First Day of School Preparations

As you may or may have not read, tomorrow is my first day working at Zooligans, and international Kindergarten. Last week I spent lots of hours at the school with my friend Katie, and we worked on cleaning up the school, organizing, and preparing for the upcoming week. My class is primarily downstairs, so I decided to work on the downstairs area.

When I arrived, toys were haphazardly placed here and there with no purpose. If you know me well, you know that this does not suit me at all. Katie helped me move stuff around and create centers. Then she helped me open up some cabinets in the reading center, decorate them, and put books on them. After that, I made my own calendar, and created my "Circle Time" area. I also came up with decorations for my centers and a board to place kids in centers. I am very pleased with the result and took lots of pictures to share my work with you.

I am super happy with the end result. I was really excited when the Mandarin co-teachers made paper swans to help decorate!

Circle Time with my handmade calendar and Helper Owl using some of the kids old artwork.

Center assignment board with kids old artwork

I made a new friend who was keeping me company in the process. She spoke Chinese to me for quite a while, and I only understood about a fourth of what she said.

I also helped clean up one of the resource rooms, which was quite a mess. Now it is organized and usable.

 Finally, I had time to prep some arts and crafts, including Alli the Alligator, for our letter of the week, A.

I forgot to mention that although my week was VERY successful, I panicked on Thursday. I went to pull up my lesson plans and all of the items I needed to print, and I had somehow deleted the folder. I spent the whole day restoring the files...

I think I am as prepared as I can be for the week. I am slightly nervous, because I have not worked in a full preschool classroom for a while. VERY excited to meet kiddos and parents tomorrow and to begin the adventure!

A Photographic Week in Review

When I say that I have been SOOO busy and that is the reason I do not blog enough, I am for real! It has been two weeks again and I am thinking, "Where has the time gone?" So, I have prepared a review of last week in photos for you. Then, I will blog about this week.

The experience of returning to China has involved a lot more "firsts" because we know we are staying a bit and have to do things to make life a little easier and more normal for ourselves here. For one thing, we would like to have some more variety in our meal time, since we generally stick to a few staples we know how to cook, that are cheap, and easy to find. I decided I wanted to learn how to make 地三鲜 or Di San Xian (literally translated ground three fresh) which is a dish with potato, eggplant, and green pepper. Apparently a lot of oil and other ingredients as well. Needless to say, it took a while, and may not be that frequent of a meal side. At least it was still delicious! However, I also learned to make a popular egg and tomato dish I love, which is MUCH easier. 

Above: All of the prep work, Below: Cooking each vegetable individually then cooking it together with seasoning at the end

Last week was also the first week back for a lot of the church members, because school started back up. That meant a VERY packed church and me filling in as an usher. It also meant me squeezing into and awkward seat next to my husband behind the soundboard.

Our friends, Dave and Katie and another couple from our church had tickets to go see the Michael Jackson Cirque Du Soleil show in China, so I spent a Sunday afternoon/evening with these four kiddos, Josie, Asher, Grant, and Micah. What an energetic Sunday afternoon!

As the week began, I had an appointment scheduled with the Shanghai International Healthcare Center for a working visa. In order to get a working visa, you have to get an examination done to show that you have no diseases that are harmful or contagious. The exam involves filling out a form of personal health information and receiving a page of stickers with your name on them. You then change into a hospital type gown and go from one room to the next to get a series of tests done on you, including blood work, an EKG, an X-Ray, and eye exam, etc. Thankfully, I was only the 8th person in line for the day, so I got out a half hour after my appointment time.

The awesome news is that I have begun the process for a working visa. Please be praying that everything comes through for it, because we do not receive regular updates about the process. Another step in settling in here more was getting some things repaired and making it feel more like home for the four of us.

I made some TaoBao purchases (the Chinese Ebay, but much cheaper and delivery in a day or two) and hung some photos and such on the walls. All I really want now is some new curtains to match the colors and to get rid of our gold ones. We also have a GIANT closet/wardrobe in our room which holds everything we own (there is no space for other furniture). All of the drawers in it were not on tracks, so we were taking out the drawers every time we needed to get out clothing. I told Justin that we HAD to fix it. We borrowed a drill from friends and decided to make a trip to a local hardware store to get screws. It was a fun experience involving lots of random Chinese words and a game of charades, AND we actually got 50 screws (two different types) and a drill bit for under $1 USD. So crazy!

The hardware store and our acquisition

My awesome husband repairing the drawers and them finished

I actually had to return to the hardware store because the tracks were bad. We got way better ones and she gave me a discount because I returned. It is great when prices are suggested. Our jobs didn't finish in our room, though. We also had a desk donated to us for the studio equipment. Justin reinforced it (hence the rest of the 50 screws) and we rearranged the living room a bit. I am MUCH happier with the result. All we need now is some paint, some new curtains, and a little design to finish it off.

 
I finished off my week with some work at Zooligans, where I will be teaching part time. However, that is for another blog post. Hopefully tomorrow! The truth is, it really does feel like home here and we are settling in nicely. We are thankful for all of the support we have here and at home. Keep us in your prayers as we move forward for open doors and open hearts, people ready to hear about who we have to share with them.

Before I go, here is a picture of our transportation now. It was given to us right before we went back to the U.S. I have been driving it regularly and fearing for my life. However, it is much better than the alternatives in the temperatures we have had.

Returning to China, and All That Comes With It

As of today, we have been in China for two and a half weeks, and man has it been a whirlwind! We arrived at night on August 7th here and stayed at a friends home, because we had no idea what our apartment would look like when we got back. The next morning, our awesome friends came to our house with us to brave what we might find, and helped us clean up.

Thankfully, our apartment was not nearly as bad as we expected it to be. Before leaving I had wiped down our closet and filled it with dehumidifiers and then took everything out of the bathroom that was ours. Therefore, most of our stuff was concentrated in our bedroom. When we arrived, the main things we needed to deal with were washing all the clothing and linens left in the house and deep cleaning the kitchen and the bathroom. While I tackled a stinky fridge and mildewy floor in the kitchen, our friend Renee and her daughter's boyfriend Hunter graciously cleaned the bathroom and closets.

I actually ended up spending a couple of days cleaning the kitchen, because it was in desperate need of a deep cleaning beyond anything we had done before. I was pretty happy with the result, because I feel like it made our house look a lot less dingy and more like home. I also spent a couple of days doing load after load of laundry, due to the fact that I wanted to rid our home of any mold or mildew that might of occurred. Now we are feeling cleaner and looking cleaner too!

I have some beautiful picture of our kitchen to share with you, since it was such a project and accomplishment.

Our appliances looking new

The sink and cabinets scrubbed down

Stove, hood, and counter cleaned

Fridge with magnets and clean cabinets

Kitchen doors you can see through!

Also, we had a great travel experience. Thank you for all of your prayers. Our travels included a few firsts for us. It was out first time flying in a double-decker plane (we were in the absolute back seat!), first time in Japan (for our layover), first time having a layover in another country, and our first time flying on such an empty plane (from Tokyo to Shanghai).

So many empty seats!

Moving Forward and Returning Soon

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

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.

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.

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