Zhang-Jiang Family

Here is a family that defies norms and is blazing their own path through life.

Zhang Qin, his wife Jiang Bo, with their children Niu Niu (5) and Mingzhu (3).

He's an acupuncturist; she's a university teacher. They live in a modest home with a second-hand piano, repurposed old furniture, tons of library books, wild herbs and greens that they find growing in parks, a homemade turtle/fish tank, a fleet of bicycles and a golden retriever-ish doggie. Actually the dog was unfortunately recently stolen or lost. Anyway.

Hanging out with these guys is and honest-to-goodness good time.

They are different than the typical urban Chinese family.

Z&J want their children to skip preschool altogether and start first grade later; they arrange their work schedules and keep a tight budget so they can raise their children at home. They want to be present to enjoy the blessing of family and shape their children's foundation for life.

Since their boy, Niu Niu, is not in school and Titus only attends partial-days, these guys enjoy having more time to freely play together.

Z&J believe in letting their children get a little dirty, cold, and bunged up in the name of exploration, creation, freedom, fresh air and imagination. It's a simple and happy childhood in nature.

So we jive with Z&J because our philosophies align. It makes getting together with their family so fun and relaxing, because we think and play alike.

p.s. Z&J took us to this new park on the outskirts of Changsha, isn't it gorgeous?

counting the graces

thank you Father

Drew's man camping time with B&N

another special breakfast and chillaxed connection time with Ks

first visit to Vaky's home and it was so good to meet her family and understand them more

Ye-Ye, another year of life

clean wood floors underfoot

two days with FZ staying at our home, watching him grow and take it all in

piano

Four months in a swimming pool

June 15th.

 School is still in session.

But our Mom picks us up early, and we walk 5 minutes to the...

Pool!

Our university pool is old and filthy.

You get used to it.

Neighborhood children are still buried in their books inside classrooms.

Wide open seas! 

And a personal lifeguard.

July, and the city government begins enforcing a swim cap code.

That's cool.

July 11th, and school's out tomorrow.

Enjoy one last swim in our vast private pool.

Late July through August, the sun is blazing hot during the daytime. It'll kill you.

Most folks are only willing to swim at night!

We love taking a dip in the dark too, and always run into neighbors and kids' classmates.

7-9pm, everybody is here.

Early September, and sometimes the temperature dips low, way down low into the 80s.

Chinese grandmas won't permit their kids to swim in such frigid temps for fear of catching a cold.

September 9th, children are back in classrooms.

The pool is ours again!

September 18, our last swim before the pool closes.

The boys have gained a lot of confidence and skill in these four months:

Titus is good at treading water for a few seconds, swimming about ten feet, and swimming lengths of the pool with a paddle board. 

Michael is good at swimming underwater about ten feet, picking up objects off the bottom, opening his eyes and making signs under the water.

They can both turn flips underwater and squat on the edge to dive headfirst into the deep end.

It's been a good season of hot and swimming.

October 1st, today.

And this week as The People's Republic of China celebrates its 65th year as a nation, we are turning a page too. Summer closes now, and autumn is right before us.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

Mike, "I want to be with you Mommy"

runs around Back Lake with it's slow, rural, art culture

time and space to devour all my scheduled Bible reading this quarter, concluding with Prov 31 -- and what a source of strength and wisdom this has been!

inspiration

exciting prospect of Titus attending K for a few weeks in Hutchinson

thoughtful anniversary greetings from family

how Auntie Wang pays attention to clean certain things I wouldn't bother with, like the kitchen exhaust fans

hymns, deep words of truth that lift the soul

Twin Cities Walk to Defeat ALS a record-breaking success

photo courtesy of cousin Sarah

Last weekend the Twin Cities Walk to Defeat ALS went down on a beautiful day at Lake Phalen. It was a record-breaking year: 3000 walkers, 185 teams, $500,000 raised. Many families will benefit from this collective movement of generosity.

Almost all of Uncle Joe's siblings and their spouses plus lots of cousins came out -- including our newest, 2 week-old baby Baxter -- to walk together as a team, in red shirts, in gorgeous weather. After the walk our family shared a picnic lunch together, a special time.


Thank you so much for cheering us on and supporting this fundraiser. Your donations brought us over our goal of raising $100 each for each person in our family of four. Thank you for helping us to participate remotely in this event which meant so much to our family! We were truly touched -- think about this -- donations even came from Drew's friends who don't know my extended family at all.
Thank you.


(Meanwhile, on walk-day, our family did a jog-bike to a field where Titus practiced riding without training wheels while across the field a million freshman university students lay prone in camo suits on the grass, practicing shooting rifles without bullets, national mandatory military training, that's a story for another time!)

counting the graces

thank you Father for

Olly at Butterfly Home is well; his return to the main orphanage opened a bed for a premie in great need of BH care

Drew's patience, understanding, forgiveness and hugs

alone, a fun day downtown shopping and reading Job in one sitting

Majors family's kindness in caring for our boys for a morning

exceptional Mrs. Zeng, Titus' teacher, inviting Titus to stay for afternoon art class

learning to redefine what it means to be productive

Drew's long conversation with Wang Zhao, so good for her to talk with a listening and caring man

Get Lost...In Wonder

Recently our neighbors are constantly blaring Buddhist sutra chants, sounds that drift easily across the 30 feet between our apartment buildings. I can't say I like it. Nope.

You know what I love?

Lost In Wonder -- all songs written and recorded by our friend Noah of The Offshore Accounts, straight out of Changsha. (btw Noah's third daughter was born yesterday so we went to the hospital and held her, she's darling!)

I sang background vocals on "Watch for The Dawn"

Favorite track? "But You Do"


Dig Lost In Wonder?
Let me introduce you a little somethin' awesome called The Followers' Wounded Healer

My favorite EVER.

Just listen to the first track. You'll be hooked.


Well, did you listen to it? Did you hear that astounding soulful female voice? Her name is Liz Vice, and she's just released her first solo album, There's A Light. I've been playing it over and over to drown out the droning sutras. I feel much better.

All three albums

...offer an unbeatable throwback soul-blues-funk musical experience.

...offer thoughtful lyrics, avoiding typical cliches of worship tunes.

...are offered in humility, not to make oneself known, but to make Jesus known.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

truth

strength

finding Drew knelt down in prayer in the office

Twin Cities Walk to Defeat ALS was a big success

men of integrity in our lives

baby Shenghui

quality kidney beans

Monday morning books on the couch with Titus; helping Mike with his cinnamon problem

troubles look so insignificant with consideration to You

Stephen's testimony of daily joy in Chicago

sin is grievous but You will set all things right