My bags are…

packed & I’m ready to go! T-minus 30 minutes and I’ll be in a taxi and on my way to the airport. I have a long trip ahead, but I can’t wait to get to Texas! I hope to see many of you soon!

May Mayhem

The days are ticking away and in 12 more days, I’ll be headed to the states! This week, I begin my final exams. There is still much to do before I depart, but I am ECSTATIC about all that is ahead!

In the meantime, I’ve had a few fun experiences. The comical moment of last week occurred while I was waiting for some noodles to be made at my regular joint. The lady who owns this particular restaurant knows me, as I am a regular customer. Being a tall woman herself, she is fascinated by my height. During my wait for noodles, I noticed through her hand gestures that she was talking to her friend about my height. She started asking me questions…in Chinese. She knows that I do not speak Chinese, but she really wanted to know my height. I proceeded to get out my phone in an effort to convert into meters, but before I could show her the results, she had a measuring tape out and was in the process of measuring me right there in the middle of the restaurant! She began chatting excitedly with her friend over the results and then followed by measuring herself. I would have to say that is the first time I’ve been measured in a restaurant!

Another fun event happened a couple of weeks ago when I went to a hair salon with some friends to get our hair washed. This is a common thing to do in China and I quickly realized that I should not have waited until the end of the year to try it out! This hair washing/massage excursion lasted well over an hour and was well worth the less than $10 (USD) we paid for the service! The shampooing was more of a massage and I actually left pain free! Woo hoo! The head massage was followed with a neck and arm massage. At the end, I even had a stylist dry my hair for free! The fun part was that the stylist was a man. Now, American friends, the stereotype for a male hair stylist in China is not the same as in America. They are highly regarded and respected–and, just plain cool. I told the man drying my hair that he was indeed the first man to dry/style my hair. He was in shock and told my friend that he was honored! I was also quite impressed with his ability to straighten my hair with a brush alone. The whole evening was a riot–we had a blast and I can’t wait to go back again! Here is a picture of my stylist:

In the midst of classes, extra classes, and more classes, I’ve also had some time to hang out with a student I’ve been sharing with. I’ve been so blessed through our continued dialogue and am excited to share that she seems to be seeking the father. She has been consistently reading the word on her own and asking questions. We’ve been able to regularly meet and discuss. Please keep lifting her up. I’m in process of connecting her with another sister to continue the dialogue this summer while I am gone. I’m thrilled to see how the father is connecting all the dots! He is so good!

I have also been blessed by regularly serving at an orphanage this semester. We’ve been asked not to blog about our experience, but I would love to share with you when I get home. The father has challenged my life through this heart wrenching service. If you or anyone you know has the desire to adopt, please don’t hesitate to contact me! There are so many children waiting for a family and I can connect you with the right person.

This time of year has also been one of celebration! One of my friends in China is getting marred this summer and will be moving to California. I was able to go to a goodbye party and a surprise wedding shower for her this past week. I’ve been so blessed by her friendship this past year. I’m also thrilled to share that my mom and I will be attending her wedding in California during the first week of July! I’m SO excited to visit Cali for the first time, have a special vacation with my mom, see my friend get married, and reunite with international friends from China at the wedding! I’m not even home yet, but feeling abundantly blessed! Here is a picture of my friend, Megan and I, at her goodbye party:

Megan helps out with the youth in GZ. Pretty awesome international teenagers!!

Of course, I am also extremely excited about my best friend’s wedding in just a few short weeks! It’s been an exciting journey and I can’t wait to be a part of the special celebration as she becomes a married woman! I love you, Rachel Davis, and I am counting the days!!!

Love you all and I hope to SEE many of you soon!

Blessings,
Stephanie

18 days…

And I’ll be sitting on a plane headed back to the states!  This semester has been a whirlwind and the last few weeks have been no different.  I’ve been teaching my June classes in the month of May so that I can come home in time for my best friend’s wedding!  It has been “busy” and a little chaotic at times, but I’m so blessed that the school worked with my schedule.  

If you can’t tell, I’m slightly excited and just might be counting days now.  Looking forward to seeing many of you in person in just a few short weeks!  

Happy Mom’s Day!

The beauty of living 14 hours ahead of family and friends stateside is that I always have a little “extra” time when needed. My mom recently sent me a birthday card that read, “In some parts of the world, tomorrow is already today and today is yesterday. In other parts of the world, today is yesterday and tomorrow will be today.” The inside read, “So who’s to say I missed your birthday?” What a true statement. So, I would like to take a moment to join in the celebration of my mother!

I’m blessed to say that I have a mother who is loving, caring, supportive, selfless, funny, and one of the most forgiving people I know. Mom, you are a beautiful woman on the outside and inside! So glad HE chose you to be my mother. Love you so much and celebrate-from afar-with you today! I’ll see you in a few weeks in Texas!!! I love you, mom. Happy Mother’s Day!

P.S. Happy Belated Birthday, mom, and Happy Mother’s Day to all you mom’s!

“There are people on the other side waiting for your obedience.” – Richard Foster

I’m on the ‘other’ side and this is why I must stay.

Among other reasons, this is the most important one that made me pick the final straw. I wrestled for a few months over the decision and came out with confidence that China is on my map for next year.

I’m excited to announce that this week I signed a teaching contract for the 2012-2013 school year. I will joyfully return home in June for my best friend’s wedding (YAY) and then trek back home to Indiana to spend the rest of the summer with family and friends.

It’s a blessing to walk with Him. He never fails to lead!

“Dad never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.” -A.W. Tozer

“No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems…”

Kenny Chesney said it best.  I’m certain he must have spent some time in China to articulate a song such as this!  

I don’t know how this look…

…became socially acceptable in China, but I promise you that it did and it is still thriving today!  As a man, you can walk around with your shirt half-way up (completely exposing the belly), and no one will look twice.  This does not exclude any man.  I didn’t think it was that hot today, but I guess we’ve hit the season of what I call ‘the belly shirt.” 

Yesterday, I went to make copies for my class.  Even the copy machine man was sporting his belly shirt.  I chuckled to myself as I tried to visualize an employee at a place like Kinkos or Walgreens doing this in the states!  Can you imagine asking a man for copies that had his shirt rolled up over half of his belly?  Hey, some men don’t even mess with it and take the shirt off all the way; that was the case for one man we saw at dinner tonight .  

Culture.  I never lack an interest in learning about it, but being a part of it is even better! 

P.S. Thanks Allison for your stealthy photo! 

Split Pants: Pro/Con List

Who needs diapers when you’ve got split pants?  I was inspired to write about split pants after last night’s episode on the subway that involved a baby peeing all over his dad and on a bench.  I first noticed that the dad’s shirt seemed to be covered in a watery substance that was more substantial than sweat. I quickly noted that the bench next to the man was completely vacant (indicating something unpleasant must certainly be on the bench), which was indeed covered with a light yellow liquid.  This same liquid was running down the floor of the subway…towards my feet (of course). Thank you, split pants…thank you.

I then witnessed a man getting on the subway that decided to take a seat.  He wiped off the bench with a tissue, pulled newspaper out of his book bag, and then covered the bench with the paper and sat down.  That’s all well and good, but what about the person who came after him?  Hmm…All I have to say is, “What a man.”    

Although split pants don’t seem to phase me anymore, I do have to admit that my first encounter with split pants left me feeling a little shocked. I can’t deny that I haven’t snapped a photo or two to capture this phenomenon, but I don’t feel the need to post a pic via my blog. Google “baby split pants in China” and welcome to my world…

Most babies here do not wear diapers. I don’t know every reason why, but I do know that diapers are expensive here. So, if you are considering saving a few bucks with your baby, consider the split pants. I thought I would help you out with a much needed pro/con list:

Split Pants
Pro’s
-No clean-up necessary (unless there is an accident, of course)
-Much cheaper (more money to put in the college fund)
-Environmentally friendly, perhaps?
-One step closer to potty training
-No arguments over “Who is going to change the diaper?”
-Cooler in the summer
-Makes those baby bath pictures less embarrassing for later in life
-No diaper rash!

Con’s
-You might get peed on…or worse
-Someone else might get peed on

As you can see, split pants are the way to go.

Life in China in never lacking in dull moments!

My inward struggle and desire to take hold of the eternal treasure…

The father is at work in my heart about what I treasure. May you and I be encouraged to seek the only treasure that lasts for eternity! The following are excerpts from A.W. Tozer’s book, The Pursuit of G-d:

The man who has the father for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever.

(Speaking of Abraham) Now he was a man wholly surrendered, a man utterly obedient, a man who possessed nothing…He had everything, but he possessed nothing.

Tozer sharing his heart with the father…

Father, I want to know Thee, but my coward heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there.

Molded by mold?

Mold.

I have never encountered mold like I have here. Before living in GZ, the most I had been exposed to mold was by the occasional find of forgotten leftovers buried deep inside the refrigerator. That was pretty much the extent of moldiness in my life…

I had some problems with mold about a month or so ago. Remember that sweet little story about my apartment floor being covered in water? That incident resulted in some mold, but I thought I was past that entire mold jazz when I moved to the third floor of my luxurious apartment building. I was certain my moldy days were over.

Wrong.

Along with intense thunderstorms this past week, the weather has also been extremely humid. My definition of “humidity” has been redefined since moving to China. The “humid” summers that I experienced in Indiana now seem like dreamy desert getaways in comparison to the never-ending downpours in Guangzhou. With recent averages of 94% humidity and virtually no sunshine, my umbrella has quickly become my most sacred accessory. I think my students would agree…

As you can imagine, this creates a beautiful opportunity for a science experiment; that is, if you are a science teacher or a student experimenting with mold. Unfortunately, I am neither and really have no desire for growing mold in my apartment. This past week I noticed the air in my apartment was a little warm and heavy. I decided it was time to get my broken air conditioner fixed. I contacted maintenance and the problem was solved the next day.

I was moving my night stand back into place after my air conditioner had been fixed when I first noticed my picture frame had something green growing on the backside. I knew I didn’t buy it like that and I was disgusted by what I saw. It then occurred to me that my other frames probably had the same fate. Sure enough, five picture frames covered in mold. I collected myself and decided it was fixable. I began the process of “de-molding” my picture frames. Then, I started checking for mold in other places and realized that two pairs of earrings and a bracelet were also covered in mold (and unfortunately ruined–too bad some of that jewelry came from Nicaragua–um, road trip?) I also noticed my purse was covered in a layer of mold. As my mouth dropped in disbelief, I kept thinking of new places to check. Next was the coat rack. Yep, my winter down coat also fell victim to the mold. If I forgot to mention before, half of my shoes molded during the first round of insane humidity, along with my chopsticks, wooden spoons, and wooden cutting board. The other day, a friend told me that his Chinese friend said, “I think I’m molding!” in regards to the mold problem that apparently other people are also experiencing.

I’m proud of myself for not buckling down in tears, but I can’t say I didn’t feel like it. I just kept repeating, “It’s just stuff, Stephanie, it’s just stuff.” But, I was kind of fond of my stuff. I was fond of that cutting board that I used for, you know, cutting things (plastic ones are extremely expensive here). I was fond of those earrings that could only be purchased in Nicaragua. I was fond of my size 10 shoes that can’t be found in China. I was fond of my first set of chopsticks. The question is, “Why?”

Ironically, the topic of conversation during one of my classes this week was consumerism (chosen by yours truly). I explained in depth the concept of how a bunch of junk is basically produced, then it is marketed in such a way that will urge a desire within us to purchase such products, and then finally we will buy these products that most likely we do not need. Although the majority of these products are not categorized as a “need,” we continue to buy and fuel this beast of a machine called consumerism. As an example I told the class, “Consumerism is like when you have a LOT of shoes, yet you go out and buy a new pair because you like them.” They misunderstood that I was giving a generic example and thought I was talking about myself. Their response? “Stephanie, you have SO many shoes!” Whoa. I think my heart dropped down into my toes. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately and here I was standing in front of my class presenting this problem–especially in American culture. You know what I have been thinking about lately?? “I NEED more shoes!” Here I am trying to challenge my class with thoughts about consumerism and they confront me on my own consumerist nature. I have this class once a week for 90 minutes and they have noticed that I have a lot of shoes. This literally stopped me in my tracks and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it all week.

One of my desires when I left for China was to “live more simply.” To put it more clearly, “get rid of all the junk that I don’t need AND to work on this whole desire thing.” Life was never meant to be about “stuff,” so why do I live in bondage by it? Even as I sit here writing to you I am struggling with my desires.

I’m getting closer to “living more simply” (or so I thought) in my modest apartment here in GZ and with the limited ability to purchase clothing in my size. However, the desire still remains…deeply rooted into the core of my being. Thoughts invade with, “I wish I could go buy a pair of shoes” or “I’d really like some new tops.” Now that my departure date is rapidly approaching I find myself making mental notes about things I “need.” Now, I am certainly not saying shopping is evil, nor am I saying every purchase is problematic. What I am saying is that I desire to live more simplistically so that I can focus on what really matters in this world. Somewhere deep down inside, I have this desire to live a life that is truly focused on the eternal. I don’t want to miss out on the eternal because I am too fixated on the junk in my present life. I am realizing that this is a process and can be painful at times, but how rewarding it will be when I truly live a life focused on the eternal and not the temporary!

I’m not thankful for the mold, but I am thankful I am being molded.

“We c-followers must simplify our lives or lose untold treasures on earth and in eternity.” -A.W. Tozer

Happy Birthday, Jamie!

When it comes to sisters, I am not without! My younger sister was also born in the month of April. I have a lot to celebrate, don’t I? As with most children, it took me a few years to really appreciate my sisters.

Jamie and I have not always seen eye to eye. If I wasn’t fighting with Christa or keeping the peace between Christa and Jamie, I was probably fighting with Jamie. I seemed to fit the older “bossy” sister role quite well, which didn’t help matters either. However, somewhere along the way we decided we should be friends. I finally realized the beautiful friend I had in Jamie…

Jamie is a woman of great integrity and discipline. She has a passionate and tender heart for the father and other people. If you know Jamie, you’ve probably been blessed by her beautiful voice a time or two! I have also probably laughed more with Jamie than anyone else in my life. We’ve struggled alongside one another and have celebrated joyous times together. We’ve experienced the best and the worst in one another and yet we’ve stuck it out to become sweet friends.

So, today I celebrate your beautiful life, Jamie! Happy 25th Birthday! I hope you have a blessed day and year ahead! I love you!

This photo is a little outdated, but it was taken during such a sweet time together. I will always treasure that summer we spent together–growing closer to Him and closer to one another! Can’t you just feel the love?!