More Pictures.....

One of our students came to the airport and gave every american a (buddhist) prayer shawl for "good luck and good fortune."
Speaking of buddism, there was a large Tibetan population in our area and there were monks everywhere - these were begging $$ (in English) at the market. We have an entire soundtrack of monk songs if you are interested .....
Jason in his ZONE - heading up all the large group activities for our camp. Here he was at the luau -he was amazing and the kids loved him!!
Jason (since every boy at camp was named Jason/Jordan/Justin....) we called Jason "Pauff Daddy" or JP or JJ or some other form of Jason. He innocently ordered soup for lunch one day (60 cents I believe) and first of all, they brought him a giant VAT of soup in a bowl that looked like it cane from Genghis Khan, and THEN, in the bottom, was the MOST giant chicken foot in all of China. I think that was THE funniest moment of our trip when he hauled that chicken foot out of that soup!! So0ooooo funny!
Justin and Sonny, our Chinese helper, in the grass skirt, manning the Limbo dance at the luau - Justin was also quite the jump roper, tug-of-war-warrior, and Hokey Pokey dancer - a man of many talents, and many names, since I called him Jason/Jordan/Justin for 3 weeks!

More Photos from Camp X!!

Gigantic noodles for lunch - super yummy. Several feet long- try to eat THAT with chopsticks!
My kids after graduation- I bribed them with ice cream to pronounce the words "thanks" and "month". I treated the whole class to ice cream for about $2 - each ice cream was 15 cents apiece, including the favorites, CORN, SOYBEAN, mung bean, rosewater, and unidentifiable fruit.
NLG Team in front of a sculpture by our dining hall - it seems there is a monument on most every corner!
"hot-pot" - muslim dish of boiling broth, the outer ring super spicy, the inner bowl plain - dunk meats and vegetables into the broth until they cook then fish them out with a chopstick. Delicious - unless the students picked very weird meats, ummm, which they did.
This is the now famous HOLE in my classroom - unmarked, uncovered, a tiny boy FELL IN during class and Laura had to pull him out. We were terrified but he only had a few scratches. Only in craft class can you fall down a giant hole. Stabbed with scissors, sure. Glue your fingers together. Okay. Swipe paint on a friend. Yep. BUT FALL DOWN A GIANT HOLE?? I also had a matching hole in the FRONT of my room and there were holes, open manholes, construction sites, and uneven pavement EVERYWHERE. WOW.

Back in C-Bus!!

Restaurant Dialog
NLG Team at a camp wide luau!
Laura using her vast chinese skills to talk to the craft neighbors on the street! The little man with the beard was delighted to have his picture taken with the young blonde american lady!
Justin and Angie with our DELICIOUS daily breakfast- stale white bread with expired jam, a boiled egg, and our choice of lukewarm water or lukewarm Tang! MMMMM - made us really want to get up early, walk 4 blocks, and enjoy such a treat every.single.day!
The Cheshires gave us some chinese money which allowed us to buy a cold drink in the airport - these are our very happy and thankful faces after being in transit for 36 hours! Thanks friends!!

We made it home, almost effortlessly, about 9 pm Monday night after about 31 hours of travel. When we first left Beijing we encountered the WORST turbulence I have ever felt on a giant super jet - awful!! I was ready to have a melt-down until my very smart daughter gave me a lecture and told me to get a grip! PTL it passed within an hour but it was pretty scary. After that is was just long, long, long, full of particularly bad food, hot (the a/c was off and on - not good!) and LONG.

Overall we had a great trip. Our camp was soooo good - sometimes they are filled with drama or the kids are too young or the campus is bad, etc but overall, despite the slightly filthy accommodations, the whole camp experience was good. Being in a city allowed us to visit with the kids at night and enjoy some of the local cuisine, activities, etc. Really gave us more of a picture of life in China, not just 24/7 on a campus surrounded by barbed wire and glass shards. The history in Beijing really reminded us of the beauty of this land as well as the political unrest that has been the norm - seeing as many as 10,000 people in line in the blistering heat to visit Chairman Mao's crystal coffin with his body inside was unnerving to say the least.

Here are some pictures of our camp - enjoy. Pray for G, S, S, all the kids in our classes, the "C" in China, the families of those in prison, the need for workers and trainers, the purity of the Gospel and the rejection of cults of every description - on, and the M and the K families who work full time to bring the G to the people of C! (I was glad to get back to the US so I could actually speak a full sentence - sigh...) If you are interested in the work in China, you might enjoy a few books, particularly "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn and "Jesus in Beijing." Thanks for following along with us and I have many GREAT stories I will share as I am able! Have no fear, the Gospel is alive and well and moving through this great land - PTL!!

On the Road Again!

We are packing yet again! After an awesome morning (vague alert!!) where we heard a speaker who found "new life" at one of our camps and now works to spread the word around this region, we left really encouraged! We have been blessed with many similar students from current and past camps. One student took a 24-hour train ride to spend two days with us. Amazing. Such love. Who would you take a train to visit? Today as I mentioned earlier we toured all over the city in the blistering heat. We were caught up in such a mob of people today that it was almost scary. We had Peking Duck for dinner- quite a sight as the chef carves each duck into 131 pieces for the diners. The fact that he was wearing a surgical mask did ruin the moment. Oh, and another hilarious moment was when, right in the middle of dinner, a rat ran across the next room! I could not make this stuff up! Our team is well-we met up with 2 other teams so we have about 60+ americans touring with us. We have seen many old friends. Imagine seeing a friend every 6 years- that is Angie and her friend from camp. Or visiting with Smile- pure joy! So much I can't share but good visits all around. So much good work on every corner! Sometimes we only see the hard things- and right now, many of "our" works have been shut down, people arrested, buildings closed, people in hiding- very scary times for many! But... The Light cannot be hidden. A famous saying is "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." And that is true here- as the persecution continues, the workers just multiply. Many take joy in prison as they have a built in audience for their message! Do WE rejoice in persecution? I can't say that I do.This is my last posting until we reach Home Sweet Home, which should be Monday night. When I get home I will finally add some photos. What to pick? Chicken feet? Pedi-cabs? Sobbing students? Party in the USA? The Hoe-Down? The now-famous HOLE in my classroom? The funny food? The beautiful mountains? Jason at the Forbidden City? Angie bartering with a salesgirl at the market? Jason and Laura playing a very gross game with Smile? Me with yet another yak at the lake? Justin doing the hokey pokey? So many choices!Keep lifting us up- the college kids on our team have to leave for school literally the second our plane lands so we CANNOT afford any delays or storms or weird airline nonsense! Ask for safe travel and a fruitful camp as the seeds we scattered are allowed to grow. Lift up a friend who is carrying the light to a dark and dangerous place. Also lift up a leader from the US - he is legally blind and close to 70 yet he travels to teach the workers here. Who ARE these people? Wow... We have 12 year olds and 70 year olds on our team-anyone can be a servant if they choose to obey! Hugs from the other side of the wold! CJJJLA

Late post - I was late with this post from Cindy (DON)

We leave tomorrow am about 11 am- some chinese flight,
we don't have tickets or ibfo. We get into BJ about noon
 or so. We are checking into our extravagant holiday inn
 and calling some of our friends- well. Once we go to
starbucks I mean! Here is a bloggy blog:

Whew! Another camp for the history books. Foreign
teachers are VERY (VERY!) important in this culture and
 the kids feted us with gifts and hugs and tears and at
 least 600,000 pictures. We will miss them greatly- so
 earnest and always looking towards success in the future.
 We are asking that we made a greater impact than just
 pronunciation. We made some awesome discoveries and many
 things were clearly planned for us here!

Tonight we are packing, cleaning, packing-if anything
 (cup, towel,pillow, etc) is missing or broken they charge
 an exhorbitant fee. Since my carpet hasn't been swept
 since Y2K, I've used the same towel for 2 weeks, my
toilet/faucet/lamp/and electric outlet have been broken
 since day one, there is a giant splatter on the wall
that looks something like blood and/or red pepper noodles
 and there has been standing water in my bathroom floor
the entire trip, I can't imagine how they would charge us
 for damages. I will have you know, though, it is  3000
 yuan if you steal the peephole from the door :) Consider
 yourself warned!

Our NLG team has been awesome. Through every struggle
they have maintained a good attitude and a helpful,
flexible spirit. Our team of 6 provided 4 of the 8 lead
 teachers as well as 5 of the 8 extra-curriculars (music,
 crafts, etc) so we have been a blessing to the larger
team. Each one has been fun, friendly, competent,
responsible, encouraging, helpful and more-we have had
 a great time together. We are off to Beijing eaaaaarly
 in the morning for a few days of de-briefing, meetings,
 learning, and a bit of sight-seeing.

The first sight I am seeing is an ice cold caramel
Frappucino from the Starbucks on our block. After weeks
 of warm water, hot water, warm pepsi, warm tea, hot tea
 and even warm Tang, we are looking, begging for a cold
 drink. Speaking of cold drinks, Laura, our resident
chinese tutor, taught us the word for cold water, always
 a rare treasure to find. Being very cocky in my language
 skills, I asked my students last night for "cold
toothpaste" instead of cold water- lol!!

Sitting in An Airport

"We're Sitting In An Airport, Don't Know When
We'll Take Off Again....." Sing it with me...

We left X today on a sunny cool morning and
arrived at the airport at 8am. After a wild
check-in and paying for extra luggage-and receiving
 prayer shawls for good luck and good fortune (!)
 from one of our students-we waited for our plane.
 Then waited. And waited. And waited. Our flight
was cancelled and we saw our dreams of Beijing
slipping away....in a cloud of smoke, since we were
stuck between the toilets and the smoking room. We
closed the door 600 times so we could breathe.

At one point they gave us some tea and then later
a little box of rice, grape tomatoes, and a roll. 
We had missed breakfast and lunch so we were hungry,
 tired, and most of us were out of chinese money so
 we couldn't buy any yak jerky or fake pringles to
 tide us over. Our team played cards, slept on the
plastic chairs, read, sang and passed the time,
unlike the chinese who mobbed the one airline attendant
 with a barrage of screaming and yelling and gesturing
 that did not look encouraging! 

PTL we are on the plane-everyone got a seat, we hope
 our bags follow us, and we will STILL get our hot
shower and Frappucino before the day is out. Thanks
for all the time you have invested in thinking of us
 and encouraging us. Our camp was great and our team
 has grown very close-truly some of the best people
ever thi year. So much love and energy and encouragement!
 I will keep in touch- hoping for an awesome few days
in Beijing then an uneventful trip home next week! Hugs
 from the X- airport-Cindy and the Xteam!

Blog

The last day of camp was a flurry of activity with an under-current
 of sadness. It seems just as the students and the Americans gel as
 a camp and as a team it is time to shut it down and leave. Our
campers are very emotional as a rule anyway so graduation day is
always FULL of tears-knowing we may never see these kids again adds
 a good dose of sobriety to the event. We had planned all week to jump
 in the fountain after graduation but since the temps are now in the
 60's we decided that would be a bad idea!

Tonight was filled with dinners out with students and the realization
 that we have to actually pack up everything in our rooms into one
 44lb suitcase. Yikes! We have made a lot of awesome connections,
learned a lot, grown a lot- we've been humbled. We have learned to
work together under one banner- a young woman from Armenia, a pair of
 70 year olds, a couple of teenagers, some random Buckeyes, leaders and
 followers, world travellers and  fearful beginners, college kids, moms,
 teachers- all here to love and to serve. What a privelege! Tonight
Angie and Jane were treated to a heaping platter of chicken feet and
 I got a plate of bloody fish, newly freed from his tank in the lobby
 and destined for the HotPot on my table! Because of love, we grabbed
 our chopsticks and jumped right in! Were we out of our comfort zone?
 You bet! Jane is a 63 year old lady from NJ, who came to serve- and
 serve she did, one crusty chicken foot at a time!

It is wellllll past my bedtime so I'll sign off! Please remember our
graduation Thurs at 10 am which is Weds night at 10 pm for you! Also,
 ask for efficient packing and travel and a blessed time of rest in
BJ. This is when we do a lot of wrapping up the pieces and processing
 all we've seen. We also meet with some Very Special Guests who never
fail to bless and amaze us. Tell you more later (wink). Nighty night
 from a chilly mountain on the other side of the globe!  CALJJJ

Last Event, Last Day of Class

Sometimes it feels like we have been here for 6 months, other times 5 minutes. Tonight was our last event- a camp-wide carnival full of games and balloons and prizes! The community gathers around and joins the fun-people everywhere. Tomorrow is our last official day of class- graduation is Thursday morning. The kids are getting sentimental, taking pictures and bringing gifts. So sweet. We bring the light, we invest as we can-up front and behind the scenes, we lift up this city and these dear people. We laugh, we cry, we take emails and vow to keep in touch. And when we get home our in-boxes are filled with awkward little notes from our students, missing us and telling us the news. Technology has become a ministry tool-amazing.

The H/S is moving in many ways, we are all being stretched and changed- remember us for these next 6 days or so. Angie and Justin have to go straight to college literally the day we return so we can't afford any flight delays or missed flights or crazy weather. And, of course, the rest of us have to get back to work and life so we need good travel as well.

Hang on- there is currently a mob of crazed college kids trampling into our room looking for water ballons and other pranking material. I better go before I wind up taped to my bed or something worse. As you can tell, CampX is a wild place- one minute you are trying to tell the Christmas story and the next someone is making a yarn maze in your bedroom! Good night from the other side of the world. (Did I mention the heat has turned into a chilly breeze with highs in the 70's. Sorry about the current heat wave in OH! I know, I know- it is even worse in Beijing, let me gloat while I can! )

Hot-Pot!

Today we returned more rested and ready to finish out the
 week. The kids came back more familiar with us, they are
 rowdier-haha- but more lovey-dovey and huggy- very sweet.
 Even the teenagers -boys/boys and girls/girls-hold hands
 and hang all over each other in a very "old-fashioned" way.
 Precious. They just fall in love with us so fast- they
have fun, they loosen up and turn off some of the daily
pressure to excel scholastically - they actually have fun
 for 2 weeks! It is great!

Tonight MY class :) took all the American teachers out for
 "hot-pot." This is a Muslim dish with a huge boiling pot
of broth filled with peppers and spices and ginger and you
 toss in meats and vegetables and cook it then fish it out
 with your chopsticks. Soooo fun. Now- what you need to know
 is that this event was orchestrated by two 14-year old
kids. Two kids who took 25 people by bus and taxi to a
fancy restaurant, ordered all the food, rushed around from
table to table making sure we had all we needed- then paid
for the whole thing!! How many 14-year-olds in the US
entertain foreigners? So cute! They are so mature in some
ways and yet so innocent and sweet!

We have been incredibly healthy- PTL! A few coughs and
allergies and some "mao's revenge" but nothing serious. Angie
 woke up today with a red, swollen finger. It could have
been anything from staph to scurvy to a snake bite so we took
 a chance and started with Benadryl and it seems to be
improving. We figure she got some kind of bug-bite at the
lake- let's hope it continues to improve. Thanks for thinking
 of her!

Here's where the whole security thing comes in to play. I
have some great stories that will have to wait. I could tell
you that **** is a * and * meets with other * and they *** and
 one plans to go to ** to ** other ***....  But that wouldn't
 tell you much! Let me just say the Kingdom, though small and
restricted, is alive and well in this part of the world and we
 were able to encourage THEM and vice-versa! Many happy little
 surprises here and there- candles in the darkness!!

Tomorrow night is our last event - a camp-wide carnival -and
we are busily getting ready for graduation on Thursday morning.
 The Americans are learning a song in our host language- always
 a treat! The kids love it even though they probably can't
understand one word of our poor pronunciation! Ask Carol M to
sing a verse for you all :)

Here is some news from our team: Justin is practically Chinese
 now! He speaks more words than I have ever learned and he will
 try anything -today was black fungus, squid, and curly tofu.
What a joy to travel with him! So helpful and sweet!  Angie is
 great- the students love her as do the adults. Her assistant
is a 63 year old lady from NJ who marvels at her ability to pull
 activities out of the air! Jason P is "JJ" at camp since every
 boy here has a J name- the students love him and he has had a
ball seeing all that Chinese culture has to offer- and he video
tapes most of it so you might see it someday!  Jason, of course,
 is a kid magnet. He leads dance each day- ask him for a sample
 of the gummi bear dance- and the Chinese assistants are
particularly close to him. What a role-model for the young guys
on our team. And Laura- one of the two worst craft ladies ever,
 along with me, but the kids love her. Today a boy proposed to
her. She is the Queen of "Bing Schway" - phonetically that is
"cold water." Just like I have an uncanny knack to find a western
 toilet as needed, she can find cold water hidden in back rooms.
I love love LOVE my class and I just love these people. From the
little beggar lady to the college students and the vendors on the
 street there is such a kindness and sincerity among the people.
They love their families, they enjoy life, they are so friendly
and welcoming- so many valuable things. They need to hear. We
need to remember them and send the Light as we can!

Off to bed-6 am comes waaaay to early. We "hear" it is supposed
to rain which would cool us off. Wow- I'll believe it when I see
 it- ha! Love to all back home- remember us! Hugs from the Xteam!  

Sunday at the Lake

Today was our only day off from teaching so the school took us to Quinhai Lake, the largest salt water lake in China. We were squashed into vans for a 2-hour van ride that included, in no particular order of fright/amusement: trucks passing each other on curvy mountain roads, yaks, buddhist temples, tibetan horses, spectacular mountains, baby yaks, a man walking a huge sheep on a rope down the highway -destined to be "mutton" on the menu later that day, fields of yellow flowers, more temples, shrines, prayer flags and statues dotting the mountain-tops, shepherds "keeping watch over their flocks" - we saw one herd his yaks with, yes, a sling and a stone, herds of sheep and goats, more mountains, tibetans selling gasoline in jerry cans by the road-side, women in high heels strolling the rocky "beach"- and I use that term very loosely! Seeing Jason P under his umbrella lounging on the rocks was awesome! The young'uns on our team went swimming in their clothes or otherwise played in the water. Amazing day- many of us are sun-burned, all are in awe of this beautiful land, humbled by the MEAGER life many lead just to survive, and the spiritual darkness that blankets this region. There are not enough flags or banners or big gold statues to bring hope to these dear people. Ask for workers and a movement of the H/S to bring LIGHT to this area of the world! On the ride home we stopped at a grasslands area where, again, the young'uns, and Jason P!, climbed a gigantic mountain then ran back down it- the scenery was just breath-taking. Lest this sounds too extravagant, please know that our vans were full, ours had no a/c and the windows didn't open, the driver tried to smoke in the van until we let him know that wasn't a good idea, the traffic was horrible-like, valium-worthy horrible, we had KFC for lunch, which was picked up at 8am and hauled around in the vans until lunch time- and, we ate huddled around the KFC bags on the rocky beach, standing up, lol! Not very glamorous but the cool breeze and "day-of-rest" was worth it! It is sobering to see our days ending here- 3 more days of class then graduation. We have fallen in love with our kids-and they all feel so loved and special. Their teachers are so harsh and their lives so full of pressure to succed that this camp time is a joy to them! We are planting seeds in each life and asking that those seeds bring fruit. We had a sweet time of singing last night in our hotel- we are under so many restrictions that we have to be so cautious all the time. If that environment is hard for us for 3 weeks, imagine how our brothers and sisters who live here must feel! Lift them up that they would find ways to shine- to "bloom where they are planted" despite the hardships! Remember G and S and H and J and probably many others I don't know about- those who are family and those who could be soon! I am meeting with my students from 2008 weds night- it will be great to re-connect with them. So many of us have long-term relationships with kids here- what a joy to see them summer after summer! Continue to think of us-the darkness has been oppressive now and again but we are counting on our "warriors" back home to see us through! This camp has been trouble-free in many ways and we'd like to keep it that way. We also have a million more plane rides and a trip to BJ and another week before we'll be home- lift us up for good health and team unity and effective work, that we would, again, be a sweet aroma wafting through these mountains! Love you all- miss you! C-A-J-J-J-L * the Xteam

Day 6 - Time is Flying!

Today (sat) was day 6 in the classroom- we have had christmas carolers and baseball games and lots of excited kids. Now that the days are passing, everyone wants to take us places. We are very popular with the 14-year-olds! They give a little awkward invite and you never know what you are in for. Today we were driven-in a private car- to a tibetan restaurant for mutton, which actually meant an air-conditioned private room with the best meal I have ever had in china! Tomorrow it might be chicken feet in a sweaty little shack! But overall it is very sweet and the kids are delighted to wine and dine us - and we are building pivotal relationships with them.Overall, it is still unseasonably hot but we have been incredibly healthy. Our team ranges in age from 15-72 and everyone is doing great! Well, we are exhausted but fine! Jason P just got moved into our team dorm/hotel so that is great news. Tonight was our Hoe-Down, led expertly by Shep- an hour of the macarena, the chicken dance, and the crowd favorite, the Cotton-Eyed Joe! Very fun- we had a huge crowd of parents and neighbors joining in! Even our little beggar-lady was there- she grabs all of our empty (or almost empty!) bottles to recycle for cash. We gave her birthday cake last night- she's a regular!Lift up many students and helpers who are very curious - and anything else in the plan! We are trusting that we are doing our part and the Father will take care of the rest! Exhaustedly, Cindy and all!

Heat, Beat-Boxers, KFC, and Christmas

Classes continue to run smoothly-the kids are so excited to practice with the Americans! We had a campus-wide birthday party with everyone doing the hokey pokey + birthday cake for 100 kids. They wore the hats they made in crafts- so cute. And yes, 18 year old boys were wearing hats they colored and dancing to the Gummi Bear song. We do have a group of boys in class 7 who are awesome beat-boxers- that means sort of like rappers who make weird noises, etc- they did an impromptu concert that was so fun!

Today Angie's class celebrated Christmas. Not only did they go Christmas caroling around the school but many children heard the Christmas story for the first time. Then for lunch we got a special treat-KFC delivered by bicycle for all the Americans! A welcome change from the normal, let's just say that! Tonight after class we had a RARE free night so we went downtown to the tibetan market - our taxi driver blasted Michael Jackson all through town- best 90 cents we spent all day! I am ashamed to say in a market full of every imaginable object-from an open-air (or should I say open "fly"market-ugh) meat market to fruit and jade and "nikeSP" (??) fake bags and combs made from animal horns and even yak jerky, I bought a red bracelet and a water and spent less than $2.00!! Justin and Laura are amazing in their chinese shop talk- and Angie could bargain down anything- obama needs her on staff to lower the nat'l debt. Laura has a fake-chinese grunt accompanied by a head bobble that can get us everything from a taxi to a cold water!!

The Jasons are great- Shep is the "dancing king" who teaches dance every day in the blazing heat and pulls off every activity like MacGyver with his bag of tricks and Pauff mesmerizes the kids with his music and cartoons! I am known as "my teacher's mom" by Angie's kids in class 8-so cute. We are tired but holding up well. We are booked night and day with kids trying to take us to dinner or climb mountains (??) with them! Those are the nights that produce relationships that produce conversations that produce miracles so ...bring on the dumplings :)

Lift us up- of course, when people are hot and tired the enemy can slip in so ask for unity and kindness and peace and growth among our teammates! Jason P is off-campus and we need him in our bldg-remember that! Several have colds and coughs (pollution) and sore joints from all the activity! That Hokey Pokey can wear a person out-lol!! Most of all, ask that we be a light wherever we go and find special appointments waiting for us! Hugs from the other side of the world!

If it's Tuesday This Must be Luau!

It is day two and classes are going well. Today my class was serenaded by a group of 8 year old carolers who were learning about Christmas! My kids did skits with masks- hilarious! I have a great group of kids. We have a luau tonight-basically a game night with leis! We sing, we dance, we laugh, we build relationships with our students and helpers! We are truly " a sweet aroma" as well as salt and light and many other things!

We walk at least 1-2 hours per day from building to building, carrying armloads of supplies. Every minute is accounted for, from 7 am to at least 9 pm- then in our free time we prepare for the next day, wash our clothes in the sink, and sometimes even prank a teammate, but I can't say much about that! Our NLG team is great-everyone has been well. Getting over jet lag and adjusting to high elevation was not fun but we are great.

Our food is good (!) - Jason Pauff had the biggest chicken foot in his soup today-what a hoot!! We keep finding treasures- someone stumbled upon a coffee shop and that is the hot new spot when we have a free moment! Our lodging is "serviceable" let's say- you really wouldn't want to vacation here - haha- but it is fine for our purpose! Gotta run- off to afternoon activities- continue to think of us and ask for protection and fruitfulness and favor and team unity and good health! Xie xie :) love to all- Ceeeeeendy

2 Days Down..

The luau was a great hit - lots of parents came to watch. Apparently watching Americans do the limbo is more interesting than you might think! The kids are great- the little ones (5 & 6!) are a handful but they are impossibly cute-and smart! The older ones = hilarious! No where in America would 18 year old boys color and make birthday hats - but here, wonderful creativity and big smiles!

Everyone is remarkably well- exhausted- but well! We had "mien pien". for lunch today- I am sure I butchered the spelling but it was a Muslim dish, a spicy stew with square noodles. We topped that with a totally ITALIAN dinner- yes, I said Italian- authentic from anchovie to ziti- yummy and cheap- Angie and I ate two huge meals with COLD soda for under $15- so good. Such a treat! Justin had tiramisu - haha! It was a sweet moment to rest after a long hot day!

We literally run from place to place with bags and boxes a-flutter. No free-time, well, ever, except for an odd evening off now and again. Somehow our cool breezy paradise had a random heat wave and it was 93 today -yikes, no a/c, rooms on the 5th floor -yuck! It is also very active- dance, sports, games in the heat- PTL for college boys! Although....our favorite sports helper is a 72 year old man- the kids love him and he plays a mean game of basketball! Wow!

Former students are tracking us down- three kids from my class in '08 stopped by today with a cake they made for me - and a watermelon! Soooo precious. These kids take relationships very seriously and we keep in touch as we can. One boy is headed to the top university in the nation. Imagine his future- what a privilege to be counted his friend!

Being on a college campus every day, we see every part of society-from the very western businessmen and their shiny cars, to the well-dressed ladies in their high heels scurrying to work. The grandparents walking precious little toddlers. The elderly gathered on the grassy curbs, talking, visiting, laughing, enjoying the community. Young kids, zipping by on bikes or in packs, playing in the sun. Workers passed out under trees and carts, catching a nap in the hot sun. Little ladies sweeping the streets or selling their wares. Groups of men, cigarettes hanging out of their mouths, shirts rolled up so their bellies hang out, shooting the breeze on the corners. People ballroom dancing on the patios, teens rapping on the sidewalks, toddlers squealing as they play in the fountain! What a picture of life, community, and a people so impossibly different from us, yet the same on the inside. And loved and valued just as we are.
Still trying to post photos. I have to type out the blog on my blackberry (in my hot room, with my mosquito coil burning, laying on my inch-thick mattress with my bottle of warm water-lol) , then because the website is blocked (!) I forward it to my husband via email, who posts it to the blog. We feel like we have to download the photos from my camera to Jason's laptop, wait with dial-up internet, email them to don and hope he knows how to post them! Crazy! Keep thinking of us- we talk about "back home" a lot and miss our "normal" lives, but this is a wonderful chance to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves and our little daily piece of the journey! Hugs, miss Cindy and the X-Team!

Traumatic Tuesday!

Traumatic Tuesday!

Please don't stop remembering us each day!! We have dodged several bullets -well, not literal bullets, I thought maybe I should clarify :) - and I know for a fact that it has been the Hand of Protection over us. We had a child injured today- a 5-year-old- in, of all places, the craft activity- not in sports or running on the concrete or tripping while playing basketball- not even stabbed by craft scissors or poked with a pin - just a weird freak accident that I really can't go into via this venue. PTL, the child could have been seriously injured but he left with only a few scratches, his parents think he is fine, and he came to the evening activity - just Laura and I are still traumatized. Wow.

Otherwise, the classes are great, the team is the healthiest, happiest, most capable, servants I can remember. We have about 6-8 teen/college boys on our team and they won't let us carry a thing, they send us first through the meal lines and treat us like queens. Precious! Many of our former students are stopping in to visit- so great to see! These long-term relationships are wonderful - and fruitful!

I have some delightful pictures I will try to share when we can sync all the technology : Angie playing the hula hoop game, Justin jumping rope at the luau, Jason s dressed like Gilligan for our luau, Laura walking through a fountain, Jason p fishing out a GIANT chicken foot, complete with toenails, from his giant vat of soup at lunch, the team in our Hawaiian best for our game night and many more! We are having a great camp- please, as you can see, we need lots of partners at home !! Love from the X-Team!

First Day of School!

Classes started today. So far, things are looking better than I have ever seen! Great staff, great kids, great helpers, great weather- yes, the days are long and strenuous but the kids are worth it all. Precious!! Today we start the afternoon activities- Justin is on the 4th floor, Jason on the 5th- yikes!! I got the stinky room again- yeah for me and Laura!! My kids are awesome- so excited and happy! Angie got a new boy today- his English name is Tom Hanks. Need I say more? She has over 20 kids + several other jobs, plus the mosquitoes love her!! JP starts music today- he has been making friends all over town! Jason and Laura brought 8 suitcases so you know we have plenty of supplies :) they are awesome, as usual!! All is well- keep thinking of us and expecting great things!

Nihao! It is Angie, serving as Cindy's secretary for the day. I must take a moment to brag because we heard the weather in Columbus is 94... Well here it is in the low 70s with the most amazing breeze. Somehow I think many of you will sign up to join us in the future based on that alone! This morning was the opening ceremony for camp. We walked into a room full of about a hundred Chinese students|, every one cuter than the next! Class one is full of the tiniest little kids-cant speak a lick of English but they sure are precious...I'm currently throwing out clothes so that I can make room to fit one in my suitcase. I'm sort of kidding. After the ceremony we headed over to the school where our classes are held. Remember this is the land of the stair. I trudged up four flights of stairs to my classroom. Keep in mind we are at very high elevation so we get winded in no time. I am just thinking of China as a stellar weight loss program! I met with my class for the first time and I could not be more excited. I have a bunch of giggling 15-18 year olds, plus a teaching assistant with the best jersey accent ever. From southerners to jersey girls, we are excited to hear what our students will pick up! My students seem awesome-im especially amused by my students names this year- I have a girl named Hello Kitty and a boy named RU2. China is such an interesting place! Well I am headed to lunch- the rumor is that we have the exact same meal for lunch and dinner every day for 1o days: eggs and tomatoes, veggies, rice, and questionable chicken chunks. Where's general tso's you need it?? Everyone is doing great! We will check back in soon!

Nihao from across the ocean! After about 33 hours of travel, including a luxurious 4 hour stay at the newark airport, we arrived at our camp sweaty and exhausted! The weather was breezy mid-60's though so that was awesome! We are all checked in- our rooms are...ummmm.... Adequate. Yes. Adequate is good. Another team has communal showers, one shower every other day, and squattie potties! So we are happy enough! Lol!

Everyone made it here with no lost baggage- even a boy from va who had surgery was cleared to come in a few days! Everything is quite a walk- that + the thin air at 8000 feet means tired people. And the stairs- oh my! Bedroom on 4th floor, classrooms on 5th floor, several blocks to the campus and meals several times a day-what a fitness program! Jason P got the bachelor pad off campus with our chinese assistant- I am sure he will have some great stories!

Internet has been hard to get- forgive us. The blackberry has made a tremendous recovery and I am blogging in the dark on a 2-inch screen! Tomorrow is the opening ceremony plus setting up our classrooms and working with our felllow teachers. Think about us as we head into looooong days, lots of walking, unfamiliar surroundings- wow. Lots to overcome but we are happy to be here! Talk to you soon! Cindy and the X-team!

RIP Global Blackberry :(

Here is GB driving with me through Uganda - what a faithful friend. RIP Global Blackberry.... China just won't be the same without you...

6am...6am.....6am...

We meet at the airport at 6 am. I want to know why flights can't all leave at noon? Most of our team is probably doing what I am doing right now - obsessively trying to squash more and more stuff into our 50 lb bags.... I have to report a casualty that has really sent me into a tizzy - if you know me at all, you know I am attached to my Blackberry night and day - riding through the jungles of Uganda or on the streets of Paris, I am listening for that little beep. It makes me feel safe and connected to the world. My "port" is dying and it died too late for me to get a replacement phone. SO. breathe deeply. I may. be. on.a. mountain.in China. without.my. appendage... No checking Facebook. No blogging from a bus on a curvy road. No quick email while waiting in line at the Forbidden City. More than one person has implied divine justice. Perhaps. It probably IS an idol, certainly too important. But I must admit - I will give it CPR until the last bit of battery juice drains from it's sleek silver frame. Yes, we have other phones, we have a laptop, we have a phone store next door to our campus where I can use a community phone with a hoard of locals watching me with great delight. But it won't be the same. Sleep well good soldier - you have served me well. Give me three more weeks Global Phone...I am begging you.

Okay - enough of that - think of us as we fly off tomorrow. We have a good 36 hours or more of travel from Port Columbus to our final destination. We will be exhausted, smelly, giddy with sleep deprivation, starving, and bleary-eyed but excited to begin our camp. Last year we had donkey burgers on the plane - wonder what awaits us this year?? Follow our antics - we NEED your "thoughts",your comments, your cheers. Three weeks in a foreign land is a long time! Follow our friends in Uganda and Louisville as well - love you guys♥♥♥

Two More Weeks - Eeeeek!!

We have approached panic time. We have 2 weeks to go before we leave for Ch♥n♥a and most of us need to finish (or START!) our curriculum, pack everything we need to run a camp for 3 weeks into one (ONE!!!) 50 lb bag each, tie up all the loose ends here at home - leave notes and directions, find a dog sitter, switch on the int'l data pkg, and on and on..... This is definitely the craziest time of the trip - once we endure that 14 hour flight (ugh!!) and then another flight and get to our camp (after travelling about 36 hours or so, non-stop!!) and kick-off our camp we'll be doing GREAT! "Think" about us as we prepare and ask the HS to give us extra energy and clear thinking plus safe travel and efficient packing and good planning for camp. That we are open and available to all we might encounter and that the HS would go before us and prepare our way. We want to be a "sweet aroma" to those we meet, as well as light and salt - ask, too, for team unity and obedience and a great measure of love for our students! We'll update as we can - sometimes we find a computer in every corner, sometimes we have to huddle over a ch♥nese keyboard and hope the dial-up works - lol.

Welcome to Team X

Hey Kids- it's Blog Time with Aunt Cindy :) Time to pack our bags, pack our wet-wipes and oatmeal packets, our Scrabble games and English word searches and take a nice leisurely flight across the ocean! We'll go into the security involved with our trip and our blog, our team mates, our fundraising escapades, and more. Team X clearly refers to our destination city, which I hope you know since I may not use it here. We are far more undercover and stealthy, almost spy-like than you might imagine, just to protect people far down the link from us. We'll be vague yet comforting - YOU be tight-lipped and encouraging. Everything we do is monitored (WINK!!) so even though we sound like kooks, we are speaking in a circle for a reason! Well, more to come, including photos and updates, instructions and information for the team NOW, then for YOU, our friends, relatives, and ministry partners back home! For today, you can pr*y for my visa- I am in Embassy Limbo, which is not a good place to be :( Do you think Nation X has heard of the famous Uganda sword-smuggling story and they don't want me in their nation??? Yikes!