When is the best time to ask?" and "Even if I'm not committed to Him, can I still talk to Him?" ... Yes! Please do!

Just last night I played pick-up volleyball with Drew's classmates. I walked home with a dear girlfriend who adores Titus. Pretty much of out of the blue (or black -- it was night), she asked me "So do you think that people are bad? And their whole lives they just don't care and then when they're forty they want to make things right -- so they start getting all religious and believe and stuff?" This was just the kind of conversation I had been asking for.

These are the "stand-outs" from this past week which came as surprises! Surprises ... and also welcome reminders that our requests are heard, and hearts are being moved.

Thank you for your part in lifting these things.

Drew & Rachel

Titus Is Eight Months Today

Pictures of Titus to-be-posted are starting to pile up, so what better day to do a massive Titus-picture post than on his eight-month date?

Hint for Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles and other lovers of Titus:

To see these pictures full-screen, just click on the picture! You can then right click to save the picture to your computer. 

Drew, Rachel & Titus

Teacher Party

We threw a party for our Chinese teachers from Hunan Teacher's College. It was a blast, and cool to see how much we and the teachers really dig each other. The parrrtayy was at our place, and our team served an Italian pasta, breadstick, salad and dessert meal.

This is the only male teacher, so Drew feels lucky to be in his class. This teacher said he and his wife are hoping to have their first (and only) baby next year, so he was pretty interested in Titus.

Oh! I am so excited to tell you about a couple really awesome things that happened this week!!! But I need to write about them carefully, so, though I can't wait to tell you, check back later.

Rachel

p.s. hi Kanwei

I Am Mama

Sending love to our Moms, Louise and Jen,

          and all you other Mom readers out there, 

Moms are great!

Drew & Rachel

Thanks Abraham, Thanks Dad

Sometimes I'm discouraged about raising my babies in China. Titus and his sibling-to-come will see their (young and wonderful, might I add) grandparents once a year for a couple weeks. It's sad.

Soon after Titus was born, the story of Abraham and Isaac reminded me that even our children must not be more precious to me than obeying the Father. Remember Abraham waited more than a lifetime (he was 100 years old) for his promised Isaac, and then was prepared to kill him in order to be obedient. Abraham had faith that his Father loved Isaac best, knew what was best, and was to be obeyed above all else.

Oh to have faith like that.

We're hoping to have a baby on next year's summer break, while in the States. Since Drew will be teaching English through the spring semester, I may return the the States early, with Titus and without Drew, depending on the due date. Then we will all come back to China for Drew's fall semester in September. (Disclaimer: This is the ideal situation so let's wait and see what actually happens...). Though it's not set-in-stone, I feel scared about traveling pregnant without Drew. I feel sad about whisking our new baby back to China.

We Asked for help to be brave and obedient. We Asked for encouragement. Soon after, I found out that this Sunday's message would be about Abraham and Isaac, so I read the passage again. It gives me the courage to be obedient. I received the most encouraging, freeing email from my Dad:

Hello Princess, I miss you too. Mom and I obviously would love to have you, Drew and Titus live next door but we are very pleased and proud that you have chosen to serve Him instead of worrying about earthly pleasures and pleasing people. We will cherish our time together in July and joyfully send you out again. We are happy that you can share Titus with so many other people and that he is so loving toward others. And yes he does have a couple of near perfect set of Grandparents but again we are so pleased to share. Don't let life stop you from having another baby. Plan a little and see what happens.

Both Drew and I have fantastic parents. They have never once made us feel guilty about our choice to raise a family far away. So thanks Dad for the email, and thanks Abraham for the example. 

Rachel

Photography

Beggar Question: Unresolved

A few of you have been asking "Did you ever come up with a resolution to the beggar question?"

Since we've been in Changsha I've been faced with beggars on almost a daily basis, and I wasn't sure how I could best help these people. Giving money might actually ultimately not be so helpful, and spending time might actually not be so wanted.

I always try to engage with beggars as if they are acceptable and valuable human beings by making eye contact, not gawking, saying hello, chatting politely, sharing the joy of Titus's smile, etc. A few weeks ago Titus and I were approached by a elderly woman begging for money. I told her that I would not give her money, but I endearingly called her Grandmother, encouraged her to make Titus smile, and chatted with her. She was delighted! I've never seen a beggar smile before: she was glowing! And as we parted, she did not persist in begging (as is usually the case). She seemed satisfied, as if she had received a better gift that a little money.

The problem is unresolved. As long as there are beggars and impoverished people, corruption and suffering, it will remain unresolved. I do know that I'm called to uplift these people. I'm called to have compassion. I'm called to heed the Father's direction on a case-by-case basis.

Rachel

How to Know If Your Baby Is Mobile

1.  You put him down in the middle of the floor, and before you can run to turn off the microwave and run back, he's mysteriously moved over five feet from his original position, and under a stool no less.

Does Your Pharmacy Carry Dried Frogs?

How about dried seahorses? Megan & Erin, since you're pre-pharmacy, could you tell us what these specimens might be good for?

Labor Day Weekend

It's a bummer that all you capitalists had to work on Friday; here in China we had the day off to commemorate...labor! 

This weekend really was wonderful. A run down:

Friday

- language learning practicum class

- fought the crowds and trekked over the bridge to the island

- went to our Turkish friends' place for dessert (great conversation!)

- watched Lord of the Rings

Saturday 

- studying, napping, laundry and cleaning

- Drew and Rachel went on a lunch date, Titus had a babysitter

- Rachel hung out with Russian girls at their dormitory (good time!)

Sunday

- talked with Mike, Jen & Paul

- completed our practicum about the city bus system

- discovered a lovely park and museum near our apartment

- Drew attempted to play ball with Chinese college students but went on the wrong bus and got lost

- taught the boy's class at fellowship

- had a refreshing walk back along the river

This is the park near our home -- a new discovery!

It's actually a restored home of one of Mao's colleagues from the 1920s. It was here that some of the earliest formative meetings were held for what would become the Chinese Communist Party. 

We want return for an afternoon of studying here. Free admission.

A painting: Mao leads his comrades. Karl Marx looks on from the wall.

The traditional-style home of Mao's colleague, and the meeting place.

  

This is the sandbar-like Orange Island in the middle of the River.

We dared to brave the mob of people swarming to this new park. Rumor had it that admission would cost 100 kuai on May 1st, but the mayor of Changsha declared that it must be free for all! The island is that line of trees you see in this picture.

From afar, the bridge looked as though covered with a highway of ants.

But the green grass was worth it.

Sincerely hope your weekend was wonderful too. 

Drew & Rachel