I Made It!

There was a time when I thought I wouldn't make it in China. 

If you all kept up with my blogs from the beginning, you would know what I'm talking about. 

I had bucketfuls of anxiety ranging from I don't know ANYTHING about China to How will I be able to eat with all of my stomach problems? to Where is my financial support going to come from? to SQUATTY POTTIES?????

But here I am. 

Halfway done. 

Provided for and a lot closer to thriving than I thought I would be. 

Weird how the Father can be bigger than you thought, isn't it?

 

Last night we went out to dinner with our Chinese co-teachers. 

It was beautiful.

In the midst of laughing and trying to piece together sentences, I realized that we were 

friends. 

Not just friendly co-workers, but friends. And I love them. I love talking, laughing, and being silly with them. We don't always understand each other, but the effort is always worth it. 

Sophie, Sunny, Alex, Angel, Natalie, Yours Truly, Sarah, and Candy

 

That wasn't something I could've seen coming six months ago, before I boarded the plane to come here. 

I didn't know how it would feel to love 300 tiny Chinese children, what it would be like to work alongside my Chinese co-teachers, or how my anxiety would be overruled by being pushed to survive in an unfamiliar environment. 

I am amazed at how He is working inside of me and I am BA-LESSED by what I get to see Him do here. 

........

Also, just as a PS...tomorrow is the beginning of our Spring Festival travels. I'll be running around with my teammate/roommate Natalie until the middle of February. We'll be going through Beijing, visiting my Chinese girls from two summers ago in Chengdu (can I hear somebody say FULL CIRCLE?? I'm so amazed that I'm able to see them again HERE when I thought I was saying goodbye to them for good when they left America. Anyway, I digress...), taking it easy on a beach in Thailand for a week with other people from our program, and then heading to Chiang Mai for our organization's annual conference. You all are welcome to be lifting us up for safe travels and a good, full time. 

I'M SO PUMPED.