Peeling back the layers.

In my mind, China has always been an onion. No, it doesn't make me cry, but when I peel back a layer, I find another fascinating layer...and another...and so on.

As a result, I feel like I should apologize to you if I ever made a statement like, "China is ______." I made many matter-of-fact statements like that before I came here, but what did I know? It would help if you take the statement I made to you, consider the opposite and throw them both in a mixing bowl. That's a great recipe for China.

Okay, context. Last weekend we visited Qufu, the birthplace of a man who is a layer in every good Chinese onion- Confucius (or Kong Zi if you're really wanting to learn Chinese!).

We visited the temple where they worship a man who never intended to be viewed as a god. Yes, the Chinese approach to him is an onion all to itself.

Confucius is buried here....or so they say. Actually our tour guide wasn't even sure, but he is buried somewhere... A bit perplexing, but it did make me think about graves that are definitely empty :)

Overall, I'm glad I visited Qufu. I gained a deeper respect for the Chinese capacity for belief and a deeper understanding of Paul's temple experience in Acts 17. What is this need for worship that is found in every culture? It seems we all share this layer. Could it be made by and for Someone? Hmm.

I think I'll stick with the onion analogy. It's lasted for 13 weeks so far, and I don't see the layers running out anytime soon.

The rest of the trip (for all you picture people)

Qingdao- Northeast China. Beautiful. Put it on your list when you come visit me :)

teaching, dancing

My students and I are mutually fascinated. For most of them, I am their first foreign teacher. For most of them, I'm the first teacher who doesn't read straight out of a textbook. You could say we're in a kind of a dance at the moment.

The goal is English, I tell them, but more importantly, the goal is communication. What a beautiful bridge language can be. "Think guys... think", I always say. They haven't thought about that much before :)

They're full of smiles. They want to learn. They know about as much about themselves as they do about English. They definitely have a lot to learn.

UPDATE

I'm going on another trip! The school is taking us to a city called Qingdao in Shandong province. It's supposed to be pretty cool. I have been going pretty non-stop, so I think I'm ready for a vacation this time. It will be a great time to reflect on how fruitful these first months have been.

I've been rejoicing lately. I've seen the reality of this Hope we confess and have gripped it harder than ever. I'm learning more and more what Paul meant- "I am not ashamed of the good news, for it is the power to save."

I'm so thankful for your support. Keep the comments coming!

I hear ya, Xiamen.

National Holiday was last week (all week!). There have been many firsts in my move to China, but this one stuck out. I actually uttered the words, "I'm not ready for a vacation."

What? Who am I?

New place+new people+new job= maybe I just wanna sit for a while

So when a group of students suggested we all go to Xiamen ("sha-men"), I politely smiled and said ok (that was, of course, after asking "what's Xiamen?").

Good call, Chase. Xiamen, as it turns out, was voted 2nd best place to live in China. It's on an island off the southern coast of China.

Beaches. Check. Seafood. Yep. Starbucks...well duh, I'm there.

I managed to put my Grande Hazelnut Latte down for a few minutes to take some pictures...

The guys:

me, Caleb, Isaac, Emmanuel

They're awesome.

We hang out a lot and have gotten to be great friends.

(and we all have the same Father :))

They had to drag me away from here.

I was in a beach coma.

"Zhong Shan Lu"- a.k.a. Shopping Street.

Every city has one. This one was pretty cool. I loved the buildings. And it was clean!

The aforementioned Grande Hazelnut Latte.

This Starbucks had 4 floors! Be jealous.

Of course, I chose the top floor with the balcony view of the harbor.

Pay attention to the piece of land across the water on the left.

This was on that piece of land- called Liugong.

The island used to house consulate estates from all over the world.

Now all that remain are these beautiful, old colonial homes.

What better place for a coffee shop?

I walked for hours around this island and kept wondering, "where in the world am I?

After several hours of contented exploration, I decided to take a picture. Too bad it was dark by then. Sorry!

Filling in the gaps (again, for the detailed people!):

Although I didn't need a vacation from a change-of-scenery standpoint, I found that it was much needed in terms of relationships. I had been friends with these guys, but the trip gave us a chance to go deeper... a key theme this semester. So many times we want to reach out, but don't take much time to dig down. So we're digging, and wisdom from above has led us here...it's exciting :)

I arrived back in Nanchang and was greeted with 5 new classes (now I have 7 total) of Freshman. I'm now teaching around 250 students! Those classes were great this week. I feel like I'm thriving here. Thank you for lifting me up!

Group hug.

If this were a party, I'd be a terrible host. A month in Nanchang and I haven't even introduced everyone! Please forgive me. Meet my team:

Caleb

(he decided not to be serious for the pic)

Our devoted team leader.

Servant hearted, humble, fun-loving

Desires for us all to be heard and known in our team times.

We've definitely struck a common chord with sports!

He's adopted Auburn as his second team (behind his state team of Michigan. I'm also now a Detroit Lions fan!)

And he's a fellow guitar player!

This is his 6th year here.

He's a great friend.

Connie

Or better known as "Connie Mom"

Full of life, fervent, compassionate

She hugs EVERYONE. I love it.

She has won awards and made our school famous for its English program.

She continually lifts us up.

She is a great hostess.

She inspires and encourages.

She has great perspective.

She amazes me.

Faith

(but "th" is a problem for the Chinese, so you mostly hear "Face"!)

Loyal, a good listener, selfless

"Oh, I'll do it" she always says.

Her steady spirit adds stability to our team.

These students love her.

Her door is always open to them, and to us.

She's consistent and devoted.

She's patient (especially when I ask the same questions over and over...).

She's great.

Kelly

The only fellow Southerner (Memphis!).

Passionate, intentional, empathetic

She really cares about people.

Like really.

She's not afraid to be open and honest.

She's a great facilitator of communication.

Her blonde moments make me feel at home (love you, Mom and Christy :)!)

She definitely adds flare to the group.

She makes us all feel valued.

We're thankful for Kelly.

So that's my team! In writing this I'm thinking, "it's only been a month?"- I feel like I've known these guys for a while. I already feel so comfortable with them. They are just one more of the countless examples of provision I've experienced from His faithful hand.

Update on the New Semester

I've started 2 of my 7 classes (the rest start on October 10), and they are going really well. I'm still putting my thoughts together on what it's like to stand in front of these eager Chinese faces, but invigorating would be a good place to start. I'm so pumped when I leave class. I feel like they get me and I'm starting to get them. So exciting...

Seeing as how I'm one of 20 or so foreigners on a campus of 30k, I've reached instant celebrity status. This comes with the works: student paparazzi, blatant stares, wide eyes, and giggling. There's never a dull moment, to say the least.

So yeah, I like it. I recognize I could still be in the "honeymoon" phase of culture shock, but I would almost say that I really like it. Ask me in six months though and I think I'll have a better answer...

While you guys are working next week you can think about me basking in the sun on the beautiful coast of Southern China. Next week is China's National Holiday, and what better way to celebrate than to give the country a week off? A great idea. So, I'm headed to Xiamen with some teammates and students. I love my job.

Updates, people! I love to hear them. Thank you for all of your support. I just wish you could see all the fruit it's bearing :)

snails and earthquakes.

Sometimes it takes me awhile to realize my mouth is hanging open.

Stop staring, I tell myself.

I can't help it! This place is fascinating. China is fascinating.

I've always loved puzzles, so the complexity of this place and these beautiful people have left me in a playground.

However, I do apologize- sometimes it takes me a while to snap out of my gaze and let you look through my glasses (albeit still foggy).

I haven't even taken many pictures. That's how bad my figurative staring is!

Admitting it is the first step to recovery I suppose... I'll do better...

On with the title explanation:

Snails

So I told myself my blog would be more substantial than just a photo album of strange foods, but how could I resist Nanchang spicy snails? Plastic glove in one hand, sharp stick in the other...

Earthquakes

On an Auburn site I read that our beloved eagle, in her majestic pre-game flight, flew smack into a press box window. If that wasn't a bad enough omen, we had to evacuate our building 30 minutes before last week's kickoff due to an aftershock from a 4.6 earthquake... Needless to say I was the first one back in the building to watch the game! What a game- take that, omens! My team (this is them, by the way...introductions later!) has been incredibly welcoming to me, but they still haven't figured out my love for college football...

11 day synopsis

Snails and earthquakes are categorial opposites, but I feel like I've seen everything in between so far. Now that my head has stopped spinning a bit, I hope to offer you more consistent nuggets. Pictures and stories I can do, but what I really wish you could see is how joyful and peaceful my heart is. As much as my surroundings have changed, I believe many more things have changed inside me already. I believe renewal is the word. Praise...

Puberty.

Nanchang [non-chong]: noun- "Southern good"

When I asked one particular Nanchang veteran how she would describe the city, she said, "It's in puberty." Hmm...I was expecting "good" or "hot" or "crowded"....

Certainly the word "puberty" conjures up specific memories in our minds- particularly awkwardness, squeaky voices, pimples, and slow dancing. If you're not cringing at the memory of your junior-high self you're just not being honest.

That is Nanchang, at least from what I've seen in my limited time. But who of us can judge where they are? Puberty has to happen right? Nanchang is beginning to swerve from the far-right slow lane to the get-out-of-my-way left lane. This city has always been old school and rural, but China's economic locomotive is demanding rapid urbanization to fuel it's growth. Bottom line: it's Nanchang's turn to carry the load.

What does that mean? Well, for starters, Ford is building a $300-mill plant here. That should go nicely with the designs for brand new skyscrapers to be built soon. Welcome to the show, Nanchang.

Oh yeah, then there's that puberty thing. There certainly are the (figurative, of course) cracking voices and pimples here, but hope seems to be what people see when they look in the mirror. [again, I'm the new guy, so take it with a grain of salt]

There is one thing I'm pretty sure of- I'm in the slow-dance with Nanchang. I'm awkwardly extending my arms and not really knowing where to put my hands. We're kind of cheesily smiling at one another while we try not to make too much eye contact. I'm trying not to step on her feet and wondering if she notices how sweaty my hands are.

She's awkward, but still endearing. I suppose it's the hope. Hope has a way of propping the door open for redemption, and that's the song I believe we're dancing to.

My upward thought: may these people know the meaning of the song before the music ends. Thank you for lifting that up with me.

Goodbye, suitcase.

Tonight, I put my last article of clothing in a drawer and put the suitcases out of sight! Whew. Praise. Thank you for allowing me some time to get settled. Here are a few nuggets from the past few days:

Walmart

That's right, the one and only. In true American fashion, the morning after we landed our team piled in the van and did our part in stimulating the Chinese economy. Included in the small mountain in my buggy was an electric kettle (very useful), cleaner (even more useful...I'll spare you details), and peanut butter (it's the small things, ya know?).

Metro

Yes, I put another store in bold letters, but only because this is where I got my coffee maker (you just try drinking instant coffee for a month). I also got some popcorn and paper towels, in case you're interested.

Basketball

Among my few comfort purchases were some basketball shoes (yes, they had my size!). I've put them to good use already and have met some really cool students in the process. I'm so excited to develop those friendships.

Home

By this I mean the feeling of being settled in your abode. It's certainly a process, but I'm making good progress. Auburn decorations are scattered around (2 days until kickoff...so pumped), so that has helped. Making this place my own is definitely a goal of mine, and it's certainly something you can lift up for me.

Team Time

The best for last. These 4 other folks are awesome. Caleb, Connie, Faith and Kelly have warmly welcomed me and made me feel at home. We've been doing team building stuff this week, and I'm really thankful for the chemistry we've developed. I feel so comfortable around them.

Well, I'll stop there for now. I'm thinking about doing a video tour of the apartment when it's more presentable, so stay tuned. I'm only teaching one class a week until mid-October (most of my students are Freshman who have to go through military training) so hopefully I'll have some more time to clue you in on life.

Thank you all for your overwhelming support and love. I can't tell you how supported I feel. Keep the correspondence coming!

P.S. Just as a teaser for later posts, there is really, really great stuff happening here... I'm definitely supposed to be here :)