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| fried noodles and sweet potato fries. Happy Thanksgiving... |
“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
Colossians 3:17
Thanksgiving week arrived in a block of arctic air that dragged temperatures into the single digits. From our cozy apartment on the 18th floor, we were thankful to be warm and safe as we looked out over the frozen city.
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| waiting for a bus |
We are thankful for so many things throughout the year – family and friends, health and work, students and colleagues. In a country that doesn’t traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving Day, it is exciting to share what we are thankful for each day.
Krista returned to our friend and colleague Bing Bing’s house for an English activity with Jack and Mark, who we haven’t seen in person for almost a year. They have grown and matured and it was fun to see the difference a year makes for the almost 12 year olds. Now Bing Bing’s parents have an apartment nearby where everyone celebrated her father’s 69th birthday with a table full of traditional dishes and a super-sweet cake. Grandma and grandpa were excited to host their first foreign visitor. Grandpa was not so thrilled with his birthday crown.
Our freshmen students enjoyed making Thankful Turkey Hands. There’s nothing that can’t be improved with a few markers and some colored paper. It was a good way for the students to think about what they are thankful for and why. It was mostly smiles and laughter as they shared their blessings with each other. The students all agreed that they like to eat to turkey, but that, in fact, they had never eaten turkey.
The freshmen students also held a talent show one evening in the auditorium. It was an entertaining time of singing, dancing, drama and poetry. It is always interesting and surprising to see the students do things outside of class. It also reminds us that they really can do anything if they are interested and put in the time. Most of the acts were not in English, but we were encouraged to be able to understand a lot of what was said...
The sophomores continued to show and tell "how to do something" in English for their mid-term exams. We watched a lot of interesting depictions of going to the zoo, cleaning the house and shopping as the students used words and actions to communicate. Almost every "how to" activity required students to get up early, wash their face and eat breakfast. Their mothers would be proud.
Thanksgiving Day started with an early morning visit to the public safety bureau to update our records, finally. We had been waiting for almost 1 year for the computers to be upgraded? We were thankful for the help of our colleague, Linda, and the friendly officer who helped make the long-sought appointment a success. It too less than 2 hours! PTL! We spent the remainder of the day watching and grading exams.
After work at 4 pm, we headed across town to a restaurant for a Thanksgiving dinner of fried noodles, sweet potato fries and sautéed lotus. We were too lazy to cook and didn't have any leftovers. Yay, for a day, the resources and the time to eat out. We capped the evening with a visit to the cake store and took a taxi home to watch a movie and then pass out... ready for Friday classes!
Later, we shared Thanksgiving messages and video chats via social media with students and former students, friends and family around the world. We praise Father God for every blessing, big and small. It has been a wonderful Thanksgiving...
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| how to go shopping |
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| The Emperor's New Clothes |
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| mid-terms are over! |
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| birthday food! |
Krista returned to our friend and colleague Bing Bing’s house for an English activity with Jack and Mark, who we haven’t seen in person for almost a year. They have grown and matured and it was fun to see the difference a year makes for the almost 12 year olds. Now Bing Bing’s parents have an apartment nearby where everyone celebrated her father’s 69th birthday with a table full of traditional dishes and a super-sweet cake. Grandma and grandpa were excited to host their first foreign visitor. Grandpa was not so thrilled with his birthday crown. 
The freshmen students also held a talent show one evening in the auditorium. It was an entertaining time of singing, dancing, drama and poetry. It is always interesting and surprising to see the students do things outside of class. It also reminds us that they really can do anything if they are interested and put in the time. Most of the acts were not in English, but we were encouraged to be able to understand a lot of what was said...
Thanksgiving Day started with an early morning visit to the public safety bureau to update our records, finally. We had been waiting for almost 1 year for the computers to be upgraded? We were thankful for the help of our colleague, Linda, and the friendly officer who helped make the long-sought appointment a success. It too less than 2 hours! PTL! We spent the remainder of the day watching and grading exams.
Later, we shared Thanksgiving messages and video chats via social media with students and former students, friends and family around the world. We praise Father God for every blessing, big and small. It has been a wonderful Thanksgiving...
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