December 12-14~Villages on Short Notice

So after the weekend of crazy Christmas-ness I woke on Monday with plans to meet with my team to debrief Friday. I also had plans to write my December 7th blog last Monday. Imagine my surprise to find that Father had different plans for me. 

On my way to my debrief on Monday I received a phone call from Eden's boss telling me that the headmaster from number 12 middle school had given a rave review to Mr. Lee and so Mr. Lee had arranged for me and our team to go to a village area on Wednesday December the 12th and stay there until the 14th.  At the moment of the phone call my heart jumped for joy and then the reality hit me that I had a day to prepare to go to the villages for three days.  The amazing thing is that one of the only details I was given regarding going to the village was that this was a opportunity to touch 3,000 young people.

I began to freak out that I needed to prepare so many things in only 1 day.  

Then I discovered that I didn't need to have everything put together, because no one in the villages and not even Mr. Lee himself knew what handouts I had to give to the youths. So, I calmed down and assessed the finances available to me and put together 600 handouts.  It was what I could do in the amount of time available and I told myself to not feel guilty about that. 

Wednesday, I went with Eden's boss, Lisa,  and Angela to meet Mr. Lee and Mr. Liang.  Lisa went inorder to tell Mr. Lee that in the future we need at least a week to prepare before going to implement the School program in a Village. However, in typical Mr. Lee fashion he did not show up. 

For you all at home.....for him to continually not show up when he keeps saying he will be there is not culturally rude. Very inconvenient for me and feels a little rude to me because I am not Chinese but here it is perfectly acceptable. 

So, we met Mr. Liang and we all went to tea for like EVER.....we talked and talked and talked. Or I should say he talked with Lisa. In Chinese culture your position is very important and he had assigned Lisa the leader of the project position because she was also a boss. He saw me as just a lower teacher and so literally he didn't say a single word to me for like 3 hours. It was a little disconcerting, because I knew that Lisa would not be going with us to the village. What was this trip going to look like? 

It didn't end up looking anything like I had imagined. Because when Mr. Liang learned that Lisa was not coming he was not very happy with us. He said that with only 1 American coming to the village the program would not be successful because the schools were expecting a team of Americans. Lisa was unable to join us due to her family obligations and so instead we called the Eden business manager and the non-profit intern and Janelle and Lesa came with us. 

At that same tea Mr. Liang told us he was excited for us to not only teach the students but also to train the teachers. Which was so exciting and encouraging. I mean,  to be invited to multiply this work already gave me hope.  This point was soon to revealed as a misunderstanding. His meaning was that he wanted us to spend time having English Corner with the teachers at each school. An English Corner for those of you at home-is a time when a native English speaker answers questions about their culture as well as encourages those who are not native English speakers to use their English more. 

Needless to say we eventually left the city for the rural area. I was given the task to tell Mr. Liang that I was indeed the leader of this project. In this process I learned a new Chinese phrase. Pei Ma Pi. 
This phrase literally means to pet the horse and the translation means to stroke someone's ego. This
kind of activity is very awkward for those of us from the west. We feel like we are lying. But in Asia it is second nature and expected. Let me tell you that by the end of the trip I hated to pei ma pi. 

We arrived in the first village just in time to have dinner with all the English teachers and the local government leaders. We went to bed that night in a hotel room owned by a Karaoke business. So we fell asleep to the obnoxious and boisterous sounds of those enthusiastic but non-musical singers.

The next day we started class at 8 AM. We were prepared and there were 200 students in my class. The only glitch was that when we started to show our trafficking prevention video the audio wouldn't work. If you want to see that video click here. So instead we had to narrate it on the fly. Which worked, but was a little disappointing.  Many of the students had very good questions afterward and gave me hope that the information really touched them.

Once the class was over I was given the opportunity to talk to the teachers. I thought that they wanted to learn how to teach this program and so I began to teach them about why it was important to tell students that they were valuable. When I broke for small discussion about this topic I was bombarded with questions ranging from What do we do about the disruptive students? to  What is the difference between American Education System and China's?  I was rather speechless. I did my best to answer the questions. Eventually Mr. Liang broke the teachers into three groups and had me talk with one and Janelle talk with one and Lesa talk with the third group. This was essentially English Corner. 

After having lunch with all the teachers and government officials again we traveled to a new village and new school. I told Mr. Liang that we would be glad to talk with the teachers but that it was important for them to sit through the entire program. He insinuated that communicating with the teachers was the most important part of this program and I told him that that was not true. Our purpose from Mr.Lee was to talk to the students about their personal value, moral sex education and trafficking prevention. So at the second school the teachers joined the students. I am unsure how many students we had during the second lesson but we almost ran out of handouts. So I estimate around 300. This time our video worked perfectly. This time after the students were finished and we had English Corner with the teachers one of the teachers asked me if I could help them because in the Chinese Education System there is no sex education and so what could they do. 

All really good questions but really not my expertise.  After this school we had dinner with this school's officials and teachers and then returned to our Musical Housing. On our way from village number two back to our hotel Mr. Liang proceeded to share with us some of his feelings about our program. I will just give you a brief over view for your sake as well as mine. 

He felt that because he was a party member and because he was introducing us to the schools that when we talked about sex we were causing the party to look bad. He realized that part of our mission was to help those kind of people the women who get pregnant without being married.  And the only true success of the program was the communication aspect with the teachers.  To be sure he was speaking in Chinese and I could not understand most of what he said but I could tell that his tone was one of censure and disapproval.  

Angela was quick to point out that if the students' parents will not talk to them about sex and neither will the schools then who will tell them. His response was Well this is China. (he only knows what that means) She also pointed out that we are trying to keep his students from becoming like those women who get pregnant without being married.  When we were back in our room at the Singing Hotel and Angela told me all that he said I was livid.  We discussed whether we should cut the second two points out on the morrow but decided that Mr. Lee had specifically asked us to put in the sex ed part and that we had already done that once and so I declared: Never Again.

That night I spent hours petitioning Father to change Mr. Liang's heart and open his eyes to see the value of this program exactly as it is as well as the importance of giving the students this information to keep them from making unwise choices. At times throughout my communication with Father I would grow angry again at Mr. Liang for his hard heart, selfish desires, and unwillingness to be flexible. But Father was quick to show me that I am too this way and was even more so before I was His child. I had to ask for Father to give me grace as well as to help me to hold fast to my purpose for being there. 

In the morning Mr. Liang's entire outlook had changed and truly it can only be by Father's grace that such a thing happened. He gave us two really good suggestions about the program. He suggested that we tell the students that my program has two parts and the the first part is how to Shine your life into the world and that the second part is about How to protect yourself. He suggested that between the two parts to ask for questions regarding the first half because he said that after the second half many students may not remember to ask their questions regarding the first half. So that is what we did at the third school.

Third school was my oldest audience. Some of the students were as old as 20. I am unsure if they were that old because they continually failed classes or because they had to skip school to help at home or for another reason but these students could more aptly relate to the sex education portion. One of the questions I was asked was: Can you get an infection from having a boyfriend. I replied that it depended if hold hands was the only thing you were doing with your boyfriend or not. I told them that if they were only holding hands then they were safe.  It is a mine field out there. :) 

After we had lunch with that school's teachers and officials we returned home. Toward the end I felt good but was so tired. On our way home we got to cross the highest bridge in all of Asia. Thus ends my story of the Villages on Short Notice.

 

Angela and I as we begin our class. 

 

 The room of 200 students from the first school.

Not sure what I am doing here.

This is part of the 100 kuai demonstration. Showing them that no matter what you do to a 100 kuai bill it is still worth 100 kuai.

When it is new it is 100 kuai.

When it has been scrunched up and looks gross it is still worth 100 kuai.

You are like this 100 kuai. No matter what has been done to you you are always valuable and your value doesn't change.

Does anyone want this 100 kuai?  Not a single child raised his or her hand and I used that by saying that even if no one seems to want you-you are still valuable. 

This is the gift/diamond demonstration.  We give one student a diamond inside a beautiful gift bag and a second student a diamond inside a trash bag and ask them which gift would they choose?

On the count of three they open their gifts and then turn around and show it to the other student.

We ask them who has the more valuable gift?

Then we talk about how their gifts' value is the same no matter what the outside looks like. We say you are like these diamonds no matter what you feel like on the outside you are not more valuable then someone else because you may be more beautiful. Or vice versus.

Then we say but unlike the diamonds that are identical you are an original. Like the Mono Lisa you too are valuable because you are unique. No one can copy you.

This is the Coke demonstration. One where we talk about how sometimes our feelings affect our choices and the fact that if we make choices in the midst of when our emotions are high those actions can hurt us or others. Just like when you shake a Coke up and then open it.

This is Iqbal Masih, who is our example of someone whose potential was limitless and is still at work in the world despite his death. If you want to learn more about him click here.

This is the oxytocin demonstration to show the students some of the emotional and physical effects of having sex with multiple partners.

Here I am giving my autograph to hundreds of youths.

Second School:

Third School: 

Christmas is coming!!

 

 The adventure of launching the School Program was quickly over shadowed by the excitement of the Christmas Fair that comes to my city every year. Angela and I went directly from the number 12 middle school to the site of the Christmas Fair. It was packed with people. 

Since I have been involved with the Youth Group I had to help man the face painting booth. It was a blast and exactly what I needed to keep my mind off the burning question of Why did Mr. Lee not come to watch my presentation? So we worked hard at the Fair by painting 400 faces and we made $320 toward the Youth Group's rent. YAY!!!

While we were there the group of ladies that I see on a weekly basis to study Father's Word decided to have Christmas pictures taken. It was a blast. You can tell how much fun we were having. This is often how we feel when we are all together. I feel so very blessed to have these women in my life. Without them and their constant encouragement I would feel less at home here in this place so far from where the rest of my family and friends live. :)

So, while I am busy telling you about my Christmas preparations I thought I would take some photo's of my decorations in my home as well. Last year when I was in the states I was introduced to Scentsy. When I came back I brought with me some of their products but until now was unable to use them because of the difference in outlet voltage. But this month a dear friend moved to a different city and she gave me her voltage converter.   So the scents floating around in my house right now are of cinnamon and cloves. A most Christmasy smell.

 I have lights up and my advent calendar hanging on my wall. 

 

The tree is set up and the ornaments are merry and bright. I have my favorite Christmas albums loaded on my ipod and I have been watching many classic Christmas movies when ever I am able.  

 

 I have my traditional Christmas tree topper on the top of my little tree. I have had this Christmas tree topper since my first Christmas tree. It makes my tree feel like home. I love my little aluminum star. My dad made it. It is a reminder that even though Christmas celebrates the birth of Our Saviour it is the traditions we use to celebrate it that make every year special. 

 

 

This red bird is a tradition in my family and this year we have had some delightful discussions regarding how it started and what is keeping the tradition and what is breaking it.  I hope that you have some Christmas traditions that make every year celebrating special.

 

 

December 7, 2012~First Presentation

I want to thank you all for your thoughts for me on December 7th. The most important aspects of last Friday went well. From the government official stand point we must have really done a fantastic job. The review he heard must have been good because he has big plans for us. But I want to tell you about the drama and comedy of the day. 

My team's appointment at the number twelve middle school was at 4pm. We arrived at 3:30 and the government official was supposed to meet us there.  Instead Mr. Lee told us around 1pm that he would be late and gave me the phone number of a Teacher Wang to call when we arrived at 3:30. So, we called Teacher Wang and told her that the foreigners had arrived. She wanted to know when we were arriving and I told her that we were already there. 

A woman approached our team and asked us if we were the Singaporeans. We told her that we were not the Singaporeans and then she wanted to know who we were and why we were at the school. We came to understand that she was not Teacher Wang and didn't have any idea of who or why we were there. So we had her talk to Mrs. Wang and she then took us to a giant conference room. Where we waited for the headmaster and Mrs. Wang. Once Mrs. Wang came it turned out that she also didn't really know why we were there. The headmaster finally came and told us that Mr. Lee would not be able to be there and that Mr. Lee really hadn't told him very much about why we were there either. 

The headmaster knew that we were there to teach something but didn't know what. So when Angela, my teammate and translator, told him that there was a portion of the program about trafficking prevention and moral sex education the headmaster told us that their students were good kids who didn't need to have that information.  He also told us that the 2 hours he had been told we would need had been reduced. He said that we could only have an hour and twenty minutes. Mr. Lee, the government official, was not there to protect the program so we felt we had no choice but to cut the last two points off the program. 

The actual delivery of the School Program was incredibly awesome. The youth soaked up the knowledge that they were valuable, had power to make good choices, and had limitless potential. When I asked them if they thought that one person could change the world the entire class room answered with a resounding NO. It was amazing. By the time that I was finished speaking I think that even if I didn't change their minds I at least gave them something to think about. I challenged them that I believed that each one of them could change the world. They were sooooooo adorable. 

Eden's boss received a phone call from Mr. Lee who called her to tell her that the headmaster had called to tell Mr. Lee that he was glad we had come and we were a great success. 

Thank you for your thoughts. I know that it is your thoughts that gave me continual peace throughout the craziness.  The peace that passes all understanding that comes from above is a great gift that I have not taken for granted. May these small victories open more doors for the greater glory of the Father and the ultimate good of His people. 

Launching

This week on Friday will be the launch of the Shine School Program. I will be in a middle school teaching and the government official will be observing. Afterward he will evaluate the program and determine if it is applicable and useful for the provincial schools.

This is the first time any western has been allowed to do anything like this and so I am nervous. 

There will also be two additional westerners helping/observing the program to see if their organization wants to partner with Eden in the implementation of the program. 

Please ask Father to give me peace, clear speaking & connection between my translator (XiCui ) and myself, as well as for the Government leader and the two other observers to see the positive aspects and potential of this program.

I am very busy preparing and practicing my speech. 

Thank you so very much for your thoughts and love. I will update you sometime this coming weekend on how everything went. 

November Update

Hello Dear Friends and Family.

I know that I have not been keeping you up to date. I apologize. Life seems to just run away from me. 

Our Shine Graduation was now over a month away. So you may be wondering "What have you been up to?"  Well let me share just a few things. I have been working on getting all the evaluations of Shine translated and accumulated to send back to Shine headquarters; I have been preparing the Shine School Program for review by the Government and have been partnering with the Youth Group leaders to plan and organize the annual Youth Conference. I have been working once a week as the Nurse at the Eden Workshop, was involved in a Masquerade Fund-raiser for the Youth Group, and finally but not least I have been preparing to teach on Luke 14:26-33 this coming Thursday and Friday at Youth Group. 

So, I hope that you can see that I have been very busy. However, I also feel very fulfilled. I am working with others to help others as well as encourage Spiritual growth. I am using my nursing skills both in the curriculum I am working on for the Shine School Program as well as once a week in the office with the girls. My Chinese is being stretched as I continue to have 4-6 hours of class a week, work as a nurse with the women who work at Eden, and as I work with my language helper to translate the Shine evaluations. My love of anything social is met by Youth Group, Youth Conference Planning, and going to Eden's office once a week. 

Many days I just sit on my couch working diligently on my computer and I have discovered that I am addicted to the internet. Earlier this week my internet was having major technical difficulties and so I had shut the wifi on my computer off. In the span of a half hour I think every two minutes I tried to  either look something up online or check my email and every time I was like oh yeah no internet. grrrr. But it never failed that I would do it again in another two minutes.  

My drama with the internet company was very frustrating because even after the issue was resolved, one of my Chinese friends was not even able to explain why there was an issue in the first place. He understood that there had been an issue before, but after a half hour on the phone with the company he still did not completely understand why I had to pay additional money. Here is what happened: I pay my internet bill once a year.  

From Oct 2009-Oct 2010 I had no problems. Then from Oct 2010-Oct 2011 there were virtually no problems. Except that in Sept 2011 my roommate moved in with me and it slowed our band width down.  So in Oct 2011 my roommate payed the bill for a year and asked for the service to be upgraded to the next fastest service plan. No problem. That is until Aug, when I got back from a Team Meeting in the States. I found that the people house sitting for me had had to pay extra at the phone company (at the time I had the receipt but had no idea what it was in regards to because it looked nothing like my internet receipt). 

Sept 2012 comes along and suddenly my internet is down.  I had no idea why, so I gathered up all my receipts and go to the internet company. At this point I was prepared to pay the whole next years bill since I was going to the internet company anyway.  So, I got to the company and they basically tell me that I have to pay 100 kuai (15USD) in order to have my next month of internet.  At this point I was confused but I don't care I just want my internet to work. So I tell them that I want to pay for the whole next year's bill as well as this strange additional 100 kuai.  

The man behind the counter was very patient but also very flustered at all my requests and he tells me that I cannot pay the whole years worth of bills yet. He says that I have to come back in a month and pay that. Through the whole event I finally figure out that I actually can pay the whole year's bill now but that it will cost 1600 kuai instead of 1300 kuai in Oct. So I begrudgingly agree to come back in a month. Because 45usd is a lot of money over here.

So Oct comes around but the first week is a National Holiday and I was pretty sure that the internet company would be closed during that time. Which in retrospect I am not sure that they were closed. And by the time I thought they would be open my internet was down again because my bill was due. I truck myself back to the company with all my receipts and the same guy is helping me and he tells me that I cannot just add money to my account. I have to go to the headquarters's office located somewhere else.

The grand humiliation is that in our struggle to communicate everything, he resorts to using the equivalent to Google Translate. Granted most of the vocabulary we were using were things like: broadband, cpu wattage, cable connection. But it didn't matter in my heart-I felt like a baby.  Finally it turns out that my because my account exceeded the year termination time I had to go to the headquarters to cancel that account and start a new account. But I could just reinstate my account with him for a slightly more expensive rate. My stress level were off the chart and I was afraid I was going to cry so I told him I didn't care about the expensiveness I just wanted my internet turned back on. This mentality greatly disturbed him. He really didn't want me to waste my money and I had to assure him and then reassure him that I didn't care about a measly 50 kuai more. 

He began to reinstate my account and to do so he needed my passport and luckily I just happened to have my passport on me. However, some of you may recall that I had to get a new passport in January of 2011. (if you don't check the story out here: Passport story) Because of this new passport and its new passport number my documents didn't match the account in the computer. Therefore, he was unable to process the reinstatement on my account. So in the end I did go to the headquarters and canceled my account and started a new one at a cheaper price.  But I was still very confused about why I had had to pay two extra 100 kuai bills-and that is still a mystery because even my Chinese friend was unable to get a straight-forward answer when he called them.  They did reassure him that this year I should not have that same problem. Sooooooo, we will see. 

But besides random crazy things like that happening making me feel like this:

 I have been getting lots done and tomorrow (Monday, November 26th, 2012-your time would be Sunday the 25th at 9pm) I, along with three Eden teammates, will be meeting with the Educational Head of our province.  He will be reviewing the Shine School Program that I have been working on and I am very nervous about the whole thing. If you could lift us up as we meet with him that would be greatly appreciated.