Starbucks just opened in Harbin!!!!!

Today was a very special day. After the usual unusualness of the day, the most unusual thing of all happened: I did something I used to usually do but in a really unusual fashion. Let me explain.

When we finished working this afternoon, Dan, Laura, and I went to Starbucks to hang out. Normal thing to do, right? Usually, yes. In America, yes, this is normal. But no. Not normal. VERY special.

The best way to describe what transpired this evening is that I took part in a pilgrimage to a sacred space. The three of us ventured out into the cold, dark night, crossing the street in front of our school, skillfully navigating our way across the flow of cars and buses. We found a taxi and began our journey. 

The first stop on our journey was at another university, where we joined our friends and travelling companions. We had a Chinese “guide” – a student friend from the other university – who helped us get reliable transportation. Our driver brought us near to the site, but we had to finish the journey on foot. As we neared our destination, our hearts grew bright with anticipation and we danced and sang as we walked down the street (Literally. That really happened). At long last we spotted the beautifully familiar green and white sign, a symbol to us of the familiar, the known, the reliably wonderful.

SHOUTS of joy escaped our lips, Dan and Shelley sprinted across the street, and we posed for pictures in front of the building. We were filled with joy, peace, and utter delight. Walking inside, we were overjoyed and relieved by the familiar sights, sounds (American Christmas music), and smells (COFFEE). No matter what chaos and noise we meet outside on the street, in that building there is a haven of peace and rest. We had reached the destination of our pilgrimage.

There's a SQUIRREL on that cup!!!!

The whole time, we were thanking and praising our Father, our Creator, our Savior – the One who gives and loves far more abundantly than we deserve.

I wish I were exaggerating, but I’m also really glad that I’m not. I’m so grateful for tonight, for the rest and comfort found in familiar spaces and foods, for the joy and blessing of fellowship with good friends, for the surprise of meeting new friends – Angela, the student from Lin Da and a family who is studying Chinese at another university in town, whose lovely daughter we were more than happy to play with for about an hour.

Perhaps some of you think it is absurd to refer to this outing as a pilgrimage, maybe rightly so. But tonight really was spiritually significant. No, I don’t worship the god of coffee, and Starbucks is not a temple; but there is something holy in what happens in coffee shops. There is fellowship, camaraderie, peace, and healing to be found sitting among friends and strangers, talking and laughing, enjoying delicious beverages. This is perhaps what I have missed most since coming to China.

There are few coffee shops here, we have few opportunities to visit them, and most of them are not conducive to sitting and talking for long periods of time. It was worth the time, the effort, and the money it took to make this glorious evening possible, to visit this newly opened beacon of rest and peace and predictability in the midst of a city and a people in desperate need of those things. No, Starbucks is not the answer to people’s problems. Yes, I am GLAD they are here in Harbin.

Thank you, Starbucks, for this delightful Chinglish.

Today Osama Bin Laden Gave Me Ice Cream... ?

Today has been one of those days that, looking back, seems less like reality, more like a crazy, disjointed dream. 

This morning, I woke to the usual marching music (the freshmen run to inspirational, patriotic music every morning at 6). Unfortunately I woke with remnants of the stress-induced chest and back pain that had started last night in response to a conflict with the leadership. I rolled out of bed, and prepared for my day, spending time reading scripture and calling out for wisdom and strength. 

I don’t often check my email first thing in the morning… but today I did. Waiting for me were two messages, each conveying the same bad news that left me longing to help, longing to be present, but frustratingly separated in space and time from people who are very dear to me. Fortunately, across the hall was a teammate to pray with, who – as it turns out – needed a hug herself.

Feeling a little disoriented as I headed to teach, I ran into three guys in my class. After the usual awkwardly delightful greeting (Me: Hello! Students…… Ah, hello, Teacher! Me: How are you today? Students ……. FINE!!) they ran past me to the shop down the way from my apartment. A few minutes later, I heard from behind me, growing steadily louder “Teacher!! TEEEEEEACHAAAAAH!!!” Before I knew what was happening, my student Laden (yes, that's short for Osama Bin Laden) was handing me ice cream (yes, it was 5 degrees this morning) and insisting on carrying my backpack for me…

It was so startling!  And it was SUCH a blessing. They have no idea how perfect that was.

And then... class was great. I’m teaching about Christmas this week (a bit early, perhaps) and I’ve been singing Silent Night to my classes. They loved it.  : ) We did other stuff, too, but that part was really fun.

After class, I went to lunch with students from one of my other classes. Over lunch, I learned about their families, their lives as students here, their anxiety over the driving test they will take this weekend, their opinions about cultural differences between China, Japan, and America, and many other things. After a while, there was a lull in the conversation and they said, “So, teacher, Monday you told us about the Christmas story. We really want to know more about this Jesus. Please tell us more.” So I did.  

We will be hanging out again soon. We have vague plans to cook together. Please lift us up in that; I have no idea how to cook.

After lunch, my team had our faculty meeting, followed by a long conversation and the resolution of the stressful situation that induced the chest and back pain. I am happy to say that more air has been cleared between myself and Dan, and I am again hopeful for forward progress. We shall see. 

In the evening, two of my Chinese friends came over to study the Book with me, and I had the pleasure of affirming them in their faith, encouraging them to walk and speak with confidence, and teaching them some of the things I have learned over the past few years. I believe the three of us are embarking on a really excellent journey together, and I can’t wait to see where He takes us!

Like I said, it has been one of those days. I plan to remember it as: 

“The day Osama Bin Laden gave me ice cream.”

Coming out of the woods

Over the past month, I have tried to write countless times, wanting to share all that has transpired. But it seems like every time I sit down to write, all of the words fall out of my head before my fingers can start moving.

It’s the end of November, and the team is tired. Since I last wrote we found out that yet another week has been shaved off of the end of our semester. For that I am SO grateful. I am preparing my students for their final performances (re-enacting scenes from movies they like) and teaching them about Christmas. JOY!! We will have all our grades turned in by December 23^rd, leaving us completely free to simply enjoy Christmas.

Actually… we have already started to enjoy Christmas! We had Friday off for Thanksgiving, and after Skyping with all of our families, decorations went up and Christmas tunes filled the air. We spent Saturday at another school with the rest of the city team, enjoying fellowship and an awesomely satisfying Thanksgiving potluck. I’m thankful for Lauren Ketron and her stuffing recipe that defies words. I’m thankful to Laura Baker and her scrumptious apple pie. I’m thankful to Kayla Mini for helping me make my first casserole ever. I’m thankful for many other things, but these three were on my mind (maybe because it is almost lunch time).

Since it has been so long, I want to catch you up on all that has happened this month… or at least the highlights.

·         I have become friends with a Chinese teacher named Alice who is absolutely delightful. We meet every week to work on my Chinese and to work on her English, and then we have lunch together. This week we started really getting into our stories. I’m excited to get to know her better! 

·         Last week my team visited a teaching team in Siping where we had awesome time with the people there (including some delightful small children). We also visited an orphanage, and observed some of their classes. Great long weekend (even though we had to make up the classes we missed).

·         I am starting to meet weekly with my two Chinese Sisters to study and praise together! 

I am also excited to announce that I have been ACCEPTED to Harding School of Theology!! What that means … I will most likely be back in Memphis next year, starting work on a Master of Arts in Counseling.

From now on, I will try to write more often. They tell me things get easier once you make it through November…

What do you mean there are only five weeks until finals!?!

I just got a text from Dan: “Vincent’s decree: ‘First question: teaching will end on 9^th of december, finals start on 12nd and end on 23^rd…’”

What? The original schedule says that we teach until December 23rd and that finals last through January 6th. Here I was, thinking that I was halfway through the semester with 8 weeks under my belt only to find out that we only have 5 to go. That leaves me feeling ambivalent. I am incredibly grateful that we will not have to run the dreaded academic marathon! (12 weeks with no holidays did not sound appealing… We don’t teach on Christmas and Thanksgiving, but we have to make up the classes.) … However, I am more than a little sad to have so few weeks left with my students.

I just realized how I need to shift my teaching to more effectively serve their needs and interests! I am just getting to know them! At this point, there is no way of knowing whether or not I will be teaching any of the same students next semester, and the thought that I will not get to see my students (even my Monday classes) every week is a sad thought.

In a conversation with a friend this week, I was reminded that every moment of our journey is precious. Not only the grand things in which we get to walk, but the day-to-day drudgery and work that we are called to walk through. I missed that for a few weeks, dreading my classes and celebrating their completion each day. But now I find myself rejoicing in the process, even on days like today when I am reworking my lesson, frantically making copies, and completely unsure of what class will be like as my lesson comes off my paper and interacts with however many of my 79 students decide to show up today.

So, with this new perspective, and with the very unexpected news that our semester is nearly over… We cannot afford to be anything other than fully present.

Please be lifting us up:

that we may daily live in the joy and the hope of following the One who has called us and made us new;

that we may always have praise and truth on our lips, making the most of each opportunity;

that we may fully appreciate the gifts of this year, especially those we have previously mistaken for burdens.

For as the rain and snow come down... (Is. 55)

I woke up this morning to the gentle patter of rain on the street below my apartment. Yellow and red leaves blanket the ground and cling to the trees, glowing vibrant and alive in the midst of a dim and gray morning. Admiring the contrast, believing there could be nothing more beautiful, giant snowflakes have started to fall amidst the rain! It’s been too warm for the snow to stick, so it’s just tumbling to the ground, beautiful and bright.

Fall has been nothing like what I thought it would be here in Harbin. Everyone warned us that it would be extremely cold, tedious, and discouraging. But our October has been anything but those things! The weather has been warm, our jobs have provided continual challenges (rather than growing dull), and our relationships – with our teammates, students, and colleagues – have been blossoming and rapidly growing roots. In the past week alone, so much has happened that I can hardly believe this is real life.

Last weekend, our team cooked breakfast (the ever-popular: pancakes and bacon!) for the foreign teachers who live on our floor (the second floor where Laura, Lauren, and I all live). Some of the Russian teachers were unable to come, but we had a full apartment and a wonderful time despite their absence. We had our whole team (minus Dan), Gary the French teacher, Irena the Russian teacher, and the Korean couple that lives at the end of the hall. We had a wonderful time getting to know each other, learning new words in languages we didn’t plan to learn this year, and enjoying the irony of the French teacher translating between Chinese and English for everyone. We left breakfast overjoyed and excited by our new friendships and by the invitation our Korean neighbors extended to us to join them at their fellowship the next day. Everything was in Korean, but it was SO lovely to be there, and they have invited us to sing with them at Christmas time… or any time!

I spent Saturday afternoon with two of my students, Summer and Eve. We rode the bus to Central Street, talking the whole way. We did some shopping and saw the beautiful St. Sofia Cathedral. It was a beautiful day of building friendships and I look forward to spending more time with both of these delightful ladies!

Monday, my day went nothing like I had planned. Through a series of events and requests that were beyond my control, I found myself facilitating community for two of my friends who previously did not have any friends with the same beliefs. They were both in my class, but they had never met each other. I hope I never forget the way they greeted one another – though strangers, they hugged and talked as long-separated sisters. It was incredibly rich and beautiful. Sitting with one of them in the dining hall, she shared with me that she had been very lonely, longing for a friend who could really understand her. None of us planned for that to happen on Monday, but I’m so glad that it did.

The story gets better.

 As we sat together sharing really deep thoughts over dinner, I saw Gary the French teacher looking for a place to sit. I smiled and waved, and he joined us, clearly recognizing the weight of the conversation we were having, but so longing to eat with someone he knew that he weathered the awkward moment. I introduced everyone, the girls recovered from their shock at not knowing students study French at this school, and then they proceeded to engage Gary at a depth of conversation that we Americans had not dared to attempt yet. I look forward to watching those girls become better friends, and I also look forward to seeing how our community impacts Gary this year.

There is so much more that I could share, but I will save it for another time. Just know that He is good, that He is doing beautiful things in the lives of people here, and that we need you to continue talking to Him on our behalf. J

The Best Cure for Homesickness: pancakes with students and good friends

This morning I woke up, put the kettle on for tea, opened up my journal and wrote the date: October 8^th. My dad’s birthday. This triggered a wave of memories – German chocolate cake, fried chicken with rice and white gravy, family jokes about floor mats, my parents’ smiling faces as they gaze around a room full of their children… It hit me that this is the fifth year in a row that I have missed my dad’s birthday – a sad realization, to be sure. For the first time since I got to China, I was really homesick this morning – not just missing people, but wishing I could be there instead of here. I was wishing that I could get up early and go with my parents to get cinnamon rolls at Vern’s and then spend the day hanging out, waiting for everyone to come over for dinner, maybe watching some college football… enjoying family.

After spending some time in the Word and talking with the Father, I went across the hall to help Lauren finish getting ready for her students. She had invited a group of her students over for breakfast, wanting to provide a taste of comfort and home for her students who had not gotten to go home for the October holiday. Wes and I helped Lauren finish cooking the pancakes and bacon, getting everything ready for the students who were on their way.

Six girls – all students of Miss Lauren and Mr. Wes – showed up together, all smiles and all awkward. At first. : ) It took a little work, but we convinced them that they should all sit down and let us serve them. We brought out the food, poured them juice, prayed over the meal, and Lauren gave a brief tutorial on how to prepare and eat pancakes. The students had never had butter before… Today they learned that they really like butter! The girls loved the food and were soon feeling at home enough to joke, play, and ask serious questions.

Side note: My teammates all share students, so they all know each others’ kids… while they know only a very few of my 320 students. I found this discouraging until today, when I realized that although I don’t have these students in class, I can still invest in them and be a part of their lives! Aunt Tiffany… or as Kayla has dubbed me: Auntie Tiff-Tiff.

Looking at each of the faces around the table, I was filled with such joy and delight, without any trace of homesickness. This is why we are here! As they left, we made it really clear that they are always welcome to come to our homes. I really hope they do!

Although I woke up homesick, I left breakfast happily reminded that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

It would be lovely to be at home today, to celebrate my dad with the rest of my family, but here I am, too many thousands of miles away. I hope this day finds him well.

To my dad: I love you!!! You would really have enjoyed breakfast this morning :) I will be eating rice (sadly without fried chicken or gravy…) in honor of you tonight!

Ladybugs!

When I arrived in my apartment a month ago, I was greeted by an uncanny number of lady bugs, dead on the floor. It was like there had been a massacre. It was really sad, but they were one of the first things to go when I bought a broom. 

A few days later I had another surprising encounter when I realized that on the short walk to the door of our teaching building I had gained several new, very clingy friends who seemed really to like my black sweater. They almost looked like buttons! 

Watching ladybugs crawling up and down the insides and outsides of my windows this morning, I decided that after a month of wondering about these little creatures, it was finally time to find out a little more about them.

Today I learned:

•     it is normal for ladybugs to come inside in the fall;

•     it is normal for them to swarm and infest buildings that get a lot of sunshine (like my south-facing apartment);

•    sometimes they bite (so I wasn’t crazy when I thought it pinched a little when a ladybug landed on me!)

All of this confirmed my most recent experiences with the cute(?) little beetle (if you can describe a beetle as cute). 

I read on to find information which I could not have learned through experience alone. Prior to reading about them, I felt a tad foolish in my attachment to these bugs who are infesting my apartment, but then I read that “ladybug” was originally “ladybird,” lady meaning Our Lady, as in the Virgin Mary. Interesting. The word for ladybug in Dutch is “the little animal of our Good Lord,” in Hebrew they are called “Moses’ little cow/horse” or sometimes “little Messiah,” and my favorite: in Irish, Romanian, and Polish the words all translate directly to “God’s little cow.”

Feeling less foolish in my fascination and attention, I have embraced the mystery of these tiny beetles. I don’t know why there are so many of them, I don’t know why I am so fond of them, and I don’t know why they were given their delightful names. But I like the reminder they now serve of a Creator who has affection and attention for even the smallest of creatures.

Incredibly Full

On my way back to the office after dinner tonight, I felt wonderfully full – full of awesome noodles, but more than that, full of hope and purpose.

I weaved my way across the quad by the library, avoiding the people who were roller-blading (an older woman and a little boy whose dad was teaching him to skate). Walking past the waist-high, brightly colored flowers, my breath was taken by the brilliance and serenity of the scene. I stopped to take a picture and then headed up the six flights of stairs to sit where I am now, overlooking the front part of Heilongjiang East College from my desk in the foreign teachers’ office.

Today was not at all what I thought it would be. I really enjoyed my first class this afternoon. My students left class knowing how to ask for directions, how to give directions using prepositional phrases, and how to use a map. WHAT. They got it. They didn’t just get parts of it, they got all of it. The whole lesson. YES!!! Then I walked into my second class [last week, I thought this class would have 76 students, but only 39 came.] Expecting 39 students, I was surprised by the 62 who showed up. (I have been promised more will come next week. Woot.) Fortunately I took many extra copies of everything I planned to hand out. The lesson went very differently in this class… but I had their attention (mostly) which was a miracle of sorts.

After class, I had a really lovely and meaningful conversation with a girl who sits in the front of the class. She is incredibly insightful; I don’t think anyone has ever described me so well after spending so little time with me. And she did. After class, she told me who I am. She pretty much told me what I believe – something to which I had never even alluded, and she spoke words about who I am as a person and as a teacher that were beyond encouraging as I struggle with fear and inadequacy. She and her two friends (they are three of the most delightful people I’ve ever met) invited me to dinner, so we walked to the dining hall and began getting to know each other. I think we will be great friends.

Tonight was the beginning of what I know will be very meaningful friendships. We only scratched the surface, but we did scratch the surface. These girls alluded to their life stories at a surprisingly personal level for a first conversation in China, and they made it clear that they want our friendship to be deep. I am so honored and so pleased – I did not dream such wonderful friendships could form so soon.

A week into teaching...

“Has it really been a week since our last tizo?!” 

 That was my question for Dan as our team sat down to dinner together at “the end,” our favorite just-off-campus restaurant. What it is actually called, we have no idea. We have just adopted the name given by last year’s team. It sounds kind of epic… The END.

This past week has been a whirlwind, to say the least. I am sorry for those of you who fell out of the loop; let me catch you up:

• ·         Sunday 9/4 at 10:30pm – I’m glad I have a week to relax and mentally prepare for Friday’s classes. I don’t mind not knowing when I’ll be teaching!
• ·         Sunday, 10:45 – text message from Dan: Tiffany, are you awake? I have just discovered some information about your schedule that probably shouldn’t wait.
• ·         Sunday 11pm – brief meeting with Dan to discuss my first week lesson plan and my schedule.
• ·         Monday 1pm-4:30 – back-to-back oral English classes for third year finance majors who are not excited about English… yet.

The week was certainly not what I expected it to be; instead of one class, I had seven, and instead of time to rest and prepare, I was frantic and scrambling to keep my head above water. The week left me weary, doubting, and wondering how on earth I could survive the year, hopeful that I would do more than survive. I walked through some of these emotions this weekend and over the past few days as I prepared for tizo time (our weekly dinner and fellowship/study time)by reading Colossians over and over again. The words that kept standing out to me were joy and thanksgiving.  

These words challenged me to earnestly check my heart, to take a long look at the thoughts and feelings I was indulging that were preventing me from feeling and living with joy and thanksgiving. I am on the war path to root those things out; they do no favors to me or to my students.

Now as I sit in my darkened kitchen room thing, enjoying a thunderstorm, the glimmer of hope that sustained me last week is shining brightly in my heart. (It was never gone, but it has been uncovered and washed clean, by grace.) I know that He loves my students and that He intends to love my students through me, and if I am willing, I might even love teaching.

Today was a good class – not a perfect class, but a good class. And I look forward to seeing what tomorrow holds. I cannot believe it has already been a week since the last time our team had tizo . It was a long week, but already, I see that time here passes very quickly.