Almost at the end

I am so sorry I have been so behind on updating this blog.

My China trip was... well, it was hard. I got sick twice. I helped with the music, though I'm not sure how much of a help I truly was. I sang a lot, ate a lot of good home cooked Chinese food, climbed to the top of a pagoda, and I found a love for tea eggs.

China was hard. I really, really was unhappy there, to the point of wanting nothing more than to come home. Thankfully, by the last day, my mood went up. Probably because I was leaving, but I had fun at least! I shared a room with Laura and one of our Chinese helpers, Mandy. We talked in the evenings (at least when I was not ill!), and it was quite fun. Being sick really took the wind out of my sails, so to speak, and I think that contributed greatly to my depression. Two of my other team members also fell ill, Luke and Kristen. I was the only one who fell ill twice. :(

On our last day in China, I got a massage with the rest of the team. I chose a foot massage, since I don't like massages at all and thought a body would be too close for comfort. Little did I know the foot massage involved shoulders and back, and that the masseuse would pound on me! I should have asked for the lady to be gentler, but I was too busy trying not to cry from pain! I hurt for two days afterwards. The only part I really liked was soaking my feet in the tub and getting my feet and legs wrapped in hot, wet towels.

As far as teaching, it was okay. We taught ages 5-18! The younger kids were eager to follow along actions, while sometimes the middle kids were disinterested. The older kids, it was harder to get them interested in younger songs, so we had to switch it up. I am so grateful to Laura for being so inventive and encouraging. She was great! I felt pretty bad compared to her, but I hope I helped in some small way.

It was hard, because there were a lot of rules we had to follow in China. We had to be careful what we said in emails, and even what we said in the streets. IN the church, where we lived, we could say anything. That was better. :D And our helpers, Mandy, Hilda, and Gloria were wonderful. We went to Hot Pot one night, and it was significantly better than my first experience! It made me want to go again. :D

Coming back from China was such a relief for me. In China, we had to climb five or six flights of stairs to get to our rooms! I sure missed being on the second floor, and our elevator. It was like coming home to see our PRIVATE common room!

While China was the worst part of this trip so far... the best was BY FAR the past two weeks. I ended up being Kristen's aide. We taught P1 and P2, which is essentially 1st and 2nd grade. The children were SO adorable. I had such a good time. I helped Kristen keep order by going around and shushing kids and helping them with their writing or if they needed to go to the toilet or something. The relief I felt after the first day was so immense. I finally felt like I was really doing something. Like I finally found what I was good at, and what I came to Hong Kong to do.

The past two weeks was amazing. It really was. I finally felt like I'd grown. I've changed, I can tell. I'm more comfortable with myself. I've discovered my boundaries, and I've come to realize that I am a much stronger person than I ever thought. God's grace has shone so strongly on me that I was in a constant good mood for a week and a half. Which, considering how up and down I've been on this trip, was amazing! The work was hard,a s keeping children's attention for two and a half hours is difficult, but I loved the work. I really think I could be a teacher's aide in the future. I enjoyed working with Kristen SO much, and I just loved the kids.

There was a lot of difficulty with the language barrier, as our children didn't know much English, but when Kristen and I realized they were actually retaining what she taught them, it was an AWESOME moment. It was very fulfilling.

And then, MANDY came to visit us! It was amazing, because while we talked in HK, we REALLY got to talk Friday night when we went to the beach after our farewell dinner. It was great. :D

My birthday was on Saturday. As a celebration, the girls had Henna done by a very nice lady who moved here 13 years ago. She did an amazing job, and it was so fun, if hot and sunny!

Rebecca and Laura left this morning, and it was very sad. I ended up crying. :( Luke and Mandy leave tomorrow, and then Kristen, Adam, and I all leave on Tuesday.

It was such a wonderful trip. I think it was the most important experience I've had in my life so far. God really taught me a lot, and I've learned so much. I think I've grown as a person, learning how to live as God wants me to be. I'm so happy with where my life is going, and I am very blessed.

Pictures!

More Pictures!

Busy

I'm sorry for the lack of updates. Things here have been... crazier than I ever bargained for. Emotionally draining is putting it very lightly!

Hopefully tomorrow I can post up a bunch of pictures and bring everyone more up to speed! I spent 10 exhausting days in China (including getting sick twice), and we saw some pretty cool places. Now we're just finishing up our last assignment at LCK. I'm helping Kristen teach the six and seven year olds, and I'm loving it!

Pictures to come!