Reduced Speed Ahead

There is so much to do recently.

Drew is maintenance man and communications translator at the Butterfly Home.

Lydia moved into a new place and needs our assistance setting up and repairing things.

Tomorrow we start teaching a 5-day English camp/vbs.
Running here and there for visa affairs.

That's the extra unexpected stuff on top of all the usual.

Please pray for us.

We're glad for chances to help out, but also, it's nice to stay home and read books and teach your son how to write his ABCs and go swimming as a family and visit people that you meant to but haven't had time at all, study for that test and network with foreign companies, protect that quiet time and finally get those last vaccinations done and go to the science museum and get ice cream together like you promised the kiddos.

August 6th, we'll slow down. If the Lord wills it.

Drew recieves preserved meat for his 27th birthday on June 19th

Anaconda?

Drew and MBA candidates wage war with lasers in the countryside

    

Happy because of a postcard and the purchase of this junkfood pile

Transport typically is Titus walking, Mike on Drew's shoulders and Jon on my back 

More pretending to shoot people

Baby profile, I shall not forget your adorable soft shape

I have been playing my guitar some

Breezy fish pond on campus

Eating a smoothie is a legit heat survival technique

Sometimes Jonathon feeds himself! Way to go buddy!

Mesmerized by Bob the Builder

They all dig a good book

counting the graces

thank you Father for

paint mixed, bright

birthday cake flavored oreos

heat
Jonathon picking up his spoon and putting it in his mouth, great progress

natural curls

gusty breeze over the shaded sidewalk along the library

big-tummy little boy in first underwear

baby profile

brothers making eye contact and hugging, giggling

chestnut, amber, burnt-orange and olive in Drew's eyes
a busy time, purposeful
last night, when everything seemed funnier than it really was, can't stop laughing

The Significance of Shared Meals

To the Chinese heart, nothing says, "I value you and our relationship is important" more clearly than inviting someone(s) to share a good meal. It is also one of the best ways to encourage group solidarity, an important feature of this in-group/out-group culture. Therefore, as hosts or guests, we eat with company usually four days each week.

These are four recent shared meals that were especially significant:

1) Study Group

I'm in a weekly book study. One Saturday morning some of us met at the southeast foot of the mountain, hiked up over the crest and down to our home on the southwest side, for lunch. Then a couple people took off; the remaining seven adults and three children napped like sardines on our apartment floor. 

2) Courageous Friends

I think we knew that Wang Zhao and Li Ci were coming, but the other three tag-alongs were a surprise! It was Lydia's first time to our home; they carried her and her wheelchair up to our sixth-floor place. Another girl, Essie, has a cool story-- totally deaf, adopted from the Changsha orphanage at age 11, for the past 10 years she's been with her family in England. She's learned English and forgotten Chinese. We had so much fun communicating via pen and notebook, getting to know each other. She's a sweetheart and the kids loved playing with her.

Li Ci, Wang Zhao, Titus, Essie, Mike, Rach, Zhao He, Jon, Lydia

3) Prostitutes & Husbands

No photo for this one.

I've been visiting a woman in a small brothel once or twice a week this summer. Once we both relaxed, I discovered that she's a melancholic but very kind lady. She and her husband, who is also a migrant worker in Changsha, invited our whole family out to dinner! First we all met up and chatted inside the brothel's foyer, the kids played. Naturally Drew battled uncomfortable feelings, but believe me, it was fine. Then another young prostitute and her hubby arrived and we all had fun at dinner together. Isn't that amazing!? (and confusing? I will write more about this friendship another time.)

4) Drew's Co-workers

Drew has been shouldering significant responsibility in the English corner for the faith-curious on Saturday afternoons. The photo below shows some of his co-workers, who we met with in a park on Saturday morning. It started pouring...we moved to a tea house...cleared up...toured the little park, the old city wall site in Changsha...then lunch. Drew's continuously been striving to maintain good relationships and unified vision for the English corner.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

a palate for flavors previously unfamiliar -- bitter melon, empty-heart vegetable, si melon, pickled vegetables, lotus root-- we love this Chinese food that you set before us every day!

the courage you give to the special-needs people pictured here

folks of opposite perspectives, and the opportunity to appreciate what we share and depreciate differences which are of no consequence

Mai-Mai's Wild Birthday Party

(invitations. don't read too closely, there are two grammatical errors.)

Our baby is two years old as of July 18th! He's a tall, thick guy, too good at climbing. He's only beginning to piece together two word sentences like, "Mommy bao" "Tai-de go!" He loves taxis, dogs, books with flaps, being naked, a particular toy car from Mandie Gu-gu, legos, steamed buns, toothpaste, Babu (that's Bob the Builder in Chinese) and splashing in water in the bathroom. He never wears diapers, not even while sleeping, though I can't say he's accident-free! Mai-mai often has a serious-content expression, but when he smiles it's a scrunchy-nosed, giggly, flirty, squinty-eyed, tiny-toothed grin that flashes, 'I dare you not to adore me!'

Mike is lovely yet all boy. Once he spotted a cat sitting on a wall and very sweetly identified, "Mao mao" then without blinking those beady browns, he raised a little hand in the shape of a gun, pointed to the cat and fired, "phkew! phkew!" (ALL boy.)

His birthday started with happy birthday wishes from grandparents and Jen Gu on skype. 

We love you! We miss you!

Then arrived

Le-le

Niu-niu

another Le-le

Wan-wan

Ze-ze

Zhe-zhe

Ting-ting

Dong-dong

Tong-tong

Long-de

Long-ting

to join our boys

Tai-de

Chu-chu

Mai-mai

for a party. 

Our apartment was crawling, wildly, with little people.

This grandpa and grandma are not neighbors, they are a family from church who have adopted us, especially Mai-mai, he's their special boy. They traveled a long way to join our party.

We played musical spaces with prizes. Kids went crazy over the classic carnival fishing game. They did a super job painting ceramic figures with no paint disasters!

We sang happy birthday to the man of the hour and ate my specialty -- deflated chocolate cake.
(I am the worst baker ever Mandie get over here.)

Michael Isaac, you are not allowed to get any bigger!!!

At the end of the day we felt so loved. Our neighbors soaked us with warmth and kindness. I get a little emotional thinking about what an honor it is to live beside these people, as outsiders accepted into their world. 

counting the graces

thank you Father for

one of life's most amazing gifts, a child, a soul, an image-bearer-- Michael Isaac

neighbors who accept us

being adopted by a grandpa & grandma 

little kids squirming and squealing about fishing!