Opportunities Begin to Emerge

We are beginning to have opportunity to interact and develop relationships that may result in future possibilities for us.

The teacher training was held
at an elementary school in Yangxian

In March, we joined with like-minded folks in Xi'an to travel to a nearby community called Yangxian. It's a three hour trip. The folks here in Xi'an have been working with elementary/middle school/Senior High teachers in that district to improve their English speaking skills. All students in China must learn basic English and soon, 1/3 of public work personnel must have enough skill to clearly communicate in English. It opens great opportunities for like-minded English speakers to develop relationships. (*I recently read that there are more people learning English in China, than all of the current English speakers throughout the entire world).


On this particular trip, we were able to have a special meal with the superintendent of the Yangxian school district.
He is responsible for 4,000 teachers and 60,000 students. The meal conversation allowed us to hear the challenges he faces (budget, retaining teachers....) and to hear him express his gratefulness for the team that comes to work with the teachers. While conversation did not come around to issues of drugs and alcohol in schools and the community, it did provide opportunity to meet him face to face, and perhaps open future doors to share prevention messages in the schools he is responsible for.

Going through training with teachers

Leaders addressing English teachers

Through other like-minded folks we have met, possibilities are emerging that this coming fall we may have opportunity to get certification with the Red Cross in Xian. This would bring credibility to our prevention message and allow us into other school districts. Prevention programs have proven to be a great way to develop guanxi (favor) that allows for opportunities to bring other TC works into those communities.

Here in Xi'an, one of the area superintendents recently reached out to the community of like-minded folks with a long list of ways he needed help from the English speakers in his school district. Good relationships continue to emerge.

On a broader scale, we are hearing about many regions in China that have problems with addiction. There are people in those areas who are faithfully doing the work, but they need training and support. We are taking seriously our effort to learn the language as quickly as possible as we know that it is imperative that we are able to effectively communicate.

In May, Kelley and I will be traveling to Ya'nan with a local team of folks to provide support for incoming international teams who will be working with the Ya'nan University students regarding their English speaking skills. This again provides opportunity to develop relationships with Chinese folks (Ya'nan University students) who may have a heart for those caught in addiction. We trust that Father will identify those Chinese nationals who will someday be involved in TC type work. Every opportunity to meet and converse with people opens future possibilities, so we take these opportunities seriously.

Please pray about the prevention/leadership summer camps in Fuzhou. They will take place in August. Much planning and many helpers are still needed. Of course, let us know if you would be interested in traveling to China to help! What a great opportunity to see China!
 
Bless you all!

Language and the Village

Kelley talking with men in the village

It has been several weeks now of having opportunity to learn Chinese. Kelley and I are both able to communicate some basic phrases and our vocabulary and understanding of sentence structure is constantly improving. Hardly a day goes by that we aren't finding ourselves in an opportunity to try out our new growth in language skills. If it's not cab (Chu Zu Che) drivers, or store (Chao Shi) workers, it's people in the primitive village behind where we live.

The village we live near with people living on rooftops.

 







The village is a bustling community of many young and old people. The old buildings and narrow alleyways might make you think that it is a depressed area of struggling people, but we have found that most people there are happy.


 

Children playing in the village

Playful children and unkempt street dogs run through the alleys. Its primitive in the sense that many modern conveniences are not available to them (for example the sewer system is basically small trenches that are covered with bricks to keep it hidden). But in the village is a vast network of businesses, stores, and restaurants.

Doug with boys playing a game in the village

We absolutely love these people. The children are adorable, and the older folks are so kind. Relationships are starting to flourish although conversations are still very simple. We sense that there is great interest in who these Mei Guo Ren (Americans) are who talk with them.






We've recently visited a nearby community to help with training Chinese teachers who teach English in grade schools... (I'll share more about that in the next blog entry).

Thanks for your interest and support for our being here. There is great purpose and many like minded folks we meet are very excited that we are here.