Proud to be TJ's man

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Greetings from Terry: My large kitchen knife has needed sharpening ever since I used it to peel a very unique hard Chinese fruit. There is a man who rides through our neighborhood periodically who calls out something in Chinese. I thought he might do sharpening work so we asked our teacher friends about it.

They told us the Chinese phrase he would be calling out so we could recognize the rhythm and tone if not the exact words. Then Friday afternoon Gary called to me from the other room saying he thought he heard the man passing by. I grabbed my knife and hurried down the stairs.

I caught up with him, showed him my knife with a questioning look on my face. He understood, stopped and set up shop by taking his small saw horse and tools off of his bicycle and going to work. He knew exactly what he was doing and did it very well; polishing it up when he had it razor sharp.

It was well worth the 5 yuan and so convenient. Daddy and my brother Ward would really enjoy seeing all of the different ways these skilled entrepreneur craftsmen figure out tools, transportation and procedures on a low budget and limited space. Very interesting. – Love, Terry

Gary: Between us, we have eight classes and over 405 students that have studied the following topics from the workbook: Euthanasia, Is a Beauty Contest Harmful? and Has Feminism Gone Too Far? during the past three weeks. Each has offered extended time to discuss the value of human life and the development of “inner beauty” and character. I can say that these young adults “get it.” They were willing participants in the dialogue and know the difference between that which is superficial and that which is deeper and more sincere. It has been a very good time.

We have found that often the material is written to acquaint them with the vocabulary in different real-life circumstances they will encounter. I remind them that “I did not write this material, it comes from the China Education Ministry/Government” and we speak very boldly about the subjects from  All Sources.

In some other discussions, I learned the mandatory retirement age in China is 60 for men and 55 for women, except for women in factory jobs (50 years old). Three students mentioned specifically that “Gary and Terry are interested in working and are energetic, and should be allowed to work forever.”

TJ got a phone call and two more freshmen students want to discuss Important Things. That brings to four the total in the past two weeks alone; two weekly groups continue and one Assembly.

Three of our Assembly Group have pregnancies in their family, two actual Sisters and one a relative of the other. We enjoy watching their development and joy in the process and anticipate and pray for safe deliveries and healthy children…keep them in your thoughts during these coming months…all due in early May-June, I think.

One of our best Life Lesson students has recently traveled to Wuhan and won second in a major contest and also passed an important exam. We are so pleased with her progress in Important Things, too. She is a joy to have around and full of energy and interest…becoming a very good friend. She is a second-semester junior, so we know we do not have much more time with her, since their schedules become very full once they enter their senior years. They are often only here part of the year, with intern work experience a major part of their educational training.

One of the students was in the hospital the first four weeks of the semester and has now returned and a part of our weekly study. She worked hard to ‘catch up’ in her classes…amazing to all of them that they are now just weeks away from being juniors in the university system.

Our bee-keeper Brother, Jordan, was in the area for a visit, and we had him over for lunch. He is concerned that his country has its focus so much on money, with a “short view instead of long view.” He is trying to decide where/when concerning business decisions so put him in your thoughts…he will be a big asset wherever he settles.

I enjoyed celebrating the NCAA Tourney winners..remember TJ was born in Waco and she has family living there, and I was born in Louisville, Kentucky and am a big SEC fan during the playoffs/tournaments…only a Vol fan during the regular season, though. I picked three of the four men’s Final Four teams and all four of the women’s squads…and correctly predicted both winners.

Though born in Kentucky, we only lived there a few months after that event (had to stay in the hospital five weeks so I could weigh 4.4 pounds and go home) and moved to Chattanooga…so I consider myself that my hometown. I used to tease people that when I was playing basketball, if I made a few shots, I’d tell the teammates of my birthplace…if I did not make any shots I’d keep my mouth shut, not wanting to embarrass the state that thinks only of basketball. 🙂

Our son has found family willing to rent their Texas home, so they have one more think off their “get ready to move to China in August” list. Wendy has also finished an eight-week Chinese language class.

It was good to see Ron and Ed here in Jingzhou recently. They were here with some students, in one case, and meeting with school officials to make plans for next fall, in the other. Always please when they travel safely and make progress in the  Good Work here.

As you read the following China Daily newspaper article, keep us in your thought…we have an important teaching task ahead!

China News: Premarital sex is more common, survey finds — A new survey indicates that Chinese society is growing more permissive about premarital sex.  In the survey in March, 71.4 percent of respondents said they had sex before getting married, 43.1 percent said they approve of premarital sex, and only 24.6 percent voiced disapproval.

The findings stand in stark contrast with a 1989 survey in which only 15 percent of respondents said they had premarital sex.

There were 1,013 respondents, 56 percent of them men and 44 percent women, from 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.

Almost 70 percent of respondents were from 20 to 39 years old. Sixty-four percent have received a college education. Their careers varied from professional manager, private company owner to civil servant and student.

In addition to the 71.4 percent who said they had sex before marriage, 43.1 percent said they approved of premarital sex. Only 24.6 percent voiced disapproval. Also, 33.7 percent said that “sex is a basic need and has nothing to do with morality,” and 27.7 percent believed “two people can have sex with each other as long as they are truly in love, even before marriage.”  The survey was simultaneously     conducted on Sina, a leading micro blog site. There, 19,578 netizens took participated, 79.4 percent of whom identified themselves as male. In the online survey, 86.5 percent of respondents said they had premarital sex, 15.1 percentage points higher than in the print survey.

Li Yinhe, a sexologist who conducted the 1989 survey about premarital sex in China, said an increase in premarital sex was inevitable.

“First, the purpose of sex has changed. Giving birth is no longer the sole valid reason. Second, there is a strong desire for sex from adolescence, before people reach marriageable age, and adolescence tends to begin earlier nowadays,” Li said. “Also, when the crime of ‘hooliganism’ was removed from the Criminal Law in 1997, sex out of wedlock went from being a crime to just a personal choice.

“Sexual desire doesn’t have anything to do with morality, but sexual behavior does,” Li said. “A married person who has sex outside the marriage without the spouse’s approval violates the vow of loyalty.”

However, Du Juan, a researcher at the Institute of Sexuality and Gender at Renmin University of China, doubted that the new survey’s data on premarital sex represented the situation in Chinese society as a whole. “We shouldn’t believe everything that statistics tells us.”

But researchers at the institute have concluded from their own national surveys that “the sexual revolution in China has succeeded,” she said.

On the other hand, abstinence is also a personal choice, Du said. “People need to follow their own will in choosing for or against abstinence. You don’t choose abstinence or sex because it’s fashionable.”

Speaking on whether a more open-minded view of sex would affect the stability of relationships, Du said: “The development of a modern society has weakened many functions that were thought to be served only by marriages. Sex is absolutely not the only thing to blame when couples and families split up.”

The recent survey was created by Insight China, a magazine affiliated with Qiushi, the Party theory magazine, and conducted by Tsinghua Media Survey Lab at Tsinghua University.

There were 1,013 respondents, 56 percent of them men and 44 percent women, from 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.

Almost 70 percent of respondents were from 20 to 39 years old. Sixty-four percent have received a college education. Their careers varied from professional manager, private company owner to civil servant and student.

In addition to the 71.4 percent who said they had sex before marriage, 43.1 percent said they approved of premarital sex. Only 24.6 percent voiced disapproval.

Also, 33.7 percent said that “sex is a basic need and has nothing to do with morality,” and 27.7 percent believed “two people can have sex with each other as long as they are truly in love, even before marriage.”

The survey pointed to a disparity between the thinking of men and women, with 33.5 percent of the female respondents disapproving of premarital sex, compared with only 17.8 percent of males.

The survey was simultaneously conducted on Sina, a leading micro blog site. There, 19,578 netizens took participated, 79.4 percent of whom identified themselves as male.

In the online survey, 86.5 percent of respondents said they had premarital sex, 15.1 percentage points higher than in the print survey.

Li Yinhe, a sexologist who conducted the 1989 survey about premarital sex in China, said an increase in premarital sex was inevitable.

“First, the purpose of sex has changed. Giving birth is no longer the sole valid reason. Second, there is a strong desire for sex from adolescence, before people reach marriageable age, and adolescence tends to begin earlier nowadays,” Li said. “Also, when the crime of ‘hooliganism’ was removed from the Criminal Law in 1997, sex out of wedlock went from being a crime to just a personal choice.

However, Du Juan, a researcher at the Institute of Sexuality and Gender at Renmin University of China, doubted that the new survey’s data on premarital sex represented the situation in Chinese society as a whole. “We shouldn’t believe everything that statistics tells us.”

But researchers at the institute have concluded from their own national surveys that “the sexual revolution in China has succeeded,” she said.

Speaking on whether a more open-minded view of sex would affect the stability of relationships, Du said: “The development of a modern society has weakened many functions that were thought to be served only by marriages. Sex is absolutely not the only thing to blame when couples and families split up.”

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Greetings from Terry: Rejoice, rejoice! We have a new younger Sister in our Family. She is the one that has been going to the discussions in Chinese that are located closer to her campus.

We bought some extra large hangers to air our bedding out on the balcony like the rest of the neighborhood.  Now we are ready when the warm weather arrives.

As I was going to the back gate market last week it dawned on me how nice it was to walk along and not be bothered by sights, sounds and smells. I guess I have become accustomed to everything. It doesn’t take as much concentration as it did at first.

I have finished reading Bumps Are What You Climb On by Warren Wiersbe and the book Gladys Alward: The Adventure of a Lifetime by Geoff Benge.

This week the lessons in my text books aren’t that interesting.  It’s just doing what we have to do. I guess that is why they call it work. The students are getting tired also. He will give me some good ideas and I will continue “struggling with all Hi energy, which so powerfully works in me”. I love Him.

My previous lessons have been about Heroes. I named several of my heroes that were unselfish and willing to leave their comfort zone. Another lesson was on Love and Romance. We talked about American Culture’s most famous definition of true love in 1 Cor.13 and examples of how it is action not just feeling. Now it is the week to teach American Culture of the Easter Holiday and I will talk about my favorite hero who acted on His true love for all mankind in being unselfish and willing to leave his comfort zone and die for us. Hope you all enjoy your family gatherings.

And now we have found out we have a new younger brother! He was brought to the discussions recently by one of the other new brothers. It brings such joy.

I received this text from the female student that came to talk when she was feeling down and had a lot of doubts and questions of life. “Dear Terry: I can’t find any words to gratitude you. How appreciate I am! I’ve found myself and my dream again, and I know clearly what I should do now. But I still want to express my thanks to you, on behalf of my inside, for what you’ve done for me. I pray to Jesus Christ by my heart, for your everything! Please take care of yourself well. The Best Wishes for you!“

My female students have discovered cross stitching and enjoy it during their free time. One of them made me a pouch for my cell phone decorated with a cross stitched picture. She did a really good job.

TTFN (Ta Ta For Now) I like Tigger’s enthusiasm – Love, Terry

Gary: We recently completed one of the more miserable days in China since arriving…cold winds and heavy rain most of the day… though 70 degree highs are just around the corner. We had moved our kitchen table back into the main part of the apartment, thinking we could get back to normal, but found that ‘the new normal’ is best for now. Seven days later we put the heater up and had the warmest day of the year.

And I still do not understand why 68 degrees feels so cold when it’s 45 outside and feels just right when it’s 73 outside. Someone send me an email and explain that to me!

We ate at a McDonald’s for the first time… tasted just like those in the USA. I used to drive as a teenager across town in Chattanooga to get McDonald’s French fries…never thought I’d take a bus for some in China one day 🙂 Nice to get the American taste again; helps us not to miss it so much, though I like many other hamburgers and rarely eat at McDonald’s in America..

Our apartment became ‘officially’ home upon our return…I brought from our storage my weather gauges, which have been part of my life since my Dad’s habit of the same. A product of the Navy and a sailboat owner, Dad always seemed to have one in our house and I have, too. It seems to be one degree low  in reporting the temperature and I never understood the barometric pressure aspect of it…but it felt good to put it up on the wall the week after we arrived back in China. I noticed Coast Guard-son Gregory also has one in his house 🙂

We have been hearing the cuckoo birds in our neighborhood…it must be spring.

Because our school is going through an accreditation process, we were told this morning that we need to begin turning in monthly lesson plans, through the end of the semester…needless paperwork has been discovered in China. We have been required to turn in a curriculum plan prior to each semester, but this is new.

I began watching the Ken Burns’ Baseball series this weekend, with the season now about to begin and my fantasy league team fully assembled. I did not have time to watch it last year, since everything was so new to us here and we had other important things that had to take precedent….just catching our breath and working to get through the first few weeks.

For the first time since Eric began the THE Pilgrim League (2001), I was bad enough the year before and the rules changed  for me to finally get the first team pick and THE New York Yankees as my American League team (we choose a team from each league and have six free agents). Since I had the first pick this year, I  also had the last pick (16th) and got the Giants as my National League team, so am pleased to have a solid group…which means I won’t get the Yankees next year because I expect to do much better and will not choose first again….oh, well.

And this could be the year for the Cubs to win it all! I said in December, 2010, when we decided to come to China, “I’ll probably be in China and miss the Cubs winning the World Series” and then realized that IF it would help them to finally break the curse and get there again, I’d gladly do it. Well, now Eric is planning to be in China so it would really be something IF we were both out of the country and that gigantic achievement transpires!!

It has become clear again that just because we do Important Things in another country, what we enjoyed as hobbies and recreation in the USA continues. I have no idea how to repair a lawn mower, or fix a car engine, but I do have a love of sports that began in my early teens. It has sustained me in difficult  times and provided an income for over 14 years of my life when I was a sportswriter either full-time or part-time (began as a senior in high school; had a partial scholarship for four years as sports editor of our college newspaper, which literally put food on my table since I never thought of getting a meal ticket to the cafeteria).

I was in the 99th percentile in the Women’s NCAA tourney going into the finals and was just 4 points from finishing first in the nation with my point total. In our men’s bracket, I picked the eventual champion and three of the Final Four, including both finalists…and did not witness a single game since returning here on February 8.

China News — Qingming Festival (also known as Pure Brightness Festival or Tomb-sweeping Day), which falls on either April 4th or 5th of the gregorian calendar, is one of the Chinese Twenty-four Solar Terms. From that date temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases, indicating that it is the crucial time for plowing and sowing in the spring. Qingming Festival therefore has a close relationship with agriculture. However, it is not only a seasonal symbol; it is also a festival of paying respect to the dead, a spring outing, and other activities.

It is said that the Qingming Festival was originally held to commemorate a loyal man living in the Spring and Autumn Period (770 – 476 BC), named Jie Zitui. Jie cut a piece of meat from his own leg in order to save his hungry lord who was forced to go into exile when the crown was in jeopardy. The lord came back to his position nineteen years later, and forgot Jie Zitui but later felt ashamed and decided to reward him. However, Jie had blocked himself up in a mountain with his mother.

In order to find Jie, the lord ordered that the mountain should be set on fire. Later Jie was found dead with his mother. In order to commemorate Jie, the lord ordered that the day Jie died was Hanshi (Cold Food) Festival – the day that only cold food could be eaten.

The second year, when the lord went to the mountain to sacrifice to Jie, he found willows revived, so he gave instructions that the day after Hanshi Festival was to be Qingming Festival. Later, the two festivals were combined as one – Qingming Festival.

All in all, the Qingming Festival is an occasion of unique characteristics, integrating sorrowful tears to the dead with the continuous laughter from the spring outing.

Qingming Festival is a time of many different activities, among which the main ones are tomb sweeping, taking a spring outing, and flying kites. Some other lost customs like wearing willow branches on the head and riding on swings have added infinite joy in past days. The festival is a combination of sadness and happiness.

Tomb sweeping is regarded as the most important custom in the Qingming Festival from which the name of Tomb-sweeping day is got. Cleaning the tomb and paying respect to the dead person with offerings are the two important parts of remembering the past relatives. Weeds around the tomb are cleared away and fresh soil is added to show care of the dead. The dead person’s favourite food and wine are taken to sacrifice to them, along with paper resembling money. This is all burned in the hope that the deceased are not lacking food and money. Kowtow before the tablets set up for the dead are made.

Today, with cremation taking over from burying, the custom has been extremely simplified in cities. Only flowers are presented to the dead relatives and revolutionary martyrs. No matter how respect is shown, good prayers for the deceased are expressed.

Not only is it a day for commemorating the dead, is it also a festival for people to enjoy themselves. During March, everything in nature takes on a new look, as trees turn green, flowers blossom, and the sun shines brightly. It is a fine time to go out and to appreciate the beautiful scenes of nature during the festival. This custom can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907) and followed by each dynasty later till today. So visitors can be seen everywhere during the month of the festival.

Spring outings not only add joy to life but also promote a healthy body and mind.

Flying kites is an activity favored by many people during the Qingming Festival. Kites are not only flown during the day time but also in the evening. Little lanterns are tied to the kite or to the string that holds the kite. And when the kite is flying in the sky, the lanterns look like twinkling stars that add unique scenery to the sky during the night. What makes flying kites during this festival special is that people cut the string while the kite is in the sky to let it fly free. It is said this brings good luck and that diseases can be eliminated by doing this.

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Warmer weather has come to Jingzhou!

I know that should bring no alarm to those back in America, but you’ve had warm weather for quite a long time, it seems. We still have some ‘up and down’ temperature changes but spring-like weather is appearing occasionally. The word the students always use to describe the weather: changeable.

I remember at MTSU many years ago that the warm sunshine meant young female students missing that week of classes and spending a lot of time on top of the dorm buildings beginning their sun-worship, in anticipation of spring break.

Our sophomore students are studying diligently for the TEM4 test, a national big-time exam for English major students. It is a big deal to them, and they put forth a mighty effort to pass, though some are taking it as juniors, since they failed last year.

Because of their dedication, our Saturday Life group has not been able to meet, after getting over 65 different students here during a three-week period, some of them for the first time at a sit-down discussion of Important Things. We planted some seed, and we cannot ever take it personally, because the schedules often change with little or no warning.

We also know that a lot of May will be spent in speech competitions, and we will be asked to judge many of them.

The other side of the coin? We had over 75 of TJ’s students here for a ‘come and visit” hour the weekend we realized the sophs were no longer going to be available. Hoping our contacts now will bear fruit when they come to our campus next fall.

We had a great Friday discussion group with three first-time students. (Two were unable to come, but three new ones). They are so perceptive, with wonderful questions about faith and the difficulty we all face with struggles in the world with The One over all…why does the suffering occur, etc.?

One of our students, who has been part of our groups for many, many weeks, also brought TJ two porcelain dolls, and another student gave  Terry two sleeve protectors, which are part of the Chinese winter wear that protects their coats.

We watched four of our students involved in badminton competition…two advanced to the second round before losing.

One conversation was especially revealing: when asked why she had not yet played, she said “my partner has not yet come..she is in another dormitory.” I was confused by the word ‘partner,’ since it was singles activity. She replied honestly, “I do not want to use the word opponent, so I say she is my partner.”

I hit a few minutes with two of the students, helping them warm-up, and saw my first roller-blades on our campus…the youngster was just learning but doing very well getting his balance and maneuvering across the court.

Have enjoyed listening to March Madness via the radio…since the games are not free on the internet for the initial time. I am leading the Pilgrim League pick ‘em contest and in the top 96 percentile of the nation. Missouri messed my bracket up, since I had them in the final four, but no other major disappointments… Duke losing in the first round was a surprise but not upsetting to many of us, except for my brother, Bo, of course.

I do not expect the Lady Vols to get past Baylor in their bracket, though I know some Waco, Texas relatives are enjoying the games more than ever this year 🙂

With the warmer weather, more and more folks of all ages are outside on the weekends, enjoying their neighbors and taking part in many different kind of activities.

We had some 75+ of TJ’s students in our apartment for about an hour this weekend, and, according to them, the freshmen English major students will stay on the West campus when they become sophomores. That will mean we are not close to them for two (and maybe more) years, and it limits the amount of time we will have with them for Important Things. We will wait and see what happens for the next school year…if they are here, we will want to move to the West campus, though there are many things not so convenient there.

Some of the classes come bearings gifts of fruit or flowers, which we try to share with others so they will not go bad.

I just returned from taking some of the flowers to Dean Catherine, the head of our English department and also our upstairs neighbor. She commented on how “pretty the singing was Sunday morning…I might want to attend one of your meetings.” We had three Family members from the East campus (oral English teachers) so the singing was especially good…people are listening.

I asked her about the ‘rumors’ about the English department moving to the West campus next semester…she said it is something being considered but “no formal discussions are being held right now and no decision has been made.” I shared with her that Terry and I wanted to be where the students were, and she agreed to share that if/when formal discussions commenced.

When we were ready to use Skype the other night, there were 31.5 million users online…wow! I know we would not be here unless we had access to see and hear our children and grandsons!

Greetings from Terry: It has been so cold I have not even considered sweeping our apartment stairs lately. I had just been noticing that they were really dirty the other morning and planned on tackling the job this week. That same afternoon a large group of student volunteers from our campus converged on our building and not only swept all of the stairs but washed them with buckets of water and dusted the hand rails. It looks so very nice. Some of them were our students so I sent a text to them with a sincere “Thank you” and told them I would do my part to help keep them clean.

My daughter, Tonia, mentioned the different names some of my students have chosen as their English names. She commented that it must be hard to keep a straight face when I call on “Sheep” or “Kaleidoscope” in class. Since they see it as a temporary label some of them really do choose odd ones. But really the unique ones make it easier for me to remember them so it is a big help, even when it brings a smile to my heart.

This morning we were up early to go to the vegetable market. Then Gary went to represent us as he cheered on our students at the badminton competition on our campus. One of my students on the West Campus had called and said she had many doubts and confusion about life and it seems too heavy. I invited her over to talk and have lunch with us. She was grateful and came for a good visit but had to decline the lunch. I found out her cousin knows where our strength comes from and has shared our favorite book with her. This is a happy discovery for me. We were able to share some passages and even talk to Him. So she left feeling much encouraged and I too felt refreshed.

She desires to become a teacher for a few years, then travel around China getting to know the people and be a leader. She is a young woman of compassion and understanding. I am blessed to be here at this time and get to encourage her.

After lunch we had two different groups of my new students in for visitations. Tomorrow, Sunday, we have two more visitation groups coming in the afternoon…a total of some 80+ students They are good and beneficial times, but I will say we sleep really well when night time comes.

More to come, but in several larger Vitiligro spots, the pigmentation is now definitely coming back on my neck. Thanks for your prayers on my behalf! – Love, Terry

China News — Cost of education can ruin parents. A recent audit at Dickinson State University in the United States will have made uncomfortable reading for parents in China.

Over the last four years, according to the audit, the college in North Dakota had issued diplomas to 400 foreign students despite their failure to complete the required coursework. Roughly 95 percent of these students were Chinese.

It was just one of several controls “waived or intentionally overridden or ignored” by DSU, according to the audit, which has again cast a spotlight on the risks families face in paying out huge sums to have their children educated overseas. Such investments often create what sociologists call “the new urban poor”.

“Parents are surrendering their last resources to wager them on a child’s future by sending them abroad,” said Lao Kaisheng, an education policy researcher at Capital Normal University. “If these children don’t get the decent jobs and the salary that is expected, their parents will naturally be sucked into poverty.”

Ministry of Education data show that more than 330,000 people nationwide went abroad for study in 2011, making China the largest supplier of students to Western schools.

The desire to send offspring to schools overseas has existed for decades, although today it is largely fueled by the belief that it gives youngsters an advantage in the tough domestic employment market.

However, not many Chinese families have enough saved in the bank to cover the tuition fees and accommodation and living expenses involved in overseas study potentially hundreds of thousands of yuan. Instead, many are choosing to take on massive debt at a critical time in their own life. It is a gamble, experts say, and the stakes are high.

A freshman student in Nanjing decided to donate her body to her school for medical research after dying of melanoma, the Nanjing Daily reported.

Li Juan, 21, was a nursing major at Nanjing Medical University. She was diagnosed with melanoma in December after feeling unwell in her throat. Li Juan died on Feb 28.

Li Juan was from a poor family where her mother was unable to work after brain surgery and her father and younger brother had to support the whole family. The university organized a charity donation of more than 38,700 yuan for Li after her illness was diagnosed.

Li requested in her last days for her body to be donated to the school for melanoma research.

“She might hope to continue to live her medical dream by contributing her body,” the paper said, quoting the class director Lu Xi.

Minister of Commerce Chen Deming said  Sunday that China, now the world’s second largest importer, will become the biggest in a few years.

China not only provides the world with high-quality products at low costs, but also buys high-end goods supplied by global brands, Chen said at the China Development Forum 2012.

The growth rate of China’s retail sales stayed between 16 percent and 18 percent over recent years, higher than its GDP growth, indicating the country’s huge purchasing potential, the minister said.

Chen said many Western politicians blamed China for global trade imbalance, but they seldom mentioned that China, with its population only accounting for 19 percent of the world total, is also the world’s second largest importer.

Trade remedy measures adopted by some developed countries are undesirable, because they are neither fair to other economies, nor just to domestic citizens and enterprises, Chen added.

China’s trade surplus narrowed 14.5 percent year-on-year to $155.14 billion in 2011, with imports up 24.9 percent to $1.74 trillion, customs data showed.

The Chinese capital was blanketed by spring snow on Sunday morning, after a day of heavy fog that has grounded hundreds of flights in the country’s north.

Rain began to hit Beijing Saturday evening and later turned into snow. As of 6 am Sunday, snow has accumulated to as deep as eight centimeters in parts of the city.

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We often have simple conversations with the students, asking straight-forward questions and getting quick answers, and find out later that we have completely miscommunicated. We ask about a common exam they are concerned over, and get different answers about who can take it and what it is supposed to accomplish. Similar issues have also arisen with our closest teachers friends, though Howard is usually the one who can make it clear, eventually. Words do get in the way, sometimes 🙂

• It is our understanding that it is against the law here to have ultra-sounds to determine the sex of an unborn child.
• Young adults have to have a birth-permit in order to have a child, and you must be married and 25-years old. The penalty in both cases is a hefty fine.
• A public marriage is a major event here, but the marriage itself actually takes place in a government office, where they fill out papers and register as a married couple in the province. Sometimes a couple is married for 2-3 weeks before the ceremony.
• It is  our understanding that there are now some 4,500 buildings under construction in Wuhan, the capital of our province. This is the place we figure Eric and the family will be closer to, since they have many hundreds of universities (the number is still unclear to me, due to those ‘words’ getting in the way.
• Rumors on a college campus is normal, even in the United States…so there are several here. Last semester the rumor was that our entire University was moving to Wuhan, 3 hours east by van…the graduate school did move. This semester, we are all moving from the Central campus to the West campus..the small economics department did move. We will watch and see, since the rumor persists that we will all eventually be moved to the West campus, 8-10 miles away.

We have just celebrated Girl’s Day and Woman’s Day, back-to-back days that honor the place of these two groups. They celebrated on campus with class parties and Terry received some greetings from some students, wishing her peace and happiness.

We went from a near cancellation at the last minute due to schedule conflicts to one of our best teacher’s discussions of the semester, with one new member and two others here for only the second time.

This is my favorite group: more mature, have some history with the Important Things, and they are very-y-y interested in giving of their time….we’re meeting on Thursday p.m. now instead of Sunday a.m. at their request in spite of having classes during the day and a two-hour faculty meeting from 4-6 p.m.

We had a great surprise for lunch…our initial study group, from English Corner over one year ago, invited us to eat lunch with them and we also ate birthday cake to honor Sophie’s 21st birthday…a nice time with some of our oldest friends here. They are in the second semester of their junior year, so we do not get to have special time with them as often…this time next year they will be in many other places.

We had one of Terry’s classes over for a ‘get to know you’ time and Daisy sent this on QQ: “Today we had a happy day in your home…it’s warm seeing that you are living a happy life which I’m always dreaming of…I think I learned something from you two. Thank you.“

We had a great Assembly and studied Ephesians 2, about a household, building, and temple. When we told of our grandson’s New Birth in America, one of the sisters said plainly and quietly, “the building is growing.”

Vicky and Qin Ju Sen took me to a local supply store for some art brushes and some paper to send to my brother, Terry Alan, who is also an artist and wants to experiment on ‘the real thing.’ Qin Ju Sen is the senior art student who did my two paintings back in December.

We have had over 65 students here for a first-time Saturday night Life Lesson but the TEM4 exam is taking them away after three weeks…it is a BIG exam they must pass as English majors and every waking moment is filled with studying. I am glad we have a solid group of teachers interested to fill the void for 3-4 weeks.

Greetings from Terry: As in other semesters the students choose interesting temporary English names when they are in our classes. Some of the unique ones from this semester are: Sheep, Leaves, Shadow, Kaleidescope, Pain and Mint.

I am pleased to discover good moral quotes and topics in one of my new text books which open up good discussions. Today I had made some “American Culture” statements about how I was raised and how I live. After class the last student to leave told me that she believes in Him, too (only she used his name). She said her parents do not believe but that her Aunt and Uncle had taught her. I invited her to our Saturday discussion. We did not get to talk any more specifically at that time. I had already noticed her sweet spirit seeming to reach out to me. It makes me very happy to know and I look forward to getting to know her.

English Corner has started once a week again. It is on Wednesday nights this semester. This time we met in an assigned room which is much warmer. Everyone listened and participated which made it more enjoyable and easier to hear and be heard.

Today was rich. My Thursday 8:00 a.m. class are thinkers and they are not afraid to communicate. Our last two units were on success and heroes. Cookie said “develop your inner spirit”. Jessie said, “Success is like the up and downs of waves.” “Success is not the end of work.” Allison said, “Success can be solving a math problem if math is hard for you.” Ivan cannot yet look at me when she speaks but she said, “Attitude makes success.” Jimmy said he thinks Americans and Chinese have much in common. Abraham Lincoln is his hero because he cared and helped people of color. He asked me if I new what ABC was. He said A is for America, C is for China and B is blood that connects them. Sila quoted Kennedy and also said something about success is having order in your life. Jacki said, “Success is opportunity to everyone.”

Tonight as we were getting ready for our discussion with the teacher group in our apartment we found out one more wants to come for important learning. She has just returned from six months of studying abroad in Iowa. She has begun the journey of following the most important book and is so excited to find a group of people with the same interests.

This is so much fun. The fields are white unto harvest. — Terry

“History shows women have made great strides in the fight for equality, including the right to vote, and major inroads in equal opportunities at home, in the workplace and in education. Though today gender bias continues to create barriers for some, Chinese women are playing a more important role in today’s society. As the saying goes, they hold up half the sky.

“International Women’s Day this year gives us an opportunity to review what Chinese women have achieved so far, both in family and in workplace, and what they are striving for amid changing attitudes towards gender equality, virginity, family and work.”

I recommend a very interesting website here in the China Daily site: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-03/08/content_14742395.htm. It speaks of the Road to Equality” of women in this country and has a full discussion of virginity, etc.

When explaining the necessity to amend the law to a plenary meeting during the annual session of the 11th National People’s Congress (NPC), Wang Zhaoguo, vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee said that (photo above) amending the law is to strengthen punishment of crimes and protection of the people.

It is also necessary to revise the law to strengthen and make innovations in social administration and maintain social harmony and stability, and deepen judicial system reform, Wang added. The draft amendment to Criminal Procedure Law was submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for first reading in August 2011 and for second reading in December 2011. China’s current Criminal Procedure Law was enacted in 1979 and amended in 1996.

Adding the article of protecting human rights to the Criminal Procedure Law will help judicial organs observe and implement this constitutional principle in criminal proceedings, Wang said.

Employment challenges are growing due to an unbalanced job market and a large number of people seeking work, a top labor official said on Wednesday.  “Cities and towns will see 25 million more people join the workforce this year, over half of whom will be university and college graduates, while another 9 to 10 million will be surplus rural laborers,” Yin Weimin, minister of human resources and social security, said at a news conference.

Graduates are finding it difficult to get jobs and many enterprises are facing problems in recruiting workers and technicians, revealing structural problems in the work market, he said.

China aims to create more than 9 million jobs this year and keep the registered unemployment rate below 4.6 percent, according to the government’s work report released on Monday.

Some analysts believe that slowing economic growth will see enterprises reduce their intake of new workers, exacerbating the employment situation.  China is aiming for GDP growth of 7.5 percent this year, much lower than 2011’s 9.2 percent. Yin Weimin said the government would introduce a package of measures, such as more training and more efficient public services, to help expand the job market.

To help with the employment of graduates, Yin said that the government will encourage them to find grassroots-level jobs in central and western regions and would encourage graduates to start their own businesses.

China News: History shows women have made great strides in the fight for equality, including the right to vote, and major inroads in equal opportunities at home, in the workplace and in education. Though today gender bias continues to create barriers for some, Chinese women are playing a more important role in today’s society. As the saying goes, they hold up half the sky.

“International Women’s Day this year gives us an opportunity to review what Chinese women have achieved so far, both in family and in workplace, and what they are striving for amid changing attitudes towards gender equality, virginity, family and work.”

I recommend a very interesting website here in the China Daily site: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-03/08/content_14742395.htm. It speaks of the Road to Equality” of women in this country and has a full discussion of virginity, etc.

When explaining the necessity to amend the law to a plenary meeting during the annual session of the 11th National People’s Congress (NPC), Wang Zhaoguo, vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee said that (photo above) amending the law is to strengthen punishment of crimes and protection of the people.

It is also necessary to revise the law to strengthen and make innovations in social administration and maintain social harmony and stability, and deepen judicial system reform, Wang added. The draft amendment to Criminal Procedure Law was submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for first reading in August 2011 and for second reading in December 2011. China’s current Criminal Procedure Law was enacted in 1979 and amended in 1996.

Adding the article of protecting human rights to the Criminal Procedure Law will help judicial organs observe and implement this constitutional principle in criminal proceedings, Wang said.

Employment challenges are growing due to an unbalanced job market and a large number of people seeking work, a top labor official said on Wednesday.  “Cities and towns will see 25 million more people join the workforce this year, over half of whom will be university and college graduates, while another 9 to 10 million will be surplus rural laborers,” Yin Weimin, minister of human resources and social security, said at a news conference.

Graduates are finding it difficult to get jobs and many enterprises are facing problems in recruiting workers and technicians, revealing structural problems in the work market, he said.

China aims to create more than 9 million jobs this year and keep the registered unemployment rate below 4.6 percent, according to the government’s work report released on Monday.

Some analysts believe that slowing economic growth will see enterprises reduce their intake of new workers, exacerbating the employment situation.  China is aiming for GDP growth of 7.5 percent this year, much lower than 2011’s 9.2 percent. Yin Weimin said the government would introduce a package of measures, such as more training and more efficient public services, to help expand the job market.

To help with the employment of graduates, Yin said that the government will encourage them to find grassroots-level jobs in central and western regions and would encourage graduates to start their own businesses.

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I am very grateful for many things: 392 students who are willing to let me teach them for 90-minutes per week in eight classes Tuesday-Friday; a group of teachers (7) and two groups of students (we had 30 one night) who care about Important Things, and some Family (5-10) who are a joy to know and special Friends when we gather around The Supper.

We discovered a display that sells good, lean portions of pork in the back-gate market…and after Terry cooked it in the crock-pot, it was simply the best! Wow! It was such a surprise and so-o-o convenient!

It seems like we are tired much of the time right now, but we have time to rest before the next day’s events. We are eating the same 5-8 things weekly…and loving it…and thus are maintaining the healthiest lifestyle we’ve ever had. We might grow tired of those same things, but, for now, it is very-y-y good.

I have discovered something again about the time to read here in China: because there is no television to watch or children to take care of, and it’s too cold to even go to parts of our own apartment, much less go outside, we have time every day to cuddle up under two layers of clothes or get under four layers of cover on the bed…and read for a while.

While we were on our ‘road trip during April-December, 2010, and here in 2011, I have enjoyed the opportunity to read many, many books…I am very-y-y-y grateful for the time and our Kindles daily 🙂

(Terry says “me too” to most of the above…she cooks and washes and take care of me, so she has less time, though I help her in every way possible. She teases me that sometimes she needs to work alone so she can get it done faster, but also so she can get warm again on these cold days when half of our apartment is around 58 degrees in the morning hours, even with a floor heater running full-speed ahead 🙂

We are handling the cold by taking one day at a time, and with classroom temps around 40 degrees, it will be nice to see some warmer weather in a few more days.

Two of our Sunday Assembly Family are expecting in July. We know their travel will lighten as those due dates grow closer, and we will miss their joyful dispositions and great interest and questions!

We have a new deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office, and are waiting to see if it changes anything about our tasks here. It seemed like a sudden event…and this is the office that is ‘in charge’ of the foreign teachers. Change is never simple here, but it also seems to occur quickly, with little or no warning…we will keep you in touch. I know we have already waited over five days for a response to a question and it usually comes within minutes, so it might also have involved the staff, as well.

We received a long email that informed us that a Japanese foreign teacher had a break-in at his apartment, and received a long email warning with advise from Dean Catherine about what we should do to insure more safety (of course, we were already doing most of what they suggested).

China Daily News: Let’s include South China in heating, says adviser — The heating program in northern China should be expanded to include the south, a political adviser said, Nanfang Daily reported.

Winters in recent years have been particularly cold in southern provinces such as Guangdong and Guizhou, where winters are usually mild compared to the north. Coupled with the humidity, it feels even colder in the south than the north, said the adviser, Zhang Xiaomei. Currently, the heating program is limited to areas north of the Qinling Mountain-Huaihe River line.

BEIJING – China has made the first annual reduction in its holdings of US Treasury bonds in a decade. Experts are viewing the move as a sign that the country is accelerating the move away from dollar assets in search of more diversified investment channels.

According to the latest monthly figures from the US Treasury Department, China’s holdings of US Treasury bonds dropped for a fifth consecutive month in Dec to $1.15 trillion.

The number was an update of a figure released in February, after the US department adjusted its method of collecting data on foreign holdings of US government bonds, a move aimed at obtaining more information about the use of proxies buying and holding US securities.

As a result, China’s June holdings of US Treasury securities have been amended to $1.31 trillion instead of $1.17 trillion. The figure at the end of 2011 was $51 billion higher than the previous calculation.

According to the revised data, China cut its holdings of US debt by $8.2 billion in 2011 compared with the previous year. It was the first time that the country had reduced its yearly holdings since 2001.

BEIJING –  China’s defense spending will see a double-digit increase again in 2012, as strong economic growth continues to fuel rapid military expansion, the country’s legislature spokesman said Sunday. Li Zhaoxing said defense spending would increase by 11.2 percent over actual spending last year to hit 670.2 billion yuan ($106.4 billion) in 2012, an increase of about 67 billion yuan.

China’s official defense spending is the largest in the world after the United States, but actual spending, according to foreign defense experts, may be 50 percent higher, as China excludes outlays for its nuclear missile force and other programs.

Li, speaking at a news conference a day before the opening of the annual session of the National People’s Congress, said China’s military spending was small as a percentage of gross domestic product compared to other countries, especially the United States.

“China is committed to the path of peaceful development and follows a national defense policy that is defensive in nature,” Li said. “You see, China has 1.3 billion people, a large territory and long coastline, but our defense spending is relatively low compared with other major countries.”

Last year’s military spending amounted to 1.28 percent of China’s economy, Li said. By contrast, the ratio stood at 4.8 percent for the U.S. in 2010, according to the World Bank.

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We had some snow in Jingzhou over the weekend…in the air but never accumulated on the ground…which was OK with us. We had some highs in the low 60’s for a few days and got fooled thinking spring might be here early…then it got back into the 38-41 degree range as the high for the day! Ouch!

We’ve had our teeth cleaned and it proved to be a public event. There are no appointments and future patients are allowed to ‘hang around’ the doctor for many procedures. It took some ‘getting used to’ but was OK, because the technician was so thorough and professional…we will definitely do it again. I plan to get a crown on my tooth in a few weeks, when we can find the time.

Our dental cleaning was at the Central Hospital, where all medical practice is conducted. While Terry was getting her teeth cleaned, Howard heard 3-4 people talking and volunteered that “they are talking about how young Terry looks.”

I told him that she had heard it before, in several different places. “She does not have many wrinkles on her face,” he said. “Yes, you are right, she does not have many wrinkles,” I agreed. He tapped me lightly on the shoulder, and said, looking straight into my eyes, “You are fortunate.”

The cleaning cost was 171.25 yuan each ($26.55), and we’ll get most of it back through our medical plan through the University. We have not received reimbursements yet, but we either get full reimbursement or 90% for all doctor visits and medicines. We are very grateful, since we’ve gone a few years at different times in America without medical insurance.

We learn something each week about our students….found it amazing to hear two of the girls say they had never washed/dried/put away dishes before…they were early for a Life Lesson and TJ was finishing up the dinner dishes…they both offered to help, and acknowledged having never done it before. It speaks to the ‘one child’ mentality to keep their minds/hearts on their studies and ‘doing everything else for them.’

Learning to work while at home, or literally ‘being at home’ are two things lacking in many homes, since many middle and senior school students live at school, rather than at home, or with grandparents, and go to school from 6:30 am—10:00 pm, with a break for lunch and a short ‘rest break 11:30-1:30 pm.

Stella came for lunch one Saturday…she is one of TJ’s better students and we are enjoying her very much…we look forward to having her on our campus as a sophomore next semester! She said that as soon as she was with us, she felt very comfortable, “…like I do with my relatives. The communication is also very good.” Of course, we are thankful.

I found a kindred spirit again in Ling, one of my students. In the middle of class, his eyes brightened as he looked at my paperback text book, with a spiral binder I had installed while in America. I like the ability to lay the book flat and also hold it ‘in half.’ He also liked those features, and is working now to find the process somewhere in China.

Little by little, we are finding items we need here in China…two of our teacher friends helped TJ find cough medicine that would help ‘finish off’ her lingering cold…and I again found Metformin in the pharmacy here outside our front-gate….two yuan (16 cents) for three-week supply.

One of our students gave us some sausage, from her hometown. Not sure we wanted to try it; I overcooked itbut would not buy it for myself…missing the spices that make Jimmy Dean so good, I guess 🙂

TJ’s dermatologist here is willing to send medicines to America for those who have Vitiligro, after he sees pictures of their ’spots’ and looks at any medical history issues. We are surprised but grateful that perhaps some friends (and friends of friends) can also get some help.

We’ve hung a rope in our office area to dry laundry during this cold weather. I brought some hooks from Home Depot back and drilled/installed them into the concrete wall. I am amazed that wet clothes will eventually dry outdoors, or at least the Chinese say they do, because that is their method during the winter.

I have enjoyed getting to know better so-o-o-o many of the students, since we’re now spending a 2nd year with many of them. One sweet young lady, an angel named Angel, was concerned that she was having to miss some weekly discussions because she had a schedule conflict. I told her we understand that their schedules get fuller when they are finishing their junior years…she seemed relieved…and I told her we also have realized that they will soon be leaving…that is the way it is with the university environment. “We miss you when you are not here, but we understand,” I said. She had a big smile.

Greetings from Terry: This week I discovered where the teachers go before class on the West campus in the morning when the bus drops us off 20 minutes before class. It is just a room with table and chairs but it is nice to have a place out of the weather where we can sit and visit instead of going to the room so early.

Keven went home for his grandmother’s funeral this past weekend and was not able to be with us Sunday so we had him over for dinner Tuesday evening. We had chicken spaghetti, stir fried veggies, garlic bread, fruit salad and a Milano double chocolate cookie. After the water was turned off all afternoon till 4:30, and the gas for the stove running completely out just as I finished cooking the chicken and putting the noodles on to cook, I was really thankful it all came together and was quite tasty after all. So glad we had a microwave so I could finish the dinner.

Today I greased all the door hinges with the Crisco I brought from America. I do believe it has taken care of the squeaks. I learned that from the book, The Help. Reading is so beneficial. 🙂

This semester I don’t have any classes on Wednesday. I love having a midweek break from classes to catch up on all the other parts of life. As it turns out, the fact that I have eight classes using three different books isn’t as difficult as I had thought it would be. The different books keep me from going crazy repeating the same lesson so many times.

Also, Gary gave me a great idea for my lesson plan to use in my sophomore class. He had the same students the previous two semesters. So he knows how they think and what level they are. I am so glad, because teaching the older students is more intimidating to me. So far it is going well and I am enjoying all of my classes. Three of my classes are brand new to me and four are repeats from last semester.

I was not able to get my teeth cleaned as planned in the states so Howard made arrangements at a place close by that his family uses. So that will be a new experience for me. I am requesting all goes well and will let you know how it turns out. (It went well…very professional and well done…very public, with several other patients stopping by to look us over with our mouth wide open.) C.Y.H. (Consider Yourselves Hugged) — Terry.

News from China: BEIJING – Producers and sellers of “gutter oil”, or illegally recycled cooking oil, could face the death penalty, China’s top court reaffirmed on Thursday. The reaffirmation is the country’s latest effort to crack down on a cause of public concern over food safety in the world’s most populous country.

“Courts should fully consider suspects’ subjective intention, the amount of money involved and the harm that has been done to the public and the market,” read a circular issued on Thursday by the Supreme People’s Court, China’s top court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the top prosecuting body, and the Ministry of Public Security. “For those who deserve death, death penalties should be handed down resolutely,” it said.

Gutter oil can contain carcinogens and other toxins that are harmful when consumed by people. The government launched a massive crackdown last year after media reports said gutter oil has been rampant in China.

Police have busted 100 gutter oil manufacturers since August and arrested about 800 suspects in 135 cases in the campaign, Xinhua News Agency said.

The notice issued on Thursday also said the court should impose “harsh punishments” on government officials if they fail to fulfill their duties and that “causes damage to public health” and “erodes the government’s credibility”.

According to a law amendment enacted in May, criminals convicted of food safety crimes that cause death will be put behind bars for at least 10 years. Life sentences and the death penalty could be also handed down. In the past two years, 726 criminals have received jail sentences for producing and selling tainted food. The most severe punishment was a death sentence with a two-year reprieve.

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Greetings: Our trip to the states to visit family and friends was so very good. Each stop filled our hearts with love and joy and gave us the encouragement we need for this next semester. My words cannot express it properly.

Our flight back went well. Keven gave us some cookies and yeast bread he had made fresh himself. They were both delicious. I was impressed.

It was so good to unpack our suitcases and settle in. The first real meal I cooked was pinto beans, slaw and cornbread with chow-chow, from supplies we brought back with us.

As you know, my family and I are continuing to make requests on behalf of my Vitiligro white spots do to loss of pigmentation. I have also been taking traditional Chinese medicine for two and a half months. Two of the spots on my hands are regaining pigment. I am so very thankful. My recent blood work shows my liver is still OK to continue the medicine. I will keep you posted.

Yeah! I finished my first two days of classes. It was about 42 degrees this morning on the West Campus as I was hurrying to my first of two classes. Then I saw three of my former students. It was so good to see them again. All of a sudden I didn’t feel the cold, just the warmth of their smiles and well wishes. As I was coming through the Central gate on my way home after my second class, cold, tired and hungry I saw three other former students. Immediately I was filled with joy and energy to get up the four flights of stairs to the apartment while thinking, “It is worth all the effort.”

My precious Gary had our leftover chicken soup heated and cheese toast ready to eat when I entered the apartment. Life is good. Our older brother is gracious.

Friday after classes Kelly (Chinese English teacher) and I took a bus to Xiangyang for my follow-up visit with Dr. Li. When contacting the doctor to see if he would be in the office on Saturday he said no and that he would be in Wuhan at a meeting. However when he found our I was ready for my follow up visit and could come on that weekend he volunteered to cancel the meeting and be in his office to see me. We spent the night in 7 Days Inn, got to the hospital early the next morning and was the first one to see the doctor when he came in. He could see improvement and said to continue the medicine and return in three months.

We had time to return to the hotel for the free breakfast; hot soy milk, hot rice porridge garnished with cold salty diced vegetables, steamed bread called baozi, boiled egg and an apple to take with us. We were able to get an early bus back to Jingzhou. All in all a good quick trip. I am so very thankful for Kelly who did a great job translating for me.

We are very encouraged by the many students who are seeking to study The Good Book. Also they are very thankful for the gloves many of you sent. — Love from Terry.

From Gary: We attended the wedding of Xia Guan, our Foreign Affairs Office contact, and I met the president of our university (see photo above…also with Catherine, the Dean of the English Department and our upstairs neighbor… that is Sprite we’re drinking). He volunteered in his comments that “the students like you very much, especially that you have many of them into your apartment.” I am glad he knows and approves.
He also commented on two articles in the local newspaper of our participation in the Sports Meeting last semester and this month’s Valentine’s Day article.

The wedding party had some 250 guests in a sit-down meal. Lots of pomp and circumstance and noise (loud-ness is important to the Chinese; it represents happiness and having a good time…they seem to create noise on purpose to make that point, using loud public address system in the hotel banquet room environment).
We met some of the family members and were given two special toasts, as the foreign teachers/visitors.

Xia Guan has been a big help to us, through the FAO, and was the first person we met when we came to the Wuhan airport. They had some of the most elaborate pictures put to a power-point style display that I have seen…great photography with multiple wardrobe changes. Excellent food (edible for me, who is a little picky).
Two Florida groups helped us collect some gloves and we passed out our first pairs today, after ‘getting the word out’ to the students the past week. We certainly appreciate those who helped us collect some 55 pairs. They noticed immediately that most of them were made in Taiwan or China 🙂

I received my A1C blood-level report from the Chinese hospital just after the last newsletter was sent out: 6.2 for the past 9-12 weeks, which also includes hamburgers and bar-b-que, etc., while in America!:-)…weighed 172 when I arrived in America and 175 when I left to come back to China … not bad, huh?

Our first Life Lesson groups met…on Friday we invited 20 and had 14…on Saturday we invited 20 and had 30, all of them here for the first time for Important Matters. It was a little crowded, but great enthusiasm and interest! Many of the Friday group were juniors and seniors, while the Saturday group is mostly new to our Life Lesson sessions and were sophomores. We talked about Meaning of Life/Purpose/New Year’s Resolution….”you were a person before you were a student and you will be a person after you are a student….it is not just about exams and school work. Dissatisfaction…Decision… Direction… Determination… Discipline are the steps.”

We were told in training and through books we read that they Chinese do not do well in the ‘critical thinking’ department here…I had a first hand experience where I needed to do some critical thinking myself. Went to the bank after returning from the States and did not remember my pin-number at the ATM…went back to the bank the next day and it did not allow me to re-enter numbers and get some much-needed cash.

I took my ATM card to a bank attendant, pointed to the ATM…they followed me over and watched what it did…he took it to another bank attendant and they scanned the card and began looking at the computer screen. I wrote down my correct pin number, she looked at it and smiled, and pushed some computer keys…and gave me a ‘thumbs-up’…I used the ATM and got the funds needed.

No problem dealing with kind, helpful individuals, even though we could not understand a single word each was speaking. I might be pretty good at charades, it seems 🙂

In their introductory speeches, several of the girls spoke of being used as a baby-sitter during their break from school. They all thought the child was cute, etc., but all used one word to also describe them: naughty. It is a common expression, used to speak of their energy, but also that some of them cry a lot, it seems.
For the first time, several commented on how cold it is during the spring/winter holiday, and how difficult travel is, etc. They also spoke of how boring time at home can be, though they enjoy family, sleeping late, and delicious foods. I love two expressions I hear daily here: It is a pity. It is my pleasure.

Terry and I have felt the cold this week more than we remember from last year, when we first arrived. We’re heading to bed 30-40 minutes sooner than ever before, probably in order to get warm.

I have adopted iTunes podcasts as a way to keep up with news and sports events. I have subscribed to some of my favorite reports and listen to them each week.

All the pledged funds have now come in, with the exception of one group’s, and it will be deposited within the next 2-3 weeks. Thank you (!!) for your support of our work here, helping us pay some state-side expenses while we are away. The Parkway family is in the process of selling or giving away to those in need many of our storage items that would not ‘do well’ staying in storage 2-4 years. We are naturally keeping some of the items that will ‘do OK’ in storage for 3-5 years.

One of our best students in wanting to travel abroad this summer, and since we will not be in the States, we are wondering if anyone out there would like to host a smart, talented young man for a few weeks in your home? We would sure like to have him exposed more to Important Things. You would have no issues with his values or behavior…he is a sharp guy. Let me know and we will proceed with talking about the possibility.

Other news from China: Linsane! This country is certainly proud of its newest international hero, Jeremy Lin, the NBA’s first American-Taiwanese player. He is winning basketball games for the New York Knicks and drawing huge crowds in the process.

Lin had 27 points and a career-high 11 assists in his first game since being named Eastern Conference player of the week, two weeks ago. A season-high crowd of 20,092 roared as Lin drained a pull-up jumper from the top with half a second to play in Toronto.

Local media also took note; some 75 reporters and 16 cameras packed a Tuesday morning press conference to hear Lin speak, with dozens more turned away to prevent overcrowding. More than 25 Chinese Canadian journalists were due to cover the game, including one who presented Lin with a book of “Year of the Dragon” stamps from Canada Post and asked him to record a message in Mandarin, which he did.

China’s enthusiasm for basketball and the NBA has held strong despite Yao’s retirement and China remains the league’s biggest market outside North America.

Even the country’s vice president and designated future leader, Xi Jinping, recently said he enjoys watching NBA games in his spare time.

Twenty-five years after the league partnered with state broadcaster CCTV, the audience for NBA games on television and online has risen 39 percent this year over the last season, the NBA says. The league also claims 41 million followers on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like microblogging service, including many who pay for its premium service, along with 25,000 points of sale in shops and online.

Despite that, the league is struggling to get jerseys into stores to satisfy demand for all things Lin, whose followers on Weibo have soared this week from 150,000 to 1.4 million by Friday.

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It is winter-time in China. I am thankful we have developed a positive ‘one day at a time, attitude of gratitude’ over the past six decades. It made our re-entry easier.

We arrived with our mental and physical conditions in good shape, despite the long trip. It seemed especially long between San Francisco and Hong Kong, in spite of plenty of entertainment opportunities.

This is now our home, and it was good to be back. We sure rested well the first night in our China bed! It took three nights and two naps before we had our ‘days and nights’ straight. 🙂

Keven had turned on the apartment heaters in advance of our arrival, so it was 65 degrees in the bedrooms and 59 in the other rooms when we arrived….with two layers of clothes, it was comfortable…and still working to get a little warmer.

Terry stayed warm the first two days cleaning the mess left by workmen who did some repair work while we were away…plus getting 6.5-week dust off everything. I have found again that I do not like being cold…enjoyed warm weather in South Florida and Texas so it did not prepare me for our return. 🙂

The ‘Prayer Room’ in the Hong Kong airport got our attention. Since it is now under the influence of China, it is a good sign, and one we hope to help create more of on the Mainland. I cannot honestly say that I remember seeing one in an American airport, though they are certainly in hospitals and other public places.

During a two-hour layover in Hong Kong it struck me anew that we really are in this part of the world….for someone who had not traveled outside of the USA very often, this is really something.

On a wet and cold San Antonio morning, just before we began our return to China, Brinson and Wendy (see photos) competed in a 5K race and took 3rd and 4th, respectively, in their age groups. Brinson finished in 32 minutes and competed against boys four years older! The rest of us, along with hundreds of Lackland Air Force Base trainees, just got soaking wet and ‘froze to our bones.’

I noticed in Hong Kong that there was virtually no one staring at us, which is unusual. It probably speaks to the international status of the area…they are used to seeing foreigners. We experienced the identical realization in Beijing on our way out of the country December 26.

We really do admire the professional staff of flight attendants on Asian flights…it reminds us of the old Pan Am airlines from America-past. Every is dressed alike and are very helpful professions. They showed no noticeable affects from staying awake for over 14 hours of over-night travel while constantly helping the passengers.

Since I upgraded my Dell laptop computer on this trip, I was without an internet connection for the first five days…the university has to configure the IP address so they can ‘talk’ to each other and no one was on campus and back to work until Monday. It made the weekend long, and difficult not being able to fully communicate to the family that we had arrived ’safe and sound.’

We have definitely learned patience here. When I was without internet connections last year when we first came, I was pretty upset, figuring that it was provided as part of my salary and “it better be fixed now.” Now I know it takes a few days, but is usually handled in a professional way.

Keven gave Terry a textbook for one of her classes last night, the day before classes begin. It means she will have three lesson plans per week instead of the expected two. Again, we just smiled and said ‘thank you’ and moved forward.

I experienced first-hand the expense of having to pay the car rental companies for daily insurance, since we no longer own a car and are not paying monthly automobile insurance for the first time in our life. It added around $40 per day to the cost of rental.

It was disappointing that I was not barely part of the 111.3 million who watched the Super Bowl, the largest-ever watched TV show in American history. I was able to see some of the second quarter while in the Phoenix airport on the way between San Antonio and San Francisco, but did catch many replays while visiting Michael, Adona, and Louise in Danville.

Terry, Eric, Wendy and the children took part in an Asian Culture Fair in San Antonio….experienced some of the things they will see when they come to China in August.

We just got back from the back-gate market. Found the fresh vegetables and fruits to be plenteous, though everything was very cold due to the outdoor temperature.

Keven called and made an appointment for a journalist and photographer to spend time with us in our apartment….she wanted to talk about Valentine’s Day customs in the two countries….asked lots of questions about how we met, what Americans do with gifts, etc., during this special holiday. Claire, the lady journalist, was very professional and thorough, and the two young men took care of the photos. She works for the Chutian Metropolis Daily, part of the Hubei Daily Media Group. (We were promised we would see the article when it published and they also are going to share some of the pictures by email attachment).

On our second day back, Howard and his family wanted to treated us to a delicious dinner at a local restaurant. He stopped by for a long visit, and it was good to see him. We had to take a rain-check on the meal, due to TJ developing a persistent cough and the return of cold-like conditions she had in Texas during the final days in America.

Our Sister/friend Sophia (a messenger from heaven) took us to the local hospital to have blood work. Everything went smoothly…I am checking my blood-sugar level and they do have an A1C test here…while Terry is checking her liver to make sure it is OK for continuing her traditional Chinese medicine treatment for Vitiligro (she has a progress report on that effort, and I will let her give it). It took a few minutes to work through the different medical terms between the countries, but they found what they needed for me to move forward. We picked up the results the same afternoon.

The charge to see the doctor? $2.25 (USA). The blood work was 100 yuan each ($16). We now have a hospital card with our vital statistics on it for quick informational purposes, when/if we need to go back. We should get reimbursed for these fees through the medical insurance provided by the school contract, though we know it will take a while for the process to be completed.

I also found metformin again at the pharmacy: 40 yuan ($6.25) for 960 tablets….I take four, two times a day, so it is hard to beat the price! 🙂

We are also making plans to find a dentist to get our teeth cleaned regularly, while I also am going to have a crown and, hopefully, some whitening treatments.

We have two new stores outside our front gate…new decorations and paint, replacing much older establishments. It is slowly becoming brand new…some progress is great, but one of the older grocery stores is much missed by many of us.

Ed Mosby just paid a visit…a good man doing a great work! And a new English teacher is here ready to teach classrooms of students Oral English and Good News….we had a schedule conflict and missed a meal with others here and will meet Jessica another time.

Our first Sunday morning discussion with the teachers was pre-empted by a faculty meeting, but they are committed to our weekly sessions….we are going to study Mark’s story of the Master…will have two groups with a total of seven, so far, but we are surprised with new students often.

We have realized that we’ll likely be able to spend some time in Washington and Arkansas with family next year on our winter break, since we will not be visiting Eric and the family in Texas (remember, they are coming to China to teach Oral English in August).

Let me highly recommend Cathay Pacific for travel to China. It’s the second time we’ve entered this way, and they are top-notch! In-flight movies and great food…here is their customer commitment: Our vision is to be the world’s best airline. Being the best means we always strive to excel in everything we do. Our dynamic team provides the highest quality of service so that you are happy you chose Cathay Pacific. Our mission is to put safety first, provide outstanding products and services and deliver service straight from the heart. Cathay Pacific aircraft depart more than 138,000 times each year, serving more than 26 million customers in 142 destinations in 39 countries.

The Chinese are coming. And the U.S. travel industry couldn’t be happier. Eager to spend their growing disposable income, travelers from mainland China’s wealthy and rising middle classes are traversing the globe in search of iconic destinations they can cross off their bucket lists.

That wanderlust has increasingly brought them to a dream destination, the USA, in recent years as travel restrictions on them eased. Despite occasional economic and political dust-ups between the two nations’ governments, a record number of Chinese visitors came to the U.S. in 2011.

Steps announced last month by President Obama to speed up visas for them should result in even more Chinese arrivals, further unlocking a huge source of income that the U.S. travel industry and retail business sector have long coveted.

So huge is the Chinese travel market potential that major U.S. travel suppliers — including hotels and airlines, as well as major cities and even shopping malls — are sending sales representatives to China. They’re educating tour operators in Chinese cities that few Americans have heard of. And hotels in this country are now serving rice porridge for breakfast and seeking Mandarin Chinese speakers to handle the phones and check-in desks.

“It’s astonishing,” says Fred Dixon, NYC & Company’s senior vice president of tourism & convention development. “It’s one of the powerhouse markets.”

Indicative of the growth and potential: In the first 10 months of 2011, visits from mainland Chinese rose 36% year-over-year to 940,000, according to the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Chinese visitors’ spending in the U.S. shot up 39% in 2010 to $5 billion, a growth rate that outpaced visitors from all other countries who have been traditionally high spenders here. That spending put the Chinese in seventh place among foreign visitors, overtaking France.

“U.S. travel and tourism exports to China have increased by at least 30% in six of the last seven years,” the trade administration’s 2010 report says. “U.S. travel and tourism exports account for 24% of all U.S. services exports to China.” But the current visitation figures matter less in the eyes of travel marketers than the sheer potential the Chinese market promises.

About 70 million Chinese crossed their border in 2011, spending $69 billion, according to China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, a Germany-based research firm. And they’ve just begun.

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It will be difficult to leave family, friends, familiar surroundings, American food and warm weather, but it will also be great to see the smiling faces of our 755+ students as we each begin our eight classes for the spring semester.

It certainly is NOT spring time there, with lows in the 20’s and steady wind and overcast skies. It will take nearly three days for our apartment to finally get the concrete walls and tile floor warm, after sitting empty and becoming very cold during the time we were away. Keven will turn on the heat the day before we arrive, so that will be a big help.

‘Thank you’ to family and friends who have hosted us as we travel and those who have treated us to special times with great food and fellowship. 🙂 We visited four different congregations in Texas and Florida (especially enjoyed the singing) and I was asked to speak at three of them (showing slides/videos and giving details of our work); we also visited our mothers in Tennessee and California.

Several have asked on both ends of the trip about jetlag. Since we knew we had such a big difference in time zones, we prepared mentally for it and there was ‘no big deal’…we just lost some sleep but continued moving forward.

Contrary to what some had said, it was not strange or scary to drive for the first time in over 11 months, in a trip in San Antonio to Wal-Mart….like riding a bike…something you never really lose the interest or ability to accomplish.  Our first stop after the 26-hour trip was just after midnight in San Antonio, and Eric and Aiden’s beaming smiles were met with temperatures in the high-60’s, so comfortable that the boys were outside barefoot and in short sleeves. 🙂

We never really got cold or needed heavy clothes until we had been here just over three weeks, and we headed north to Tennessee. It was also around 80 for most of our South Florida visit…thousands of people from all over the world, who can go anywhere they want for the winter, choose to come to Broward County…we are blessed to have family there who welcome our visits!

I took part in annual contests to pick Bowl Game winners with friends and family…finished second and third in the two groupings and enjoyed the games very much. I correctly picked Alabama to win it all, and was thrilled the SEC won the BCS title again…growing up a sports fan in the South has conditioned me to pull for the league against all comers at this time of the year. Also finished third in NFL pick contest.

I went from last to first in our fantasy football league playoffs, where I am the commissioner. It’s difficult picking, etc., since I am able to see so few of the games….they are played while I am asleep in China, due to the 12-hour time difference.

Disappointed that I will miss the final two weekends of NFL games, including the Super Bowl, due to travel.

We were in Waco the weekend of the Baylor-Missouri basketball game, aired on ESPN. I attended it with TJ’s cousin, Dale, who is one of the many fans. Here is what was said about the matchup: “The biggest game of the weekend. Both are in the top 5. Baylor hadn’t been involved in a game in its history involving two top-10 teams until it lost at Kansas on Monday; now, the Bears will be playing in their second such game in a row.“ Baylor lost by one point in front of the second largest crowd in Baylor basketball history.

We were able to collect some ladies gloves for distribution here…we’ve found some with frostbite that goes back to the elementary years…cold, red and puffy fingers are no fun anywhere.

Terry has been asked to teach one class of sophomores Oral English on our Central campus…I will have a video listening group again, which was a surprise but OK with me…I enjoy spending time with the juniors.

As we have informed before, each class meets once per week and is two sessions of 45-minutes with a five-minute break in between. We have workbooks with themes/material designed to guide the students toward vocabulary and items they will encounter in American culture, etc.

As usual, the students are highly motivated and very appreciative of our efforts and involvement in their lives. We have plans for two relationship groups and two teacher groups each weekend, so we’re excited for what is ahead.

We said ‘goodbye’ to six students from 2011 but get occasional emails and texts from them…we miss them but know their ‘moving on’ is the goal in this educational environment. We also know that many of our second-semester juniors will be available less and less due to the importance of preparation for end-of-year final exams and increased workloads. We have seen  already that they begin heavy-duty preparations well before the final year…a good habit indeed!

It has become clear to each of you from our pictures that we mostly read books to Colton and ate the whole time we were in South Florida…and then did some fine eating in Tennessee and Texas, too. 🙂 I have really missed some American foods this past year.

We will send out a shutterfly.com link for those who want to see pictures taken of our family. Many who get this newsletter have known our family for 20-25 years and enjoy seeing their growth.

We enjoyed renewing ‘late-night talks’ with several who have been away from us for a number of years, since we have worked in Ohio and California prior to leaving for China. It’s great when church Family can ‘pick right up’ so quickly…it speaks to the richness of the friendship.

We did get to experience an American tradition while in Florida: a yard sale. Cool weather cooperated and we had some good success…the good ole days 🙂

We will take back some warm clothes and found they took up more space in the trunks…we had to pay for the extra one by the airlines but it was worth it.

Some have asked about our actual spring semester schedule: I will teach classes from 8:00-11:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and will have a 4:05-5:35 p.m. Wednesday class and a Thursday 8-9:35 a.m. class. Terry will have 8:00-1135 a.m. classes on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and a 10:05-11:40 a.m. and 2:05-3:33 p.m. class on Monday. I will have no classes on Monday and Terry has no Wednesday classes. No classes are scheduled during a ‘rest period’ between noon-2:00 p.m. No argument about that from the teachers or students! . 🙂

We deeply appreciate your prayerful support of our work. We had 30 families and seven congregations help in 2011, and have 11 families and five congregations helping in 2012, with some pledges still ‘in the works.’

Because we expect the pledges to eventually come in, we should be OK for our 2012 finances.

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Wishing all of you the very best during this holiday season. We are blessed to have time to spend until February 8 with family/friends in Texas, Florida, Tennessee and California

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with fellow Christians on the South campus, and the environment has been cheerful and holidayish every since. Students really get into the Christmas holiday time, and are excited to also be finishing the semester and going home to see family and celebrate their New Years and month-long Spring Holiday.

I was able to watch some of the NFL games on Thanksgiving, and even some of the college games, via this site: http://www.myp2p.pe/. For those who do not have NFL network on your cable plan, you can see games there, too, I would think. Am looking forward to seeing some bowl games now that we’re back in the good ole USA 🙂

The weather has turned brutal at times…lows in the 20’s degrees at night….highs around 32 at the end of the month. We have a heat pump in each of our two bedrooms, but they struggle to keep temperatures at 62 in the half of the apartment with no heat. We’ve covered the windows with more plastic to stop the ‘breeze’ that occasionally blows there.

The students are texting us to make sure we are “taking care of ourselves,” and we offer daily prayers for their health….and we remember there is no heat in the dorms and teaching buildings and become very grateful.

There is a picture of Tonia, Eric and Wendy, with Brinson and Aiden, on a recent trip to Tennessee. We are pleased to announce that Eric and the family will be coming to China next August to teach Oral English. The site is to be determined, but wherever they are in our province, it’s closer than Texas 🙂

Greetings from Terry: Did you hear the shout for joy in the middle of your night when we opened the Thanksgiving box from Griffin Road? (Tonia’s home congregation). There were so many good things. Thanks for it all, especially the pimientos, Velveeta cheese and corn meal. We will be able to feast on the goodies for quite a while.

Today one of my classes gave me a small note pad on which each student had written a note with kind words and wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving. Here are just a few:

“Dear Mrs. Davenport, I’m very happy to write something to you because you are the first foreigner I meet in my life. In my opinion, I think you are very beautiful and young, because you always like to smile and you are very kind to us even you feel not well. Robert”

“Hello! Teacher Terry! Tomorrow is the most important Thanksgiving Day! I wish you could be happy in my country although you could not spend it with your children. You own the students. You can regard us as your children, what a good day! We wish you have good time! Dustin”

“Dear Terry: Happy Thanksgiving Day! Time goes by silently and you did leave a good impression on me! I hope that someday we can be friends not just teacher and student! It’s getting cold. Remember to keep yourself warm!” Yours, Eileen”   These students make the time and effort well worth it.

We had a very good Thanksgiving. We got to sleep a little later and have a relaxed morning as we prepared to go the South Campus for a 1:00PM feast. We had a delicious American Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings; KFC chicken and a couple of fried turkey legs from the Da Ren Fa market. There are some good cooks in our group. The visiting and fellowship was fun. Robert Hooker, another American that is on the East Campus was invited to join us for the meal and it was good to meet and get to know him. He has been teaching English in China some five years now.

Hope for those with Vitiligo! Vitiligo is a loss of skin pigment. It shows up as white spots on the skin. I myself have had it for several years. After seeing a specialist in America and being told there is not cure I resigned myself to go on with life. It is not painful, contagious or a threat to my health. It will not kill me and does not separate me from God. I am still the same lady I was before only now I am a spotted lady :-).

Since being in China, two different strangers at different times have tried to tell me by gestures (not knowing English) that they can cure the spots on my neck.  Finally, with the help of several people I have been able to get the information they so desperately wanted to give me. Friday, November 25, a teacher/sister friend and I traveled 3 ½ hours by bus to Xiangyang. We were able to see Dr. Li Gang at the Chinese Hospital of Traditional Medicine. He is one of the four, and most famous of the doctors there who have specialized in the treatment of vitiligo for the past twenty years.

I talked to a patient that had the spots ten years before being treated by the doctor. His spots were cured but against the doctor’s warning the patient had gone back to drinking alcohol and the (cont. page 3) spots returned. I know of two others that have been helped by this medicine. Patients come from many other provinces to be treated. There were all ages waiting to see him. He told me (through my friend) it is a hard problem to cure. He took blood work to check my levels, particularly the liver function. After three months of medicine he will check me again. I am very hopeful. However it turns out, “to Him be the glory”. He can use me any way he sees fit. I will let you know how it turns out. — Love, Terry

More from Gary: As we finished this past week, I sent the following email to the teachers, who have been part of our weekly study: “As we make plans to leave China for a few weeks, Terry and I want to express our gratitude for your warmth and kindness to us. You have made our first two semesters a positive adventure, which we will always treasure.

“We have missed our family and friends in America, but we will also miss you during the next six weeks. I hope your holiday time is as good and refreshing for you as ours will be for us.

“Travel safely in the coming weeks as you finish your semester. Gary and Terry Davenport “

First email that came back: “Thank you for the beautiful letter. I love it. Enjoy spending time with your family, I know you miss them so much.  Merry Christmas and travel safely because it is a long trip back to America and we will miss you. We have a nice time with you. Through the good life study every Sunday, we know life is hard, life is full of pain or sorrow or bad things, but life is still the most precious gift from God! Enjoy the vacation!”

Another one: “I’m also very glad to meet you two. It’s really fun to have learned so much from you. Wish you and your family a Merry Christmas. Wish you a pleasant journey.”

Another one: “Merry Christmas! Wish you have a nice trip and a nice vacation! Give my wishes to your family.

“Thank you very much for helping us read the Bible. Without your help I can not understand it well. You made the Good Life study easy and interesting.”

Other emails from students: “Thanks for your patient teaching. We all enjoy those time we spend together. You and Terry are just like our own grandparents, patient and loving.  Hope you and Terry can have a gorgeous vacation, and see you next semester!

“Hi Gary and Terry, I read your email and I feel happy that you tell me about your travel to home, you two are good and nice people, what impress me most is that you two are example of good, compatible ,harmony couples, I seldom see couples love and respect each other so much like you two .best wishes ,enjoy the travel and the love from the family. Thank you for your kindness.”

I showed my junior English class It’s a Wonderful Life and asked them to speak five minutes on the importance of helping others, the meaning of life, and to talk of one who has meant the most in their life. They did their usual wonderful job! 🙂

Great news for Davenport family sports fans: Pat Summitt was honored as Sports Illustrated Sportswoman of the Year and Ron Santo finally elected to the baseball Hall of Fame.

Difficult for me to celebrate Duke coach being honored, since my dad got one of his degrees from North Carolina, though brother Bo is a Coach K fan 🙂

We gained a new student as we were closing our final Saturday morning study for the semester. Two junior non-English majors, Seven and Spring brought a friend, who was able to read and understand much of what was said from Luke 24 about the resurrection of Jesus. Cai Fang Min also plans to be part of our study next February, when we begin again. Like Spring, Cai has been read the Bible by a grandmother and is very interested.

We also gained two new students in our teacher’s group at our last study of the semester. We studied Jesus’s instructions about loving God and loving our neighbor, and they are going to get an English-Chinese Bible before we begin anew in February.

Next semester, we anticipate studies on Friday and Saturday night, Saturday and Sunday morning, and our Sunday evening worship…the best five hours of our otherwise very busy week 🙂

There were over 24.7 million folks connected to Skype the other night. We’ve not had great connections lately, but at least we could see family for a few minutes and could continue talking for 20-30 minutes.

Missed seeing the Army-Navy game on the TV for the first time in many years. This habit began in my early teens…enjoying watching the game with my Navy-alumni dad.

Some of my training manuals have sold recently, at Lulu.com. I am glad they are an encouragement and helpful to others. All of these newsletters are also available there, in black and white only.

Because we left on December 26, we missed the New Year school events, when some of our students performed(see pics on above) ….so we went to see them tryout their routines in hopes of being chosen for the special occasion. We enjoyed seeing their laughter and happiness during the tryouts, in spite of the pressure they felt.

As we finish this last newsletter for 2011, we have realized just how much we are going to miss our students and the Christians here each Sunday. It has become clear to Terry and me that we are going to ‘visit’ family in America and then will come ‘home’ to China.

God is so-o-o-o-o good!

Feeding China and the World

— China’s autumn harvest surpassed expectations this year, despite a constant battle with droughts, floods and pests. China Daily agriculture reporter Jin Zhu looks at how the world’s most populous country makes sure it has enough to eat, and enough to help feed the world.

China’s total output for grain this year hit a record high of 571 million tons, making it the eighth consecutive year production has exceeded forecast. More than 70 percent of this increase is expected to come from Northeast China, due to unusually favorable weather conditions, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. But agricultural experts are warning that the fat years may not continue, especially if grain production is too concentrated in the northern arable lands.

“Good weather does not occur every year. When and if natural disasters hit these major crop-producing areas, the impact will be great,” Lu Bu, a researcher in agricultural resources and regional planning at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) told China Daily.

Even as China battles more frequent floods, droughts and pestilence brought about by climate change, the world’s attention is focused on how this vast country manages to stay self-sufficient in grain. And it has succeeded, despite the doomsayers, and despite the natural disadvantages.

For instance, by August, prolonged drought had affected more than 4.5 million hectares of crops, of which 71 percent were concentrated in Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan and Inner Mongolia autonomous region, ministry statistics show.

Li Maosong, a CAAS researcher on disaster reduction, tells China Daily that drought is responsible for more grain loss than any other natural disaster.

“Nearly 60 percent of grain loss is caused by drought. The other main causes are floods, plant diseases and insects,” he says.

Another area of growing concern is the serious increase in pests in recent years. According to the Ministry, total arable land hit by diseases and insects is expected to reach 402 million hectares, a result of global warming and the catastrophic drought this year.

Plant diseases and insects are more serious this year compared to the average annual affected areas of 268 million hectares in previous years,” Li says. Red wheat mites and aphids attacked most of the country’s wheat-producing areas this year and the situation is worsening, according to the ministry. Li notes that around 15 percent of the grain harvest is lost to plant diseases and insects every year.

“But the impact is still limited for the country as a whole.” The curtailed impact is the result of precise monitoring, and timely intervention, and better management translates to better harvests.

Despite frequent extreme weather and the shrinking of arable land, China’s annual grain production has remained above 500 million tons since 2007. Much of it is due to the silent teams of researchers who work tirelessly to improve crop yields and reduce pestilence.

In 2010, the total grain-producing area in China was boosted to 109.5 million hectares, a year-on-year increase of 470,000 hectares, official figures show.

Scientific research on crops goes on in tandem with the constant search and supply of good seeds and the continuing education of China’s farmers in advanced cultivation methods.

According to ministry projections, the country’s total grain demand will reach 572.5 million tons by 2020, an increase of 47.5 million tons compared to 2010. To make sure the target is met, more scientific research will strengthen China’s ability to feed itself. That is why China is looking abroad for cooperation, exchanges and assistance.

In April, a joint laboratory for agricultural research was launched in Beijing with an agenda to study genetic resources, animal husbandry, veterinary science, agro-ecology, and environmental science. It was the first agricultural lab set up between China and Brazil.

A twin cooperative center is to be built next year in Rio de Janeiro, which will be the first agricultural program by China off-site. Beijing plans to set up nine other such joint laboratories with more countries, including the US, Canada, Germany and Russia.

In 2010, more than 900 million people worldwide suffered from malnutrition and hunger, up from 800 million in 1995, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. It is not just through food aid that China is helping to feed the world. The world needs to increase its food production by 70 percent by the year 2050 in order to feed a projected population of 9.3 billion, Vilsack said.

“Both China and US have the responsibility to ensure the world’s future food safety, by relying on their scientific researches, such as developing disaster-tolerant seeds and advanced planting method,” he said.