China AGAIN!?

I'm so excited to be writing on this blog again because that means, I'm going BACK!

Roll your eyes... now.

In less than 24 hours, I've been asked to go to China in two weeks and I've accepted. Everything has happened so fast and in a whirlwind of emotions.

I don't know how to tell this story because I still can't think straight because I'm so excited.

The program director for China Horizons, Jacob, emailed me asking if I'd be willing to go to China to replace some teachers who are having health problems and need to return to the states. Oh, and would I like to bring a friend? Followed by a request to email him back for more details. With my hands on my face and tears in my eyes I told my mom what the email said. Then I did some jumping up and down, etc. I emailed Jacob twice that night because my first email was sort of incoherent. After emails and phone calls, everything has been worked out.

Sadie, my sister, is going with me and we are going to live in Yangzhong, a small city outside of Nanjing, the first city I lived in. It's a small island on the Yangtze River. We are going to be teaching middle school there for three months. We leave Oct. 2nd!

Everyone around me has been so supportive and I am so grateful. Thank you again and again!

The Heart of Sichuan: Part 2

At about 5:00 in the morning, Liu woke me up and I quickly dressed in my tennis shoes and a rain jacket. We ate a rushed breakfast and then the two of us, one teacher from the school, and 3 boys from grade 6 (all age 15) hopped in the weird van and rode along the dirt road for another hour. At the end of the hour, we were dropped off at a trail. We began a hike up into the mountains to a village where some Yizhu people live. The Yizhu people (more commonly known as Yi People) are an ethnic group of China who are scattered throughout the south of Sichuan as well as other places in the south western part of China. They have their own language which is one of the coolest sounding languages I’ve ever heard (and the coolest looking written language) and they wear beautiful handmade clothing. Most of them are very poor as they are farmers and livestock herders by trade. They enjoy the mountainous regions of China.

We hiked for 2 hours in some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. I wish cameras did the beauty justice; however, it’s just not possible. It had rained the day before we left so there were mudslides and rock slides along the trail that we had to find ways to get through or around.  It was a really difficult hike full of steep and dangerous terrain. It was so strange to me to think about the trail. I’ve only ever hiked on trails meant for recreation, but this trail was someone’s only means of getting home. I felt like I’d walked into another world.

When we arrived at the village, it wasn’t what I expected. In my head, I pictured several homes in relative proximity to each other. Instead, one steep trail off the main path lead to one house, and behind that house, there was another trail that lead to several other homes and so on. We hiked up one steep trail that was muddy and slippery. I couldn’t help but think it wouldn’t be fun to go back down this trial and I’d probably fall to my death. At the top, there was an old house fashioned out of some strange cement. There was a large pile of wood to one side and sitting in front of the house was a family including all living generations. As I came over the crest, they clapped for me. When you are red faced and sweaty, the last thing you want is a lot of attention, but as the only white person for miles, that is exactly what you get. They rushed to get me a chair and a water bottle and encouraged me to sit. The thing is, my Chinese did me absolutely no good because these people don’t speak Chinese. They speak Yizhu. The teacher that came with us spoke both so he translated into Chinese and then Liu translated into English… sometimes. The truth is, her English isn’t that good so translation was sometimes pretty slim. 

Okay, almost always.

I felt like I was in a dream. I just couldn’t stop drinking in my surroundings: the beauty of the mountains, the clothing of the people, their home, and the darling children. I wish you could’ve been there. I wish you could’ve seen. I find words fail me. What I saw and felt is beyond description.

We started immediately gathering information about the kids who aren’t in school and as we worked, more and more people came in from the trails. I was overwhelmed by the number of people living in the mountains. I could see how poor they were. I didn’t need to look in their homes or in their wallets. Their clothes were dirty and ripped. While the people gathered, one father was sewing his son’s rubber rain boots up where they had ripped. I felt their humility (and for some, their pride), and I felt their close relationship with everyone in the village. The men smoked together, the women gathered in the shade to laugh and talk and the children ran around, sometimes dangerously close to the cliffs making me feel on edge. The women openly breast fed their babies and toddlers and I tried not to be uncomfortable about it. This is their way of life, not mine.

One girl cried when we asked her why she isn’t in school. She’s 14 and really wants to go. Her parents knew we were coming and didn’t come because they didn’t want to talk to us. Other kids stood by as we encouraged their parents to let them go. Some need their children to care for a blind grandmother, watch some livestock, or other work. These kids are forced to grow up so fast. Some get married at as early as 14. It’s a different way of life in those mountains and it’s hard to understand, but with an open heart, it’s possible to accept it.

There was one boy, age 23, who asked us if we would help him to go to university so he could study English. Liu turned him away. She told him she came from a small village and she worked hard and made a life for herself. He shouldn’t be lazy, but work hard to get there by himself. When she told me about that, I was really upset. This boy lives at least 10 hours from the nearest university, two hours on foot and then 8 hours by car in an ideal situation. He lives in the middle of nowhere for heaven’s sake! How is he supposed to get there on his own when everyone around him is just trying to get by? Unfortunately, we didn’t get any of his information. I am driven to madness when I think of him and I can’t get him off my mind. I told my boss what happened and we agreed we need to find him and help him. I spent the entire 8 hour drive back to Xichang thinking of ways to find him. I will find him and he will go to university if it’s the last thing I do. I can’t imagine how awful it was for him. The hope he felt when we came and then to be turned away and told he’s lazy. It makes my heart ache. He deserves a chance. I want to find a way to give him that chance.

We gathered the names of several kids as well as their pictures. Then we gathered information of the elderly and poor families. Many had lost loved ones and many more were very poor.

Near the end of our time on the little mountaintop, we began handing out clothes to the children that volunteers at Roundabout had sorted. I was so overwhelmed and struggled then failed to hold back my tears. Even now I can’t help but get emotional.  Imagine a child dressed in dirty and ripped clothes getting something new. Some kids put on their new clothes immediately over the top of the clothes they were already wearing. Others hugged their clothing tightly and wouldn’t let go when someone tried to see what they got. The smiles on people’s faces were so beautiful to me.  I kept thinking about how this is what my work at Roundabout is doing for people. This is what the last two months have been about. The next time I sorted clothes I saw those smiles and felt that excitement that was in the air on that mountain in the sun. I made a difference to someone. I made a little mark on the world, but I feel like the world made a huge mark on my heart, one that I will never, ever forget.

While I was on that mountain, my world seemed so trivial. What was I focused on in America? Hair, clothes, music, shoes, my weight, but here, halfway across the world are people who have nothing and they can still smile, they can still run and play and laugh. They don’t have a place to shower, but they don’t mind. They don’t own a car or know the songs playing on the radio, but that’s not important. If they had so much food that they could start worrying about weight, that would be a step up. It changed me. I couldn’t help but feel that my life would lead me back to those mountains and those people some day. From my experience, those feelings usually aren’t wrong. Once you see something like that, you can’t go back.

We returned to the school where we handed out more clothes, cookies, and candy as well as some school supplies and shoes. Like the kids on the mountain, these kids put their clothes on right away. They ate their cookies too fast, and then ate their candy right after. They traded pencils, colored pencils, and crayons with each other for at least a half an hour, and when they had free time, we danced, played games, and sang songs together. One girl gave me her bracelet, others crowded close just so they could get a hug or a smile. They just wanted some love and attention and Kendra and I were happy to give it. I was sad to leave those mountains and even more sad to leave the kids.

I hope that what I’m saying isn’t offensive to anyone. I’m just sharing openly how I felt and what I saw. I know that when I’m in America, it’s harder to remember these things and think of the poverty because everything around me is so much better and I’m accustomed to it. I accept that and I don’t condemn anyone.

I can’t begin to express my gratitude to China Horizons for allowing me to come back to China, Leslie for letting us work with her at Roundabout, and Roundabout for changing my life. I know that there is someone shaping me and my life. I don’t know what He has planned for me, but I look forward to my future and the possibilities that lie ahead.

This is why I love China. This is why I went back.

If you click on the pictures, they get bigger so you can see better. Sorry that some of the quality is lacking. I have soooo many pictures but I tried to chose the best ones.

This little girl is wearing her new jumper.

New shorts. Perfect.

Look at those smiles!

New clothes in hand.

Holding a new born baby. SO adorable!

Stuffing their faces with cookies.

Me and Liu handing out clothes to the kids.

The Heart of Sichuan: Part 1

As part of my work at Roundabout, and because the owner of Roundabout is absolutely incredible, I went on a trip to one of the most beautiful places in China. We went with the intention to locate children who are not in school and begin a sponsorship program to help them get there.

Kendra and I woke up bright and early to catch a taxi to the airport with Liu, one of our co-workers who would serve as our translator and help with arrangements and information gathering. We started out by leaving Beijing and flying to Chengdu in Sichuan province and then we caught a connecting flight to Xichang. When we got off the plane, I could feel my head clearing. It’s amazing what three months of breathing polluted air does to your brain.

Xichang is absolutely beautiful, lush, and green.  We met with Father Martin, a Korean Catholic missionary here in China and he connected us with the school we’d be going to help in the mountains. We had to wait until the next day to travel to the next destination, so he took us to lunch and showed us around Xichang. We went to Qiong Hai Lake and afterwards, he mentioned some Chinese boys he wanted us to meet. He didn’t really give us a choice, so we went with him to another park where we met with two Chinese college students.

Awkward!

They didn’t speak much English and Father Martin was continuosly telling us how “cutie” the boys are.  One of the boys asked us what we like to do and Father Martin answered for Kendra saying she likes to ride bikes.

Which she doesn’t.

At all.

The next morning we met at the church to go up into the mountains with two of the sister missionaries. We started out in a funny looking van of sorts that took us on roughly paved roads full of pot holes for almost 3 hours. We arrived at a place called Zhaojue where we bought some fruit and such and then moved to another funny looking car. From here, we moved onto rough dirt roads.

The driver drove fast.

He broke his car.

We changed cars.

Then we were off again. We followed a stream that was the color of caramel for most of the 5 hours we were in the car. The scenery got increasingly more beautiful as we went. The other driver drove too fast too, but by some stroke of luck, his car held up. It was cramped and it was too hard to talk because we were like rag dolls in a toy car flailing around. There were tons of people living in the mountains and along the road. It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere and then all the sudden, there would be a little village. It was a strange feeling.

We got to the boarding school and it was such a relief to get out of that car. Kendra got pretty car sick. It’s pretty much a miracle I didn’t. My body felt unaccustomed to the lack of movement after the car stopped and I wasn’t bouncing around and my head wasn’t hitting the side of the car. We got a quick glimpse of the kids before we were ushered into the sister’s living area for dinner. They were looking at us curiously though they were too afraid to approach us.

Following dinner, we had a meeting with the teachers of the school to get information from them. We had a lot of questions.

A lot.

How many kids, where do they come from, what’s the money situation in their families, are their parents living, what supplies do they need, and so on.

In the initial meeting, we learned that there were 68 kids all from villages in the area. The school is paired with a sort of care home for elderly mental patients. Although the government funds the school and hires the teachers, they have difficulty hiring because there is a belief that the patients are contagious. The government will pay for children to come to the elementary school, but once they finish grade 6, the government removes any funding and most, if not all the teenagers don’t go on to middle school, instead they return to the mountains and their villages where they will most likely live for the rest of their lives. We learned that the middle school is in Zhaojue, almost five hours away. For one child to go to middle school for a year, it costs approximately 5,000RMB (roughly $800).

At that, we asked the teachers to gather all the grade 6 kids. There were 15 total at the school. We began by taking their information: name, age, gender, and family situation. Following that, we took each of their pictures. Some kids parents had died and they live with grandparents or other relatives when they aren’t at school. Many of the children come from large families. The government doesn’t regulate the number of children people have in the mountains villages so family sizes can go up to 8 kids in some families. They need help on their farms with the livestock, so the more hands the better.

On a side note, as I counted to three to take their pictures, each kids face went from pleasant to scared or uncomfortable. These kids aren’t used to getting their pictures taken.

I went to bed that night on a bed with a board for a mattress with thoughts of the kids’ situations swimming in my mind. I didn’t know that the next day, things would only get worse.

That next afternoon, while the kids were on break, we toured the school. We started with the class rooms. There were 5 rooms with a blackboard and some desks and chairs. There were no pictures on the wall, no stimulation, no friendly colors. It was down to the very basic necessities.

My heart was sinking and I wasn't prepared for what we saw next. A stench that smelled like rotten milk mixed with dirty bodies reached my nose as we entered the kids dormitory. We walked through each room with two bunk beds or more each. The bedding was old, ripped and stained. I would bet my life that they had never been washed. Stuffed next to their pillows were the few very dirty other clothes they owned. Under the bedding were two thin mats that looked like they were made of leather. In between the mats it was crawling with bugs. My heart broke and tears filled my eyes. How could they be living like this? I slept in a bed that was clean, free of stains, rips, and bugs while just two buildings over they lived like this. These sister that live at the school should be helping these kids, but why aren't they? Why aren't the clothes and bedding being washed? Why?

Then we went to the next level up where the teachers sleep and the conditions weren't much better. It smelled better, but not by much. The teachers kitchen wasn't a kitchen at all. They cook on the floor and they don't have a fridge to keep their food fresh. They don't have any kind of desk or office to work in and the TV they have was paid for by one of the teachers with his own money. These men have such good hearts. The conditions are bad and they don't actually have to be there, but they are there for the kids. They are the best thing the kids have at that school. We asked them what they needed and Roundabout will do it's best to make things better for both the kids and the teachers.

To read part two, click here.

Foreigners React

This blog post is dedicated to the weird things foreigners living in Beijing say to Kendra and me.

F=Foreigner
M=Me

F: How do you get into the city?
M: We take a bus or the metro.
F: REALLY!? Wow! You guys are so brave! That is so cool!

F: You've taken a sleeper train? Oh, you are so brave.

M: We just had lunch in a little Chinese restaurant.
F: Are you sick?

F: Are you eating street food? That's brave.

I live in the most Westernized area in all of Beijing. I am very blessed to be in the situation I am in and I really enjoy it! However, I miss real China. We live in Shunyi district which is in the Northeastern part of Beijing near the international airport. This is where all the foreign expatriates come and live so natually, it's filled with import stores and western restaurants like Mrs. Fields, Subway, Dominos, etc.

F: I don't live in China. I live in Shunyi.

I miss real China.

Roundabout does book fairs every so often to raise money for kids and their families that need help paying hospital bills. We went to help set it up. There wasn't room in the van so they asked if we'd be okay to sit in the truck with the drivers bringing the books.

F: If you don't mind going on an adventure, you can go in the trucks with the books.
M: That's fine. (Picturing us in the back of the truck in the dark)
F: Are you sure?
M: Yes, absolutely.

LATER

The trucks come and we sit in front with the truck driver. Our Chinese friend and coworker, Lily says,

L: Are you okay?
M： Yes.
L: Okay? You'll have to tell me how you feel after.Are you sure you're okay?

By the way, in 3 weeks, I'll be leaving Beijing to renew my visa and go to NANJING! WOOHOO! I'll miss Beijing though (No really, I will!) and the friends I've made. It's been an adventure.

I love China.

Holiday Weekend

This past weekend was the Qingming Festival. This is somewhat similar to Memorial Day in the States. In ancient times and still a little today, they use the holiday to sweep their ancestors graves. Now, most people use it to travel. We didn't do any traveling, instead we stayed in Beijing. Robin, whose home we stay in, took us to Huanghuacheng, a portion of the Great Wall that is partially reconstructed and partially completely wild. There weren't any people around for most of the time which is SO different from the last time I went to the Great Wall. I went to the most touristy section in all of Beijing. Half way through (probably not even) it started to rain so after waiting 10 minutes or so in a guard tower, we decided it would be best if we got off the wall. The stone is pretty slippery and we didn't want to risk it. I was disappointed because I really want to spend a lot of time on the wild portion of the wall. Instead I spent 5 minutes on it while Robin and Kendra waited for me below in the valley. It. Was. So. Cool! I want to go back really badly! Someday, I'll bring my Dad. He'd love it.

That arch is going to crumble at any minute. Sort of scary.

Purely wild wall.

 After hiking on the wall, we went to a little restaurant in the nearby village. Robin ordered us some fish and they caught it, filleted it, and grilled it right in front of us. It doesn't get much fresher unless you are eating sushi. He also ordered something that is literally translated at prickly ash. They dipped the leaves in some batter and fried it. It was good except the thorn I found with the leaves. Bleh. We also had eggplant which is my favorite, egg and tomatoe, and some pork dish. Chinese food is sooo good. I NEED to know how to cook it.

On Saturday, we went with a large group of foreigners and Chinese to the Beijing Zoo. Chinese zoos are not as bearable as American zoos. The habitats are less homelike for the animals. However, the Panda's were in a really nice enclosure. Most of them were sleeping, but the last one was eating bamboo like it was going to disappear at any second. He was cute and Chinese.

I also met someone who knows one of my Chinese friends in Nanjing. That is not really something that happens very often in a country with over a billion people. I could go on forever about how crazy it is, but I'll spare you.

At Roundabout, Kendra and I are both getting more responsibilities, daily jobs, etc. It's going so well. I enjoy every day at Roundabout and being with the people, both staff and volunteers. Everyday is fulfilling and worthwhile.

We have a Chinese friend at Roundabout named Julianna. She is 27, pregnant, and alone. In the US, this is sad, but she would have a lot of options. In China, it's different. In order to have a baby "legally" you must have a certificate with you at the hospital. In order to get this certificate, you need to be married. If you don't have this certificate, your baby doesn't get the equivalent of our social security number. They also can't go to school at any public or private schools in China except the migrant schools which are not funded by the government and are always in very poor condition without enough text books and other needed school supplies. This is the situation Julianna is in. The father said he loves the baby, but not her and will not marry her. That's all easy for him because he isn't required to take care of the baby by law. Julianna didn't tell her parent's that she is pregnant because they would be very angry and might disown her. I worry about her more every day, but after yesterday, I can't get her off my mind.

Yesterday was Julianna's birthday. She invited Kendra and me to her home for hot pot (one of the best types of Chinese food ever). She rents one room from a landlord along a strip of old buildings. The next room over houses a family and their 3 kids. There is no kitchen, there is no bathroom or shower. She has to walk a few minutes to the public bath house. She hangs her clothes on a string she strung across one corner of the room. The couch and the bed are crammed on one side of the room.  Outside there is a water spigot and by her door is a table where she cooks her meals. She has a small propane tank that is connected to a single portable gas stove top. That is the extent of Julianna's home. I kept thinking of ways I could hide some money for her to find later when she most needed it. I worry about the baby and what his/her life will be like. Will they have enough to get by? What happens to the baby while Julianna works? So many questions. Luckily she is working at Roundabout where more than one person is worrying about her a great deal. It's not often that I ask publicly for people to pray for someone or something but in this case, if you read this, pray for Julianna. Pray that her parents' hearts are softened and that her situation becomes better. Pray that she has strength and that the baby is healthy. Julianna is so cute and positive. Her English isn't very good so she speaks half English half sound effects. It's so funny! She seems happy, but who knows what is going on under the surface. Keep her in your thoughts.

Roundabout

The Roundabout website is now up and running. Click here to learn all about the place I'm working. I can't tell you how much I enjoy working at Roundabout. Everyday is a new experience and everyday I meet new incredible people. This world is full of people in need and it is also full of people who want to help. Most of the people at Roundabout are volunteers who come in a few times a week or more to help out. Some people are "expert pricers" so they come in and price all the items that go out in the store. Others work on displays in the store. People come to share their talents and their time. 100% of the money made in the store is given to those in need. That is absolutely a problem because it makes it so much easier for me to spend money there knowing that the money will be passed on to people who really need the help. Working here has given me an idea. I'd love to start another store similar to Roundabout somewhere else in China. Shanghai or Nanjing to be exact, a place where it would help make a difference in another beautiful part of China. China changes my life every time I come here. It's just so magical!

On good days, we sort things outside in the sun!

Kendra and I work from 9:30 to 5:30 or so every day. Roundabout is literally less than 5 minutes walk from where we live so it's easy to come and go. There are both Chinese and Foreign people who work there. I've started to get used to the many accents and since China used UK English before US English, I have to use strange words to describe things so people know what I'm talking about. Rubbish instead of garbage, trolley instead of grocery cart, crisps instead of chips, fringe instead of bangs, etc.

Kendra and I went to the Forbidden City a couple weekends ago. We usually seem to pick the greatest time to go out because the sky was so beautifully blue and it wasn't super cold either. Even though I've been there before, it was a blast! We wandered in some areas I didn't see last time.

I also got the illegal picture. When Sadie came to Beijing in 2009, she took a picture in front of one of the gold and red doors in the Forbidden City. When I went last year, I thought it would be cool to get the same one, but when I found the door, they had put up a new fence so no one could get to the door anymore. I was all disappointed because I couldn't get the picture. When I came home we talked about getting the "illegal picture" the next time I went, even if it meant climbing over a fence. On our way out of the Forbidden City, there weren't many people around because it was closing. After about five minutes of freaking out, I hopped the fence, Kendra got two pictures of me at the door, and then I hopped back over the fence. What a rush! Then not two minute later, we saw some guys somewhere else doing the same thing at another place. I felt much better. I'm not good at hopping fences I guess.

2013                                  2009

This past weekend, we stayed with our friend Joanne and together, with some other foreigners, we went to Cats 44, an authentic cat cafe. First, let's get this straight: I'm not a cat person. Second, it was smelly. Third, they serve drinks and desserts while you sit in fur covered seats while inhaling the scent of cat. If you love cats, this would definitely be cat heaven like it was for Kendra. She loved every second. Shunta fell asleep with a cat on one of the couches, and Joanne took about 8 million pictures of the cats. The environment was really relaxing even though it was smelly. We sat out in the garden with some good ventilation which made it much better It was such a strange combination, but I liked the strangeness of it. All the people enjoying themselves in the cafe obviously love cats. Everyone was trying to pet the cats and you could tell they were so sick of people bugging them every second. I can't tell you how many cats they had in there because every few minutes I'd see a new one I hadn't seen earlier. At least 10 different cats and there were probably more.

Cat cake and cheesecake complete with a cat napkin.

Kendra in cat heaven, and me. ;)

We also got a mani-pedi which was a lot of fun. I've never had a pedicure and it was pretty weird to have someone touching my feet. He was a perfectionist too so my feet were pretty much free of any imperfections by the time he was done with them. Also, my toes were beautiful. However, there are no pictures because that'd be weird.

Easter Sunday didn't really feel much like Easter at all. Sacrament was great because they did a choir program. We went to one of the branch members homes for dinner with all the YSAs and that was really nice. Since China doesn't celebrate Easter, there weren't any chocolate bunnies or Easter eggs around. It's actually really good to go with out those things. It makes it much easier for me to focus on the real reason we celebrate Easter and I think it was really beneficial to my testimony.

China is truly wonderful everyday. We work with such amazing people, we get to explore Beijing (we are going to the Great Wall this weekend!), and I get to practice my Chinese on a daily basis! I really miss the kids at the orphanage, but my mom and I agree that it was easier to leave after a month than it would be to leave after 3. Blessing in disguise? Probably.

I hope you are enjoying life. Stay safe, stay healthy, and know that I love you!

P.S. Cat Cafe and Roundabout pictures taken by Kendra. I stole them from her Facebook. :) Thanks, K-dawg.

Roll With The Punches

C is for China and C is also for change. Since we came to China without a set plan after the Starfish Foster Home closed, China Horizons has been trying to find the best fit for Kendra and me here. We have been moved (not too far from the babies, thank goodness) to a new place called Roundabout. It's really hard for me to completely understand what Roundabout does, but we started work there today so I'll do my best to explain.

Roundabout is similar to Deseret Industries in Utah. They take in donations, give them to other charities, or sell them in the store and give the money to those in need. They work with over 27 charities in China. The hospital system in China is really sad. If you don't have cash in hand to pay for whatever needs done, the hospital won't even take you or your child in. Children can die from the smallest things simply because their parents can't afford to pay. This is where Roundabout will step in and provide the money to save children. It's really a wonderful program and Roundabout has touched so many peoples lives. I know they have a website, but I haven't been able to find it. I think it's not up and running yet because they've been redoing it. I'll post it here once I know more.

So we moved just yesterday. We are living with Leslie and Robin who are from the UK. Leslie started Roundabout just after moving to China some 8 years ago. They have 4 kids, but 3 are grown up and moved out. They've adopted a Chinese girl while they've been here and she's 8. She so funny. She LOVES Harry Potter and she's assigned each of us a character. I'm Tonks. Cool, right? Kendra is Luna Lovegood. In all reality, I feel so spoiled. Kendra and I each have our own room and bathroom. Leslie and Robin have just opened up their home to us so willingly and warmly. They even took us to the import store and bought us all this food even though we insisted we didn't need it. They bought us Honey Bunches of Oats cereal. HEAVEN! ;) I am so so so (infinite number of so's) grateful for them and their kindness. I literally started crying at one point which I guess doesn't really say much, but still, they are wonderfully kind and welcoming.

So today, we started work at Roundabout. We started with books which means I was in heaven. We just sorted through new donations putting them in sections based on genre. After lunch, Leslie taught us to do some account filing and inputting so we can help her catch up on that, which I don't mind doing. Then we went with her to the international school where Leslie was putting on a presentation for Magic Hospital. This charity hires clowns and art therapists to go into the hospitals, put on magic shows, make balloon animals, and draw pictures and do crafts so the kids can have some fun, and get some laughs. So to start out the presentation, one of their clowns who's been doing this EVERY Wednesday without missing a single one for 10 years, put on a magic show for the kids. They LOVED it. Then, they brainstormed ways to raise some money for Magic Hospital. It was so awesome to see the kids trying to find good ways to help out in their own community. Today was a really great day for sure.

For those who are concerned, I'll really miss living with Mutong and the other babies, but we are close enough to go back and visit occasionally and I can't deny that I'm glad to get away from The Corner (the office with our bed in the corner behind a curtain). We still live in the suburbs of Beijing and we're a bit of a way from the city center still, but it's not bad at all! We'll manage.

On another note, Leslie is Scottish and Robin is English. We are picking up on a lot of new words. Leslie called the trunk "the boot," today. By the time we leave, we'll have it all down plus the accent. It helps that we have a friend from church (who we stayed with this last weekend) from near London. Every so often when I'm talking to her, I slip and start talking in my fake British accent which is simply dreadful. ;) I blame Erin for the slip ups since we talk in fake accents together occasionally. That's the only reason I slip. And also, we drink tea now. Not bad tea, but tea we are allowed to drink like flower and fruit teas. It's growing on me, slowly...