Shifting Gears

In an abrupt about face, we seemingly climbed out of the back seat of a car packed with Chinese teachers careening around the Chinese outback and went our separate ways. In the space of a couple of days, we were transformed from conjoined travelers enjoying the food, sights and hospitality of former students in Yunnan Province (photos) to denizens of different continents.
We leisurely made out way home to Beijing late on a Friday and by Tuesday the 13th Krista was on a plane to California while Preston eased back into the daily work mode.

This session, Preston is mainly focused on project work that requires a lot of reading, writing and editing. We are writing a book, at the invitation of Peking University, on how to teach oral English the TIP way. It’s a big project with a looming deadline. :0 Preston still gets a fair share of student interaction in teaching Music Club, helping out in other people’s classes and attending daily mealtimes. His other focus is trying to stay abreast of time zones and which state Krista is in, sleeping or awake, or West Coast, East Coast or Midwest.

Krista had barely touched down in the Golden State before she was airborne again and off to the East Coast with her mother to attend the wedding of former colleagues Peter and Laura. The nuptials were a blessing and it is a great joy to see our good friends together as husband and wife (photos).

It was an exciting day for Krista as she was honored to participate in the ceremony, offer a toast at the reception, meet Peter and Laura’s families, catch-up with some former colleagues and squeeze in some pool time with Peter’s little sisters. Afterward, she promptly caught another cold. :(

Then it was back to California where Krista is making several presentations at our supporting churches in Yuba City and Monterey before jetting off to Minnesota to visit our church in Crookston and attend the graduation of student friends at the University of Minnesota.

In her spare time, Krista is trying to wrap-up the TIP book pieces she’s been charged with and visit as many supporters as possible in between stops. Meanwhile, Preston is trying to find comfort in sole dominion of the dorm room and casting about for ideas on how to spend the week-plus break ahead without his best friend. Wherever she is.