The Nikki Madi Dynasty

This week I told my classes that they were the teachers and I was the student and it was their responsibility to teach me their names. See, I think it’s super important for me to remember all 800 students names. Why? Because they are children of God and each one is important to Him and I want them to know I care enough to learn all their names, because they are the future of China and if I ever get the chance to meet any of these amazing people again I want to remember them (hint hint: if China opens to the church), because I want them to know I sincerely care about them enough to make the extra effort, and because I want them to know I am honored to be their teacher and wish to connect with them. So this week, because “I” am the student, I have the homework assignment of memorizing their names. They seemed very surprised, but in the end, I could tell they were touched by my sincerity. Teachers normally just have a seating chart, lecture, leave and don’t come back until next class. I want them to know I am different. I care about each of my students and I am determined, with God’s help and my memorization skills, to memorize all my students’ names. After they all taught me their names I got pictures of them and their nametags so I can review the names in my spare time. Then we sang some English songs they were interested in singing with lyrics.

What’s motivating to note, my love for my students has grown tremendously as I memorize their names and see the look of admiration shining back in their eyes when I call them by their names. They feel singled out and important and they know more and more I care about them. I want to stay here forever. I adore these students like they are my own children! I never want to leave them and I’ve only been here for 2 months. Coming home will be super hard for me. I love my children. I wish people could just come move to China to be with me; then my life would be complete.

Some of Sam’s students (to whom he also teaches guitar lessons) come over on Wednesdays and they are teaching me some Chinese songs in exchange for letting them practice in my apartment, which makes me very happy! I try to connect with as many students as I can, whether it be helping them with spoken English, discussing stress, taking them out to eat, letting them relax in my apartment, exercising with them, etc, and the more I get to know them, the more I love them, and the more I want to share with them all the plain and precious truths that I’m nearly bursting to share.

Good news! It’s warming up here! It’s been raining the past month and I’m hoping it’s warming up for good. I got some sweet pictures with Madi outside around the school in the sunshine this week. Sunshine is beautiful! I’ve never missed it so much in my life. This weekend Sam, Madi, and I (from Yongzhou), Shelby and Cierra (from Shuangpai), Savanna, Mariah, Alyssa, and Nora (from Longhui) all took a train to Dong’an (so this is my second time there), and we just had a blast! We walked around the markets and such, where I got some sweet communist army shoes and some books to read, and just got to all hang out as Americans. Alyssa and I (being the rebels we are) bowled with pomelos (a thick-pealed, white, bland fruit that nobody likes) and water bottles in the Carter’s living room, Nora and I got to just sit outside in the sun and talk about life, Shelby read to us, and we all just got to chat, read, play cards, watch movies, and just have normal, casual fun. I love Americans!

Saturday night we all went out to eat and I got to add “cow stomach” to my list of odd foods I’ve eaten. It’s not a favorite of mine…it tasted like some sort of chewy tentacles. Later that evening we had a blind “Chinese Lays Chips Tasting”. They had chicken flavor, cherry tomato flavor, cucumber flavor, lime flavor, seaweed flavor, mango flavor, and blueberry flavor, all of which I got wrong. Out of those, I think the seaweed was my favorite-which I’m sure wouldn’t have been had I known what it was before I tried it. It’s funny how different your perspective is on things when you are blind to prior knowledge or color. Sunday afternoon for lunch we had an “American Food Party”! Madi and I made Reeses Brownies (thanks to Madi’s mom ;), Sam made some instant potato soup, the Dong’an couple (Matt and Kristal Carter) made potatoes, gravy, and stuffing, Nora and Alyssa made amazing scrambled eggs (with cheese!), Shelby and Cierra made hot chocolate, and Savanna and Mariah made s’mores. Oh it was delicious!

So that was my week. This week is the May Holiday, so I only teach Tuesday and Wednesday, and then Thursday all of the previously mentioned people minus the Carters are going to Zhang Jia Jie (张家界) and Fenghuang (凤凰). Zhang Jia Jie is a famous national park and beautiful rock forest, and for those of you who know how crazy I am about rocks, you know how exceptionally thrilled I am about visiting there and filling up my cameras with geology. From what I hear, Fenghuang is like Yangshuo but foreigners usually don't know about it, so I am so happy about this week. I’ll have from this Thursday through next Monday off school. “I’m happier than a raccoon at Christmas-WITH PEANUT BUTTER!” Haha, that’s what I say a lot out here when I’m super happy, which happens rather frequently. Life is just so good out here. I think I’ll teach my first two days of classes an English song and work on their names, and whatever else they want to learn. I just have to be careful not to tell them too much or else I’ll get confused about what I taught my first 8 classes as opposed to the other half, you know?

So life in China is super super good as always! If you can’t tell, I absolutely LOVE it here in China! Thank you everyone for emailing me back (it is always exciting to hear from people I know when I can’t see them!) and writing me letters. I feel loved! :) I appreciate all your prayers and responses in my behalf.

I love you all!

First Batch of Photos

Pics 1-3: Students and their nametags

Pic 4: Sam's students that meet in my apt

Pic 5: A Grandma and baby playing on the campus

Pic 6: A student enjoying 10 minutes of sunsine between classes

Pic 7: My campus lake

Pic 8: My campus. Pretty, huh? Pic 9: Enjoying nature.

Pic 10: The oldest tree in the area...a few hundred years.
Pic 11: "Alright, up against the wall!" "How about 'up the wall'?"

Pic 12: Nora and I in Dong'an

Pic 13: Just another normal cultural picture

Second Batch of photos

Pic 1: Bet you can guess what's about to happen.

Pic 2: Huh, that's weird. A fire hydrant is urinating...too bad not on a dog.

Pic 3: Alyssa and I chillin' after our dance music video (without the video part)

Pic 4: Pomelo bowling!

Pic 5: Our Group out to dinner (Madi took it)

Pic 6: I got a new hair style

Pic 7: Making our American food (and sharing an apple with smears of peanut butter)

Pic 8: Mine and Madi's masterpiece

Pic 9: My contribution (I love peanut butter, like a raccoon on Christmas :)

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTY4MDE1OTky.html

There's the video link of a short clip of the markets, watch for what animals you see for food.