Proud to be TJ's man

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We were able to collect over 75 pounds of children’s chewable vitamins for distribution at Chinese Agape hospital in China…Connor Edward, our fourth grandson, was born May 19 and weighed in at  nine pounds, five ounces and 22 1/2 inches long.

We were so blessed to have time with both our mothers (in Tennessee and Colorado) and brothers and sisters as we entered the States, and were there to help out prior to the delivery and some 2.5 weeks following his healthy arrival. We were also able to get off the plane for a 34-hour visit with Dale and Anne outside of Seattle, while giving us a chance to cut the trip to Beijing by a few hours.

I have a renewed appreciation for Delta airlines, and especially their ‘buddy pass’ system, which lets employees share tickets with friends and family. We left Beijing as scheduled and had business/first class accommodations, which meant more room for the 12+ hour trip to Detroit, with a connection to Denver (TJ) and Nashville (me).

Did I mention we had more room? Watched a few movies, had a comfortable space for sleeping, and plenty of friendly service in the sky for a couple excited to be seeing family and friends after 15 long months in Jingzhou and Beijing. I had steak for dinner and Terry had Sea Bass…we actually had too much food offered and had to say no to some of the sweet things…what a nice problem!

The Griffin Road and West Broward congregations in South Florida did a great job on short notice in collecting over 75 pounds of children’s chewable vitamins, to be distributed through Chinese Agape in their hospital. We were able to fill one box with 48 pounds and then distribute the rest throughout other luggage to get them back at one time. We were also able to deliver seven books to Kenneth Retzer, which was also a blessing.

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…so far I am getting A’s on my writing homework (it is kind of like art to me) and dictation tests but speaking is a whole new ballgame and I’m not so good at ballgames…

It happened again, and why did it surprise me for even one second?

I had accidentally stepped on my glasses on Saturday night, having laid them on the floor beside the bed as I was reading and rolled over for a short rest. With three teaching/preaching opportunities the next day, I knew I had to do something to get the screw to hold the right lens in place just to get through the day…since I cannot see without the glasses.

With some clear tape and strong tread and a needle, we had everything in place…and all went well. As I got off the subway on line 15 to speak to one of our Family Groups for the first time, I looked across the street where we were being met by a Sister…and saw a Lenscrafters store. The answer to our prayers! Within 10-12 minutes, I walked out with a repaired frame that lets me get to the nearest Walmart in Tennessee or Florida…God provides just what I need..again! 😉

We had 5-7” of snow on March 19, just four days after all the free indoor heat in Beijing had been turned off by the government. We have an adequate heater in our main room and put an extra blanket on the bed and are doing just fine. It was absolutely beautiful, and did bring out some of the human ‘snow removers.’

Remember, the snow removal system here is sending out 253,000+ humans to remove it from the streets. On the area below our window, I watched them open the manholes in the middle of the streets and push the snow in them…guess it is OK since it is only water, huh?

We have missed our Life Discussion group on Fridays in Jingzhou and tried to get a group together here, but it just is not going to develop…different age group and schedule in a large city compared to a university campus. 😦

Our effort at a Sunday night English Corner has let us meet 10-11 of our neighbors, but it did not ‘make it’ as a weekly event…so we have decided to offer an evening Bible study, even though we already have a full day. Our first session had three believers with lots of interest, so we will see how the next few weeks advance. 😉

We met Maggie and Jane for the first time, and they are such a delight! They are Sisters, and talk of wonder, doubt, and belief when discussing their Story. They are nearly 1.5 hours away from us by subway, so we will not see them often, which is a great shame for us!

We traveled to their Sunday meeting place and were pleased with the time there and well received. We plan to go back on a monthly basis to offer instruction and encouragement, though it is just under an hour on the subway to their place.

We had some visitors from Shanghai and Iowa on Sunday morning (see photo left), and the singing outstanding! It is always ‘from the heart’ and God is pleased, but it was great to have 12 singers! “What an encouragement we were to each other,” they said when it was time to leave.

We had our teeth cleaned for only the second time in China…cost was 129 yuan more in Beijing than Jingzhou…both were very professional and used nice equipment to do the work instead of people-power…little or no blood when I would be asked to spit every 3-4 minutes (too much information, huh?)

Spring has finally arrived, and I heard hearty laughter and friendly teasing daily on the streets here….all ages seem to enjoy each other’s company and it is a delight to see such friendships across age barriers.

I watched a craftsman at work today…after running some errands I saw a young man in a small shop with the sign “Shoe Washing.” My shoes are always in need of washing…have never enjoyed ‘shining’ my shoes. As he gave them a quick look, it was clear that they needed more than a washing…as he touched the sole and showed me that it was separated from the shoe itself and proceeded to show me (remember we could not use words) how he could replace the soles for me.

I watched him go to work, for the next 40 minutes, with the greatest care. He checked and rechecked and then checked again to make sure everything was secure, and then ‘washed’ the shoes…brand new and good for a few more month’s wear…I got them at a Goodwill store in 2010 and brought them back with me to China after our first year…hard to get new shoes since they are not ‘broken in’ …this is a perfect alternative! He used a glue similar to super glue, but it took less than five seconds to become very secure, though he made certain by using a hot-air hair dryer. This young man was very, very professional and I ended up taking two other pairs in for ‘minor’ repairs and a washing.:-)

I ended up taking him other shoes in need of his ‘super glue’ and he did another great job for us…in one case rebuilding the heel on TJ’s heavy-duty winter walking boots.

Greetings: We ate dinner in the home of Ken and Wei Retzer the other day. We enjoyed a relaxing visit with stimulating conversation and delicious food. It was a joy to spend time with them.

We have met seven new people in the last two weeks. The LST studies are going very well. We are thankful for the opportunity to meet and study with these dear people who are hungry and thirsty for the truth.

My class is still fun to me. We had our first dictation test and I did alright. It still amazes me that I am actually learning to read and write Chinese characters, as well as speak it.

We woke up to snow the other morning. The snow was damp and there was no wind so it piled up on every possible edge and surface; so beautiful.  As I was slipping and sliding my way to the subway station, many people were out taking pictures.

Today I saw my first blossom covered tree of the spring season in Beijing. I like seeing the city come alive with new growth.  It will look so different in green.

The other day when I arrived home Gary surprised me with fresh blueberries and a chocolate cupcake from the market and bakery.  So delicious! He makes life fun. It is always good to get home to him. We talk a mile a minute exchanging the details of our morning and catching each other up on what is going on.

After a brief nap its study time, LST appointments and preparation for the next day. It is a good life. We marvel at how good this stage of our life is right now.

I finished reading The Obsession of Victoria by Grace Livingston Hill. I really enjoyed it.

Sunday morning worship was so good! We had more visitors than usual so we had plenty of all four parts for the singing. We took the opportunity to sing several songs we had not been able to sing in a long time. We all gained a lot from the good lesson and went on our way rejoicing and strengthened for the coming week.

Monday we got our teeth cleaned at the China Japan Friendship Hospital. They do a good job. The hard part for me is that they use an electric machine that whirs like a drill instead of hand instruments to clean the teeth.

First of all, with my genetically soft teeth I had a lot drilling done in my childhood and the sound alone almost makes my stomach hurt. Second, I hear high pitched sounds very well and the hose of the machine was near my ear along with the loud suction tube.

I had to really concentrate on my Chinese characters and vocabulary to get through it. At least it didn’t hurt physically. Next time I must take my music player. We got right in without an appointment. I felt a bit overwhelmed in class today; so much information, so fast, all spoken in Chinese, all writing on board in characters except when I ask a specific question. I have to remind myself nothing major is depending on my grade. I just have to remain in class and learn as much as I can.

So far I am getting A’s on my writing homework (it is kind of like art to me) and dictation tests but speaking is a whole new ballgame and I’m not so good at ballgames.

I pack a small lunch to eat during the break between classes since I do not get home till after 1:00. It fits nicely into the plastic heart shaped box that my favorite candy comes in…Ferrero Rocher. Gary buys them for me and they are delicious. I am reminded of his love for me every time I eat my lunch. — Love, Terry

BEIJING – With a smile on her face, dressed in a simple black peacoat and carrying an elegant unbranded bag, China’s new first lady, Peng Liyuan, stepped into the international limelight and became an instant internet sensation back home.

Stepping off the aircraft in Moscow – the first stop of President Xi Jinping’s maiden foreign trip since assuming office – Peng’s glamorous appearance and obvious affection for her portly husband caused Chinese microbloggers to swoon.

“So beautiful, Peng Liyuan, so beautiful! How composed, how magnanimous,” wrote one user on China’s popular Twitter-like service Sina Weibo.

“Who could not love such a lady as this and be insanely happy with her?” wrote another.

Taobao, an online shopping site similar to eBay and Amazon, quickly began offering for sale coats in the same style of Peng’s, advertising it as “the same style as the first lady’s”.

Others wondered what brand her bag and shoes were.

“Her shoes are really classic, and who designed her bag?” wrote a third Weibo user.

Peng is best known in China as a singer, and for many years was arguably better known and certainly more popular than her husband.

People who have met her and know her say that Peng is vivacious and fun to be around, though she was ordered to take a back seat after Xi became vice president in 2008 as he was being groomed for state power.
But she is expected to be given high-profile events of her own to attend on Xi’s sweep through Russia, Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo on a week-long trip, as the government tries to soften the image of China abroad.

Peng has won praise for her advocacy for pet causes, most notably for children living with HIV/AIDS, and may visit charities related to this while abroad.

Unlike the baby-kissing politicians of the West, China’s Communist Party works hard to keep its top leaders from appearing too human – to the point that for many, even their official birthdates and the names of their children are regarded as a state secret.

Xi and Peng are different. Their romance has been the subject of dozens of glowing reports and pictorials in state media.

“When he comes home, I’ve never thought of it as though there’s some leader in the house. In my eyes, he’s just my husband,” Peng gushed in an interview with a state-run magazine in 2007, describing Xi as frugal, hardworking and down-to-earth. Peng is Xi’s second wife, and the two have a daughter studying at Harvard under an assumed name.

Chinese first wives have traditionally kept a low profile over the past few decades, because of the experience of Jiang Qing, the widow of the founder of Communist China, Mao Zedong. Jiang was the leader of the “Gang of Four” that wielded supreme power during the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution. She was given a suspended death sentence in 1981 for the deaths of tens of thousands during that period of chaos.

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A precious nine-year-old ‘angel’ entered our life Sunday, May 3 at 2 a.m. We picked up Liang Zehong at the Beijing airport and safely delivered her back that same afternoon for her flight home some four hours away in another province in Central China. She had been to America through the ministry of Children’s Medical Missions for a second plastic surgery.

I watched and listened as Terry tried to sing and then read and just ‘ached’ to fully talk with this young person…though they fully communicated in ways that are most meaningful. As I grew slightly concerned with her frustration, I heard both of them laugh out loud and Liang began skipping across the den floor…everything was good in our world! Terry sang some children’s songs that Liang clearly had heard before (the tunes were unmistakable).

Richard Detweiler escorted her from the States and she flew home in China as an “unaccompanied child.” She proved friendly, energetic (though her time zones had to be messed up) and after a short time was laughing as she and Terry looked at Mandarin and she actually taught TJ some of the words. (Don’t judge the pictures too harshly…Richard and Liang had been flying for 27+ hours and we had been waiting in the cool airport nearly four hours…we were all very tired).

What began as a wonderful day at 2 am continued with class and worship (it was Sunday) and we had two college-age students come for a study at 2 p.m. and then eight come at 7 pm for English Corner…we slept well that night. :-)…and Terry began language school with a 6 a.m. alarm on Monday and I finally got some medical supplies from America mailed to a new hospital being built through China Agape.

Here are two websites, if you want to see further information: Agape: http://www.chineseagape.org; China Mission: http://www.china-mission.org.

We now have 10 individuals who are coming to our apartment for study of Important Things….two are Brothers and one is a Sister….three of them come at least twice a week….one is coming three times a week since she is limited in the weeks she has left before leaving our area. The 14 weekly lessons are between 60-90 minutes, with some additional “get to know you” time.

We are using Let’s Start Talking material to improve their English while we study the book of Luke…and eventually Acts and John. Except for two, they are coming one-at-a-time, so we have lots of individual time with each of them. They are willing participants in all discussions and making steady improvement in all the studies. They are all a bit older than our Hubei Province students, but all have great/good/sufficient English so we have no issues with that phase of the process.

(I have to say that our newest student, Chen Ming, who will do graduate work in England in September…with a Forestry major…has the best English skills of ANY of our students in our 26 months here, and equally good understanding of words and phrases…go read Luke 1 and see how it might read for the first time and you will see what I mean). 🙂

We have enjoyed visitors to Sunday class/assembly recently, from both America and South Africa, with other ex-pats from different parts of China. It is a blessing to meet with them and enjoy the fellowship possible when Family are together!

When we moved here, we were curious about the costs for apartment utilities…got our first water bill…$5.83 (USD) for two months…not bad since we paid over $80 a month in Elk Grove…both places where there is little rain annually.

I experienced my first dust storm this weekend, something TJ did often in Lubbock many year ago. The Meteorological Station had forecast that strengthening winds would bring strong breezes to gales with dust, causing temperatures to drop 7 to 9 degree. This is the second bout of dusty weather to hit this year, following the first on Feb 28. It looked a lot like the poor air quality days, just more brown 🙂

I deeply appreciate the good work Sam McLean does in bringing items to the different orphanages in China, but he has also hand-delivered some packages to me that are useful in our ministry. I have also asked some of our traveling Americans to take some letters, etc., back for mailing in the states.

We enjoyed a great time of fellowship with Ken and Wei —- good visiting and great food! Ken and I Skype weekly, in addition to our Sunday contact via our Bible study and worship time. We’ve had two of our Sunday group over for a meal…they enjoyed Terry’s great cooking and it offered a chance for us to get to know each other better.

The temperatures are in the 35-65 degree range now, but we noticed the apartment beginning to get in the 69-72 degree range this week….discovered the government had turned off the heat in our area (three days before it was turned off for the entire city on March 15). We have heat/AC unit in our den area that can keep it comfortable, but only AC in the two bedrooms. We had to put some heavy cover back on the bed for a few days, but it was workable and much, much, much better than Jingzhou apartment. 🙂

We are making our travel plans for the spring/summer. We will leave Beijing on May 10 and return on June 7. We will visit our mothers as we enter the country (also some brothers/sisters) in Colorado (TJ) and Tennessee (me). Our fourth grandson is scheduled for a May 23 entry, but Andrea predicts an earlier delivery. Terry is planning to be there for a few days prior to delivery to help out with three-year-old Colton.

Good news! Tonia decided to make a job change and had a new opportunity within two weeks, but enjoyed several days off before continuing her marketing career in Fort Lauderdale/Davie, Florida area. The new company know they are fortunate to have her. 🙂

As the warmer weather approaches, I decided we needed to make certain the air conditioner filters were cleaned and all was ‘ready to go.’ I immediately realized the remote did not work, so I called our realty guy and he came by the next day. At the end of four days we had not only received a new remote, but he and three friends expressed an interest in our English Corner and plan to attend whenever able…we also invited Tony (around 28 years old with very good English) to a new group Life Discussion group we are beginning each Friday evening.

Greetings from TJ — The place where we got our last hair cut finally opened back up after the holiday. It is always pretty  scary breaking in a new barber but we both got pretty good haircuts this time.

I allowed myself plenty of time to get to the opening ceremony at my language school: anticipating large crowds and a possible mistake in subway transfer on my part. What took Gary and me 50 minutes yesterday to get to where I catch the school bus only took me 30 minutes this morning; which means I arrived one hour early. Would you call that “overkill”?

It is a good thing I had this dry run before the actual classes start to adjust my timing. Adrenaline must be good for my joints because everything was working together mighty fine for me to make that kind of time. I take the subway north three stops, make a long walking transfer, go one more stop, exit and cross the street, then catch the school bus for about a ten minute ride o school. The school is now linked up with Language Institute of Texas (Houston) and Robert Parks (director?) was at the opening ceremony.

On the way home the wind had picked up. The powerful gusts kicked up dust devils around many corners and made it hard to walk at times. It reminded me of Lubbock, TX.

This has been a great busy weekend. We were blessed to have a young girl spend the night with us on her way home from surgery in the US. It was fun to fix up the spare room with a few things I thought might interest  her. She was understandably quiet and shy at first, since we could not speak each other’s language, but before long we were all comfortable with our few shared words and body language. In such a short time it was hard to say good bye and let her go onto the plane with the attendant. We got the text that said she had arrived safely. She is a brave and spunky little girl.

Our dear friend and former graduate student at Jingzhou, Wilson Shu (top photo), came by for a visit. He now teaches seventh grade in Tianjin and really likes it. It was so good to see him again. He has matured handsomely in body and soul.

We had our second English Corner with eight people in attendance. Not the same eight that were here before;  three family units, all from our building.

Two young ladies came for English reading and are planning to come every week; both  pleasant, easy to talk to and eager to ask questions and learn. It is so much fun to meet new people. — Love, Terry

China to face labor shortage — The coastal province of Guangdong in South China owes much of its economic success to the manufacturing industry. But in recent years, the region has suffered a shortage of labor. After Spring Festival, millions of people arrived at Guangzhou’s railway station to return to the cities they work in, all over Guangdong province.

Chen Leyi, a migrant worker, said, “My family is in my hometown. Two of my children are still in school. We have some farmland, and raise some pigs, but that is far from enough. So most of the income of my family still comes from me.”

Lin Lijun, manager of Huike Inc, said, “In recent years, what the factories urgently need is skilled workers. Many companies are offering better salaries and benefits to attract these workers, like our company. For some other companies that need a large number of ordinary workers on the assembly line, they suffer the worst from the shortage of labor.”

In nearby towns, the same situation can be seen on the human resource markets. The government has increased minimum wages from 1300 yuan to around 1500, but the wages for skilled workers is already much higher than that. And for ordinary workers, it is not that attractive either, because they can find jobs with similar wages near their hometown. It’s been really difficult to hire workers this year. The companies are already facing challenges from rises in material costs, logistics costs and rent, and can spare little money to improve wages. The manufacturing industry has left the impression of being labor intensive, and having low added value. With the tide of economic development, maybe the time has come for this image to change.

Torch passes to a new generation– A handshake signaled the passing of the baton and start of a new era for the world’s most populous country. The people of China saw their new head of state elected on Thursday, carrying the dreams and aspirations of about 20 percent of the world’s population on his shoulders.

Xi Jinping, leader of the Communist Party of China, was elected president by nearly 3,000 deputies to the National People’s Congress at a plenary meeting in Beijing. After the election result was announced, Xi stood up, acknowledged the thunderous applause and bowed to the deputies in the Great Hall of the People.

Villagers draw inspiration from Xi — On a sunny afternoon, Zhang Qiang took a walk along the dirt road leading to the home of a villager who lives in a cave-house scooped out of the yellow hills of Liangjiahe village in Shaanxi province. “Xi Jinping probably walked along this same road when he was Party chief here,” said Zhang, referring to the newly elected president, who took the reins of power.

The village of just 360 residents gained national fame when Xi was appointed leader of the Communist Party of China last year. China’s new president first arrived in Liangjiahe, which lies in a narrow 1.7-km-long valley surrounded by yellow cliffs, in 1969 as a 16-year-old “educated youth”, one of the millions of young Chinese who followed Chairman Mao’s call for them to live in the countryside and learn from the farmers. Later, Xi was elected village Party chief, an experience Vice-Premier Li Keqiang shared as a village leader in Anhui province.

“By working as a village official here, I’m following in Xi’s footsteps, which puts a lot of pressure on me,” Zhang admitted. Although he comes from a hamlet near Liangjiahe, Zhang sat the exam for village officials in Shaanxi province in 2009, following his graduation from Shaanxi Vocational Police Institute with a law degree.

Hard facts — “Officials need to learn the hard facts about rural China so they can formulate practical policies. I was shocked when some officials who came to visit didn’t even recognize corn,” said the 28-year-old, who signed a second three-year-contract as assistant to the village Party chief late last year. “Villagers need a firm leader like Xi, and so does China. Zhang is too nice and a bit soft when dealing with village affairs,” said Liang Yongcheng.

Aged 54, Liang vividly remembers working with Xi when he was just 14. Many of the village’s more-mature residents also worked alongside China’s new President. “Xi asked us to stick to the jobs we’d been assigned. He didn’t like us to pick and choose,” said Liang.

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We are so-o-o fortunate with the blessings of fellowship with those who have passed through Beijing and gathered for worship/study…with others to join us in coming weeks and months.

We laughed, cried, and just shared so much with Edwin and Mary in the time we had with them. We have so much in common through our life experiences, Harding, his twin brother, Edward, etc. After our Sunday activities, we had one of TJ’s home cooked American-style meals (pulled pork, corn bread, lima beans or green beans, cole slaw, diet coke or decaf tea, etc.). We made Mary’s day when giving her a bag of Fritos to take home with her. 🙂

We enjoy our worship opportunities, though the numbers have been down due to the holiday. Poor economic conditions in America that pulled many out of the business environment here have put us in a ‘rebuilding mode’ for the past months, but God is reliable in “giving the increase” and we will strive daily to find those who are seeking Him…that is my morning and evening (and all the time in between) prayer to the One in control of such things.

We have Family coming through soon from both Australia (for a long-term intern program) and South Africa (week business trip). They represent ‘family we haven’t met yet.”

Terry and I went on a date to celebrate our third Valentine’s Day in China… and during our meal we both acknowledged the difference in Beijing “of walking down the road and not seeing one single person we know or recognize.” Quite different than Jingzhou, where we saw and visited with many teachers and even more students any time we left our apartment. We look forward to the holiday ending so we can have more into our apartment and have time to talk about Important Things!

In 2011 we had just arrived after a trip of some 26-hours and did not know what day it was for at least three of them, and last year we had already begun our heavy teaching load…so this year we had time to relax, eat a good American-style meal, “look deep into each other’s eyes” and say how much we loved each other, and reflect on our 41+ years together. Terry fixed us French toast with bacon for breakfast.

We have spent a lot of time these past few days in instant message discussions with several students…one lost her grandfather…two not enjoying being home with angry parents…another sees the need to “marry a rich man” because her father has a gambling problem and the family “needs the money”…a few asking for advise as they deal with a poor job market…typical ‘stuff’ from college age young people. We really miss the young people and the daily conversations, but do NOT miss the cold classrooms and the work associated with teaching over 650+ students.

One of our teacher friends shared how they are moving into their house, finally, after waiting many months for the paint fumes to leave the premises.

We have begun follow-up with our new Family member….meeting once in person each week and once on Skype, since he lives nearly two hours away on the subway.

We have had Eric and Wendy, our students and teachers (especially those new) in our thoughts and prayers this weekend, since classes began February 24. We’re also very curious to know who has been hired/reassigned to replace us.

We are also beginning to look ahead and make tentative plans for our visit to America. TJ wants to visit her Mom and other family on the way into the country (I also plan to do something similar) before getting to South Florida to meet our new grandson and visit with Tonia and Gregory, Andrea, and Colton (it will be over 16 months since we have visited with Colton in person, so he has changed a lot…so-o-o thankful for Skype!).

We received word that our marriage certificate has been authenticated by the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. and was hand-delivered via our American Airlines contacts…registration went OK without a hitch and Terry is now enrolled in the language school for the rest of the year (with a vacation and summer break), which also gives us a student visa and spousal visa for that identical…allowing us to ‘relax and get to work’ now that we are secure in our residency.

We have made two trips to the local police station to register (not a scary procedure since we have done nothing wrong, right?) and saw something interesting there: a free condom dispenser for the locals. It was explained to us that since the one-child rule is a national law, it makes sense to help the population to exercise this control.

Phillip is also meeting with us again, now that the Spring Festival is over. He is one of the Let’s Start Talking contacts mentioned earlier…very energetic in his desire to learn English and listens intently to the Important Lessons being taught. We are seeking to follow-up with other students at this time who were ‘signed up’ in the past from groups in this area…waiting to see who will become available to come to our apartment.

Phillip finishes furnishing a new house (apartment) soon and also will await his son’s taking of the national exam that determines where they will attend college. Of course, they hope he does well enough to qualify to enter one of the Beijing universities, where the top students study. Phillip travels once a month to be with his son and wife, since he works here because of the better job opportunity.

Barry has become such a good friend and a big help in getting our Visa extended the second time and getting  other items written down in Chinese for us, as we make our way in the neighborhood. We see him most Sundays, so it is a special treat in many ways.

I put on shorts while in the apartment for the first time today…it was 40 degrees outside but was over 79 in the apartment, and since the air quality was very poor, we did not want to open the windows to cool it down…might be a record for me in any country to consider wearing shorts in late February.

The Spring Festival was certainly something to hear firsthand. Fireworks were a major part of the event, the first night lasting in excess of six hours…but also 3-4 hours each night for the rest of the week. After a while, they became just noise, especially when 10 p.m. came along and they were still all around our apartment!

There were times when we could see as many as 11 different areas of the city outside our window with bright colors and ‘flash.’ They finally ended on Thursday evening, and we noticed many family units on the Friday subway with their luggage, making their return home.

Greetings — This week when we were out I realized how much I miss seeing people I recognize. I really miss our friends in Jingzhou.  It won’t be long before we know more people here.

We were blessed to have some dear friends worship and eat lunch with us Sunday on their way back into China from the States. It was so good to visit with them. We also had a young man from South Africa who lives in this area join us for worship. We hope to get to know him better.

I have started regular night-time, Skype reading sessions with my grandsons in Shiyan. We are reading Once Upon  a Summer by Janette Oke. It is the first in the Seasons of the Heart series. It is one that Eric and I read together when he was young.

Finished reading  A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter. It is one of Mother’s favorite books;  very enjoyable.

Each day we discover new things in our neighborhood: market, bakery, underground parking, etc. Today I sketched a simple map so our visitors can find our apartment and our Sunday meeting place from the subway station nearby.

Whenever we take the subway it is a hassle to take my dark glasses off and on while getting my subway card in and out of my purse. To solve the problem I sewed two pockets to the inside of my coat.  Now both are readily available and out of the way. Threading my needle has been a pain lately.  But when I dampen the eye of the needle as well as the tip of the thread it goes through without trouble. It must have something to do with the static.

We have had many opportunities to encourage our former students by text and instant messaging as they meet new trials in their lives and head back to school for another semester. — Love, Terry.

The Year of the Snake is everywhere here, so it seemed useful to inform as to some of the news related to this creature, at least from the Chinese point of view.

Every snake part is useful — Every part of a snake is useful. Using snakes as medicine has a long history in China and is recorded in detail in many ancient classics of Chinese traditional medicine, including Compendium of Materia Medica by Li Shizhen. The book narrated 17 kinds of snake medicines, most of which about the flesh of a snake.

Fresh snake flesh has a better potency than dried. The flesh of snakes, such as cobras, kraits, vipers, Ptyas korros, Zaocys, etc., can effectively cure rheumatic arthritis, leprosy, ringworm, diabetes, acute poliomyelitis and its sequela, heat rash and so on.

Snake village in China—Zisiqiao, a once impoverished village in Zhejiang province where people used to fish to make a living, has now become the number one snake-breeding industry town in China. A step into the homes of any of the farming families here brings visitors eye-to-eye with thousands of some of the world’s most feared creatures -snakes, many of them poisonous.

Beijing adds 390k vehicles in two year, a big drop—Over the past two years, only 390,000 motor vehicles have been registered in Beijing, less than half of those in 2010, according to statistics from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport.

The slowdown in car registrations followed the launch of the license plate lottery system in 2011. Beijing will continue implementing the license plate lottery policy, maintaining the current quota, People’s Daily reported Friday, citing vice-chairman of the commission Li Xiaosong.

More diversified ways of distributing plates are expected to be issued soon. The lottery system reduced new car registrations to 240,000 in both 2011 and 2012, 20,000 per month, 88 percent of which belong to private car owners. The increase in motor cars in 2011 amounted to 173,000, 610,000 less than that in 2010.

In the past, motor vehicles in Beijing increased rapidly, rising from 2.58 million in 2005 to 4.81 million in 2010. The year 2010 alone saw 790,000 more units. By the end of 2012, the total number reached 5.2 million, 216,000 more than that in 2011, a 4.3 percent increase.

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It is always a highlight of events when one more is “dipped in clean water.” We were part of that event, and will be following up with the family member in coming weeks/months. Good things happen in Beijing!

Each person presents their own story, but this young man has displayed long-term interest and needed to work through some teachings that greatly confused him…thankfully the Word is clear and he was willing to listen to it.

The Visa process has moved forward. We have paperwork that will prove to the language school that we are, indeed, married, and TJ plans to enroll at the end of the month. It will give us visas for the length of time her classes continue.

We put a sign up in each of our two elevators (‘lifts’) but it was removed only a few hours later, so we assumed no one had seen it and would not come on Sunday evening at 7 p.m. to the first English Corner in our building. I commented at 7:09 pm to Terry that we’d just keep trying and would find some way to reach out.

Well…at 7:10 we had our first three, and before 8:30 had come and gone, we had six adults and two children in our apartment! Needless to say, we hope to host a weekly event once the February holiday travel is over and ‘things settle down’ and are back to whatever normal is here.

The adults were smart and witty and intrigued that we were in China and wanted to help others learn English. Two had really-y-y-y-y-y good skills, but wanted their children/family to have the opportunity more than themselves. One  young man has spent many years traveling abroad, and was quite interesting. (The process also taught us a good lesson on doubt).

We had a good visit with our friend from Jingzhou and introduced him to the movie Flywheel…he has already seen Fireproof and Courageous, and “liked them very much,” he said with a big smile. It was good to catch up on what has happened to each of us in the year+ since we had last visited, and talk of important things again.

We called my mother on Skype and enjoyed a good visit, and she encouraged Terry to get the camera and take more pictures with me in them…and, to my displeasure, TJ said “ok,” so get ready to see my ugly face more. 🙂 Terry also spoke to her brother, Steve, who lives outside Los Angeles…she has been in touch with him regularly since we discovered the low cost of Skype phone calls.

We have had some LST students and enjoyed the opportunity very much, studying Luke with two and Acts with the other. It is so awesome to have seekers come with important things on their mind!

I had some help taking the gifts for the orphanage to the post office and had some interesting discoveries. In a conversation with Zoe, a young adult, she said “many of the older people in Beijing have been told they should leave the city if they want to live healthy lives.”

“How can they afford to do that?” I asked.

“It is expensive to live here, so they should sale their homes and move to a healthier city.” The younger generation has it figured out, huh?

I looked in the mirror just now and saw a mismatch of colors, fabric, and patterns…just grabbed a shirt and pair of pants when I got up since some clothes are in the wash…and had to laugh. We talked the other Sunday morning about “being all things to all people to win some” and my clothing style/choices showed it today. Sometimes our students would be dressed with some of the strangest colors and patterns and fabrics imaginable. 🙂

I think it also fair to mention that a ‘different woman’ has begun living in our Beijing apartment…she looks like TJ and works like her and cooks like her, but this one is using the internet more often to send mail to former teacher friends and students, has gone to her little-used Facebook account this week, and even said the words “I guess I will need to Google it” today when asking me about a term she had written on her always full scrap paper where she keeps all her many lists. I will keep an eye on her to see in coming days…..I like this 2013 edition of my precious TJ.

Terry and I have been on QQ instant message often with former students…who share their “pain and sorrow” over lost boyfriends, or their happiness from passing their finals and enjoying the spring break. It is so-o-o good to hear from them!

Terry continues her traditional medicine for her vitiligo and the doctor has sent medicine here for her so treatments can continue. We have also introduced him to a friend in Tennessee, and he is also treating her with similar medicines.

We have been in America during this time the past two winters, so have never seen first-hand the excitement shown as the spring festival and New Year approaches. It is like the days before Thanksgiving, I think.

We have been confronted with a new ‘scam’ leaving the Carrefore grocery store: older ladies are at the end of the checkout lines asking for each person’s cash register receipt…they will sale it to business people who have reimbursement as part of their salary…turn in a high receipt when you spent very little…we would like to do something to help the older folks but not to encourage lying and dishonesty in the business community.

The Super Bowl was on the internet so I enjoyed seeing most of the game…two local America-style restaurants (Peter’s Tex-Me Grill) offered buffet from 7-11:30 a.m. for 88 yuan,..multitude of items…did not go but had seen the advertisement earlier in the month.

We had a bigger snow on February 3 so did not meet at the hotel, and it was closed for the holidays on the 10th…on both occasions we met through Skype…amazed at the great technology that enables us to study and worship in spite of outside circumstances.

As the holiday approached, I saw lots of families with big smiles on their faces carrying plenty of red boxes filled with gifts…as they were traversing the subway system. And close to our apartment was a large temporary tent filled with fireworks of all shapes and sizes…haven’t seen that many in one place since traveling on the interstate near Chattanooga and South Pittsburg, Tennessee.

Nick and Hillarie Maynard (and three great children) came to visit for three days/two nights; Hillarie grew up in that area of Tennessee/North Alabama…small world…and Nick is the son of two good friends from Middle Tennessee State we knew in the early 1970’s.

We have had four family units spend several days each with us since arriving in our apartment on January 2. Delightful time for us all, especially since we share common ideas and interests. They have also enjoyed the American-style restaurants and food in this city.

Many of you have heard by now that Eric and Wendy (also Brinson and Aiden) have decided to submit papers and begin the process of adopting a Chinese orphaned child…knowing it will take a long process and relying on God to work it out.

The following email came from one of our older, mature students: “Happy New Year. It’s so nice to hear from you. Glad to know everything is going well in Beijing.

“I am deeply touched by the decision of your son and your daughter-in-law, so was my family. We are moved by their great love to life which has gone beyond national boundaries. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. There is an old saying in China “good men deserve good return”. God bless your family and please send my best wishes to them.”

We are always glad when they wish God’s blessing on anyone, since many times our talks with them were the first extended discussions of God they had heard…

We’ve had lots of greetings and text as the New Year unfolded from our 24th floor apartment…they were heard and seen from across all of our windows…very beautiful!

The celebration meal with family included as many as seven meats, we were told, with other large portions of favorite foods…a special, special time for those who traveled back to their hometown.

If any are interested in China travelogue programming, you can see it on the internet at http://cctvnews.cntv.cn.

Greetings: This area spins dust bunnies faster than a State Fair spins cotton candy, probably because it is so dry.  It is shocking how much static there is. (Pun intended)

The other day we were out running errands. I had my ear muffs, scarf, gloves and blue dust mask on. My ear muffs were shuffling off my ears, my gloves made it hard to find things in my purse and my dust mask was fogging up my glasses. I finally just removed my glasses and stayed very close to Gary. It was funny and frustrating at the same time. Such are the frustrations of winter. I can wait to see what the summer brings.

We had the wonderful opportunity to be present as a person took a dip in the clean water last week. The portable used was very efficient.  It was refreshing for all present and we got to meet several more people. Last Sunday evening we held English Corner in our apartment. Eight  people came, all from our apartment. We enjoyed getting to meet them. I do hope they come back next week.

It was snowing as we headed out to get our groceries from afar by taxi. After our purchases no taxis was around so we started walking and watching for the next available.

None were to be found until we had walked about ¼ of the way home. We were thankful it was not so cold and there was no wind. Actually it was very pretty but we were thankful we didn’t have to walk and carry all the way home.

Today I went on an exploring walk near our apartment and found a hospital, restaurant and two hotels. The business cards I got and the name of the street will help if we need to find our way home from a different direction. I also met two more English speaking people from our apartments whom I quickly invited to our English corner. The toy poodle I saw wearing little pink shoes was really cute.

It is amazing that at after all these years I still get a touch of “stage fright” right before we have first time-company. I just put on my armor, praise and thank Him for the opportunity and get busy following His lead. If I make all I have available to Him He makes everything turn out fine. Isn’t He wonderful? Hupernikō! “Overwhelming victory!”

We have had a fun filled past couple of days with the Nick and Hilarie Maynard family visiting us during their break from teaching English in China. They are a sweet couple with three dear children; Charlie (7), Colson (almost 5), and Allie (3). We enjoyed their hugs, laughter, and interesting conversations.

Chinese New Year’s Eve is amazing in Beijing. We have heard fire crackers all day. Starting at dark we began seeing some pretty fireworks from our 24^th floor apartment. Then around 6:30 it became continuous with six to ten at a time in the air all over the area. Many are the huge ones like at Disneyworld. It is very pretty and noisy. Actually it sounds like the city is under attack.

I am thankful there is nothing to be afraid of. — Love, Terry

China News—Railway workers prepare for peak: Railway workers across China are gearing up to handle the busiest days during the Spring Festival travel peak. More than 6.4 million trips were made on the country’s railway network on Thursday, the Ministry of Railways forecast, adding it temporarily scheduled 645 extra train trips to transport passengers flooding railway stations.

On Wednesday, passengers made more than 6.3 million trips on trains, and railway authorities operated 4,714 train trips after adding 663 temporary train trips. Chinese tradition holds that people should return home and spend Spring Festival, the most important Chinese holiday, with their families, which creates an annual travel rush that is the world’s largest recurrent human migration.

Chinese travelers made more than 235 million trips by train during the Spring Festival travel peak in 2012 — meaning nearly 6 million people took trains each day of the rush period.

The Ministry of Railways expects 220 million train trips to be made during this year’s 40-day holiday rush, from Jan 26 to March 6, averaging 5.6 million a day. A total of 54.4 million trips had already been made from Jan 26 to Monday, it said.

In Beijing, about 477,300 passengers departed from three major railway stations on Wednesday, 30,000 more than the busiest day last year.

In Beijing West Railway Station, once the biggest station in Asia before the city’s south station opened in 2008, more than 220,000 passengers took trains on Wednesday, the busiest day since this year’s rush period began.

More than 100 trains departed from the station, which has begun to operate 24 hours a day for the travel rush, from 2 pm to 10 pm. All of the station’s nearly 2,000 employees have been kept on duty to handle the flood of passengers, and more than 700 volunteers have been added. The station has also beefed up its security by mobilizing more than 1,000 police officers to patrol and crack down on theft.

The largest group of people returning home this week by train is white-collar workers. Most migrant workers and university students have already gone home, railway officials said. To transport more passengers, railway authorities even launched overnight services on the Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed rail line. From Tuesday to Friday, seven temporary trips will be made overnight each day on the Wuhan-Guangzhou section of the line.

BEIJING — Chinese welcomed the arrival of the Year of the Snake with raucous celebrations on Saturday, setting off a cacophony of firecrackers in the streets and sending fireworks blazing into the sky to bring good fortune.

Celebrations will carry on into the early hours of Sunday, officially the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Residents of Beijing braved freezing temperatures to let off brightly colored fireworks, with clouds of smoke in the air, red wrappings from firecrackers covering streets and explosions rattling windows.

A plea by the government to set off fewer fireworks to help deal with Beijing’s notorious air pollution seemed to fall on deaf ears.

“Every year we set off fireworks and this year will be no different,” said Lao Guo, 45, a convenience store worker.

Firecrackers are believed to scare off evil spirits and entice the god of wealth to people’s doorsteps once New Year’s Day arrives.

China’s cosmopolitan business hub, Shanghai, saw similar scenes, though not everyone had reason for cheer.

“Business now is very weak. It’s related to the financial crisis,” said Chen Yongliang, who used to run a street stall. Maintaining a tradition of leaders visiting ordinary folk at this time of year, Communist Party chief Xi Jinping, who takes over as president in March from Hu Jintao, met subway construction workers in Beijing ahead of the week-long holiday. “Migrant workers have been the labor force behind China’s reform and opening up … so we must look after you properly,” Xi said in comments carried on state television.

“I hope the construction firm has organized some new year entertainment for you so you can have a happy holiday,” added Xi, who has tried to cultivate an easy-going, man-of-the-people image since becoming party boss in November.

People born in the year of the snake, including Xi, are believed to be thoughtful and stylish yet complex characters. Practitioners of the ancient art of feng shui say the year ahead will see financial markets slither higher as optimism grows, though the risk of disasters and territorial disputes in Asia also looms.

The lunar new year is marked by the largest annual mass migration on earth, as hundreds of millions of migrant workers pack trains, buses, aircraft and boats to spend the festival with their families. For many Chinese people, this is their only holiday of the year. Almost half of Beijing’s population of 20 million have left the city for the holiday, according to state media.

Taboos abound over this period. Crying on New Year’s Day means you will cry for the rest of the year, and washing your hair signifies washing away good luck. Woe betide those who clean on new year’s day, for you will be sweeping away good fortune in the year ahead.

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I have said for many years that God’s design for worship makes it possible in the most simple or complex circumstances….and it is special no matter how many are in attendance. We have enjoyed ‘record crowds’ these past two weeks since we have hosted family and friends from other areas of China as they enjoy our city while on the extended winter break from teaching. Others who live here are also traveling, so February will be a little lonely….but give us a chance to “catch our breath” from the move.

Whether we like it or not, we will have a honeymoon period for a couple of weeks, as the whole nation celebrates their Spring Festival (how can February be called spring?) with travel to their hometowns to be with family. The whole country seems to close down in many ways.

When Eric and family were making plans to return to Shiyan, they were encouraged to “get home before the first week of February” or the trains and buses would all be full and you will be stranded…it sounded pretty good to us to have them with us for 2-3 more weeks but what could we do?. 🙂

We said it often on a three-day trip to Hong Kong to change our visa status so we could stay in China: “we’re not in Kansas any more.” As modern and large as our new home city is, it is nothing compared to what we saw to our Southeast.

Besides a modern train shuttle system (north-to-south), we found jewelry on every block and literally a multitude of polite men trying to sell us “copy Rolex watches and copy handbags,” (their exact words). And there were also plenty who offered 24-hour service on tailoring of all items of silk clothing. It does not make sense that the many authentic Rolex stores do not send someone out each day to arrest the racketeers…

The streets are mostly two lanes and the side walks very wide….saw many double-decker buses, and everyone drives very fast on the left side of the road.

One very appreciated part of the trip? An Outback restaurant meal that was perfect and also lunch at TGIF’s (why are our best times often fixed around eating American-style food? Do we miss it that-t-t much?)

Because we have some ‘import’ foods here that are not in other cities, those who have visited thus far are taking several of the items back with them.

I have begun adding some pdf lesson and sermon files to our website, under the ‘contact us’ icon on the front page, so go online and use whatever you can where you are. The site has many limitations, but slowly I am able to improve it with more information to enable the work.

We will entertain another family of five in early February, and we just learned of a group from Washington that might be with us for a few days in June…we have provided travel relief/fellowship all our life and glad to have this opportunity!

We heard from our students that we will like Beijing, but ‘it is a dry city.” What does that mean? Cold weather dries out the skin, we learned living twice in Ohio. They do not get an abundance of rain, it seems, and the reason is that the area was originally a desert. Development hides that fact, but summer sand storms are frequent and the fact there are no natural water sources requires its delivery from such places of Shiyan, where Eric lives over 1,400 miles away.

We have come to really appreciate the Beijing subway system, and we have a stop about 200 yards from our apartment…cost two Yuan for any trip one makes….that connects us to the city in a hurry.

We were greeted with a medium dusting of snow on our fourth Sunday morning.

Put retired ACU professor Ken Retzer in your prayers, as he is still recovering from back surgery and traveling the next few weeks to see family and his doctors in Texas (he has lived in China for many years and has been a good friend already).

Another brother, Rey, is also traveling the next five weeks back to the Philippines. He wants to train to become a minister, and has been denied twice for Visa admission to America to study at one of the preacher schools. Ken and I are going to consider how we can begin working with him more specifically to advance his knowledge and skills.

We made headway today toward getting a one-year student Visa. We need to get the Chinese embassy in America to stamp/verify that we are married (sending marriage certificate to those who can help) and TJ also has gone to a distant hospital for a physical…when we pay the tuition fees, she will study 9-Noon Monday-thru-Friday…but still be allowed to return to Florida for birth of 4th grandson. She will enroll in spring and fall classes each year. We are very excited; she wants to learn the language and it allows us to stay without so much ‘fuss’ over this Visa issue…Lord willing!

We met a couple with a small child while getting the physical from Chattanooga (my home town) who are from Tennessee Temple College. The wife/mother teaches four year olds and the father is a stay-at-home dad (her words). We invited them to our Sunday morning worship…they are here doing similar things as us. It is a small world! We saw some new territory and met a nice guard who was directing many people into a business park…kind and helpful to us in getting a taxi that knew where the hospital was located.

Several Let’s Start Talking (LST) teams are in-and-out of this city annually, and often there is a need for follow-up with students who are available when they leave. We have begun weekly sessions with two of them…Terry has a young lady who has already worked through Luke and I have an older man still working through that book. We have enjoyed the time spent with them thus far.

We are often called upon to help with supplies for China Agape homes. We had such an experience this week, forwarding gifts to children delivered by American Airlines pilot Sam McLean (see photo page two). It is the first of several in coming weeks, to include medical equipment for a new site to open this year, Lord willing. (Go to our website to get information on the good work being done here).

Greetings from Terry: It has been so long since I have communicated with you. Things are going very well here in Beijing.

It has been very busy with moving, getting organized and having family and friends here to visit. But now we have about two weeks till the next family comes. We have found a little vegetable market at our back gate which is very convenient. The two grocery/department stores are not too far away and are well stocked. When we arrived our apartment only had furniture so we made many trips by taxi to purchase household goods. Buying only as much as we could each carry at a time and what would fit into a taxi. We felt like little ants. We have found a good barber, also close to our back gate. One of our visiting friends helped translate for us on our first visit so we could get the cut we wanted. He did very well and we are pleased and thankful.

A sister told us told us of the language school she attends that takes students no matter what their age is and will give me a student visa and Gary a spousal visa. We are now in the process of trying to get all the documents and papers in order before the Chinese New Year which begins February 9. All of the government offices close for three weeks and nothing will be processed during that time.

If this school takes me and we get our visas then I will have my job description all figured out: to study hard to earn our visas (Mon – Fri. 9-12 am), keep the “Davenport Hotel” up and running so as to encourage and refresh the Saints as they come to and fro in our area, and help with the discussions and studies.

I am sure you have heard about the bad air quality we have had. It is very common to wear a dust mask out and about here. During the night a hard wind blew and cleared out the sky. The next morning we could see two small mountain ranges in the distance. It is very pretty when it is clear. We are told in other times of the year the wind will bring sand storms from the near dessert. Oh goodie, new experiences. Actually, I have already experienced sand storms in Arizona and Texas, thank you very much. (smile)

We have some new opportunities coming in the next few weeks. Thank you for remembering us in your requests. It really helps. This area spins dust bunnies faster than a State Fair spins cotton candy, probably because it is so dry.  It is shocking how much static there is. (Pun intended).

The other day we were out running errands. I had my ear muffs, scarf, gloves and blue dust mask on. My ear muffs were shuffling off my ears, my gloves made it hard to find things in my purse and my dust mask was fogging up my glasses. I finally just removed my glasses and stayed very close to Gary. It was funny and frustrating at the same time. Such are the frustrations of winter. I can wait to see what the summer brings. — Love, Terry

China News: The Beijing Subway line 1 broke ground on July 1st 1965 and started formally operation on October 1st 1969. By the end of 2010, Beijing subway network has 14 lines, 198 stations and 336 kilometers of tracks in operation. By paying the ticket fare of Renminbi 2 Yuan, passengers can transfer among almost all subway lines except for the airport express line. Ticket fare for airport express line is RMB 25 Yuan.

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Because it is true that no person gets a second chance to make a first impression, I have to share my first impressions of Beijing in the winter…of course assuming that what is true of a person is also true of a city. (My good friend Gary Nix says the first reports in a new place are usually the best for this reason).

We arrived on a cold but sunny day, to airport terminal 3 that is only four years old, being built for the 2008 Olympics. Massive, clean, not that busy, and well organized was certainly the ‘theme’ for the day. Everyone was helpful when called upon, beginning, of course with Brother Ming and Barry, a local anesthesiologist who studied at Duke for two years and then went back recently for six months.

Five days before our arrival by airplane (with 10 overweight large bags and trunks), we learned the apartment where we were to live for the next few years had been sold, and had to be cleared out by the end of December. Two days before moving we learned the other apartment we would now lease for a year was not going to be available until four days after our arrival, necessitating a four day stay in a Super 8 Hotel, another Olympic import.

After a good night’s rest, we made our first 10-minute walk to the Lin Da building, where we meet for morning Bible class and worship each Sunday. Weather was around 8 degrees F, with a steady wind, so it was pretty cold. (Have I mentioned that since we have arrived in Beijing our toes have not felt frozen one time? It is amazing what indoor heat accomplishes!)

I sent out an email note later in the day to others who have gathered in the past and expressed hope for steady progress in this area, but thoroughly enjoyed putting God in His rightful highest place and singing many English songs that we have not sung in China, though we missed our Jingzhou group and singing in both English and Chinese.

We did some rearranging of the room to make better use of our small space, using the stacked trunks as ‘table tops’ and opening the windows to use the cold outdoors as a refrigerator. Will enjoy a respite due to our living conditions, and receive the ‘hand off’ of the work here and the move into the apartment.

We found our first ‘country cooking’ restaurant next to the motel, which will be close enough to our apartment to come back, with food that met our taste in both quality and quantity…and the price was OK, though slightly higher than in Jingzhou. An indoor market is close by, so we will definitely be in this area on a weekly basis to get a good meal, some fruits and vegetables, and I also found a raisin muffin that was ‘quite tasty without being real sweet,’ which is the China way. We received several texts from Jingzhou friends, wanting to make sure we were OK and adjusting to our new place.

This is the first short news sent to immediately family after our first day: “Hello family: we have completed our first 24 hours as inhabitants in Beijing, China. It has gone well, but we are not in our apartment as yet…rather will be in a Super 8 Motel for 2-4 days while our 2-bedroom apartment on the 24th floor will be vacated.

We had our first ‘electronic’ worship with five this morning at our rented meeting room in a nice hotel…three in person and two by Skype audio, which worked great this week. (The second week we had three in person and four on Skype as two teachers from Jingzhou joined the study session).

We found a nice grocery store three miles from our hotel (and 4 miles from our new apartment) that had good fruits, breads, etc., like others in Jingzhou…and full supply of breakfast cereals, Borden’s cheddar cheese and Hormel ham and other meats (not found in Jingzhou)….so we will be able to eat here without having to order internet foreign food so often. It is still more expensive but no shipping costs.

“I told Terry just a few minutes ago that “I can think of nothing better right now…we are together (she turned and began smiling) and the internet is working (she kinda just looked at me for a fraction, it seemed, but it may have been me).” Do any of you guys get that, or is it JUST me? Terry said “a guy thing’ or “a Gary thing.” Her vote: a guy thing.”

I just saw the final NFL scores of the regular season; Dallas should have tried to get Sean Payton as coach…their ‘same ole finishes’ will only continue for another year, in my opinion. I also won the pick ‘em contest for the regular season, to go along with the victory in the college contest. By the way, I won the regular season NFL pick ‘em contest.

We find the weather is ‘doable,’ as TJ puts it. With a reasonable amount of covering, we can manage being outside, and it IS warm inside everywhere. In fact, I have not had cold feet since coming north, which could not be said in Jingzhou, even inside after a morning of classes. Temps are in the 2-28 degree range now, with strong 10-14 mph winds.

We have a good view from each of our three rooms…skies have been bright blue and beautiful with the strong winter winds. We have government-provided heat in the apartment, which means it is radiator heat in all rooms (including the bathroom) and has been in the 67-71 degree range thus far, with outside temps 2-27. At some point in the spring, the government will decide we no longer need heat and the whole city will lose heat….w are hoping their opinion about when it is needed, etc., is at least close. We have air conditioning units similar to what we had in Jingzhou in all main rooms, and we pay the electricity, so we get to decide when/how/what regarding the AC.

We have made arrangements to get with two of our Yangtze University graduate students who now live in this area…we are all excited to renew our ’in person friendship’ and begin again some Bible discussions. We have spent many weeks with them in the past. We have also offered skype studies with some in the area who cannot join us in person. Our plan is to find 2-3 groups during the week for important study, in addition to events already scheduled for Sunday morning.

Just received one of the most encouraging emails of the year, from a good friend, Chris, from Sacramento: “We don’t write much but have always been in your camp. We read your mission reports and view the mission photos like little kids reading about mysterious adventurers living out fascinating adventures in a strange, unknown part of the world. And so you are…”

We took a taxi to do our first department store shopping, since we have to purchase all bedding and kitchen items. We brought some bowls, plates, glasses, spoons, forks, etc., but needed most other things since we want to entertain guests and began with nothing (it reminded us of our first apartment after we had graduated from MTSU and were setting up house).

We were a ‘comedy act’ trying to carry all of it out of the store and getting in/out of a taxi, the bedding and pillow especially difficult since we also had six plastic bags of food. (The exciting part? We will do it again at least three times since we have family and other guests coming in January and we’ll need bedding items for our second room which will become a bedroom when a futon we bought is delivered).

We have received a small surprise each of the first days in our new apartment. We actually have both hot and cold water connected to the clothes washer, which removes carrying hot water from the other room. We have hot water in the bathroom and kitchen, in plenteous supply. We carried a rolled up padded single mat from Jingzhou to have for a place for guests to sleep, and remember getting it to the front door of our hotel and into one of the taxis that moved our things up the street for us. Sad, sad, sad to realize the loss…but Barry has purchased two replacements off the internet for us.

I have enjoyed about two hours of Skype talk with Ken, discussing ‘meaty topics’ and laughing over two with a good sense of humor. We will lay some foundation through both class and assembly time for 3-4 weeks and begin a textual study of Ephesians in worship. It follows well the recent study of 1 Corinthians the church studies the past several weeks. It is renewing me to discuss these topics and make plans to share ideas and note to all who will participate, so there can be energetic exchange of questions and answers where appropriate.

The air pollution has set all-time highs here this weekend. We can hardly see other buildings out of our 24th floor apartment.

We will have Eric and his family here for eight days, then another couple for five days and then Deryk and his family for 4-5 days….glad to be a respite for those in the area.

China News: Lining up for a lifetime of love — Romantic date sees couples across the country flock to tie the knot Let Jan 4 go down in history as the sweetest day of all.

In Chinese, the date 2013-1-4 has a similar pronunciation to “love you for a lifetime”, making it one of the most auspicious and romantic days to tie the knot. The day saw more than 12,000 weddings in Beijing, 7,300 in Shanghai, 3,000 marriage reservations in Chongqing, and Wuhan in Hubei province had 3,500 couples booking slots to get married, an all-time high in the city of 10 million residents.

Auspicious dates are almost always popular with Chinese, who prefer days with special meanings or that sound similar to “perfect happiness” and “everlasting love”, according to Lin Kewu, a spokesman for the marriage registration office under Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau.

On Sept 9, 2009, more than 15,000 couples got married in Beijing. The triple 12 date, Dec 12, 2012, also saw a surge in marriage registration in Beijing and Shanghai. Determined to be one of the lucky ones, Beijing-based video maker Zhang Ying had applied to marry on the day weeks ago and stood in line on the eve of Jan 4 to guarantee his entry. Before the midnight clock chimed, there were more than 600 standing in line at Beijing’s Haidian Marriage Registration Office, all in cold-defying outfits.

The couple was able to marry at 5:30 in the morning. “To see the stamp on the date, all the efforts to come out in this freezing weather were worthwhile!” Zhang said. Hao Shide, a staff member with the Haidian District Marriage Registration Office in Beijing, made more than 200 stamps and said more than 200 “Congratulations to you two!” on Jan 4. He began his shift at 5 am with 14 colleagues, four hours before the usual office time, and skipped all breaks. On an average day, the whole office would manage 200 registrations.

Hao’s hard work was rewarded by a crate of wedding candies by his desk, sweet gifts from the happy couples who just tied the knot. Pan Juanjuan, 28, and Chen Wei, 29, who have been together for five years, said they specially chose the date and waited months for it. “It’s our solemn commitment. It’s a matter of a lifetime.” In Shanghai, many young couples waited in front of the marriage registration offices from as early as 2 am on one of the coldest days in the city this winter. Some couples hugged to keep warm, and joked that “cold and slow” sounded the same as “romantic” in Shanghai dialect.

At the marriage registration office of Changning district, quite a few parents were found standing in line for their children who failed to make online reservations ahead of time, as the quota was quickly filled. “I’m lining up for my daughter,” an elderly man with a nose made red from the cold told Xinmin Evening News. “I rise early for exercise anyway. We are growing old, and ready to do whatever possible for the happiness of our children,” he said. Tian’ai Road in Hongkou district of Shanghai attracted many lovers on this special day too, as the street name literally means “sweet love”. Many waited in front of the post office there for postcards marked with “20131400”.

On such special days, roses are more expensive, lovebirds are photogenic, sugar is scattered everywhere. But the first message between lovebirds after they officially tie the knots is the always romantic words “I love you”.
China sees coldest weather in 28 years—

BEIJING – Temperatures recorded since the end of November 2012 have marked the lowest temps to hit China in 28 years, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said Saturday.

Temps have averaged minus 3.8 degrees Celsius since the last 10 days of November, about 1.3 degrees lower than the previous recorded average. Temperatures in northeast China hit a 43-year low and stood at minus 15.3 degrees Celsius, about 3.7 degrees below the previous recorded average.

North China experienced its coldest winter in 42 years, with temperatures hitting minus 7.4 degrees Celsius, 2.4 degrees lower than the average level in previous years. Temperatures in north China are expected to pick up next week, although much of south China will continue to experience cloudy skies, rain and snow, the CMA’s National Meteorological Center said.

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We have completed our move to Beijing and begin work with the Beijing church of Christ (www.beijingchurchofchrist.com) in one of the most modern cities (16-17 million people) in this very large country. We will begin making arrangements to studying Mandarin in one of the universities close to our apartment and engaging daily with the locals in hopes of discussing “Good News” that changes a person’s life!

We took a school van with our 10 pieces of luggage to Wuhan (4 hours away from Jingzhou) and flew from Wuhan to Beijing (two hour flight), where we were met at the airport and safely delivered to a Super 8 hotel for three days while we wanted for our two-bedroom apartment, our new home for the coming years. It is colder here, but no worse than upper-Ohio, so we know we can handle what is ahead. There is indoor heating everywhere, since we are north of China’s Yellow River. (I am sure I have never been more pleased to be living in the north). 🙂

There are some amazing Family here…we met many of them during the summer when we attended an Intermission of encouragement and enlightenment (see slideshow). I am looking forward to getting with Andrew Hill and updating my electronic services for the best possible use here. Sign up and follow this new adventure…and thanks for your prayerful support.

We know some who have supported us in the past will not be able to do that again, due to stateside economic issues, so we’ll need to make up the difference. We have faith and know that God has placed us here for a good cause, and He will supply our needs. Our China expenses will again be covered by our work here, but we have obligations in America that need to be covered (life insurance, storage of our household items, Harding school loans, etc.)

Contact me at ged880@yahoo.com to get information on money contributions. Make checks out to ‘China’ and send to West Broward church of Christ, 12550 West Broward Blvd., Plantation, Fla. 33325. Those attending or visiting can write a check and place it in the contribution plate, and Jay and Gary will see that it is handled properly.

We were blessed to spend 20 months (four semesters) teaching Oral English in Jingzhou, Hubei. If you are interested, you can see the many reports at www.tjsman.wordpress.com. You can also follow Eric and Wendy’s news at http://pritchport.blogspot.com/.