Heading out!

It's time for me to hit the road again! I leave for Shanghai in exactly one week--Wed. April 7'th. I hope and pr.y that everything goes well this time around and would appreciate y'all's pr.rs as well. I'll post some pics of my new teaching materials in another day or two. Lr.d willing, there will be more posts and pics this time around.

I'm excited for this fresh, new opportunity to serve and do His will. Even though this is a kind of follow-up appointment, I know HE will do great and wonderful things to further HIS kindgom and bring souls to a new life in HIM. Please remember the little armature "missionary" and the work in China. Thanks everyone for following!

P.S. If you don't have a gmail account and can't comment, don't worry! See my email address on my info page and shoot me a note! I do ask than ALL emails sent to me will be discreet in their content, such as using HE, Father, pr.y, prrs are with you, etc. The emails can and will be scanned by the Chinese gov. No harm will come to me personally, but might to those I'm involved with. Worst comes to worst: I'll be deported; they'll be arrested. But if everybody just sticks to what they're supposed to be doing, every thing's ok. It's not like the gov. is trying to lock up all the Christians or anything like that.

The last few days at NCCC

I had a class about Thanksgiving! They had never heard the story before, and it was so much fun to tell them! In my heart, it was best class I ever had. They were attentive and active and wanting to hear more.

“So they came to America on this big boat, looking for a new life and an escape from the Evil King of England.”

"Lots and lots of food!"

Take a look at what they were thankful for:

Up there in the right hand corner, one boy wrote,

“Thank you, Sister Faith, for telling us every day to be good children.”

“I'm grateful for God's infinite love.”
(Zhang Xin, 5'th grade)




“Love. This is what God has given to us humans.”

(Zeng Yuan Yuan, 5'th grade)

"I love God"
(Zeng Wen Bing, 5'th grade)




Other answers included,

"I thank the Lord for giving us all our food."

"I'm thankful for God giving us another day."

Little girl: Xiao Bing, 1'st grade

Little boy: Li Yun Fei, 4'th grade






The night before I left, they had a going away party for me which consisted of a bonfire, treats, and their version of karaoke. We set up two tables side by side which served as our stage, and we all had a blast! The kids sang mostly Christian songs, or songs like, “Auld Lang Syne”. It was very sweet and a great way to say goodbye. I gave gifts to all the children that evening, and many of them gave me small gifts and notes before I left.

"Who is better, girls or boys?"
(I think the boys did better, but it sure was close!)

The 9'th graders! They served as "cheerleaders" for the singers!

(Grace, Connie, Jasmine, and Sally...haha!)

(Tang Ai Min and Xiao Yi, roommates in the 7'th grade)

(Li Jian, 7'th grade)

There were tears and hugs and best wishes passed out all around. I love these kids and they love me, and what's most important, most of them love God now too.

I'm back in Tennessee now. I returned last week and am missing my kids a whole lot! It is good to be back, though, and I am looking forward to whatever the Lord has in store for me now. There are still so many more pictures and stories to tell of the children! I am working on a book now, and once that is completed I will post and let you all know. Thanks again for your support and prayers throughout these past few months. Please don't forget about these precious children. They need love and prayers now more then ever. Thanks!

Going for a walk

Here is how a typical walk for me goes:

I start out with a quiet, responsible kid, then have a half-dozen or so little munchkins follow after us saying, "Faith Jiejie! Faith Jiejie(Sister Faith)! Let us come too!"

So, we start off on a big, wild adventure!

They stop to take a peek in the window to see what some other boys are doing (there's my big, responsible boy I started out with: Dai Shengyou, 7'th grade. He is such a goof for the camera! He had an appendicitis attack last month, but has recovered from the surgery and is doing fine now. He's still a little too thin, though. He likes to come to my room and see if I'll give him any American candy. Considering how thin he is and how well-behaved, I usually give it to him!)

They're messing with a whole bunch of flashlight pieces. I'm not sure if they're taking it apart or trying to put it back together! (the kid on the right in the white shirt is named Noah. He is one of the sweetest kids here and the most well-behaved. He only has one foot (the other was amputated a while back), and hops around our center with a smile on his face. He's such a trooper! You should see him on the badminton court!)

So, we continue down the road....and the little boys see some beautiful flowers on the neighbor's tree...and, yes, they start to pick them! I say, "No, don't do that! I'm not taking you with me next time if you don't listen to me."

But they're just too cute! And then they want to give ME the flowers! (That's Hai Ting(above), our youngest child here. He's 4 1/2 yrs. old and started 1'st grade this year. He's doing very well in school! He's really sweet, but needs to be taught what one should and shouldn't do in public. For instance: one shouldn't just go in the middle of the road, even if it's a country road and you aim right into a puddle. Lesson learned on this walk...)

Here is Zeng Wen Bing, the feistiest kid here! He's in 5'th grade. When I first got here, he was always hitting the other kids and causing trouble. He's much better now, and ridiculously sweet! He gives me thumbs-up and calls me “Sister #1”. He come up to hug me every day, many times a day. His parents both died when he was very young, so he has grown up not knowing the love and security of a family. His older brother is a bit feisty too (he's the other kid playing with the flashlight parts above).

Tuo Tuo caught a frog! How cute...
Tuo Tuo, Hai Ting, and Zeng Wen Bing put together make one exercise of a walk!

But it's all worth it.

It's good.

No, better than that....it's wonderful!

My many roles

Oh, and I really love living here! I don't know any group of people I love more than I love these kids. They are my Chinese family, an we are such a BIG family!

There are over 70 kids living here now. I love them all so dearly, but it is a challenge to help them at times.

Sorry I've not posted for such a long time! It is difficult to get online, and it is hard to blog from China for a number of reasons. Here are a couple roles that my life here consists of:

REFEREE

Here is Jack with a bump on his head given to him from Beth, the girl in the yellow jacket. She whacked him with her shoe because he was teasing her and wouldn't give back the shoe. I'm trying to mend the situation. These two are typically good kids....

MIDDLE SCHOOL TUTOR

Here we are in one of the the reading room where the middle school students do their homework on the weekend. Dai Sheng You needed help with the dictionary.

“Wait, you're asking an American to help you with your Chinese composition? I'm an ENGLISH teacher!” Here I am trying to explain to Grace how to write an outline. She's our best student and plans to go to Harvard one day. She was writing about how China has changed over the years, and she wanted my help.

My favorite thing (and the thing I do most) is teaching the elementary school students. They are here a lot more than the middle school students, so I have a lot of time with them. I have many more pictures and stories, but it is really difficult to get things posted on the blog. I'll keep trying...maybe I'll come up with a newsletter. I'm busy now with teaching the kids not to curse and fight. I'm really upset about their dirty little mouths and mean to do something about it. They are generally good kids, but like all children, they need good direction or they will fail. I do as much or more teaching about living right as I do teaching English. Please keep remembering all of us here. Thanks!

Life here

This is Jenny. Her English is very good! She's probably the best speaker of all the kids here at NCCC.

(Zhang Meng Lin, 14 yrs old. 9'th grade.)

Life here is going well! I have totally fallen in love with the children here, and most of them seem to like me too! The girls like me to sleep in their rooms, and I have for the past four nights! I like being with them, and it's important to spend as much time with them as I can. The beds here are pretty hard, but I've pretty much gotten used to them. I like it here; it seems that everyone is warm, friendly, and welcoming. I'm making friends with some of the locals. I really like talking with the lady who watches the school gate. She is nice and always asks me to sit down and visit. The English teachers at the local school are great. They come visit me sometimes and invite me to go for walks with them. They have invited me to join their dance class. I don't think I'll be learning how to dance, but it is really nice of them to include me.

Seashore, Noah, Xiao Yin

We three have become good friends. Seashore gave us necklaces that match, so we are now, officially, “一家人” (one family)! I really like these two kids.

(Zhao Feng Long, 17 yrs old. 6'th grade. Zeng Ling Ling, 17 yrs old. College Freshman)

Some Big Girl Pics

I Love her shirt! She didn't know what it ment, and after I explained that it supported the U.S. Army, she didn't want to weat it anymore, lol! The other girls say that this color is ugly, so nobody wants to wear this shirt now! Liang An Hua, 15 yrs. old, 9'th grade

These two left our center yesterday. They are going to college! I will miss them. Zhang Hai Yu, in the orange shirt, asked me lots of questions about important things before she left. I sent a Gospel of John with her.

Zeng Ling Ling, 17 yrs. Zhang Hai Yu, 20 yrs.

Our Mini-Contortionist

Xiao Bing (6 yrs. old) is a wonderful, clever, talented young girl with the sweetest smile. She came skipping into our center last week and brought a fresh, new glow to NCCC. She loves to dance and sing, and she is a really wonderful dancer! She has been to dance school and learned a lot there. She's a mini contortionist! She will dance for us sometimes; we all enjoy watching her. She likes to be with people, and whoever she picks to hang out with feels honored. Her smile is so precious. She is one hundred percent cuteness!

I played with her a little bit this morning. I told her not to move while I balanced toys on her side as she lay down. She didn't move, but fell fast asleep! So sweet!

Xiao Bing really needs a lot of love. Her father drowned himself in a river after a fight with his wife, and Xiao Bing's mother and step father do not want her. Her grandfather has been taking care of her, and it's obvious that he cares about her. He lives near our center and has come to visit Xiao Bing every few days.

Please be praying for little Xiao Bing. She needs so much love, and the only love that can last for her whole life is that which comes down from above! She is a precious little bundle of joy! I don't understand why a mother would do what her mother has done...but there are many, many stories just like Xiao Bing's. It hurts so much! I want to hlep these children, but how? I remember what a good friend told me before I left home to come here: "Love never fails!"

Thanks for all your prayers! They are needed and appreciated!