Pictures!!!

My last few blogs havent had pictures because I have had some trouble with my photo program:-( But I am going to hopefully post a few now!!! You will beable to figure out where they all belong if you have read the previous blogs:-)

Oh and the

exciting thing that I have not mentioned yet is that STARBUCKS opened!!!!!! It is located in Wanda...close to

Walmart....It

was just about the most amazing day

ever:-) It will be a treat to go there since it is quite expensive but We were celebrating the Grand Opening and enjoyed it very much!!!!

Living My Dream...

This last week it hit me..."I am living my dream!?"...Yeah...I really am living where I have always wanted to be. Since I was 10 years old I knew this is where I wanted to be. I feel amazingly content here. I have been here 5 1/2 week and if I could just speak Chinese I think It would be perfect:-) That is one of the most challenging things right now...The language barrier:-( But, little by little...I will press on!

So I will begin with last weekend...I attended the Asian Basketball Championship game!!! It was China vs. Jordan in the final game and WE WON!!!! I was sporting the China flag on my Cheek and waving one in my hand!!! I went with a friend who teaches at a nearby school. We had a blast!!! The Chinese people were quite amused by us "Laouwai" (foreigners). I think we were the only American ladies in the place...We didn't stand out a bit;-) SOOOO Much fun!!!

Earlier in the weekend I hung out with some of my teammates and had a wonderful time of fellowship. Sat. Night my friend Jacqueline and I went to Hankou(another section of Wuhan) tot he crazy night market! We both had a great time venturing out in an unknown area and wondering around together. We bought a few things and were really excited to haggle some prices down:-) later that night after we got home I got a call from Paul, Jacq's husband, to say that her dad had unexpectedly passed away. I had been awake PRing for her, not knowing the reason but I knew that the Father wanted me to PR for her...maybe about stuff we had talked about that night. But they to hear this news, I was heartbroken for her. She and her husband are raising her 13yr old brother here in China with them. They are amazing people and I see the Father using them in a mighty way. Please keep them in your PRs as they are back in the states with their family for 2 weeks. I can not imagine how hard this must be but in my last talk with them before they left for the states I was so encouraged at how the Father was already working so mightily through this situation. Praise HIM!

I have been using Jacq's Bike since she left and i am enjoying riding all over my area of Wuhan:-) I have been to the supermarket a few times and Monday I went to a local coffee shop-E Coffee, for an afternoon of encouragement! I took my computer and My Favorite Book:-) I listened to 2 podcasts from my Hm fellowship and read!!!! Such a good time! I am enjoying all the "free time" I have here to spend with My Father! It is an unexplainable feeling to be in the place I have always wanted to be and getting to have more time to spend with Him. I'm so grateful for this time!!!

Teaching this week has been interesting...Monday was nothing to write home about:-) Wednesday, though, was quite amazing! I was talking to my classes about feelings. The Chinese students love to talk about their feelings:-) So it was great to hear more about them. I had each one write a paragraph about what they were feeling right at that moment and then share with the class. I loved this! They were quite good! Although, one student said he would change his feeling from sad to happy if I would let him sleep in class...I said NO WAY!!! The whole class laughed:-) Then I talked about how music affects our feelings. Byt he end of my class 2 students were crying...wow..it was pretty intense!!! I tend to make students cry...I did that in the states:-( Never my intention!!!! Thursday classes were very oposite! First class=AMAZING!!!! They are engineering majors...40 boy and 6 girls:-) Since they are my favorite...i asked them to help me come up with my Chinese name. I have been able to have a relationship with a few of these students outside of class so I thought it would be a good class to help me. Oh My Word was with an interesting experience. But I love the name I think I will stick with. Steven, raised his hand and said, "Ms. Chandler, I think I have a good name for you." He was very kind to help me find a name that sounded like my American name but with a good meaning(That's what he tried to tell me). Chen Mei, is my Chinese name. Since in Chinese the family name comes first he said "Chen" is similar to Chandler. "Mei" is the word for "beautiful". He said "I think this fits you very well." I think my face turned red at that point and all the other students laughed. Then his face turned red. LOL I was trying not to crack up! It was so cute!! But I like the sound of it and it is worlds better than the other options given....like the character for winter/snow, followed by the character for bird. Yeah....I was like, ok, what does this represent? He said, "I think you are like a bird flying through the snow...it is a very beautiful picture in my mind". Then I was thoroughly creeped out! He said "It is a pure and clean picture." that's nice but what will other people think when I tell them my name is "Snowbird"???? So, "Chen Mei" it is:-) The I found out that there is a famous violinist named "Chen Mei" also:-) This makes me happy! My second class on Thursday is the basketball team...yep...it's like I have to eat my dessert first and then take Vitamins:-( That class keeps me on my knees for sure!!! After the first 45 min. I just quit...I said "who...............UN_DER_STANdS........me????" like 10 guys and 1 girl raised their hand. I called them up and we had a heart to heart. I asked what in the world can I do to help the others to understand me?? The Biggest guy in my class(Vincent) said "You must interesting us"....I was like "what?"..."You need to teach us sport". I got the point....the last 45min I drew the basketball court on the board and we learned the English word for every basketball term(that I know). How the score works in English and how to speak the plays in English. I had 60% class participation at this point and felt like a "Winner"...lol at the end I said "China wins!!!....LEAVE!" They all laughed...oh and they also laughed when I made one student come up to the front and pretend to play defense while I had the ball....lol this was soooo funny!!!

Last night, I was invited by my University to attend a banquet celebrating the National Holiday. 6 of the foreign teachers here were invited and we had a great time. It was very Com..un..st, but a great experience!!! I was able to talk with some of the higher ups of the University and also visit with my Waiban. Chinese party's include lots of toasting(like random, toasting). They do many things for the "show" of it here. So the more toasts the better. The decorations were very elaborate and the entertainment...well, hilarious! It was such a fun experience to go and I am so grateful for the opportunity!!!

Please be PRing for the opportunity that the Father is giving me to have some relationships with other teachers at my school. I might be able to have coffee with a Chinese teacher this week on our National Holiday break. We get one week off...it's such a hard life living here;-) Today(One of the most stressful days I have had in Wuhan) I was able to spend with a sweet student I met at English Corner. She is precious!!! She came with me to try to figure out how to get my paper work done so my boxes will be delivered from customs....it si WAY too long to explain but PLEASE PR it will work out!!!! We spent all day at Customs offices and official Chinese offices only to end up getting no where and now there will be a week break for everyone....SO we need a Miracle! But back to the GREAT news!!! I was able to Share the Gspl with her today!!! YAYAY...If I never get those boxes I will always remember this day! She is very excited to know about the Father but also she is in a tough situation. I can not get into it but Please PR for her!!!! I know we will have a special friendship...we will call her LD.

Sorry this post ended up being so long....Love you all!!! Please remember that news from the mother land is always appreciated:-)

Peace like a River...

"When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot though hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul!"

The Father has brought this hymn to my mind so many times this week. It has been such a hard week for me...But even through the hardships "He has taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul." Last Friday night I was able to have a wonderful dinner with Isabella and her family. They came to pick me up and went to an amazing Hot Pot place about a mile form my University!!! It was incredible to sit with them and enjoy a meal together, even though the only person I could talk to was Isabella. Her sister speaks English but she is very quiet. But somehow I fel like her parents and I conversed the whole evening. Through hand motions and a little bit of Chinese that I spoke we clearly understood one another:-) I told them how much I love Isabella and what a great job they did parenting her. They didn't really know how to respond so they laughed:-) Then her dad kept toasting with me:-) She told me later they said many things about me after they dropped me off. It was at this point that it hit me, She was leaving and I was going to have to say goodbye to her again. The first time, when she left Texas, I was able to say good bye easily. I knew we would meet again in a few months and even though it was hard, I had a focus on to the next thing. This time was so different. I sort of felt like I was losing her. When will I see her again? How is it going to be for her living in America, alone? How will she wake up on her own and get where she needs to go, etc. LOL I had all of these "Mothery" feelings and also the biggest burden was for her heart.

On Saturday my other teammates and I met at our teamleaders home for a wonderful day of encouragement and sharing. We got to hear each person's story of how they got to China and also just have time lifting different ones up to the father. It was an amazing day but at the end I was exhausted!!! I spent the night in Wuchang with my friend Mandi and she and our other friend Chelsie talked the night away!! So nice to visit with friends!

Sunday we took a taxi back to my side of town for Fellowship. I was not expecting to have such a rough day but when wrship started so did my tears. I don't think I was able to stop until after the whole service was over. I could not control it...they just kept coming. So many things were on my heart!!!! The Father is working on me right now...it is such a wonderful thing but wow, it is also painful! I really had to come to a place on Sunday where I let Isabella go. In many different areas but especially her soul. I long for her to know HIM!! I am so broken for the people here and their lostness but she is my baby! I love her and Fenja like my own. I didn't think that would be possible, but it happened and there's no going back:-) Wouldn't trade it for anything!!!!! SO needless to say, I was pretty broken on Sunday. After fellowship Isabella met us all at Aloha Diner and we had a great time visiting.

She was going to spend the day with Kirk and I one last time before heading to California. So after lunch we all came back to my place and changed for a great game of football(american soccer)!!! She loves football! She played at Magnolia High School:-) So it ended up being the foreigners(and Isabella) against the Chinese:-) Such a fun game....we did have 2 other Chinese on our team so it could be even. We played our hearts out! Then we came back to my apt for water and visiting:-) Such a great time together.

After everyone left Isabella, Kirk and I headed out for an adventure! We went to the local arcade that is close to Walmart and played games for a few hours and then decided to roller skate! Oh my this was quite an experience!!! The Chinese are amazing roller skaters. They skate like they drive...CRAZY!!!! I have not had that many random hand on me, EVER! they would speed past me and thankfully instead of plowing into the back of me they would touch my back to move me out of the way. Kinda awkward but I have learned that pretty much everything is awkward here so I just need to get used to it! After we skated until we couldn't skate any more we went to dinner at Korean BBQ!!! This was a blast...it was so late so we had to eat fast but basically you cook your own food in the middle of the table with a small BBQ contraption. LOL I got to be the BBQ'er so that was fun:-) I enjoyed it! We pretty much shut the place down and had to walk the mall to figure out how to get out:-) Then came the hardest part...saying goodbye:-( We PRed for Isabella before we left and my tears began to flow again. I think she is used to it....She lived with me for a year...lol. It was such a sweet time. After we were finished she looked at me and told me that she loved me and said, "I think this year I will believe." I was pretty amazed and had such a peace that she knows and needs time to process. Please be lifting her up to the Father as she begins this new Journey.

They got in different taxis and drove away and I decided to walk home. I love to walk at night....I begin to cry my eyes out at the goodness of the Father. So many things had to happen to get each of us to this pont. But What an amazing Journey HE has each of us on.

Monday was rough...classes were crazy! So I had the brilliant Idea to have my hair professionally curled...I mean when your having a bad day, having your hair done sounds great. The chinese people have permanent curl put into their hair and it looks great so i thought i would give it a try. My Chinese friend, Snow, went with me and told them what I wanted....5 hours and 2 tries later, I look like I stuck my finger in a light socket:-( Oh it was just not getting better. They I rushed home for my first Chinese lesson. I was pretty overwhelmed and tired and well, frustrated. I had realized earlier that day that one of the things I have been struggling with since I arrived is how selfish I am to "My Rights"! Wow, I had no idea!!! I mean, it should be my right to cross the street without getting honked at by the car that came out of nowhere and cut infront of me. It is my right to wait patiently in line without getting pushed into by 5 people that want to cut in front of me. It is also my right to have rules as a teacher and not get told how to enforce my teaching plans and goals. Yeah....I realize that if I am going to be completely yielded to the Father I HAVE to yield my rights about everything!!! The Father has provided a wonderful small group that I have been attending and being so fed. I realize I have so much to work on in the area of yielding! Please PR that I will be broken about this and fully yielded to HIM!

Tuesday I found out that my mom had been taken to the hospital and was being admitted. This was such a hard thing for me to release to Him. Yielding, again...not an easy thing for me. But HE has given so much peace and grace. My mom is going to be having tests tonight(for me) tomorrow(for US). She is in His hands!!

His grace is sufficient for me, His strength is made perfect in My weakness!!!

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:-)

The Day We Were Finally All Together!!!

I must say that I had been looking forward to this day for quite some time...This day was Saturday, September 3, 2011!!!! This is the day that Isabella, Kirk and I spent the day together:-) Most people know that one of the main reasons I am here in China is because of my AMAZING Chinese Daughter, Isabella!!! The Connection I had to teaching here was her AMAZING High School English Teacher, Kirk!!! Finally after many months of having a connection that could only happen because of our AMAZING FATHER, We were able to all be together. The day started very excitedly for me because I took a taxi, alone, for the first time to WuChang. This is the section of Wuhan that Isabella and Kirk live in. We decided to meet at her high school and have a little tour before we had our adventure. Kirk had sent me the Chinese Characters for the school's name and also the pronunciation(called Pin Yin) to tell the Taxi Driver. Well The first Taxi was not able to go over the correct bridge on that day so he couldn't take me(In Wuhan, only certain license plate numbers can go across certain bridges everyday...it was not his day:-(). Next Taxi could not understand what I needed and almost left, but a very sweet girl rode up on her bike and asked if I needed help:-). I was so grateful that the Father sent her at that time!!! She told him where I needed to go and then said, "I think he will get you there". So I thanked her and headed to where I hoped was the right place:-)

About 35min. later I arrived and we started our adventure. We took a bus to a very exciting place called Guang Gu. We decided to eat lunch first at a great place Kirk knew about. This was such a wonderful time to talk with Isabella about so much. We asked her lots of questions about her life and what she had been thinking about since she came back from America. Also We talked about what it is going to be like for her to go to College in California. I think we must have visited for about 3hrs in that restaurant:-)

Next we went to KTV(This is Chinese Karaoke)! This was a first for me and oh did we have fun!!! Kirk and Isabella sang some Chinese songs, we did a little rap, country, pop...from solos to duets. We stayed about 2hrs there. Then we decided to play Pool! Now the true colors came out...I am a horrible pool player and very competitive:-( Not a good combo! lol:-) But Isabella was great and of course Kirk was great...So I gave it my best shot;-) It was a blast! We walked around and visited, had some amazing coffee drink and sat outside and looked at the amazing lights.

By this time is was getting pretty late! We decided it was time to part ways...such a wonderful day! As I visited with my good friend Mandi, because we had a sleep over:-), I just gave glory to the Father for how he works so incredibly in our lives. I am amazed at how HE so carefully allowed so many things to happen in my life to bring me to this place, China!! This place I have longed for. Then to see how HE has answered so many PRs. PRs I had for Isabella before she even came to live with me. How HE so beautifully orchestrated Kirk to be her teacher and for his boldness to share about our Father. For Isabella's heart to be open on hear HIM through Kirk and then to remember those things when she came to me. I just stand amazed in the presence of HIM. Nothing is coincidence...I am brought to tears as I think of how each of us have such a call on our lives. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing...we must be obedient to HIM and surrender to HIM. It is not about us!!!! We make mistakes and HE is faithful to complete HIS goal despite us...His Grace is sufficient!

Greeting from Wuhan:-) It has been a very productive day around my place! I had the day off so I woke up and began my "day of" activities:-) I turned up my itunes and began the experiment of baking cookies!!! This was such a fun activity and oh so therapeutic! I had to be a little creative with the ingredients or the lack there of and use what I had. But after a little help from my neighbor down stairs, I began. Since my oven is so small I had to make a million batches:-) But it was worth every minute! I decided on Peanut Butter cookies sine I had most of the ingredients:-) Some of them got a Hershey Kiss on top:-) I also decided to take a chance and do my Laundry. This was something I really needed to do since I have not done any laundry since I left TX:-O

I have placed a picture of my awesome washing machine...all in Chinese of course:-) So by load 3 I knew what settings I liked best:-) I did a test load first with things that didn't matter..then I waited for later for the important stuff:-)

It was lots of fun...As you can see...I hang my clothes to dry on my handy dandy clothes drying pully rack. I have a nifty pully system for my clothes line. The family that lived here before me rigged it and it is awesome! Everyone is jealous! I get to crank it down to hang them and then crank it up to dry:-) But today was the day they decided to paint my building:-( So when I realized this I ran outside and took everything down. I had to shake the white dust off of everything because they scraped the old paint before they pained the new stuff:-( Oh My was it a challenge! But I got it all done and now my apartment smells of nothing but paint fumes:-( It is overwhelmingly bad. But maybe by morning they will subside. I thought it would smell like freshly backed cookies all day...and then they painted:-( LOL Oh Well! Welcome to China!

Then I decided to Iron and clean my apartment. This was an all day venture by the time I finished. But it was well worth it! I was so happy to master the cookies for today and they were eatable! i have been passing them out to friends:-) I went to dinner with some friends tonight and that was fun. Most of the time we can eat out for cheaper that we can make our own food...especially if we go as a group. Tonight there were 5 of us and my food was about $3. This was for a very nice meal. :-)

After dinner we visited the Aloha Diner and I visited with the owner and workers about begin to volunteer there next week! I am soooo excited! I will get to work in the kitchen with the Chinese cooks and help them cook as well and practice Chinese:-) Soooo excited! I believe this will be the beginning of a wonderful relationship there!

On our way home we saw these very small children having a RollerBlading lesson!!! it was so cute!!! They were really good. The instructor had a little obstacle course for them and they were racing:-) I had to get a picture:-)

Love you all!

Teaching and Traffic!

So I want to tell you a little about my amazing students and about the not so amazing Wuhan Traffic!!! I will start with the students:-)

So, be ready to be jealous...my classes are Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday...and then I'm done:-) Amazing, right?????!!!!!! Next, today(Thursday) was the first day I taught in a classroom with airconditioning:-) This was the most exciting thing to see at 7:50am when I entered my classroom! I teach in different classrooms, at different times. Most of which are HOT!!! Like TEXAS, HOT! Humid, sweating...you get the picture. I am teaching one and a half hour classes twice a day for this 8 weeks and then my schedule changes. But It is great! I currently have 2 different levels of students. "B" Level, which can understand and speak on an intermediate level. The I have the "D" students...HAHAHA...they are like my bilingual Kindergartners in Willis! They understand about 1 out of every 20 words and getting one or two words from them is like pulling teeth! So, they are both challenging in their own way. Today I was having them recognize colors:-) I really waned to burst into "Hello, Boys and girls" and make them echo with "Hello Ms. Chandler"(in a sol-mi pattern) but I refrained:-)

Ok so not that you understand the levels lets talk English names...Today I had "Apple, Orange, Juice, Milk, Small Crab, James(as in Lebron James), Kobe(as in Bryant), Jack Yu, Mendez, Tide Hunter, Handel, Spiderman, Apologize" and I could go on and on. So within all these classes I am teaching different Major groups. I have some Art majors, Engineering Majors, Communication majors, and finally...THE BASKETBALL TEAM!!!!! Oh YES! These Guys understand NOTHING of what I say and can not speak anything unless repeated. They are so awesome!!! I think this class will be my favorite:-) They are like JR High Students in America...LOL Most of them come from the country side to play ball. They ALL know "NBA" and "Basketball"! They are also all 6ft 10! These are the tallest Chinese boys I have ever seen....I look like the short one when they are around. I just laughed when I walked into class and they were all looking at me and laughing. We knew there would be problem. But it was tons of fun. I will use lots of pictures and it will be just like Kindergaten on the first day:-) Except I don't have to wipe noses! Oh but they do spit on the floor at random times while I am teaching. This is normal.....I try not to throw up.

So, my first week has been exciting and adventurous. I am loving every moment. Well maybe not the excess smell of sewer and paint all the time. They are painting our buildings and it is so strong it will knock you over! I believe it also has Latex in it..Which I am allergic to:-( I would ask that you lift this up to the Father with me. I have had some very strange reactions on my feet and arms but PTL it has not been bad, Just irritating and painful. But I'm so grateful it has not effected my lungs. This would be a problem. I am believing it will not be a problem.

I have enjoyed PR walking on my campus and the Streets of Wuhan. This helps me to love these people. Also helps me to keep my focus right. It was wonderful to see that the bus is not working on my street and I can take it to WalMart! Saves time...But there is no good way to get the bus stop on the other side of the street to get back so I walked. This was a wonderful time of talking with My father and expressing my gratefulness to Him and making my requests known. He already knows them but it is so good to voice them with the One who cares the most for me.

Tomorrow is Baking day and Lunch with a friend from a near by school! Today I was visited my my Awesome boss and his Wonderful Family! They have 2 little girls and I'm pretty much want them for my own:-) They are so sweet:-) We are going to be good friends!

Enough for now...I will talk more about the traffic later! Good Night from Wuhan! You are all a blessing to me and I love you:-)