Postal Service Wonders

International postal mail, wow, what an inscrutable, enigmatic little business. Why do some pieces of mail arrive in impeccable condition, in record-breaking time? Why are other accurately labeled items lost forever, or arrive half a year later? 

There was the year we welcomed your Christmas cards in April.

Once this winter we received a package 10 (TEN!) days after it was posted.

Another package came all the way to Changsha, failed to deliver, and was returned to St. Paul, MN.

Then I was completely baffled when this little letter showed up, with no street address or anything, it found its way to our door. How? That's like writing Andrew Addington, Chicago, IL, USA, and it made it folks. See? Mysterious.

True, the above examples are certainly outliers. Generally speaking, it takes about four weeks for letters and packages to arrive. To our knowledge, 99% of all mail has made it.

If you would like to write us, we would love to hear from you. Tell us all about you, your work, your mood, your summer plans, your family, the weather, what you're learning, etc. As you can imagine, it takes great effort to stay in touch with you in the US while also being entirely focused on our immediate community. Help us remain connected by saying hello. Email is fantastic too: drew.addington@gmail.com.

Here is our address. Inclusion of the Chinese characters is essential, so please print and paste.

Just for fun, here's a bird's eye map of our area that I snagged off the university website. Man, our apartment is in such a prime location, right at the center of campus and near to all the places we frequent. It's a miracle we found this place, did you read the unbelievable story?

It's Gonna Be Worth It

I don't understand your ways

but I will give you my song

give you all of my praise

you hold on to my pain

with it you are pulling me closer

pulling me into your ways

now around every corner 

and up every mountain 

I'm not looking for crowns 

or the water from fountains 

I'm desperately seeking, frantic believing 

that the sight of your face 

is all that I'm needing 

I will say to you.... 

it's gonna be worth it all 

I believe this

(Rita Springer, Worth It All, 2002)

There is a long list of things that I find unpleasant about making my home in an urban, overpopulated, polluted, developing country with comparatively marginal human rights on the opposite side of the world from where I grew up. But I can deal with the things on that list, most of the time. They're trivial, really.

I find just one challenge in our current position that trumps all others, and it is this: missing our family.

We long to visit our parents every now and then, drop off the grandkids at their house for a weekend, and see our brothers (got 7) and sisters (got 4). It aches to miss joyful times, but even this is bearable, because we are comforted knowing that they're together, well, and happy. It's much harder to be absent during painful times -- to be unable to share in the grief and struggle of the people you love the most. 

I think I can endure the separation, however. 

"Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the good news will lose out. They'll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life." (Mk 10, The Message, see also Mt 19)

See what he's saying here? He promised that it's gonna be worth it. He sees us, he knows it hurts and troubles us, and he knows what we gave up, give up, continuously. Yet we've already seen the beginnings of the multiplication he mentioned. I don't know exactly what kind of rewards he's got in mind, but if the reward is him, I'm in, and I can endure.

Now You're 3

This weekend we celebrated the 3rd birthday of a great lad...

Jonathon!

Jonathon's birthday was on Sunday, May 6th, but we partied on Saturday. In the morning two of Drew's fellow MBA candidates, their husbands and children galavanted around in the woods with us. Jon likes going outside, evidenced by frequent pointing to the door and efforts to collect his shoes from the cabinet.

I instructed the children in the delicate art of cake decorating: Do you know what this is? A construction site! We need trucks, diggers, dumpers, rocks, hills, logs, sand...GO! They did a wonderful job creating a unique cake for Jonathon, and judging by his reaction, "Whooooaaahh!" I believe Jonathon thought it was fantastic!

In addition to Drew's classmates' families that I already mentioned, we invited four other neighbor families; altogether we were twelve adults and eight children -- all present to honor Jonathon.

Jonathon's special red birthday outfit was a wedding gift from my friend Michelle, "In case something happens."  Something happened Michelle. Three times and counting.

Michelle's gift was also worn by both of his brothers on their 1st birthdays. Although this was Jonathon's 3rd, it was his first with us. It was the first time in his life for Jonathon to celebrate his birthday with his family. 

I removed the special clothes prior to letting him loose on the cake.

Once every month we join a fellowship of other foreign workers in Changsha. That day happened to fall on Sunday, Jonathon's birthday. We brought root beer floats to celebrate. Everyone gathered around Jonathon and prayed for him -- an invaluable birthday gift. Drew and I were immensely encouraged. I hope that Jonathon senses how many people care for him. I hope that Jonathon feels the love of the Father.

Jonathon... ah, we treasure that little boy. He has the warmest, most jovial personality. Everybody falls for his charm. I always tell people that he's the handsomest and most well-behaved child in our household (this phrase rhymes in Chinese, it's catchy). He is a living testimony of God's mercy. I feel so thankful that we get to share life with Jonathon each day.

Jonathon... an intense challenge for me. So many unknowns. So little support, comparatively speaking, in terms of coping with his development and attachment difficulties. It's been hard.

Jonathon... we're going to stick with you little guy. We accept your struggles along with your many, many delights. You're priceless. Happy 3rd birthday.

Sporting

Amateur Jumping

Drew's alter ego is a corny sportscaster, here interviewing amateur jumper Titus right before a big bound recorded live at the jumping field. In the background you'll notice that one young fanatic had removed his pants. Shortly after the jump was filmed security did arrive and detain the young man until he agreed to comply with public decency standards.

Martial Arts

Myself and Titus got locked out whilst Jon & Mike were napping inside (story not worth explaining). I panicked. Then BAM, I kicked the door in. If you ever meet an opportunity to kick in your front door, take it, you will feel like a ninja or a SWAT cop. Do consider if yours is a door that can be kicked in; otherwise you won't feel very ninja-like waiting for the locksmith to arrive.

dramatization

Dance Off

Truly. Titus' preschool held a dance competition featuring Latin bull-fighter dance, Riverdance tap, Broadway cane dance, clown dance, holstein and ballerina dance...and Titus' class was like, dweeb dance? Not sure, but at any rate their farcical costumes were priceless. They placed dead last in their division, and the head teacher texted: 虽然我们只得了三等奖， 但宝贝们表现真的很棒， 在我们心里宝贝们就是第一名！"Although we only achieved third prize, still the darlings' performance was really great; in our hearts the darlings are number one!" And so we never stop smiling at the cheesy stuff going down at preschool.

Enough Sports

This is how one feels after strenuous sporting.