Preparing for thanksgiving in C hi.n a!

As I sit here eyes glued to my computer making multiple tests for tomorrow, I smell the wonderful smell of homemade banana bread!!  Oh yah!  Success!!  This is for my B Study group Thanksgiving meal on Thursday.  They have chickens and mashed potatoes provided.  Not sure what else, but so far those two things sound AMAAAAZING right about now!  Our English Ch.ur ch service is having a gathering on Saturday night with entertainment for the evening.  Its mostly any talent will be accepted, they just sign up and perform during dinner.  This could get interesting!  Dozier and I will be singing a few lovely songs with our B study.

So... for the last two weeks I have been searching for marshmallows  and to little avail, I have only heard of some flavored kinds around here... oh well.  I really wanted to make sweet potato casserole and have been secretly pining for a bag to complete a traditional AMERICAN!!!  sweet potato casserole... Well, I thought all hope was lost and then.. my coworker called me a few minutes ago just to say that her family sent her a care package in which it contained.........
A BAG OF MARSHMALLOWS!!   Oh YEAH!!  And she wants me to make it for Saturday!!

Ok... So I was just a little excited! 

I will also make sweet carrots, a baked veggie dish which will probably only have zucchini and carrots and cinnamon apple bread.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!  Enjoy a picture of my homemade banana bread here:

Whats this?  A missing piece?    :D

Best times to call D + M in Chin.a

Hey friends!!

Some have been asking when is a good time to call so... I created a list of our available times to take calls for your convenience!  It is a house phone so obviously... we must be home to answer!  First, our number is a local number and works as if you are calling us in Birmingham AL.  

You can call us on Michaella's old cell phone number,     205-332-9865    Our calls are made through Magic Jack and works through the internet.  We bought a dinky little house phone that buzzes in our ears like a bumble bee, but its ok because we only spent about $5.50 USD on it so if it goes out then oh well.... have to get  one that's a bit better.  It was the cheapest one we could find, some range up to $120 USD!!

Anyway!!  Here are our available times that we are home; I will write the times forhe t Central time zone to make it the most clear:

(PS This is while in daylight savings time, when the US falls back; that means we are 14 hours ahead in time here)

Sunday:         5 am to 9 am
Monday:        5 am to 9 am
Tuesday:       5 am to 9 am
Wednesday: 5 am to 9 am
Thursday:      5 am to 9 am
Friday:           5 am to 10 am   ALSO 5 pm to 12 am
Saturday:      12 am to 9 am   ALSO 10 pm to Sunday at 9 am

Our Eastern coast crew, just add one hour because we are 13 hours ahead.  I hope this was not to confusing... We are home around 5 or 6 pm each night and its hit or miss on the weekends.  

We love you all!  Please eat some turkey for us!

D + M

School dayz in C.hin.a November 2012

Hello everyone!  Just a quick update on the life of the Lee family:  Life is going well, and we are just swamped with so many wonderful new and exciting experiences everyday!  Life is still hard and think it will stay a bit difficult here and there.  We are very excited about the new things taking place here for example, Doziers school is building an orphanage here that will house over 300 children.  It will be on the outskirts of the town, but on the other side of the town that we are not living on.

We take an offering every Sunday for the building of this place.  What a humbling moment, doing M work and STILL GIVING to the work of the Almighty FATHER!!!!  Last I heard we may be about a third into what we need to raise here to begin buying supplies!!  I am unable to go into much detail on the exact kinds of children, for certain censo,re.d  reasons of course.  Please join me in CONVERSATION the the FATHER that funds will come in and the bill will be filled for them!  I do know MANY in the school are ready to go build but we need supplies to build it!

I (Michaella) am very excited about this new work lined up and can not wait to see it finished!

Our classes are going well; it is very tough for so many reasons: language, culture, different ways of thinking and just learning how to respect their culture while still maintaining our own, respectively.  My 5th and 6th graders are a handful because of glorious young teen puberty... yaaay.. LOL

Last week, I had first report cards go out, family night and parent teacher conferences. WOW what a whirlwind the last two weeks have been!!  So I apologize for not blogging more!  Many nights we both have wanted to but with so many events and school we have just tried to maintain!

On Monday, my class is giving a small presentation, as every class will do in the school year.  Our skit is on Rindercella slopped her dripper.  It has been very tough and grueling trying to direct my, at times, chatty and giggly young teens to cooperate in the very minor "romantic"scenes- that is, as much as Cinderella is romantic with the prince.  I can not wait to put up some pictures and hopefully get a video AND download it!

Well, its Thursday night here and we are sitting in the campus coffee shop freezing thinking on the results of yesterdays polling results...  May the results all bring us into a deeper understanding of our FATHER and deepen our fai.th in HIM :)

So this evening we ate cafeteria dinner and the spicy Lomein warmed our bones for a time but ooh!  Its below freezing each night and my once hot tea is icy cold now!!!  He is drinking coffee and I am drinking citron tea with a little honey.   OH SO TASTY!

Last night, we were invited to a parents house for dinner, and the family spaghetti, that is a common thing to serve your child's American teacher LOL.  We had Ko.r3an cookies and home prepared Sycamore tee.  WOW it was sooo good!  We shared great laughs and a time of serious bl3ssing from the father of the house.  How great it is to be among people who truly care about what is going on in our lives, because we have our hands in their children's lives!!

Gotta run, I have many papers to grade, slow internet to attempt browsing and plus my fingers are cramping from typing and the cold in the coffee shop.  I added this picture onto facebook from instagram so I hope you enjoy!  We took this as we left Chu.ch last Sunday 11/4/12.  This is our walk in the long hallway that we all call "The great wall"  From the outside, it was built to look like the real thing.

LOVE TO ALL!!!  Please eat some turkey and some authentic southern dressin for us will ya!!


(PS... That brown BOOK is the new Bi.ble that was sent to us by some good friends of ours.  Thanks to all those who contributed to our care package!)

Snow dayzzz in Ch. i.na

What is this crunchy white stuff under my feet?  Why, its SNOW!! 

If you cannot read what I wrote it says:
"FIRST SNOW IN CHINA
10-22-12"

Finally I (michaella) has seen a thick blanketing of snow!  Dozier and I were in our dorm room, studying for the next days classes when one of my fellow teachers came banging on our door.  She was yelling COME SEE THE FIRST YA.NJI SNOW!  (There are three other faculty near our door).

Everyone poked our heads out and within a few minutes we were outside standing amazed under the lamp post.  I could not believe how dark it was, and how little our visibility was!  I was completely astonished.  My fellow teacher from North Dakota was laughing at me, just so enjoying,  a newbies first few minutes of REAL heavy snow. 

 I couldn't keep out of it as I tried to catch some on my tongue  more like was pelted in the whole face.  The flakes were HUGE!!  Such an exciting moment, then I began feeling very wet and soaked then said I think I need to go in now.  Thankfully, i stopped snowing somewhere just before dawn, then the ground was completely covered.  I would say in the highest parts, maybe 5 inches and low points maybe 4 inches.  It hard to tell, because the wind is so strong here.

A view from the second floor of our dorm building.

This is a view, from the second floor of the front
 entrance to our dorm.

This is overlooking an open area near the family dorms.

Family dorm area.

We took a walk to the coffee shop for coffee/hot cocoa and some awesome grading.  This is in between dorm 3 and dorm 2.
Just beautiful <3

This is the front side of our dorm, dorm four.  We were walking in the "great wall" on campus to the coffee shop.

A walking area where many sculptures are out on display;
art work that the students have made i.n the past

Snapped this right outside of the campus coffee shop.  The steps had frozen over so fast, that I almost slipped right off of the front steps leading outside.  I did an ultimate gravity check, and yes, my conclusions were correct: gravity is in perfect working condition.

Another view outside of the coffee shop.

Coffee shop

So thick!!  Check out the footprints!

This is a view from our campus over looking Y.an.ji. The ring and sculpture in the middle is one of the many pieces of artwork from the college campus.

I took this from inside the "great wall" on campus.  The next time im outside and not in such a hurry to get to school, I will take some pictures of our "great wall".  It was built to protect people from the weather, ease of getting to each building and for safety.  Some call it the "great hall"  because that is what it is, literally.  From the outside, it is built as a replica of
The Great Wall of C.hin.a

This is the view the next morning from my teeny tiny kitchen window.  We live on the ground floor.  The pink building in the picture is the campus Nursing building.

The rest of the pictures were taken on my way to school.  I left early just so I could take pictures in the sunlight.  
This were taken about 6:45AM on October 23, 2012.  Enjoy!!

This was written by the other middle school teacher.
She totally rocks!!

My walk to school each morning overlooks the city.  The snow is covering so many little crops from the locals.  Its all gone now...

My rain boots with a snow liner in my boots.  I hope they will keep me warm enough- this is my walk to school the next morning.  

Hello Ya.nj.i Chin/a!!

This area was once crops; the mounds are actually the dying piles of harvested corn stalks.

More covered crops; the stalks here are dying sun flowers.

The students soccer field goal.  I thought this was a pretty picture, and it shows how much it snowed last night.

Pretty scenery.  Just beyond these trees by about 50 yards are more crop areas from the locals.

DEEP FOOT PRINTS!!  I hear it will only get deeper! AAH

Pretty picture as I turn into the back part of my school.
So beautiful!!

Signing off for now; it is midnight and I need rest for Friday!  It is family night for the middle school, that is me and one other teacher lolololol  we combine 5th and 6th (me) and 7th and 8th (that is the girl who banged on our door to come see snow).

Much love to all.  Please reference our Pr.a.y/err tab, there are some pressing needs to be LIFTED up!

I do hope to blog on my schools family night after we have it on Friday!!

KEEP PR.A!S!NG THE FATHER IN H3AV.EN WHO SITS ON THE THRONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Set your gaze like a flint towards HIS SON; this may be established by intentional reading of the WORD and seeking HIS FACE!!  GLORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shopping in C.h*n.a

Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy :)  The other American girl is from Louisiana, whom we have gotten to know very well.  She has become a very good friend, to me and to us both.  She teaches with me at my K-12 academy and live in the same dorm.  We share a wall actually LOL so we have definitely become close friends!  The Asian girl we had not met before.  She actually asked if she could take our picture with her.  This is a typical thing that happens.. lol  

We had all just bought some bread treats from the store and was about to go into another store like Walgreens or CVS; but we didnt know if we could go inside with our open food.  So we waited outside and shared some laughs while we each enjoyed and shared our treats with each other.  That's when this girl came up and asked, in her very little and broken English if she could get a picture with us.  She was sooo happy that we did and couldn't stop smiling and thanking us.  We tried to talk with her as much as we could and are allowed; she spoke Chin3s.e so we had to be very careful.

Our conversation was not very productive because of our language barrier and gov.ernment restr.ict,ions..We must exercise wisdom in all situations and rest in knowing there is much working being done even through our WILLINGNESS!  

Surrender our hearts my friends  and let it not just end there, let it be our whole lives.  Thoughts- we can hold pure thoughts.  Actions- can be pleasing to HIM and others.  Words- can be sweet as honey on our tongues.  Be active, make action happen in your life!  There is such a need!  Be ready in and out of season!  Pr.y without ceasing!!  May HE do as HE wills in all of our lives <3

Okay, here are a few pictures for your enjoyment :D

Dancing in the park... C.hi.n.a days

After a long day of shopping for home goods and groceries one day, we hopped on the city bus and headed home.  The weather had not turned cold yet but was rather pleasant out.  It was about 6:35 as we stepped off our bus stop near campus.  With bags in arm and laughter in our hearts, we heard some authentic oriental music coming from an open park near our stop.  Quickly, we ventured over to see what might be taking place and in the clearing we saw, maybe 30, people in an organized dance to this music.  It was so intriguing to see this take place that we set our bags near us and stood by and watched for a few minutes.

Most of the people there were really quite good in keeping up with the leader on their dance steps.  The crowd of dancers kept on dancing and we just smiled in admiration of how good they were.  Quickly we noticed it was simple dances and that we might be able to just jump in and try.  So we did.  HEE HEE  How fun it was, trying our hardest to keep up with the dancers.  We tried to stifle our our laughs because we were having so much fun on the back row.  It was like Asian line dancing.

A few moves called for some spinning and as we turned and faced front again, we noticed there were many people that sat and watched; some came up and joined and followed the steps like they had danced this for years.  Everyone watching were watching us; it was me, Dozier and another teacher, she is our age (and has become a really good friend!!)  So the three of us were dancing and having such a great time then we noticed  some people were taking pictures of us as we danced and smiled so big; we tried not to laugh too loud from our enjoyment but it showed on our faces :0

The dance ended finally about 7:05 and as the crowd began dispersing, we tried to talk with some people.  Not one person spoke English and was very frustrating.  At that point, we only new how to say HELLO, GOODBYE and THANK YOU in the two common languages here: Chin3s.e and Kor3a.n  We said it in the former first, and then got no response.  Then said thank you in the latter and every one started smiling and talking loud and pointing in a happy response HAHA  it was a good moment that we could AT LEAST express that we enjoyed dancing with everyone!

Well, we tried to communicate more but oh well, we just could not and so we got a few books to help us and hope t take advantage of our 10 week winter break here and learn one of the two languages.  The city is half and half of both cultures.  Every sign and package is in both languages here, so we still do not know which language to learn first.  Please TALK with the FATHER to give us wisdom on which to begin our lessons in.

The next day, I asked my 5th and 6th grade students about the dancing in the park.  They all began laughing so loud and said "Oh Mrs. Michaella, you danced with them???"  They could not stop laughing at me and I said we had such a  fantastic time and want to know what we actually did!  My students said it was actually a weekly exercise group that is open to all of the public for free.  They meet at 6pm and go until about 7pm.  Its a way to stay fit around here.  My kids laughed so hard because they said, in their words "only like, Grandmas and Grandpas do that!"  I asked, it this not open to all ages??  They said yes anyone can go do it, but only OLD PEOPLE do that!  SO I laughed and said OKAY Then I will meet you all in the park tomorrow at 6pm.  HAHAHA they al burst out laughing.

We were all glad to know we were not participating in summoning 'something' that should not be summoned.  In the moment of being there, we b3liev3d it was not anything spi.ri.tu.ally wrong to be doing so we stayed until the end.

Fun times, what memories and laughs the FATHER allows us, in the simplest things like dancing :)

TALK with the FATHER for our language barrier please.  We all share a frustration in not being able to communicate, but oh how we are reminded that in all things we must find our patience in knowing, maybe the PRESENCE in us, is preparing the way.  May HE be glorifi3d in all things.

Good night to all, please know we love and miss our loved ones so very much.  Be a fragrant offering to HIM.  I challenge you all to step out of your comforts and touch the unlovely; seek HIM to pour HIMSELF onto you to be a vessel for HIM while it is still called today.  Rest in HIM, and bring that REST to others.  BE EARTH SHAKERS!!!

LOVE TO ALL!
D & M

(P.S. written by Michaella :D)

Traveling, and a month & a half later in Ch.i n a

A mighty whirlwind!  Is how we can describe the last 6 1/2 weeks in this ever growing cold land.  Our apologies are given towards our first blog being so late.  I will dive right into how life has been for us: difficult, in every way.  The traveling was... okay... until we left the states and arrived in Beijing.  That flight from LA to Beijing was 13 hours... It was grueling, for me anyway.  Of course Dozier chatted his neighbors ear off and slept like a dead log..ugh...  That man can sleep anywhere.  We were in a row of three seats and both of us in the middle.  We ended up being separated after all... Oh well..  As the flight progresses,  I tried to sleep  and could not then was unable to get my hands on the meds I brought to help me sleep.  My bag was ino the overhead bin that it seemed near impossible to let them down and dig so hard my own bag.  This was a large plane, I think it was a 777.  Large, packed and not one empty seat.  It was a long, hot, miserable flight.

As soon as the flight took off, they fed us.  It was our first authentic meal; it was tasty!  (That is a very common phrase the locals use when something is good)  After the meal I was beginning to swell from lack of water... hooray....  Every lay over was rushed or everything was closed, so we had no way of getting water for a long time.  Finally, the beverage carafes were being served and I was sooo ready to down my hot soup and then the 'cold' water they were serving.  I was given my 3 ounce cup, I felt like a child but was desperate for water so I gladly took it in one large then one small gulp.  To my surprise it was very, very warm water.  Not hot enough for a tea bag but hot enough to take in slow sips.  I almost spat it back out, but held it together and had my first experience of real Chi.ne.se food, beverage and a hospitable cup of hot water.  The lady next to explained the Ch. drink hot soup as their beverage with their meal, no glass of cold liquid in any form, then after the meal they serve a small cup/mug of hot water.  Its custom and shows hospitality.  If you go back many years, the Ch were very, very poor and would serve hot water as we would serve a hot cup of coffee or tea to guests as a sing of being hospitable to your guests; it also shows you are somewhat wealthy to serve hot 'tea or coffee' after a meal.  Every meal we have had in an authentic form, they have served us hot water and hot  every soup is served.  Now, at every meal, my body is used to the hot liquid and I crave having it.  Another reason for the hot soup served is, eh, to put it politely  it 'gets things moving' within the body.  The hot liquid makes you have use of the lavatory soon.  It wakes up the large muscle and keeps the body regular.  I thought it was fascinating.  :)  What a different culture, what a different people.  So neat.

Life is sooo simple here, but more simple outside of the city.  The city living people are upscale and high society; but that goes for any region of the world, I would think.

Well, back to our travels...  After the meal, everyone closed every shade and slept for about 9-10 hours straight... Including the passenger to my left and right.  I watched two movies, talked to the L and asked HIM to help me make it because I could not fall asleep.  My body began hurting all over so I began sweating  profusely as my body made preparations for the imminent death from the dehydration settling into my bones... I called for a flight attendant to beg for mercy IE: WATER!!!  Well, I got the same 3 ounce cup with room temp water.... Oh how it was refreshing.  I look between the tiny crack between the seats and Dozier is passed out.  I lay back and just cried from the pure misery I felt.  My attempt to wake the sleeping passengers went with no success as I cried to myself in dire need of the lavatory.  Finally, I just rudely climbed over the non English speaking man to go.  Barely did I make it there and back.

Our room was not set up upon arrival, we did not get to shower or even refresh until about 8 hours after landing.  When we finally got our bags into our rooms, we showered and went to the cafeteria for diner.  We ended up moving to a different dorm room three days after, the first one was dark,  very dirty and had mold in the closets and bathroom.  Finally, we packed the small taxi full and moved across campus to a tiny one bedroom efficiency   Wow this room is small but at least our bed lifts to so great storage compartments in our bed frame.   Its kinda neat the way it is set up.

The next day after we landed, Saturday, I went to my school to begin preparing for classes ON MONDAY!!  Well, I got there about 9:30am and within about 30 minutes, I started feeling sick.. REALLY sick.  I had no phone, no idea who to call, and I was getting sick fast.  If I had a mirror I bet I was white as a sheet.  Of course, my classroom doors were shut as I tried to call out for help, I felt so sick I couldnt even draw in a full breath to yell for help... all I could do was lay my head down on my desk and try to breath.  My whole body went numb, I could not feel anything.  Next thing I know, another new teacher, from California, came in and she finds me face down on my desk.  I was laying there about 3 hours in pain, and in this weird total body numbness.  I was terrified.  Thank the LOR.D she came in.  We are really good friends now :)  She brought me water, like 4 cups, because they were kid size and the water is down the hall.  Bless her.  I made it to a couch in the teachers lounge with her help and laid there for another 2 hours.. I think.. Maybe just under two hours.  Well, finally I came out of it and I think I was was just crazy dehydrated.  Plus, my body had been trying some crazy foods for the last two days.  All of that sickness was strongly rebuked once I regained strength to speak it OUT of me!!

No more weird spells like that, just some other minor, things I and we both have dealt with in the weeks to follow arriving.  Life is smoothing out more and more.

Well, to wrap up a few final thoughts on the beginnings of our new life here, it really took us about 4 weeks to feel settled and stop waking up at 3AM.  Yes, that was probably the second hardest thing to adjust to, the sleeping patters here.  (the hardest things have been the lack of knowledge of where and when to buy water, and adjusting to the foods right away)  For the first few weeks, we were wanting to go t bed by 6:30pm, that is when it became dark in the late summer.  We were up with the sunrise around 3am to 3:30am every morning.  In a way it was very nice, because he and I would just talk for hours about so many things around us, past, present and future.  This was very healing for us, since we just graduated college, long endearing talks were quite scarce during the semester months.  Now, we are on a normal schedule, in bed around 10 and I get up about 5 to 5:15am.  Him, around 6:45.  I just like to be in my classroom about 6:45 to 'set the tone' of the classroom by talking to HIM!  :) :) :)

I will write again soon about how our classes are going; a small snippet: I LOVE BEING A TEACHER!!

Pictures to follow soon.  Love to all.

In Chine.se we would say Zai Jian  (Ts iya jee-ehn) That is good-bye
and good night is Wan An (wuah ahn)

Please keep pr. a. y ing for our health, our relationships, finances and our hearts.  May ALL things be given for HIS  G L O R Y!!!!!