christmas day!

Christmas day was saturated in hot cocoa, candy canes, and eventually semi-traditional holiday fare: i cooked from goods i brought over from the states! Stovetop stuffing, instant mashed potatoes, gravy from a mix, canned cranberries... and we cooked up some chicken to stand in for the turkey. It was exciting that the meal turned out incredibly tasty and we all at till we could eat no more. A very welcome holiday feast, high in a flat in a cold city in Asia. We were so blessed to spend the time together, sipping our hot cocoa with peppermint and exchanging gifts. Most precious for me was a bundle of notes from my close friends back in Maui, which were brought over secretly by one of my students. Such a lovely and warmhearted Christmas for me.

from daily life

Just a few shots of me and my students- and other things i see every day...chopsticks and fried food...

city life, city lights

The city here is all polished up for the recent Asia Games that were hosted here- its almost unrecognizable under all the lights and metropolitan bustle. By day i recognize the same (often gray- though lately a little sunnier) city, but at night, the city lights seem to light up Asian city life quite a bit more than i recall from last year...

overflowing hearts...and guest list!

Our Christmas party was a wild success again this year- drawing almost double the guests we expected! We now believe there was nearly 200 people present at the roof top party room of a local hotel. We overflowed into the rooftop garden pavilion area- it was an exciting overflow of hearts and conversation. Lots of new connections were made and we are excited to follow up the seeds planted in these lives during interactions at the party.

a thick gray haze

The city here is habitually hazy and polluted- but these last couple days deserve some sort of record. Last evening the thick air settled in- as you can see in the buildings attempting to shine their pretentious light displays through the dusk...and by 7am this morning, our view of downtown was altogether obscured, as seen in the second image. The city's air is known to foster a perpetual cough and sinus issues in the local population- and we as a team were already trying to get over colds when we arrived. The air is not helping our cause. Yet it seems that the hazier the air, the warmer the climate. So for the moment we think its a decent trade off. Reports say that the temperature will drop off this weekend though- so i am expecting a clearer (though still typically gray and hazy) view in the coming days. The clearest days are those that follow rain- as was the case with the sunny blue skied day pictured in one of my first entries sent from here. Anyhow, for the time being we are resigned to enjoying the warmth (traipsing around without jackets!) while insulated by the thick gray haze.

the best thirty yuen a girl can spend

Cold nights in unheated cement apartments are deeply undesirable. I, for one, cannot sleep when my feet are numb. Apparently a sleeping bag and down feather throw are barely adequate to fend off the chill of an Asian apartment. Happily, i know the secret of conquering this heartless force of coldness. Enter the electric hot water bottle. This little wonder saved me last winter when i was here- so i eagerly went to the market within days of arrival to acquire a new one for use this year. Already my evenings are cozier and my feet toasty enough to sleep through the night. At just ¥30, or about five dollars, the electric hot water bottle is far and away the best winter investment to be made around here. The soft little sealed cushion full of liquid has an outlet which can be plugged into a cord (which in turn plugs into a wall outlet) and charged...when five minutes later the small red light clicks off, you know your water bottle is fully heated. Deposit the hot little cushion into your bed, and enjoy warmth clear through till morning! I think its positively wondrous. It may seem to be a small thing, but with life here (as in general with me) its the little things that make a difference:)

settling into the city

We are finally in our destination city! The last few days have been spent settling in, running errands, and learning to order noodles in alley ways using charades. The weather has pitched from 35F raining lows to 65F sunny highs- showing the city in all its moods. Great times with the team so far...everyone seems to be adjusting well. I have been happy to reunite with friends and hear about all God is doing in their lives- its deeply exciting. I hope to share more very soon- in the meantime, i have to go navigate a menu written entirely in chinese...

gateway to Asia

My team made it across the Pacific smoothly and had a fun (if jet-lagged) overnight in Hong Kong! After a breakfast of Hong Kong toast (w/ sweetened condensed milk) and milk tea, at a traditional hole in the wall cafe, we got an afternoon train to the Mainland... and at dusk, as city lights began to glow, we pulled into our destination city!

plane crazy

Just thinking about how two days from now I will be on an airplane with my team, heading back to Asia... the countdown is on! Not that i particularly look forward to the flight. After some fifteen hours of flying, I think we all will be plane crazy:) Haha- but its a means to an end.

Someone is always leaving

Someone is always leaving around here. Next week its me. But today its my friend Jason. He's off to Bangladesh with a team of students from another course. He and Jasmine and i had a last breakfast together and said our goodbyes. Its such a privilege to send one another over the face of the globe, representing Christ. We serve together even though we're in nations far apart. I'll miss those hugs for these couple months, though:)

Jasmine, Jason and I at our commissioning prayer time.