Hello to Everyone: Beijing Adventures

From Jacob

Hello Everyone!

I just thought you all might enjoy seeing what I'm doing here in Beijing! You can also check out more pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/job.teamchina2007.

Hello to Everyone: Christmas on the Last Day of Class

From Beth

Hey everybody,

It seems impossible that it our last day of school. Today we are doing Christmas and birthdays. We are turning the birthday party into a goodbye party thing. Lots of fun things on the plan as far as games go and such. And the last of our stuff to give away is wrapped as Christmas presents or in birthday gift bags. Today we had Christmas Eve and decorated our 6-foot construction paper tree as well as making stockings to hang on the fireplace. It was fun.

After school Nikki, Kristen, Bekah, and I went to hot pot with some of our students. It was your usual hot pot experience. Somewhat scary but a bit fun! We enjoyed the time with "our kids."

We've been crazily getting ready for tomorrow, so I'm off to bed before I lose my mind!

SO---you can keep out of trouble for a couple more days, right?
LR--So what about a purple fan? Or maybe green butterflies? Lol. We''ll be back soon!!

Hello To Everyone: Missing My Students

From Ben

Hey everyone!

Sorry that I haven't written on the blog yet. I've been pretty busy. Class has been good but tiring. I love all of my students; they are tons of fun. Spending time around the city has been great and very eye-opening at times. This has definitely been a memorable experience. I can't wait to see you all soon. Just wait till you see my sweet Chinese outfit. It's way cool. Miss you all very much!

Hello To Everyone: Classroom Memories

From Angela

Hi family and friends,

We're in Beijing now, but I thought I would share a little of my experience in China. I had a class of 11 students and their age range was about 8-13, I think. They were so much fun to be with and to teach. We taught about Valentine’s Day on Friday and lots of the kids gave Rebekah and me a Valentine card. One of my students named Joe gave me one with hearts around my name. So, I think he understood the concept we were teaching. I have been trying to learn Chinese from the students too, and they enjoy laughing at how I pronounce the words. Mom, you were so right about all the different little necessities you said I should bring along. I am really going to miss everyone here when we leave. Each of my students are so special to me, and I am going to miss being with them! I am also going to miss my assistant teacher Lynn, because she has been amazing and a great friend. I will miss shopping at the market with Lynn. Nancy, who is one of my students who is 11 years old, helped me as I bargained for some amazing gifts. I have been able to eat lunch with her this week and that has been so much fun! It has been amazing being here!

Hello To Everyone: Meeting Old Friends, Seeing New Sights

From Linda


Touring Beijing has been fun, but our time with precious Chinese students is what we'll cherish most. Last night, after getting settled in our hotel rooms following our visit to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, I was so happy to get together with Chase, one of my students from last summer, and his girlfriend Dora, who met me at the hotel around 10 p.m. They are going to be college juniors this year and are trying to make decisions about post-grad study in China or abroad. We walked to KFC for some beverages and caught up on news and future plans. (By the way, Chase and Carl say a big hello to "Darryl." I was able to talk to Carl on the phone for a few minutes.) I wish I hadn't been so tired; I could have talked to Chase and Dora for hours, but I finally had to say goodnight.

Now we've just returned to our wonderful Debao Hotel from a day of touring in Beijing: This morning, after a delicious continental breakfast that offered western foods like French toast and cereal, we joined thousands of others to climb a popular portion of the Great Wall (August is vacation time for many Chinese). Our tour guide told us that the Wall was built during the Ming dynasty by a huge labor force of people, many of whom died in the process and were buried in the wall (it was believed that the souls of those who died stayed nearby and would defend the wall from invaders). Btw, the photo of Justin leaning out of the wall looks scary, hey? But don't worry--his feet were held securely.

After our climb, we went to lunch at a Jade restaurant/factory and learned how to tell true jade from fake jade. We shopped in their store, then took a ferry ride on the lake at the Summer Palace, where the Qing dynasty empress known as Dragon Lady spent her summers and used money acquired through corruption to renovate the park. We then went to a pearl restaurant/store where we learned how to tell true pearl from fake pearl and shopped before enjoying a buffet meal (it even included refills of strawberry, grape, lemon or orange juice). Our last stop was near the site of next year's Olympic games where we climbed a hill to snap pictures. The stadium (French-designed to resemble a bird's nest) will be completed by next March.

Tomorrow we will do a little more sight-seeing and shopping before heading to the airport for our trek home. See you soon!

Hello To Everyone: Emei Adventures

From Linda

Here are a few of my pictures from Mount Emei, our weekend trip that included climbing many steps up to a Buddhist temple and seeing monkeys on Monkey Island. I made the trek to the temple with Angela, occasionally passing a few women selling incense (instead of buying their incense, I gave away a few bottles of water that I was carrying as dead weight--they were delighted!). We also stepped aside for a worker walking a mule down the steps as well as men carrying unbelievably heavy loads of concrete and other materials for building or making repairs. Our long walk was accompanied by a chorus of singing insects and cicadas, including an eerie sound I'd never heard before and can't really explain. The visit to Mount Emei was a study in contrasts--it was Sunday and there we were watching people bow and burn incense at the site of a huge golden image erected about two years ago at the top of the mountain.

As you can see from the picture of Justin, he proved to be a sturdy climber, wowing friends and onlookers as he stood bravely on a big rock with a long drop behind him.

Hello to Everyone: Last Days Reflections

From Sharon

Hello Ryan, Mom, Dad, Esther, Kezia Ann, Micah, Grace, and Jabez!!!!

I am having a lovely last few days here. Only two more days of teaching, and I am both happy and sad. I have really had a wonderful time in the classroom. The last few days we have had really great discussions. Taryn and I have really advanced students, so we can really have some great talks.

This past weekend we went out to the country. I loved the scenery, and I got some great pictures. This new picture of me is one of me on top of Mount Emei… it was pretty scary, because when I turned around there was a huge drop off and nothing to stop me from falling straight down the mountain! I had a lot of fun at Emei… I can't wait to get home and tell you all my stories. I love you all! See you soon.

Hello to Everyone: Busy Days in the Classroom

From Linda

Today we told our students about Christmas in America, complete with reading a narrative and singing such songs as Jingle Bells, Joy to the World, and the 12 Days of Christmas--we taught them the song and each student sang one of the parts; it was especially fun to hear Samson sing "Five Golden Rings!" Sherry Trainer sang a solo of a familiar carol, which the students loved ("Do you have a recording?" they asked), and I played a couple of songs from Handel's most famous composition (a few of them were familiar with the well-known chorus).

It's been fun trying to have a lot of variety in class. We played a fun compound word game today with students pantomiming words like seasick and cupcake for their team to guess. We've also done a good amount of storytelling in class, which the students love. Yesterday, I invited a guest speaker for an hour (our teammate Ben) to talk about American football, which prompted a lively discussion on money, fame, and the elusive pursuit of happiness from it. Tomorrow I'll be testing my students on things we've covered so far, particularly pronunciation. On Friday they're looking forward to a graduation party with prizes I brought and cakes I'll purchase for the occasion.

Hello to Everyone: Weekend Perspectives

From Jacob

Hi Everyone! I thought you might enjoy a few pictures that I took on our recent weekend sightseeing trip. Enjoy!



Team members in this album: Eric, Jonathan, Ben, Taryn, Linda, Beth, Sharon, Nate, Justin, Mr. Trainer

Hello to Everyone: Change in Plans

From Kristen

To everyone who may be reading this and especially my mom,

I'm so sorry that I haven't written on the blog before now! It's been really busy here but that's not really an excuse. I am sorry and I hope you can forgive me! Hopefully you've been reading other people's entries and have at least been seeing how the team is doing as a whole.

It's been very interesting because I haven't been working with the person or the age group that I thought I would be working with. When we got here they had to change a lot of teaching partners and age assignments because, like a lot of things in China, things didn't work out as planned.

Back in Watertown during our Team China meetings I had originally volunteered to work with junior high-age kids and with Bekah. But when we got here I was originally assigned Primary 1(little kids) and was supposed to be working with a girl from Faith named Nikki. I finally ended up teaching Advanced 1 (mostly 15-16 year olds), with Nikki Bowers and Beth. It's been an interesting journey but I'm glad I know Who is in control. I love my class, and I love being able to communicate so well with them. They all speak very good English, so we can do a lot more with them. I have made many new friends, and it will be very fun to try to keep in touch with them after I leave.

So many things have happened since I've been here, and that makes it so hard to pick something to tell about! I've gotten to go to many places in Chengdu and believe it or not I'm kinda getting used to being in the city! Taking taxis and city buses is a very new experience for me, but I've found that I've adapted quite well. Some of the smells I've not adapted to very well, but that's a whole other story… ;-) The traffic here is crazy! I've been in taxis that randomly cross into oncoming traffic and traffic lanes seem to be mere suggestions here. It's so much fun! I love crossing a eight-lane road and then getting stuck in the middle and having to wait till the light changes to finish crossing. Having cars whiz by at mere inches from you on each side is rather fun.

Overall, it's been a great trip so far and I can't wait to give you more details when I get home! Thank you for all your thoughts! I love you all.

Hello To Everyone: Out and About in Chengdu

From Katy

I just had to share these pictures with you, from my recent adventures. Left to right, they are: an elderly man and his grandson, fountains in Tienfu Square, and Nathan's and my students at a basketball game.

Hello to Everyone: Reflections on Big City Life

From Rebekah

Hey everybody,

I’ve had so much to do here that the time just escaped me. I can’t believe that we’ve only got a week left in Chengdu. I love the people here. This experience has been an eye opening one. Most of you all know that I’m not a “big city” type of person, but if necessary, I could be very happy in one. And I never thought that I could enjoy being out of the country so much, but the people make all the difference. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know a lot of people here that I will gratefully call my friends. One of the main ones is my Chinese teaching assistant Lynn. She is such a help in class. I’m teaching the Primary 3 class. Most of them are 8 or 9. We’ve averaged 10 kids everyday. They are all so sweet, though at times they seem to enjoy acting like squirrels on caffeine. It’s great. I can’t believe that it’s almost over. I’ve had so many interesting experiences that I can’t wait to tell you all about it. Today Angela and I and Beth, Nikki, and Kristen talked about Easter, so we dyed some eggs like we do in America. I tried to boil 3 dozen eggs in 2 small electric tea kettles. It was quite an experience let me tell you. And that’s just today. I can’t wait to see you all and show you all my pictures. Talk to you soon!

Monkey Island and Buddhas

From Linda

Saturday morning our team went to see the giant Buddha carved in the rocks in the city of Lashan (a couple of hours from Chengdu). It's peak season for visiting the site, so we waited in long, winding lines in order to descend from the back of buddha's curly head down to his toes at the bottom of the stair-studded hill. Pretty interesting, but I do prefer Mount Rushmore! At the bottom, we came to a large river, where several Chinese tour boats floated near shore.

Today we wound our way up (by bus, foot, and tram) to the top of Mount Emai—more than 10,000 feet high! At the top was a Buddhist temple topped by a large golden statue. The air was permeated with the ever-present smell of burning incense. But the view from the top, above the clouds, was magnificent! Some of our more daring young men climbed onto some rocks for great photo ops.

Then it was on to Monkey Island and another long stair climb to the top of a Buddhist monastery. The monkeys, which climbed up onto the bridges and walkways to be fed, were cute but wild, kept at bay by workers holding sticks.

We have one more week of teaching before we visit Beijing and return to the States.

Today's Slideshow: Pictures from the weekend by Justin. Team China members pictured in the slideshow: Sherry, Eric, Nikki, Beth, Kristen, Justina, Nathan M, Justin, Sharon, Katy, Michael, Jacob, Jonathan, Taryn, and Rachel. Select the comment button when the slideshow begins to see captions.

Hello to Everyone: High School Students and Monkeys

From Taryn

Hi!

I am finally writing something for the blog. Sorry, Mom and Dad, for taking so long to write. I know you probably want me to.

I love the class I'm teaching. They are in high school, but they are more advanced than what I thought last year. We can talk to them just as fast as any American. The class time is much longer than last summer, because I'm at a different school. Last year we taught five hours three days a week and three hours two days a week. Here we teach 9-4:30 Monday through Friday, so that makes it a little more challenging.

We are going to the place where I saw the monkeys last year this weekend. I might be able to get together with a girl from my class last year who lives near the mountain.

Well, miss you and I'll try to be better about posting some stuff.

Taryn

Hello to Everyone: Fine Dining and a Pedicure

From Taryn and Sharon

As you can see, we're enjoying the various aspects of China outside the classroom! Recently, we enjoyed a trip to get our nails done, as well as to share a meal at the local American hangout, Pete's Tex Mex. It's everyone's favorite place to get Western fare!

Hello to Everyone: News from Beth

From Beth

Dad, Mom, and everyone,

As of noon yesterday we were halfway done with our three weeks of teaching. It doesn't seem possible that we only have a week and a half left.

Our class is great. The last two days we watched The Wizard of Oz during our activity hour for English listening practice. I'm pretty sure Kristen, Nikki, and I enjoyed it more than the students! We were all in the back of the room singing along. There were even some acting scenes coming out—that we are glad no one could see.

I'm sure you read Nikki's account of my brilliant move with the dumplings on Sunday. Let's just say I think I've had enough dumplings for a while!

We have a teaching assistant for our class who comes in sometimes. His name is Li. We are hoping to be able to do some things with him. We've had several nice conversations with him during activity time and the this past Saturday at the panda reserve. He seems really personable and friendly.

There's a little girl at our favorite restaurant whom we've been making friends with. Today she got to tickling me, which doesn't work since I'm not ticklish. But she seems to be very ticklish so we had a good lunch break. I should run. The afternoon part of our day is about to start.

SO—Love and thoughts from all of us here! Saw a really cool string instrument thing at the opera last Friday and thought of you.

LR—So, I hear you don't want another pink fan—what's up with that? Miss ya!

Love and thoughts to you all!

Hello to Everyone: Mopeds and Traffic

From Jonathan

Everything here is going very well (for the most part anyway)! When I was here two years ago and wrote, everyone said I was boring. I have exciting stories to tell, but I'm sure the girls here have already told those stories in a far more exciting way than I could tell them.

Classes are going well. Linda and I have 19 students. We hardly ever see a few of them, though. We average 11-14 probably. I was able to play ping pong with one of our students the other day. We rode his moped. (Mom, he even let me drive it! I am OK!)

We didn't have to teach Wednesday afternoon, so Justin, Eric, and I went on an adventure through the city. We went to KFC, the tailor, the scroll place, and a fancy hotel.

We are going up the mountains this weekend. It should be fun. Despite the dozens of times that we have almost been hit by buses, cars, and bicycles, we are all doing quite well. No one has been too sick yet. We Americans played the Chinese in basketball the other day. We lost by only a few points. So long for now!

P.S. Dear Mom, please don't send money. We will be home by the time it gets here! Happy birthday on Saturday! I hope you have a good day. I love and miss you!

Love, Raw Meat, Toilets, and Smoking

From Linda

On Tuesday morning, Brian Trainer spent about an hour telling my classroom, made up of English teachers, about the four types of love according to the ancient Greeks--sorge (family love), philos (friendship), eros (physical), and agape (sacrificial)--and how the best marriage includes all four. The students enjoyed looking at wedding photos he passed around, in which, incidentally, his hair was jet black. In this photo, Brian teaches while Sherry observes.

You're never sure what you'll encounter in China. I took a picture of a man hauling a raw slab of meat on the back of his bike yesterday morning. Steak and eggs anyone? Traffic consists of people on bikes or mopeds, on foot, or in cars, taxis, and buses--all converging and merging at major intersections. It's quite a sight, especially during rush hour! The pedestrian does not seem to have the right of way here, so it's a good idea to look both ways, including behind you and in front of you!

Garage-sized shops dot the urban landscape along almost every street, selling products ranging from fire hydrants and cabinets to fans, tires, and even western-style toilets. These ones are on the way to my favorite coffee shop, where I can hear some pleasant American music, sip a smoothie (western prices, though), and use my laptop with wireless.

Today in class we divided into small groups to discuss health problems (and solutions) in China, similar to those we encounter in the States--smoking, alcohol abuse, lack of exercise, and overeating (the students are all pretty thin in my class, so I didn't expect them to list overeating as a problem here, but apparently it is for some Chinese). In this photo, a young man is smoking--a common sight among young and older men in China.

Hope you're doing well back at the ranch!

Hello to Everyone: Dumpling Dimwits

From Nikki

Dear Mom, Dad, and friends who are concerned for my health here in China:

You will be comforted to know that I am eating well, but dining in China has become an adventure all on its own. My first night here we had a banquet with the vice president of Mount Royal. I was very excited to try my first traditional Chinese cuisine. Sadly, I forgot to calculate my first time using chopsticks into my excitement. Here I am sitting at the head table with the Trainers, a few other college students and the vice president of Mount Royal. Mr. Trainer suggested strongly that we try every item that was presented to us on the table. My heart was in it but my hands would not cooperate--45 minutes, 25 dishes, and multiple frustrations later, I managed to consume about 4 small pieces of food, and only with the help of Beth and a toothpick. I was so embarrassed and frustrated because I was hungry; I had myself convinced I was not going to eat at all this trip. Thankfully I tried my hand the following day at chopsticks and was able to succeed.

Besides the chopsticks fiasco, dining has been fun. Kristen, Beth and I were invited out last week by one of our students for lunch and we got to try traditional Sichuan snacks, including dumplings shaped like eyeballs and the ever so popular pickled chicken foot. It was, in the words of Mr. Trainer, Interesting. I didn't mind the chicken foot actually, but I wouldn't want to go and order on a random whim.

Finally my last interesting story was just last night when we went to our favorite Chinese restaurant, where we love the sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, and dumplings. Five of us were dining, and we wanted two dumplings a piece. Beth decided to order for us, and we asked for 2 dumplings a piece, or so we thought. . . actually we ended up with 2 PLATES of dumplings per person. . . that would be 150 dumplings for 5 of us. It was traumatic, funny, heartbreaking, and embarrassing all in the same moment and I will never be hungry for dumplings again!!!!!

Love to all back home!
Nikki

Basketball Challenge--The Pre-Olympic Game

From Justin

On Tuesday afternoon at 5 p.m., the pre-Beijing 2008 Olympics took place when the staff of Mt. Royal challenged the Americans to a basketball game.

Noah from FBBC was our go-to-guy. Eric Dunford could be put in for MVP. Final score was 64-59, China.

Considering how seriously they take this and considering that we never practiced, we did not feel too bad. They enjoyed playing so much that they want to do it again sometime next week.

Weekend Fun

The weekend is a wonderful time to build friendships and enjoy each other. Some of our weekend activities included sharing American-Western food with students, visiting the Panda Zoo, and attending a Chinese variety show. Check out today's slideshow: When the slideshow starts, run your cursor over it to reveal the comment bubble; select this icon to view captions.

Hello to Everyone: Living at the Tailor's

From Sharon

Hello all!

This is my dumb American story of the week. Taryn and I were at the bank getting cash exchanged. You have to fill out all of these forms and one of the places on the form asks for your address. Usually we write down something that has to do with the hotel we are staying at, although we don’t really know the exact address. Well this time I thought I would be smart and just hand the man the business card that has our “home” address written on it in Chinese characters.

We have many business cards that we carry to give taxi drivers so they can get us to our favorite locations. We have a couple of restaurants, stores, other hotels and attractions, etc., so that we can get around town with relative ease. Well, I gave the bank teller the wrong card. I realized when getting in our taxi that evening to go home that I had shown him the card to the tailor’s store.

I had wondered why he looked at the card so funny, and then put it away in the drawer. I had to ask several times before he finally gave it back. Taryn and I just had to laugh! We were so confused . . . but I guess sometimes we probably look like silly American tourists.

Hello to Mom, Dad, Ryan, Kezia, Micah, Grace, and Jabez.

Thinking of you all!

Love, Sharon

Hello to Everyone: Pouring Rain

From Beth

Dear Mom and Dad, Everything is going great here in China and it isn’t even as hot as it was last year. I’m teaching Advanced 1 with Nikki and Kristen. We have 14 kids who are all great and lots of fun.Today after school we went to a park with two of our girls and one of their mothers. It was really fun, even when it started pouring rain, and we went for a crazy ride in a little park transport car. We ended up standing in a guard shack with like 20 people for almost half an hour.

After it stopped raining we went to dinner with the one and her mom. Kristen’s face was just a little red from all the spice but both her and Nikki’s chopstick handling skills are improving.I’ve got to run and plan for tomorrow, so—we all miss you tons!

Thanks for all the thoughts from everyone!
Love, Beth

Hello to Everyone: The Famous Hot Pot Meal

Happy birthday Josh!

I am having an awesome time in China. I have a class of 12 students. My first day was okay, definitely tough. The last couple of days have gone very well, and I have really enjoyed teaching. My students took me and another teacher to a restaurant to experience a “hot pot” meal after class on Tuesday. We ate cow stomach, duck tongue, duck intestine, eel, potatoes, chicken feet, lamb, beef, and some kind of squid thing! China is very interesting.

Miss you all, Dad, Mom, Josh, Ben, Wish you were here, Kels! Miss you,

Nathan M.

Hello to Everyone: Loving Chinese Food

From Justina

Dear family and friends,

Well, it has been one week since I left for China, and I have had so many adventures. At the airport, nine of us got stuck in an elevator for 15 minutes. I have eaten at many Chinese restaurants. I try a new one every day. The food is delicious. I went to the flea market on Monday and Tuesday. They have a lot of stuff. I spent a couple hours there each day. On Tuesday it was pouring rain and my team teacher and I walked in the rain and got soaked.

Today I went to the town square. It was beautiful. There are many tall skyscrapers and a ton of people. I’ve tried to go clothes shopping, but all the clothes and shoes are way too small. My teaching is going well. I have only six students with ages ranging from 12-20. Now that we are getting to know our students, teaching is getting easier and more fun. I am healthy and everything is going great. I do miss some things about home, like normal toilets, and having soap and toilet paper in a public restroom would be nice. Other than that, I am having a great time. I miss you all and can’t wait to tell you more about my adventures.

Love, Justina

P.S. Happy birthday, Clinton!

Hello to Everyone: Significant Conversations

From Linda

Dear friends,

So far we have completed five days of teaching, and today three new students joined my classroom. Everyone on the team seems to be settling in well as teachers and getting comfortable with their students. It’s been nice to have easy-going Jonathan as my team teacher as well as participation and help from Mrs. Trainer in making copies and adding great comments in the classroom.

Today, in celebration of Valentine’s Day, we asked for student essays and feedback on what makes a relationship and marriage successful. A student brought in her husband’s guitar for me to play, so we taught some American songs, which the students loved.

The students seemed to really enjoy a home-made DVD I showed yesterday, which gives a taste of life at Maranatha. We also studied from their textbooks, discussing cultural diversity and reading about the Titanic; then we had a contest to make words based on just 8 letters of the alphabet. I had lunch with two of my students for the second time this week—Jill and Jane. They are both English teachers and quite friendly. One young lady I talked to yesterday named J heard us singing Amazing Grace (to illustrate the long A sound) and loved the music. She asked me lots of significant questions and talked about her life.

I miss everyone at home and wish everyone well!
Love, Linda

Teaching and Living in China

From Linda

Teaching: On Friday, I'm looking forward to the Trainers joining my classroom to discuss the secrets to a happy marriage and relationship for Valentine's Day. We'll also teach the students some songs. I already know they have beautiful sweet voices because they sang "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" and "Amazing Grace" today.

In this photo, Jonathan guides the students in reading about the oceanliner Titanic from a textbook. I was able to eat lunch with Jane who is also an English teacher in China (see slideshow of photos.)

Living: We're all enjoying our accommodations, food, and fellowship. You can see a photo of my room in China, but in this picture Justin, Nathan, and Katy ate with some students Thursday at a hot pot restaurant.

Justin descirbes the restaurant as a place "where you cook meat and stuff (and I mean stuff) in a boiling cauldron set into your table and then eat out of it with chopsticks. We had cow stomach, chicken stomach, and pig throat. It was honestly some of the best food I've ever had."

We're planning to visit the Panda Zoo on Saturday. Despite record rainfalls and flooding deaths in our province, we're fine :-)

Today's slideshow: When the slideshow starts, run your cursor over it to reveal the comment bubble; select this icon to view captions.

Interactions and Opening Ceremonies

From Justin: Monday morning was the opening ceremony for the English classes. The college president and vice president gave speeches. Then Mr. Trainer adressed everyone and expressed our gratitude for the opportunity to come and teach.

We all plowed through our first day of teaching and, after feeling inadequate, have begun to adjust and plan for tomorrow and the coming weeks. Eric and I have a class filled with people who teach English on the college level! Time to step it up.

We've already met several friends! In this picture, Brian, Sherry, and Katy talk with Salina and Sailing. Many other students are already eager to spend time with us.

I have a student in my class who is very friendly. His self-appointed English name (which he had long before I came) is "Michael Scofield" because he loves Prison Break. Anyway, he is getting together with me and Eric to shoot some hoops tomorrow (Tuesday). He lives in the same dorm that we do along with many of our students, so we should be able to spend a lot of time together.

Today's Slideshow: Click the comment bubble in the bottom left-corner of the slideshow to see captions.

First Day

Our first day teaching began with gray skies and rainy drizzle, but the mood was upbeat as we found our classrooms and began to teach conversational English to Chinese students of all ages. So far, so good! Several members of Team China took the challenge of teaching Chinese English teachers, some of whom are old enough to be their parents! Another dynamic duo had the challenge of teaching students ranging from age 13 to 25. Nevertheless, everyone rose to the challenge and did well. One day down--fourteen more to go!

Keep us in your thoughts! Thanks!

Pictures From Flight and First Look at China

Our First Adventure: The Long Elevator Ride

Our first grand adventure occurred when nine members of the team squished into an elevator with two pieces of luggage each to go up one floor. As the rest of us waited for the elevator to return, seconds turned into minutes--and we finally hauled our stuff up the escalator outside the terminal.

Meanwhile, the nine on the elevator were stuck inside!

"It got really warm in there," said Nathan Miller. "It seemed like 9 hours, but I guess it was only about 20 minutes."

Rebekah Lash, who says it was her first time stuck in an elevator, learned that you have to "expect the unexpected. You never know what's going to happen, so just take things as they come."

A mechanic eventually freed them and everyone reunited, happy and seemingly no worse for the wear.

Anyhow, everyone has made it safely to the airport. We leave at 1:40 a.m. LA time for Beijing. We're looking forward to a good flight. (P.S. this blog is set to Beijing time.)

Stay tuned for more. . .

Bound for Beijing

On Thursday, some Maranatha staff gathered to say goodbye to those of us carpooling from campus to the airport. The rest of the team will meet us in LAX tonight, so we can all catch the non-stop, red-eye flight to Beijing. From there, we'll fly to Chengdu.

Team Members

Nathan & Beth











Sharon & Jonathan











Jacob & Katy











Justina & Rebekah

Rachel & Kristen













Justin & Nathan













Nicholle & Ben













Michael & Angela













Eric & Taryn













Sherry & Brian












Linda