10.22

Well, Barb and I got to the island at 1.

And I was told I’d be teaching English at 10 am.

So I go, completely unprepared… I don’t even know what a kindergarten English class looks like! Let alone the material, or way I’m supposed to present it.

The teachers just yell at me afterwards, and make sure I’m aware that they’re aware I’ve obviously never taught children before. Hmmm. Welcome to China, eh?

I go the next day, and it’s a bit better. I feel like I know what I’m doing a bit more, which really isn’t saying much.

And now Ivy, that same teacher that kept yelling at me, asks if I’m her friend.

I assure I most certainly am, and she proceeds to ask me how old I am, if I’m married, and how she’s hopeless because she’s now a whopping 25 and still single.
So that was from 10-11 in the morning, then from 2:30-4:30 I teach English at an after school college program.

I was instructed to simply play a question game; where they can ask me any question, in English, and I answer them.

Just for them to get to hear, and actually use what English they do know, to some use.

One of the boys asked me if I have a boyfriend.

I don’t really know how to easily sum that one up for my best friends back home!

Let alone 50-60 17 year olds, with a 2nd grade English comprehension level.

I haven’t stopped sweating since I got here.

Or showered in over 2 weeks, at that.

I love the people in the house. And the schools. And the kids… I just love people.

Tim dropped me off at the college to teach today and told me I had to walk back home.

Alone.

In china.

3 miles.

I get lost in St. George.

So after school I walk back, and after asking directions a couple times, I do make it back safely to the house.

As I’m walking through the gate, Tim pulls up behind me on his motorcycle, and exclaims, ‘not bad for a rookie!’

Apparently he had been following me the whole time to make sure I could do it, but to not cause me to depend on him to be my crutch.

Everyone is constantly drinking bubble tea, and staring at me.
‘Coffee night’ was awesome. I didn’t really know what to expect… but it’s funny how comfortable I immediately feel when surrounded by believers and espresso.

Being here is kind of everything, and nothing I imagined it to be all at once.

I’m covered in bug bites, - I think today’s count was in the upper 20’s, and I loathe the relentless stench of mold, due the leaking roof around me.

I love the food, and the way we eat it.

It hasn’t stopped raining since I got here.

Which is weird to me with this previously inexperienced humidity.
I found a secret note from my mom hidden in my Bible today.

It must run in the family, because I did the same thing for my dad and Ivan before I left.
I hope I never get to the place where I consider it… convenient, or easy to serve the Lord.

Because it should never be.

Yet what a complete joy, and privilege it is that God Himself would choose to use this unworthy, and inexperienced vessel.

Gal. 6:9-10 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

hong kong

so, after that last blog about being able to take the flight that next morning with the layover in tokyo... didnt really play out like that.

i did fly to la from vegas, was about to get on my flight to tokyo, and they told me i couldnt. and i'd have to pick up my baggage, go down to ticketing, and do it all again.

for the 3rd time.

by the time the airplane has been waiting a good 40 minutes for the workers to dig my bags out of the bottom of the plane, deliver them to me, walk the 3 huge buildings down to ticketing... i was crying like a baby. just frustrated... not really stressed out, just upset. i'm supposed to have been in hong kong for over 24 hours by now, and i'm in la. having to check my bags again.

after going back and forth from china airlines, to american airlines, back to china airlines again, [with no help from american air, whom were the cause of all this mishap in the first place...] i finally get my new tickets, and am once again flying to taiwan for my layover.

man. that was a long day.

i get to hong kong, collect my belongings, and find barbara!

i dont think i've ever been so happy to see someone in my life.

we take the train, then the bus, then a taxi... to her friends house in hong kong where we'll be staying for a few days, and i get the sweetest sleep possible, known to man.

so these last few days barb and i have just been hanging out in hong kong with niki and brandy.

went to a wonderful [tourist] church on sunday, and learned a bit about prayer. ate at a traditional chinese restaurant and learned how to eat every meal 'family style.'

my mom would love this.

got to go to victoria peak and look over the beautiful skyline view of hong kong, take the star ferry across, and walk down temple street, bargaining my way through the best deals ever.

it's 6 in the morning now, and i've been up since 4. due going to bed at 8 pm.

i think it's safe to say i'm a bit jet lagged?

we're going to get some sushi today, drink our last starbucks for a good 4 months, and possibly hit an art museum before flying to the island tonight.

i guess now the REAL fun begins.

airplanes

part 1

even getting TO the plane, the Lord has continually been pouring His grace upon me.

so first, at the check counter, my 2 checked bags were only 80 dollars each, rather than 100 each, as was expected. hey. 40 extra bucks? yes please.

the lady at the counter, evelynn cierra, goes to hong kong every february and was saying how she should bring my mom for 1/2 off with her. so we exchanged emails for the possibility of doing just that.

evelynn then let BOTH my parents walk me to the gate. which is usually not allowed at all. if you have a child traveling under the age of 14, then one parent can walk them. but never both. with a 20 years old, at that.

praise the Lord.

so, they got to come through security with me, which meant they got to carry some of my carry on baggage through, which means they didnt think ALL of those bags were mine, forcing me to leave something behind. and trust me. i had a lot more than what is allowed on.

but not with my parents...!

He is worthy.

so we go through security and my pump didnt go off in the metal detector, forcing me to get a wand down. this was the first time i didnt have to get checked. ever. in 10 years.

they didnt open my carry on luggage or go through my purse. filled with juice, insulin and even needles. if they would have had to go through it, it's fine, i have my doctors note that makes me exempt, it would have just taken 40 extra minutes, and a lot of hassled explaining.

but didnt have to do any of that. just walked on through.

God is so good.

so my parents walk me to the gate, spend some time together, pray for me, and leave. the meter at the car being like 60 dollars overdue, and the late check out at their hotel causing them to pay for another night, due the unexpected time spent being able to come down with me.

they got to the car, and no ticket! and didnt even have to pay for another night.

my backpack barely fit in the overhead, after some rearranging, but it fit nonetheless.

man. i serve an AWESOME God.

and i'm pretty stoked to see what He does these next 4.8 months.

part 2

so... this all happened at like 12;15 pm.

by 1 pm, i was still sitting in the plane that was supposed to have departed by 11;45 am.

they told us over the loudspeaker how we would all have to exit the plane, pick up our baggage, and re-ticket because "unfortunately, this plane wont be flying to LA any longer."

i had to get off, carry everything down, get a hold of my parents before they were too far out of vegas, pick up my baggage, meet up with the parentals, and go stand in line again. that same never ending line from before.

as i'm getting more and more frustrated, the Lord was reminding me how i had been praising Him only 30 minutes earlier for the great things He was doing. and if i would continue to praise Him for His greatness even when it seems everything was now for nothing.

and i choose to say yes. :]

as my mom and i are standing in line for the ticket counter again, the woman in front of me looks upset so i try to make conversation with her. find out she is a christian missionary from thailand! pretty sweet.

we get up to the counter and plan it so we get to see evelyn again. she sets me up with my new flights, for the next day, gives us a free hotel night, and lunch.

so NOW... instead of flying

vegas->la->taipai->hong kong-> hainan,

now i'll be leaving tomorrow morning, and going

vegas->la->tokyo->hong kong->hainan.

with the possibility of a first class upgrade due my overnight layover?

either way.

through the checking the baggage again, going through all the security again, and hoping my carry on finds a home in the overhead compartments once more...

i will continue to praise.

psalm 7.17