Back in the USA (photos uploaded)!

When I woke up this morning at 11:20am my first thought after "Where am I?" was "Wow, this is a soft bed! I feel like I'm floating on a cloud!" Yep, I was in my own bed in my own home after 10 days, 11 airport trips to 5 different cities. I had gotten used to sleeping on a rock hard bed feeling the bedsprings underneath, opening the door at night and waiting for the cockroaches to scurry away, taking 3 minute showers (or however long the hot water lasted), using squat toilets and walking 5-10,000 steps a day.

But how I miss living each day not knowing what will happen, who I will meet and where I will go, and at the same time living in excited expectation of meeting and talking with people looking for hope, purpose and truth every day! Now, if I can only live this way here in the USA!

I can't wait to share more with all of you! I also can't wait to hear what happens with Daniel, Isaac and Julie this week!

I was able to upload photos for my previous blogs from Gordon's camera and mine--so hope you can go back and review them. Hope to get Isaac, Daniel and Julie's photos soon.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prrys! I have been blssed.

And its good to be back home!---n

culture shock

It's a bit of culture shock being back in the US for less than 24 hours after returning from China. It feels weird to put on a jacket after a week of hot, sticky weather in CQ, to have a clean public toilet, to drink water from the tap rather than water bottles, to have Starbucks coffee at the airport. My mind is still in China and wondering what our teammates are doing at 7:15am on Tuesday morning (hopefully on their way to class!) and what things Dad will show them this week. I miss the fast pace of last week and how we didn't know what was going to happen but knew that Dad was with us.

On the plane ride home, I finished reading a book about working with the poor. I hope to use some of the lessons in our training for a West Oakland project this summer. One lesson that sticks out in my mind is that we are all poor, that poverty is the result of broken relationships between Gd, self, others, and the rest of creation. It doesn't mean that we suffer equally the same as materially poor people, but we can gain from them as much as we hope to help them. We went to China to bring restoration to the students. In the process, I learned more about myself and areas of weakness. They reminded me of what genuine curiousity, thirst for truth, and living in community looks like. Could I live with more of that in my life?

Here a pdl, there a pdl!

Thanks to Rick W. and his book, Julie has been leading pdl groups for students to practice their English. Here is a group that met in Isaac & Daniel's hotel room. Friends invite friends and one by one they are becoming friends with j!

By chance during Julie's first year, she met a woman who is like Lydia--who came for english corner 5 years ago and learned about a new relationship with j. Now she opens her home each week to whoever wants to know more and they also study pdl together! It was here that one of the daughter/mother families told us that the grandparents wanted to follow the way--this is the couple who got sprnkled!

There is a student group that meets also on campus. Three students have become hosts and invite roommates and friends of friends to join the discussions each week. It was in this group that two of the girls expressed their desire to get dunked. Everyone asks great questions. Daniel, Isaac, Gordon, myself and Julie broke up into smaller discussion groups. We had such honest and heartfelt questions, especially about purpose and love in the midst of their pressure to succeed to take care of their parents as only children. Such hunger to know the one and wissdm from above.
The group keeps growing and one by one lives are changed!---n

Celebrating new siblings!

Gordon and I left CQ this morning after breakfast with Julie, Daniel, Isaac and a friend of Julie's. We were able to prry for one another and were amazed at all that has happened in this very short time.

Of our entire trip I have to say that yesterday ranks up there with one of my most favorite days in my life. We met a gal and her mom at a pdl group the night before and they said that the grandfather and step-grandmother wanted to be dunked. So we met them the next morning at the grandparent's home and saw there were bbls on the table along with a pdl book. We introduced ourselves and then asked them to share a little about their faaith. The grandfather kept saying, "Thnx b 2 G! Thnkx b 2 G!" He used to be part of the party and didn't want to know j c.
But now he shared that he wants to be closer and closer to
him!
After explaining the good nws I asked them 2 questions and they each said I do. Then we sprnkled them in the name. I invited them to talk to our dad and they did! The grandma said she was sorry for all the bad things she had done and wanted to forgv those who wronged her. We sang J luvs me this I know--in chineez and english and the grandma could sing in english b/c she learned it when she was a child--both are in their 80's!! Then we celebrated with lunch and they were so happy! The whole family was so filled with joy and peace!

Then we met with students who brought 2 friends who also wanted to get wet! So right in the hotel shower we sprnkled them too! Then we ended celebratng the wholey dinner together!
I explained what it was all about and we sang together. I am amazed at the way the spprit moves peeple's hearts no matter how young or old. New life! What a day of celebration it has been.

Please keep thinking of Julie and the wonderful activities that are happening. I totally want to come back and encourage her and all those who are so hungry and thirsty!

Gordon and I are in Taipei now on our way home tonight. Daniel and Isaac will stay until Friday. Can't wait to see all of you and share face to face!---nancy

Amazing Night!

It's 12:45am and my heart is full. After teaching in two of Julie's classes, a gal came up to me and asked me questions about Japan (since I shared I was half Japanese). She asked how our diverse group knew each other. When I told her that we went to the same ch she asked if we were be lievrs. Then she said she had become one just 3 months ago through a foreign friend. We invited her to meet 3 from our pdl group. She was so happy to meet other Chineez be lievrs!

Later that night we met two young women who had recently joined the family. One of them met those on the 2008 trip and wanted to meet us. She had such a sweet soul and said that Julie had been instrumental in helping her grow the past two years. Another gal was a friend of a friend who had joined the fam just 3 months ago and didn't know a single member in her city. She traveled over an hour just to meet us.

Then tonight we met with a woman who has been in the fam for 5 years through some m's who were having an Englsh corner. She opens her home each week to anyone who wants to know jc. Tonight they heard we were coming so there were 20-25 squeezed into a very small room. I was able to share from Rom 6 about Paul's new life and the meaning of dunking. Then they asked many questions about the kngdm. Then a family asked if we could come and dunk the grandpa. So we are going to sprinkl him tomorrow since he is over 80!

During our time here I have definitely felt like Paul, traveling from place to place, connecting with family members, answering questions, encouraging each other and dunking people! It's been so amazing I hate to leave when there is so much action going on! You will definitely need to come out and see for yourself! The holly wind is definitely blowing!!

Poor Gordon has slept in his wonderful hotel bed for only 2 of the last 5 nights! He has been sleeping on the floor in Daniel & Isaac's room. And tonight another guy student is sleeping in the room as well! I am sleeping in Gordon's room with the gal who is getting dunked. And another gal is sleeping at Julie's in my place. The two of them are staying with us tonight because tomorrow we will have another PDL club meeting and then the dunkings! It's been crazy!
This must be how the early follwers felt in acts!!

Please remember the two dunkings tomorrow and our last PDL club. We are out until midnight each night and up at 6am so the guys have not yet been able to blog. Of course they are out with a bunch of students so I am writing on their behalf.

Now I'm going to sleep. But my heart is so full of joy!----n

It's been one of those trips

Hi All!
Okay, I've been trying to upload photos tonight without success--typical of our trip here to CQ.
You know one of those trips where everything seems to go right? Well, this has not been one of those trips...
--We brought pickleball gear to play with the students but forgot to bring them to the school
--After packing umbrellas for pending downpours...since our keys got locked in the office we got drenched by the "horses and cows" (think more torrential rains than just "cats and dogs")
--We rented large umbrellas from the hotel for today's rainy forecast...and didn't even have a drop of rain tonight!
--I brought my tennis shoes to play badmitton but left them at the hotel because of the rainy forcast...so had to play pickleball, badmitton and pingpong in my slippahs
--We hiked 5 miles to get a much anticipated foot massage...but the only reservation they had was 10:20pm for 2 hours (!) so we tortured our feet more on the long walk home!
--At least one of us has been late for every one of our 5 classes so far..except for the very first class...where we were ALL late!

At the same time we've been having a GREAT time with the students, with many significant conversations, time discussing PDL (thanks Rick W!) and will do a dunking on Saturday!

Keep talking to the Big Cheese on our behalf! ----nancy

We made it!

Hi Everyone! We finally figured out how to get to our blog from China! We had a safe trip to Taipei where we had some awesome Taiwanese noodles. Then we arrived in Hong Kong and met up with Francis. We dragged our 7 suitcases up 3 flights of narrow stairs to attend a service with Francis' dad and little sister. The pstor found out about us and actually asked if they could pry for us! They were so filled with the hs and the worship was awesome--we were even able to sing one song with them in Mandarin!

Then we went over the border into Shen Zhen and met up with Suzanne and Gordon's friend. We found out that everyone actually knew each other in different ways--small world!

After a night in Shen Zhen we ended up missing our flight to Chong Qing the next day! By Dad's graace we were able to catch the last flight on another airline to and finally met up with Julie!


This morning we helped in two of her classes, had lunch and dinner with different students--and then squeezed 10 of us in a very small mini-van on the way home! On the way back at 10pm we found out that Julie's home keys were locked in her classroom and she and I had no place to sleep! So Gordon is giving up his hotel room for us and bunking with Isaac and Daniel. Julie and I will sleep in his room and wear our same clothes to classes tomorrow. Good thing we're in China! No one will blink an eye!


It's been an amazing 3 days and we've been able to connect with so many friends and students. We can't wait for the adventures the next 3 days will hold!


Please keep thinking of us--obviously we need it!----nancy

REMINDER!!!

Please remember that this is a public blog and we want to be sensitive to what we post about. For example, we will miss our chrr family and please keep talking to dad for us. Please share this information with others. Thanks!

Nancy
Gordon
Isaac
(Daniel's wandering somewhere)

PS: We'll be flying in an hour!!!

Almost there!

It's 7pm and I'm heading home to finish my last minute packing! Came into the office to look for an alfa book to give to Francis to share with friends--but remembered that I gave my last one away. Patti was here and helped me look--and we found one! Yay!

Okay, 30+ hours to Hong Kong! Here we go!---Nancy

Our Schedule

Hi Everyone,
It's hard to believe the 4 of us will be leaving for China in just 4 days! We need to be at the SEA-TAC airport by 11pm Fri night, May 21 for our 2:10am flight to Hong Kong on Sat, May 22.
Here's our schedule on Eva airlines:

SA, MAY 22, dep SEA 2:10am, travel through Taipei, then arrive in Hong Kong at 10am Sun.

SU, MAY 23 - We'll meet up with our friend Francis, travel into Shen Zhen and get to spend time with Francis' family. There we'll meet up with another friend named Suzanne who has been in China for about 5 years..

M, MAY 24 - We leave Shen Zhen and depart for Chong Qing.

May 24-June 4 - We'll help Julie in her English classes doing "show & tell" about raisins from CA, coffee from SEA, drumming and Pickleball.

SU, MAY 30 - Gordon & Nancy depart back to Seattle, departing CQ at 11:25am
F, JUNE 4 - Daniel & Isaac depart back to Seattle, departing CQ at 11:25am.

We'd totally appreciate your thoughts for us as we finalize things, get "goodies" together to give to Julie, Francis & Suzanne. Please also pray as we continue to gather prr and financial support for our team! We appreciate you all so much! ---nancy

The blog is up!

Hey everyone!

Steve Ferreira and I finally got together and created the LCC China Team 2010 blog! Thanks Steve! As the trip draws closer and closer, I realize the limited amount of time the team has left to prepare. I hope and pry that the logistics of the trip won't distract me from seeking Gd first as I have a bad habit of procrastinating. Our team has been reading through Acts together and it's been really helpful in honing my focus on Gd and His will for us. We want to thank everyone for their pryers and support thus far. We'll try our best to keep you "posted" on our trip :)

Gd bless,
Isaac Pan