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.
