http://picasaweb.google.com/kyleghansen/WallsCitiesIceTigersAndMapleTwist (Check out new pictures here!)
Dear friends and family,
As the students constantly say during their 10-minute English speech at the end of their 20-day session, "how time flies!" It really is incredible to think that I have already been back in China for almost 6 months! And, what an exhilarating 6 months it has been.
In my last post, I mentioned that my friends Anna Veldt, Eric Chen and Kari Kutrich had come to visit me. We ended up having a marvelous time together, visiting many of the Beijing attractions including the Forbidden City, Great Wall (this time we thankfully weren't forced to camp on the wall!), and various shopping markets around the city. Some of our best times were also spent simply hanging out in my dormitory too, where Anna blessed many people on the team by making her signature (and my absolute favorite) dessert/breakfast pastry known as the Maple Twist. Give me a piece (or 2, or 3!) of cinnamon, sugar, and maple goodness and enjoyed with a vanilla latte (also courtesy of Anna) and I'm a happy camper. We also made a couple of different pancake and bacon combo meals and a marvelous Indian curry that everyone greatly enjoyed, and which had leftovers lasting for two separate meals for me and my friend Abby once they left. Needless to say it was a big blessing to have something other than my Kung Pao Chicken or Sweet and Sour Chicken go-to's and of course the fellowship and deep theological conversations we enjoyed were also beneficial and cherished.
We also took an exciting trip up to the ice and snow world known in Harbin. I think the best way to portray this experience would simply be to point you to the pictures (see link above) and allow you to read through the captions accompanying the pictures which would do more justice than anything I could write to showcase our trip.
It has now already been two full weeks since Anna and Eric left and I am now nearing the end of the January session which has been completely different than anything I have experienced so far. This is because I have been a part of developing a pilot version of a Mandarin TIP 3-week program that will be launched in February. What this means is that I am developing curriculum for a program that will enable the other facilitators and I to learn Mandarin TIP during next month because Spring Festival falls in the middle of February and therefore it is too difficult for us to get enough students to run a regular TIP Program. It will basically be an intensive 8-hour a day program where we are taught by Chinese staff members and former students. It will be a challenging 3 weeks but it will pretty neat to be able to communicate better with our Chinese staff and the locals we see around campus and in the restaurants we eat at. I will update more as the program gets underway.
Lastly, I thought I'd just list some things I have observed or have been learning over the last few months.
- I am learning that it is very important to cherish the time you have with close friends and family, especially when you are given so little of it. After spending a week with my sister in Chongqing in November, and then spending two weeks with Anna and Eric, I have learned to be very appreciative of the time I have been given to spend with loved ones.
- On a lighter note, I am learning that the Chinese people can be very blunt and direct which initially seems rude but once you realize its just the culture it makes it hilarious. For instance, I had a red pimple on my nose (so attractive I know..ugh!) and a Chinese person who I had met once before and hadn't seen for a few months said, "Oh, you have a big pimple on your nose." What do you say to that.. "Uh.. Thanks?" Then, I was talking with a student last week about another person, and she referred to her by saying, "Oh yes, you mean that lovely fat girl who is always so happy?" Again, a bit awkward, but both people were not afraid to point out the obvious!
Prayer requests:
- Pray for the students we have this session, for opportunities to share the hope we have in Him with them, and that they would go back and be a blessing to their students after learning at TIP
- For Mandarin TIP and the ability for us as facilitators to endure 3 weeks of so much Chinese!
- For perseverance during the second half of my year here, and direction for what I am to do after this year of TIP is over in late June. There is a possibility that I could stay for a second year here, but I am also praying about other options closer to home as well. Please pray for discernment and clear direction.
- That I would find peace and rest in Christ daily, and trust in Him alone as each day really is a new adventure with all sorts of different challenges and opportunities.
Thanks for reading, and please send me an email if you have the time! Also see the pictures if you haven't already.
Kyle
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