Archive for June, 2009
Sunday, June 14th, 2009
Barnabas’s mother
Monday 6/15, 6:25 am
Jo and I joined hundreds of others 10 am on Sunday at the 3rd service of the Gong Wa Shi Christian Church. Hymns were traditional, hymnal bilingual. Afterward we did what seems normal–stood around in the courtyard talking.
A tall man walked over to Joann and me and asked, “Which of you is Barnabas’s mother?” –not a question I was expecting in the middle of China, but easy to answer. It was Dr. Martindale from Wheaton College. He was one of Barnabas’s teachers when Barnabas was at Wheaton, and apparently had seen him recently. Mrs. Martindale was there too, as were Dr. and Mrs. Chuck Weber. They were at the end of leading an Asian Studies session here.
Afterward we had dinner with some of Jo’s friends at a nearby restaurant.
Later in the afternoon, Jo, one of her friends, and I worked out at the gym in the apartment community.
You can see pictures:
http://nationsbeglad.shutterfly.com/346?size=All&startIndex=0
The rest of our group arrived safely and in good spirits late last night (Sunday).
Sunday, June 14th, 2009
Flashback
I’ve posted the link to pictures from my 1st day in China, Tuesday in Beijing. I’ve posted the link to Thursday-Saturday with Mark and Rene.
There’s a missing link — Tues-Thurs with Jonathan and Carol in Taiyuan. The photos are at:
http://nationsbeglad.shutterfly.com/114?size=All&startIndex=0
Those days include getting a taste (literally) of Jonathan’s workplace at the Cheese Factory, visiting the clinic where Carol works, meeting some of the Evergreen staff in Yangqu, and having a great time with Esperanza and Trini.
That almost catches us up to today, and that’s good, because tomorrow our group begins our Beijing itinerary and that will be filled with more to see and tell about.
Saturday, June 13th, 2009
Back in Beijing
After only 2 days in Yuci (yoo-suh) with Mark, Rene and kids, I’m back in Beijing with Jo. Tonight, Sunday, we expect the rest of the group to arrive. (Bill Walsh writes about the trip at http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1854_chinabound/ .
The days in Yuci were full and good — visiting the Evergreen office and meeting staff there, sitting in on a seminar for church visitors, wandering around an old-style village with cave houses dug into mountainsides, walking through old-town Yuci getting historic perspective from Mark, visiting the clinic where Evergreen medical staff work alongside the Chinese staff, eating Rene’s homemade pizza, and of course getting to know Bjorn, Marit, and Anders. Oh yes, and buying gifts for my daughters-in-law that I’m pretty sure no one has ever given them before.
You can see pictures at
http://nationsbeglad.shutterfly.com/168?size=All&startIndex=0 .
That includes a photo of my first visit 14 years ago, when Alma Bjork and I were part of the ceremony in which little Bjorn was dedicated to the Lord. Alongside, you’ll find a current re-enactment of that old photo.
There are also a couple of photos I made at the family’s favorite noodle shop. The noodles for each order were made on the spot–pulled noodles, starting with a big lump of dough–pretty amazing handiwork. I have a video of it, but I can’t get through to YouTube. So I’ll post it when I get home.
Friday, June 12th, 2009
Pictures
Since the website isn’t acting like it usually does, I haven’t been able to link to photos.
So here’s a better idea. Instead of 2 or 3 photos at a time, I’ll send you to my photo site and you can see as much as you want. Here are photos from the day I arrived, when I was in Beijing before traveling to Taiyuan and Yuci –http://nationsbeglad.shutterfly.com/26 .
Sorry, you’ll have to cut and paste the address. That link isn’t working either.
Thursday, June 11th, 2009
In Yuci
Now I’m in Yuci with Mark and Rene and their children, Bjorn, Marit, and Anders. Mark is China Director for Evergreen Services.They arrived home yesterday morning by train from a few days of vacation. Then just a couple of hours later the welcomed me.
Almost fourteen years ago, I visited Mark and Rene when they lived in Taiyuan, the city where Jonathan and Carol live now, about an hour’s bus ride away. At that time, Bjorn was only a few months old. Alma Bjork (my traveling companion and an old friend of Rene) and I led a small service in which Mark and Rene dedicated Bjorn to the Lord. At the end, we presented him with a quilt made and sent by Bethlehem’s White Cross ladies.
This morning I’ll walk to their house from the place where I’m staying–an Evergreen apartment that is between families. After breakfast, I’ll go with Judy, one of their coworkers, to a seminar for church workers helping them think about helpful, effective approaches to home visits.
As far as I can tell, Evergreen people live in the heights–almost all the apartments I’ve been to are 4-6 stories up, and there are no elevators. Mine is on the 6th floor–120 steps. You don’t want to forget and leave something behind when you walk out the door in the morning.
I had hoped to include a couple of photos, but the website is not opening in its usual format, so maybe later.
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
Cheese in China
Jonathan, Carol, Esperanza (San San), Trini (Mei Mei), Noel
They are in China with Shanxi Evergreen Services, which specializes in community development through means of various sorts of projects and work.
Carol, a family practice physician, is part of the medical team and works part time at a neighborhood clinic.
Jonathan, is working with the Evergreen-related Cheese Project , helping to manage its financial procedures and books. Cheese is not a normal part of Chinese diet, but sales are good to foreigners in China and to hotels who serve them.
Jonathan wants his friends to know these are not go-go boots, but part of the required hygienic uniform in the cheese processing area.
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
It’s 9:30 pm here in China. I think that makes it 8:30 am in Minneapolis.
I arrived last night in Beijing. Slept at Jo’s last night in Beijing and flew one hour this afternoon to Taiyuan.
For the next couple of days I’m with Jonathan and Carol and their girls Esperanza and Trini. The girls attend Chinese preschool and switch effortlessly between English and Chinese.
Tomorrow I’ll go with them to a village where they work.
God answered your prayers for safe travel. Now I’ll be thankful for prayer that I listen well and learn a lot and that I be an encourager all along the way.
Sunday, June 7th, 2009
It’s My Pleasure
This afternoon I leave for two weeks in China. Yesterday was the anniversary of a very important day in my personal history.
There seemed to be a connection between China and that anniversary. The story is at the Desiring God blog.
Saturday, June 6th, 2009
Jumble Thrift: My New Shopping Destination
Tomorrow I leave for China, but first a story.
A couple of weeks ago, Talitha and I drove 3 hours down to Fulda from Minneapolis to see our Fulda family and to deliver birthday hugs to Millie.
Of course, we couldn’t leave without shopping at Jumble Thrift, the new venture of Millie’s family. After I had paid for my purchases, I wandered some more, waiting for Talitha to finish.
Up high on the shoe shelf I glimpsed a familiar-looking heel. Unbelievable! It was a brown pair like my favorite black shoes-the style I’ve been searching for on Ebay for years. (You know how it is. As soon as you find a pair of shoes that are comfortable and you like the way they look, immediately the style is discontinued. Aaargh!)
Well, there they were. AND, also unbelievable, they were my size. How often do you think I find women’s 11M in a thrift shop? AND only $1. How much do you think I’d have had to pay on Ebay if I HAD ever found the shoe.
People flock to the Mall of America from surrounding states. Not me. I’m flocking to Jumble Thrift in Fulda. You too?
P.S. I don’t know any other thrift shop with such an active and entertaining blog.
