I mentioned in my last post that Charles and I were headed to China. We arrived safely on Friday evening, and even though we’ve had a few small hiccups (like incorrect reservations on record at the hotel!), our biggest battle as of yet is against jet lag. Jet lag definitely seems to be winning.

Though we’ve been here for only a few days and we haven’t started English teaching yet, we’ve had some good experiences already. On Friday and Saturday, we had time for a logistics meeting and to get to know the other members of the team. On Saturday, we went out as a group for dinner and “rolled the dice” on a random Chinese restaurant, finding it to be quite tasty and well-priced. Actually, Charles and I returned to the same restaurant for dinner today (Sunday) because it was that good.

This morning, we had the opportunity to celebrate with others in the Family at a local Fellowship. The room was packed, and the experience was so fulfilling. While we couldn’t understand much of the meeting since it was all in Chinese, it was exciting to see so many people celebrating our Dad together in this country.

Here are a few things to talk to Dad about for us:

Give thanks for…

• safe travel
• all our luggage arriving in good condition
• good relationships with team members
• beautiful/comfortable hotel accommodations that make the culture shock a lot easier
• good food
• great Fellowship with the Family
• time to rest on Sunday afternoon

Lift up…

• the first day of English camp tomorrow; ask that everything goes smoothly, that teachers will be prepared, and that Dad will be watching out for the details
• flexibility for us as we adjust to constantly changing plans
• getting over jet lag quickly & having stamina on exhausting days
• the students coming to our English camp; ask that they will be ready to learn, listen, and grow
• continue to lift up my issues with anxiety–ask that Dad will support and sustain me through each trial

Thank you for your continued conversations with Dad about us and our time here!

Sorry for the lack of media on this post. I have pictures and video to share, but our internet connection isn’t fast enough to upload them. For now, we’ll just have to be thankful that I can post written updates on the blog throughout the week. I will try to write as often as possible.