May Blogger Awards

The Matthew Never Knew, once again, had it's best month ever with over 1,700 unique hits for the month. Thanks for using me for my links!

For the Month of May, I am nominating 4 posts for the 'Post of the Month'. There weren't a ton of posts to choose from in May and I missed the first five or six days. I didn't do 'April' because I was gone for half of it. I expect improvement from all of you in June.

Benson's $ Question
Angela's Grandma
Sasha's Idol Experience
Steph's Big Year

Blog of the month award:

Andrew Benson's Blog

Does anyone know what happened to Courtney's blog? It was one of my favorites and now it's gone :(

April Blogger Awards

I didn't take the time to do blogger awards this month. Sorry :)

Outside the Box

I don't go outside enough. So today I bought a bike AND went to the lake with my lil sister and my niece. Here are some pics from the lake:

Branscombe Flashback

Today, while thinking about my parable study for tonight, a possible chiasm-like structure jumped out at me. I have Branscombe to thank (or destroy) for having eyes that notice this type of thing. If there is some validity to this chiasm, it seems to put the emphasis on the parable of the wicked tenants. This makes sense to me since it is a clear and powerful story that covers pretty much the entire history of the Bible.

A. Jerusalem’s Celebration (Matt. 21:1-11)
---B. Jesus’ Anger at Jerusalem (Matt. 21:12-17)
------C. Condemns Fig Tree (Matt. 21:18-22)
---------D. Questioning Jesus (Matt. 21:23-27)
------------E. Parable of 2 Sons (Matt. 21:28-32)
---------------F. Wicked Tenants (Matt. 21:33-46)
------------E. Parable of Wedding Feast (Matt. 22:1-14)
---------D. Questioning Jesus (Matt. 22:15-46)
------C. Condemns Religious Leaders (Matt. 23:1-36)
---B. Jesus’ Compassion for Jerusalem (Matt. 23:37-39)
A. Jerusalem’s Destruction (Matt. 24:1-35)

Are there other gods?

I've become a polytheist. I now believe that there are hockey gods. They are very evil and they hate Buffalo. The Sabres have lost a ton of players during there quest for the cup. It's too bad, because they had a real good shot at winning this year and now things don't look promising at all.

My 2 favorite players are both out. Tim Connolly, possibly the Sabres best playmaker, is out with a concusion. Henrik Tallinder, possibly the Sabres best overall defensemen, is out with a broken arm. In addition, the Sabes have lost their 2 other top 5 d-men in Dimitri Kalinin & Teppo Numminen. Adam Mair, who missed most of the 2nd half of the season, could be ready to come back next game.

Why are the hockey gods against us? Will the city of Buffalo ever outgun their ghosts?

No QQ: Theories

For the past 2 days, my Chinese IM (QQ) has not been able to sign in. Because I am still in a blogging rut, I will list my theories as to why this is:

1. QQ is simply down. Sometimes MSN or AOL won't sign in either. Granted, they usually come back in hours rather than days, but maybe this is not so with QQ. Nope, tried a new QQ number today and it signed on right away

2. Something I did to my computer has prevented my QQ program from working. A couple days ago I deleted a bunch of stuff. Maybe I deleted a necessary QQ file on accident. Nope. I have since downloaded QQ onto my families computer and get the same login error.

3. It's possible that China has blocked my QQ number. But why? I'm not sure. Nope, tried another QQ number. UPDATE to UPDATE: Xian Hua Li sent me a new QQ number and it works, so now it seems my QQ number WAS blocked. Hmmm. The other QQ number I tried must have been blocked also I guess. Update to Update to Update: Turns out it was just a minor problem that I can repair on my own now that Xian Hua Li explained what the error message said

4. Maybe they blocked my entire IP address to prevent any/all foreign influence. Nope, used an anonymous IP

5. The last time I was on QQ, I was talking to Xian Hua Li and she said the Wang Ba (internet cafe) might be closed for four days because the government doesn't like the students using the internet so much. Is it possible that the Chinese government shuts down all IM services periodically? Even my friends in Beijing who use MSN haven't been online for 2 days. And they are usually online all the time. Nope, Angel just signed in using MSN. She thinks the QQ service is probably just overloaded.

Chinese Education

Back when Gao Chen Wan was a student, class consisted mostly of manual labor. Education was, in many ways, discouraged by the government. But by his senior year in high school things were changing. Getting a secondary education became acceptable and the college entrance examination was re-instituted in schools across the nation. That year, among all the students of Da Qiao school, only Gao passed the exam.

Today, Gao Chen Wan is the Vice Principal of his alma-mater. Last month I was part of a lengthy conversation with him regarding the methods of education in Da Qiao. We asked why the students were required to work such long hours (scheduled activities from 6am-9pm). I had previously assumed that the reason behind this was purely educationally driven. Gao conveyed a different purpose in keeping the students busy, namely, their well being.

Many families in China are broken. Parents often live in the city where they can make the highest possible income. Children live in their home province, perhaps with their grandparents who are too worn to raise them properly. The school is left not only to educate, but also to care for their student body. The teachers are not just teachers, they may be the closest things to parents their students will ever know.

Vice Principal Gao and his colleagues are stuck between a rock and a hard place. If they work the students too hard, they may break. If they give them too much free time, they may get themselves in a load of trouble. Leadership at the school in Da Qiao choose to keep the students busy, occassionally allowing them to watch movies in their classroom and play ball on the school fields. Other schools take the risk of giving the children time to roam the town, sometimes with devestating results.

Last September, two such female students arrived in their grandparents home wearing new dresses. After lengthy investigation, it was revealed that the girls had been given these dresses in exchange for their virginity. Once school and local officials were notified, it was discovered that one man, Deng Jun (43) had purchased the virginity of 17 female students (12 under the age of 14).

There are no easy answers to the education problems in China. How can parents afford to stay home to raise their children? How can schools be expected to parent thousands of Chinese kids? How can the students endure the pressure to be one of the few to pass the college exams? No easy answer will suffice. But men like Gao Chen Wan and the teachers at Da Qiao school are part of that answer. And they are in my prayers.

Quote

In my observation, the main problem with dispensationalists is that they consistently attempt to understand the light of the New Testament by the shadows of the Old. Just as it is nearly impossible to read in a dark room, it is incredibly difficult to understand eschatology while focusing on Old Testament passages. We must let the light lead the way.

Evaluating Fiction

As many of you know, I do not read fiction. I have nothing against fiction, just not my current cup of tea. As an un-biased observer of some of the more recent 'controversial fiction' I will now make some uninformed comments about 5 popular works that I haven't read.

Lord of the Rings- I saw the movies. I think the storyline is pretty good. It's impressive to be able to create a whole world in one's imagination. Chronicles of Narnia- I read 1 book and saw the movie. Probably slightly less impressive than LotR in terms of imagination. But it's of more interest to me as a Christian. Harry Potter- I have no problem with Harry Potter. I like the idea of kids reading and enjoying it. The Da Vinci Code- I'd have absolutely zero problem with it except that the author takes himself seriously. Cut out the intro where he claims it's based on facts and it wouldn't be an issue with me. If he really thinks all that stuff is true, he should have the guts to write it as a non-fiction and make his view more open to scrutiny. Left Behind- Okay, so I've read 7 of these. Maybe they are more annoying than the Da Vinci Code. It's simply 1 guys opinions written as if they're facts (as seen by the bible study books they sell right along with the series). I guess I'm not a big fan of fiction writers taking themselves so seriously.

Blog Rut Update

I'm in a bit of a blogging rut since I got back from China. There are several reasons for this. First, I am on the internet less because the church has been busy and the Sabres are still winning. Second, when I do come online, I'm usually chatting with Chinese people on QQ. Third, I'm too tired to think at midnight when I used to write a lot of my posts. All that being said, it is time for an update on my general activities/thoughts.

1. The word 'rut' has a secondary meaning, that being "An annually recurring condition or period of sexual excitement and reproductive activity in male deer." This post is not about that.
2. Last night we had 114 people in church on a Sunday night. This is probably our highest non-special-event evening in a real long time (ever?). 32 in my Bible study. 58 in Believer's Square (kids program led by my mom). And 24 in youth group.
3. Since there were 50+ kids, I am obligated to throw them a pizza party
4. My study last night was on the Rich Man and Lazarus. I thought it would be a shorter study, but lots of people interacted so it went an 20 minutes past the hour. Good discussion!
5. More people from our church check out my blog than I formerly realized
6. I take back all those bad things I said about people from our church
7. Just kidding
8. By just kidding I mean that I didn't say mean things about people from our church, not that I'm just kidding about taking them back

Knew Quotes

Below I will provide links to favorite quotes of mine from various sources

The Apostolic Fathers
Clement
Polycarp
Ignatius
Didache
Barnabas
Shepherd of Hermas
To Diognetus
Papias

Famous People from History
Will Rogers
John Wesley
William Butler Yeats

Topics
Truth

Go Sabres

Shows that Start with V

Below are all the shows that start with V that I have watched more than twice. Why? Who knows

Chinese Lessons

My quest to gain the ability to speak adequate Chinese by 2009 is officially started. Various books have arrived via mail, I've got lots of Chinese IM friends to help me out, and I have been getting to know the girl that seemingly works 24/7 at the Chinese restaurant.

As a base, I know 65 words and basic phrases in Chinese. I hope to slowly but steadily increase that amount. Here is my plan.

1. Study 10 practical words each week
2. Use chinese words when IMing
3. Ask restaurant girl to correct pronounciation
4. Learn restaurant girls name

A Blink in Ethics

I had an interesting conversation yesterday on a message board regarding the ethics of blinking your headlights to alert traffic of a nearby police car. In a poll, 60% of Christians said they practice this warning system while 40% said they do not. I defended the majority position, but I was also playing devil's advocate a bit. The following arguments were made in the thread:

Reasons we should not blink
~ we should submit to governing authorities
~ It saves lives
~ It's like warning a bank robber of a nearby cop

Reasons we should blink
~ In my opinion, the role of a police officer was never intended to include parking and waiting for speeders. I find this practice quite corrupt and all about making money for the governments. Many Cops have a ticket quoata they are expected to reach each month. I question the motive of the practice. To me, it seems they are more interested in making money than in making the streets safer. For example, in my town everyone pleads down their speeding violation to a parking ticket. Why? Because parking ticket revenue goes to the town instead of the state. That's revealing. That's corruption. I won't honor corruption with my obedience.

~ One person gave a hypothetical scenario of a warned driver slowing down for a mile and then speeding back up and killing a kid. But I responded by saying that if I didn't warn people, they could hit a kid between me and the cop! Again, what is the 'purpose'? To get drivers to slow down or to hand out tickets.

~ I argued that it's nothing like warning a bank robber. It was mentioned that speeding is a civil offense and theft is a legal offense. But beyond that, warning a bank robber allows the crime to continue whereas warning a speeder actually stops the offense from occuring (at least for a while).

What are your arguments for or against this practice? Do you alert traffic about upcoming cops?

Pastoral Report

Report of Pastoral Activities
Assistant Pastor Matthew Rose
May 17, 2005 – May 16, 2006

It has been my privilege to minister to and with the Hess Road Wesleyan Church for a third year. I have sensed God’s leading for me to serve, the affirmation of the congregation, and personal joy in exercising my passion for God within the context of this local church body.

My role as Assistant Pastor did not change dramatically from this time last year. My main responsibilities were to share in teaching ministries and pastoral care. It has been my honor to serve alongside Pastor Joe Payne who has exhibited himself as a visionary leader for this body of believers.

This year I began teaching Sunday School each week. The class has experienced growth as we discussed Paul’s letter to the Galatians. We are currently studying through the Gospel of Luke. I am also responsible for Sunday evening services. In the past year we have finished a 25-week series through Revelation, a 10-week study of Church History, and are currently in the midst of a long series through the Parables.

In November I asked Pastor Joe if I could take all Wednesday night services. In total, I led 30 Prayer Meetings as we journeyed through Acts, Joshua & Hebrews. I have led 47 Thursday evening men’s groups. In the past year, this group has examined the books of Daniel and Genesis. In total, since my arrival on staff in July of 2003, I have taught through (in detail) 20.2% of Scripture (16.4% of the Old Testament, 33.8% of the New Testament). I look forward to another year in which to study, teach, and apply God’s Word.

In addition to teaching ministry I have been active in pastoral visitation. I have made 147 visits outside the church building since our last conference including routine visits to area nursing homes. Other activities in the past year have included, in part, occasional help with children’s/youth ministry, leading Sunday morning services in Pastor Joe’s absence, participation in organization meetings, and district events. It was my great joy to take part in ministry to Chinese students at various times throughout the year through ISI and to take another missions trip to China from April 18th -May 5th.

As was the case last year, as I write this report, there is no place I’d rather be serving my Savior than Hess Road Wesleyan Church. I sense God moving here in individuals and in the body as a whole. I believe God has a great plan for Hess Road Wesleyan Church and I am excited to see part of that plan unfold in the coming year.

In Christ,
Matthew Rose

Teaching Statistics

Every May I evaluate the progress I've made toward my goal to teach through the entire Bible 3 times during my years in pastoral ministry. I'm making decent progress through phase 1. Here are the updated numbers:

20.2% of the Bible (+7.8%)

16.4% of the Old Testament (+6.1%)
22.5% of the Pentateuch (+21.9%)
8.4% of the Historical Books (+1.2%)
22.6% of the Poetical Books (+0%)
13.6% of the Prophets (+4.8%)

33.8% of the New Testament (+14.2%)
27.4% of the Gospels/Acts (+6%)
6.9% of the Pauline Epistles (+5.8%)
89.3% of the Non-Pauline Epistles (+44.7%)

*The numbers are slightly less than accurate in that not all my teaching is covered. For example, I've been teaching through the parables for 17 weeks, but since they are not entire chapters I have not accounted for such teaching in this evaluation. **Currently I am teaching through Genesis, Lamentations, Luke, and the Parables ***This year I have plans to teach through Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Hosea, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians and 1 & 2 Timothy.

Midnight Oil

This is my favorite mother's day oriented song. I dedicate this post to my mother who, thankfully, wants nothing more than to see her 5 children all walking with the Lord.

Mama always got up early
And she never went to bed 'til late
Yet, I never heard her complainin'
About her family of eight
There were times she should have been sleepin'
But, late in the midnight hour
She'd get down on her knees
And you could hear her say,
"Lord fill them will your power"

Mama like to burn the midnight oil
Down on her knees in prayer
If you asked why she did it
She said she did it cuz she cared
Mama knew that Jesus was waiting
When she knelt by her rocking chair
Oh, I'm glad my mama was willin'
To burn the midnight oil in prayer

~Phillips, Craig & Dean

Social Issues

I don't do Potlucks well. My voice blends in with background noise. I can't be heard. So I am not talkative. I get bored. How slow can one eat? Before and after eating, I stand around. I say hi to people and have brief conversations about nothingness.

I used to be quiet because I was shy, nervous and afraid of people. Now I'm quiet without those 3 attributes. 1 on 1 I can be extremely talkative. When given the floor, I have no problem at all speaking or singing in front of hundreds (or even thousands, as I learned a week and a half ago). But put me in a group of chatting people with no structure and I'm quiet as a mouse.

I have no point to make. Just a statement of facts.

Providence 2

Yesterday before men's group I was thinking of illustrations of God's providence from my own life. Here are the 3 that came to mind:

1. After I sensed a calling to pastoral ministry, I was looking for a good college fit. I had visited IWU and Houghton, but didn't think I would get a chance to visit BBC. It just so happened, however, that a mime team from my church won the local level of TNT and the final level was being held at Bethany. So I hitched a ride. I think this was God's providence.

2. When I was at BBC, I started a small group aimed at praying for home churches. At that time, my home church had no pastor. The first person that joined the group was Kathy King. Soon after we started praying, my church found and hired a member of the staff from Kathy's church. I think this was God's providence.

3. The week of graduation from Bethany I really had no clue what was coming next in my life. But Kirk Sabin (spelling?), out of the blue it seemed, asked me very seriously what I thought about working in my home church. To be honest, I had never really considered that possibility. A few weeks after returning home, I was offered a job at my church. At Kirk's suggestion I had been thinking about it and was ready to accept the position right away. I think this was God's providence.

Care to share some instances of God's Providence in your life?

Providence

Our team leader for the China trip is a man named Fran Strong. Thankfully, he doesn't spend much time on the internet because he would probably feel quite uncomfortable with what I am about to say. I think that if I were told by God to add some more names to Hebrews 11, Fran would be one of the first names I'd add.

From Fran I have learned to notice the providence of God and give Him praise for His sovereignty. What the world would call coincidences gravitate towards Fran Strong. Why? Because he not only makes himself available to God, but places himself in positions to be used by God.

Tonight in men's group we are in the midst of the story of Joseph. Perhaps no story in Scripture showcases the great management of God like this one. That being the case, I called Fran this afternoon to join our group and share some illustrations of God's providence in his life. It should be a great time of sharing.

Dirty Books

When I was in an airport bookstore in Beijing, I was glancing over the 'learn chinese' section and started flipping through a book called 'Making Out In Chinese'. I thought it was just an attention grabbing title. The first half of the book looked very helpful. It provided all the basic Chinese greetings and phrases in a very American friendly format. But the 2nd half really was about 'making out' and more. It provided translation for everything from body parts to STD's. It was $26 at the airport, but only $6 on Amazon. I had already decided to buy it on Amazon when I was flipping through the 1st half, but now I feel kind of dirty!

I also bought a simple English/Pinyin (phonetic chinese) dictionary. I think it will be very helpful. I am going to make a broader effort to learn Chinese this year for a few reasons. 1. It's a great skill to have. 2. I have been maintaining contact with many Chinese since I've been back and 3. It's not out of the realm of possibilities that I could live in China for an extended period at some point in my life.

Between talking to Chinese people (through their instant messenger called QQ) and studying these resources, I think I will be speaking somewhat adequate Chinese in 2-3 years. We'll see.

Top 9 Photos

For those of you who were overwhelmed by the length of the last post, here are some pics with brief commentary.

Our team leader Fran went 2 weeks earlier and took these 3 Chinese as translators to minister at an orphanage and a handicapped facility. All 3 have powerful testimonies.

I didn't actually go to the Great Wall this year, but some other members of our team did. I figure any trip to China has to include pics of the Great Wall.

These are some of the people we met in Chengdu. The young girl on the left had lots of questions about Christianity and the one on the right (her aunt) is a very joyful Christian woman.

While the girls were visiting the Pandas, I met with this guy. We had a great 3 hour discussion, through a translator, about whether Christianity was unique or just another religion. Then we were left alone and he helped me learn a Chinese song!

This is the girls room. Fran and I stayed in a similar room. It is actually a future classroom. The only problem was it was on the 5th flood and the ladies weren't big fans of that fact.

This pic has 6 of the 10 Chinese English teachers. I couldn't find a pic with all 10. They were all great to work with. From left to right. Mr. Feng asked lots of questions about the nature of the church. Mr. Du I didn't get to know very well. I'm me. Mr. Pu is probably the closest to the Kingdom among the teachers. Huang Bin is just starting to open up after 3 years. He Xia I'll talk about with the next pic. Fran. Patricia. Bird is my best friend in China, he's especially funny when he imitates Bryan Adams. Lorraine.

In past years I became good friends with Bird and Mr. Pu. This year I developed good friendships with He Xia and Xian Hua Li. I communicated to He Xie on paper because it was much faster. I shared my testimony and she was eager to learn more about Christianity. Xian Hua Li shared with me one night about some sadness in her life and we became very good friends after that.

If I'm allowed to pick a favorite student, this is her. She was so cute and she always volunteered to try out her English speaking skills. She instantly smiles when you look at her and then you find yourself smiling.

The school celebrated their 50th anniversary while we were there. Many alumni came and we were able to share the Gospel with some of them. At night the students put on a program for us and we sang 2 chinese songs for them. Great night all around. The next morning we headed towards home.

Trip Highlights

Tuesday, April 18th
My dad took me to the airport at 5:50am where I met with the rest of our team (with the exception of our leader Fran who went 2 weeks earlier). Other team members included a lady from my church (Lorraine), a worship leader (Barbara) and a lady involved in working with international students (Patricia). By 9 we were waiting in Chicago for our international flight.

Wednesday, April 19th
The flight took us very far North into the Arctic. The only movie I watched was The Family Stone which was typical and so so. We arrived in a dusty Beijing around 2pm. That evening with met with a 4 Chinese people. First, a couple and their child. Fran knew the wife from teaching a Bible study for international students and U.B. The husband does Malaria research and is often in Kenya. Later we met with a house-church member and shared encouragement.

Thursday, April 20th
The ladies visited the great wall on Thursday morning while Fran and I worked with four young house-church girls. They are on fire for God, but lack direction and teaching. We spent most of the time working through a grace/faith/works Bible study that I had recently taught at my church. They also asked questions about some difficult Bible passages (preaching to the spirits in prison and whether our sins are forgiven past, present & future). 2 of the 3 girls had quit their jobs to pursue God's will in their life. One was fasting 40 days. The rest of us enjoyed a good lunch and conversation. In the evening, we met with 4 more young Christians who had amazing testimonies. One of them (Angel) attends the 3-Self church and I've talked to her and her boyfriend via MSN throughout the past year.

Friday, April 21st
Once again, the ladies toured Beijing while Fran and I met with some young Christians. I taught about the Kingdom of God in the morning and prayer in the afternoon. It was so awesome to teach because they were eager to learn. In the early evening Fran and I visited the apartment of the couple from Wednesday. In the evening we had a dinner meeting with some non-Christian Chinese contacts. Each of our team members shared our testimonies and the Chinese asked questions individually until the night was over. Then we packed for Chengdu.

Saturday, April 22nd
Our flight to Chengdu left at 10:50am. We were met by a joyful Christian lady named Wen. We all shared dinner with her parents, husband, child & niece and once again shared testimonies. The niece translated for us and had many questions about the faith.

Sunday, April 23rd
We went to church in Chengdu Sunday morning. It was very similar to a traditional style American worship service. They sang 'Up from the Grave He Arose'. After the service there was a wedding and we had some good discussions with the congregation. Early Sunday evening we began the 5 hour drive to the small town of Da Qiao.

Monday, April 24th
In the morning Fran and I were re-united with the Chinese English teachers at Da Qiao school. I taught 2 classes in the am. The teachers had re-arranged their schedules so that all the English classes were in the morning. In the afternoon most of the teachers and part of our team went to an island school, but I stayed behind and played ping-pong with the Da Qiao students for 3 hours. My feet got really sore.

Tuesday, April 25th
Tuesday was a somewhat uneventful day. I taught 4 classes. Teaching the classes is very fun. I start by having them write down some questions for me. I correct their phrasing and then let a few students ask their question before their classmates. The Q/A time actually allows me to share Christ with the students b/c sometimes they ask about American holidays or my occupation. At the beginning of the week the questions were easy (what is your favorite sport?), but by the end of the week they were asking my opinion on the political difficulty between Taiwan and mainland China!

Wednesday, April 26th
I taught 4 classes on Wednesday. I worked with a great 31 year old teacher named Zhang Li Mei. In the afternoon I learned some new Chinese words as I built a friendship with a 24 year old teacher named He Xia. In the evening their was a program of singing & dancing. I sang the song I learned last year (Xiao Wei).

Thursday, April 27th
I taught 4 classes on Thursday as well. The students were getting more confident by this point. I designed a little skip where I was a waiter and they had to order food in English. Eventually I had students playing both roles. They really got into it and were so funny. In the afternoon I walked around the streets of Da Qiao with the 2 young female teachers He Xia and Xian Hua Li. When we returned I played basketball for 30 minutes and was wiped out. That evening we had a good time of fellowship with the 10 Chinese English teachers.

Friday, April 28th
Thursday night Fran had asked me to re-assign our team members to different teachers so on Friday and for the rest of the trip I worked with He Xia and Mr. Pu. I taught 7 classes. In the evening I visited the home of my friend Bird (another Chinese English teacher). We had a good long discussion about Christianity and girls. He is a 30 year old single guy. He said his 2 criteria for a potential girlfriend are 1) She must like the same music as me and 2) She must love Jesus. Bird is not a Christian, but he has observed that Christian girls are swell. He's funny.

Saturday, April 29th
Saturday morning I shared my testimony via a letter to He Xia. She doesn't speak enough English (and I certainly don't speak enough Chinese!) for us to have a good conversation. She was very glad to read the testimony and we continued to write back and forth throughout the week. I taught 6 classes Saturday. In the evening we shared dinner with all the English teachers and then us younger one's (He Xia, Xian Hua Li, Bird & myself) went for a walk.

Sunday, April 30th
We went to church in Da Qiao. There were about 150 in the congregation. . In the afternoon I asked He Xia to take me to the internet bar, but she took me to use the internet at Mr. Feng's (yet another teacher) apartment. I hung out with them for a while and then visited his neighbor (Zhang Li Mei) for a couple more hours. They asked some questions about the nature of the church in America. In the evening we met in an attempt to learn a Chinese song. We had a great time working on it. He Xia, Xian Hua Li and myself were being pretty goofy.

Monday, May 1st
I taught 6 classes on Monday and played basketball at 5 for about an hour and a half. In the evening we met with the teachers and taught them 5 Christian worship songs. They love learning new English songs.

Tuesday, May 2nd
Tuesday was the last day of classes before May-break. I taught 6 classes and they were great fun. I tried something new by simply speaking 10 English words and having the students write down what word they thought I was saying. They were correct about 80% of the time. In the evening I talked to a visiting college student about the Gospel for about 2 hours. Next I talked with Xian Hua Li. She's always laughing, but she really opened up to me and told me about how on the inside she's often very sad.

Wednesday, May 3rd
On this day the school celebrated its 50th anniversary. Many alumni came to support the school. We had a huge feast in the cafeteria. In the afternoon I made some gifts for the teachers. In the evening the students performed some dances, songs and skits. Us Americans sang the song we learned and I sang Xiao Wei again before 3000 people. At night I stayed out late with Bird, He Xia, Xian Hua Li and the music teacher.

Thursday, May 4th
We had breakfast and said our goodbye's. I really didn't want to leave all the teachers. Thankfully, He Xia and Xian Hua Li wanted to go to Chengdu over the holiday break so they hitched a ride with us. On the way to Chengdu the truck carrying Barb, He Xia, Xian Hua Li and myself was hit by a bus. Xian Hua Li had a minor bump on her head. Later we said goodbye to them and had dinner in the city.

Friday, May 5th
Us guys woke up a little late for our ride to the Chengdu airport, but we still made it in plenty of time b/c guys can get ready super fast. We flew from Chengdu to Beijing, met with a few more Chinese house-church Christians and then left Beijing toward Chicago. The plane was only half full so we all spread out. I actually got a couple hours of sleep I think. By 11pm I was back at my home in America.

The Return

I am back as of 11pm Friday Night
From 12-5 I watched hockey games
From 5-9 I failed to sign up for QQ
From 9 till now I ate ice cream
From then (former now) till now I typed

I will try to think of a prize for '100'

Shows that Start with X

Below are all the shows that start with X that I have watched more than twice. Why? Who knows

X-Files, The Decent enough to watch a handful of episodes

Shows that Start with Y

Below are all the shows that start with Y that I have watched more than twice. Why? Who knows

Yogi Bear Show, The Can't remember if it was good

Shows that Start with Z

Below are all the shows that start with Z that I have watched more than twice. Why? Who knows

None