Justin and I are coming up upon our last week in Florida before we return to Shanghai. We have had an awesome time at home and are excited about what lies ahead. When we return, we will be jumping right back into volunteer work with the church and into other opportunities for ministry. I also have a job opportunity that might be able to provide a working visa waiting for me as well. With all of this being said, we still have some MAJOR needs and need both prayer and financial support.
Here is how you can help:
1. Pray that we have safe travels as we return to Shanghai. Pray that we will not run into any problems in our travels and that the transition back will be smooth.
2. Pray that more ministry opportunities will open up as relationships are built and that we woud be effective in ministry.
3. Pray for concerns regarding our finances and payments needing to be made at home. We have some unexpected expenses that have arisen while we have been home due to situations beyond our control. At this time, we do not have the money to take care of all of them and we are trusting in God to provide for us, as he has before.
4. Pray that a working visa will come through in one way or another for Justin and I, and our friends, John and Megan.
5. Finally, you can make a donation to help us out as we return to Shanghai. As mentioned above, we have had some unexpected expenses that we are dealing with. We also have monthly expenses that we need to cover here in the U.S. and it is VERY difficult to get money home. You can contact me directly by email at blythe.ure@gmail.com or by phone (send me an email, and I will privately provide my cell number).
We are eternally grateful for all of the prayer and support. We could not serve God as he has called us to without all of your support. You ROCK and thanks for reading :)))!
Love,
Blythe
Friday, July 26, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Ode to Camp Suwannee
As you may or may not know, I have been in the States since June 25th. The following weekend, Justin and I went on vacation with my family and then celebrated the 4th of July. Soon after, I posted on Facebook looking for ways to make a little money while I am home. I got a response, and it was a friend of mine (and my camp counselor for seven years) Shannon, who was directing Senior Camp at Camp Suwannee. She asked if I would like to come counsel. In a matter of a couple hours, I decided to do it, and in a matter of two days, I was packed and on my way.
If you do not know me, I do not handle spontaneity well. I like to have my plans in place and thoroughly enjoy sticking to them. Nonetheless, I embraced the opportunity and cancelled my plans for the week. As my husband graciously drove me to camp (so he could have the car for the week), I talked to him about how nervous I was about counseling, because I hadn't counseled Senior Camp in seven years, I wasn't sure if I would know anyone, I had just gotten home from China, and on and on. When we arrived, I slowly unpacked the car, said my goodbyes to my husband for the week, and cautiously entered the staff meeting that I was late to. When I walked in, I was pretty nervous, but greeted by familiar faces. As the meeting continued, I re-oriented myself and attempted to settle back into what I knew of camp.
When the meeting disbanded, I was scared to really talk to anyone. I did not know who remembered me, what they thought of me, and how they would feel about me being there. I also was not quite prepared on how to answer the question, "How was China?" Immediately, I got to spend time with two good friends, who at one time were campers when I was a counselor. I began to feel not quite so nervous, until the campers started to arrive. My co-counselor and I went for an hour without anyone signing up for our cabin, and I started to think that I should not have come. But, all of the sudden, I looked at the lists and our list was filled with the same campers we had together in our cabin two years ago. I greeted them as they came in, but it took me almost the whole day to feel like I could talk with them and communicate properly. For some reason, jumping into an atmosphere of American teenagers made me lose all ability to relate, like I had been out of the country for years.
Thankfully, as the day went on, more campers and counselors showed up, and I reconnected with some awesome people; some that I had not seen for two years and some I had not seen for six or more. Within about a day, I felt like I was right back at home, where I grew in maturity and I grew in Christ. Throughout the week, I had the opportunity to share my story about how God has been working in my life in detail with individuals and to the group as a whole at a bowl service. It was such a blessing to have people love on me wholeheartedly and listen to me talk, even if too much. I also had the opportunity to share in the stories of those who counseled me, camped with me, and who I counseled. I really enjoyed seeing those people who I remember as young kids and seeing how God has been at work in their lives and has taught them so much. I also enjoyed watching young adults, that I once prayed and talked with as campers, pouring into the kids during the week and showing so much wisdom and discernment.
The truth is, Camp Suwannee is a place where you get to see a community of God at work. Over years and years of relationships, God has done incredible things in all of our lives. From the time that I began as a camper at Camp Suwannee until now (20 years later), I can remember countless instances of times where my friends and I met God and encouraged one another. This year ended up being no different. God brought me to camp this year to fill in a spot, but it was all in his divine providence. He had words for me to speak to others and gave words for them to speak to me, even if they did not know it. I went at the beginning of the week, fearful of how I would be received and just hoping I could be of value. I left, sad that time had passed so quickly, and feeling more valuable than I have ever felt.
Thank you to all of you who have stuck by me all of these years. Thank you that time can pass and it seems like we never skip a beat. Thank you for your encouragement and for striving to be more like Jesus everyday.
Thank you God, for the gift that Camp Suwannee has been in my life and for the people you have brought me through it. We get a little taste of heaven, every time we get to be there. I do not know when I will return again, but I know that it will always feel like home.
If you do not know me, I do not handle spontaneity well. I like to have my plans in place and thoroughly enjoy sticking to them. Nonetheless, I embraced the opportunity and cancelled my plans for the week. As my husband graciously drove me to camp (so he could have the car for the week), I talked to him about how nervous I was about counseling, because I hadn't counseled Senior Camp in seven years, I wasn't sure if I would know anyone, I had just gotten home from China, and on and on. When we arrived, I slowly unpacked the car, said my goodbyes to my husband for the week, and cautiously entered the staff meeting that I was late to. When I walked in, I was pretty nervous, but greeted by familiar faces. As the meeting continued, I re-oriented myself and attempted to settle back into what I knew of camp.
When the meeting disbanded, I was scared to really talk to anyone. I did not know who remembered me, what they thought of me, and how they would feel about me being there. I also was not quite prepared on how to answer the question, "How was China?" Immediately, I got to spend time with two good friends, who at one time were campers when I was a counselor. I began to feel not quite so nervous, until the campers started to arrive. My co-counselor and I went for an hour without anyone signing up for our cabin, and I started to think that I should not have come. But, all of the sudden, I looked at the lists and our list was filled with the same campers we had together in our cabin two years ago. I greeted them as they came in, but it took me almost the whole day to feel like I could talk with them and communicate properly. For some reason, jumping into an atmosphere of American teenagers made me lose all ability to relate, like I had been out of the country for years.
Thankfully, as the day went on, more campers and counselors showed up, and I reconnected with some awesome people; some that I had not seen for two years and some I had not seen for six or more. Within about a day, I felt like I was right back at home, where I grew in maturity and I grew in Christ. Throughout the week, I had the opportunity to share my story about how God has been working in my life in detail with individuals and to the group as a whole at a bowl service. It was such a blessing to have people love on me wholeheartedly and listen to me talk, even if too much. I also had the opportunity to share in the stories of those who counseled me, camped with me, and who I counseled. I really enjoyed seeing those people who I remember as young kids and seeing how God has been at work in their lives and has taught them so much. I also enjoyed watching young adults, that I once prayed and talked with as campers, pouring into the kids during the week and showing so much wisdom and discernment.
The truth is, Camp Suwannee is a place where you get to see a community of God at work. Over years and years of relationships, God has done incredible things in all of our lives. From the time that I began as a camper at Camp Suwannee until now (20 years later), I can remember countless instances of times where my friends and I met God and encouraged one another. This year ended up being no different. God brought me to camp this year to fill in a spot, but it was all in his divine providence. He had words for me to speak to others and gave words for them to speak to me, even if they did not know it. I went at the beginning of the week, fearful of how I would be received and just hoping I could be of value. I left, sad that time had passed so quickly, and feeling more valuable than I have ever felt.
Thank you to all of you who have stuck by me all of these years. Thank you that time can pass and it seems like we never skip a beat. Thank you for your encouragement and for striving to be more like Jesus everyday.
Thank you God, for the gift that Camp Suwannee has been in my life and for the people you have brought me through it. We get a little taste of heaven, every time we get to be there. I do not know when I will return again, but I know that it will always feel like home.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Happy Endings and Sad See You Laters
Hello Lovely Friends and Family!
It has been about a month since I have written. We have just been so crazy busy in this last month with all of the "End of the School Year" activities, that I have barely had time to stop and smell the roses. With that being said, I would not have it any other way.
We have been busy like bees helping with the church activities here. There was an event called "An Evening With Friends" that our church held as an outreach full of delicious food and great company. We had the privilege of helping create centerpieces, taking photos, and recording video of the event. We also got to enjoy the delicious dinner at the hotel as a gift from the church. It was a beautiful night!
The following week was spent preparing for our youth "Girl's Night" event. We had a spa/baking/movie sleepover with all of the youth girls. Megan and I prepared a funky photo booth for the night, and I really think the girls enjoyed it. Times like these are so important here, because for some girls, it was their last youth event in Shanghai. They need these memorable moments for happy memories!
Justin and I also got to house sit and were part of some other activities as the year came to a close which have kept us busy. The happy part has been that we have gotten to know and had the opportunity to hang out with so many cool people. However, the nature of an Ex-Pat community is that everyone is so transient. We are having to say goodbye to some awesome youth kids and adults. We never say "Goodbye" though, only "See You Later." We never know if we might encounter them in another country or location, but we always know that we will see them in Heaven.
As we prepare for our trip home for a month, we realize that every encounter in this international community gives us a little taste of heaven.
Love you lots and see you soon!
Blythe
P.S.: I will be updating photos, etc. while I am home so keep your eyes peeled for more pictures from our Shanghai experience.
It has been about a month since I have written. We have just been so crazy busy in this last month with all of the "End of the School Year" activities, that I have barely had time to stop and smell the roses. With that being said, I would not have it any other way.
We have been busy like bees helping with the church activities here. There was an event called "An Evening With Friends" that our church held as an outreach full of delicious food and great company. We had the privilege of helping create centerpieces, taking photos, and recording video of the event. We also got to enjoy the delicious dinner at the hotel as a gift from the church. It was a beautiful night!
The following week was spent preparing for our youth "Girl's Night" event. We had a spa/baking/movie sleepover with all of the youth girls. Megan and I prepared a funky photo booth for the night, and I really think the girls enjoyed it. Times like these are so important here, because for some girls, it was their last youth event in Shanghai. They need these memorable moments for happy memories!
Justin and I also got to house sit and were part of some other activities as the year came to a close which have kept us busy. The happy part has been that we have gotten to know and had the opportunity to hang out with so many cool people. However, the nature of an Ex-Pat community is that everyone is so transient. We are having to say goodbye to some awesome youth kids and adults. We never say "Goodbye" though, only "See You Later." We never know if we might encounter them in another country or location, but we always know that we will see them in Heaven.
As we prepare for our trip home for a month, we realize that every encounter in this international community gives us a little taste of heaven.
Love you lots and see you soon!
Blythe
P.S.: I will be updating photos, etc. while I am home so keep your eyes peeled for more pictures from our Shanghai experience.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Abundant Blessings
Hello friends and family,
It's me again! We have been staying busy here with the school year coming to an end and people preparing to voyage to all countries of the world for the Summer. I have now been tutoring a couple more students in English writing, have begun a class for children of Ayis, and have begun to volunteer at the hospital teaching English to the nurses. My plate has been full and overflowing with adding on little tasks here and there for end of the year church activities. It is great and I would not have it any other way!
I wanted to let everyone know that our church here has been so gracious and blessed us with the money for our tickets to home and back! So we will be coming home June 25th and returning to China on August 6th. We have tourist visas until December, but are hoping to work out the details so that we can get working visas to stay here until the Summer of 2014. However, that is all in God's hands and we are waiting on him to see where he leads us.
With the many jobs here and there and the gift from our church here, we have been abundantly blessed. Justin has even had some opportunities arise here that have been beneficial for his studio work that may lead to something greater. We have even seen God come through on some tiny details that were more wants than needs, also. Justin and I love going to the movies and we have been wanting to see a movie here. However, our limited budget has disabled us from doing so. Nonetheless, one Sunday at church, when I was sick, a man from the congregation approached Justin and told him "Thank You" for what he has done for the church. He handed him a bunch of movie vouchers to his theaters and an envelope with some money for us that has significantly helped us in paying our bills for the next month. We were blessed enough that we can even take people that have been such a blessing to us out to the movies. We are so thankful!!
Justin and I will need to raise money to try to help out with some needs that we have here in China. We will need money for bicycles (a means of transportation), for help with some luggage expenses and items we will need to purchase while home (toiletry items and other things that are hard to come by here), and for visa expenses. If you can help out we would greatly appreciate it! Any help is one step closer to supplying our needs. You can contact me via Facebook or through email at blythe.ure@gmail.com about these needs and we can arrange a way to transfer the money.
Thank you so so much for your prayers and we cannot wait to see you!!!
With Love,
Blythe
It's me again! We have been staying busy here with the school year coming to an end and people preparing to voyage to all countries of the world for the Summer. I have now been tutoring a couple more students in English writing, have begun a class for children of Ayis, and have begun to volunteer at the hospital teaching English to the nurses. My plate has been full and overflowing with adding on little tasks here and there for end of the year church activities. It is great and I would not have it any other way!
I wanted to let everyone know that our church here has been so gracious and blessed us with the money for our tickets to home and back! So we will be coming home June 25th and returning to China on August 6th. We have tourist visas until December, but are hoping to work out the details so that we can get working visas to stay here until the Summer of 2014. However, that is all in God's hands and we are waiting on him to see where he leads us.
With the many jobs here and there and the gift from our church here, we have been abundantly blessed. Justin has even had some opportunities arise here that have been beneficial for his studio work that may lead to something greater. We have even seen God come through on some tiny details that were more wants than needs, also. Justin and I love going to the movies and we have been wanting to see a movie here. However, our limited budget has disabled us from doing so. Nonetheless, one Sunday at church, when I was sick, a man from the congregation approached Justin and told him "Thank You" for what he has done for the church. He handed him a bunch of movie vouchers to his theaters and an envelope with some money for us that has significantly helped us in paying our bills for the next month. We were blessed enough that we can even take people that have been such a blessing to us out to the movies. We are so thankful!!
Justin and I will need to raise money to try to help out with some needs that we have here in China. We will need money for bicycles (a means of transportation), for help with some luggage expenses and items we will need to purchase while home (toiletry items and other things that are hard to come by here), and for visa expenses. If you can help out we would greatly appreciate it! Any help is one step closer to supplying our needs. You can contact me via Facebook or through email at blythe.ure@gmail.com about these needs and we can arrange a way to transfer the money.
Thank you so so much for your prayers and we cannot wait to see you!!!
With Love,
Blythe
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Birthdays, May Day, and Gatherings
The end of April/Beginning of May has been filled with a lot of celebration for us here in China. May 1st is a holiday here and it is celebrated in conjunction with Labor Day. For this holiday, people got off April 29- May 1. However, they had to work the Saturday and Sunday prior in order to make up two of the three days off. So confusing! Regardless, and holiday in China is an opportunity to celebrate.
Also, our friend Beili's birthday is May 3rd and Megan's birthday is May 8th. We opted to do a big birthday celebration for the two of them and originally chose Sunday May 5th as the celebration date, which lands between the two birthdays. However, Beili told us it is "bad feng shui" to celebrate after your birthday, so we had to do it earlier. With this being said, we celebrated their birthdays with lunch out at a Japanese restaurant on Sunday April 28th.
The restaurant was a lot of fun. We enjoyed delicious fish plates and lots of sushi. We were so blessed to take part in the celebration. After our lunch, we went to Dairy Queen and had blizzards for dessert. Later that night we enjoyed lemon zest cheesecake made by the lovely Joy. We definitely got spoiled even though it was not our birthday!
Following such a great Sunday, we were invited to the house of our friends Brian and Joann for a barbecue during the holiday. They have a beautiful modern home here in Shanghai with a nice backyard including a pool. On top of that, he works for a furniture company and had awesome outdoor furniture. If the weather had not been so cold and rainy prior to the barbecue, we definitely would have been in the pool.
They generously prepared coleslaw, potato salad, and vegetable skewers as sides to a meat overload. We enjoyed steak, hamburgers, barbecue chicken, and buffalo chicken. So delicious!! This was followed up by a board game new to Justin and I called "Settlers of Canton." After a little while we were victorious with beginners luck! We have already been challenged to a rematch to test if we have skill or just luck.
The following day, we were unexpectedly invited to yet another barbecue. This was slightly different though, because it was hosted by a Singaporean family. We had beef, pork, prawns, and fish patties on the grill. There was definitely a cultural difference, but it was equally as delicious!
The best part about the barbecue was the company. We met some of the family's friends and colleagues. The father in this family works in film production for commercials and we met friends of his including a photographer and two film editors. Justin and I really enjoyed their stories of living all around the world and what they have experienced. We have plans to go to Karaoke the next time they are around. I also got to hang out with the family dog, Jay Jay, who has become a great friend of mine. A little comfort because we are unable to have a pet while here.
I also had the privilege to watch some kiddos the next day while our church staff had a dinner at the pastors house. I enjoyed time with these kiddos and was thoroughly entertained by Kenneth!
I have really enjoyed the cultural exposure here in China. However, I am very thankful that I can now wear shorts without being stared at quite so much since Labor Day has passed. Bring it on warm weather!
Until we meet again,
Blythe :)
Also, our friend Beili's birthday is May 3rd and Megan's birthday is May 8th. We opted to do a big birthday celebration for the two of them and originally chose Sunday May 5th as the celebration date, which lands between the two birthdays. However, Beili told us it is "bad feng shui" to celebrate after your birthday, so we had to do it earlier. With this being said, we celebrated their birthdays with lunch out at a Japanese restaurant on Sunday April 28th.
The restaurant was a lot of fun. We enjoyed delicious fish plates and lots of sushi. We were so blessed to take part in the celebration. After our lunch, we went to Dairy Queen and had blizzards for dessert. Later that night we enjoyed lemon zest cheesecake made by the lovely Joy. We definitely got spoiled even though it was not our birthday!
Following such a great Sunday, we were invited to the house of our friends Brian and Joann for a barbecue during the holiday. They have a beautiful modern home here in Shanghai with a nice backyard including a pool. On top of that, he works for a furniture company and had awesome outdoor furniture. If the weather had not been so cold and rainy prior to the barbecue, we definitely would have been in the pool.
They generously prepared coleslaw, potato salad, and vegetable skewers as sides to a meat overload. We enjoyed steak, hamburgers, barbecue chicken, and buffalo chicken. So delicious!! This was followed up by a board game new to Justin and I called "Settlers of Canton." After a little while we were victorious with beginners luck! We have already been challenged to a rematch to test if we have skill or just luck.
The following day, we were unexpectedly invited to yet another barbecue. This was slightly different though, because it was hosted by a Singaporean family. We had beef, pork, prawns, and fish patties on the grill. There was definitely a cultural difference, but it was equally as delicious!
The best part about the barbecue was the company. We met some of the family's friends and colleagues. The father in this family works in film production for commercials and we met friends of his including a photographer and two film editors. Justin and I really enjoyed their stories of living all around the world and what they have experienced. We have plans to go to Karaoke the next time they are around. I also got to hang out with the family dog, Jay Jay, who has become a great friend of mine. A little comfort because we are unable to have a pet while here.
I also had the privilege to watch some kiddos the next day while our church staff had a dinner at the pastors house. I enjoyed time with these kiddos and was thoroughly entertained by Kenneth!
 |
| He wants to be the Hulk when he grows up and wanted to make sure you could see the wings... |
I have really enjoyed the cultural exposure here in China. However, I am very thankful that I can now wear shorts without being stared at quite so much since Labor Day has passed. Bring it on warm weather!
Until we meet again,
Blythe :)
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Reflections on the Holy Spirit
It has been an interesting couple of weeks for me. With the
youth group, we are doing the Alpha series. This week was the session about the
Holy Spirit. In preparation for this, we were asked by some of the adult
leaders to choose a day this week to fast and pray for the students as a
couple. When I received this email, I immediately thought about how Justin and
I both have health issues that disable us from really being able to fast. I got
really frustrated and just felt like I did not want to answer the email.
Nonetheless, I did and I committed Justin and I to fast and
pray on Wednesday of this week. When Wednesday rolled around, I woke up and
then realized that it was fasting day. I was feeling sick and really wanting to
start my morning with some coffee and breakfast and I was not able to. Also,
plans had rolled out for the day and Justin was set to help with a video
recording which would leave me at home, not feeling well, and really wanting to
eat.
Sadly enough, the day got crazy quick, I forgot to pray with
Justin before he had to leave, and then I gave in to eating something anyhow. I
felt like a complete failure and felt like my efforts were worthless. Justin
then contacted me and told me that we were invited to a barbecue that
afternoon. I was thinking, “Of all of the days, God, really?”
That afternoon, I packed up my stuff and walked to our
friend’s house where they were having the barbecue, and we really enjoyed our
time and the food. All the while, I felt pretty guilty for not following
through with my commitment. The next day came and went, while I hustled and
bustled around and we still did not pray for the youth.
However, this morning, I woke up determined that I would
pray about the Holy Spirit session and how the youth would be affected and
would encounter this topic. When we sat down to pray, though, I realized I had
NO idea what to pray about. The topic of the Holy Spirit has split up churches
and people around the globe and all of my life I have done what I can to avoid
any conversation about the Holy Spirit, because I HATE conflict.
So, I prayed a bit and then just felt like I did not know
what to do. I even got pretty nervous about the fact that I had to have a
discussion with a small group about the Holy Spirit when I had no idea what to
say. I looked over the questions for the group and thought, “well, these are
not to bad…” and went on with my day.
Before I continue with my story, I will rewind a little bit.
I promise, it is valuable information. I grew up in a church where it was not
common to see people speaking in tongues or healing people. When I first saw
this happen, I was really weirded out and did not know what was going on. It
just made me very uncomfortable. I encountered it here and there in my life,
but when I saw it to the extreme on TV or somewhere, I really thought that
people were just acting crazy and faking it all to make themselves look good or
“more holy.”
This last summer Justin and I went on our first mission trip
together with our church to Guatemala. Justin had been on one other trip and I
had led quite a few up until this point. I had seen many instances of
miraculous healing and spiritual gifts in action and so had Justin. However,
this trip was a little different.
The leader of the organization we were with judged our team
from the moment she met us. Because of our outward appearance, she immediately
called our spiritual maturity as a team into question. From that point forth,
we were treated as though we a lower class version of Christian than she was.
And just to be clear, this was not only a perception, because she even said
that we were.
Because of such treatment by her, I immediately rejected
advice and counseling that she tried to offer in various forms. She was adamant
about “being filled with the Holy Spirit” and what that meant in her terms.
Nightly there was a time that she prayed for people and it was about them being
filled with the Spirit to the point that they fell out and lost control of
their bodies.
Do not get me wrong, I have seen these events occur before
and believe they were very real. The problem was not with the actual events,
but with the motivation behind them. She used them as a way to elevate herself
above us and act as though she was more holy. Because of this whole experience,
I have been very resistant to any talk or actions revolving around being “filled
with the Spirit.”
Going into youth this weekend, I was not sure what to
expect, because I am working with a completely different group of people. I was
just terrified of having a similar experience as the one we had in Guatemala.
During our youth night, we watched this video. I do not think anyone has quite
captured my belief about this and so clearly. I was a wonderful video to watch
and felt like God was speaking directly to me.
The night ended up going incredibly and we had an awesome
opportunity to pray over all of the students. It was refreshing to me as well,
because I had so much fear and bitterness about the topic, which seemed to just
wash away.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
So many people, so little time...
Lovely friends and family,
As you know we came here for a couple of reasons, but the most important was to reach the people here for whatever period of time we could. One of the biggest realities that has hit me since being here is that there are A LOT of people here. Driving down the road, you pass by one compound after another of gigantic building housing tons of people. It is one of those things that you cannot believe until you see it.
I think the moment this became a reality to me was during Qing Ming (or Tomb Sweeping Day) at the beginning of April. Qing Ming is a way to honor those who have passed away by visiting their graves and redecorating them. It is also a time to celebrate the coming of Spring.
I was running late the day prior to the holiday and decided to take a taxi instead of a bus. When I got about a mile away from where I needed to be, traffic came to a complete stop. After waiting 15 minutes and watching the cost of my ride increase, I decided to get out and walk. There was a cemetery on the street where we were stopped and everyone was trying to get to it. This is what I saw on that walk...
As I was walking in the pedestrian lane, a car honked at me to move because it was driving in that lane. It would have taken possibly another hour to get to work if I had not walked. This is just a tiny illustration of how many people live here.
With that being said, there are so many people here that need to know about Jesus and it seems as though it would be impossible to reach them all. I made a friend named Sherry, who was my co-teacher. In the time that we were working together, she expressed to me that she is a Christian and was very excited that I am too. Since we no longer are working together, she wanted to meet with me because she misses me.
I met up with her at the metro station and she decided she wanted to take me to Pizza Hut, because it is a "Western restaurant." On top of that, she had brought me a gift of some items for my home. She is just too sweet! When we arrived at the Pizza Hut, I was ready to order a pizza and some drinks, but she had something different in mind. Pizza Hut in China is like eating at a nice restaurant. You get appetizers, an entree, and dessert. It was slightly bizarre for me, but the company was fantastic. :)
While we were talking, she caught me up on everything that had happened since we last saw each other. Then, we started talking about church and doing volunteer work. She was expressing to me how she felt so bad for the poor in China and how she desperately wanted to help. She also told me that she wishes that people who know about God could teach those in China who do not know about him. She has such a sweet spirit and a sincerity about her that is beyond anything I have experienced.
After having dinner with her, I realized that I am so thankful to have met her. I want to continue my relationship with her and try to connect her with other Christians in China. I am glad that I can impact the life of one person in China who can help impact the millions here!
Please keep Sherry in your prayers when you think about us. I have so much more to share... Hope to get to all of it quickly!
Sincerely,
Blythe
As you know we came here for a couple of reasons, but the most important was to reach the people here for whatever period of time we could. One of the biggest realities that has hit me since being here is that there are A LOT of people here. Driving down the road, you pass by one compound after another of gigantic building housing tons of people. It is one of those things that you cannot believe until you see it.
I think the moment this became a reality to me was during Qing Ming (or Tomb Sweeping Day) at the beginning of April. Qing Ming is a way to honor those who have passed away by visiting their graves and redecorating them. It is also a time to celebrate the coming of Spring.
As I was walking in the pedestrian lane, a car honked at me to move because it was driving in that lane. It would have taken possibly another hour to get to work if I had not walked. This is just a tiny illustration of how many people live here.
With that being said, there are so many people here that need to know about Jesus and it seems as though it would be impossible to reach them all. I made a friend named Sherry, who was my co-teacher. In the time that we were working together, she expressed to me that she is a Christian and was very excited that I am too. Since we no longer are working together, she wanted to meet with me because she misses me.
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| The beautiful Sherry! |
I met up with her at the metro station and she decided she wanted to take me to Pizza Hut, because it is a "Western restaurant." On top of that, she had brought me a gift of some items for my home. She is just too sweet! When we arrived at the Pizza Hut, I was ready to order a pizza and some drinks, but she had something different in mind. Pizza Hut in China is like eating at a nice restaurant. You get appetizers, an entree, and dessert. It was slightly bizarre for me, but the company was fantastic. :)
While we were talking, she caught me up on everything that had happened since we last saw each other. Then, we started talking about church and doing volunteer work. She was expressing to me how she felt so bad for the poor in China and how she desperately wanted to help. She also told me that she wishes that people who know about God could teach those in China who do not know about him. She has such a sweet spirit and a sincerity about her that is beyond anything I have experienced.
After having dinner with her, I realized that I am so thankful to have met her. I want to continue my relationship with her and try to connect her with other Christians in China. I am glad that I can impact the life of one person in China who can help impact the millions here!
Please keep Sherry in your prayers when you think about us. I have so much more to share... Hope to get to all of it quickly!
Sincerely,
Blythe
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