I'm really here!

Hi, I am alive in China! It was a little difficult to get internet access while I was in Luxian, so I'm sorry that this is the first post from China.

The English camp was so awesome! I really had a great time teaching (amazingly it went very well) and I was able to have a few meaningful conversations with students. Today (Saturday) we went on a hike with the students. The "mountain" near the school had a Buddist temple at the top, so it was easy to start a conversation about spiritual matters. I really connected with a girl whose English name is Eileen. She is Buddist, though she didn't sound as if it were a major part of her life. I pray that I was able to plant some seeds about Christianity.

The camp is going to last another week, but our team from Colorado could only stay for one week. (Many people could not take that much vacation from work, and there are three college students who start classes soon.) It was so sad to leave early!! I felt like I just barely got to know any of the students. And, I felt like I was just starting to get into the groove of teaching.

Now we are in downtown Chengdu, staying at the Sichuan Hotel. (Which, by the way, is rather posh! Our hotel in Luxian was comfortable, but this is definitely a step above.) We went out to dinner at a nice restaurant, and then walked around the pedestrian mall. Chengdu is a very large city and to me it almost feels like home, except that I can't read anything and I can't understand what most people are saying. Tomorrow we will visit the Panda Research Center in the morning (because it will be cooler and the pandas may actually be outside....otherwise they put them inside in the air conditioning--while the people get to be outside in the hot sticky air.) Then we will visit a church in the afternoon.

It's getting late, so I'll wrap this up. (Right now it's 11:20 PM.) I have so much more to share; maybe I'll be able to post a picture or two next time.

Thank you for your prayers!!!