Grateful for a mountain getaway, and the cornfield was heavenly

Destination: Zhang Jia Jie (张家界) in the northeast corner of our Hunan province. The craggy, tower-like mountains and gorges inspired the landforms of the movie Avatar. 

We took a six-hour train, stayed in a hotel two nights and a local family's guesthouse one night, and did a lot of hiking.

The happiest memories were simple ---

• playing at a preschool yard adjacent to our hotel, the principal brought out free breakfast noodles for all three boys
• parents snuggling in a single bed, three boys tucked in sideways on the other single bed
• a bathtub, just a normal bathtub, in the hotel
• washing clothes in the well with the guesthouse family granny
• playing in the cornfield (...a flood of childhood memories)
• they grew the best sweet corn I have ever eaten in my life
• guesthouse family borrowing clothes to our kids cuz it was unexpectedly chilly
• the unexpected cold in August! brrrrr it felt awesome!
• noodle-legs from hiking forever down into the canyon (Titus also walked the whole time, great job)
• boys wading in the cool clean stream running through the canyon (that was everyone's favorite!)
• Mike scored a 4 year-old girlfriend on the train home by sharing his stickers
• The kindest 8 year-old boy, also on the train home, decided to give his new wooden crossbow souvenir to Titus

We've been a little pressured, a little stressed, pulled in many directions over the summer. We needed to go away before Titus' school starts again (today). While it's impossible for us to escape our weekend responsibilities, we were so, so thankful to leave the city Tuesday through Friday. We know that not everyone can take four days off at a time, so we feel very grateful.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

ALL of the above

Birthplace of Mao Zedong

Mao Zedong.

Single most influential mind in modern Chinese history.

Born December 26, 1893 in the farming community of Shaoshan 50 miles southwest of Changsha.

Our friends and co-workers took us on a half-day trip to Shaoshan last Sunday afternoon. We walked through Mao's home, viewed the room in which his mother bore him, the primary school where he studied classical Confucian thought, and a museum filled with a lifetime of Mao's personal items. Then we drove a bit more and hiked up a gentle mountain to Mao's secret retreat building, complete with bomb and earthquake shelter, and also the site of his grandfather's tomb.

Mao family home

Mao's mother was a devout Buddhist, his father a skeptic and farmer. A few siblings died young, two brothers survived to adulthood but were both killed in the revolution. Mao himself had four wives and an unknown number of children -- more than six.

Mao's primary school

Michael and our friend/co-worker

Do you recognize this infamous moment in world history?
The pronouncement of founding of the People's Republic of China
October 1st 1949 from Tian'anmen Gate

wedding locks

Mao's grandfather's tomb

According to our friend, the Nationalists attempted to desecrate Mao's grandfather's tomb during the Civil War (Nationalists v. Communists). For the traditional Chinese superstitious, desecrating an ancestor's tomb is a type of psychological and spiritual warfare, bringing down misfortune on living descendants. Apparently local peasants concealed and protected the tomb from the Nationalists, and it has since been relocated.

I'm struck by the disparity in histories regarding Mao Zedong. There is a particular thick biography of Mao Zedong, banned in China, claiming the true, unknown story of Mao. I found some of its arguments contrived and unfounded. From within China, I hear and read of a carefully constructed paragon Mao. I observe opposite, slanted histories and ponder how, if possible, to arrive at the truth.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

sleep, in ceiling fan breeze

a big room full of people we love, all in one accord

fat pillows

Justice Rolls for Lydia

A year has passed since we first met Lydia. Initial contact was through a mutual friend, asking Drew to sell Lydia's cross-stitch art online. One US sale resulted. Other pieces sold locally. We wondered how to create sustainable work for Lydia?

Lydia was burned as a child, losing both legs from the knees down, the flesh of her face, and 80% of her fingers. She lost her family, abandoned. She was not allowed to study past elementary school and given no work opportunities. She was grateful, however, for the ability to create cross-stitch and sustained by friends to grow up with.

A tiny local chocolate factory intentionally employs people like Lydia, without options. But it still seemed out of reach for her -- off-site worker dormitory on the 4th floor with no elevator. Lydia tried out a telemarketing job instead. Chronic headaches and other factors forced her to give up.

Suddenly the chocolate factory again became plausible when managers arranged garage stall housing on the first floor for Lydia. Drew installed many things; we brought housewarming necessities. Age 22, she left the orphanage for her first shot at semi-independence.

I mentioned to Drew, "I wondered if this might be painful for Lydia, leaving her roommate Zhao He, but I don't think so...sadly, institutionalized kids lack attachment, sense of permanence...Lydia and Zhao He will be just fine."

Lydia adapted well enough in her first weeks as an office assistant and living alone in her stall. Visitors have broken up boring evening and weekends. Slowly she will form friendships with coworkers and even neighbors; some are already seeing past her burns. Lydia herself is learning how to advocate for her own needs and perpetually battling to remain confident when people gape and remark as if she doesn't notice. It has required appreciable bravery to step out of the orphanage.

And I so wrongly assumed that Lydia and Zhao He were unattached. They bonded as they grew, Lydia relying on Zhao He's physical capabilities where her own body was broken, Zhao He dependent on Lydia's mature cognitive abilities while her own mind remained like a child's. 

Because Lydia moved out, Zhao He was transferred to another city orphanage with an enigmatic and poor reputation. Lydia is worried to tears. No phone calls are permitted and leaders will not disclose the location. Saturday night I had another girl sobbing in my living room because she just wants to know where is the 'sister' and friend she grew up with!? Is she safe? I phoned their overseer --who I have a decent relationship with-- I'm not convinced that she was completely honest with me. But I'm sure a little more detective work will lead us to Zhao He.

So -- three cheers for Lydia: thankful, brave, an overcomer!

And now to find Zhao He.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

justice for this oppressed

neighbors seeing past burns to Lydia -- bright and sweet

Lydia's unassuming and grateful attitude challenges my every sense of entitlement and discontent

Outtake: Family, Summer 2012

Today we made a tiny impromptu vid for friends in the USA.

This one was the outtake.

But it's still kinda good. Lest it be forsaken in the annals of iPhoto, it's uploaded for you, very likely to leave you a little merrier than you were 3 minutes before pressing play.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

cool morning breeze over 3 kids playing in shady grass field, and me -- supervising from post propped against wide tree, reviewing Chinese textbook, unhurried, peaceful

one afternoon when the Spirit impressed, housework and errands unnecessary now, be present to your children

jogging under night's dark cover, heart pumping body cleansed, day's energy spent

The After-Party

One of our friends made a public symbol of her commitment, an illustration of her new identify, on Sunday morning. So amazing and beautiful, guys, if you consider what a restoration has transpired in her soul. This nice girlie is my coworker on Friday nights, she handles all hospitality and I prepare discussion materials. After the meeting Sunday am, a huddle of brothers & sisters (and her mother) celebrated at another friend's coffeehouse upper room; Addingtons supplied snacks. 

See Titus and that dude laughing up there? That's a new uncle who has come into our lives this summer. Met him on the road. One night of telling our 3&unders a bedtime story, he is muy popular around here.

See my hair up there? It's a sophisto-chic look for summer, easy to recreate. I played around with several updo's in the morning, finally pulling one long strand from the side and securing it across my forehead, behind the opposite ear -- an unexpected compliment to the classic ponytail, sure to get lots of...funny looks.

***please folks do know that I am poking fun...

Sunday afternoon is another good story to tell, next time.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

 your renewal, this person has known your renewal

 coffeehouse's green tea milkshakes

Come work in our ER, ok?

Isn't Drew's bro so cute in his lab coat and steth?
Dr. Steviewonder, pretty soon we gonna be dialin you up with all our medical questyons, get ready.


Three years in Changsha, we've been into the doc just a handful of times:

baby cold            rating: C-    (misdiagnosed but earnest)
prenatal care        rating: A     (totally satisfied)
mono                   rating: F      (misdiagnosed and poorly handled)
stitches                 rating: B+   (efficient, mostly sanitary)
immunizations     rating: C     (extremely inefficient but cheap)


Last week we got a little taste of Changsha's ER. Around 7:30pm at our friends' home, their 2 year-old girl pulled a shelf down on top of herself resulting in a long, deep cut on her forehead. Her Mom and Dad, Drew and the little girl rushed out, trying to control the bleeding. No taxi in sight, a shopkeeper's van delivered them to the nearest hospital, one of Changsha's best. They were turned away because there was no doctor who could handle her wound, "Try hospital number two." Unfortunately, there is no communication between the hospitals in Changsha, so it was a blind shot.

After cleaning up the blood, I went home with our boys and starting phoning hospitals to find a doctor.

Daddy, Mommy, Baby Girl and Drew scrambled around to four different hospitals that night, hailing cabs in between, searching for a capable physician. Remember our city is the size of Chicago and divided by a wide river, not convenient. To add tension, this family had a newborn 2-week old back home bottle-feeding for the first time with Grandma, while Mommy was out with the breastmilk!

Getting nowhere at the fourth hospital, I remembered that a woman in my Friday night study is a doctor there. (Amazing? Yes.) I contacted her, she called a colleague, notified Mommy, and they went upstairs to surgery. The power of relationships in this culture! Nothing was happening until we had a personal connection.

Drew ran out to buy clothes for the little girl, who was still only in undies. He withdrew a WAD of cash. (Daddy had hurried out without his wallet, they paid us back later.) Most procedures, even emergency care, must be paid upfront or you can't be treated.

Around midnight the parents passed their terrified daughter over a dividing wall, traumatic, into the doctor's hands. She received full anesthesia and layers of stitches. They did a great job! Mommy and Drew taxied back to their respective homes around 3am, Daddy stayed overnight in the hospital with his girl and returned home the next day, afternoon. Everybody's ok. We made the little girl a gold medal to represent her "shelf-diving" championship. Laughter!

counting the graces

thank you Father for

Stephen

connection at the fourth hospital that only you could have arranged!

we trust in you ultimately, and because of you, we're not scared to live in a place that sometimes has medical care below our expectations

letting us share this experience with our friends; we're closer now

Wounded Healer

If you, like me, dig some Led Zeppelin, Who, Chicago, Clapton, Jackson Browne, Eagles...all the goodies of the 70s... Jesus people, turn up your speakers.


I can't stop groovin along!

counting the graces

thank you Father for

funk. rock.
guitars. keys. drums. 

Movement

So I just re-wrote this here post, cuz I thought the first try was  w e i r d.

This past week M-F we taught English-camp vbs at our Chinese fellowship!
We've been wanting to help with youth at our fellowship because there is little to zero youth min, but it's kinda sensitive for foreigners to be so involved. So this was a rare chance!

We had 25 students ages 10-17 and other Chinese teachers taught the elementary age kids. Everybody had a great time.

The incredible outcome is: The leaders of our fellowship caught a vision, and invited us to continue co-teaching the older kids on Sunday mornings. Currently there are looking for a space to renovate. Movement!


Busy teaching, little chance to photograph this week's vbs. But I did capture our daily bus hour.

 

 counting the graces

thank you Father for

you move
partnership
gifts, used