The Longest Post EVER:-)

I'm sooooo sorry it has been so long since I have written! I think it has only been a little over a week but so much has happened I feel like this will be a long post...Are you ready??? OK, here we go!

Last week We had 3 special friends with birthdays! So I decided that since they were away from their families and friends we would surprise them at Aloha:-) I had some help getting each one there and it was such a fun night of visiting with friends and eating bday cake:-) That is a rare thing here...Chinese bday cake looks like sponge cake with whipped topping on top and then covered in fruit. It looks very pretty but the taste is just not like American bday cake.

Last Wednesday night we started our first Girls small group:-) This was lots of fun! I am excited to see who the Father brings and how He leads our group:-) Also, the 2 classes I teach on Wednesday are sooooo sweet:-) I think they are all easy to teach because they try so hard!! They also talk about me in Chinese quite a bit and then look at me and laugh...lol I am getting used to this...on a daily basis. When I question them they always say something about my jewelry, hair, etc. Oh and one boy always ends his answer with, "...Just like you so happily taught us, Teacher". LOL He is sooo cute...I have only taught them 3 weeks:-) He once told me "I have so many questions for you, Teacher, I just don't know how to speak them in English:-(" I told him it will get easier and he will be able to get the questions out...I want to know them so badly...He is a very thought provoking student. Today He wanted to tell me about his new job in a factory...he said he will make lots of money for his family but this is not what is important to him "Just like what you taught us, Teacher:-)" I didn't even remember talking about this but the things he takes away from my lessons are very interesting. Please keep him in your thoughts...I believe he is searching!!

Thursday...after teaching 2 very different classes(and scheduling my basketball practice with my class/team) Some of the foreign teachers were taken to the PSB(Public Security Bureau), It is like the Chinese police station/Visa office. We had to get our residence visas. I was a little nervous but there were no problems! It is a very interesting place. Now for the fait at heart you might want to skip this part...But I had managed to never have to use the squatty potty until this point. But, Unfortunately I had too much to drink at lunch and it was an emergency...So I cowgirled up and used the public squatty potty. This was not too bad of an experience. I had used them last time I was in China, but this Southern Belle just tries to avoid them at every cost. The worst thing about it is the smell:-( Just imagine the worst port-a-potty at the county fair being a 5 star toilet....yep...it's bad:-( In the Canteen where we eat lunch there are bathroom areas in the stair ways...I have to eat on the third floor and by the time I get there I am ready to puke! The smell is just everywhere....there is no door to keep the smell in...it's just there...I have learned when to hold my breath and then let it out:-) Oh the joys of China:-) After we left the PBS we went to a beautiful park. It was very interesting!! Exercise equipment(not like America) lined the park and people were out enjoying the day. We found a group of "Fan Dancers". These people were hard core!!! Men and Women! WOW we were all impressed! Then we went to dinner at a nice Chinese food restaurant. After dinner we walked about 3 more hours(before dinner we walked about 2hrs.) all around the different shopping streets of Hankou. This is a different district of Wuhan. Then we found the train and took it to the bus stop where we traveled about an hour back by bus. LONG DAY!!!

Friday!!! I woke up so excited because this was going to be my first day volunteering at the Aloha Diner! I believe this will be one of my most favorite days of the week:-) I had such a wonderful day working along side the Chinese cooks...I felt like a burden most of the time because my Chinese is so bad that we had to do motions most of the time...But they were so patient with me. I enjoyed it oh so much! I even got to go to METRO, the AMAZING German type grocery store with them and get some western cooking supplies!!! YAY!!! I learned so much! The Father is so good to give us just what we need and these people are already like a family to me:-)

Saturday I was going to have a lazy day and do some cooking...But in the afternoon I got a call to see if I would come back to Aloha and help bake an Apple Crisp for a party they were having that night:-) Oh this was such fun! I was on my way to Wal Mart(walking because the bus was so packed at the bus stop...I just didn't feel like I could handle it that day...So I walked all the way:-)) My place to Aloha isn't that far...I love the walking:-) So I got to spent the rest of the day cooking all sorts of fun stuff and helping out a little with the parties!! I felt so encouraged after leaving!

Sunday was a different day for us...This weekend China celebrated 2 different holidays, Teacher's Day and Mid-Autumn Festival. So as a celebration of these days our Waiban took us on a tour of Wuhan and then to a traditional orchestra concert Sunday night!! It was a great day. We started out at 8am and went to the Hubei Museum, then to lunch, then to a beautiful park on the East Lake. After the park we went to a Buddhist Temple. I will not say too much but this was a very hard thing for me. I have never been quite this affected by a temple. I have been on many tours of these type places but this was unlike any other. I will ask all of you to please PR for the people of Wuhan...I saw so much desire and longing in something that is dead. These people believe that this golden image will bring them hope and life and my heart was broken like it has not been before. I wept as I walked around PRing for these people that I love. It was quite a hard experience. But I think it was very necessary for me. We left here for dinner at a local Hot Pot restaurant! Then to the concert! I loved the concert...very different instruments but so beautiful!!!

OK, are you getting tired of reading??...lol sorry...

Monday was the actual Mid-Autumn Festival so we had the day off:) So my normal 3 day weekend turned into a 5day weekend:-) Be Jealous:-) Monday, I rested a little and them went to lunch with friends and then went with my German friend, Christine, to the store...lol WOW, this was an experience! I guess the thing to do on the festival day is go to the store...It was packed! The celebratory foor for the holiday is Moon Cake! See the picture! I found one with a treble clef:-) Soooo excited! These moon cakes have been in the stores for weeks! I had not had the guts to try one until Monday. I heard they were not very good...but for the sake of the holiday, Christine and I got a few different ones to try:-) Then She and I had dinner together. After the 5 hours trip was over we made it back home and went to the roof of our apt building and looked at the moon with friends:-)

Tuesday is my normal day off so I decided to get a few things done in the morning(Like work on my challenge of Memorizing Rom. 8 with my home fellowship). It has been perfect for me right now! Then I went to eat Muslim Noodles with some friends before we went to METRO!!!! YAY!!! I had been there with Aloha but I didn't get to browse...this time we just strolled along and looked at everything. It is very close to Sams Club. But the Chinese version, of course:-) I was very excited to get baking products, boneless, skinless chicken breasts and ground beef!!!! These things gave me such excitement!!! Then we came back by taxi...I had the privilege of sitting in the front...ok So riding in a Chinese taxi is similar to Nascar! There are no real rules of the road...the point is getting to the destination the fastest...No matter what! So He started off and we cut off about 10 ppl and then he started squeezing between buses and cars and swerving in and out, slamming on his breaks every 10 seconds as he honks...oh and them everyone honks...that's just what you do here. My nerves were so shot after I got out! WOW...I could not wait to get into my apt, in the quiet and just sit. LOL, this is a very usual reaction I have as I walk back from the bus or taxi or even walking!

Ok we are almost done here but I want to talk about one last thing! English Corner !! This will be a weekly occurrence on Tuesday nights on my campus and I am required to be there. Basically the students come and practice their English with us(foreign teachers). Of course non of my students came....lol But I had the most amazing time! I was greeted by a sweet boy who asked my where I was from and I replied "Texas"...he said.."Uhhh, United States?" Lol oh yes...I'm just a little Texan:-) So then he proceeded to ask about me and my interests and very quickly he asked if I was a Xian. I answered him and he began to tell me about his passionate sold out life to the Father. I began to tear up as He told me about his recent decision and baptsm. Ok, my friends...this boy was incredible...he started singing X songs and asking me if I knew them and if I would teach him more..He longs to Praise the father in song. He told me about how he shares on Campus and how recently one of our brothers was taken away. after talking for about and hour and a half he got a text and he said "Um, Melodie, I must go...My brothers are handing out the pamphlet on campus and I must help share the Gspl. I hugged him and we decided about a meeting time later this week. I will attend his family fellowship with him. I will also make a CD for him of some of my favorite X songs. While we were talking a girl came up and started asking question. She explained that she was very interested in knowing about the Father but didn't even know what questions to ask. She said I know you both have hope and I want that!! WOW...I am just blown away...She and her boyfriend will go with is to this "family fellowship". PLEASE be PRing for "Strong"(That's what we will call him for protection) and his family and our new friend and her boyfriend. The Father is working so mightily here and I just want to be used...I also ask for protection...I know this could be a little risky...but HE is protecting me. We will have quite a bit of travel time to visit so please remember to lift this time up!!! I just marveled in the goodness of the Father as I walked away last night...this excites me so much!!!

Ok I have gone on WAY long enough:-) I love you all and thank you so much for your faithful PRs and encouragement to me:-) I miss you so much but know I am where I need to be:-)