My trips up north

So as part of my new work, I regularly take trips up north. As a way of keeping everybody safe, I won’t be posting many identifying pictures or naming places. But I know you all are interested in what I am doing, so I will tell you a little at least.

I have made two trips so far. The first is to a place I have been two times before. I really like this city and have made some great friendships in this place. I met my colleague and he poured much knowledge into my brain–it is often called orientation or training.  Again, I am learning a lot! I also got to meet with some very good friends and all the American teachers that work with Friends of China in this city. I ate lots of great food and had some wonderful conversations. A couple of people enjoyed talking about counseling concerns and learning about trauma-informed teaching. I had the opportunity to ride on the back of an electric bike through town during “rush” hour. I would have taken a picture of this but I was holding on with both hands!

My second trip was farther north. I spent a whole day traveling to the city. When I got there I certainly enjoyed the cooler temperatures. It was in the 70s and low 80s during the day! Each city has its own style of food. I like that. Again I met with each of the American teachers and some students.

Each place I go I am working on building relationships with people. Some are people with Friends of China and others are people that they have come to know. I have 40 teachers in several places that I will get to know. I also have to learn how to get around each city and learn things like where to find bottled water, where and what to eat, where to stay the night, and many other everyday things. I am learning not to expect too much from myself or others. Relationships take time and trust. I will just be there and learn from them. I am also learning that my standards of cleanliness are not everyone’s standards and that much of the world lives in dirty places. Most importantly I am learning to rely on God to help me learn and not forget, to be bold and curious about the world around me, to be patient and allow relationships to grow, and how much the world needs to know Him. I am beginning to see in the people around me how much they need the God who is real and loves them.