Sunday, June 24, 2007

Little Footage

So I am still just learning how to post certain things... I kind of miss the Xanga site. Anyways, thought I would share a couple of video clips that I have taken this semester...

My sister Feng Li had her senior year performance a couple of weeks ago. We are always so blown away by her voice when we get together and her concert was no exception. Hope you enjoy a littile opera.

On Saturday night we went to the dam to see a performance. It was pretty spectacular! Lights, costumes, acrobatics, just everything! The foreign affairs took all the foreign teachers.. we are pretty lucky here to have such a great foreign affairs office.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Emmie


This week we lost a dear friend and family member, Emma Ruth Fox. We affectionately called her "Emmie." In the last few months Emmie suffered a lot from memory loss and cancer. I was told she did die peacefully though.
Being away from home the past few days has not been very easy. This is the first time I have lost someone that I consider to be close to. (Too young to really remember GG's funeral and death.) I would like to think that I am a strong person, but I don't remember feeling like this ever. I am blessed to have good friends here in Yichang who really have reached out. Peach stayed was here when I found out and did not leave my side the first day. Amy came over in between classes to sit with me. Seheno and Katie came up with ideas of how to grieve. Dawson brought flowers. Kim left sweet notes. Brad spent a lot of time with me and literally offered his shoulder. I feel kind of silly and needy, but I am so grateful too. Grieving is something I don't think I am good at. I like to be strong and right now this is something I am not.
I wish all of you could know Emmie. She had a love for traveling, cooking and reading. She especially loved western books by Louis L'Amour. I remember receiving wonderful postcards from her travels and I loved sending them to her because she would have a nice appreciation of them. Her kitchen always smelled so good! But out of all the things I will remember Emmie for it will be her servant heart.
My mom was given her first copy of The Giving Tree by Emmie. I cannot help but think how appropriate. Emmie was always the first to step up and give anything and everything she could. She ALWAYS put others first and never gave it a second thought. She offered me a place to stay for awhile when times were not so good. She sent money for mission trips, baked a meal for those experiencing hard times, offered great advice (to whoever who would listen... especially to customers at the art shop!) and gave wonderful hugs. Emmie knew how to live a good life... putting the Father first and being a servant. She is an example of how we should strive to live.
We lost a dear, dear woman this week, but Heaven gained another saint.
Love you Emmie.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Whew... weekend adventures!

This past weekend was quite busy...

Friday night we had a swing dance party for Amy's birthday. Swing dancing is to Amy as milk is to me! Important!!! All of us girls had new skirts made for the occasion. Students and other teachers turned out for the big night. We rented a dance studio room on campus and decorated it like a high school dance complete with Christmas lights, balloons, dancing quotes and some pictures of Amy dancing with her friends back in the States. Amy taught us some moves and then we did the Cha Cha Slide and Macerana. I think everybody had a great time!





Saturday morning Katie, Kim, Brad and I got up early and headed to Wuhan for the weekend. Once getting there we all headed out in our own directions. I spent the weekend with Janell and the Lewis girls who were in town visiting. We had dinner at this amazing Hawaiian restaurant, the Aloha Diner. They had chicken enchiladas and milkshakes. I even got a peppermint Oreo shake!!! Heaven! It is always interesting to hear what all is going on in other cities and around the country. Good things are happening!!! Wish I could write more...






On Sunday after saying goodbye to the girls, I met back up with the others. We tracked down some medicine for Brad... that was huge blessing! Went to Metro to get some supplies and went back to Aloha Diner. For the first time ever I was thinking we had made a successful trip to Wuhan that was also fun! But oh no... then came the bus ride home... What was supposed to be a 3 and half hour trip, turned into a late night/early morning excursion. We got on the bus at 8:30pm and got home at 2am! Yikes! The bus was cramped, hot and we had an accident when we got into the city limits. However, I can say it was a great weekend...


Monday, June 18, 2007

A Little Warfare


Being in a foreign country for a fair amount of time brings the best and worst out of a person. Some days you just feel plain old bi-polar. The past month I think the best and worst have come out in all of us foreigners. Some days I can feel the Evil attack when I wake up. Some days though I am on top of the world because of a conversation I had with someone questioning. I guess though now that we have plane tickets in our hands it is coming out more. We want to get home, but at the same time time is going by too quickly to get all the things we want done. Keep us in your Thoughts as we finish up. My Thought.. "Keep us pressing on to the goal. Let peace fall on us and our relationships. Let us be prepared to do battle when we need to. Most of all keep us near to You."

Friday, June 15, 2007

My Little China Family


When we went to visit our friends the Mosbys last summer in Alabama, we met some wonderful people. I met the people I would come to know as my China family, the Lewis family.
Jeremy, Rena, Antasia, Courtny and Breanna have been very special to me. I spent a week with them at Christmas. I visited them for a girls retreat and then this past weekend they came to Yichang. We always have a good time together and they remind me of my family back home in the States.
They will be moving back to Washington next weekend and it is bittersweet to see them leave. I know where ever this family will go, they will add much joy to their surroundings. They have brought so much joy to my life. Love you guys!!!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

A Little Reminder...

selfish adj. overly concerned with one's own interests, etc. and having little concern for others

servant n. a person devoted to another or to a cause

One of these definitions is why we came here. With just one month until we head back to the States and this being the longest semester any of us have had, it is easy to snap into the other word. We are human and easily slide into wasted time, bad attitudes, and feeling sorry for ourselves. However, we are here with purpose. If we truly are the servants as set forth by the greatest example then we will hand over our selfish ways and become people with pure hearts.

Right now I think we all need reminding of this including me...

Monday, June 4, 2007

Library Paradise?

I was told today that our library is the third largest in China... While I am not totally sure that is accurate, it is huge!

Anyone who knows me well, knows how much I love to read...

Big library+ Beth= Much happiness
Big library+Beth + everything in Chinese= Much disappointment

A math equation that even I can solve :)

Sunday, June 3, 2007

Summary

"I should like to spend my whole life traveling, if only I could borrow another to spend at home" - William Blake

Friday, June 1, 2007

The Dog With Nine Lives

In a little over a month we will be headed back to the States and our little dog is in desperate need of a home. What you may not know is that we (the owners) are also in desperate need of finding him a home permanently.

Currently Who-Dey lives at each of our homes for two weeks before he goes on to the next. While it seemed like a good idea...shared responsibility, cleaner homes and such... it turned into such a bad idea. He is not trained well and as soon as he gets used to one home time for him to go. We decided we would just find him one home he could live at happily.

Since it was my turn to watch him, I searched like crazy to find him a place before my week. After 3 phone calls my wish was granted. He would not even have to stay one night at my house! :) Mengmeng came and got him. We were a little sad, but happy overall with the situation.

Very same night I get a message. He has not eaten all day. He was throwing up and crying, sitting beside the door. I told her to stick it out and call me in the morning. Nice and early the next morning I got the call that he was coming back. :(

Last night Who-Dey was delivered to my door just in time to watch a little Project Runway with Amy and Brad. After passing the worst gas EVER, our dog decided to run out the door when they were leaving. We looked around for awhile and then just let it go. Maybe it was for the best...

This morning I told Dawson what had happened and told him that if Who-Dey showed back up just to call and I would come get him. About five minutes later Dawson called. Who-Dey was terrorizing the second floor of his building where some of our friends live. So currently, the dog that has nine lives is sitting under a chair in my living room.

If anyone wants a dog let me know... ;)

* note for all parents and those who will lecture: We do realize our stupidity in making the decision of getting a dog. We blame it on the fact that we are still growing up... and he had tiger stripes!!!! TIGER STRIPES!!!! You cannot pass that up...