Sunday Thoughts: March 29th, 2009

“Unless the Father builds the house, it's builders labor in vain. Unless the Father watches over the city, the watchman stands guard in vain.”

I am constantly reminded that I know so little, and if I take action apart from the Father's blessing, I “labor in vain.” So I wait for his direction and leading. When I feel alone, I take comfort in the knowledge that the Father is watching over me and slowly conforming me to his likeness so that my labor will not be in vain. My consistent “thought” is that “He must become greater and I must become less.”

We are grateful this week:

1. Monday's English Club on the main campus went really well. It was great to see so many familiar faces! We got everything set up and spent about 15 minutes greeting students then Peter organized a quick finger fencing tournament. After that, we sang some songs, played a few more games, and then Shannon lectured on the mind & soul again.

2. Yesterday, Wil and Courtney Corder brought some students from Tianjin and we visited the Philip Hayden Foundation. There were 19 of us total! It took five taxis! We split up between a couple different houses when we arrived and spent about 2 hours playing with the children until they had to prepare for dinner. As always, it was a great afternoon. If you are at all interested in caring for Chinese orphans, I strongly recommend the Philip Hayden Foundation. You can find more information about them at www.chinaorphans.org

3. Jess' extra classes almost done. She will only teach 6 extra hours this week, and next week she will return to her normal schedule. This has been a great blessing for us because now we will be able to return to the United States in time for Jess to give birth.

Please think about us:

1. It has been cold for about the past week in our apartment. The heat was turned off for the winter on March 15, and the weather was warm for a while. Then it snowed earlier this week! Since we do not control our heat, the end of March and the beginning of November always seem like the coldest times of the year to us. The temperatures have been dropping below freezing at night and topping out around 70F on a sunny day, although our apartments never seem to get above 60F during the day. Our apartment was 58F all morning today. Needless to say we are anxious for warmer weather!

2. My parents will be returning to Iowa later this week to be with my grandfather. They will be spending their time trying to find a realtor and an auctioneer for his house. As of now, the goal is to sell the house this summer and then my grandfather will move in with my parents sometime in August, just before his 91st birthday.

3. Jess' 3rd trimester begins next week, and we are still a couple weeks away from our next check-up. Every day the baby's kicks get stronger! We have been discussing different names, but we have not settled on one yet. If you would like to see a video of our most recent ultrasound, you can visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y12FeopIf0Q

Living outside the boat,
Brad

Kung Fu Soul Sista's #2

Our Baby's Face

Love Never Fails

Kung Fu Soul Sista Imitations

Kung Fu Soul Sistas Part 1

The Baby's Heartbeat

February 16-March 22: The New Has Come!

All over the city of Langfang, spring is in the air. Two weeks ago, morning exercises were canceled due to ice on the playing fields. One week ago, temperatures soared into the mid-70s. The heat has been turned off in our buildings, and Brad has moved most of our plants onto the porch again. He’s no longer hanging our wet laundry on the radiator, but now hanging it on the porch to dry in the warm sunshine. The weeping willows are budding, and the sliced-pineapple and ice cream salespeople are back on the streets. Yes, spring has finally arrived! Five weeks ago we began a new semester, and for Brad and me, our last semester in China. It’s been going great, as we all aim to finish the year strong.

New Classes: The new semester began on February 16, only two days after Brad and I returned from vacationing with his parents. We spent most of that week just catching our breath. Our class load is lighter this semester; I am teaching 12 hours per week, and Brad is teaching 16 hours per week. It’s a great schedule, but during the month of March I haven’t really gotten to enjoy it as I make up all the classes I will miss in June. During March I will teach (or have taught) 14-22 hours per week.

Vision Meetings: One thing that has really made this semester different from others has been our attention to planning and goal setting as a team. For four consecutive Thursdays, we met to discuss our core values, personal mission statements, individual dreams, team dreams, SMART goals for ourselves and our team, and finally writing a team covenant. The girls and guys also met separately to plan the vision and execution of our weekly studies. These times have increased team unity, direction, accountability, and given us a chance to know one another more deeply.

Visitors: We’ve had so many visitors this semester! Amelia and Emily came out from Baoding to visit for three days as the semester began. Ryan (also from Baoding) joined us that weekend and played a hilarious game of “Psychologist” with us. Hannah came from Texas to visit Jess Shamblee, help with her classes, see the sites, and eat a lot of “street food.” Finally, Newt and Tony came out to visit for two days, eating a lot of meals with us and the students, and indulging in a little late night karaoke.

Tianjin: On March 7 we made it out to Tianjin to visit Wil and Courtney. The most memorable part of the day was walking through the downtown area and then catching a taxi to Eric Liddell’s Home and Sports Stadium in the international district. Liddell is the famous hero of the movie “Chariots of Fire,” Olympic gold winner, and a native of China. His contributions to China were great, and he eventually died in a Japanese concentration camp during the occupation. A week after our visit, Newt and Tony went to Tianjin and also got to see the school where he taught, and the place that houses his Olympic trophies.

IECS Staff Weekend: All twelve IECS teacher joined Newt, Tony, Da Yu, and Michelle in Beijing for a weekend of fun and friendship. Newt quizzed us on our memorization, invited us to share our stories, and spoke to us about his vision for IECS. We also enjoyed some good times together at Starbucks, Pete’s Tex-Mex, and karaoke.

English Club: On one Monday each month (Main Campus) and one Friday each month (Western Campus), the five of us put on one of China’s best English Clubs (in our humble opinion). Our English clubs come complete with Mixers, Minutes, random activities, American songs, solo musical performances, Run-On skits, and moving speeches about what it means to love with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. This semester Shannon and Shamblee have turned into “The Soul Sistas,” and Peter and Brad have turned into a pair of contradictory “Kung Fu Masters.” If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out on Youtube!

Students: We’ve been having a great time with students outside of class this semester. We invited Laura and Felix to visit the Philip Hayden Foundation Orphanage with us. Two weeks later we invited Laura, Felix, Cassie, and Megan to our team Movie Night to watch “Prince of Egypt.” I’ve been hanging out with Cassie on a weekly basis, sharing meals, cooking, and traveling to Beijing together. I’ve also been hanging out with Danielle on a weekly basis, sharing meals, cooking, traveling to English Clubs and Beijing, and creating art together. It has been great to get to know both girls on a deeper level. Shannon, Shamblee, and I also continue to meet weekly with Carol, Jean, and Sunshine to study. Unfortunately, Carol and Jean moved away with little warning two weeks ago, so you can be thinking of them as they move into new towns and new jobs.

Beth Moore Study: Shannon, Shamblee, and I have been studying “The Patriarchs” with Beth Moore for ten weeks, and will complete our time with her this week. It’s been a great time of learning and bonding together as we work our way through the videos and texts together.

Sickness: This week, we were caught unawares when Brad came down with an awful illness. He was up sick all Sunday and Monday night, and dragged through Monday and Tuesday. Thankfully he has no classes on these two days, so he had time to recover before he had to be teaching again. He also kept me up all night, but I did make it through my classes fine. Thankfully, I did not catch whatever he had.

Next Year: Brad and I are continuing through the interview process of becoming an Area Director for YL in the United States. Newt has been tremendously helpful in making personal contact with the East Coast Vice President, Staffing Director, and Regional Directors, and following leads for us stateside. We’ve met with Newt and Claire to discuss our future, and continue to make moves toward a full-time position on the East Coast. You can keep us in your thoughts as we make this move, hoping that we will be placed exactly where we need to be to do the work that needs to be done.

Thank you for your continuing thoughts for Brad, me, our daughter, our team, and China. We couldn’t be here without your help and support!

Love Always,
Jessie

Sunday Thoughts: March 22nd, 2009

"It was not by their sword that they won the land,

nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
and the light of your face, for you loved them."

Our time in China has been a constant lesson in humility. Even after two years, there is so much that we do not understand, but we continue to lean on the love of the father. Our “sword” and strength have not brought us any success, but the father has already won this land with his love, and we are honored that he uses us in his victory story.

The blessings have been two-fold. First, it has been amazing to see the father work through our relationships, and second, it has been plainly obvious that our strength did not produce the victories!

We are grateful this week:

1. Friday's English club was amazing! There were fewer students than usual because of an exam on Saturday morning, but we still had about 125 excited students who were taking a break from their studies. We have been focusing on what it means to “love with all you heart, soul, mind, & strength,” and this week Shannon spoke articulately about the soul and mind.

2. I was extremely sick last Sunday and Monday nights. I didn't get more than a couple hours of sleep each of those nights. By Tuesday, I was feeling better but I was extremely dehydrated. We are not sure what brought it on, but I was the only member of our team who got sick. This might not sound like something to be grateful for, but it turned out to be perfect timing. Since I have no classes on Monday or Tuesday, I did not miss any time in the classroom. I felt anemic the rest of the week, but otherwise, I am better now.

Please think about us:

1. Monday night we will have our second English Club of the semester on the main campus. It will be the same as our club last Friday on the other campus. I am hoping to have some new videos ready next week.

2. Newt flies home tomorrow, and will be dealing with jet lag for about a week.

3. Next Saturday we will be taking students to visit the Philip Hayden Foundation again.

4. Jess has been teaching almost twice as many classes as normal for the past week, and she will continue to do so until the end of March. She is teaching extra classes now to make up for those she will miss during the month of June when we return home.

5. Jess is 26 weeks pregnant, which is about 6 ½ months! We know that our baby will definitely be a girl. She is completely healthy and getting bigger every day! She has a strong kick, and our friends in China enjoy feeling her movements.

Living outside the boat,
Brad

Sunday Thoughts: March 15th, 2009

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.”

It hit me this week that we only have two and a half months before we return to the United States. I feel like we have only scratched the surface here in Langfang. There is so much more to do, but we will not be able to return next year.

However, I was excited to again realize that the Father, who called us to China, was here before we were, and he will remain long after we have gone. The work that he began in our lives many years ago will be carried on to completion, and the same is true of the work he began here in China. Our lives are his lives, and the completion is his as well!

We are grateful this week:

1. Last Tuesday was an adventurous day! It was our monthly baby checkup in Beijing and we invited Cassie along. Cassie is one of Jessie's students, and we have known her since last year.

2. We spent Saturday and Sunday in Beijing with the entire IECS team. It was great to visit with the other IECS teachers for the first time in almost two months.

3. Newt will be visiting each school over the course of the next week to finalize our May English weeks and to explore new possibilities in other colleges. He will be in Langfang from Sunday night to Wednesday morning.

Please think about us:

1. This Friday night, we will have our second English Club of the semester on the Western Campus. We will then have the same club on the Main Campus three days later on Monday night.

2. Jess Shamblee has definitely won the award for have the most visitors this year! Hannah will be spending the week with us, and we will all be visiting Jess' class on Monday night for part of her lesson.

3. At this point, we know that our unborn baby will definitely be a girl. She is completely healthy and big for her age! We will have to visit the doctor two days before our flight home on May 28th, and she will certify that Jessie and the baby are healthy enough to make the 13 hour flight to Washington, DC.

Living outside the boat,
Brad

“Love the father with all you heart and with all your soul and with all you mind and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself.”

All! But how will I have any room to love anything or anybody else if “all” of my love is devoted to the father?

Maybe it is just the math in my genes, but sometimes I get caught up in the thought that my heart needs to be divided like a pie graph: 60% of my love can be reserved for the father, 20% for my wife, 10% for my children, 7% for my extended family, and 3% for everybody else. However, that is not what the father desires. He wants 100% of our love, and to my mind, that leaves no room for anything else!

I am so grateful that our father's math is not limited by percentages! In loving him with “all” we have, we learn to love others in the way that he designed. When we love him with “all” we have, he instructs us in how to “love our neighbors as ourselves.” Loving him with 100% still leaves 100% to be shared with everyone else!

Why have we been grateful during the past week:

1. This past Tuesday we invited students over to Shamblee's apartment to watch The Prince of Egypt. It was a fun evening! We made popcorn, ate cucumbers & apples, and socialized before and after. It was interesting trying to cram 13 of us in a small room around one television (and one computer with Chinese sub-titles), but we were all comfortable enough and everybody liked the movie. The students also had some great questions for us afterward!

2. On Saturday, all of us visited Tianjin, and spent the day with Wil & Courtney Corder. We spent most of the day just walking through the city and enjoying the company of other like-minded Americans. The highlight of the afternoon was finding the house where Eric Liddell (Olympic runner, and hero of the movie Chariots of Fire) lived and the stadium he built while he was in Tianjin.

Please continue to “think” about us:

1. We are still going though the application process for working in the United States next year. Again, we will most likely be placed somewhere on the East Coast, but the location is not as important to us as our desire to follow the Father's call. We are hoping to know more specifics in the weeks to come.

2. My Grandfather has been doing well lately. He has been home and is starting to get beck to his normal routine of woodworking and dominoes. You can be thinking about Jess' Dad as he recovers from severe back pain, and her brother Josh who just got over the flu.

3. Please continue to remember Jessie, and our little girl. We will be going to Beijing on Tuesday for our regular check-up. You can see a video of the baby's heartbeat on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR5BJfYc-w4&feature=channel_page

Living outside the boat,
Brad

Sunday Thoughts: March 1st, 2009

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Father determines his steps.

“Altar” your plans, and trust the Father to alter them.

I had a plan! It was Friday night, and I had just finished teaching my afternoon classes. Jessie, Peter, Shannon, and Shamblee were planning to meet me on the other campus for our English Club. I prepared the classroom for what would eventually be an awesome club. I had 45 minutes to kill before the others would arrive, so I planned to entertain my students by playing my guitar. I had a plan!

Our students love music, and they love singing. So I started by taking out my guitar. Immediately, 100 cell phone cameras where pointed at me, and I had not even played one chord! I planned to play some “Jars of Clay” and “Caedmon's Call” songs. I planned to play “Brown Eyed Girl” & “What if What They Say is True.” It was a good plan!

By the end of the first song I figured that everybody would have been done taking pictures, but that was when I realized that they were using the video option on their phones. As I started another song, some of the students were getting braver. They started sneaking up beside me as one of their friends took a picture. Needless to say, this was distracting, and it was ruining my plan!

I continued with a third song and tried my best to ignore the commotion. Most of the students had stopped taking pictures and video. I suppose either their memory cards were full, or they decided I just was not worthy of recording. Either option would have been plausible. That is when I felt a tapping on my right shoulder. Why would somebody be tapping me on the shoulder when I was in the middle of a song? This could not be ignored. I stopped in the middle of the song to find a young man looking up at me, and then he asked, “Can I take a picture with you?” I was bewildered; I was indignant. “Brown Eyed Girl” is an American classic! But they were not nearly as interested in my singing as they were in taking pictures.

After the shock wore off, I realized the pride and absurdity of my plan. My plan was altered. I started posing for pictures; just me, a student, and my guitar. What my students really wanted was for me to just stop playing a song that they probably did not know, put my arm over they shoulders, hold the guitar, and smile while their friends took pictures. This continued for another fifteen minutes as student after student came forward. I had prepared to fill about 45 minutes with singing, but posing for pictures with an American and his guitar turned out to be far more interesting. My plans had been altered!

Then I remembered, “A man plans his course, but the Father determines his steps.” I had my plan, but I never took it before the Father. I never “altared” it! So once again, I was forced to learn a lesson that just never seems to sink in: Altar your plans, and trust the Father to alter them.

Why have we been grateful during the past week:

1.We had two English Clubs this past week, and both were amazing! On Monday night we had our first club of the semester on the main campus, and on Friday we had club on the western campus. We have been focusing on what it means to love with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Peter spoke eloquently and used Shel Silverstein's, The Giving Tree for his illustration of an obedient love. We also introduced a new run-on starring Shannon and Jess Shamblee.

2.The best part of our English club on Friday was that we got to share it with two friends from the main campus, Lydia & Danielle. They came along for the ride and helped by taking pictures and video. It was fun to share the evening with them and talking while we rode to and from the other campus.

3.This week was filled with lunches & dinners with students! On Tuesday, Jessie baked cookies with Danielle, and ate dinner with Cassie. On Thursday, Tony visited and we all ate dinner together. On Saturday, I had lunch with Pan, Peter visited our neighbors, and Shamblee invited some of her students over to teach her how to make dumplings.

Please continue to “think” about us:

1.We are still going though the application process for working in the United States next year. Again, we will most likely be placed somewhere on the East Coast, but the location is not as important to us as our desire to follow the Father's call. We are hoping to know more specifics in the weeks to come.

2.The latest news about my Grandfather is that he has been released from the hospital, and my mother is staying with him in Iowa. He lost 20 pounds in fluid weight, but at least he's home and on the proper medication. They are currently trying to decide if it would be better for my Grandfather to move in with my parents, but this could be a long process that might not be feasible until this summer.

3.This Tuesday night we will be inviting some students over to watch The Prince of Egypt.

4.Please continue to remember Jessie, and our little girl. Both are doing great! Other than some aches and some weariness, there has been nothing but good news concerning our pregnancy. This week I was able to feel the baby kick for the first time! You can see a video of the baby's heartbeat on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR5BJfYc-w4&feature=channel_page

Living outside the boat,
Brad