China Tour Updates
May 28, 2012
Family and Friends,
Our last few days were a blur of teaching in the classroom, English corner, and meeting with our students for lunch, dinner or
coffee/tea after the day was done. It was a thrill to see the Chinese students fully engaged with our team not wanting us to leave.
Further seeds were sown and we were careful with giving out the Word to those who were seeking it. Many e-mail addresses were shared
and we were all challenged to join QQ! Friday night we hosted a farewell party and were able to bake brownies and chocolate chip
cookies at a friend's apartment. The evening was festive with skits and a talent show! Good byes were bittersweet.
We left our area at 4 a.m. on a private bus and arrived at the airport in good time to check our luggage all the way home and fly to
Hong Kong. The Chicago flight was on time until they shut down the runway for weather -- two hours later we finally took off for the
USA. The 14 hour flight seemed to go slowly and we were disappointed to land and find out we would miss our Tampa flight. Two of the
team members were also missing their luggage -- somehow they were only tagged to Hong Kong. After a 6 hour layover (during which 5
team members departed for their home cities) we boarded for Tampa and arrived at midnight. More missing luggage but we trust that
these bags have made their way to their owners!
So begins the adjustment from the East to the West! I noticed right away how clean and quiet Tampa is on a Saturday night! We are
used to busy streets, bustling markets and sidewalk stalls cooking food, masses of people walking everywhere, dogs wandering
aimlessly......The overload of China slowly settles as we realize there is quiet and order in our world again!
Despite difficulties, our team accomplished what we set out to do -- SOW! The openness and eagerness of the Chinese students
allowed us to gain quick friendships and to lead conversations to eternal things. We have many email addresses to follow up on
and the local workers will follow through with those that expressed a direct interest. Some are very close to accepting!
Thank you for your important role in giving, lifting us up, and sending us. The experiences will never be forgotten. Our greatest thrill is
knowing four of our team members are desiring to return on a longer basis -- three possibly this fall! Lift them up as they
follow His leading.
Home. Safe. Changed.
With eternity in view,
Craig for the China Team
May 21, 2012
Family and Friends,
As I walked in the cool of the morning over to the university hotel lobby for internet, I passed sewers with dead rats, smelled open garbage pits through
which an old lady was digging, and gazed on the beauty of the surrounding mountains in the early morning light. China -- a land of extreme contrasts!!
We have entered the final stretch of our trip with just 4 days left to make a continued impact. We are fully engaged in our relationship-building and the team
is busy with classes, teaching, English corners and many other appointments with their friends. Questions are being asked, lives are being shared and we know
that this time of sowing will count in eternity. What a privilege to be able to prepare the ground, to sow and to see the light begin to dawn for some!
This past weekend was a blur of activity as we traveled Friday, Saturday and Sunday to the main island city close to us. It is quite the ordeal moving our team
of 26 from buses, to ferries to taxis/buses to reach our destinations! Not a simple task in light of the mass of people that surround you traveling the same or
opposite direction! Personal space does not exist in this land! Friday was a free day and we spent it sightseeing on Piano Island -- a beautiful resort island.
Not many pianos in sight but it was fun to travel the island in a tour golf cart and then walk around and see the sights. We were back for English corner and then
spent Saturday seeing the main university campus and participating in a large English Corner on the island. Sunday we sang in the international church service and
then prepared a full concert (Classical, Broadway, sacred) for an evening meeting in a 3 Self Chinese church. It was a full house and we were thrilled to give the
message of our Father in word and song!
Last night, Monday, we participated in a Talk Show at a sister campus to where we are currently. A Chinese-American teacher (who has been in China 4 years) hosted
us in a typical talk-show format, discussing any issues/questions about being college students from China and America. He is an animated, humorous man that made
the evening enjoyable and informative. We performed for the Chinese and they brought in their 11 piece traditional orchestra which was incredible! What a musical
treat! After the show we were mobbed by 300 students eager to meet us, take our pictures and get to know us! We were overwhelmed with the response and trust we
will see many of them in our English Corner tonight on our campus. It was a highlight of the trip so far! Our last days are going to be full indeed!
The team has done very well on all counts. Some sickness here and there but overall staying healthy. Great attitudes and a general excitement about the
relationships they are building and seeds they are sowing. I know they will be sad to leave on Saturday -- and the many things our Father has done will hit
them fully once they return home and look back at the intense journey we have been on! The food has been wonderful -- so many choices and we order all the
favorites at dinner every night! They have not starved even though some long for a real burger and fries!
Continue to lift us up that we can finish strong and return safely with many stories to tell. One of our students actually interviewed for a teaching
position in the fall -- please lift her up regarding the details of this. We are thrilled to see this type of response from our team!!
With eternity in view,
Craig for the China Team
May 16, 2012
Family and Friends,
It is early Wednesday morning and we are thrilled to see our Father working in very direct ways. We were challenged in our team meeting yesterday about trials being the place where we grow -- it has been very evident that our team has been growing! Watching our team members bloom before our eyes as leaders has been a thrill!
We spent a very busy Monday finding new accommodations as the team taught classes and held English corners. It took from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. to secure 6 apartments in a building where workers live. With a team of 8 we attacked each apartment making each one clean and sanitary. The apartments are basic but nice and certainly fit the budget! The location is perfect and all feel safe and comfortable. We needed to buy things like sheets, pillows, towels and supplies, but that far outweighed staying in the cheapest hotel down at the dock. So we are thankful for the amazing provision from our Father!
Yesterday was a slower day for our schedule (another design of our caring Father) and we were able to relax, meet students, take a nap and then energize in the evening with classes and English corner. It was wonderful to watch our team charge full speed ahead with confidence. Their feet are truly wet now and they have found a comfort level of moving around the town, university, and interacting and being creative with activities with their new Chinese friends. The seeds are being sown!
We did have 2 girls suffer from reactions to bug bites, but they stayed in their apartments with Benadryl and seem to be fine now. Jess Burchfield (who has been suffering from a torn shoulder since a car accident in December and is scheduled for surgery May 31) has swelling in her shoulder and much pain. Please lift her up!
We already have 3 team members desiring to return to China to teach in the future if that is His plan -- what a thrill to hear that at the early part of the trip! To watch our young people receive a burden and vision makes all the trials and stress of making these trips happen truly a joy!
We covet your continued thoughts for us. We still need all our funds to come in. We need to remain as healthy as possible. We need strength for all our activities and opportunities and for future trials -- we know it will not be plain sailing from here on out!
Thank you for partnering with us!
With eternity in view,
Craig for the China Team
May 12, 2012
Friends and Family,
We have had an adventurous 4 days already and appear to be somewhat worn out but excited at this point. The highlight of the trip so far was meeting about
30 Chinese students and spending time getting to know them. Excitement was all around as this campus has not had such a large foreign team before! We are
attracting attention and trust that this will be a benefit to our sowing!
Our flights on Tuesday went smoothly and we arrived in Hong Kong via Chicago on Wednesday evening. We had a great surprise when fellow CCC students
Shaun Stimson and Laura Schick walked up to our group!! We had no idea they would be in Hong Kong the exact same time as us as they flew to Thailand
for a similar venture. It was great seeing them and encouraging them on their journey too! We arrived Beijing very late (delayed Air China flight)
and finally crawled into bed at 3 a.m.
We woke up at 9 a.m. for a great Chinese/American breakfast and took the subway downtown. Alumns Josie Martin and Joanna Wiedeman joined us and we really
had great fellowship with them through the day. We spent time at the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Silk Market, the Temple of Heaven and the
Pearl Market. It was an ambitious day that left us worn out by 9 p.m. Early to bed and early to rise for our trip to the Great Wall!
Despite a hazy, muggy Thursday, Friday going to the Wall was misty and rainy. A pity we didn't have clear skies as the Beijing area can be quite
beautiful when you can see it! Mutiyang is a further stop along the Wall but it has 2 cable cars at different points which some took advantage of!
Most scaled the stone stairways to walk along the spectacular views of this man-made wonder of the world! The team was in awe! After our first
traditional Chinese meal close to the Wall we returned to Beijing and more shopping at the markets. We were certainly hoping our overweight bags
would be overlooked in the morning!
This morning began with a return to the Beijing airport and the blessing of having an airline agent ignore every overweight bag (which was all of them
since the domestic flight limit here is 44 pounds and we plan for the 50 pounds overseas). Since it was a group I think she had mercy on us! Thank you
Father! We arrived in the south at noon and were met by our host family. We transferred to the university location where we will be teaching,
learning and sharing on. We had to change hotels due to the poor and unsafe condition of the one we had secured so we are staying in the
university hotel which is very nice but more than triple what we had planned (so please think of our needs for additional funds -- we will absolutely need them
with this unexpected change of hotel prices). The hotel is only available for the weekend so we will need to find another home for the following
12 days. We know He has a perfect plan!
The team is thrilled to be here and making great connections already! We anticipate our Father working in many wonderful ways!
Please lift us up!
With eternity in view,
Craig for the team
May 9, 2012 (3:50 p.m.)
The group all arrived safely in Beijing around 1:00 a.m., China time. Only one suitcase was missing. So, the girl went back
and told them all luggage had made it except hers. They looked, and sure enough, they found it. So, they all arrived safely with
their luggage. It took a while to get to the hotel, but Joanna Wiedeman flew in and met them, and Josi Martin is meeting them
tomorrow to spend the day with them. Though it is 3:50 p.m. here, it is around 3:50 a.m. there.
Continue to think of them; they will spend tomorrow in Beijing.
Craig (via phone)
May 9, 2012 (7:15 a.m.)
After an uneventful 15 hour flight, we arrived safely in Hong Kong! From the air the views were stunning -- pity we couldn't
see the sights! Our flight is late to Beijing so we will arrive past midnight.
Spirits are good and the team is excited about being in China!
Craig for the team
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