a word from...

"I've been saying this since before we left...today is my least favorite part of the trip: the day we get back.

July 5th went like this:

12:00am - 3:30am = Ate Burger King, got home to fruit and salad and welcome home notes, showered, deleted e-mails, texted friends in China, felt sick from Burger King.
3:30 - 8:30 = Slept like a baby
8:30 - 11:00 = Awoke from my slumber, ate M&M's, reminisced with Lauren about the trip, ate Manhattan Bagel
11:00am - 3:00pm = slept
3:00 - 3:30 = thought about getting up
3:30 - 8:00 = slept
8:00pm - 3:00am - laundry, ate chicken cheese steaks and fries, watched a movie, more laundry, ate cookies, looked at pictures...still looking at pictures


Coming back is truly the hardest part of the trip for me...i just got used to living a different life with new people and all of a sudden i am thrown back into my old life that i wonder if i like or still believe in. It has gotten easier the more times I've gone to China and come back, but it's still hard.

So i want to ask, if anyone is still reading this blog, please continue to pray for us. The adventure is not over just because we are home. We have memories and emotions and new friends and old friends and stories and pictures that will remind us everyday of what we just experienced, and it can be hard sometimes to deal with that. So please, keep us close and try and understand where we have been. We are glad to be home most days but also wish we were still in China some days."

-Steve

our friend winnie

our friend mia and my wife, lauren

coming home...

We left for the airport early, 4:30am, Friday morning from Guilin. As we arrived, we realized that even though we were on time with time to spare the Guilin Airport was not even open yet, let alone able to check our luggage ahead of time. But as tired as we were, we didn't seem to mind, waiting and sleeping on the bus until it did open. We made it from Guilin to Gouangsho with no problem. We had about a 3 hour lay over in Gouangsho then another 3 hour flight from Gouangsho to Seoul Korea. With a 4 hour lay over in Soeul, the team rested and ate some pizza in the airport.
Many of us have been feeling a little under the weather with head colds and sore throats. Our long, 13 hour flight seemed to drag on with not feeling the greatest and not being able to sleep long, but before we knew it, we arrived at JFK Airport at 9pm Friday night. Praise God all of our luggage arrived and was stacked onto the bus for us to head home to Downingtown. We arrived with a crew of friends and family to great us. Hugs and kisses were exchanged between family and team members and our goodbyes were said.
For me, it is a sad homecoming. I feel as if I leave a part of me in China every time I leave. Sure, it is good to see family, friends and my dog! But the friends we have in China, and the short amount of time we had to spend with them stick out even more. We are so blessed from the time we shared as a team in China with the friends we made. Time with old friends from trips before, Zoe, Jones, Winnie, Mia, Toby, Davey, Shell, etc. And new friends that we will keep in contact with from now on!
My prayer for all is that we may not forget our time in Guilin, China. And most of all, the faces that we saw throughout the last 2 weeks. The laughs, tears, sports, games and new experiences we shared with our friends are all priceless and inexplainable at times. But we walk away, in hopes of seeing them again and if nothing else feeling blessed to have learned, grown, shared and received the love that we know and the love that we pray to radiate everyday!
-Kate

the long journey is over!

2 weeks goes by fast!
the team arrived home late last night around 1am.
i'm sure we will hear more soon about the amazing adventures they had!

a word from...

Greetings from Kunming! Our names are Steve and Patty and we have lived in China since 1993. We are like-minded American friends who live in China with our kids. We became acquainted with Dave and Linda and they told us of their love for the Chinese people...we share the same love. This week it was our pleasure to welcome Dave, Linda, Stephen and Lauren to our home in Kunming on Monday evening. We enjoyed a meal at a Tibetan restaurant along with traditional Tibetan music, singing, dancing and even an appearance by a couple of yaks.

On Tuesday we had a leisurely breakfast together and thoroughly enjoyed our time of conversing and fellowship with Dave and the rest. They were such a blessing to our family. The kids were thrilled with the candy and goodies that Uncle Dave and Aunt Linda brought. And Patty and I were literally moved to tears by the generosity of Dave and Linda. They gave us a very special gift to cover the remainder of our debt that we had incurred with the adoption of our Chinese daughter Sarah.

Kunming is famous as China's "City of Eternal Spring" and I think the milder temperatures, blue skies and fluffy white clouds were a pleasant surprise for our visitors after a couple of weeks in the sweltering heat and humidity of Guilin. Kunming is also known for the large number of ethnic groups that live in and around the city. The province of Yunnan, of which Kunming is the capital, is home to 27 of China's 56 ethnic minority groups. So we decided to take Dave and the others to Kunming's Minority Park. It's a bit like a toned-down version of Epcot with, VERY toned-down.

But we still had a great time looking at the different displays, with the different ethnic groups dressed in their traditional clothing, authentic homes that have been built for each ethnic group and even a few performances by some of the groups. In the middle of the park is the section devoted to the Miao people (we usually refer to them as Hmong in other places like Laos, Vietnam and in the USA). The Miao have a very high percentage of people who know our dad. And right there in the park is a fully functioning building that seats about 150 people. One of the Miao men told me that there are approximately 60 like minded there in the park among the different people groups.

Dave and Lauren also had the unique experience of being lifted up in the air on the trunk of an Asian elephant. The Dai people live on China's border with Thailand and use elephants for heavy labor in the steamy tropical jungles. The elephant was in the Dai section and for a buck fifty, you could have your picture taken while being picked up by the pachyderm.

Overall, it was such a blessing to have Dave, Linda, Stephen and Lauren with us. We know that they really have a heart for the Chinese students and they exhibit a very humble, gracious and friendly spirit with everyone they meet here. We look forward to the next time that we have the privilege of seeing Dave, Linda, Stephen, and Lauren and hope that they will have an opportunity to come and see us in our new location on the Tibetan border where we are moving next month.

From Kunming...

Steve, Patty, Josiah, Emily, Jacob and Sarah

a word from...

June 26th was me and my twin sister Amy's Birthday. At 7pm Amy and I went to what we thought was just a dance party but surprisingly it turned out to be a surprise Birthday party for us. It was so much fun! We were all dancing and every one had a blast. We also had some nice Chinese cake. Phil got cake all over his face and it was really funny. I really want to thank the whole china team for throwing the party. I also want to thank the Chinese students for the gifts they gave us. It was so thoughtful of them. I also want to thank gam and cherry. thank you lion and thank you jack for the gifts you got me!

I am having the time of my life here in china. The Chinese students are very friendly and would do anything to put you in front of them and thats something that most Americans need help on. The trip is going by so fast. Allthough i do miss home, i will miss the Chinese friends i have made very much.

-Tim

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Today, we took a trip out to the countryside of China. It was an hour and a half bus ride away from Guilin. Once we got there, we could see the poverty of the people that lived there. They lived in shacks and it seemed like the village was practically abandoned. The only people that we saw were very old, and there weren't even many of those. We walked around the village for a while, and then we walked to this sort of hotel and restaurant that was more modern. We ate outside and they served us western style food. It was very good. the scenery around the village was incredible, and we were very close to the amazing mountains of Guilin. It was a very neat experiance, and I think we learned a lot about the way that the farming community of China lives. Then we walked back to the bus and had another long ride back to the hotel. It was a very eye-opening experiance.
-Jeremy

a word from...

Greetings America,
Today we took a break from the bustling city of downtown Guilin and Jack guided us back in time to the serene and distant countryside of Aishanmen. As the 90 minute bus ride progressed, the wide highways slowly crumbled into narrow dirt paths, and the excited chatter turned to nervous giggling as we considered all the possible ways we could get stuck in this isolated farmland. The trees pressed in around our vehicle as impossibly formed mountains erupted from the ground around us. The locals held back the branches as our cumbersome bus lumbered cautiously down the narrow rocky path.
Once we unloaded I felt tremendously out of place as we ambled aimlessly though the quiet empty village. We hiked through the scenic landscape to The Giggling Tree; a renovated farmhouse turned Dutch hotel. As we passed all the amazing views of the sheer vertical faces of the trademark Chinese mountains and the bright green rice fields, I became increasingly depressed at the breakdown of my camera. I managed to capture one mediocre shot before it failed to cooperate. It wasn't too bad though because even the picture perfect memory of a camera couldn't remind me of the most important details of this experience; the heat of the sun and the smell of the dirt and the sight of the shifting shadows. Unfortunately, memories blur with time and will either be tragically forgotten or imaginatively embellished.
We finished off the adventure with a wonderfully western cooked lunch at the Giggling Tree served in a fashion which reflected the only selfish facet of the Chinese peoples' character; driving. The dishes were brought out one by one and it was every man for themselves as each person rushed to help themselves to a small portion of each type of delicious food. As we headed back to the bus I noticed the only blemishes of this nearly flawless countryside; a few commercial infections like advertisements plastered on abandoned farmhouses and colorful, umbrella-covered fridges selling refreshingly cool bottles of modernism. The world is making progress with technology and industry but at a high cost. The raw natural beauty of this little known area cannot be mass-produced or shrink-wrapped and it is nice to enjoy it while it lasts. The trip back was much more peaceful as we quietly relaxed in preparation for the wild farewell party tonight!

-Troy

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yesterday we visited the second and third campuses for guilin university. during the day we met with three classes. each class was 1 1/2 hours long. the first class the students taught us chinese games like jumping over eight bamboo sticks that eight students (four on each side) move in a rythm and chinese jump rope. then we taught them some american dances like the chicken dance and they LOVED it. the second class taught us about important chinese holidays and i learned about the dragon boat festival on may fith. the festival involves crews of twenty men racing in boats that have dragon head decorations on the front of the boat. it is an honor to win, and the winner gets not money but a head of a pig. we also got to practice colligraphy and i love writing the characters although i am not very good at it. what amazes me is how the students write text messages with characters with so few keys on their cell phones. our afternoon class was taught by japanese majors who made traditional food for us and taught us how to make sesami dumplings. after that class we had dinner and then went back to the hotel to shower and get ready to go to our evening party at campus number three. the chinese students loved the party, especially the american dancing.
-judith

a word from...

hey everyone at home!

the trip's almost over, and i can't believe i'm going home on friday. i have adjusted to china and the environment and culture here. It no loner feels distant and unsatisfying like it did when i first arrived...this has become home to me and as much as i look forward to the joys of america and the people i love at home, i can't stand the thought of leaving this beautiful country and these beautiful people. i love this place, i don't mind not having all the luxuries i have in america, i really don't need them i've learned. i most of all don't want to leave my friends here. the team has become my family, i've grown so close with the students, my friends cherry and linda especially. i want to take them home with me so badly, the thought of leaving them breaks my heart. I have never felt so incredibly honored and respected as i have here in china.

I love you guys, seeya friday.

Brenna

a word from...

Hey everybody! China has been a truly amazing experience for this team. The scenery is amazing, the food is delicious, and most importantly, the students of GUT are some of the kindest and most generous people I've ever met. Now that we're in the home stretch, we've been trying hard to keep up the energy and seize every opportunity to spend time with our Chinese friends. The next few days offer a lot of free time to do just that, since yesterday we had our last classes. Sunday's trip down the Li River was amazing and we're looking forward to seeing the countryside tomorrow and Seven Star Park on Thursday morning. We also have a goodbye party tomorrow night (time for more dancing!)

As for the team, the swelling in Susan's ankles have gone down, and throats seem a little less sore today. I'm a little more mobile but still trying to take it easy. Dave, Linda, Steve, and Lauren return today, but unfortunately our good friends Davy, Zoe, and Lion have all left. They have been so good to us and we appreciate every time we had together :)Miss and love you all!Joanne

friends...

a few pics from the classrooms...so many warm faces and happy smiles!

a word from...

Hey everyone! Hope everything's good back home:) This has been quite the adventure from the start of the trip. We've kept ourselves busy each day and have made many new friends. I was lucky enough to have the experience of turning 17 while here in China. Koons, Tim, and I all had a great time at the birthday celebration Thursday night, dancing, singing, eating, and of course being with our new friends. We broke out in some sweet dances including the sprinkler, shopping cart, went "fishing", and oh so many more. We were even able to experience the thriller thanks to Joanne's amazing dance skills. I have to say I will never forget how i spent my 17 birthday, it was truly an amzing day! Some of the students said it was the best night they have ever experienced while at college.This trip has been a great blessing and learning experience for each one of us. We are excited to see each life be transformed and shaped into the person we are suppose to be.

Today we went to another campus, with freshman students, to do our last in class work. The students were excited to meet us because news travels fast and they heard about the sweet dance party on Thursday. The group split into two, half going to see the local park and the other staying and experiencing Chinese culture. Both were great experiences and of course we wrapped it up with teaching them dances like the cotton eyed joe, bunny hop, chicken dance and more. We've all mastered these dances by now;)

It was a great day and Phil did a great job filling in for Dave and Linda. They, along with Steve and Lauren, went to visit some long time friends for a night. We can't believe time is going by so fast, its already Monday! Thanks all for keeping us on your minds:)

happy chinese birthday!

Happy 25th Birthday Brandon!

Love, Mom

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huge English corner this morning. so many students hung with us all day. the team is getting engulfed in relationships. we had a great time celebrating at gams and cherrys house last night. its koons birthday today. yea. Hey, our good friends toby, zoe and shell go home today.
everybody is doing well
-phil

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Ni Hao,
Just updating you on our time here! We celebrated Tim and Amy's and Koon's birthdays last night with a Surprise Party. The Chinese students did an awesome job of decorating a room and gave them each gifts for their Birthdays! We ended up having a dance party instead for the whole evening! It was a great experience and a lot of fun. It was great for the students to be involved and to learn new dances! One student said that it was the most fun she had had in all of college! We spent time in classes all day today. While half of the team was in class, the other half walked around campus, thinking of the entire campus and all the students who go here!
Jones arrived last night with all 10 of his friends. They are a wild group but seem like a nice crowd! There is beginning to be a group of the same students that we are seeing on a consistent basis. There are have been a few opportunities to share and what seems like more to come!

Everyone is in good health for the most part, besides upset stomachs issues!

Koon's may have sprained his ankle in class today....
Joann had problems with swollen ankles the last two days but they are completely healed!

Tonight Gam and Cherry will have the whole team over for games and food! They have invited many neighbors to come over to visit us!

-- Kate

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Wow...for those of you who know me: you know that I hate to "sweat"!!!! Sweating at the gym is "a piece of cake" compared to 100 degrees at 100% humidity here. Yes, it is very warm here and so are the greetings from all the Chinese students. They receive us with open arms. We never feel lonely. Because the students are learning English, they are anxious to talk and share with us. Last night after a class that we taught on American holidays, Tein (Carrie) invited me out for tea, so that we could sit and chat....she had many questions! We were joined by Brenna, Cherry and Linda.

By the way, it is little cooler today but that 100% humidity is still with us. I am coping pretty well as long as we have our air conditioned hotel to sleep well at night.

I am so fascinated with the culture, independent pace of life and scenery. I am looking forward to some more adventures......there is definitely not a dull moment thus far....

Susan

a day in china...

the best way to eat a meal...chopsticks and a round table!

meat on a stick with friends...

waterfall in the main square

bird guys at the li river
ty chi every morning
bikes even in the rain
fresh fruit
adorable little old ladies...

flowers as far as the eye can see...
want to buy a chicken?
or some oranges?
or a mow-ped?
a great way to get around town with dad...

cars and bike and buses everywhere

our dear gam and cherry!

happy chinese birthday!

Happy Birthday Tim and Amy!!! We are so proud of you!!! We love you and hope you have a great day!!

Love, Mom and Dad

a word from...

Greetings! This trip thus far has been more than we could ever expect. Besides the heat and an occasional stomach ache, the team is holding up great. Please keep thinking about us in regards to health.

Last night we were invited to an English corner at the college. We sat around and had free talk with many of the students and also people from the town. This is a wonderful time to take advantage of using the gifts we are all provided with. The talks that some of us had were awesome and we hope to continue this with the students. Our father is taking care of all the details with our trip and he has been making our interaction with the Chinese students a memory that will last a lifetime. Johns and his friends are coming in on Friday along with 3 or so others we have met in the past.

Our thoughts before coming to China were of team unity and thankfully everyone is getting along great and I can really feel the LOVE, ya know!! The literature we brought has been going fast and is something we are are psyched about. Thanks again for the thoughts from everyone the team can def feel the power coming from him who strengthens us!

Koons

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and

"We had 42 wonderful traveling hours to get to Guilin ;) We made the best of it and had a lot of fun on the planes and in the airports. Many of the students greeted us when we arrived in Guilin. It was wonderful to see them! We collapsed into our beds late on Sunday night around midnight...ready for some sleep before our first day!

On our first day in China (Monday) the team was spit into two groups. The first group taught some classes, while our group went to play some games with some of our new Chinese friends. After that we went to lunch at the university cafeteria. The food was great! After lunch, we went to Cherry's school to give them the elementary school readers that we brought with us - over 1,100 books! Then came dinner, and afterwards, our much anticipated welcome party (the one that was reschedued because of our flight delay). We met so many wonderful students and had a delightful time putting on skits and talents and watching our new friends do the same.

On Tuesday morning we went to a class who taught us all about Chinese tea traditions...it was so interesting! After class, the students took us out to the street to get famous Guilin noodles. They were delicious! No wonder they are so famous :)

We have been talking to many students and learning about their lives and telling them about our lives in America. They are very eager to talk to us. Keep these things in mind as we spend more time exchanging culture.

Our friend Winnie arrive today and we are enjoying spending time with her.

More to come soon!"

team update:

i just got off the phone with the team...they are all doing great!

it is tuesday morning in china right now...crazy to think that they are a day ahead of us!

if you haven't gotten any emails or phone calls yet, don't dispair. they have been very busy since the moment they arrived...no time to even unpack their suitcases. their schedule has kept them doing all kinds of fun stuff (of which i am sure we will hear about soon) and they are having a blast.

they also said that no one has gotten sick yet! and they are all feeling better after getting a full night of sleep.

it was VERY hot on their first full day in Guilin, but last night they had a big lightning and thunderstorm and things cooled off a bit.

one of our best friends, winnie, arrived today to hang out with the team. she is such a delight! also, jones is scheduled to arrive soon and he is another of our best friends. everyone is really excited to spend time with both of them.

they are going to try and hit up the internet bar later today, so we may have some more updates soon!