Wonder

This afternoon I (Rachel) went to the Alpha-course-like meeting at the local Chinese fellowship. In our small group discussion, I met a new friend. She had such kind words of wisdom and truth to speak in response to the questions and challenges posed in our group. Her sweet spirit put me at ease. Tonight she called me and we agreed, we'd like to become friends.

It has been my dream to have a good friend and sister here. I think I could learn a lot from her. I'm really peaceful and hopeful tonight, and in wonder of the one.

Actually, at that meeting today I was completely in awe thinking about how many years Drew & I have been lifting and preparing to be here. Thinking about all the people who have uplifted us, encouraged us, and financially supported us. Thinking about all those back in the US and other places of the world who have been uplifting China for hundreds of years.

And today I got to sit right in the middle of a meeting that evidences how those requests are being answered. He was there today, moving.

We really cannot imagine the ways he works, and we don't even know it. Yesterday a China-experienced couple came to visit and encourage us in our marriage and family. The wife was telling me that back when they lived in southern China, she often visited the poor peasants, bringing them food. She couldn't speak a word of their countryside dialect. Later on she had a chance to bring a translator and she planned to share the word of hope with them. But they already knew. The peasants said that every time she came to visit, there were two people. The other person was him.

He is moving through you and me in ways that we don't know. And our lifting is effectual.


Goodnight,

Rachel

Walk with Titus

This afternoon I followed Titus with the camera as he went for a walk. He is very brave, and would have no problem exploring the street by himself if I decided not to follow. I think you'll like these pictures because they give a feel for what our campus is like. This is a lane that meets our apartment complex, where we walk everyday.









As always, you can click the photo to see it larger or save it to your computer.


What's your impression of our campus? I enjoy when you leave comments -- makes me feel like this posting is worth the time because you appreciate the pictures and stories! So what's your impression?

Waterslide of Pee

I promised to tell you about our exceptionally merry weekend. There were two main things that made it so good, in addition to clear, warm weather.


#1

On Saturday morning Titus and I were invited to join our friends Lou and her son JJ for a trip to an indoor play area.

JJ wears split pants (note the cute little butt crack in photo below). Most Chinese babies and toddlers use this method of waste management, although many wear some variety of a diaper.

As JJ stood at the very top of the big red slide, well, he had to go! The big red slide became the big red waterslide of baby pee.

Some workers wiped up the pee and children resumed play. No hot soapy water, no sanitizer. I had to laugh...Ohh China. Moments later I was changing Titus' cloth diaper as one of the play area workers watched with interest. I asked her "What do you think of this diaper method?" She said "Eh, it's not too good" with a scrunched nose and disapproving eyes.

This is what we might call a clash of cultures. Chinese lady thinks my diaper method is a bad idea. I'm disgusted when children pee on public play equipment precisely because they have no diaper. Ohh China.




#2

Drew has become pals with a young brother, and they're meeting for mentorship and study. Drew also has a colleague friend who recently went on a trip to Oregon. He was shocked to discover that many of Oregon's intellectuals had trust in jc. In his mind, education and this kind of trust are mutually exclusive. On Sunday, younger brother, younger brother's friend, colleague, and Drew all went to something like the Alpha series at the local Chinese fellowship. Drew said that discussion groups were rockin awesome.


Hope y'all are finding lots of things to rejoice in, too.

love -
rach for all three of us

About The Recent Dip

Hi Readers,

Sorry about the recent dip in blog-posting! We had such a good weekend, I can't wait to tell you about it...I just need to get a few other things done first. Since I started co-teaching with Drew, made a new friend, and began tutoring in Chinese again, the weeks have really picked up.

'Til next post, he's a little picture of Titus asleep in his high chair. You can click it to see it larger. Titus was tired, but surprisingly, not crabby or fussy. He was contentedly and slowly eating his kiwi when he nodded off. So sweet.

Ok, we'll catch up soon. By the way, you can send me an email anytime to say hi!

Rach

College Boys, Drew & Titus

Six of Drew's sophomore guys came over for their first taste of pizza.


And games --- what is Mr. Addington doing? Titus wants to hang with the big boys.



It seems that evenings with college boys invariably end with someone doing push-ups.


Fun group of dudes! So much potential.

- drew & rach

Little Handsome

(Click image to see larger.)

Love You, Daddy

Nice Artwork, Titus!

October Holiday

Hi there dear Reader,


Ok, we've got a little catching up to do.


China celebrated 60 years of communist rule on October 1st, National Day. Beijing hosted an impressive cultural, political and military parade which we watched on TV.

October 3rd was Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional holiday when people return home to visit family, eat mooncake and look at the full moon. Some travelers won't see their families again until Spring Festival, in late January/early February.

Since these two holidays occurred in the same week, state institutions like our university had a full week off! But -- it's funny. We make up the days off on subsequent weekends. So Drew finds himself teaching Tuesday's classes on Saturday and Wednesday's classes on Sunday.



This is what we did over October Holiday:


Our Foreign Affairs Officer (boss/overseers of foreign teachers) came over for Mexican food and Guitar Hero! Hahaha it rocked!



Sweet and polite girl students came over for their first-ever American dinner. Drew taught them how to make "his cookies".



Took the train from Changsha to Hengyang for a little overnight trip.



In Hengyang we hung out with our buddy Portia! She was our teammate last year. We like her a lot.



Went over to our new friends' house for dinner and met their daughter, who is the same age as us. Too bad she lives in Shanghai. These folks are the cousins of our friend Nan in St. Paul, MN.



No way! This is Jared, who is a friend of Drew's brother Peter. Jared and Peter were in the same frat at Berkeley. This semester he's studying Chinese in Beijing, and his class took a trip to Changsha. He had some time off so we got to hang out.


Thanks for taking time to catch up!

love,

D + R + T

Inaction

For eight months now I've been wrestling with the issue of poverty -- injustice, unequal distribution of wealth, the disadvantaged, and mostly...inaction. If you've been following this blog you know that I encounter many beggars, including small children, here in Changsha. These experiences and the feeling of not-doing-enough, coupled with blaring conviction coming from the Word, have been steadily gnawing at me.

I often wonder if I'm called to work with the lowest of the low, because this is where my heart is tugged. There is another organization working here in Changsha called International China Concern, which works with orphans, most of whom have disabilities or medical challenges that caused their parents to abandon them.


Have you seen this picture before? It's a Pulitzer Prize winner, captured by photojournalist Kevin Carter in southern Sudan. An emaciated toddler girl is crawling towards a famine-relief feeding center. Carter admits that he spent several minutes framing the shot and waiting for the vulture to open its wings (but it never did). Carter snapped this image on my 7th birthday, March 1, 1993.


What of the little girl? No one knows. Carter admitted inaction. He waited, framed the shot, and walked away.

What of Carter? He committed suicide the next year.


I couldn't look at this picture the first time I saw it. My eyes bounced away quickly, and I didn't get the guts to google it until over two months later -- partially because it is sickening and sad and painful -- partially because the image and the story of the photographer convict me of my own inaction towards the injustice and poverty all around me.

You could uplift me as I sort out what I'm called to do about these convictions. Thank you. And...I hope you feel convicted too.


rach


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Gramps

Happy birthday Dad/Grandpa Jon! This has to be one of the best pictures of you ever, in one of your best moments. One thing we really appreciate about you is your good sense of humor.

We've been saving this video of Titus for you; it's from just before he turned one.




We love you!

- Son, Daughter, and Grandson

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