Tuesday, September 23, 2014

People Stories - a teacher & a tutor

A teacher
Recently G blessed one of our families. In late spring a teaching opportunity came up for the wife. Believing that G had brought this opportunity into their lives, they followed in obedience to the L and pursued getting the appropriate visa to teach. That eventually required them to live outside this country all summer, enduring various trials and challenges. It became a very difficult summer for them but in the end, G allowed them to obtain their visas. Just last week her school informed her that beginning this November the government would require many teachers to have five years of teaching experience before they could teach in China. She had four years of experience. Because she now has her visa (and thus visas for the family), she was grandfathered into the law. By the end of this year, she will meet the required five years of experience. However, if they had waited to pursue this teaching opportunity, even one semester, she likely would never have gotten the job nor their visas. Sometimes we don’t know why G allows trials into our lives; sometimes He graciously gives us a glimpse of His purposes. It’s like the tapestry seen from below – a tangled mess of knots and threads.  But on the top side, Heaven’s side, it’s a beautiful, woven picture. Rejoice with them and with us.

A tutor
Since Mark is not attending formal language classes this year, we decided to hire a private tutor so he can keep up with his Chinese. Can you imagine that he wants to talk?? Anyway, we discovered that one of our favorite teachers from last year no longer taught classes but would tutor privately. She tutors some of our good friends, and we knew her and she knew us so we thought it might be a good fit. So we get together once a week for about three hours. We have a great time with her – talking, reviewing, laughing, joking, reminiscing, and sharing. It’s fun to not only see progress in language but also watch a friendship develop. We get to review and solidify words and concepts she taught us last year and use those things in many different combinations. We even get to use Chinese words, concepts, and traditions and connect them to the Truth. Our friends have also developed a friendship with her and her husband so they all have discussed the Truth at various times. Remember us on Thursdays that we would not only learn but also have wisdom on how best to live out the Truth.

Monday, September 22, 2014

People Stories - Pam & Frank, Leslie, Veronica

People Stories 

Pam & Frank
Amy’s parents, Pam & Frank, stayed with us four nights this past week. We had a great time with them, getting to know them, showing them around Beijing a little, talking about our kids, laughing about life. Their first day here Frank joked about the scene we must have been to onlookers. He said it looked like something out of a movie. They knew the language, but it was the foreigner showing them around town, guiding them through the subway, taking them to tourist sites. What’s wrong with this picture?

They spent several weeks in China to visit family and long-time friends, ending their trip with us in Beijing. While in the country, they took the opportunity to share the Truth with their family. According to Pam, four of their relatives came to believe in J. For example, she shared the Truth with a cousin, sowing seeds over many years, but earlier this year the cousin lost a close family member, thus opening the door to more discussion about eternity and the One who holds eternity in His hands. That cousin came to believe what Pam had told her and that J is real and can comfort in times of sorrow.

Over the course of several meals, we discussed so many topics, in addition to their growing up years. They were born just after the Great Famine in China but lived through the Cultural Revolution. For them, as for so many others, it was a very difficult time period. I encouraged them to write down their stories. Stories of hardship, but as we talked, we see how G worked through that, even though they didn’t know it then. G was working all the time. We have noticed, and they agreed, that many people their age display a blank or empty countenance. We see it on the subway, in the parks, around town. So many years gone, so much hope lost, so much faith in other people betrayed. Yet for Pam & Frank, G has given them a peace that passes all understanding. G has given them a hope beyond their experience. G has saved them and given them new life, not just outside their original country, but life in J. Pam, Frank & Amy are first-generation Xns, sharing the Truth with others whenever they can.

Yet at the same time, Frank carries a heavy burden. His parents in China are elderly and not well. He would like to find work where he can come visit them periodically to care for them and still provide for his immediate family. Remember him; he needs wisdom and opportunity.





Leslie
While Pam & Frank were here, they wanted to visit Tiananmen Square so we went one afternoon. We followed the crowd to where we thought we could reach the square. We learned later that the particular crowd we were in was actually the line to get through security to visit the Forbidden City. Since we didn’t have ID or time, we didn’t want that line. However, while there we met a young lady from Mexico, Leslie, who arrived here just three weeks ago. She will nanny six months for a Chinese family but has free time while the boy is away at school. She mentioned that language poses difficulty in the nanny job since the family doesn’t speak any English and she doesn’t speak any Chinese.  She reminded us of our own girls - young, enthusiastic, friendly. So we walked around the square with her, chatting, taking photos. We shared phone numbers and made contact. We hope we can see her again sometime.

Veronica
One day on the subway Mark met a man from the US named Dmitri. He was here looking for work, would soon return to the US, but hoped to come back to Beijing. His girlfriend was from Beijing. Through some personal contacts, Mark put him in touch with some business people and we also made contact with his girlfriend, Veronica. We ended having a delightful lunch with her and learned some of her story. She basically grew up in the US, played tennis, and attended a major university. While in college she came to know J and has since grown in her faith. She now attends a well-known body in NYC so we had a great time comparing notes and talking about the well-known leader/author. We hope to see Veronica again as she plans to relocate and work here. Remember her for wisdom and opportunity here.

We recognize G ordains every contact, every conversation. Remember us as we talk, chat, visit, contact, and share the Truth with seemingly perfect strangers yet people made in G's image.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Pictures of our new home & neighborhood




 

















Walking out the apartment building



We discovered a produce seller inside our complex





A walk outside the complex to explore the neighborhood area


















The school across the street. We learned not to take a walk about the time school lets out. Also, we hear the PA system every morning as they do outside activities.