Updated on August 2, 2011
Sunday Snapshot: Cole
I’m currently out in LA visiting one of my dearest friends, her husband, and their six week old son Cole. It’s a delight to see them begin this road of parenthood, and to get to hang out with what has to be one of the cutest little babies ever. And no, I’m not prejudiced. Yes, I say that about all of my “nephews,” but only because they seriously are some of the most precious little guys to grace the face of this planet. I haven’t had the chance to give Cole his “official” photoshoot yet, but here are a few of my favorite candids from the past day.
Updated on August 2, 2011
Celebrating milestones
To celebrate the completion of another summer session of graduate classes, Danny, Kirsten and I headed off for a fierce round of putt putt last night. Granted, I’m going to be slaving away on papers for those classes the next few weeks, but the classroom time is now complete. It’s all about celebrating small milestones.
Going anywhere with Kirsten and I requires extreme patience. We take pictures of anything and everything. Since Danny is getting married this fall, we figure it’s an excellent lesson in patience. His wife will thank us later. Read More
Updated on August 2, 2011
Traditions
It’s a tradition five years running. Every summer Rachel and I head to the local drive-in for dinner, conversation and a movie. We’ve seen everything from Batman to Pirates, but to be honest, we don’t really care what movie is showing.
It’s not really about the movie. It’s about the conversations. So much of our lives and struggles and hopes have been poured out in this gravel parking lot.
It’s also about the food. And the atmosphere. And lovely summer evenings. And good drinks. And watching the stars slowly come out and the moon slowly rise.
I’m not going to lie, this summer has been a bit difficult. A great part of it is the pressures of grad school. Another part is being a stranger in your own land. It’s that time of life where my peer group is going through massive changes. Marriages. Babies. Finishing med degrees. Settling into careers. Buying houses. Starting to wear skinny jeans. And I haven’t been around as these changes have happened.
There’s a disconnect that’s hard to accept. But in the midst of that, there’s the core group of committed friends. Friends who love me for better or for worse, and graciously put up with the fact that I’m gone 98% of the time. Friends who are willing to pour into that friendship even if they see me only once a year.
Friends who give me moments of feeling perfectly at home. Those moments are few and far between these days. Not that that fact is entirely negative. I am constantly reminded that this world is not my true home.
But some nights, it’s just nice to come home. And to giggle and unwind to the silliness and delight of the cinema.
Updated on August 2, 2011
Food for thought
The philosopher and the scientist will admit that there is much that they do not know; but that is quite another thing from admitting that there is something which they can never know, which indeed they have no technique for discovering. To admit that there is One who lies beyond us, who exists outside of all our categories, who will not be dismissed with a name, who will not appear before the bar of our reason, nor submit to our curious inquiries: this requires a great deal of humility, more than most of us possess, so we save face by thinking the Father down to our level, or at least down to where we can manage Him. Yet how He eludes us! For He is everywhere while He is nowhere, for “where” has to do with matter and space, and He is independent of both. He is unaffected by time or motion, is wholly self-dependent and owes nothing to the worlds His hands have made.
A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy
Updated on August 2, 2011
News out of China
I currently have six papers “in progress.” I’ll be starting a seventh paper tomorrow. Without finishing any of the others. Some are for a prof I have yet to meet. Some are for a prof that looks for highly analytical writing and insights. Some are for a prof that wants us to tap into our experiences and synthesize with metaphor and emotion.
Scatter brained. That’s me right now. So I will leave the profound insights to others. For those interested in China, here are two recent articles that you may want to look at.
#1: An insightful article from CNN on the post-90s generation in China. This article gives a good glimpse at the generation I’m working with. Of course, it involves some generalization, but it does a good job at showing some of the struggles and issues this generation is coping with.
#2: A helpful article from NPR on the Body in China. Our American interpretation of what the Body is like in China is sometimes quite limited and a bit skewed. This article isn’t the whole picture either, but may help to clear up some misconceptions.
Soon to come: the stories behind almost missing the wedding this past weekend twice. And maybe even some more pictures. But that’s only if the words for these papers flow quickly from my brain to the keyboard.
Updated on August 2, 2011
Sunday snapshot: One year later
About a year ago, I was in D.C. hanging out with a close friend from high school. The two of us had bonded closely during high school, having entered the same small private school on the same day our junior year–and having both relocated from Ohio to Indiana. She’s one of those people that I have no doubt the Father specifically placed in my life, and I love her to pieces.
Back to a year ago. Due to her living in D.C. and me living in China, I hadn’t actually seen her for four years. We soaked up the time together talking about where we had come from, where we were, and where we hoped to be. At this point, Michael was just a blip on the horizon not even worth mentioning. He was good friends with her family, but in no way a significant part of Zoe’s life. The biggest thing coming up on Zoe’s horizon? Quitting her job and heading off to Australia (where she lived as a young child) and New Zealand for a couple months.
About five months ago, Zoe called me in China, shortly after returning from Australia, with the exclamation, “Guess what! I’m getting married in July!” After wiping my chin off the floor, she told me her story, filled to the brim with the Father’s goodness and perfect timing.
Yesterday, I got to celebrate Michael and Zoe’s marriage.
Updated on August 2, 2011
How far will you go for ice cream?
I’m back at my parents’ for a wedding this weekend. I should be doing homework. But somehow putting about 200 miles between me and campus lifts the pressure enough for me to procrastinate. I shouldn’t…but there’s only so much work a person can do in a week.
Last Friday night, I was also looking for a short study break. I was running an errand with two friends, Danny and Kirsten. Danny had graciously offered to be our “chariot” for the night, since neither of us had a car. Turns out you kind of need a car to do anything in America. Things aren’t exactly designed in a “walkable” manner.
Anyways, we were running our errands when Kirsten mentioned the fact that she hadn’t been to Cold*stone yet this summer. As soon as she mentioned it, a chorus of “mmmm”s erupted between us. It had been a long year since we had partaken of this wonderful frozen goodness. So we asked if our chariot driver would take us. He wasn’t sure of where there was a Cold*stone, but promised to do everything in his power to deliver us to said location. He’s lived in Asia. He knows what it’s like to live without ice cream. We figured a quick trip for ice cream would be the perfect quick-pre-studying jaunt. Read More
Updated on August 2, 2011
We interrupt this regularly scheduled study session
My current class is killing me. Ok, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But it’s been a long time since I’ve worked this hard. And there’s no end in site. But it’s great material. Vitally important material. Material that consumes every hour of my day.
I have some pictures with corollary stories to share (some involving an epic trip for ice cream), but I forgot my camera cord at my parents’, and so have no way to get them up here at the moment. Not that I really have time to be editing pictures and telling stories. I am heading down to my parents’ this weekend for a wedding (then back up here for two more weeks of classes), so there is a possibility of photos sometime in the not too distant future.
In the meantime, enjoy a picture my good friend Jasmine sent me of my Chinese nephews, John and Paul. I must admit I’m not sure who is who. Go to their pictures, do a comparison and put in your guesses! One thing I am sure of is that this photo makes me miss China. China where I give homework instead of do homework.
One more picture related to my study break last night. I’ve always wanted to learn to drive stick shift, but without any such automobiles in our family, have never had the opportunity to learn. A good friend in Wheaton offered to teach me and I had my first lesson last night. While I’ve by no means acquired all the skills yet and stalled out a fair number of times, I think there may be hope that one day I could possibly drive stick shift. My tutor did force me to drive from our practice parking lot a few blocks to the apartments where I’m staying at the end of the lesson. I was entirely successful…until reaching the entrance of the apartment parking lot where I promptly stalled not once but twice. All the better for my humility. My driving efforts were rewarded by this congratulatory picture in my email box today. It made me smile.
Here’s hoping someone out there is enjoying a lazy summer day sipping lemonade on a porch swing!
Updated on August 2, 2011
An Orphan’s Wish
I’ve got stories to share, but am currently buried too deep under stacks of homework and papers to type them up. My current class is very good…and work intensive. Hence the silence.
But there was one thing that I needed to share. Now.
You have heard me mention An Orphan’s Wish here several times. Two kids from our orphanage had the privilege of moving down there to have clubfoot casting and correction. But that wasn’t all they received. Perhaps most importantly, these kids daily had individual love and care poured onto them. Attention that just isn’t possible in our orphanage due to the staff to child ratio. Joey recently returned to a special care center in our city, and I can hardly wait to get back home to see him. To see him walk. Without holding onto anything.
An Orphan’s Wish just launched a new website, and as I was clicking through it tonight, I stumbled on pictures and updates of these two precious kids. I almost didn’t recognize Lexi. And Joey…well, the posts on Joey made my eyes a little misty.
He’s a little mischievous (not surprising).
He got his own birthday cake.
He was prepared for his return up north. Walking. With corrected feet. After no surgeries.
An Orphan’s Wish does amazing work. In honor of the new website launch, they’re looking for 100 sponsors in 100 days. Could you be one of the hundred? Or can you help with current supply needs? For those of you already involved with AOW, thank you for being a part of this incredibly transformative work!
Need one more piece of evidence? Let me give you a before and after.
Beautiful. What a difference a year makes. AOW cares so much about the kids, that they’ve worked on finding a place for Lexi in China where her needs can be better met than in our city. They have poured so much into this sweet little girl!
Updated on August 2, 2011
Urban China
Time is flying by. Being in the States is…wonderful, comfortable, awkward, encouraging, challenging, trying, amazing, and about a million more adjectives all rolled up into one. In some ways, I feel like I can hop right back into life here almost like I never left. But then I have this whole other entirely different life and culture and family and friends across the ocean. It’s just plain strange. And I’ll just leave it at that for tonight. Tomorrow I head to Wheaton for a month of grad classes where I’ll join a wonderful group of people who understand the strangeness. It will be a lot of work, a lot of brain energy, a lot of processing, and hopefully a lot of growth. In the midst of it, you probably won’t be hearing much from me! However, though on American soil, China is definitely still on my brain and on my heart. I wanted to pass along a few statistics to you that reveal the rapid urbanization currently underway in China.
1979 – 18% of the population is urban
1990 – 26%
2000 – 36%
2008 – 45%
2020 – 67% urban
By 2025, 1 billion people will live in China’s cities.
The U.S. and Canada combined have 12 cities over one million. China alone has 118 cities over one million . . . and counting (and no, my city is not one of them. At 300,000 my city is quite small by China standards).
The biggest mass migration in the history of the world is underway in China (BBC).
China is changing at 4 times the speed of the rest of the world.
To read about how this change is playing out in individuals’ lives, I highly recommend reading Peter Hessler’s Country Driving. It will give you a fascinating glimpse into how all of this change is effecting everyday citizens.
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