Dear Friends,I hope you are having a great time in the U.S.A. as winter turns into spring! The weather here has been beautiful, quickly climbing into the 60s and today into the 70s Fahrenheit! Brad and I have enjoyed the leisure of going running in shorts and a t-shirt in late February, smiling and waving at the gawking Chinese (who rarely wear shorts) as we go by. This past month has been full of new beginnings as we started our second semester at Langfang Teachers’ College on February 18. I’ll try my best to summarize them briefly here:
Peter Lucas-Roberts—We added a new team member this semester! Peter joined us in February, and was promptly asked to leave the country because his student visa was no longer valid! Thankfully, he didn’t have to go to the USA, but he did have to make the 60 hour round trip to Hong Kong for his new teacher visa. Peter is a great asset to our team, and we are so glad to have him!
Second Semester—We are all having a great time teaching for 14-18 hours each week! Peter’s knowledge of history is appreciated by our history classes, and Shannon has taken on a Book class in addition to her other courses.
Movie Nights—We have scheduled and shown two movies to over 100 students on two different occasions. The Last of the Mohicans and The Shawshank Redemption were a big hit, and we are planning on showing three more movies on the big screen during the rest of the semester.
Philip Hayden Foundation—We have taken two taxis full of students to this orphanage for children with special needs about 30 minutes from our campus. The students have been deeply touched by the experience, full of love for the orphans, and full of questions for us. We look forward to taking more groups in the future.
One-on-One Student Meetings—These times are rich with learning! Brad is also meeting weekly with one guy to play basketball, and with another to play soccer. His soccer buddy has some great questions, so keep him in your thoughts! In addition, we are all meeting weekly with other friends as we deepen growing relationships.
Thursday Nights with Students—We’ve been experimenting with various activities, and with great success! On February 21, we accompanied two students to the annual Lantern Festival in People’s Park, where we took in the beautiful fireworks, light displays, explosions, flying lanterns (like hot air balloons with a candle inside), and Chinese crowds. Allie also gave us traditional “rice glue balls,” a favorite Chinese food for this day. (They taste about as good as they sound! I liken the sensation to that of eating warm eyeballs.) On March 6, we hosted a “Western Dinner” night complete with Mexican tacos and taco sauce (provided by my parents), seasoned meat, homemade salsa, homemade refried beans, lettuce, sliced and separated (processed) cheese, tomatoes, homemade sour cream, and lots of Chinese flatbread cut and toasted into chips. The dinner was a great hit, as the students were delighted to try real “American” food with their American teachers in their home.
English Clubs—On March 2 we were the main act at the V.A.N. English Club as we shared English songs, games, and talked about our winter vacation. On March 7 we hosted English Club on the Western Campus, leading songs and games, and introducing Peter to the students there. As always, the night was a great success. Students showed up hours early to reserve their seats, and as we left, they clamored for more. Maple came along for the 30-minute ride, and she had a great time too.
Experimental Cooking—German potato salad, Stroganoff, Tuna Salad, Jell-O, Spaghetti from scratch, and Brownies with Ice Cream! With every month, Shannon and I are increasing our cooking repertoire. :)
Hair Cuts—Vivian took me to get my hair cut at the “Pretty Baby” on Saturday, and I successfully had a ¼ inch trimmed from the bottom of my hair. The next day Shannon and Peter went with Maple to get their hair cut. Peter came out with a buzz, and Shannon had a few inches layered off of her hair. Now we can all say that we’ve had a real Chinese haircut!
Running—Brad is running 40-50 miles a week these days, and I am running 20-25 miles a week. We are now halfway through our marathon training. :) We will register this weekend for the Great Wall Marathon on May 17, so you can be thinking of our tired (but healthy) bodies!
Taxes—We’re filing them from China this year! You can be thinking of us as we try to make that process as smooth as possible, and as we hope for plentiful returns to support our work!
Upcoming—Finally, we have a lot coming up soon! Newt will be here from March 12-March 30, and we are really excited to see him again! Please be thinking of him as he travels and scouts out new schools for IECS in Tianjin and Baoding. This weekend we’ll be in Beijing for a new English Club that Tony is starting, and then we’ll go to a Major League Baseball game (Padres vs. Dodgers)!
Thank you, as always, for your tireless support and encouragement. With every letter, e-mail, message, and phone call you lift our spirits. Thank you for sharing in this exciting adventure with us!
Love,
Jessie
