Sunday Thoughts: October 12th, 2008

“Some wandered in desert wastelands,

finding no way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.”

We visited the Western Campus this past Friday for English Club. 350 plus college students hanging out the doors and windows of a fourth floor room vs. five foreigners, four songs, three chords, two games, and the Truth! It was a landslide victory, and the Truth did not even need the five foreigners!

The students’ hunger for Life was apparent. I remember what it was like to be that hungry, that thirsty, and willing to give anything for just a small taste of Life. I remember what it was like to wander without hope. Like a convict sentenced to death, I would have gladly traded anything for the Life I saw ebbing away! I would have given anything to know Life & Hope, but what I did not realize at that time was that it had already been given for me.

"I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Come to the Father. Feast on Life. The table is prepared!

Why we are grateful this week:

1) Tony & Lily had a healthy baby girl, Zhang Xi Mei, on Thursday afternoon. 8 lbs, 1 oz!

2) Newt and Claire returned home safely this week.

3) Both English Clubs went extremely well. Jess Shamblee gave a great talk on “Hope,” Shannon proved that Chinese students still love John Denver, and Jessie & Peter were able to keep everybody free of injuries during the games. Feel free to look at our pictures or video! For further details you can read Jessie’s note, "A City On A Hill".

4) We also spent an evening at KTV with some of our Chinese friends this week. It was Peter’s 26th birthday party, and it was a blast!

Please continue to “think” about us:

1) As the semester has progressed, we have fallen into a pattern of eating lunch with students every Friday. Peter and I eat with a couple students, and the three girls also meet individually with students for various reasons. This has been a great time for building friendships, and we are eagerly anticipating the fruit that will come from this time.

2) We have learned of a native family who serves on our campus. Please remember them and their spouses.

3) Please continue to keep the other IECS team members in your thoughts: Wil & Courtney Corder in Tianjin, and Tim Phillips, Amelia Martin, Emily Green, Jon Allison, & Ryan Bettwy in Baoding.

4) Shannon’s Grandmother passed away recently. Please remember Shannon and the whole Lively family.

5) As always, please remember the “communication guidelines” when communicating directly with any of us in China.

He has come that we may have Life, and have it to the full,
Brad

October 12, 2008: A City On A Hill

Langfang City, Hebei Province, China— The atmosphere is charged with energy as over 350 students push into classroom 408. The air is thick with the warmth of breath and bodies, despite the windows open wide to the cool air outside. Hours before the Club begins, students save seats and prepare their cell phone cameras for this special night. Every chair, desk, aisle, windowsill, and empty space is occupied by students eager to catch a glimpse (and hopefully a few photographs) of the exotic visitors.

Around 6:30pm a van arrives, and the much-anticipated visitors disembark. There are two Chinese students and five Americans--two men, three women, and one guitar. The visitors climb the stairs to whispers and stares. A small crowd forms behind them as they ascend. As they enter 408, the classroom explodes in spontaneous applause for each American.

The visitors each introduce one of their foreign friends: Jessie Distad, Brad, Jess Shamblee, Peter, and Shannon. Their light skin, light hair, and light eyes attract every camera in the room. They can hardly finish a sentence without boisterous applause. They tell funny stories and compliment their friends with obvious affection. They follow their introductions with a game of “Finger Fencing” and the two winners leave one chocolate bar richer.

Jessie introduces Shannon, who pulls out a guitar to teach her attentive audience “Lean on Me” and “Country Roads.” She reviews the words with them and then slowly sings the song with them, gradually picking up the pace as she goes. As the other four exit, Peter challenges four students to eat a mantou (steamed bread) and drink a bottle of water as fast as possible. The winner celebrates his full stomach and full mouth by raising his empty bottle high over his head in triumph, and happily accepting his chocolate bar prize.

Peter then switches to teaching and explains to the students the meanings of three words: immunities, “getcha,” and species. He says that his four friends like to use these words, and that they like to listen to music. A moment later, there is a commotion in the back of the room as two costumed characters enter the room to “Hips Don’t Lie”. What follows is a humorous play in which “Bubble Boy” (Brad) attempts to woo his friend Paula (Jessie) with his Shakira-like hips and the help of two hip-hop “Dahnce” Instructors named Gloria (Shannon) and Stefani (Jess). Gloria and Stefani have little tolerance for Bubble Boy’s sweet moves, warning him that “The Rhythm’s gonna getcha, getcha, getcha…” The crowd laughs heartily at their antics, and cheers enthusiastically for each character.

After their exit, Peter teaches the students some voice modulation through shouting, and has them in stitches. The other four return, and Shannon teaches two more songs with her guitar.

“I can see clearly now, the rain is gone, It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright) Sun-Shiny day!”

“If I gave it all away for one thing…If I knew all about this one thing…Wouldn’t that be something…”

As the last notes fade away, Peter introduces Jess Shamblee to the audience again. The crowd is silent as Jess takes center stage and shares a message of hope. She tells the story of a man named Andy who had hope. Andy believed that “hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. ...” Her rapt audience tracks along with her, knodding and smiling, wordlessly attentive to a message that crosses all cultures and all boundaries.

The speech and Club completed, the students surge forward and swarm around the American English teachers, eager for photos to show friends and family back home that they met a foreigner. After about 10 minutes, the Americans pack up their belongings and return to the curb for their van ride back to the city. It’s cool and quiet outside, and they breathe in the silence. Back in the van they are common folk again, English teachers in China. Earthen vessels raised up for this very purpose:

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men…”

--Jessie Distad

Sunday Thoughts: October 5th, 2008

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of ‘the father’ belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of ‘the father’ like a little child will never enter it.”

As I get older, I wonder if I still chase after the Father with a childlike enthusiasm. I wonder if I still find the same joy in the simple pleasure of fellowship with the Father. Then, I wonder why I now consider those pleasures to be “simple!”

Life is not meant to be difficult for a child; the parents provide, and the child survives. It is only when I forget who I belong to, who I trust, and who my provider is that it becomes difficult. When I attempt to take the place of the Father, I see that life is much more complicated. I was not meant to be the Father, I was meant to be the child. So, I hope that I never forget what it means “receive the kingdom of the Father like a little child.”

Why we are grateful this week:

1) This is the end of the week long Chinese National Holiday, and it has been a great week. We spent the beginning of the week catching up on rest, we went to a hot air balloon festival with other local teachers, and than we visited the other IECS teachers in Beijing.

Please continue to “think” about us:

1) This Tuesday night will be our 1st English Club on the main campus, and Friday we will have the same club on the western campus. Shannon is leading the music, Peter & Jess Distad will be leading a couple of games, I’m organizing the skit, and Jess Shamblee will be speaking.

2) Please remember Tony & Lily. Lily is due to have the baby any day now!

3) We have learned of a native family who serves on our campus. Please remember them.

4) We visited with the other IECS team member on Saturday. Please keep them in your thoughts. Wil & Courtney Corder are in Tianjin, and Tim Phillips, Amelia Martin, Emily Green, Jon Allison, & Ryan Bettwy are in Baoding.

5) As always, please remember the “communication guidelines” when communicating directly with any of us in China.

Going the second mile and loving it,
Brad

September 29, 2008: Dancing in September

“Ba de ya – Say, do you remember…
Ba de ya - Dancing in September?
Ba de ya - Never was a cloudy day”

Wow! I cannot believe that we have already been in China for an entire month! The days have passed like the shifting seasons. The team here at Langfang Teacher’s College in Langfang City, China has been dancing joyfully through the first month of the new school year!

Moving In
Returning to Langfang for a second year has not been half as difficult as moving in for the first time. Yet moving in is still a lot of work! Our first few weeks have been full of tasks like unpacking, cleaning, sewing, buying groceries, paying bills, shopping at Walmart, filling our water cooler, setting up Skype, and decorating our apartments. Vera took us out to have our photos taken (twice), took Jess to the police station, and took us to Shijiazhuang for the day for our physicals. We’ve had our printer and our toilet fixed, clogged another toilet, and flooded our kitchen with our washing machine. We’ve met with Wayne a number of times about classes, schedule changes, books, English clubs, and supplies.

Team Schedule
Soon after our arrival, Brad began working on creating a monthly team schedule, including visits to the orphanage, visiting with the other teams, celebrating holidays, running the Beijing Marathon, and IECS English Clubs on our two campuses. We have also established a weekly team schedule, including Sunday meetings, meetings with students, Ladies’ Lunch, and Date Night. This week we are taking advantage of the vacation time to share our individual stories with our team. We’ve had some great times as a team recently:

• September 13—Beijing English Club


• September 14—Mid-Autumn Day Festival


• September 14—Shannon’s Birthday Celebration and Game Night


• September 16—Freshmen Welcome Ceremony


• September 18—Jess Shamblee Welcome


• September 21—Tianjin Day Trip & Corder Family Welcome


• September 22—LFTC English Association Club & Freshmen Welcome


• September 27-28—LFTC Annual Sports Meeting (Members of the team participated in the 100m dash, shot put, and 4x100m relay.)

Each member of the LFTC team has been contributing to making this a great September!

Brad —Brad has been our planning guru for the autumn as he has been busily making schedules and getting permission for various activities. He initiated a free Fantasy Football league for twelve of the IECS team members, which is developing friendships and friendly competition in the team. When he’s not buying coffee ice cream, he’s practicing his guitar, marathon training, and editing Shannon & Peter’s wedding video. His friendship with Wayne continues to bear fruit as they plan English Club dates together. Last week Brad took four boys from his class out for lunch, and came home with a list of new foods for all of us to try. His friendships with Forrest and Pan continue to deepen as they spend time together. Brad also competed in the Sports Meeting this weekend, though his long-distance stamina was humbled by the short-distance sprinters in the 100m dash. He hopes to prove his true strength and endurance in the Beijing Marathon next month.

Me —I have been the China “welcome wagon” for the month of September. I have enjoyed typing up documents, lists, schedules, foods, and tips for the newcomers to China. With the help of my teammates, I’ve had fun welcoming the newlyweds home from their honeymoon, and welcoming Jess Shamblee to the team. I’ve had a great time showing Jess Shamblee around, introducing her to the city and its ways. I’ve been eating lunch weekly with a student named Danielle, who shares my interests in art. We are planning to add weekly art-making together to our Friday schedules. I’ve been doing a lot of reading, writing, drawing, painting, and photography lately. I invited Cassie, Melinda, and Vivian (Forrest’s girlfriend) to the Beijing English Club, and enjoyed spending the whole day with the girls. You can be thinking of me as last Monday (9/22) a heavy metal water bottle full of water on the second toe of my right foot, causing bruising, bleeding, and not a few tears. We are not sure if the toe is broken, but a week afterward the swelling has gone down and the pain has decreased enough to make walking easier. I’ve really felt blessed by the thoughtfulness of my students and team during this time.

Jess Shamblee —Jess Shamblee has been a delightful new addition to Team Langfang! An ardent Steelers fan, she has already decorated her room with Steelers memorabilia, named her fantasy team “The Steel Curtain,” worn a Steelers jersey to class, and taught her students to throw an American Football. Jess keeps everyone laughing, including her students whose laughter, singing, and outdoor activities are already the talk of the English Department. Jess has shared her great games with the Beijing English Club, and shared about herself for the LFTC English Association Club. Recently she’s been eating out with Victory, Lindy, and Danielle, baking pancakes, and getting to know the cats she inherited from Newt. At this weekend’s Sports Meeting, Jess was our team hero, bringing home second place in the 100m dash, and third place in the shot put. Jess and Shannon together also took third place in the 4x100m relay. Jess is also great at being the “welcome wagon,” as she traveled to the Beijing International Airport alone to greet the incoming Baoding team and then traveled with them to their new home to help them get settled in.

Peter —Peter and Shannon arrived in China on September 6, after returning from their honeymoon in the Northwest United States. Peter and Shannon have been busy settling into their new lives as a married couple, consolidating all of their possessions into one apartment. They were pleasantly surprised to find new furniture and a new mattress when they returned—a fitting wedding gift from the college. Peter has been training for the Beijing marathon on October 19. He has made a new Chinese friend, who loves to run as much as he does. Like Brad, Peter’s freshmen classes on the Western campus only began last week, so he has enjoyed getting to know his new students. Peter really enjoyed the Sports Meeting this weekend, as he was the only one of us with real experience in track and field events! Peter took home a second place in the 100m relay, and a second place in the 4x100m relay.

Shannon —Shannon and Peter have been delighted to share their wedding story with their Chinese friends. Two nights after their arrival in China, they hosted the team and some Chinese friends to watch their wedding slide show. At the English Association Club, they were asked to share their wedding story, to thundering applause from the audience. Shannon has been getting a workout keeping up with Peter as he runs on the track, or riding her bike alongside of him as he runs around the city of Langfang. Shannon and Peter continue to meet regularly with Allie and Allen, and Shannon has also met with a new girl who came to our campus from Qinhuangdao and enjoyed a growing friendship with a friend named Sunshine. Shannon has been enjoying her new life as a wife, busying herself with making their apartment a home.

“Ba de ya – Say, do you remember…
Ba de ya - Dancing in September?
Ba de ya - Golden dreams were shiny days.”

-Lyrics courtesy of Earth, Wind, and Fire “September”

Thank you for caring about China! We value your thoughts, and how you have helped us in so many ways. May you be blessed for your partnership in this work!

Love,
Jessie

Sunday Thoughts: September 28th, 2008

“Self is the opaque veil that hides the face of the Father from us.” A.W. Tozer

“He must become greater; I must become less”

“More of You less of me, more of You less of me, more of You, less of me...” This has been my mantra for the past couple years. When I look at old pictures from my childhood, sometime I barely recognize myself. It is almost as if I’m looking at a stranger! How is it possible that I became the person I am? Why have I been so blessed to have an opportunity to serve in China? It doesn’t seem logical! There must have been a better choice! As Gladys Aylward put it:

"I wasn't His first choice for what I've done for China…I don't know who it was…It must have been a man…a well-educated man. I don't know what happened. Perhaps he died. Perhaps he wasn't willing…and He looked down…and saw Gladys Aylward…And He said - "Well, she's willing."

I am so grateful for the “new creation” in my life! It’s not that I had a rough childhood, but I can see that the more I was focused on myself, the less I understood the Father. Five years from now I hope that I can look back on the person I am today and think I’m looking at a stranger.

Why we are grateful this week:

1) We are currently celebrating the Chinese National Holiday. It’s a week long holiday, and there are no classes. We have been invited to go for a hot air balloon ride with other foreign teachers this Thursday, and we’ll be in Beijing next Saturday.

2) The college had it's annual campus-wide Sports Day this weekend. We participated in the 100 meter run again this year, and again I was in the back of the pack. We also threw the shot put! Jess Shamblee finished second in her 100 meter heat, and third in shot put.

3) The student-led English Club on Monday went well! There were about 300-400 freshmen and sophomores at the club! The novelty of foreigners always draws a crowd early in the year.

4) The dates for all of our English Clubs are finally set! The first club will be Tuesday October 7th on the main campus.

5) Jess had a scare earlier this week; she thought she broke her toe when she dropped a metal water bottle filled with water on it. Luckily, it just appears to be badly bruised. She is still limping a little, but the swelling has gone down.

6) Otherwise, we are all completely healthy!

Please continue to “think” about us:

1) Please remember Tony & Lily. Lily is due in about 2 weeks.

2) My mother had to spend some time in the ER this week. She collapsed with vertigo at lunch with my sister. She is fine now, but please remember her.

3) Peter’s twin brother, Connor, is a Marine Officer and left for Iraq this weekend.

4) We have learned of many native “family members” that work on our campus. Please remember them.

5) Please also remember the teams of teachers in Baoding and Tianjin!

Going the second mile and loving it,
Brad

September 21, 2008: My Legacy

“I have been with you wherever you have gone….Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth….When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body….Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”

“Who am I…and what is my family that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight…you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man…? Do as you have promised, so that your name will be great forever.”

Dear Friends,

As I have been reading the stories of Naomi, Ruth, Hannah, Samuel, Saul, Jonathan, and David, I can’t help but think about what it means to leave a legacy. I asked my students today in class, “What lessons have you learned from your parents? What lessons do you want to pass on to your children?” I can’t help but wonder the same thing, even as I ask it. What legacy will I leave for the “future of my house”? When my days are over, what will endure?

I’ve just recently finished The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, and I’ve been sharing it with my students. Pausch talks about the lessons his parents taught him about learning, story-telling, humility, fairness, optimism, selflessness, and priorities. Pausch advises his own children to “find your own path to fulfillment…don’t try to figure out what I want you to become. I want you to become what you want to become….find your way with enthusiasm and passion.” I’ve enjoyed Pausch’s thoughts, yet I feel that there is more to my legacy than moral lessons and advice. A vital relationship is missing from Pausch’s lessons.

So what legacy do I hope to leave to my children? Perhaps it is too early to think about this, but I hope that the generations of our family will seek their "Father" with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. I hope that they will love Him with all that they are, and with each day of their lives. I hope that we will leave a legacy of trust in the One who will never let them down. I want them to pass on to their children the greatest love story ever told. I hope that they are “real” people with a real relationship with their "Dad." And I hope that they are willing to share that kind of love with others. I have a feeling that I will care less about my family’s accomplishments, and more about their character. I hope they will display obedience, more than excellence. As the saying goes, “I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

In one of my favorite Nichole Nordeman songs, she sings:

“I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering,
A child of mercy and grace who blessed your name unapologetically,
And leave that kind of legacy”

I hope my family will remember that I chose to love. I hope they will remember who I pointed my life toward, and what kind of mark I wanted to make. I hope that they see someone who gave all she had as an offering. I don’t think any great name, kingdom, or throne need remain for me. I can only hope that my life and the lives of my children and grandchildren will bring glory to the greatest name of all. Call me sentimental, idealistic, or crazy, but that’s my dream. I want to leave that kind of legacy.

“Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...”
-Nichole Nordeman: Legacy

Love,
Jessie

Sunday Thoughts: September 21st, 2008

“He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."

Have you ever been heartbroken? So has He! How did you react? He reacted with love! Completely separated and cast out of the Garden, one might be fooled into thinking it was punishment, but it was love!

Had we stayed in the Garden, with access to the Tree of Life, we might have obtained eternal life in our fallen state, and thereby obtained eternal separation from a Father that loves us. The only option that allowed for a future reconciliation included the banishment from the Garden. The only option that allowed a loving Father to have a relationship with his children might have been viewed as punishment or vengeance, but it was Love!

These were some of the thoughts that Shannon shared with us earlier this week, and I have been thinking about them since then. As I sit here in China, there are times when I long for home, but in a larger sense I realize that it’s not “Maryland” that I desire; It’s the “Garden” and the complete reconciliation between the Father and his children.

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

Why we are grateful this week:

1) The entire IECS teacher team is finally in China!

2) We were in Tianjin on Sunday to visit with Wil & Courtney Corder and Newt, & Claire Hetrick.

Please continue to “think” about us:

1) Jess and Jess Shamblee have had some very deep conversations with a student that we have known for over a year. Please remember them in your thoughts.

2) Please remember Tony & Lily. Lily is still looking great. She is due in about 3 weeks.

3) As we settle into our 4th week of classes, our immune systems are starting to fail us. This is fairly common for me at the beginning of every school year. With 200 students coming from different locations, I usually catch something! Right now it’s just a “head cold.” When I wake up in the morning, my voice is weak and my nose is running. After a Dayquil, Halls, Coffee, and a few good sneezes, I’m fine. However, I’d like to be done with this cold, and I’m hopping that nobody else has to deal with their own version of this cold. Jess and Shannon have also been feeling under the weather.

4) Peter’s twin brother, Connor, is a Marine Officer and he will be deployed to Iraq at the end of the month.

5) Jess and I have once again posted the pictures of our students on facebook. Please remember them in your thoughts. We will tag their names to the pictures within the next week.

Brad’s classes: Sophomore Business Class 1, Sophomore Business Class 2, Freshman Applied Class 1, Freshman Applied Class 2, & Freshman Applied Class 3

Jess’ classes: Junior Business Class 1, Junior Business Class 2, Sophomore Oral English Class 1, Sophomore Oral English Class 2, Freshman Applied Class 2, & Freshmen Oral English Class 3

6) The students have asked us to be guests at one of their student lead English Clubs. It’ll be this Monday night, and it should be fun. Peter and Shannon have been asked to speak about Love & Marriage. Jess Shamblee will introduce herself to the students.

7) We will have three English Clubs on the western campus, and the final dates are set: October 10th, November 14th, and December 12th. We are still working on the three dates for the main campus English Clubs that we would like to organize.

8) Peter and I will be having lunch weekly with a couple guys, and the girls will be meeting with a few students on a weekly basis as well. We are hoping that this will be a great time of learning for all of us.

9) Wil and Courtney Corder, arrived in Tianjin for a year of teaching last Thursday. The two of them are alone in a foreign town and dealing with jet lag. They start classes on Monday morning. Please remember them in your thoughts.

10) Please remember the “Communication Guidelines” when communicating directly with anyone in China!

Going the second mile and loving it,
Brad